Fans of The Sister’s Grimm will particularly be drawn to author Robert Love’s debut tween fiction, City of the Yeti, an enticing fantasy adventure mixed with 1920s history, Bhutanese folklore, and diversity. Young readers will be thrilled to cross over from the typical realms of wizards and mythology into rarely explored Asian folklore as they follow fourteen-year-old Danny and his kid sister Rachel, who live in India while under British rule.

“Soon we will reach the rear of the cave,  which offer the most interesting sights.”

Though naive of the British strong-arming and unrest around them, during one of their adventures through town with their Indian friend Kumar, a shopkeeper tries selling Danny a Yeti skull peeking his interest into their actual existence. Upon the news of hearing they will be moving back to the safety of England, the family decides to take a detour to visit Nepal, where it just so happens to be where Danny’s grandfather disappeared the previous summer during a climb of Mount Everest. Odd events start to occur that Danny can’t explain leading to their kidnapping by eight-feet tall, fur clad men. Could they possibly be responsible for the legend of the Yeti?

While some of their responses or reactions to various events are questionable at times, the characters are undeniably relatable, especially for young readers, who will find they will derive many empathetic moments throughout the book and feel a real emotional connection to them.

Love executes an ending that drives readers straight into an edge-of-your-seat emotional climax and spits them out the other side with a flawless exit strategy void of needless closure that would have minimized the rush of such a climactic moment.

If stepping outside your typical fantasy story and experiencing a refreshing and much needed twist of adventure is what you’re looking for, then City of the Yeti is the perfect place to start!

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