posted on 06 Jul 2025

The Amulet of Hath by Vashti Hardy

This is the second book in Vashti Hardy’s ‘Relic Hunters’ series (you can read the review we did of the first one here) and it’s fun to welcome back Mabel and Will Greystone and their intrepid Aunt Lucy.

We’ve already discovered that Mabel and Will love an adventure and that when Aunt Lucy turns-up she’s likely to have an archaeological treasure hunt in mind. This time the three of them set off to find the ancient mysterious land of Hath, using a long-lost amulet as their key to unlocking the secret of the fabled treasure that has been hidden there.

But our heroes face an even bigger problem than solving the riddle of where Hath can be found: his name is Byron Cogsworth. Those of you who are familiar with the first Relic Hunter story will know just how duplicitous Byron Cogsworth can be – a real villain who has few skills of his own but an unquenchable greed for glory and treasure, as long as someone else does all the clever, hard work.

There’s plenty of thrills and spills as Mabel and Aunt Lucy use their knowledge and intuition to solve the cryptic map that is embedded in the amulet and Will keeps a record of their efforts on his trusty camera. But do they have the wherewithal to outflank the unscrupulous Cogsworth, who is not shy to pull out a gun if he thinks he needs it?

For those of you planning a chase against time across a desert, you might want to consider getting hold of one of the more inventive modes of transport I’ve come across: mechanical robot camels:

“Riding the robot camels took some getting used to as the controls were complicated, but they were soon walking away….into the desert. They sped up to a trot, which made the ride bumpy, but they needed to catch up with Cogsworth.”

Be prepared to find a treasure beyond belief, be sucked down a vortex and be saved by a friendly family of sand foxes – and plenty of evil doings by the treacherously greasy Byron.

But if you’re worried that evil doing will prosper, don’t fret – Cogsworth will get his comeuppance!

Guided for readers of 9+, the book comes from Barrington Stoke, who specialise in books especially tested for reluctant readers of all kinds. You will be able to get a copy from your local independent bookshop – who will be happy to order it for you if they don’t have it on their shelves.

 

Terry Potter

July 2025