Stranger Days on Peculiar Hill by Grimly Darkwood is available at Amazon UK or Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle format. It is also available at other Amazon sites worldwide. The second book in the Vale of Strange series, it continues the story of Peter’s new life in Peculiarshire. Many more surprises lie in wait for Peter and his friends…
“Stranger, more peculiar, and utterly delightful, Grimly Darkwood’s sequel to The Shop on Peculiar Hill perfectly combines outlandish scares with adventure and wild imagination” – John Guy Collick, author of the ‘Book of the Colossus’ series.
“If you have read Shop on Peculiar Hill… this will be a real treat… We meet new friends, see familiar faces, and above all, dive further into this world where nothing is exactly as it appears. In all honestly, as soon as I’d finished Shop on Peculiar Hill, I was desperate to get my hands on Stranger Days – this is a world with absolutely no finite end point, and I hope this series just keeps going! – Radzy, ‘Radzy Writes and Reviews’
Artwork by Pete Lyon
See here to read free sample chapters.
Synopsis: Peter returns to the Vale of Strange with his new friend Mala, hoping to find her father, the hapless explorer Augustus Flipper, who has disappeared in a sudden outbreak of strangeness. Peter and Mala have to grapple with a number of difficult questions. Why is the unpleasant Percival Crow building a swimming pool even though he never takes a swim? Why have the mysterious four-foot-high bearded Australians taken against Uncle Bob? And what has produced the lights in the sky and the multicoloured bubbles of strangeness all across Mala’s lawn? Peter suspects that something big is happening here, but the most important question is this: will the reluctant Amanda decide to help them after all?
What people are saying:
“Stranger Days on Peculiar Hill by Grimly Darkwood continues the tale of The Vale of Strange, tying book 1 flawlessly to book 2 by making you feel you haven’t been away from the Vale of Strange for longer than a minute. It is a rollercoaster ride the whole way through… Grimly Darkwood skilfully moves it along at a breathtaking pace as he sweeps us into a plot that keeps the reader both interested and intrigued… The author’s vivid imagination, exceptional storytelling and brilliant writing makes this a fantasy novel you will recall in years to come.” – Peggy Jo Wipf, Five Star Review for Readers’ Favorite.
“Last year, I read and reviewed the first Vale of Strange book and absolutely loved it. When Mr Darkwood contacted me to say the second book was coming out, I couldn’t wait. I wasn’t disappointed. Once again the plot was unique and original and it was really well written. The pacing was perfect for me. Although this series is aimed for readers aged 8 plus, I started reading it with my 5 year old nephew. He loved all the silliness and the strange creatures. Another fab book. If you’re looking for a quick read with lots of strange adventures I highly recommend this one, and it really doesn’t matter what age you are. Can’t wait to see what Mr Darkwood has in store for us next.” – Mani, Mani’s Book Corner
“Whimsical, fantastical and indeed very, very strange, this is a delightful and charming work for children who want to be truly captivated and swept away into a world of imagination. Author Grimly Darkwood returns to the Vale of Strange with more vim and vigor than ever, presenting characters old and new with added layers of intrigue and fascination for our young hero Peter to explore and uncover… The descriptions and atmosphere give cinematic realness to the magical features of this faraway land and, overall, Stranger Days on Peculiar Hill is both a solid stand-alone tale and a fantastic extension to the current series.” – K C Finn, Five Star Review for Readers’ Favorite.
“Stranger Days on Peculiar Hill is a new adventure that develops the brilliant ideas firmly established in Grimly Darkwood’s first Vale of Strange book… The book follows on from the end of The Shop on Peculiar Hill but it recaps the previous events and there’s enough detail for it to be read as a standalone story… After reading, I’m sure children will be racing to enjoy the adventure in The Shop on Peculiar Hill if they haven’t read it already.” – Charlotte Walker LoveReading4Kids
“Absolutely loved this book. Very funny, exciting, and a real page turner. Can’t wait for the next.” – Amazon UK reader
“Weird and wonderful escape from reality. Genuinely new and surprising in its inventiveness. I should have been warned about the big spider.” – Amazon UK reader
“A wonderful next edition! This story had everything: trolls, jamjam plants, a peculiar explorer, and so much more! I love that it left things open ended so there can be another book. For those who love the Harry Potter series and A Series of Unfortunate Events, this is a wonderful series in that same vein.” – Goodreads reader
“Grimly Darkwood’s second book about the Vale of Strange is perfect for readers who don’t mind a few genuinely creepy scares mixed in with their adventures. It’s a wonderfully imaginative, and at times quite surreal, tale of Peter and Mala’s search for a missing explorer in a mutating landscape that reads like The Yellow Submarine meets The Colour Out of Space. Highly recommended, not just for young readers, but for anyone interested in surreal and on occasion laugh-out-loud fantasy.” – Amazon UK reader.
Grimly Darkwood 