Victor is a nice young prince, although a bit hapless at the best of times. His mum, the Queen of Serendipity, has ordered him out of the castle to find a princess to be his bride. So, with the blessing and equipment given by friend Marigold, and accompanied by his trusty horse Quince, off he goes. Victor encounters, befriends, and gives aid to an array of characters on his adventure. Our hero is a likeable character and he sticks to his guns when he brings Valerian-not a princess, but a warm-hearted and sensible girlhome. Freeman’s story is quaint and the illustrations from Kim Gamble are superb (I became hooked when I first read The Magnificent Nose!). As an adult reader, I found the writing in Victor’s Quest a little off-putting and lacking in imagination. Nevertheless it would still be an enjoyable read for a child aged between six and nine years. Initially published in 1996, Victor’s Quest is being reissued by Walker Books to coincide with the publication of the sequel, Victor’s Challenge.

Julia Jackson is a freelance reviewer and bookseller at Readings Carlton with a love of kid’s books

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