THE CHICKEN'S CURSE BY FRANCES WATTS

The Chicken’s Curse is a wonderful tale of adventure set in the time of Julius Caesar. Felix is the servant of General Fabius Maximus Porcius – a man who ignores bad omens. Everyone knows (especially in ancient Roman times) that to ignore bad omens will only ever end in disaster. The night before a huge battle the General has ignored so many bad omens Felix feels he has no choice but to slip from the camp and head back to Rome and his mother. As he escapes, he meets up with Livia and a talking Sacred Chicken, both of whom want to go to Rome too. Livia needs to see her brother before he is killed by Caesar in his Triumph Games and the Sacred Chicken has heard that he will be fed on cake there – something he especially adores.

Their journey must be made in secrecy as Livia is a slave who has escaped her master. There are troopers looking for her and the trio are in constant danger. Their escape takes them in all sorts of directions – often away from Rome. The soldiers and baddies they encounter are ruthless and extremely unkind. What follows is one of the best road trips ever.

Frances Watts’ main characters are all loveable. Felix is kind and thoughtful and Livia brave and determined. Both of them are very loyal. Their fortitude in the face of so many set-backs is endearing and admirable. The themes of family, loyalty and friendship are strong and are approached with a lovely underlying humour. This book will be loved by all who read it.

For Ages: 8-12 years

Number of Pages: 272 pages

Published: February 2020

Themes: Friendship, loyalty and family

Rating: 4/5