Rachel Delahaye never fails to make me laugh and Mort the Meek and the Perilous Prophecy is no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed returning to this pacifist’s world of Brutalia and joining him on his adventure to Bonrock. Filled with wicked one liners and hilarious word play, this is sure to be a real hit with pupils in Year 4 and above.

Another visit through unique adventure & brilliant story-telling from Rachel Delahaye.
It takes extra talent to create a world that is like no other. Brutalia provides a very specific canvas for all three of Mort the Meek books.

Somehow, through the superb eclectic collection of characters we experience terrible conditions & rules but we are immersed by the clever writing & even a lot of humour - a very unlikely mix but it totally works, again in this new book.

Definitely recommended for young readers who are looking for something that is definitely not fluffy or predictable!

I also love the unusual inclusion of references to the previous books, within the story. That's unusual but totally works in the big picture! More people need to take the chance & read this series NOW!

I have read and laughed along with the previous two books in this crazy series about a young pacifist as he tries to live in one of the most violent towns in existence. So, I’m delighted to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the latest instalment!

The Queen of Brutalia has heard that new enemies exist on the nearby island of Bonrock. Mort and his best friend Weed find that the people of Bonrock are actually very nice and the island is a beautiful, peaceful place. However, there could be danger afoot. Should Mort and Weed be afraid of the Bonrockians after all?

Once again, we are joined by George Ermos’ charming illustrations. This rather adorable one is from Mort and Weed’s trip to Bonrock, where they discover pictureseque, calm scenes of nature and harmony -poles apart from Brutalia. The artwork really bring these books to life and add to their character exponentially.

I love the book’s self-awareness. It knows it’s a story that is being read and regularly makes references to this. I really think that this writing tactic draws the reader (especially young readers) in to the action and makes them feel very much part of what’s happening in the narrative. It’s possibly not for everyone because I know that some readers don’t like to be reminded that it’s ‘just a story’ but I think the Mort the Meek books are perhaps so silly that you can’t really mistake it for anything other than a madcap yarn!

Of course, the humour is incredibly juvenile. You’ll groan loudly and roll your eyes at every joke but it suits the whole vibe of the book so well. Think a touch of Terry Pratchett with a dash of Dahl’s grotesque and you’ve pretty much got Delahaye’s incredibly stupid comedy exactly!

There are also some important messages for young readers and lessons to be learned. I really loved how this instalment tackled the fear of strangers and concluded that we shouldn’t be afraid of people from different places and cultures merely because of their differences. In fact, we should make friends with as many people outside of our own life experiences as possible because you never know who you might meet!

Mort the Meek is still a series that is great fun to read. I love catching up with Mort and the inhabitants of Brutalia to see what ridiculousness is occupying that evil queen! If you’re looking for a book full of rubbish jokes, loveable young characters and some heartwarming lessons, look no further than Mort!

The cover is an explosion of colours, the book is an explosion of humour. Well plotted, engrossing, and well written.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Another fantastically funny adventure for this young pacifist. Living on an island where everyone is very aggressive is difficult if you don't believe in fighting, events take a difficult turn when there are visitors from a nearby country and invasion is at the front of everyone's' minds. This is a wonderful series for younger readers, full of fun, but wit some quite serious undertones.

Mort the Meek is back again as he sets off on a third quest into unexplored waters. Brilliantly brutal and totally bonkers, this hilarious series is perfect for brightening a dull January.

When the Queen's new soup sayer warns of a new enemy - the inhabitants of an island called Bonrock - Brutalia's best battlers prepare for a bust-up. But pacifist Mort believes this could be a chance to make new friends.

Volunteering to investigate with his best friend Weed, Mort sets out to visit the tropical island. But when he discovers that this perfect paradise is hiding something terrifying, it seems the soup sayer was right all along. Is there any way he can prevent a war?

Full of puns, punches and problems, this is possibly my favourite of the three stories. Brutalia remains a ghastly, grim and grotty place to live but Mort is as determined as ever to promote peace and harmony over fury and fighting. Rachel Delahaye's plot is canny and clever and the writing is as deliciously funny as the soup.

The island of Bonrock, with girls Genia and ?, is a fabulous contrast to Brutalia and introduces readers to the wider world around the island. Meanwhile, the Queen remains as brutal and unpredictable as ever, reminding me very much of The Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland. With the important message of friendship over fighting, this is young fiction at its best - full of quips, quirks, hapless heroes, monsters, bulging biceps and...er...tomatoes. Or are they hearts? You'll have to read it to find out.

My son (12) , and I enjoyed the latest update from Mort. His life navigating the angry and aggressive Brutalians is not easy,
Finally though, a decision on the fruit v vegetable-ness of the tomato.
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Welcome to Brutalia, where the smell hits you before the locals do. I’m proud to say that my visits thus far have not resulted in ravens eating my eyes. I’ve also somehow managed to avoid being mauled or hugged to death by a Grot Bear.

So why would I want to brave the dangers of Crashbang Cove to return to a decidedly unwelcoming, rat infested island where the locals extend “fists of ferocity”?

Well, it might have something to do with a trio of locals whose ethos doesn’t quite line up with that of their fellow Brutalians.

“Fighting for what’s right without fighting is always a bit of a struggle,” Mort said. “But, if we surrender, the war on violence will be over.”

Mort, his best friend Weed and tone deaf Punky comprise three quarters of the Pacifist Society of Brutalia. When I tell you Mort and Weed are about to go to war, you’ll understand they’re not exactly thrilled about it.

In this book we meet the locals of Bonrock, who may seem friendly but are they really more interested in torture? We also encounter war toucans, watch poor Doris get demoted and are introduced to Brutalia’s new soup sayer!

I always look forward to the quips at the beginning of each chapter in this series. In the first book, these were made by a couple of chatty, eye hungry ravens. In the second book, we met lobsters Larry and Bruce. This time, we’re introduced to Ratto and Ratty.

Brutalia has long been a place where a misunderstood homonym can result in grievous bodily harm. When you read the author’s bio and discover they studied linguistics, it makes sense how much fun words get to have in this series. It’s easy to imagine the homonyms hanging out with the homophones and the synonyms playing hide and seek with the similes.

George Ermos’ cover image was what interrupted my scrolling long enough for me to read the blurb of the first book. The illustrations in this book add to the humour. The characters are expressive and there are plenty of fighty, ratty and soupy moments.

Come to Brutalia, where the locals “live like cockroaches and smell like a thousand demon farts”. You won’t be disappointed, although you may need a long, hot shower when you get home.

Favourite no context quote: “I listen only to the soup.”

Readers with emetophobia may have trouble with some scenes.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Stripes Publishing, an imprint of Little Tiger Group, for the opportunity to read this book.

Having not read the previous books in the series, I wasn't sure I'd be able to follow what was happening. There are enough references to previous books that you can just start with this one. I found the characters of Mort and Weed (who identify as pacifists on an island driven by aggression) to be completely charming, complete with their little quirks. I really enjoyed the humorous misinterpretations of some of the words used by the tribes from the differing islands and will definitely be looking out for more from this author. I will never think about soup in the same way again.

We do enjoyed this book, it was laugh out loud funny. A great story for sharing with the family , it focuses on friendship and acceptance. Loved it.

As you can see it, the cover is amazing. Great colors and such a good vibe. And the book is the same! I liked the characters, I liked the story, the plot-twists. Maybe a bit too childish for my liking but it was a good book and I recommend it for younger people!

I hope you aren't a stranger to Brutalia, because Brutalia hates strangers! Luckily, I've been there since the beginning so I might just about be tolerated, but if you've never been you really should go and get introduced to Mort and the rest of his horrible, harsh and brutal island in book one. And then maybe get to know them a bit better in book two. Then you might just survive a third encounter with them in book three, Mort the Meek and the Perilous Prophecy! But probably not. They really hate strangers, but they're not very nice to their friends either!

It would be perfectly in the style of this book to tell you what a miserable and deeply unpleasant experience it was returning to Mort's world of Brutalia, but honesty is the best policy and honestly? I absolutely loved this book! Rachel's writing is just getting cleverer and funnier by the book, and this one is perfectly crafted. From the opening fight to the closing fight, it had me repeatedly laughing out loud on my train. Mort and Weed meet two girls from a different island, Vita and Genia from Bonrock. They seem very nice and friendly and so they can't possibly be there to cause trouble, can they? Before you know what's happening (unless you've been reading it, in which case you'll probably know exactly what's happening) Mort and Weed are being sent on a military mission to Bonrock. Yep, that's right, a military mission, for our two favourite pacifists. Obviously that's going to go just brilliantly!

After the terrible conditions of Brutalia, Bonrock seems absolutely idyllic. But sadly for our heroes, and fortunately for the plot, there are a number of crushes and misunderstandings that develop, and I honestly don't know which is more perilous! A crush can break your heart, and I know how much that hurts. But a misunderstanding can result in your heart being cut out and prepared in an industrial kitchen into a healthy and nutritious meal, and I don't know how much that hurts but I imagine it's quite a lot!

More stuff happens after that, it's all very scary and exciting and funny and clever, but if you want to know what that is, you're just going to have to read it for yourself!

Rachel Delahaye is, as well as being a comic genius, a very clever linguist. (See how easily I avoided that potentially very awkward pun there? I'd like credit for that!) So much of the humour in this book is based on wordplay and I absolutely loved all the references to synonyms and homophones and so on. Somehow having the characters explain it to each other made it even funnier, as well as potentially sneaking in some quite dangerous education into what's meant to be a horrible and silly book. Also, I'd give a bonus mark for Genia correcting someone on when to use "Weed and me" and "Weed and I" because I cannot begin to tell you how much that's been annoying me in some books I've recently read. Actually, I can. It's been annoying me a huge amount and I've been so tempted to just scream into Book Twitter "Editors, please educate your authors on when to use "and me" and when to use "and I" but I haven't, mostly because I've been off Twitter for a month now and partly because it might come across as a bit rude. I feel better for that.

It also gets a little bit meta at times, and that absolutely cracked me up! The references to the characters reading the earlier books in the series was something I don't think I've ever seen before and it just worked so well!

All in all, a brilliant, brutal, hilarious and clever book about fearing strangers and trusting soup, and also about fearing soup and trusting strangers.