Let me start by saying that historical fiction and especially WW2 is my favourite genre EVER along with mystery and this had both!

This book was so good and I especially loved all the action-packed chapters involving parachuting, fighting off Nazis to help innocent people to name a few. You will not be able to catch your breath as this book is amazing. I love the way Rosie Raja was fearless and always wanted to help her dad and her granny in India.

This is book 3 in the Rosie Raja series and I’m definitely going to go back and read the previous 2. Out now. Perfect for readers aged 9+

Ella, 11 years old.

I adore Sufiya Ahmed’s books but I haven’t read any of the previous Rosie Raja books so I will definitely be giving them a read!
Previous adventures that Rosie has been on are mentioned in the story but they are all stand alone books so you are not missing out if you haven’t read them either.
I think I read the book in two sittings, and that is only because I had to go to work! I could have easily devoured this story in one sitting as it is absolutely wonderful!

Rosie is a twelve year old Indian princess, she lost her Indian mother to illness and is now being looked after by her British father. The story starts in a father daughter spy mission in France, then moves back to Bletchley Park with the infamous Enigma machine. Their missions are to find traitors and spies.

Rosie is a beautiful character, she is her papa’s spy assistant and she is wonderful at it! WW2 is happening in Europe, we start the story with a joint father daughter mission. The historical accuracy of this book really gripped me, we meet a number of key players from a variety of backgrounds. I loved that the book showed the reality of war and that people across the world came together for Britain’s efforts. We meet characters such as Princess Noor-un-Nisa Inayat Khan, Winston Churchill, princess Elizabeth and mentions of Ghandi.

There are themes of racism and gender inequality.

I know this will definitely a book I will recommend to children in my school.

Could not have loved this fabulous book more!

With its courageous and bright female lead, the story is written engagingly in the first person.

Highlights & explains important historical details from WW2 and the wider context including Ghandi's Quit India campaign.

A really important book which will complement WW2 topics but is also a fantastic standalone read.

Rosie Raja is extremely privileged to be allowed into Bletchley Park. It's a place shrouded in secrets and a vital cog in the machinery to defeat the Nazis. But she’s there for a purpose, a spy is lurking in plain sight, and time is running out for the traitor to be unmasked.

I love this series of books, Rosie is an inspiring main character with so many positive traits. The blending of the history around the adventures of spy missions is handled in a sensitive way. But it doesn’t shy away from the complexities of the period, especially with the unrest in India. This encourages readers to embrace cultural differences but understand the wider historical context of the 1940s with partition on the horizon.

Yet again, Rosie is an absolute delight and embarking on thrilling adventures in WW2. The story is exciting in itself, but it also introduces many real historical characters, places and events, providing a great jumping -off point for further learning if the reader wants. You don't need to have read the previous Rosie Raja adventures to enjoy this one, but I warn you that by the end you will definitely want to read them all!

Perfect for children, this book is packed with adventure and action! I haven’t read any of the previous Rosie Raja books, but have read others by Sufiya Ahmed, which I throughly enjoyed. Despite having not read any previous ones in this series, it didn’t really detract from my enjoyment or the storyline in this book. Yes, previous adventures were mentioned, but all it made me want to do was find those titles to read as well! I read it in only a few hours but, as a teacher, know that my pupils would love this book for so many reasons and it is one that I am going to recommend we purchase for our school!
Rosie is a great character, who navigates life as a spy’s assistant during WW2 in Europe, as well as taking on a mission of her own. She meets some key figures from history during her adventures, pivotal people who were necessarily fighting on the front lines, but people whose lives had a massive impact in the events of the war. I love the way that these people are brought to life in the story, bringing history to life for the reader, alongside some codes to crack! Throughout all of this, the book also addresses political issues that were happening simultaneously in the world, helping the reader to gain a valuable insight into life at the time.
This would be a great introduction to WW2 for children, or for anyone with an interest in history. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable read and I look forward to reading about more of Rosie’s adventures!
Thank you to NetGalley, Sufiya Ahmed and Bloomsbury for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The children were very excited to read the next Rosie Raja book in the series. This series mixes up all of the good things about children's fiction and adds real life history into the mix. Educational as well as an exciting story.

This is absolutely brilliant series which I discovered at book 3 and although it would be nice to start at the beginning of the series, I didn’t feel it necessary.

Full of interesting facts and snippets of world, this historical fiction is set during World War 2. However, it is so much more than that, seeking to cast a critical eye on inequality, racism and gender biases by taking a look at the emotions and fears that govern human nature.

Rosie is a princess from a distinguished line of Indian royalty. She has a British father and but lost her Indian mother who died from an illness. Her grandfather was a senior figure in the British Empire and very much a believer in all that was wrong with the colonial attitudes and behaviour. His son, Rosie’s father is the complete opposite and seemingly disowned by his father for marrying an Indian girl, princess or not. Rosie and her father are British spies, with the logic that a father daughter team is less likely to be suspected. This book starts with a rescue mission in France and then moves to code breaking work done at Bletchley Park and the famous Enigma machine. Their mission if to root out spies and traitors at the top-secret facility. There is a sideline too of following the events in India before partition and Gandhi’s movement as Rosie’s aunt is very involved in this and they want India to be free to govern itself.

Rosie herself is female and of mixed race and yet she is a very capable child spy, guided by but also respected by her father. She even gets rebuked by one female character for talking herself down and belittling her achievements, highlighting something that women do often whilst men tend to do the opposite. However, we are reminded that Rosie is also a twelve year old girl who occasionally acts on a whim, thinking with the emotions rather than her mind which inevitably leads to some problem or other. But she learns from her mistakes and we learn alongside her.

Throughout the book Rosie meet characters who explain in simple terms, events in world history that gets Rosie and the reader thinking. It tackles the topic of colonial powers, specifically the British Empire and points out the sacrifices that many countries far away from Britain made during these war years. It also seeks to explain why inequalities arise as they do by touching on the insecurities and biases felt by people and how this manifests itself in their actions. Whilst this is to rationalise (but not excuse) colonial efforts, we can see that this behaviour is not confined to history; it’s happening all around us today. During the book, the reader understands the realities of what was faced in these war years and is challenged to question how it was possible that so many atrocities were committed.

I see this as being an excellent class reading book as there is just so much to take from it and explore. It encourages students to examine uncomfortable history and promotes discussion of lessons to be learned so that hopefully current and future generations don’t fall into the same destructive behaviours.