Silver Serpent
And
The Wild Ice Child
Step back more than 1,200 years to Anglo-Saxon England — where ancient rivalries run deep, ghosts refuse to stay quiet, and the past is not always what it seems.
When a Chronicler is mysteriously pulled into the pages of a book and transformed into a kestrel, he finds himself soaring above an eighth-century monastery beside the River Thames.
Below him is Silver Serpent, a remarkable young girl who can speak to animals and possesses powers she is only beginning to understand.
But danger is approaching.
A boy known as Flame Fox has been raised to believe that revenge against his people’s enemies is his duty. Yet as unexpected friendships form and old certainties begin to unravel, he must confront a question far more difficult than any battle:
Will he follow the hatred of the past — or choose his own path?
Ghosts appear. Animals talk. Enemies become friends. And a mysterious Anglo-Saxon world begins to reveal its secrets.
Welcome to Silver Serpent and the Wild Ice Child.
History happened. This is what might have happened in between.
Created for readers aged 8–12, this is historical fiction for children who love adventure, mystery, ghosts, unusual characters and discovering the strange stories hidden inside history.
Come for the Anglo-Saxons.
Stay for the ghosts.
And whatever you do, keep an eye on the kestrel.
.
Take a Sneak Peek
'I took my flute out of the pouch and started playing a joyful tune to myself, and immediately to my complete amazement, a writhing swarm of eels appeared, arranging themselves to form the words, ‘Go Heal’ in my own Anglo– Saxon language. Then they descended back into the green depths of the Thames, attempting to avoid the terrifying dangers that lurked there. I had discovered that my flute had a magical power of conversing with the eels of the River Thames. I had heard of magic but never ever believed that I could be the possessor of such powers.’
The Professor smiled. He had guessed that she had something magical about her but didn’t yet know the strength of that power.
‘I could not believe what had happened to me, and the incredible powers of my flute,’ Silver Serpent said. ‘But after some thought, I took the eels’ message to ‘Go Heal’ to mean that, throughout my life, I should always help people in need, including those in the hospice at the Abbey. It seemed that my recently found, small piece of metal, had somehow responded to the hidden magic in Swan’s Song, my flute, which I had named after the range of sounds swans and their cygnets possess. Maybe, just maybe, the runic letters actually meant Go Heal? she asked herself.
She turned to look the Professor square in the face, as if challenging him to say that he didn’t believe her.
What Inspired Me To Write This Book?
The curious thing is, I never actually set out to write a book.
It began with the archaeological discoveries at Cookham Abbey. I wanted to find a way of sharing this remarkable Anglo-Saxon history beyond the academic world to help people imagine the lives behind the objects being uncovered.
Then Silver Serpent appeared in my imagination.
I pictured a young Anglo-Saxon girl walking beside the ancient River Thames, talking to eels and possessing mysterious powers. Suddenly, the past no longer felt distant.
The objects and remains uncovered at the dig gave my imagination somewhere extraordinary to go. A bone flute helped inspire Silver Serpent’s magical powers. A lead object carrying the mysterious runic words “Go heal”, together with evidence of illness found among those buried at the site, opened up ideas about healing, belief and the supernatural.
From these fragments of real lives, fictional characters and stories began to emerge.
I then began weaving them together with people who really did inhabit the Anglo-Saxon world, including the formidable Queen Cynethryth and Prince Taeppa. We know they existed, but history doesn't tell us everything they thought, felt or said. That space between what we know and what we can imagine became one of the most exciting places for me to write.
Reading the early stories to children and families at Cookham encouraged me to continue. Their response showed me that history becomes far more powerful when we don't simply learn what happened, but begin to wonder what it might have felt like to be there.
That is where Silver Serpent and the Wild Ice Child was born, real archaeology, real history and imagined lives woven together to tell a story the earth could never quite tell us on its own.
Meet The Characters
Flame Fox
Silver Serpent
Professor Westwind
Fiery and fiercely independent. Quick to challenge and slow to trust, he hides a more vulnerable side beneath his fearless spirit .
A girl who is curious, courageous and always ready for an adventure. She can whispers to eels and hears the secrets of the Thames.
A Chronicler, transformed into a kestrel, he sees everything from above...
but can he find his way back?
Praise from the Focus Group
"Silver Serpent is so cool because she can talk to eels! I wish I had her powers. I'd love to dress up as her on the World Book Day! "
— LeAH, age 9
"It was scary when the ghosts appeared at the monastery, but it was exciting when they told what is it like to be a ghost."
— Sophia, age 10
"I love that history is mixed with real life events. I want to visit Cookham now! It was the most exciting book I ever read."
— Maya, age 10
“Wulfstan is my favourite! I liked how he is a ghost dog. It’s the best book ever because it has so many surprises!”
— Jack, age 9