If you’re a fan of Doctor Who or Sherlock Holmes (or both), then Jackaby by William Ritter should definitely be on your radar. Not only is it a fun, easy-going story with that adventure detective vibe, but it also has details reminiscent of a good Doctor Who alien species introduction.

The creatures Jackaby and Abigail Rook come across are folklore beings from a wide range of cultures which makes this not only a fun lesson in magical beings, but an insightful look into other cultures and stories and myths brought into this historical fiction story world. This series is set in New Fiddleham, New England in 1892, giving us a fun, rarely explored landscape to venture through. It has that sense of whimsy to it, frolicking through dirty, dusty streets on the look out for a serial killer, but not just any serial killer – a non-human one.

This book, and the series as a whole, isn’t without its shortcomings. This can be a little too easy-going sometimes, with aspects of the story underdeveloped or maybe not living up to its full potential. It’s a little empty at times too where it feels like more could be done, whether that be more character conflicts or side quests or something to help build character development or relationships or overarching plot. It’s also quite short which had me a little disappointed as I wanted to read more. I swept through the series and enjoyed most of it but you will have to see my reviews for the latter books in due time to get the full story from me.

I feel like this would be a great series to start kids off on when it comes to historical fiction, fairytales outside of their fantastical settings, and in general the shift from pre-teens or children’s books to a longer, more layered set of stories. As I said, it’s really easygoing, and with funny interactions and almost non-sensical action sequences, it really does carry a child-like humour and energy to it. There is a quirky friendship, the conflicts aren’t violent or loaded with negative connotations, and the stories don’t drag on – perfect for kids, right?

I didn’t mind this book, even if looking back I see now it wasn’t quite the story I needed. At the time, it was light and a great means of breaking up my reading. If you’re looking for a little something different or you simply want a read that’s digestible to break up your more serious or thicker books, then give Jackaby a go.