This is the first book of the Sand Dancer series and what a refreshing read! On hearing the news that Sandringham is to reopen Cassie is desperate to get a place. She is sure that Sandringham can reveal the truth behind the disappearance of her mother – the prima dune dancer who vanished the same night the school was closed.

A first glance at the title and the front cover a reader may be led to believe that this will be another story in the same vein as the Daisy Meadow fairies or other similar series books. This book, however, is more serious and I was actually reminded of Harry Potter, with a female main character judged by her family name, a dance school as opposed to a wizarding school, a Sand Sprite instead of a wizard. The chapters are started with quotes from the Sand Sprite book Sands of Time and the reader can really believe that there is a secret world within the dunes. Despite there being elements to the plot that were predictable, this was a great read.