In book 2 in the Tales From the Middle Ages series of historical standalones, Andrew Beattie takes readers to 1349, when England is under the cloud of the Black Death. Will Hunter and his troupe of travelling theatre players come across a young boy, barely alive. Thomas Rose has a mysterious past, an uncanny ability for magic tricks - and he claims he can help put an end to the disease and misery that has gripped the land. But is Thomas an angel or a fraud? And as his influence grows, can Will protect him from a powerful enemy? It's up to new and returning readers to read and find out! Book 1 in the "Tales from the Middle Ages" series is  The Secret in the Tower,  a fictional tale of treachery and spies set in late medieval London during the last days of the reign of King Richard III, with the disappearance of the boys known as the "Princes in the Tower" forming its background. Reviews from UK Amazon: "An excellent middle grade read....I loved this book about mediaeval England...There is a good adventure story, alongside well-researched details of the period." **** "It's 1349, and the spectre of plague hangs in the air like a soupy fog. There are rats, the stench of privies, and something far worse! Through it trundles a troupe of theatre players, travelling from town to town, entertaining the folks of Kent. The story is told by twelve-year-old Will Hunter. He's the youngest member of the troupe. The story opens with the shocking discovery of a boy, barely alive, at the side of the road. His name is Thomas Rose. He's calm and mysterious, with a strange presence. He seems friendly enough, but who is he really, with his magic tricks?" **** Extracts from reviews on the website of the Historical Association (UK), written by UK school children in association with the Young Quills Awards, 2025: Review by a pupil aged 12 at a school in Wales "I thought this book was going to be very dark at first, but it was super good. Each character was so interesting because they all had different personalities...my favourite character was definitely Tobias because he was so cool and I couldn't stop reading the parts he was in! At some point I remember reading in the voice I think he'd have. At first, I thought I would never like him as a character but after seeing all the other ones he was by far the best out of them all. I learned more about the Black Death. We were taught about it in school, but this book taught me even more about it! I would recommend this book to lots of students who want to learn about the Black Death!" Review by a pupil aged 11 at a school near Oxford "I would recommend this book because it has a very interesting storyline, like nothing I have ever read before. Will Hunter was my favourite character because he came from a sad background but [he] didn't give up and was a determined character. The time period it was set in was interesting and I learnt a lot especially about how the plague started...The book was kind of serious because of the death theme from the plague, however, it was sometimes happy and light-hearted as Thomas would always try to cheer up Will." The reviews can be read in full on the Historical Association's Website From Always in the Middle (Middle Grade Book Reviews Blog) "An engaging second story in [the] Tales From the Middle Ages series...Will's first person narration through 25 chapters and an epilogue shows emotion in every heartfelt scene....This unique tale flows with page turning skill by the author. Both Will and Thomas are memorable characters....Those who love performing will be fascinated how it was done during this Middle Ages time period. The Angel Player is perfect for fans of Historical Fiction or anyone who enjoys a great story." This is an extract. The full review is available on the Always in the Middle blog. Andrew Beattie is the author of a number of children's plays which have been performed by schools and youth theatre groups in the UK, the United States and Australia. More recently he has branched out into children's fiction, with two upper middle grade historical novels published, The Secret in the Tower and  The Angel Player , and more to follow.  Elena Dall'Aglio (cover and internal chapter head illustrations) works mostly digitally, with a quick sketch and bright colors characterizing her style. She loves illustrating full-page scenes and covers. Elena also loves drawing funny animals in wool sweaters and rain boots. When she is not working, Elena is probably drinking too much tea or walking her dog. She loves taking long walks through nature to clear her thoughts and find new inspiration.