Absolutely adored the first, away with the penguins and loved this too!
This style of writing is not normally my go too, but after watching the programme a-typical on netflix I got a new found love for penguins and couldn't resist.
Its just absolutely stunning and flows so easily.
Truly grateful to of been able to review this as an eArc.

I had eagerly anticipated a sequel to this story as I loved Veronica's journey in the first instalment. However, I felt whilst this second offering was still enjoyable it was lacking compared to it's predecessor.

I really enjoyed Away With The Penguins and it was a delight to read the next part in the story. It was lovely to return to the characters we got to know so well and see how things had continued. Our 87, penguin loving, grandma goes back to her adventurous ways after being asked to help with a wildlife documentary. Her grandson is still working on Locket Island but things soon change for him and we see the next challenges in his life unfold.

A charming, read with key focus and reminders on how fragile our environment is.

If you enjoyed Away with the Penguins, you’ll like the new book from Hazel Prior, Call of the Penguins…

At eighty-seven, Veronica McCreedy thinks her days of travelling the world are behind her. But when she’s invited to take part in a TV nature documentary that will take her across the globe filming her beloved penguins, she leaps at the prospect of a new adventure . . .

A warmhearted read that will lift you up when you need a bit of inspiring!

I enjoyed Away with the Penguins more than this sequel - quite a lot more. However, I would still stock it in my bookshop and recommend to the particular customer segment who will enjoy this genre.

It was nice to revisit Veronica McCreedy and the penguins. As with the first book in this series, it is a nice easy read with lots of interesting facts and information about Antarctica and the various breeds of penguins they visit in this story. There are several ongoing stories also running through/revisited from book 1 - Terry and Patrick’s romance, 9 year old Daisy’s illness and of course Patrick and Veronica’s sad background story. It was nice to fill in parts of that story. All in all an enjoyable read which incorporates lots of life’s intricacies, I just found Veronica’s parts a bit slow and tedious at times in this book. 3.5*.

⭐️ 4.5 ⭐️
Rounded up to 5 stars.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

After being totally captivated by Away with the Penguins I couldn’t wait to read Call of the Penguins, and what a total delight it was too.

After getting to know the wonderful characters in the prequel, settling down with them again was like visiting old friends. I’ve said it before, and I’m going to say it again - Hazel Prior’s characterisation is truly excellent; her characters are so real, so relatable; I was completely invested in their story.

Highlighting extremely important topics about the environment, particularly the devastating effects of plastic in our waters; it really gave me food for thought.

Call of the Penguins made me laugh, it also made me cry. It’s a heartwarming read, a story of friendship, love and hope. I can’t wait for the next adventure with Veronica and her motley crew.

Call of the Penguins is Hazel Prior's sequel to her book "Away With The Penguins", which I have yet to read, though I have a copy waiting. This is a beautifully engaging and entertaining read. The story follows wealthy 87-year-old Veronica McCreedy, living in Ayrshire at The Ballahays with her helpful assistant Eileen. Veronica has a love for penguins and when she's invited to help present a wildlife documentary she jumps at the chance to get close feathered friends. I warmed to her straightway and also to 9-year-old Daisy, daughter of Gavin, a bicycle shop owner and friend of Patrick, Veronica's grandson. A charming read with a gentle but serious environmental and conservation reminder.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Random House, Transworld, Black Swan via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is a story with a difference but a very good read. You want to curl up with this and keep nice and warm. 5 stars

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this e ARC

If ever there was a story to warm the cockles of your heart, this is it! Brimming with tenderness, compassion and gentle humor, Call of the Penguins is as schmalzy as it gets. I thought I couldn’t possibly love it as much as its forerunner, but boy was I wrong!

We’re back with eccentric octogenarian Veronica, her troubled grandson Patrick and wildlife conservationist Terry, each engaged in a new adventure but still as deeply involved in each other’s lives as before.

Veronica is revisiting the Southern Hemisphere, this time to make a TV nature documentary. Patrick is in Canada on a mission to find out more about the father he never knew. And Terry, still on Locket Island with her beloved penguins, finds herself facing some tough decisions.

I’m just going to come right out and say it: I love these three characters! They are all so recognizably human. I love their quirks, their passions, their insecurities. And I care about them. Deeply. I felt their struggles, their hopes and disappointments, and I desperately wanted them to be happy.

Quite rightly, all three are given a voice — in alternating POVs — weaving in and out of each other’s stories, whilst each telling their own. They are on individual journeys but linked by an emotional bond that transcends the physical distance between them. There are ups and downs, laughter and tears, surprises, and sadly, even tragedy.

This is a book that will pluck at your heartstrings. And not just because of the schmalz. Prior cuts through the fluff with a subtle but shrewd commentary on environmental degradation. And this was probably my biggest takeaway; a salient reminder of the importance of the past to our present and, more importantly, of the present to our future.

I can’t wait for the next installment in this wonderful series.

Veronica McCreedy...what an amazing woman, an amazing character...
I so enjoyed this story from start to finish..
A rather uplifting story that I just did not want to leave down.
Penguins are such a unique and fascinating animal. If you haven't watched David Attenborough's documentary on them, you haven't lived. They are simply wonderful creatures. So to have them incorporated into a novel is quite amazing.
The author seems to have such a wonderful knowledge of them.
Veronica is an enchanting lady so full of cheer and optimism. Most especially for an eighty seven year old.
Her last adventures to the Antartica are never far from her mind so when she gets the opportunity to travel again and co-present a wildlife programme, she is thrilled with herself.
I adored the theme running through the story of climate change and what we can do to help the world we live in.
There are an array of characters for you to love too with some having battles of their own to overcome.
But you will love the relationship between Veronica and nine year old Daisy....
You will love catching up with previous characters and above all, you will love being back in the life of Veronica McCreedy...
A heartwarming read and a cracking sequel..
So very well worth your time 💕

Thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Black Swan and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Having really enjoyed Away With The Penguins I was delighted to receive a copy of this. I enjoyed this, but unfortunately not as much as the first book.

Although I absolutely loved the previous book, this felt like it was riding on the back of it.
Could not get past first few chapters then sped through, with no interest.
Not for me
Will not be sending out reviews
Thank you for the opportunity to read early NetGalley

Hard to resist a book with an 87 year old heroine, an important environmental message and penguins! Who doesn't love penguins, a very easy to read book, just delightful.

With thanks for Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It is an absolute delight to reunite with Veronica and catch up with her friends and family to see what they have been doing since we last met.
Veronica, now aged 87, has definitely benefited from having widened her social network, but is still as sharp and enjoying life more than ever. This time she is heading south to make a documentary about penguins which will enable her to reach a wider audience with her important messages about penguins and conservation.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope it is not the last we have seen of these characters.
Highly recommend this book to those who enjoyed Away With The Penguins and for those who haven’t yet read that, what are you waiting for? Read both books immediately!
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“‘Penguins,’ I remind her, ‘are not only a source of endless entertainment; they are an example to us all. They are well worth seeking out.’”

Call of the Penguins is another wonderful tale of family, second chances, and penguins as we rejoin eccentric octogenarian Veronica McCreedy, whose adventures in Antarctica delighted Hazel Prior’s readers in Away With the Penguins (aka How the Penguins Saved Veronica).

Eighty seven year old Veronica expects she’s had her last adventure now she is back home in Scotland after her time on Locket Island, until she is contacted by wildlife documentary presenter Sir Robert Saddlebow who invites her to join him as a co-host on a show he is filming in Australia and the Falkland Islands. Veronica is thrilled for the opportunity to be back among penguins, and the trip goes smoothly until she receives devastating news from her grandson.

Patrick, having abandoned both his job and his girlfriend at the Locket Island research station in a fit of pique and paranoia, is in Canada at the behest of his grandmother hoping to learn more about the man they both loved and lost. Patrick is shocked when he discovers the reason his father left both him and his mother, forcing him to reconsider his past, and his future.

It’s a joy to be among the penguins again in Call of the Penguins. While we are updated on the Adelie colony, and the growth of Pip, on Locket Island through Terry’s perspective, Prior introduces us to new breeds including Little Penguins, the Gentu and the Macaroni, however it’s a Rockhopper, given the name Petra, on Boulder Island in the Falklands, that steals the show.

Yet there is plenty of angst to be found among the pages of this sequel. Prior gives us rich, authentic characters that lead the reader on quite an emotional roller coaster. Patrick and Terry’s breakup leaves the future of the Locket Island project in doubt, and Terry is faced with a difficult decision. Patrick is tempted to return to his old ways as he is confronted by a secret about his father, which in turn upsets his grandmother. Veronica lashes out when she learns said secret, jeopardising her friendship with Sir Robert, and nine year old Daisy, who has joined Veronica in the Falklands thanks to a charity foundation that fulfils wishes by ill children.

Unsurprisingly, Call of the Penguins also imparts clear messages about the varied threats to the health of our natural environment. In particular Prior explores the effects of plastic pollution in our oceans and the risks it poses to the well-being of penguin populations.

Despite the many serious issues raised in this novel, Call of the Penguins is ultimately a celebration of connection, resilience and hope. Told with warmth, humour and sensitivity, this is a lovely uplifting read.

I hadn’t read the first book but that didn’t matter as I soon got to grips with the characters. A very enjoyable story, set against plenty of penguin facts. I found it quite fascinating how the penguins and their lives were described. Added to that there are plenty of insights into human lives too. Well worth a read.

Another part of the world to explore, different life experiences to share, and of course, more lovable penguins are the three factors that drew me to book 2 in this series. Veronica McCreedy remains an inimitable woman, but she has softer edges now her life is rich in experiences and human connections. Offering her unique expertise on a wildlife show takes her to the Southern hemisphere, where she meets more penguins, learns more about herself and tries to engage her audience in the importance of conserving the earth's fauna ​and flora.
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This story is full of cleverly crafted characters and vibrant settings. Emotional, funny, heartwarming and uplifting, it delivers its messages in a way that resonates.

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Books UK, Transworld Digital via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

If you’re thinking about reading this one, I suspect you might be one of the over 170,000 people who bought a copy of Away with the Penguins, now looking forward to reading more. It’s by no means essential that you must have read it – this book will enchant you every bit as much as a standalone – but I do think I found it useful to understand a little about the relationships between the characters (I was already invested in them all) and everything that had gone before.

There are three main threads to the story. Veronica is invited by TV naturalist Sir Robert Saddlebow to travel to Australia and the Falklands to co-present a programme about the different penguin colonies – much like every reader, he’s been struck by her archaic way of speaking and her good clear voice (as well as her passion for penguins), and despite her advanced age she finds it impossible to refuse. The scientists at Locket Island in Antarctica, still working with the colony of Adélie penguins, are now dependent on her funding – and her newly-found grandson Patrick is now part of the team, a life apart from his former aimless existence in Bolton, having found romance with the lovely Terry. And the third thread sees Patrick leaving the island, heading to Canada in search of information about his long absent father – who is, of course, also Veronica’s son, adopted soon after his birth.

The story is told from the perspectives of Veronica, Patrick and Terry – one of the strengths of this book is the wonderful characterisation (if I loved Veronica first time round, I took her to my heart even more with this one), and their individual voices are clear and distinct and quite perfectly sustained. There is a new character who plays a major part in this story too – young Daisy, showing considerable bravery of her own, her interactions with the less than child-friendly Veronica an absolute joy at every encounter.

I won’t go into every twist and turn of the story – I think it’s important to discover it for yourself, stumble across its uplifting moments, enjoy the ever-present touches of humour, experience those moments that can’t help but bring a tear to your eye or move you to anger or despair. But the whole story is quite wonderfully told – I picked it up after lunch, and found it impossible to set aside until I’d read the final page, entirely transported to the locations and enjoying every moment of my involvement with the lives of its characters. The storylines are all brought together at the appropriately named Bolder Island in the Falklands – and I have to say that I loved every single moment.

There is a particularly strong environmental message to the book – well-timed in the aftermath of the recent COP26 conference – but it’s never laboured, and the simple demonstration of the consequences of human thoughtlessness makes it all the more powerful and personal. And if you’re one of those people who really likes to learn something while you’re reading, you’ll certainly find out a lot about penguins – again never “heavy”, but beautifully woven into the story. And, if you read the earlier book, I expect you’d like to know whether we get the chance to see how life’s been treating Pip – and I’m happy to say that the answer is “yes”.

I really loved this book – all its characters (including quite a few of the minor ones) are memorable and quite wonderfully drawn, the story was everything I wanted it to be. Other reviewers have said that this book is the sequel that Away with the Penguins deserved, and I can only wholeheartedly agree – in fact, I’d really be more than happy if the author decided to write a third. Highly recommended to all.

It was a sequel to away with the penguins which I would advised to read first. However you will still enjoy this without having read the first book.
There is a lovely entertaining and at times amusing story. It also comes with a very strong message about climate change as well as how much damage is being done to the environment. Plastic is an important message too with a particular incident in the book which really hits home about animals and penguins in particular.

I thought each individual was well characterised. I loved this book.