Three years after we thought the series had come to a close with Library of Souls, Miss Peregrine and her peculiar children are back in A Map of Days, the first instalment in a new trilogy of Ransom Riggs’ popular YA photonovel franchise.

Following on from the end of the last book, Jacob Portman has returned to present day Florida after spending his summer defeating monsters across various time zones in the UK – and his peculiar friends have come with him. As well as having to adjust to modern life, the children out of time explore the dangerous world of peculiardom in the states, where new threats wait in the shadows.

Perhaps the best thing about A Map of Days is that it’s such an unexpected treat for fans of Riggs’ series as it seemed the story had ended – and extra emphasis on fans is needed here as it’s definitely made for pre-established devotees. Riggs has built a complex mythology out of the vintage photographs that serve as his inspiration (and are littered throughout the novel), and he fully expects that you’re already caught up with the rules and the history.

What keeps the book fresh, however, is the shift in setting, both in the sense of location and time period. The premise is a neat switch of the core concept of the first novel, which saw Jacob as the fish out of water in the world of the peculiars, while this time it’s the peculiars who are unmoored in the land of the everyday. Jacob’s heroic character arc also continues to grow and there’s some neat world-building through the exploration of peculiar politics and government.

All in all, A Map of Days is a welcome unexpected new beginning to the series which excels in expanding the world already set up so well in previous instalments. Perhaps the plot and central hook aren’t quite as novel as they once were, but it’s still an imaginative, pacey read and a must for those who are peculiar kids at heart.

A MAP OF DAYS / AUTHOR: RANSOM RIGGS / PUBLISHER: PENGUIN / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW