Spellstone

Evie is an ordinary twelve-year-old girl. Sher feels invisible much of the time and that no-one seems to notice her much. One day she meets a strange man who tells her she has magical abilities and is part of the ancient Order of the Stone. Together with the other members of the Order, she must defeat the evil magician, Vale, and prevent him from finding the powerful Spellstone and unleashing evil on the whole world.

This summary of the story does not really do justice to the plot. The plot is full of depth and emotion and delves deeply into the notion of good and evil and what magic we really possess inside each of us. Each character comes vividly to life in the reader's imagination and they are brought to life on the front cover by David Dean.

I was hooked from the first page by this ancient battle between good and evil. I could imagine London sweltering in the heat and the Roman walls of the City and all the action that takes place there. Suitable for 9+, this is a thrilling fantasy adventure that is sure to find many fans.

336 pages / Reviewed by Jacqueline Harris, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+

Spellstone is a gripping piece of storytelling for lovers of fantasy fiction. The bones of the plot are familiar: a renegade wizard turned evil who is hunting down the good wizards; a mysterious Spellstone which will make him unstoppable; and a 12-year-old sorceress - courageous but inexperienced - who is all that stands between him and world domination.

The telling of it, though, is imaginative and exciting and the intricacies of the story are original, so it wrapped itself around me and I had to read it - quick, quick - to the end. For a couple of hours, I was so absorbed that everyday life melted away.

Complicating the action and providing moments of humour (so often missing in fantasy fiction) is the clever conceit that all wizards have different magical powers - some more useful than others. One of the last remaining wizards can only make glasses of water appear from thin air. 12-year-old Evie, the heroine of the book, doesn't even know what her power is when she abruptly finds herself as leader of the wizarding order and responsible for saving humanity. Of course this means that teamwork is crucial and, of course, even the glasses of water eventually come in handy - although to say more would be a spoiler.

All in all, Spellstone is a rollicking good tale, highly recommended for all primary school libraries. For anyone who loved The Midnight Guardians, this is a good follow up; naturally, it's also perfect for fans of Harry Potter.

336 pages / Reviewed by Louisa Farrow, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+