Over four hundred years ago a book is buried within the grounds of Oldstone Manor. There it lies, shrouded in a brooding curse, until one day the earth stirs and the book is discovered once more...
As twelve-year-old Edward Pollock starts to turn the pages of an ancient book, he is drawn into a place that is both terrifying and bewitching. A place where dark forces imperil charmed lands. Soon Edward begins to realise that malicious powers are at play. The wall between man and ghost is weakening, and the world beyond is threatening great fear and destruction ...
After an opening chapter set in the Middle Ages, the scene shifts to a present-day English boarding school, where the students may not be wizards, but powerful magic is afoot. Twelve-year-old Edward Pollack discovers a dead raven, a mysterious stone monument, and an object of elemental power called the Other Book, which at times is actually absorbed into his body. The plot twists as Edward tries to discover how to protect himself and the Book from the powers of evil, represented by haughty, nefarious Lady Anne and her minions. Woven through the novel are references to Arthurian legend as reinterpreted in the works of nineteenth-century poets and painters, particularly Tennyson in his Idylls of the King. The backstory and plot are more intricate and fully developed than the stock characters. Though readers may find the complexity confusing at times, Womack’s first novel shows promise. And that’s fortunate, since the ending paves the way for sequels. Grades 5-8. --Carolyn Phelan
Description:
Over four hundred years ago a book is buried within the grounds of Oldstone Manor. There it lies, shrouded in a brooding curse, until one day the earth stirs and the book is discovered once more...
As twelve-year-old Edward Pollock starts to turn the pages of an ancient book, he is drawn into a place that is both terrifying and bewitching. A place where dark forces imperil charmed lands. Soon Edward begins to realise that malicious powers are at play. The wall between man and ghost is weakening, and the world beyond is threatening great fear and destruction ...
From School Library Journal
Grade 6–9—Edward, 12, finds The Other Book, old and dusty, in the school library, and suddenly his life is far more interesting than he would like. Connected with Merlin, this magical tome gives whomever possesses it tremendous powers, which have been horribly misused in the past. While trying to protect the book and figure out what's going on, Edward experiences terrifying visions, ghostly knights, betrayal upon betrayal, kidnapping, and a sinister new teacher who will do anything, including commit murder, to get her hands on it. Part Arthurian quest, part gothic boarding school fantasy, the story includes a fair amount of violence and a not-completely-coherent plot. Characters appear out of the woodwork to rescue or impede Edward, who seems to make the wrong decisions over and over. Darren Shan fans might find this one appealing, but most readers can skip it.—Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
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From Booklist
After an opening chapter set in the Middle Ages, the scene shifts to a present-day English boarding school, where the students may not be wizards, but powerful magic is afoot. Twelve-year-old Edward Pollack discovers a dead raven, a mysterious stone monument, and an object of elemental power called the Other Book, which at times is actually absorbed into his body. The plot twists as Edward tries to discover how to protect himself and the Book from the powers of evil, represented by haughty, nefarious Lady Anne and her minions. Woven through the novel are references to Arthurian legend as reinterpreted in the works of nineteenth-century poets and painters, particularly Tennyson in his Idylls of the King. The backstory and plot are more intricate and fully developed than the stock characters. Though readers may find the complexity confusing at times, Womack’s first novel shows promise. And that’s fortunate, since the ending paves the way for sequels. Grades 5-8. --Carolyn Phelan