When Great Aunt Irene dies, Cat, Simon and their mum move into her house. When a sword turns up unexpectedly, followed by a Knight on a horse, an amber necklace and the ghost of their Aunt, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. Meanwhile, in another realm, Dora and Lady Alys find strange objects in different parts of the castle. Dora and Jem are sent to Lord Ravenglass with the goggling glasses and picture-box, which have recently appeared. Told as duel narrative, both realms come together swiftly. What follows is part humour and part fantasy, as Cat and Simon quickly realise that the necklace is causing the rift between the two worlds, and that others are trying to find it. Guided by Albert Jemmett, they try to right the rift and prevent the two worlds from bleeding into one another. This is a great tale, which builds in intensity as the story unfolds. The twist at the end was completely unexpected, and I cannot wait for part two to be published. For children who have not been introduced to the genre of fantasy, this would definitely be a great book to begin with. -- Nikki Heath * The School Librarian Journal *
