Description:

Rob's sister Chloe lies in a coma after a riding accident, trapped in a forest of dreams between life and death. But when a dark druid shape-shifts his way into Rob's life, despair turns to hope. Because the druid knows the way through the Unworld, where he claims Chloe is imprisoned. Could the ominous black ring of timbers slowly emerging from a secret archaeological dig hold the key to rescuing her? And will Chloe want to be rescued from a world where the landscapes of story merge and blur, and she has the chance to be Queen? Catherine Fisher's new novel combines a fascinating exploration of Celtic myth with a modern quest for understanding. Where is the land of the imagination? And if we found our way would we ever want to come back? ** ### From School Library Journal Grade 7-10–Drawing from the ancient Celtic tale of Taliesin and Ceridwen, Fisher crafts a complex and frightening story of family love and jealousy. Rob, an artist of some considerable talent, sees his family disintegrating as his younger sister lies in a coma. Looking for an outlet for both his time and talent, he takes a job with a local archaeological dig near his home in Avebury, England, where a new and mysterious henge has been discovered. Having spent his life surrounded by the mythology of stone circles, Rob initially pays little attention to the bizarre events that surround the dig until he realizes that this new revelation and the mystifying people attracted to it are somehow related to his sister. The novel plays out in a terrifying race against time and primordial evil to free Chloe from the grip of a malevolent force of her own making. While steeped in early myth and fantasy, this is an exploration of the responsibility of families to speak honestly to one another. The venerable tale meshes with Rob and Chloes interactions, and readers unfamiliar with the old story will nevertheless be swept up in the mystery and dark magic. Changing perspectives make this a challenging read, but one that is ultimately very satisfying.*–Sharon Grover, Arlington County Department of Libraries, VA* Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ### From Booklist Gr. 6-9. British fantasist Fisher, who has captivated many genre readers with**her continuing Oracle Prophecies trilogy, here offers a stand-alone novel entwining Celtic lore, fairy-tale archetypes, and family tragedy. While working at a top-secret archaeological dig, Rob learns that the site's buried henge may be a portal to reach his comatose sister's wandering spirit. When he enters the world of Anwyn, he discovers that Chloe's coma is a voluntary withdrawal, springing from years of pent-up grievances toward her brother. As in David Almond's *Skellig *(1999)*, *Fisher conveys complex human emotions through fantasy; teen angst has rarely had such a visceral expression as in the boggy, unpredictable wilderness of Chloe's self-created prison. The sibling rivalry never quite succeeds as the plot's psychological linchpin, and some readers may tire of the numerous folklore elements, many elliptically referring to the somewhat obscure Taliesin legend. Others, though, especially teens who enjoyed the Celtic underpinnings and mystical backdrops of Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising novels, will thrill to the magical, atmospheric setting in a "landscape rayed with dreams and visions." *Jennifer Mattson* *Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved*