Thornghost

May 15, 2016
An upper-middle-grade story that builds on (but is not a sequel to) the premise of The Twistrose Key (2013).Twelve-year-old Niklas Summerhill, a black-haired, blue-eyed white boy, lives on the family farm (also called Summerhill) in a Scandinavia-like setting with Grandma Alma and Uncle Anders. His mother, Erika, died seven years earlier and refused to see him on her deathbed, saying she was a Thornghost, something Niklas doesn't understand. Now, his mother comes to him in recurring nightmares, and creepy things are happening near the farm. While exploring a cave to try to find the source of whatever is tainting Summerhill, Niklas and a talking lynx named Secret stumble into the ruins of Jewelgard--a fantasy world where Petlings and Wildlings (animal companions of children in Niklas' world) go after they die. But trolls and other dark magic have taken over Jewelgard and infiltrated the Rosa Torquata--the twisted rose--that keeps the world safe. Almhjell unspools this cryptic mystery with enormous skill and economy but leans heavily on description and action for impact, and the development of truly emotionally resonant characters suffers as a result. Some details are inconsistent: when Niklas bites into a "diamond apple," the "shards crackle with just the right twist, while the flesh melts," but then he "licks the diamond shard, careful not to slice his tongue."This companion is intriguingly and skillfully told, helping to mitigate the less-than-stellar character development. (Fantasy. 10-14)

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June 1, 2016

Gr 5-8-A companion novel to The Twistrose Key, this entry introduces Lin's friend Niklas Summerhill, a mischievous resident of mountainous Willodale. Lonely and consumed by nightmares recalling his deceased mother's childhood, Niklas soon encounters dangerous magic in the nearby woods. His mother's journal suggests that the magic and its subsequent creations were partially of her own making and belong in some part to Niklas, too. Niklas and his companion, a lynx named Secret, use that bond to cross into a world where the animal companions of lost children reside. With the help of those animals, Niklas attempts to thwart the Sparrow King, whose tainted magic threatens both worlds. Almhjell combines an imaginative setting with a modified animal fantasy that feels fresh and intriguing. The setting is equally creative, with leisurely, detailed descriptions. At some points, the rich world-building seems imposed rather than organic-Almhjell rapidly dictates magical rules rather than revealing them through action. The story moves through several arcs-trouble in Willodale, mountain exploration, meeting the animal companions-and the author does not have space to fully expand the characters of Niklas's aunt and uncle; his dream visions of his dead mother, Erika; or the animals in the Broken realm. The deep connection between Niklas and Secret holds together and provides the most emotional scenes of the book, and Niklas achieves understanding and growth. VERDICT Purchase where there are fans of the first book; readers will happily return to this enchanting world.-Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2016
Grades 5-7 Living with his grandmother in a rural Norwegian community, restless Niklas has a reputation as a prankster. Though he was only five when his mother died, she and her imaginative creations haunt his dreams and, seven years later, seem connected with the perilous alternate world that he willingly enters. Niklas befriends Summer, a talking lynx who becomes his staunchest ally in the challenging days ahead, as they work to help their new allies defeat the wicked Sparrow King and, along the way, uncover Niklas' mother's mysterious backstory. The novel includes traditional fantasy elements (trolls and talking animals) as well as inventive additions, such as the Rosa Torquata (a magical plant) and skullbeaks (fierce, skeletal birdlike creatures). Niklas and Summer's adventures will draw young readers into the novel, though they may wish for less of the mother's slowly revealed and sometimes confusing history. A companion book to Almhjell's The Twistrose Key (2013), this fantasy can be read independently, though its primary audience will be fans of the previous novel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)