The Twelve
Liz Hyder, illustrated by Tom de Freston, Pushkin
On the night of the solstice, Kit’s wintry Welsh holiday turns terrifying when Libby, her beloved, infuriating little sister, falls from an ancient tower and vanishes – not just from sight, but from their mother’s memory. Only Story, a mysterious local boy, remembers Libby. Now Kit and Story must uncover the secret of the strange power known as the Twelve, and make several perilous journeys into the past, to bring Libby back and preserve the smooth running of time itself. Haunting and resonant, with echoes of Susan Cooper and Alan Garner, this gripping 12+ timeslip novel by the award-winning author of Bearmouth is heightened by De Freston’s dreamy black and white illustrations.
The Maid and the Crocodile
Jordan Ifueko, Hot Key
Set in the world of the bestselling Raybearer series, this elegant standalone fantasy follows Small Sade, a disabled orphan with a hidden gift, as she tries to find a job in Oluwan, the brutal and competitive capital city. Inadvertently binding herself to a handsome crocodile god who is rumoured to devour girls, Small Sade escapes to an upmarket inn where she can exercise her talent as a Curse Eater, altering her clients’ fates for the better by cleaning their houses. But can she break the most intransigent curse of all – the one that binds the Crocodile? Inspired by Diana Wynne Jones’s Howl’s Moving Castle, this assured, entrancing novel will be a treat for Raybearer fans and newcomers alike.
