Wow! eBook
Dark Spell
Author(s): Gill Arbuthnott (Author)
- Publisher: Kelpies
- Publication Date: 25 April 2013
- Language: English
- Print length: 224 pages
- ISBN-10: 0863159567
- ISBN-13: 9780863159565
Book Description
Shortlisted for the Scottish Children’s Book Awards 2015
15-year-old Callie Hall has just found out she’s a witch, and things keep going wrong. Sometimes her mind seems to make things happen, things she can’t control. She can set fire to things without a match, and when she’s angry people can get hurt.
Her friend Josh understands she’s a bit weird, but it’s only on a dark and dangerous visit to the tunnels under the ruins of St Andrews’ Castle that he realises just how strange she really is. Something comes back with Callie — in Callie — something she can’t escape.
Can Callie control her power long enough to send back the darkness, before it takes over her life? And will Josh ever understand her secret?
A brilliant, engrossing teen fantasy from the author of Winterbringers and The Keeper’s Daughter.
Editorial Reviews
Review
‘This is a modern-day Harry Potter set near a Scottish school in St Andrews… I cannot recommend this book highly enough.’
— Daily Record Book Club
‘All told, a solid 4 stars.’
— 2 the Point Book Reviews blog
‘A coming of age story with a paranormal/witchy twist.’
— Tome Tender Blog
‘The characterisation is excellent, and I particularly like the way Callie is shown struggling to get to terms with her powers which read almost as hormonal energy…This is elegant writing… a pacey, thoughtful, scary, exhilarating read and highly recommended.’
— The School Librarian (SLA)
‘The story is well engineered, and works not only on the superficial level, but on more than one level… I am not surprised that it has won awards. I found myself enchanted by Dark Spell. I enjoyed not only the characters, but also the sense of place the author delivers of the mix of old and new in contemporary Scotland. Gill Arbuthnott conjures a stunning mix of teen angst and magic mixed with just enough danger to scoot you to the edge of your seat. Big thumbs up on this one!’ — Novelspot
