Thornghost

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.