Forest of Forbidden Magic

Two letters arrive at Tig’s and Elsa’s house from his mysterious grandfather: one, addressed to them, contains silver charms of a wolf and a fairy for Tig and his older sister, 13 year old Elsa, and the second, a few days later, informs their Dad of his father’s death, so they all set off immediately for the cottage on the edge of Grimmhart Forest. Grimmhart village is a strange place: the local people, with one exception, young Janek, are not welcoming, and Great Uncle Aleksander and their 11 year-old cousin Ania are prickly too.  When Ania whispers that their grandfather is not dead, the children are determined to find him, and Janek’s knowledge of the locality, and of folk tales, is very helpful. Of course, the hunt leads into the forest which their father has forbidden them to enter, and it’s full of secrets and magical creatures, only some of which are friendly, but they have to co-operate with resentful Ania.  Their special charms mean that the holders can take on the attributes of the creatures depicted, but Tig has trouble accepting his wolf persona, and Elsa’s fairy is not at all sweet. However, Tig discovers courage he didn’t know he had, Elsa’s netball skills come in handy, and help comes from unexpected sources. It’s a very exciting story, with a great cover, showing the Ice Wolf, and the magical adventure, with a few twists in the tale,  should appeal to young readers.