The Twistrose Key

Lin Rosenquist is staying in a rented house with her parents in Oldtown, but she badly misses Summerhill, where she used to live; her friend, Niklas; and most of all her pet vole, Rufus. Rufus is buried under the rosebush in the garden, and Lin grieves sorely for him. One day a mysterious parcel arrives addressed to her by her codename, Twistrose. It contains two keys. The first opens the cellar, but second opens a door into a magical land called Sylver, where is it forever winter. Sylver is inhabited by human-sized creatures who were once much-loved pets or wild animals that had been tamed. Waiting on the other side for Lin, is Rufus her beloved pet vole. Together, they embark on an incredible adventure, searching for the missing winter child, Isvan, and trying to save Sylver before the magical star, the Wanderer, has passed.

The Twistrose Key is a delightful and unusual book. The story-telling uses a combination of quest, fantasy and anthropomorphic animals. Its writing style is literary, without being obtrusive, and the description is beautifully evocative. The story also succeeds in suspending the reader’s disbelief in talking human-style animals. Subject and setting make it extremely appropriate as a winter/Christmas book that will suit both boys and girls alike.