Thornghost

by Tone Almhjell

Overview

Fans of Gregor the Overlander and Five Kingdoms will love this alternate-realm fantasy full of heart-racing action
 
Strange things are happening around Niklas Summerhill’s home. A green-eyed beast is killing animals in the woods, and the nightmares that have haunted Niklas since his mother died grow more terrifying with every night. When the beast turns out to be a troll brought to life from his own games, Niklas knows he has to stop it. With the help of his lynx companion, Secret, he finds the source of the magic: a portal to another world. But this realm, once the home of peaceful animals, is also in danger. The evil Sparrow King is hunting down the few survivors from a devastating war, and a dark, blood-thirsty plant is infecting the valley. Niklas must try to save both worlds. But first he has to uncover the truth about his mother’s last words: "I’m a Thornghost."
 
From the author of The Twistrose Key comes a fantasy brimming with intriguing mystery, fast-paced action, and a cast of unforgettable human and animal characters.


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698189584
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	08/16/2016
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	384
Lexile:	670L (what's this?)
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

Tone Almhjell grew up, then quickly un-grew up. In a fit of bravery, she quit her job as a journalist to become a fantasy writer. Almhjell lives in Oslo, Norway, with her two wonderfully stubborn kids.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Thornghost

"Almhjell unspools this cryptic mystery with enormous skill." —Kirkus Reviews

"A companion novel to The Twistrose Key, this entry introduces Lin’s friend Niklas Summerhill, a mischievous resident of mountainous Willodale....Almhjell combines an imaginative setting with a modified animal fantasy that feels fresh and intriguing. The setting is equally creative, with leisurely, detailed descriptions. " —School Library Journal

“Inventive . . . Niklas and Secret’s adventures will draw young readers into the novel.” —Booklist

Rave reviews for The Twistrose Key

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

“This jewel of a story will capture your heart and your imagination…Readers should take their time and read with care to fully grasp and decipher the fresh mythology of the land of Sylver. It’ll leave you gasping, laughing, and maybe shedding a tear or two.” —The New York Journal of Books

“Beguiling.” —New York Times Book Review

*“This debut novel will captivate readers…Fantasy that evokes the classics of yore and stands proudly among them.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
 
“This debut novel has Narnian charm and troll-fire high adventure. I’ve never read anything quite like it, and I hope Tone Almhjell writes many more books for me to fall in love with.” —Erin Bow, author of Plain Kate

“Children entranced by animal tales and in love with snowy fantasy lands will delight in Lin’s magical journey and triumphant determination.” —Booklist
 
“Her story feels complete even as the world of Sylver contains enough unexplored territory to invite subsequent volumes.” —Publishers Weekly 

From the Publisher

Twelve-year-old Niklas Summerhill has had an adventurous life, but now the well-being of others is at stake. His mothers’ death weighs heavily on him, his grandmother, and Uncle Anders. Trouble begins when Niklas lures neighboring sheep out of their pasture into the woods. It’s a harmless prank, but one of the sheep is killed—by something—and so begins the hunt for whomever or whatever is hunting animals at night. Niklas leaves home during the night, so no one can stop him, to atone for his prank and to learn more of his mother, Erica. With the help of a magical lynx he finds himself in an alternate fantasy world of tainted thorns, talking animals, and an evil Sparrow King. He does not realize this world in based on his imagination and the dreams of his mother and that he has the power to fix everything if he is careful. This book can be tough going. Almhjell weaves a complicated maze of twists and turns that at times seem to twist or turn just to take up space. What could be solved in the following chapter is dragged on for several, possibly causing readers to stop before the book ends. The concept is engaging; the characters (humans and mammal) are cleverly crafted; and the story finally comes to resolution, but the timing is lost on intricate details and unnecessary diversion. Hopefully those who have read the companion novel: The Twistrose Key will have a better appreciation for this work than those who have not. Reviewer: Elizabeth Young; Ages 10 to 14.

Children's Literature - Elizabeth Young

06/01/2016
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. VERDICT Purchase where there are fans of the first book; readers will happily return to this enchanting world.—Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT

School Library Journal

2016-05-04
An upper-middle-grade story that builds on (but is not a sequel to) the premise of The Twistrose Key (2013).Twelve-year-old Niklas Summerhill, a black-haired, blue-eyed white boy, lives on the family farm (also called Summerhill) in a Scandinavia-like setting with Grandma Alma and Uncle Anders. His mother, Erika, died seven years earlier and refused to see him on her deathbed, saying she was a Thornghost, something Niklas doesn't understand. Now, his mother comes to him in recurring nightmares, and creepy things are happening near the farm. While exploring a cave to try to find the source of whatever is tainting Summerhill, Niklas and a talking lynx named Secret stumble into the ruins of Jewelgard—a fantasy world where Petlings and Wildlings (animal companions of children in Niklas' world) go after they die. But trolls and other dark magic have taken over Jewelgard and infiltrated the Rosa Torquata—the twisted rose—that keeps the world safe. Almhjell unspools this cryptic mystery with enormous skill and economy but leans heavily on description and action for impact, and the development of truly emotionally resonant characters suffers as a result. Some details are inconsistent: when Niklas bites into a "diamond apple," the "shards crackle with just the right twist, while the flesh melts," but then he "licks the diamond shard, careful not to slice his tongue."This companion is intriguingly and skillfully told, helping to mitigate the less-than-stellar character development. (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews