ANNOTATION

Dido travels to Scotland and, aided by Woodlouse and by Father Sam's cousin Malise, the Witch of Clatteringshaws, seeks another heir to the throne who can relieve her friend Simon of the burden of being king of England.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Dido Twite's sharp wits are put to the test in this new adventure in the Wolves Chronicles. After King Richard dies, Dido's good pal Simon is put on the English throne, but he hates being cooped up in drafty St. James Palace, and his crusty old advisors won't let him have any fun at all. If only another descendent of the king could be found, Simon would gladly be replaced. Never short a solution, Dido discovers a lead to another member of the royal line. But no one knows exactly who—or where—the child is.

The masterful storyteller Joan Aiken once again invites readers into a spellbinding world of magic, mystery, and mayhem—with a dose of "proper" English hilarity, of course.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

This highly satisfying offering from Aiken (The Wolves of Willoughby Chase), who died last year, continues the chronicle of the resilient Dido Twite, taking up the tale soon after the action chronicled in Midwinter Nightingale. Hoping to save her friend Simon from his stultifying existence as newly crowned King of England, Dido journeys to Scotland to find someone (anyone!) with a greater claim to the throne. Meanwhile, just outside of the Scottish village of Clatteringshaws, in a converted restroom in a disused coach park (this far north it seems that Dido's alternate version of England has more in common with today's version than it usually does), a lonely witch broods over a youthful mistake and keeps half an eye on the progress of Fred, the orphaned child she found a home for 15 years before. After numerous twists and turns, not to mention several satisfyingly close calls (all narrated at whiplash pace, in crackling, comical language), Aiken resolves matters in typically grand fashion: impostors are exposed, secret identities revealed and, on top of all that, a peaceful solution is found for an army of Wends that has invaded from overseas. Aiken's generous parting gift to her readers is Dido and Simon's "happy ending," which leaves the door open, in readers' minds at least, for a future of further adventures. Ages 10-up. (Jan.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Dido and Piers are on a mission to find a claimant to the throne of England because the current king would rather be a painter. It is the same alternate England of The Wolves of Willoughby Chase and its sequels, where a different line of kings rule, Picts and other ancient peoples can attack at any time, and much of the land is still primitive, though traversed with railways, coaches, and A-roads. Witches, monsters, and strange creatures like the man-eating Hobyahs also populate this magical adventure. Aiken is a master of the traditional British fantasy and she does not disappoint here. Her alternate world is carefully constructed so the characters and events are delightful and perfectly plausible within that world. Although many young American readers may find the "cant" or slang expressions and the references to British history and culture difficult to decipher, fans of the genre, and of Aiken in particular, are sure to revel in this lively and lighthearted fantasy. She will be greatly missed. (Fiction. 10+)