A masterclass in magic; spellbinding from the first sentence. A thrilling adventure in a darkly enchanting, richly-textured, witchly-warring world fraught with unexpected danger, shadowless strangers & lost magic waiting to be found.

'Evernight' by Ross Mackenzie is a wonderful potion for the imagination; unpredictable, lively and full of superb fantasy descriptions. With a cast of eclectic characters and many narrative threads, this is a challenging though ultimately rewarding read. ​Larabelle Fox lives in the sewers, treasure-hunting and avoiding unruly gangs. She's an orphan and accepts her dangerous life in a magical city. But when she finds a mysterious box her world is turned upside down. Everything she knew about herself will change. And as evil forces summon the Evernight, Lara must face terrible dangers, including a man who casts no shadow. Most of all, Lara must learn who she truly is. ​When I started 'Evernight' I must admit that it took me a while to get into it. The narrative point of view switched a few times and I struggled to initially warm to Lara. But then everything seemed to weave together, like strands of magic, and the story couldn't help but propel me on. While Lara grew on me and her backstory became clear, I also really enjoyed Double Eight and Joe's story arcs, even Shadow Jack (I hope he returns somehow!). As with Mackenzie's majestic 'Nowhere Emporium', he deftly and brilliantly handles many plot threads and joins them together like a magician weaving a trick. By the end I was totally absorbed by this fairy tale world and I hope there will be sequels. This feels like a huge prologue to something truly fantastic, and so it's worth the investment to delve in deep. ​If you love intricately described worlds and complex plotting then this is for you! It's another great book from Ross Mackenzie and one that sets-up a promising new series.  ​ ​  

This is a fantastic magical adventure! Full of peril and friendship. Perfect to keep the children (and yourself) entertained. Absolutely recommended.

Partially it is the language and the descriptive power of this book that has me hooked. Along with the characters too - I have so far only read to page 34 - but this really is an extraordinary volume.  A tale of magic, slums, sewers, rats, old hags, and witches, both old and seemingly young...and a range of enticing characters...It's gripping and won't let me go. I want to read, instead of doing things I should be doing.  It is out at the beginning of February. This has calibre - I only review books before I have finished them, if I know, if I can sense that they will be good - this one will be. It is at the moment being compared to Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend. I'm afraid, I have to disagree. It's better. I hope Jessica won't mind my saying so. Similar, in a way, but better. I hope and trust this will be the start of a series, of perhaps three books - its marvellous. As with The Mask of Aribella (Anna Hoghton), I know this one is good - the first taste told me that... Simply superb. Once again - go into your local Waterstones and order a copy, or two. It is out on the 6th of February. With luck Ross will be kind and come and sign copies.... Order your copies NOW!

Evernight is the first book in an exciting new middle-grade series featuring dark magic and witches. Orphan Larabelle Fox, Lara, is a Tosher in the Silver Kingdom, which means she treasure hunts in the sewers. It’s a dangerous job but someone has to do it. One day whilst out hunting she comes across a wooden box. The box is linked to the Doomsday Spell and evil beings including Shadow Jack and Mrs. Hester are looking for it. Lara soon finds herself the target of unwanted attention but can she protect the box or will the world be ruined? The book opens with a fast-paced chase scene in which a woman called Jenny Winter is being chased through the streets by the fearsome Shadow Jack as he tries to get the wooden box from her, one of the last protectors of the box. We then move onto the present day with Lara in the sewers looking for treasure when she comes up against some bullies. The pages are filled with adventure, friendship, magic, and mayhem which had me flying through the book not wanting to put it down. The book fills your imagination which is helped along by the full-on descriptions and fascinating scenery, which are out of this world! Lara is such a wonderful character with a big heart, especially for someone who has been through so much in her young life. I was rooting for her from the very beginning and adored her personality and bravery. The evil beings are not too scary for younger children but they are mildly sinister, especially Mrs. Hester who likes to steal other souls to stay young. Overall the book is the perfect fantasy read for middle-graders with so much happening all the time and a good vs evil plot to keep the kids on the edge of their seats.