The Chime Seekers; Ross Montgomery

I’m generally not one for stories of faeries and goblins but Ross Montgomery is a brilliant writer of children’s fiction so I put my doubts aside and dived right in.

Yanni is not happy to have moved to Fallow Hall and to a house in the middle of nowhere. He hates everything about the place and to make matters worse his parents are obsessed with his new-born younger sister and have forgotten that he even exists.

When Yanni wishes for the unthinkable, he had not been expecting that someone would actually turn up and make good his darkest wish. With his sister stolen and a changeling left in her place, Yanni must venture into a dark and dangerous world of faeries to right his wrong. But will he be able to outwit a devious fae and save his sister before the clock strikes midnight on All Hallows’ Eve…

The Chime Seekers is a thrilling race-against time fantasy adventure. It follows Yanni and his cousin Amy on a magic-filled treasure hunt that takes our brave heroes from the village of Fallow Hall to the troubled fae world of Hallow Fall as they do battle against the malevolent Lorde Renwin. Win, Yanni saves his sister and may just make it back alive, lose, Lorde Renwin will keep her forever.

In this high stakes read, the challenges and obstacles come thick and fast with Yanni, Amy and the changeling facing no end of danger. Goblins, ghosts, a rather unhappy signpost, a talking raven, magical necklaces, a bewitched piano, sleeping statues and changelings all play their part and provide their own frights and fun in this world of dark magic all controlled by a powerful, evil and seemingly all seeing fae.

Yanni is a flawed main character and for the first half of the book I utterly despised him; he is obnoxious and rude, and is completely dismissive of his cousin, Amy, who only wants to help out. But if he is to complete the seemingly impossible tasks that Lorde Renwin sets for him and to return everyone safely home he will need all of the help he can get. Will brotherly love overcome evil lies and horrible truths?

I love the idea of another world existing just beneath the surface of our own, although I wouldn’t be too quick to venture into the depths of Hallow Fall with its malicious fae, scary creatures, enchanted objects and who knows what lurking in the forest and the shadows. Any children who have spotted magical creatures hiding in plain sight or have heard the faint sound of chimes will thoroughly enjoy this exciting read (just make sure you’ve got your protective charms at the ready and don’t forget that magical necklace).

With huge thanks to Walker Books for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 9+.