Changes

It's a sign of a really good story that a book so packed with plot still manages to develop the personalities of the main characters. Christopher has no parents, and has vivid memories of the miseries of life in an orphanage, so he is willing to allow Sally to stay even though he is low on food and cannot see how he will make it through the next few weeks. Sally herself is a quiet girl, but the cold charity of the poorhouse has made her equally dogged in her desire to survive and she soon becomes an integral part of the team. Her ability to read means she is invaluable when it comes to researching potions, and she has a very handy knowledge of the back streets and hidden gardens of the capital. And then there's Tom: big, strong and bluff, with a tendency to blush whenever a girl speaks to him, he spends his life protesting (usually ineffectually) at being used as the subject of Christopher's dafter – and more dangerous – experiments. He's loyal and generous, and despite being the son of a baker his constant hunger is legendary. Together these three young people make a fine team, and it is to be hoped that we will soon have more of their adventures to enjoy.

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