Changes

|title=The Mirror Chronicles: the Bell Between Worlds

|sort=Mirror Chronicles: the Bell Between Worlds, The

|publisher=Harper Collins

|date=June 2013

|summary=Sylas has been lonely and wretched since the terrible day his uncle told him his mother was dead. But an odd encounter sends him on an extraordinary adventure as he discovers his destiny as one of the two people born to save a hidden world of mystery and magic, as well as his own.

}}

The hero of this long and engrossing book is a boy of twelve, orphaned, lonely and unloved. He spends the little free time he has in creating beautiful kites covered in complicated, colourful designs until the day he meets a strange old man who sets him on the path to his destiny as a saviour of not one but two worlds. But in line with the traditions of the genre, this path will be fraught with fear, danger and loss.

The story is dramatic and the perils are both real and colourfully described. There is joy, excitement and comfort as well as terror and regret, and the ending perfectly concludes the adventure while leaving the way open for a sequel or two. It's a big story, in every sense of the term, and for readers prepared to give it the time and attention it will prove a very satisfying experience.

Another lengthy but very enjoyable book which portrays magic as a serious, sometimes even dangerous power rather than a glorified parlour trick is [[Fire Spell by Laura Amy Schlitz]], in which two young people are pawns in a battle between magicians who are both strong and ruthless.

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[[Category:Teens]]