The Twistrose Key
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4.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Something is wrong in the house that Lin's family has rented; Lin is sure of it. The clocks tick too slowly. Frost covers the flowerbed, even in a rain storm. And when a secret key marked "Twistrose" arrives for her, Lin finds a crack in the cellar, a gate to the world of Sylver.
This frozen realm is the home of every dead animal who ever loved a child. Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with Rufus, the pet she buried under the rosebush. But together they must find the missing Winter Prince in order to save Sylver from destruction.
They are not the only ones hunting for the boy this night. In the dark hides a shadow-lipped man, waiting for the last Winter Prince to be delivered into his hands.
Exhilarating suspense and unforgettable characters await the readers of this magical adventure, destined to become a classic.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
"Tonight, young Rosenquist... you will find that some games are real." These portentous words, spoken early in Almhjell's fantasy debut, launch 11-year-old Lin Rosenquist on a whirlwind, somewhat byzantine hero's journey. Summoned from her Norwegian home by a mysterious key, Lin lands in Sylver, a wintry afterlife populated by anthropomorphized animals. Among the denizens most were "once the favorite pet of a human child" is Lin's beloved vole, Rufus. Their joyful reunion ("Rufus!... You're so..." "Handsome?... Eloquent? Alive?") and affectionate partnership anchor the pair's quest for Isvan, the missing boy who can restore magic to the land. Idiosyncratic characters an avuncular hamster-chef; a sinister, condescending mad scientist owl help and hinder as Lin and Rufus decipher prophecies, battle trolls, and navigate Almhjell's meticulously built world. A few dropped threads tangle the plot, and the main villain's demeanor tends toward Bond-ian clich , but by book's end, strong parallels link Lin's adventure to real-world loss and coming-of-age. Her story feels complete even as the world of Sylver contains enough unexplored territory to invite subsequent volumes. Ages 10 up.
