Thorn Castle and Devil's Lair, by Ian Irvine

‘All right so far,’ he called back, pretending to be cheerful. ‘I won’t be long.’ Unfortunately his voice squeaked and made him sound even more scared than he was.
A minute later his skin prickled, there came a dull flash and Kim cried, ‘Help! Help!’
As Tamly scrambled backwards along the path, all he could hear was distant, eerie laughter.

Tamly is the only person in Meadowhythe who can’t do magic. He wishes he knew why, and longs to learn magic. But it is precisely his lack of magic which makes him ideal for the dangerous challenge of rescuing the Book of Spells from the evil sorcerer Lord Harshax. Together with his magically gifted friend Kym, he sets out to steal the book and save his village.

Thorn Castle and Giant’s Lair are the first two of four books in the Sorcerer’s Tower series from Omnibus. Each book is a short self-contained tale, but each builds on the last to complete a bigger story, allowing the tale to be read in bite-sized portions perfect for the reluctant or younger reader.

From one of Australia’s masters of the fantasy genre, this action-packed series is a wonderful introduction to the genre for readers aged 9 and over.

Sorcerer’s Tower: Thorn Castle and Giant’s Lair, by Ian Irvine, illustrated by D. M. Cornish
Omnibus, 2008

Thorn Castle and Sorcerer’s Tower are available from Fishpond. Buying through these links supports Aussiereviews.