The Black North

The Divided Isle, once a place of peace and tranquility, has been ravaged by war. Twins Oona and Morris live quietly with their grandmother in the south, but the threat of the Invaders of the Black North—the ravaged northern part of the island—is coming ever closer. When Morris is kidnapped by one of the evil Briar Witches, Oona must journey to the Black North in search of her brother. She is accompanied only by Merrigutt, a jackdaw with mysterious transformative powers, and a treasured secret possession: a small stone which the Invaders want more than anything.

The Divided Isle, once a place of peace and tranquillity, has been ravaged by war. Twins Oona and Morris live with their grandmother in a stone cottage in the quiet southern county of Drumbroken, but the threat of the Invaders of the Black North - the ravaged northern part of the island - is coming ever closer. When Morris, fighting against the Invaders, is kidnapped by one of the evil Briar Witches, Oona must journey to the unknown realms of the Black North in search of her brother. She is accompanied only by Merrigutt, a jackdaw with mysterious transformative powers, and a treasured secret possession: a small stone in the shape of a plum, but a stone that reveals truths and nightmares, and which the Invaders and their ruler, the King of the North, seek more than anything. Oona must keep the stone safe at all costs, and find her brother, before the King of the North extends his evil hold over the whole island and destroys it forever.

Nigel McDowell is the author of Tall Tales from Pitch End.

Nigel McDowell is the author of Tall Tales from Pitch End. He has written articles on film and literature for a number of websites.