Nicholas Bowling

Oran lives on Little Drum, where music is everything. Every islander has a birth instrument and a life song - and the ancestors, called ghasts, linger to hear the music. But when the Duchess arrives from the mainland bringing orders of silence, she threatens the ghasts' existence, the very soul of the community. When Oran hears of a mythical instrument with the power to manipulate hearts, she brings her ghast best friend, Alick, on a quest to find it, play it, and change the Duchess's mind ... From the author of the Costa Children's Book Award-shortlisted In the Shadow of the Heroes comes a thrilling Celtic-inspired fantasy adventure. The adventure and magic of Neil Gaiman's Stardust with a Hebridean-inspired fantasy setting and lovable characters reminiscent of Pixar's Brave.

To the horror of young gravedigger, Ned, bodysnatchers have been visiting his churchyard in the dead of night. Until now, he'd been daydreaming about another visitor – daughter of the manor, Obedience Wellrest. But sixteen-year-old Obedience has troubles of her own: her loving but overbearing father, and his wish to see her married to a rich man of science, Phineas Mordaunt. When Mordaunt starts to poke his nose into her family history – in particular, the ruinous research of late Uncle Herbert – Obedience enters into a dangerous game with Death, and Ned might be the only person who can save her … A mesmerising tale of magic, death and science, wrapped up in a delicious Gothic mystery Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell meets Dangerous Remedy – for young adult readers From highly acclaimed Costa Award-shortlisted author, Nicholas Bowling