The Bell Between Worlds (The Mirror Chronicles, Book 1) - Softcover

Johnstone, Ian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007491212 ISBN 13: 9780007491216

Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks, 2015

Synopsis

A glorious epic fantasy in the grand tradition of CS Lewis and Philip Pullman. The Mirror Chronicles will take you into another world, and on the adventure of your lifetime...

Half of your soul is missing.
The lost part is in the mirror.
And unless Sylas Tate can save you, you will never be whole again.

Sylas Tate leads a lonely existence since his mother died. But then the tolling of a giant bell draws him into another world known as the Other, where he discovers not only that he has an inborn talent for the nature-influenced magic of the Fourth Way, but also that his mother might just have come from this strange parallel place.

Meanwhile, evil forces are stirring, and an astounding revelation awaits Sylas as to the true nature of the Other. As violence looms and the stakes get ever higher, Sylas must seek out a girl called Naeo who might just be the other half of his soul – otherwise the entire universe may fall...

About this title

About the Author

Ian Johnstone was brought up in Oxfordshire and now lives in Oxford, which might suggest a man who likes to stick to what he knows. In fact, Ian makes an awkward habit of shifting between worlds. He grew up in a quiet English town but has spent much of his life travelling and working in Africa. He has a love of science but studied English Literature. He grew up in Oxford but received his degree from Cambridge.

So perhaps it’s not surprising at all that he writes fantastical novels about journeys to other worlds. Ian lives on a hill with his wife Emily and his daughter Ella.

From School Library Journal

Gr 6–10—In this promising series opener, 12-year-old Silas Tate lives with his uncle, as he's been told that his mother had died. Silas, an introverted and imaginative boy, leads an uneventful life until the day he walks into an unusual shop and meets Mr. Zhi. The mysterious shopkeeper gives Silas a book containing an ancient code and reveals that the boy's mother is in fact still alive. Here the novel, which starts off slowly, picks up in pace and complexity. Silas is later awoken by the sound of a bell that only he can hear. He is chased by a giant hound but manages to take refuge under the house-size "Passing Bell." Silas soon discovers himself in another world—one that is strange yet familiar. He meets the Suhl people and learns that his "Other" world is actually a mirror image of this new one. The boy also discovers that he possesses magical powers, which he uses to decipher prophecies from the antique book and to fight against the horrific Ghor, who have hunted the Suhl for generations. The story concludes with a daring escape and many questions left unanswered concerning Silas's and his mother's connection to the Suhl's world. Using rich language and imagery, the author's extensive world-building will appeal to fans of fantasy and make them eager for the next book installment. He includes several imaginative elements, such as the concept that people have another half to themselves in the other world called a "Glimmer." Because of its intricacy, hand this fantasy-adventure to confident readers.—Sherry J. Mills, Hazelwood East High School, St. Louis, MO

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 0007491212
• ISBN 13: 9780007491216
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 512