Castle Otherhand is a murky, shadowy place at the best of times, but it’s got even scarier with the arrival of a horrible school master.

Solstice and her brother Cudweed are trying their best to come out winning – and they are lucky because they’ve got the bird Edgar on their side!

This book introduces its readers to all sorts of characters in Otherhand, a place full of “all sorts of oddballs, lunatics and fruitcakes”. But once you’ve met them, you will want to finish the book to find out what happens to them!

Scary at times but with a great plot, I recommend this book to other children over the age of eight.