Can you hear the distant howling of hounds and the thunder of ghostly hooves? It's All Souls' Eve and Zamiel the Demon Huntsman has come to claim his prey! He's headed straight for Castle Karlstein, where the evil count has hatched an evil plan; he'll sacrifice his two young nieces to save himself. Can Lucy and Charlotte outwit their uncle and his oily henchmen to escape their dreadful fate? From the award-winning author of The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife comes a spooky, funny thriller just right for those middle-grade readers looking for horror - and humor.
The evil Count Karlstein is willing to sacrifice his two spirited nieces to the Demon Huntsman on All Souls' Eve in order to save his own life. Philip Pullman must have a mind crammed full of gothic and quirky wonders. Jo Thurley, as the young maidservant in the castle who risks her life for her charges, headlines this superb full-cast production with a performance that contains just the right amount of sternness and apprehension in her teenaged voice. Music is used effectively to enhance the suspense, and all the actors give pitch-perfect efforts. Particularly delightful are those who play Lucy and Charlotte, who exude manners and pluck, and Augusta Davenport, former governess, a hilarious no-nonsense feminist who is as at home skinning and cooking animals as she is improving Lucy's poor handwriting. A.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews ...
"Using multiple narrators and expertly concocted cliffhangers, Pullman crafts a thrilling page-turner. This gothic farce features young orphans, evil schemers, a gloomy Swiss castle, a long-lost heir, stalwart lads, capable women, a con man on the lam, hilariously bumbling police officers, and Zamiel: the Prince of the Mountains, the Demon Huntsman. . . . It's whirlwind plotting, manipulated into a pulsing tale of darkened hearts, treachery, and at long last, redemption."
School Library Journal, Starred ...
"In this deliciously gothic thriller there are enough demon huntsmen, evil guardians, and brooding castles to please even the most desensitized reader."
Publishers Weekly, Starred...
"A welcome diversion . . . [that is] dashing, sparkling, and wildly over the top."
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