The Spellkey

by Ann Downer

Overview

Two young outcast begin to fall in love as they race to destroy a powerful tool on a dangerous journey through the Thirteen Kingdoms.

After a young rebellious girl, Caitlin, is accused of witchcraft she is exiled to the Abbey of the Ninthstile. Ordered to escort her is a disappointing ward of the Abbot of Thirdmoon See, The Badger.

As the pair of misfits travel through the Thirteen Kingdoms, they notice a mysterious man with red hair is following them. Through Caitlin’s visions, which often haunt her, she is able to see that the man trailing them defeats them at every turn, sparking a sense of fear and urgency.

Discovering that the mystery man is after a powerful tool known as the Spellkey and realizing that destroying the tool could end the cruel rulers of the Pentacle, Caitlin and the Badger set off on a dangerous journey as they begin to fall in love.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442472303
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/28/2012
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Ann Downer grew up in Manila and Bangkok in the late 1960's and read many mysteries...until she discovered the rich and wonderful world of fantasy.

Returning to her native Virginia, she began to spend afternoons at the local library reading all the fantasy she could get her hands on. Soon she was inspired to begin a fantasy novel of her own, and so began her career as a fantasy author. She has written The Spellkey, The Glass Salamander, and The Books of the Keepers.

Ms. Downer combines her writing with a full-time career as a science editor at a university press. She lives with her husband, their son, and a large marmalade cat in Somerville, Massachusetts.

Editorial Reviews

This confusing fantasy has some original elements in it, but it ultimately becomes the familiar tale of true knight and his lady. The Badger, son of an unmarried tanner's daughter, is raised in an abbey; Caitlin, with one green eye and one blue, is a sure daughter of the otherworld. Abandoned as an infant and raised in the forest by a half-mad witch, Caitlin herself is accused of witchcraft. When the Badger finds her, she is living in a barrow; returning to the abbey, Caitlin's punishment is imprisonment in the convent of Ninthstile, and it is Badger's duty to see her there. Their journey is precarious as they try to unlock the mystery of the Spellkey. There are only glimpses of a fresh approach in the writing here, which serves to remind readers aware of what the story lacks the rest of the time. Ages 10-up. (September)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Gr 7 Up Because Caitlin has one blue eye and one green, she is suspected of witchcraft and is sent to be shut up in a convent in far-off Ninthstile. Badger, the bastard stableboy, is no use to anyone, so he is sent along to make sure that she arrives. If they do not reach their destination by the new year, they will forfeit their lives. As these two unwilling companions make the long journey through many kingdoms, they gradually become friends, and at last, lovers. Strange misadventures befall them. A mysterious red-haired man is following them. They begin to hear of a Spellkey which ``unlocks all doors.'' Unknown to them, the journey, with all its twists and turnings, is itself the Spellkey, leading to an evil only they can confront. Downer's skill lies in creating unusual characters and settings and expressing them in fresh, striking imagery. It is difficult to forget her king who drinks dissolved pearls, or the hunting party forever frozen in a net of spiders' webs. The robust humor of minor characters such as the Nurse and the Astronomer provide a balancing comic relief. Each of the adventures that Caitlin and Badger has almost forms a separate story in itself, with its own setting and characters. This complexity makes the thread of plot hard to follow and robs the book of a central tension. Still, Downer's odd, appealing characters and haunting imagery will keep readers spellbound to the end of the road. Ruth S. Vose, San Francisco Public Library

School Library Journal