by Martin Booth
First published 2004
Pip and Tim start secondary school in Rawne Barton, where evil has taken a new form. Their chemistry teacher Yoland harbors a dark secret. He steals souls to gain power, and the boys quickly realize they face something far worse than difficult homework. They recruit Sebastian, son of an alchemist, to join their class and help expose Yoland's sinister activities. But Yoland operates with deadly allies. A stunted familiar disguises himself as a student, moving freely among the children. A supply teacher arrives who reveals himself as Malodor, the wicked alchemist from Doctor Illuminatus. The conspiracy reaches beyond the school walls. Yoland plans an ultimate spell that requires enormous energy, leading him to target a nuclear power station. Pip and Tim must stop him before he harnesses that immense power for his final, devastating magic. The fate of Rawne Barton rests in the hands of two schoolchildren who never expected their biggest test to happen outside the classroom.
Genres: adventure, mystery, fantasy, horror, action, young-adult
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: chosen-one, enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Rawne Barton
242 pages · Paperback · Penguin Books
Content warnings: death, violence