- Hardcover: 340 pages
- Publisher: Greenwillow Books (Mar 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060785829
- ISBN-13: 978-0060785826
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 14 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
2,709,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #77 in Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators > F > Fisher, Catherine
Darkhenge
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Darkhenge, the unearthly novel from Catherine Fisher is one full of history, mystery, myth and magic. Drawing on the author’s passion for archaeology, and set against a landscape steeped in legend near her Wye Valley home, she creates an atmospheric narrative that is every bit as spooky as it is dramatic.
Rob’s sister Chloe lies in a coma in hospital after a riding accident and he is an uncomfortable weekly visitor to her bedside. In an effort to distract himself from the trauma in his personal life, Rob uses his skill at art to get a job on a secretive local dig. His new employer, Dr Kavanagh, is desperate to preserve the operation’s anonymity and warns Rob not to reveal what they are up to. If news leaked that they had found the remains of a prehistoric wooden circle, the media blitz would be catastrophic.
Rob, however, quickly has other things on his mind. Nearby he inadvertently meets what he thinks is a harmless bunch of hippies and he witnesses the resurrection of an apparently shape-shifting Druid called Vetch. The man claims to be centuries old and born at a time when the wooden circle, Darkhenge, was first built. He also claims knowledge of his sister’s accident and he promises Rob the key to another Unworld where Chloe he says is imprisoned--if he helps him breach the dig’s security cordon. Compliance leads Rob into a world where imagination and magic are limitless.
Fisher has been writing likeable and intriguing novels for young teen readers like this for several years, and as an author she deserves wider acclaim and attention. Her recent Ancient Egyptian-flavoured books, for instance, a sequence which began with The Oracle, are of particular merit. Readers who have yet to discover this author will be pleasantly surprised. (Age 10 and over) --John McLay --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.
Review
"* 'Catherine Fisher is a writer of rare talent' - Sunday Times * 'Darkhenge is the finest young adult novel I have read for quite a while: thrilling and subtle, intensely lyrical and psychologically profound. It keeps on growing in your mind after you've read it.' - Writeaway! * 'The plot holds strange twists that complicate the story but also make it fascinating, entwining with the power of imagination to enthral the reader...gripping from the first chapter, I found I couldn't put down this brilliant fantasy novel.' - South Wales Argus * 'Very well told...another 'kidult' fantasy that's better than much of the grown-up stuff.' - SFX * 'A fantastic story.' - Teen Titles"
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Brilliant! Catherine Fisher yet again cleverly demonstrates her skill with words in literally transporting you into another world of mystery, love, and adventure.
Rob is a talented teen artist, on school holidays after his exams (GCSEs?), when his little sister Chloe has a nasty riding accident and ends up in a coma. Normal life is put on hold for Rob, his parents and his godfather, Father Mac, as they try to come to terms with the accident and reach Chloe in her coma. Based in Wiltshire, the ancient monuments of Avebury, West Kennet Long Barrow, Silbury Hill and the Ridgeway all play a part in this intriguing tale.
One evening Rob finds himself drawn into a group of druids at Avebury, meeting "Vetch" from the "Unworld". Vetch belives he has the answer to pulling Chloe back from her coma, but it involves trespassing onto the archaeological dig where Rob is working as an artist, recording the finds and structure as they are unearthed by the dig team. Can they reach Chloe before she ventures further into the Unworld? Can Rob save his sister?
A wonderful story, and a must read for young teens suffering with sibling rivalry or jealousy.
Rob is a talented teen artist, on school holidays after his exams (GCSEs?), when his little sister Chloe has a nasty riding accident and ends up in a coma. Normal life is put on hold for Rob, his parents and his godfather, Father Mac, as they try to come to terms with the accident and reach Chloe in her coma. Based in Wiltshire, the ancient monuments of Avebury, West Kennet Long Barrow, Silbury Hill and the Ridgeway all play a part in this intriguing tale.
One evening Rob finds himself drawn into a group of druids at Avebury, meeting "Vetch" from the "Unworld". Vetch belives he has the answer to pulling Chloe back from her coma, but it involves trespassing onto the archaeological dig where Rob is working as an artist, recording the finds and structure as they are unearthed by the dig team. Can they reach Chloe before she ventures further into the Unworld? Can Rob save his sister?
A wonderful story, and a must read for young teens suffering with sibling rivalry or jealousy.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Slightly reminiscent of one of my other favourite books, Alan Garner's Owl Service, this is a fabulous book about the explosive emotions of adolescence and the traps of sibling rivalry cunning interwoven with druidic mythology. I've only previously read the rather younger Snow Walker books by Fisher, but I am seriously impressed by Darkhenge. It has a great deal to offer to early teen readers - both male and female - and is full of rich, poetic writing. I also think there are a fair few Strange & Norrel and Philip Pullman reading adults who will find this utterly compelling. This deserves cross-over readership too.
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The author has said herself that she's writing books for an older audience these days and this is aimed at teenagers though good for all ages.
Don't expect anything throw away from Catherine Fisher. She knows too much about myth and how it helps us make sense of our lives to produce anything lightweight.
I can't wait for the last in the Oracle trilogy
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Familiar Fantasy
'Darkhenge' is about a boy called Rob, whose sister is in a coma in hospital. However, she is not really in hospital, only her physical form is. Read more
Published on 14 Jan 2010 by C. Harbottle
An Enjoyable Twist on Celtic Mythology
This book is a slightly unusual story that blends a bit of Celtic mythology with a kind of alternate world romp. Read more
Published on 10 July 2009 by Sir Furboy
Just finished...
... and thoroughly enjoyed!
I have previously read Corbenic by Catherine Fisher and that has to be one of my all time favourite books, so I thought I'd give another of... Read more
I have previously read Corbenic by Catherine Fisher and that has to be one of my all time favourite books, so I thought I'd give another of... Read more
Published on 6 July 2009 by T. Callaghan
Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Rob's younger sister, Chloe, has been in a coma for three months. The prognosis is not good for her recovery. Read more
Published on 9 April 2008 by TeensReadToo
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