12-year-old Liz is different from other children. She can read her brothers thoughts as if they were her own and when he begins to have nightmares, sees the monsters and the menacing oriental figure clearly as he does. Beyond being told they are adopted, Liz and Phil know nothing of their past and Alison Shaw, their mother, is determined to keep it that way. She takes the family to London for a few days of sightseeing, staying at a hotel run by Tom McFaddean, an explorer with an unusual hobby for collecting antique models of fighting men. Before returning home Liz and Phil buy a piece of jade for their mother from the local market. Next day, their house is ransacked and Liz attacked by an animal which disappears in a blaze of green light. That night, young Fred from next door alerts the family to the presence of monsters in their garden. In the nick of time Tom McFaddean appears with the irrepressible Fred in tow. He warns the family that the monsters are Xantu and the creature a yuppy, an evil spirit sent by Zheng-Li to destroy the jade and the two young Javean. Then, with Alison wielding her hockey stick and Fred his catapult, the five go out to do battle. They must now turn their attention to the remainder of the legend. Does the presence of the monsters mean that the sorcerer has escaped? Legend of the Five Javean is a thrilling tale of fantasy fiction that will appeal to children aged 9-12 years old. Set in 1959, the action takes place in a bygone age of radio and picture houses.
| ISBN: | 9781780884271 |
| Publication date: | 28th February 2013 |
| Author: | Barbara Spencer |
| Publisher: | Matador an imprint of Troubador Publishing Ltd |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 224 pages |
| Genres: |
Children’s / Teenage fiction: Magical realism / Magical fantasy |