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Honour Among Ghosts
A suspenseful middle-grade fantasy full of mystery, twists and skulduggery from the author of the critically acclaimed Her Perilous Mansion.
When Athelbert Fan is thrown in jail for thievery, his daughter, Penny, is convinced he has been framed. Someone else must have stolen the gold cup from the crabby magistrate's home and put it in with her father's tools. But whom could it be? Setting out to prove his innocence, Penny forms an unlikely foursome with the magistrate's son, a young traveller and a magical scribe's apprentice. Soon they discover even more crimes - and it's always the rich being burgled and the poor being blamed. Before long, the whole town is in uproar, until a mysterious inspector arrives ... but can he be trusted? It's up to the young quartet to untangle the truth and put things right.
When Athelbert Fan is thrown in jail for thievery, his daughter, Penny, is convinced he has been framed. Someone else must have stolen the gold cup from the crabby magistrate's home and put it in with her father's tools. But whom could it be? Setting out to prove his innocence, Penny forms an unlikely foursome with the magistrate's son, a young traveller and a magical scribe's apprentice. Soon they discover even more crimes - and it's always the rich being burgled and the poor being blamed. Before long, the whole town is in uproar, until a mysterious inspector arrives ... but can he be trusted? It's up to the young quartet to untangle the truth and put things right.
336 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2022
36 people want to read
About the author
Sean Williams
277 books468 followers#1 New York Times bestselling Sean Williams lives with his family in Adelaide, South Australia. He’s written some books--forty-two at last count--including the Philip K. Dick-nominated Saturn Returns, several Star Wars novels and the Troubletwister series with Garth Nix. Twinmaker is a YA SF series that takes his love affair with the matter transmitter to a whole new level. You can find some related short stories over at Lightspeed Magazine and elsewhere. Thanks for reading.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 31, 2022
SLAYED, this is one of my favourite middle grade releases this year!
It has literally everything a perfect novel needs; interesting magic system, endearing characters, quirky setting, and fantastic mysterious paranormal plot. If this could be a movie, it's one of those nostalgic, well written films you obsessed over as a kid (I'm thinking the Goonies, Practical Magic).
Despite having four main characters, each perspective was compelling and fun; I loved the travellers and the villagers alike (particularly the jail break!). Basically, I enjoyed every minute; any middle grade I read now that I think 10 year old me would have devoured is a win.
It has literally everything a perfect novel needs; interesting magic system, endearing characters, quirky setting, and fantastic mysterious paranormal plot. If this could be a movie, it's one of those nostalgic, well written films you obsessed over as a kid (I'm thinking the Goonies, Practical Magic).
Despite having four main characters, each perspective was compelling and fun; I loved the travellers and the villagers alike (particularly the jail break!). Basically, I enjoyed every minute; any middle grade I read now that I think 10 year old me would have devoured is a win.
January 3, 2025
Maybe 2 1/2 stars... Seems to be set up for a series, but not confirmed in any way.
Ages 11-14.
A mostly-engaging story set in the world of Her Perilous Mansion (which I have not read but might). Winter has set in in the village of Lower Rudmere. A string of thefts sees villages thrown in jail by an over bearing magistrate, Penny's father being one of them, accused of stealing a gold cup he swears just appeared in his home. Penny and her friend Colm, together with a magical apprentice, Mab, and Niclas, a "traveller" (basically homeless gypsies who are bound in the village by the winter storms), join forces to investigate and prove Penny's father innocent. Along the way, they discover the thefts are being conducted by ghosts! But how? Why? Who would possibly believe them and how are the ghosts to be stopped?
This story loses stars for me for several reasons, chiefly due to its heavy-handed political messaging. The narrative portrays the wealthy as selfish and cruel, while framing the poor as hard done by and inherently virtuous. At the end, it bluntly advocates for the concept of death taxes, whereby wealth is redistributed to the community rather than inherited by children who "haven't earned it". While people are free to make an argument for this stance and portrayal of rich/poor, there is no real nuance or balance offered, with only a weak protest of said taxes voiced by a character already established as irredeemably cold and heartless.
Colm realising he's gay is unnecessary to the story.
It was obvious long before it was "revealed" that the thefts were Robin Hood-esque, giving people what they most needed, it was easy to suspect who was actually behind the appearance of the ghosts, and obvious from the first appearance that the Inspector was Sophia.
Ages 11-14.
A mostly-engaging story set in the world of Her Perilous Mansion (which I have not read but might). Winter has set in in the village of Lower Rudmere. A string of thefts sees villages thrown in jail by an over bearing magistrate, Penny's father being one of them, accused of stealing a gold cup he swears just appeared in his home. Penny and her friend Colm, together with a magical apprentice, Mab, and Niclas, a "traveller" (basically homeless gypsies who are bound in the village by the winter storms), join forces to investigate and prove Penny's father innocent. Along the way, they discover the thefts are being conducted by ghosts! But how? Why? Who would possibly believe them and how are the ghosts to be stopped?
This story loses stars for me for several reasons, chiefly due to its heavy-handed political messaging. The narrative portrays the wealthy as selfish and cruel, while framing the poor as hard done by and inherently virtuous. At the end, it bluntly advocates for the concept of death taxes, whereby wealth is redistributed to the community rather than inherited by children who "haven't earned it". While people are free to make an argument for this stance and portrayal of rich/poor, there is no real nuance or balance offered, with only a weak protest of said taxes voiced by a character already established as irredeemably cold and heartless.
Colm realising he's gay is unnecessary to the story.
It was obvious long before it was "revealed" that the thefts were Robin Hood-esque, giving people what they most needed, it was easy to suspect who was actually behind the appearance of the ghosts, and obvious from the first appearance that the Inspector was Sophia.
November 6, 2022
Actually 4.5 stars.
From the author of ‘Her perilous mansion’ , comes a new #LoveOzMG novel.
Set in a Victorian-era Irish village, but with magic scribes, ghosts and a possible sorcerer. The cast of characters are each fleshed out with astonishing names, jobs, relationships and social classes. Books + Publisher’s review described it as ‘Dickensian’ - which piqued my interest to read.
Written for readers +12 years, the main characters are roughly the same age: Colm, Mab, Niklas and Penny. Their roles, responsibilities and personalities each revealed through the story.
And the plot?
Well, there have been a series of thefts, each unexpected and seemingly unrelated to the last. The village magistrate (Colm’s mother) jails all suspects, but the crime spree continues.
As an adult reader I delighted in the twists, personal dramas, social class disparities and mystery.
But, the animated corpses and ghosts made me a trifle uncomfortable- for schools and readers under 13 years old. It’s an old censorship chestnut: should primary school students’ literature include ghosts, supernatural elements, zombies, etc.?
And, that’s the rub, and why I didn’t give 5 stars. While my own children happily read the book at home, could I share this book in an open library collection in a primary school?
From the author of ‘Her perilous mansion’ , comes a new #LoveOzMG novel.
Set in a Victorian-era Irish village, but with magic scribes, ghosts and a possible sorcerer. The cast of characters are each fleshed out with astonishing names, jobs, relationships and social classes. Books + Publisher’s review described it as ‘Dickensian’ - which piqued my interest to read.
Written for readers +12 years, the main characters are roughly the same age: Colm, Mab, Niklas and Penny. Their roles, responsibilities and personalities each revealed through the story.
And the plot?
Well, there have been a series of thefts, each unexpected and seemingly unrelated to the last. The village magistrate (Colm’s mother) jails all suspects, but the crime spree continues.
As an adult reader I delighted in the twists, personal dramas, social class disparities and mystery.
But, the animated corpses and ghosts made me a trifle uncomfortable- for schools and readers under 13 years old. It’s an old censorship chestnut: should primary school students’ literature include ghosts, supernatural elements, zombies, etc.?
And, that’s the rub, and why I didn’t give 5 stars. While my own children happily read the book at home, could I share this book in an open library collection in a primary school?
September 1, 2022
A second book I read from the author after Her Perilous Mansion. It’s a story of finding the real thief. When Penny’s father is thrown in jail for thievery, she and her friends form a group to search for similar cases. The track down leads them to encounter some dead people who moved things from the rich and gave them to the needy. When the cases increased, suddenly, a mysterious inspector arrives in town. I enjoyed reading this book about friendship, family, and solving the mystery.
June 18, 2023
An ending I completely did not see coming, which is always nice.
August 17, 2023
Read for readers cup question-making.
Twisty and detailed.
Twisty and detailed.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews