The Stone Crown

This book offers an unusual mix of compelling contemporary narrative juxtaposed and intertwined with a lyrical Arthurian tale.

Emlyn and Maxine are both newcomers, both misfits in their own way. But their lives are linked and their paths destined to cross in ways that neither can begin to imagine. Drawn to the ancient site known as Sleeper's Spinney, Emlyn and Maxine unleash an unearthly power when they unwittingly remove one of a group of wooden horsemen hidden beneath the earth. Containing the trapped spirits of Arthur and his men, the carvings have been held in check since the Dark Ages by a long line of Keepers, the McCrossans. With the Keepers prepared to stop at nothing to recover what has been stolen, Emlyn and Maxine are drawn into a parallel world of myth, magic and the supernatural. Arthur is awake – and he is no revered, grey-bearded king come back to save the Isles. Its thrilling climax sees a race against time as Emlyn and Maxine try to destroy the figures before Arthur and his guard are let loose and released into the world of twenty-first century Scotland.

The Stone Crown is an innovative novel which skilfully melds contemporary youth issues with "realist" historical fantasy. It is ideal for teenagers who are looking to step up from junior fiction. Malcolm Walker is an emerging writer whose major interest lies in producing quality writing for the teenage market. Given its setting, themes and contemporary teenage protagonists, the novel should have a wide global appeal.