The Angel Stone

Set in Manchester in two different centuries, this is a tale about continuity. The story starts in 1604, a period of intense religious and political tension. We see the effect of Puritan fanaticism on poor, half-witted Simeon and his gypsy mother.

When Simeon is taken in by the Cathedral school, we meet the sinister school Warden – Dr Dee, a real necromancer of the time, and the ghost of his collaborator Edward Kelly.

Alongside this tale is a modern-day plot featuring Kate, a teenager involved in a youth project held at the Cathedral, who witnesses for herself how past and present collide.

A historical horror-fantasy, the novel is a little confused by character shifts, but its beautiful writing and rich evocation of the historical period, along with its themes of magic and eternal life, will draw teenage readers in.