We Do Not Welcome Our Ten-Year-Old Overlord

12-year-old Kim lives on a farm in rural Australia with his alternative parents and know-it-all younger sister Eila. His best friend Bennie lives down the road and the two of them share a passion for Dungeons and Dragons, which they recently started playing with their school friends. 

One day while out exploring, Kim, Bennie, and their two younger sisters encounter a mysterious, telepathic orb which turns their world upside down...

Aster, as the ball wants to be known, becomes increasingly controlling and Eila slips under its spell. Through her, it conducts sinister "experiments" on animals and begins to exert its mind control over the townsfolk.  

Ultimately, Kim and his three D&D buddies must put their fantasy adventuring skills into practice to stop the ball from taking over the whole town... and beyond. 

This is a really fun and different sci-fi adventure from Garth Nix, which fans of Stranger Things will enjoy. The combination of a sleepy small-town setting, a group of offbeat 12-year-old D&D fans, and the brooding shadow of a paranormal threat make for an exciting build-up of tension as the story progresses. 

While not particularly gruesome, there is a sinister overtone throughout which fans of horror will enjoy. The action builds relatively slowly, but the gaming-obsessed antics of Kim and his friends maintain interest throughout, leading to an exciting finale which is worth the wait.