Welcome to London, 1858 – where Queen Victoria sits on the throne and rules over the British Empire. 

But in the shadow City of Donlon, the Green Witch rules over her own kingdom where time and the ability to alter it is the ultimate power.

With a blazing comet streaking across the night skies which people are referring to as God’s angry hand, the people of London are anxious. Loved ones are disappearing in flashes of light, with some people reappearing but with empty eyes and souls and no memory of what has happened to them.

In a routine visit to her mother’s grave, fourteen year-old Ava encounters a strange man, Malaikah who has wings and a power to alter reality. 

He changes the details on Ava’s mother’s grave challenging her beliefs. After this strange apparition, Ava discovers her father has lied about their life and the death of her mother. A watchmaker by trade, Ava’s father has been teaching her the trade as an apprentice – but what is he really hiding.

Visiting the London Observatory as part of a school excursion, Ava is accidentally transported to the City of Donlon. While her family search for her in London, Ava is on a mission. She must use this opportunity to discover the truth about who she really is – but she will be risking everyone she loves and holds dear; their futures are at stake.

Enter a world where time snatching is common practice, mind magic can take over your ability to think and everyone has a secret that they want to keep hidden.

Ava befriends a young boy, Jack, who lives and breathes the nuances of Donlon and knows only too well what can happen to you if you disobey the rules.

Jack introduces Ava to the nuns at the Foundling House who provide the pair with sanctuary and information. Ava soon discovers a world fraught with dangers, but when she comes face to face with Esmeralda, the Green Witch – what will she discover?

Will Ava make it back home to her own time? Has her visit to the City of Donlon changed the time continuum? This time shifting story will keep you enthralled as you discover the realities of a parallel world and that time really does fly.

Title: When Days Tilt

Author: Karen Ginnane
Publisher: Penguin Australia, $16.99
Publication Date: 2 July 2021
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781760895037
For Ages: 10 – 14
Type: Middle Grade Fiction

January 22, 2022 at 12:30AM DimbutNice