Pure Dead Magic

Age range: 9-11

Debi Gliori may be better known for her superb picture books, ranging from the undeniable love-in of No Matter What to the satisfying bedtime book, The Very Small, but this time the lady takes on new literary life with the superb (not to mention downright dotty!) Pure Dead Magic--an unforgettable first novel that will leave the reader at once exhausted and exhilarated.

Imagine, if you will, the family home of the Strega-Borgia family, StregaSchloss. Here we meet young Titus Strega-Borgia, our 12-year-old hero, his 10-year-old sister Pandora and the divine baby Damp. Then there's mum and dad: Luciano and the rather stressed-out Baci. Oh, and great-great-great-great-great-great grandmother Strega-Nonna (who, by the way, is cryogenically preserved in the freezer) plus The Good Help That Was Hard To Find (the nanny Mrs Flora McLachlan, the butler Latch and the cook Marie Bain). Add to the mix the rats who live in the modem, the beasts in the basement, a seriously wicked baddie called Don Lucifer di S'Embowelli and a gangster in a rabbit suit and watch as the ensuing mayhem takes hold.

The award-winning Gliori has an admirable style and this gloriously gothic romp is a credit to her artist's eye, with every page bursting with intrigue and an unbelievable energy that paints a startlingly vivid, picture on the mind. For a first attempt at fiction by a woman who has made her name in the world of picture books, this is far from disappointing: her sense of the totally absurd is astounding, her characters are simply sensational and her wild sense of humour is downright delicious. Pure Dead Magic is a must-read. --Susan Harrison

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Pure dead FANTASTIC! - Rated
This book is wonderful, it introduces 12yearold Titus, his younger, clever sister Pandora and their baby sister, Damp, as well as their fascinating parents, Signor Luciano and Signora Baci Strega-Borgia. The nanny, Mrs Flora McLachlan joins at the beginning of the book, and the butler, Latch, and the humorously bad cook Marie Bain are introduced. Meet the beasts, the rat Multidutina, the hilarious tarantula, Tarantella, as well as Tock, the crocodile who lives in the StregaSchloss moat, Knot, the hairy Yeti, Ffup, female dragon and Sab, a gryphon. This book is funny and for everyone, guaranteed!

pure dead magic - Rated
I have not often read a book which i found so funny and yet so captivating. Pure dead magic is hard to put down, with its colourful characters and interesting story line it is sure to keep any reader's eyes glued to the page. It was the first book that I read of the series and I havent stopped wanting for more. Give it a go, not only is good, it is pure magic!

A-ghast! - Rated
A really fun book, best described as Mervyn Peake (Gormenghast) lightened up with a large measure of Terry Pratchett style humour. Recommended for "kids" of all ages. (Speaking as a big kid in his fourth decade)

Lazy, unedited, derivative and dull - Rated
It's difficult to imagine how anyone can possibly give a book as poor as this five stars. Then again, it has a bright shiny cover and a catchy title - rather like 'Artemis Fowl', another sloppy book. This story is full of what sounds like good ideas and characters on the surface, but if you peer a little too closely the whole thing falls apart. There are endless details that display the author's (and editor's) lack of care. For example, right at the start, we're told that the bridge across the moat was destroyed long ago, and that there's a nanny-eating monster in the moat. Then we see the new nanny approach and next thing she's at the castle door. No explanation is given of how she traverses the moat. Which may seem a minor omission but it turns out to be the first of many. There are no genuine surprises or new approaches in this story - as you read, you can with a very little effort work out yourself what the author is going to do next. Unlike the best children's fantasies, where the author brings real imagination and wonder into play, this one reads like the author did little other than wonder how to get through the next scene while maintaining the illusion that there's any inspiration at play here at all.

Excellent writing for reading aloud - Rated
This story had me glued to the pages, as did the two sequels. The style and scope for vocabulary development makes this ideal material for reading aloud to Juniors (with a little careful editing of some not entirely suitable language!!). My Y4 class would probably enjoy it, but I think Y5 or Y6 would really appreciate it. The humour is perhaps a little adult (very tongue-in-cheek) but this, although probably lost on many of them,probably won't detract from the children's appreciation of the fast-moving and gripping storylines. What a shame it's only part of a trilogy! More from Stregaschloss, please, Debi!