A fairytale not for the faint-hearted
The face of the world is more malleable and permeable than it would seem. With the right touch, ways open onto endless worlds. With the right intentions, doors lead to whatever you might want. Not surprisingly, the Fairies, as the dwarves disparagingly call the people of the Other World, are experts in such doors and windows, and twelve-year-old Angel, future King of the Other World, is one of the most accomplished amongst them.
Tammie lives in a country called Donnavic, ruled by a cast of dour women warriors, where singing, dancing and humour have long been banished. As the eldest daughter of the Queen, Tammie is expected to become a Maiden Warrior. Nothing could be further from her mind. The moment she is out of her Queen’s sight, she tosses aside her army fatigues and dons the most splendid dresses.
Shut up in her rooms in the Castle, Tammie’s dreams are full of music and balls and wonderful dresses. Angel is more of an inventor and an explorer, although much of his time is spent watching worlds rather than travelling to them. In recent months, his attention has been increasingly focussed on Tammie who is unaware she has a fervent admirer. When the two finally meet, their encounter is marred by the Queen mothers’ ambitions for their children.
Twisted Paths is the first book of Beyond the Face of the World by Alan McCluskey, Finished in 2012, fourteen years later it is finally being prepared for publication.