It's always exciting when a new Ross Montgomery release is on the horizon, especially after reading "The Chime Seekers" which was absolutely brilliant. Netgalley provided me with the opportunity to grab a copy of Spellstone electronically, well in advance of the release date but I managed to resist. I don't know why, but I just felt that I needed to wait and have an actual physical copy in my hands, and so, I waited. And I am so glad that I did!
Evie is twelve years old and living in the city with her mum and dad. She can't help but feel that she's becoming more invisible by the day. Friends have slowly stopped talking to her, the teachers have stopped nagging her, parents often forget she's in the room, and to top it all off, she's having the strangest dreams. Little does she know, life is about to go from mundane to magical in the blink of an eye
Walking home from school one day, along the canal towpath, she meets Wainwright, who appears out of the blue (like a rabbit from a hat). He wastes no time in telling her that he's a magician, the world is in mortal danger thanks to an evil magician and she is the only one who can put things right. He hands her a small necklace, which is basically a piece of metal attached to string.
He implores her to keep it safe and keep it hidden until she is with the others. Before she can even open her mouth, Wainwright is chased away by a group of men.
Perturbed, confused and frightened, Evie heads home to discover nothing has changed. Her parents barely acknowledge her existence as she walks through the door and so she heads upstairs to her bedroom. Whilst mulling by over the events that occurred beside the canal towpath. Evie is suddenly startled by a scratching at the window. Parting the curtains, she discovers a black cat asking (yes asking!) her to be let inside. Suddenly, Evie realised that the man who called himself Wainwright may well have been telling the truth...
Spellstone is like a magic show in itself, full of twists, turns, awe and wonder. I absolutely loved it. I must say, when I started this book I had such terrible toothache. By the end of the book, I had forgotten all about my dental woes. So there you have it, a Montgomery book a day, keeps the dentist away.

Another excellent Ross Montgomery novel!

Evie regularly goes unnoticed - even her parents seem to not spot her. Until she meets Wainwright. In meeting him, she begins to discover that perhaps her being unnoticed is actually a sign of being extraordinary. Before she can come to terms with that, she is plunged into a world of intrigue and danger. With her life, and those of her loved ones, at threat, she must quickly uncover who she really is and use that knowledge to help those around her.

Another great read from Ross Montgomery, His books just keep getting bettered better Spellstone is yet another fantastic read.


I really look forward to his future books..

thank you net gallery for giving me the opportunity to get an early chance to read such a fantastic book

Ross Montgomery writes brilliant stories that contain a touch of magic and fantasy and this is a great new addition to the bookshelves.

Evie feels invisible in her day to day life so when she is recruited into the mysterious Order of the Stone by a man called Wainwright who then vanishes, she finds herself part of a secret society trying to save the world. The threat created by the villian Vale and his 'smoke-men' was geninuely scary and you did feel like the order were in danger at all times. They didn't immediately take to Evie (either as a member of their society or as their leader) and so it was a dramatic read to see if she could win them all over and work out how to save the world.

The magic was brilliantly created - it's a great balance of being a fantasy world based on our own so you can picture what is going on without the world itself being to complicated. The magic too is simple but powerful, with lots of dramatic moments and peril.

A great read with characters who are different to your usual middle grade heroes - these were very much unsung heroes showing bravery comes in all forms.

Another amazing story from Ross Montgomery!

I alway love magical middle grade books so I was very excited to get stuck into this one. It did not disappoint.

Evie, as the normal girl who is thrust into the world of magic, is a wonderfully well written character, who centred in a very thrilling story.

You should definitely read this! Thank you the NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Another wonderfully exciting fantasy adventure from Ross Montgomery. I love everything he writes. In this story Evie, so used to being overlooked by everyone, finds herself recruited by a secret, magical group whose mission is to prevent a great evil from surfacing in the modern world. The characters are wonderfully written and the story keeps the reader turning the pages. Loved it!

Ross Montgomery can do no wrong in my eyes. His books just keep getting better and better.
Yet another magical triumph is Spellstone. Wonderful world building, superb characterisation and the right pace.

I’m not really known for an interest in magic, but this book had me hooked from the very beginning.
Evie is a normal girl – or so she thinks, before she is drawn into a secret magical organisation with an obligation to use her power to defeat the most dangerous magician in the world. Which would be fine if she could work out what her power actually is.
The invention of this imaginative world is, as usual, quite superb and all the more fascinating because it all hinges on the ‘greyness’ or invisibility of the unseen people in society, and includes ideas based on real life. Montgomery’s trademark wit enhances the story and engages us with the quirky characters.
This is gripping story-telling and when she (and we) discover Evie’s power- it is genius!

There are certain authors that you await their next book eagerly and Ross Montgomery is one.

Evie "had woken up as a twelve year old girl... She was in a race against time to ... save the world" This is essentially the plot, which runs along a standard quest adventure storyline. However there is nothing standard about this book. Evie is an unlikely lead character in that she has plenty of self doubt and doesn't always understand things straightaway.

It starts with everyone at home and school not noticing her . She then gets recruited into a magical organisation to fight the evil Vale ( I particularly liked the source of his power) The other members of this organisation have their own individual skills which need direction. A favourite character of mine was Lady Alinora , a cat with odd eyes and a haughty manner (her sarcasm reminded me of the Mogget in Garth Nix's Old Kingdom series) Evie doesn't know what her special skill is to start with but with perseverance finds it.

Can a twelve year old save the world ?

I know this would read so well aloud because it's so well paced and I wish I was still teaching so I could read it to a class. There are a lot of magical adventure stories for children at the moment , but this stands head and shoulders above the other (sometimes more "hyped" ) books in this genre. The author is skilful- other authors might have "stretched " the book over a series, but it's all the better for being self contained in one book.

This book was a queue jumper in that as soon as I got it I read it in 2 days, before all the other books in the To Be Read Pile which had been there before it.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC, although I also bought another copy !

Another absolute corker from Ross Montgomery!

Spellstone tells the story of Evie who discovers a whole new world of magic, friendship and terror when she sets out on a quest to find the spellstone and save the world.

An adventure that is full of wonder and thrills as well as humour and heart.
Perfect for KS2 children

Spellstone is quite literally spellbinding. It has certainly left me wanting more from the Order of the Stone. Packed full of magical adventure and drama, Spellstone has you on the edge of your seat as it whisks you through the streets of London following Evie's magical transformation. The adventure culminates in what can only be described as EPIC. I'd love to see this part turned into a movie as the SFX going on in my head reading this was off the scale! Whole-heartedly recommended reading.

I only have to see Ross Montgomery’s name on a book and I know I am going to be blown away and enjoy every single page. This did not disappoint and was, as always, a cracking fast paced read. Brilliant storyline, superb characters that are so well written you begin to believe that they are real.

What a magical adventure story that kids and adults will love! Evie is a wonderful character who starts the story feeling unseen, misunderstood, and generally on the outside of things. Until she meets the members of the Order of the Stone, a group of magicians sworn to guard the Spellstone.

This is more than the classical fight of good against evil. This is a story of friendship, family, of growing up, of finding yourself. Children will love the characters, and probably relate to some of them, and the action is non-stop as Evie and her new friends race to save the world.

An excellent read I highly recommend.

Spellstone is a story of intrigue, spectacular detail and the most incredible adventure. Evie seems to be disappearing. She’s different, she doesn’t quite fit in, no one notices her in the street, she doesn’t feel important to anyone. Then, one day, everything changes. A group of wonderfully eccentric characters show up in her dream and then again in real life. She doesn’t understand her connection to them or what exactly they want from her but there’s no denying her life is about to change forever.
The Order of the Stone is a magical society sworn to defend humanity from darkness. They must work out how to use their strange combination of powers to stop the Spellstone from being discovered by an evil sorcerer. This isn’t going to be easy with so few of them left. They need Evie to harness the power she has within and take her place with them.
Caught in an epic battle between good and evil, Evie may have found her people – her place in the world. It’s just nothing like she expected.
Fast-paced and completely engaging, this is a story of old magic that puts the reader under its powerful spell.

I really hope that there is another book and that this becomes a series. Evie is such a fantastic character, I really want to see what she does next. This story has it all;friendships, sadness, magic, battles, finding your true self and so much more. I loved the part about good and bad magic in everyone and how it can get used and seen. I think that the Order are such a brilliant group of people and I fully believed their squabbles and their uncertainties and really felt for them when they were troubled or sad. I know this book will be a huge hit in my classroom when it’s released.

This is the first book that I have read by Montgomery and it most certainly will not be the last.

Spellstone was magical right from the start and had be hooked wanting to find out what happened next.

It was descriptive, imaginative and extremely well written. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Evie was a wonderful main character to the story and Montgomery really brought her to life.

I am looking forward to reading more of his books.

I will never be too old to shun the need to escape into a unique magical adventure and having loved a few other recent releases from Ross Montgomery, I was really excited to get to Spellstone.

No one ever really notices Evie and it’s only when she meets a magican named Wainwright that she realises that this could be useful. Soon, Evie finds herself caught up in an ancient battle of good and evil alongside a magical society that are determined to protect the world from danger. But Evie doesn’t know what her own powers are, so how can she possibly be any use?

I think that a lot of young readers who feel invisible will find great strength in Evie and her story. Evie is chosen specifically because she doesn’t stand out. There is nothing special about her, making her a Chosen One with a difference. I think that children’s authors have historically tried to make their heroes appear to be normal kids but they actually do usually have something unique about them (absent parents/intelligence/some kind of quirk or talent). Evie honestly is a regular girl and that speaks to every regular kid out there.

No magical story is complete without a mysterious, observant cat and Lady Alinora plays that role perfectly. She was certainly my favourite character and I was completely bewitched by her sulky, unimpressed manner. I loved learning more about her power and would love to know more of her history in subsequent instalments.

The magicians in the Order of the Stone form a really lovely, found family and I knew that Evie would be safe and happy with them. Onslow is the homey, domestic god who makes sure everyone is comfortable and well-fed. Campbell is the no-nonsense voice of wisdom and maternal energy. Rish is the anxious, thoughtful, loyal young boy and Lady Alinora brings sass and sarcasm. I adored spending time with them and wanted to be on their team.

I really appreciated the amount of back story we got about the Spellstone. It becomes so central to the plot and the stakes wouldn’t have felt as high, if we didn’t know exactly what it was. While an object containing an immense amount of dark magic isn’t exactly original, it’s a concept that is easy to grasp and doesn’t over-complicate things unnecessarily.

The villain, Vale, is a complex character and I really enjoyed that. He is corrupted but he’s not inherently evil and I loved that Montgomery gave us that nuance. He’s power hungry and we see the dangers of that while also appreciating that he isn’t too far away from redemption. This is my favourite kind of villain, particularly in children’s books, because they’re a reminder that perhaps we’re all just one or two bad decisions away from vilification and that putting kindness above everything can prevent it.

Spellstone has the potential to be the start of an exciting new, middle-grade fantasy series and I can’t wait to check in with the Order of the Stone gang again. It addresses some home truths about our world and celebrates the unique importance of every individual human. Full of magic, wisdom and adventure, Spellstone is a must-read for pre-teen fantasy lovers.

A good, fast-paced adventure into a world of hidden magic and odd magical talents.
I liked that, although there was a depth to this magical world, it wasn't depicated as too complex (i've read a few books recently that try to pack a far too complicated world into a short book, losing a lot of what could have been).
I like Evie as a main character, and the fact that she wasn't initally willing to be dragged into this strange world that was suddenly presented to her by complete strangers. But soon she realises that she kind of has to join it.
The secondary characters were all loveable and had their own charm. I liked that there was little sections of the books dedicated to each character, where Evie went on a little adventure with them and their magic, which allowed you to learn a bit more about them, their backstory and their character, without it seeming unnatural or forced. It also meant that none of them fell to the sidelines (As so often books with multiple characters dont give enough time to a character, and sometimes you kind of wonder what the point in them was, but this isn't the case here at all). this all worked into the story, as Evie realises she needs all of them and their talents to help her defeat Vale.
I also had a moment of sympathy for Vale. I dont want to spoil the ending, but there was a moment near the end where he said something about humanity that made me think 'you're not entirely wrong'.
so overall, this was a really enjoyable book and i recommend giving it a read!

Any book which mentions magic immediately appeals to me and Spellstone was exactly what I was looking for. From the very beginning, it had me hooked with its rich description and fantastic vocabulary choices. Poor Evie is fed up of feeling unnoticed - something that most people have experienced, even if only briefly at some point. This makes her very relatable as a character and one which you automatically empathise with. The mixture of characters is quite eclectic so there will be someone to appeal to everyone which adds yet another layer of brilliance to this roller-coaster ride of a story.
I recommend this to anyone who has ever had a weird dream that has left them wondering if they were truly dreaming.
I can't wait to share it with our Y5/6 children who I'm sure will love this as much as I did.
I do hope Evie will have another adventure with the Order of the Stone.

Wow - what a cracking read! I tore through Spellstone; it is the definition of a page-turner and readers are sure to be hooked from the first chapter.

Since Evie turned twelve, she feels like things have changed and nobody seems to see her anymore. Her teachers don’t notice when she’s late, her friends don’t hang out with her anymore and even her parents don’t really hear her. Then one day after school, she meets Wainwright, one of the last true magicians, who reveals something that will change everything. Evie is important and it’s down to her to protect the Spellstone, and the world. Can she succeed when she doesn’t even know her own power?

I absolutely loved everything about this book and will be heartily recommending it to my Year 5 and 6 pupils.