'Sky Song' sings a story of the kingdom of Erkenwald; a frozen, arctic-like landscape flowing with magic endowed by the stars. I say it 'sings' because Abi Elphinstone's writing is lyrical, and the book is full of music and beauty. She pits two children, Eska and Flint, agaist the ruling Ice Queen, in a battle where the odds are heavily stacked against the pair, and their weapons are magic, the wild, and hope. It is this hope - the burning power at the heart of the book as each obstacle is overcome - that drives the story forward and makes it such a powerful and joyful read. Elphinstone celebrates the strength of friends believing together in the seemingly impossible: " Eska realised then that hope moved quickly. It could burn inside you one minute and then, just when you thought you'd lost it, you'd find it shining it the hearts of your friends." 'Sky Song' is full of memorable characters and places, the products of its author's incredible imagination - like Erkinbears, the Grey Man, the Never Cliffs, and Needlespin - but, more than that, it brims with loyalty, acceptance, bravery, faith, and friendship. There is darkness and there are plenty of scary moments, but in the end the right side wins the day. In this Narnia- meets-Neverland odyssey, Abi Elphinstone has spun a yarn so fresh and inventive that it reads like an epic in the best oral folk traditions, woven from an imagination and brilliance that keeps the reader hanging on every word. Oh, and like all the best fantasy adventures, it begins with a map!