Grass blades were tickling Thorn’s nose. This was always how it was when you were crawling on your belly. And often on it was when your were standing up too…

When 15-year-old Jewel Ranson’s father, a travelling trader, is murdered at a fair, she sets out to avenge him. Accompanied by Rainy Gill, a juggler, she discovers that a strange power is awakening in her and, in a notorious gambling den, becomes involved in a grisly wager. On his 16th birthday,

As part of a traditional rite of passage, Thorn Jack steals a curious crystal from a neighbouring settlement.  Returning home, ready to celebrate, he finds that his younger sister has been kidnapped. Along with the mysterious Racky Jagger he sets out to find her

After surviving acts of treachery, wild adventures and having some amazing encounters with new friends and foes alike, their separate quests lead Thorn and Jewel to a momentous meeting—and the discovery of a common enemy.

Blackmailed. Jewel and Thorn must journey to retrieve the mysterious brass key. Until they find it and return it , Thorn’s sister Haw remains at her captors cruel mercy.

Jewel develops a mysterious talent, which grows further when she comes across a crystal similar to the one stolen and hidden away by Thorn. It has a strange, dark power—but is there danger in its strength? Encountering unexpected, malevolent forces along the way, but also making new friends,

Jewel and Thorn discover a new and even more dangerous opponent lurking in the shadows behind those they already know.

And so, Jewel and Thorn’s story is told in the first two books of the Book of Lowmoor Trilogy. There’s a slight mystery in how I came to read these books, as well, I spotted them, in my local bookshop, just before Christmas, on the ‘Signed by the Author’ stacks, and I thought “Oh, I saw a review, for one of those the other week,” so I snapped them up. Can I find find the review? Not a trace! Despite being able to place the covers and vauguely relevant comments about the book!

So, if it was you, please wave and I’ll link your review!

Turns out as well, that the author was born and raised locally to me, which accounts for some slightly altered but recognisable place names.

From Richardpoole.net:

I was born in Bradford, Yorkshire, on New Year’s Day 1945 and brought up in a village on the edge of the city. Next door was a dairy farm; behind the house, a meadow stretched up to a reservoir beyond which lay a steep hill. On the further side of the ridge lay a wood that, to my child’s eyes, seemed to stretch on forever. When I began to write The Book of Lowmoor, I set the action of the trilogy in a distorted version of this landscape.

The books are well written and the two main protagonists Jewel and Thorn are both engaging characters. The adventures the duo have are original, often wild, and mostly fun (to read at least, not sure Jewel and Thorn would aways agree!) So everything was set up for the books to be really enjoyable, and they were, but yet…

For some reason, I never really engaged with them in the way I normally would do, and I’m not entirely sure why.

I think, possibly, its partially down to the fact, the duos meeting doesn’t happen until the end of the first book, and a similar event in the second. It’s a bit like, when a TV programme is going to have a “Big Event” ™ (murder, attack, reunion etc etc you know the sort of thing) and it happens in the final few seconds. Because it has been trailed, you’re waiting for it and so, you don’t engage with the rest of the show in the way you normally would.

That might be a bit rambly but it’s the only thing I can put my finger on.

Still, it is well written and entertaining and certainly worth your time.

• Jewel and Thorn [rating:70/100]
• The Brass Key [rating:70/100]
• [rating:overall]

Buy the books!