David W Hodges

The Ladder David W Hodges

Man is the most fearful animal of all. When Hazel Lewin sees the chance for an adventure after her older brother Cameron's forbidden lover is abducted, she takes it, secretly following him onto a mysterious estate in Derbyshire where she learns that she and Cameron are Athraithe- the Changed, a secret race with the ability to harness the extraordinary traits of animals. Hazel and Cameron learn that the abduction was intended to lure them to the vast estate which shelters the Changed in an ancient hidden village, so that they could be changed by the Ladder, an artifact that gives Athraithe their gifts. The abductor hopes to usurp Hazel's long lost grandfather, the owner of the estate. To do so, he must take control of the Blood of the Ladder, produced by three precious spheres, and the key to allowing Athraithe to animate plain objects with the traits of animals. It is up to Hazel and Cameron to find a hidden sphere and keep it from the abductor and his incognito supporters within the village. When Hazel finally finds the hidden sphere, her alluring new world is turned upside down.