Author(s): James Norcliffe

NZ Middle Fiction

A flute that will only play one mysterious song? A strange old man in a wheel chair somehow rejuvenated by this music? A leap from a window into a strange and often frightening world where nobody can be trusted and from which there seems to be no escape? The Enchanted Flute sweeps Becky Pym and Johnny Cadman from the realities of modern day school and the suburbs into an ancient Arcadian world where an old battle is about to be reignited and where even older forces are preparing themselves. The flute Becky's mother bought at a pawn shop proves to be a catalyst, a prize all forces seek. Becky herself, as the one who plays its enchanted music, becomes the focus of their needs and animosities. Lost, pursued, separated at times, Becky and Johnny are swept along by events out of their control until the final confrontation between ancient enemies. A wonderfully inventive story resounding with familiar myths and old stories, but typically grounded in a contemporary sense. It's a delightfully, believable fantasy charged with musical language and a dangerous, menacing edge.

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