Penny Preston is just trying to figure out what the mist-figures in the corridor outside the school cafeteria are and what they're doing, when she accidentally opens a transdimensional rift and starts a food fight. It's not any great surprise that, though it takes a bit longer than she expected, she's soon enough sitting in the office of Mr. Myrdin.
It is a surprise that she's not there to be disciplined for starting the food fight. Two other students have been blamed for that, and being as unaware as everyone else of Penny's involvement, they've accepted it. No, Penny is there because the only other person who noticed the strange creatures is Mr. Myrdin. He wants to talk to her about the fact that she's "misaligned," existing in more than just the usual three dimensions, and thus an important key to stop transdimensional beings from attacking and destroying our universe.
What follows is a wild adventure for Penny, and her best friend, Duncan, who need to learn the ins and outs of fighting higher-dimensional beings from Mr. Myrdin and his companion, the raven Master Poe. Along the way, Penny acquires a wonderful, large, black cat named Simon, who isn't exactly your average pussycat, and Duncan acquires an amulet that lets him share some of the "misaligned" powers Penny was born with, and assist her in the battle.
These are two normal kids, thirteen or fourteen, neither the most popular kids in school, nor social outcasts. They have friends and rivals, and classes they like and classes they hate. What I really love, though, is that The Hobbit is an important touchstone for them, and for Mr. Myrdin, and the teacher who is a major threat is also a really good teacher. Honestly, I would have loved to have a class with her at that age, as long as I could skip the "conspiring against me with transdimensional enemies" part. Truly, in years to come, I think Penny and Duncan would only regret the "conspiring against them" part, and still value having had that her class.
There are also excursions into Celtic myth and Arthurian legend, which also add to the story and the atmosphere.
A lot of fun, and well worth the time.
I received a free copy of this audiobook from the narrator, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
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