When Jack and Jaide’s house is destroyed in a freak storm, the twins are shipped off to stay with their grandmother. The eccentric Grandma X isn’t exactly your normal variety of granny who bakes cakes and makes tea cosies: when swarms of rats and cockroaches overrun the house, the twins suspect Grandma X might be controlling them with her mysterious powers. On top of that, Jaide and Jack seem to be developing powers of their own. Can the two troubletwisters master their abilities in time to halt the sinister forces at work?

Troubletwisters is a collaboration between two of Australia’s finest authors. Garth Nix and Sean Williams have both created some of the most memorable fantasy series in recent times (Sabriel, Keys to the Kingdom, Broken Lands Trilogy), so I couldn’t wait to see what these two brilliant minds have come up with together. Troubletwisters certainly didn’t disappoint, and the result is a fast-paced adventure complete with talking cats, bloodthirsty crocodile skulls and fantastic powers. This is a cracking start to a highly original series that will really appeal to fantasy fans aged nine and up.