cover:
These three exciting adventures are set in England in the future. But instead of everything being more civilised, something has gone wrong and we are back in the Middle Ages. Not only that, but people are frightened of and hate all machines: cars, buses and trains have disappeared from life because they are regarded as evil...

The first book, The Devil's Children, is about the very beginning of the Changes, while this island was still settling down into its new pattern. The heroine is a Londond girl, Nicky, who has lost her parents. She joins a group of wandering nomads who become the only family she has. There are all sorts of problems and dramatic collisions as they journey through a strange, new England.

In Heartsease, the second book, Margaret and Jonathan rescue an American spy who has come to investigate the uncanny Changes that have taken place. Somehow, they must smuggle him out of the country - even if it costs them their lives ...

In the last book of the trilogy, The Weathermonger, the hero, Geoffrey, and his sister, Susan, are condemned to death as witches. They escape to France, but later return to England to try to discover the source of the strange and magical spell which has the island within its grip. Their objective is to restore England to its modern self.

This masterly series of adventure is peopled by vivid, real characters. Peter Dickinson has created an absorbing, gripping and sometimes terrifying trilogy. Once you have picked it up, you won't be able to put it down until it's finished.

The Devil's Children
Given that these are children's books, this is quite adult in its concepts: bigotry, taboo, control. I really enjoyed this first book about Nicky and the Sikh families she joins up with for mutual survival. The Sikh's are not affected by whatever phenomenon has taken over England, they are able to think about & use modern technology which puts them at great risk from the rest of the population. Nicky needs their help & protection, and she is affected, so the Sikhs use her as a miner's canary to warn them what is good & what is bad.

They manage to find a good place to settle, trading with neighbouring towns. The neighbours are frightened of the Sikhs, viewing them in a superstitious way as equivalent to the elves & fairies of legend: the Queer Folk. After fighting with the villagers against a common threat, life settles down as much as is likely for the Devil's Children. Nicky is not settled, she still has a fierce anger within her that is not needed during quiet times - she must continue to France to find her family.

Heartsease
We're really in witch-hunting time now. Otto has been stoned to death as a stranger & for using the evil technology. Margaret hears him moaning under the stones, so she & her cousin, Jonathan, rescue him. They know they'll have to get him away before the witchfinder, Davey Gordon finds him & brings the whole family down. With the help of Lucy & Tim, helpers on the farm, they manage to get him away into an old tugboat on the canal. Suddenly, the hunt is on & they must escape for Ireland via the Bristol channel - a dangerous journey in which Margaret's horse is swept overboard.

These are very resourceful children, & this is an exciting read. I look forward to the final episode.

The Weathermonger
I thought the ending was a bit silly but I did enjoy Geoffrey & Sally's wild ride across England in the old Silver Ghost Rolls. Needless to say, the pair manage to free England from the anti-technological grip of the strange forces. Arthurian legend has a lot to answer for.

A good kids' read with enough story to interest adults as well. It kept me interested until the end.

The three books were actually published in reverse order than that presented in this trilogy - each exploring a different aspect of The Changes, rather than a sequential storyline.

Sent to ApoloniaX for the Shangrila Orphanage in Nepal.

Thank you so much for sending so many books! This one might actually be a bit too difficult for the kids - but there are some young adults who have grown up in the orphanage and who might like it... :-)

Given to a young colleague of mine who might like it :-)