Description
Book SynopsisCount Karlstein, or The Ride of the Demon Huntsman, was Philip Pullman''s first novel for children, published by Chatto and Windus in 1982. It is a wonderful gothic melodrama which he first wrote as a play for school-children when he was an English teacher.
No one in the village of Karlstein dares to leave their home on All Souls Eve - the night Zamiel, the Demon Huntsman comes to claim his prey.
But the evil Count Karlstein has struck a terrible bargin with Zamiel, and so the lives of his young nieces, Lucy and Charlotte,are in danger. Their only hope lies with Hildi, a castle maidservant, and her fearless brother, Peter. Can they save the girls from their dreadful fate? Only one thing is certain - the Demon Huntsman will not return to his dark wood unsatisfied!
Trade ReviewIt's whirlwind plotting, manipulated into a pulsing tale of darkened hearts, treachery and at long last, redemption * Kirkus *
In this deliciously gothic thriller there are enough demon huntsmen, evil guardians, and brooding castles to please even the most desensitized reader * School Library Journal *
Dashing, sparkling, and wildly over the top * Publishers Weekly *
Any youngster who likes ghostly tales of the macabre accompanied with much humour will get a lot of fun from this unusual book * Junior Bookshelf *
Ingeniously-designed comic-cum-novel, a gothic pastiche that can be read as simple fun or as a literary lesson * Guardian *
