Thomas Venour

Old Claeg Thomas Venour

Rufus is ten years old. After the death of his parents he is left under the care of his Uncle in a house boat on the river Thames. The story opens with a nightmare. Rufus is chased by unearthly creatures, exhausted and weighed down by his sword. Little does he know that this dream is but a foretaste of things to come. Ravenswood is an eerie place for a boy to play, a place of great natural beauty with majestic ancient trees but also a haunt of vicious, feral youths. Near the wood lives an old tramp. His uncle makes it quite clear that under no circumstances is he to go near it. While his character is tested to the full, in dangerous play with the local youths, Rufus stumbles across a relic of great power. Meddling in something he does not understand will have serious consequences, drawing Rufus yet further into a frightening world. Meanwhile the developers and their other-worldly spawn are closing in. Rufus soon finds himself living between a parallel world of enchantment, myth and legend. Given a mysterious gift, its power and purpose barely revealed in this first adventure, Rufus literally fights for his life and the future of Raven Wood as his destiny and that of a weird and extraordinary companion reach their climax.