|summary=When fifteen-year-old Nicholas Hallows' parents are killed, he discovers they were members of a secret society fighting dark creatures – and he is soon right at the centre of an epic struggle between good and evil.
|cover=1909717096
|aznuk=1909717096
|aznus=1909717096
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In many ways this book is not as typical of fantasy and mild horror as the summary might suggest. Unlike a lot of stories where we join the main character in the aftermath of a major event, this one begins before Nicholas is orphaned. The ever-increasing tension as his parents leave for a train journey, coming so soon after a menacing and mysterious prologue, makes it pretty clear to us that they won't be returning, and that Nicholas will soon be in deadly danger himself.