The breathtaking first book in an new trilogy of spine-tingling historical adventures with a football twist.

Everyone is freaked out when circles of scorched earth start appearing in Halifax – on the moors, the parks and even the football pitches. Seth is most disturbed of all – he sees the shadows of the past. But when he looks into a Viking's murderous eyes and smells the stink of burning flesh, Seth knows he must stop this cycle of supernatural suffering. With his friend Nadiya, can he discover the dark history behind the forces attacking their town?

Prizes

Long-listed for Grampian Children's Book Award 2018

"Plenty of adventure, jeopardy, blood and thunder and mixing it all in with a good dollop of the country’s favourite spectator sport" – The Letterpress Project

"This book has a really exciting storyline and is quite gruesome in parts … The book would hold a particularly high appeal to readers who like action stories or football" – Books for Topics

"A thrilling story" – LoveReading4Kids

"I love this book and can’t wait for the next one in the series" – Book Brothers, Blog

Tom Palmer was a reluctant reader as a child and credits articles about football with getting him into reading. He is now the multi-award-winning author of many books for young readers, including the Young Quills Award winner After the War and FCBG Children’s Book Award winners Armistice Runner and D-Day Dog. In 2019 Tom was awarded the National Literacy Trust’s Ruth Rendell Award in recognition of his significant contribution to literacy work in the UK.