This Welsh story is a fable for our times, about life and death, love and envy, power and friendship. QUILL AND THE LAST GENERATION has main characters aged twelve or thirteen, plenty of scary situations and more than a few battles. If young readers enjoy the Narnia books and early Harry Potter stories, they should have a good time with Quill.

Young Quill lives in a bitterly cold version of modern Wales. Winter is permanent, and no babies have been born since the cold descended, twelve years ago. He has a friend, but he’s not the most popular kid, being quiet and thoughtful. One day, following a bonfire held to try to welcome back summer, a raven starts following Quill. This turns out to be a girl shapeshifter called Deryn, who has come from a magical version of his world. She tells Quill it’s time for him to follow her home. Much has gone wrong, and he can try to put it right.

The sailing skills Quill has learned turn out to be all that help him, as he bids goodbye to his family and sets out to sea. As chapters continue, the world opens up to include Finn and Eos, the siblings of Deryn, and also bird shifters, and an army ready to give Quill support. But only if he’s willing to fight. First, he’ll need a water horse.

Chasing the Light of the World, saving lost souls, and staring down various breeds of foul-tempered dragons follow in quick succession. There isn’t too much world history for young teen readers, but we get a nice emphasis on growing and learning while taking steps towards a goal. The vocabulary is excellent, and we constantly see that balance is required for the natural succession of the seasons, the life cycle and nature. Basic drawings, which look like charcoal sketches, show us some of the beasts and situations. These are by Marina Vidal. The fact that they are not complex means you don’t stop reading for long.  

C.M. Lewis is a Welsh lady who writes books and screenplays and has won several awards. QUILL AND THE LAST GENERATION is her first children’s fantasy novel, which depicts kids reading for usefulness as well as entertainment. I recognised some adapted Celtic myths. My favourite part is, of course, the water horse, but I love that we see dragons as animals deserving of good treatment. We can all learn from Quill’s splendid adventure, not least to challenge our stored ideas.