The Keeper of the Stones

About the book:

We are delighted to present a new children’s book which takes place in the past and present with Celtic queens and monstrous enemies intent on taking control of a mystic stone circle. This is an action packed story where a midnight ride to the stone circles on the family farm catapults Lizzie and her brother Daniel back to the Bronze Age. Trapped three thousand years behind her own time, Lizzie must save Daniel and stop the Bullmaster before he destroys the Horse People and her family ceases to exist.

Review:

“Absolutely gripping! My heart raced as I galloped along with Lizzie, and my brain whirled as I tried to unravel clues to the mysteries. The reading time flew by – as did time itself in this intriguing tale. Suspense, an occasional laugh, and many surprises… All here!

I LOVED THIS BOOK. SO WILL YOU!”

Martha Kendall, American Library Association, Winner of Best Book for Young Adults

Starred Review:

Both gripping and lyrical—a fine time-travel tale

After time traveling to the Bronze Age, a girl must save a community and her brother in this debut middle-grade novel.
The family farm in Wiltshire, England, where 12-year-old Lizzie Greenwood lives, stands close to the remains of an ancient stone circle called the Bull Stones. Her brother, Daniel, 14, is fascinated by the circle and a nearby Bronze Age site being excavated by archaeologists. As the two investigate the area on a winter solstice evening, they’re charged by a herd of eerie bulls. Lizzie and Daniel flee between the stones—and find themselves in broad summer daylight some 3,000 years ago near a village of roundhouses. The siblings learn that the villagers are called the Horse People, and their enemy is the Bullmaster, who kills women and children and steals men’s souls for his slave army. The Horse People’s queen could stop him, but she’s been mortally wounded by a bull. When the Bullmaster seizes Daniel, Lizzie realizes she must use the stones to prevent disaster by traveling back and forth through time. Time travel is a compelling theme, and Kay handles it well in her book. Lizzie’s trips through the stones make storytelling sense, as when she gets penicillin—used on her family’s farm to treat animals—to save the queen. Lizzie herself is brave and appealingly thoughtful as she wrestles with the question of whom to trust. Her special connection to the stones helps explain her ability to understand and speak the ancient language, often a sticking point in time-travel stories (although the supposedly Bronze Age tongue is closer to Chaucer’s Middle English). Kay’s writing is another pleasure, atmospheric and poetic even when describing small details: “Sheep’s wool straggles of smoke clinging to the air.” The black-and-white illustrations by debut artist Rothaus are skillfully shaded and composed, adding to the book’s sense of mystery. Both gripping and lyrical – a fine time-travel tale.

Kirkus Reviews, book review magazine

Nominated for the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature

About the Author:
When Roz Kay was eight years old, she visited Stonehenge. At that time it wasn’t fenced off and you could walk about among the huge stones and touch them. She never forgot the feel of those ancient stones beneath her hand. So, years later when she wrote this book, the story began with another stone circle.
Roz is a published short story writer and has been a radio and newspaper journalist. She’s an animal lover and has had horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, birds, and many more creatures. While growing up, Roz lived in Ghana, Canada, and Sabah as well as the UK. She’s also lived in the US. She loves books, theatre, history, art, travel, wildlife, and sports.
Roz now lives in England with two greyhounds called Lyra and Fletcher, close to the great stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury in Wiltshire. She’s working on a sequel to The Keeper of the Stones. Roz would love to hear from you if you enjoyed The Keeper of the Stones – please email Roz care of: bookordersrk@gmail.com

About the Illustrator:

Kelsea Rothaus is a Pacific Northwest based American illustrator and designer most known for her ink wash technique and digital illustration. With her tools for artistic expression, love of nature, and rock music, Kelsea dives into projects while on-the-go with her dog, Apollo. She creates with an appreciation for juxtaposition of light and dark – gravitating towards shadowy and whimsical themes that incorporate wildlife, musical or literary references.

Learn more about Kelsea’s work: www.kelsearothaus.com