Quick Look
Set in contemporary Edinburgh, 11-year-old David and Kate become embroiled in a battle between the Lords of Chaos and the Guardians of Time, to control time itself. Based on the real-life Millennium Clock.
Description
"What do you mean, we are the keys?" Kate asked incredulously.
"From time to time, certain people are born whose fate it is to aid or thwart the attempts of Chaos to destroy time. You and David are two such people. Look."
As he spoke, the room turned misty around them.
Kate and David are eleven-years-old and best of friends, playing football and doing their museum project together. But in Edinburgh, where they live, time is coming unstuck and the past is breaking loose. Old Mr Flowerdew needs their help in the war between the Lords of Chaos and the Guardians of Time, centred around the mysterious Millennium Clock at the Royal Museum.
Can Kate use her grandmother's golden necklace to restrain the power of Chaos, and will David be able to help the Guardians, even if it means losing his mother all over again?
Reviews
'This time-slip novel is a great read: convincingly narrated with good characterisation, a plot full of mystery and suspense, and a palpable sense of history.'
-- Booktrusted (www.booktrusted.com)
'A challenging read, with finely-drawn characters. The children are set in functional, as opposed to dysfunctional, families -- in itself a refreshing change; David's father is a single parent, but through death rather than divorce. And bereavement -- in particular, David's grieving for his mother -- is explored in a sensible and sensitive way. The first of a new series of 'Contemporary Kelpies', this novel is worthy of its famous predecessors.'
-- Elizabeth Finlayson, School Librarian Journal, Spring 2004
'Gill Arbuthnott knows just what a strange and alien place a museum can be and she exploits the other-worldliness to spine-chilling effect. An unusual, enjoyable combination of fantasy thriller and psychological drama with a warmly satisfying ending.'
-- Kathryn Ross, The Scotsman, 13 December 2003 (Christmas Picks)
'A dramatic read, well crafted, well sustained and imaginative. Kate and David's friendship is based on that between Gill Arbuthnott's daughter and her friend, and its feeling of unforced authenticity is one of the strengths of the story. The relationships within the two families are also utterly convincing, written without affectation of self-consciousness. Aimed at 8 to 12 year olds.'
-- Di Hope, Times Education Supplement Scotland, 14 November 2003
'A most engaging fantasy novel. What might have been a straightforward tussle is enriched and complicated by the personal circumstances of the children, particularly David for whom the temptation to return to a time when his mother is still alive proves desperately appealing. Edinburgh, and particularly the city's Museum of Scotland, provides the atmospheric setting and props for this tightly plotted novel. Dynamic and satisfying. For readers aged nine to 12.'
-- Lindsey Fraser, Sunday Herald, 5 October 2003
'I thought this book was well-written ... the story is very well done. I would give it marks for originality.'
-- Stuart, James Gillespie's High School, Teen Titles, December 2003
Author
Gill Arbuthnott was born and brought up in Edinburgh, but escaped briefly to study in St Andrews and Southampton. She couldn't stay away, however, and now lives in Edinburgh with her family and Leonard the cat. A former biology teacher, she has written several novels for children: The Chaos Clock, The Chaos Quest and Winterbringers (all Floris Books), as well as books with Barrington Stoke and The Keeper's Daughter, published by Chicken House.
You can also visit the author's own website at http://gillarbuthnott.wordpress.com
Links
A new edition of this book is now available:
Chaos Clock new edition
Also available by Gill Arbuthnott:
The Chaos Quest
Winterbringers
Dark Spell
Download or print a free Teacher's Guide for this book:
Chaos Clock Teacher's Guide (PDF; 16KB)
Don't miss the Discover Kelpies website for children with exclusive author interviews, fun stuff and latest gossip on your favourite Scottish stories.
