Type Three—A very rare grade of ghost, first reported by Marissa Fittes, and the subject of much controversy ever since. Allegedly able to communicate fully with the living.
Visitor—A ghost.
Ward—An object, usually of iron or silver, used to keep ghosts away. Small wards may be worn as jewelry on the person; larger ones, hung up around the house, are often equally decorative.
Water, running—It was observed in ancient times that ghosts dislike crossing running water. In modern Britain this knowledge is sometimes used against them. In central London a net of artificial channels, or runnels, protects the main shopping district. On a smaller scale, some homeowners build open channels outside their front doors and divert the rainwater along them.
Wisp*—Weak and generally unthreatening, a Wisp is a Type One ghost that manifests as a pale and flickering flame. Some scholars speculate that all ghosts, given time, degenerate into Wisps, then Glimmers, before finally vanishing altogether.
Wraith**—A dangerous Type Two ghost. Wraiths are similar to Specters in strength and patterns of behavior, but are far more horrible to look at. Their apparitions show the deceased in his or her dead state: gaunt and shrunken, horribly thin, sometimes rotten and wormy. Wraiths often appear as skeletons. They radiate a powerful ghost-lock. See also Raw-bones.
ALSO BY JONATHAN STROUD
LOCKWOOD & CO.
The Screaming Staircase
The Whispering Skull
The Hollow Boy
THE BARTIMAEUS BOOKS
The Amulet of Samarkand
The Golem’s Eye
Ptolemy’s Gate
The Ring of Solomon
Buried Fire
The Leap
The Last Siege
Heroes of the Valley
PRAISE FOR
THE LOCKWOOD & CO. SERIES
The Screaming Staircase
“Stroud (the Bartimaeus series) shows his customary flair for blending deadpan humor with thrilling action, and the fiery interplay among the three agents of Lockwood & Co. invigorates the story (along with no shortage of creepy moments). Stroud plays with ghost story conventions along the way, while laying intriguing groundwork that suggests that the Problem isn’t the only problem these young agents will face in books to come—the living can be dangerous, too.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Authentically spooky events occur in an engagingly crafted, believable world, populated by distinct, colorful personalities. The genuinely likable members of Lockwood & Co. persevere through the evil machinations of the living and the dead and manage to come out with their skins, and their senses of humor, intact. This smart, fast-paced ghostly adventure promises future chills.”
—School Library Journal
“Three young ghost trappers take on deadly wraiths and solve an old murder case in the bargain to kick off Stroud’s new post-Bartimaeus series…A heartily satisfying string of entertaining near-catastrophes, replete with narrow squeaks and spectral howls.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Stroud brings the seemingly disparate plot points together with his usual combination of thrilling adventure and snarky humor….all members of this spirit-smashing trio get in their fair share of zingers, providing a comedic balance to the many narrow escapes, false leads, and shape-shifting specters that otherwise occupy Lockwood & Co.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
A 2013 Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist for Young Adult Literature
2013 Cybil Award for Speculative Fiction
CCBC Choices List
2014 Edgar Award Nominee
A Junior Library Guild Selection
The Whispering Skull
“In fine form, Stroud sends Lockwood & Co. on a trail that leads from an upper-crust social event to the mucky margins of the Thames and into dust-ups with thugs, rival agents and carloads of ectoplasmic horrors that can kill with just a touch. For all their internecine squabbling, the three protagonists make a redoubtable team—and their supporting cast, led by the sneering titular skull in a jar, adds color and complications aplenty. Rousing adventures for young tomb robbers and delvers into realms better left to the dead.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Stroud writes with a fine ear for dialog, a wry sense of humor, and a knack for describing haunted places. Creating tension that ebbs and flows, he slowly builds the dramatic narrative to a resounding crescendo, and he makes the quieter scenes that follow just as compelling. The second entry in the Lockwood & Company series, this imaginative adventure features one of the most hair-raising chase scenes in children’s fiction. At the book’s end, when the enigmatic Anthony Lockwood reveals a chilling secret, readers can only hope that more sequels are in the offing.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Lucy’s growing abilities to communicate with the dead, especially the nasty spirit attached to a skull in Lockwood’s home, add an additional layer of menace to an already creepy tale; Lockwood’s secrets add intrigue and suspicion. The plot gallops along at a breakneck pace, giving little respite from the horrors within. For fans of scary fare, this page-turner is a dream (or nightmare) come true.”
—School Library Journal (starred review)
PRAISE FOR THE BARTIMAEUS BOOKS BY JONATHAN STROUD
THE AMULET OF SAMARKAND
“A darkly tantalizing tale.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“One of the liveliest and most inventive fantasies of recent years.”
—Booklist (starred review)
THE GOLEM’S EYE
“Fast-paced excitement.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A must-purchase for all fantasy collections.”
—School Library Journal
“The top of the class of the currently popular fantasy series.”
—The New York Times Book Review
PTOLEMY’S GATE
“[A] potent ending that is at once unexpected and wholly earned.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“The trilogy wraps up with excitement, adventure and an unexpected wallop of heart and soul.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“[T]he best yet…a stunning ending to a justly acclaimed trilogy.”
—The Horn Book (starred review)
THE RING OF SOLOMON
“A riveting adventure for Bartimaeus fans, old and new.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“So rarely do humor and plot come together in such equally strong measures that we can only hope for more adventures.”
—The Horn Book (starred review)
“…[T]his is a superior fantasy that should have fans racing back to those [Bartimaeus] books.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Definitely a must-purchase.”
—School Library Journal (starred review)
JONATHAN STROUD is the author of the other three Lockwood & Co. books, The Screaming Staircase, The Whispering Skull, and The Hollow Boy, and the internationally best-selling Bartimaeus books: The Amulet of Samarkand, The Golem’s Eye, Ptolemy’s Gate, and The Ring of Solomon, as well as the novels Heroes of the Valley, The Leap, The Last Siege, and Buried Fire. He lives in England with his wife and three children. For more information, visit his website, www.jonathanstroud.com.
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