There are some cracking juvenile authors around today that could give adult writers a tip or two about imagination and Garry Kilworth is definitely among them. Don’t dismiss this book as just something for the younger generation either; I am an adult and I loved it. There is plenty in here to enjoy, from the resourceful Jack and Annie to the depiction of life in a city under Austrian rule, the supernatural touches and descriptions of being in the army. I particularly applauded the year and place chosen, other writers would have taken their 150 year limited time machine back to foggy Victorian London or either of the two world wars, but instead we have Prague in 1903. Some more detailed descriptions of this most beautiful of cities would have made a good book even better - these are curiously lacking - but Kilworth is adept at portraying the fear of living in a city governed by the secret police of the Austrian Empire. At first I wasn’t sure about the supernatural touches, which include alchemists, creatures from folklore and a useful golem, but due to the time travel the children can see things adults cannot, and appear to be able to look into another dimension. This makes the story seem larger, and I do hope that we haven’t seen the last of the Kettle family as there are many more stories to be told.