12-year-old Brave's father is dead and he and his mother move quite often. His mother is known as being a bit 'different', but people still come to her for healing potions. At his latest school, Brave is being bullied by a boy called Riley and his mates but when Brave gets really angry at the bullies something really odd happens to the weather, and that's when the fun begins. Brave and his mother aren't actually from Earth, they are from another world, Arvalonia, a place of magic which has been taken over by the evil Mallevia. Being the royal family, his parents escaped to Earth before Prince Brave was born. Things have taken a turn for the worse in Arvalonia and his uncle has appeared at their house to take them back to try and defeat Mallevia. Before he can, a vortex of power sucks them all back to Arvalonia and they are separated, and unfortunately Riley is sucked through as well. Brave lands in a world that is completely new to him, and different from everything he has ever known. Meanwhile True Harboursfort has been studying magic at a secret school in Arvalonia, but it is attacked by Mallevia's Green Guards. Brave and True find each other and set out on a journey which takes them across the fierce Inner Heat where they meet Rat and his Camel, along the Sugarcane River, and through dense jungle. True has dreams along the way, intense dreams where she is a giant white horse-like creature with wings. What can they mean? When Mallevia captures Brave and throws him in her dungeons, awaiting torture, how will he ever escape? In the front of the book is included a fabulous map which is a helpful guide to the world of Arvalonia. A great yarn. ( )