'It-Torri l-Griż u Il-Fantażma tal-Kavallier bla Ras'
Author: Norman C. Borg
Illustrations: Clàudia Mata Serra
Publisher: Merlin Publishers
Pages: 160
When science meets legend, the line between reality and magic blurs - and don't be too surprised if a ghost makes an appearance too. u Il-Fantażma tal-Kavallier bla Ras, the latest children's adventure, penned by Norman C. Borg, transports us into a world where a chemistry professor conducting secret experiments and a headless knight who cannot find peace share the same address.
Published by Merlin Publishers, with stunning illustrations by Clàudia Mata Serra, this book offers two interlinked stories that blend mystery, adventure, humour, and a touch of horror. Both tales revolve around the mysterious building known as It-Torri l-Griż (the Grey Tower), which stands on the edge of Wied Ħemda.
In the main story, It-Torri l-Griż, we follow Karl and Brianna, the two partners of a secret investigation society who are eagerly awaiting their first case. When Brianna spots mysterious lights in the windows of the supposedly abandoned Torri l-Griż, the pair decide to investigate. The mission nearly ends before it begins, when they see and hear spine-chilling things: a headless figure in a window and a voice shouting, "Cut off their heads!" But the brave youngsters press on into an adventure that brings them face to face with a mysterious boy, two Canadian gangsters, a chemistry professor in the middle of his experiments, and an invisible parrot who turns out to be the story's unlikely hero.
The second story, Il-Fantażma tal-Kavallier bla Ras, stems from the first, and digs even deeper into the mystery when Karl discovers an old diary written a century earlier by a ghost hunter named Riku tal-Erwieħ. Here we find ourselves in Malta in 1922, and through Riku's eyes we meet the ghost of the headless knight who for entire centuries has haunted the tower, his head and body separated and desperate to be reunited. From the pages of Riku's diary, we learn that sometimes a little courage - and perhaps a sneeze brought on by a cloud of dust - can help close the rift between this world and the next.
Borg is a former educator with a deep passion for reading in the Maltese language. He has worked on numerous initiatives aimed at making Maltese reading as accessible and widespread as possible, including through comics he created for Sagħtar magazine. Borg also runs a website where he regularly uploads free Maltese adaptations of international classics for readers to just enjoy.
The author explains that he originally wrote the main story, It-Torri l-Griż, for the Sagħtar magazine in 1993. In that story, the headless knight was merely a background character. "But he kept haunting me, wandering in my mind, knocking to be let out of his prison (or the tower)," Borg revealed. "Eventually I decided to tell his story, or rather stories: because I started and scrapped three versions before I was satisfied with the final one."
Clàudia Mata Serra's evocative illustrations bring to life the gothic atmosphere of It-Torri l-Griż against the backdrop of the typical Maltese landscape, while capturing the sense of fear and excitement of a story brimming with hidden secrets, strange figures and creatures, and encounters with ghosts and criminals.
It-Torri l-Griż u Il-Fantażma tal-Kavallier bla Ras is ideal bedtime reading for brave readers aged nine to 12. It is also the perfect choice for parents and teachers looking to inspire middle-grade children with stories set in an authentic Maltese context and featuring characters they can relate to.
But before tackling ghosts, gangsters and chemistry professors, readers face one pressing question that must be answered. What's the deal with burnt roast potatoes? That's the first mystery to be solved - everything else will follow.
'It-Torri l-Griż u Il-Fantażma tal-Kavallier bla Ras' can be purchased from all bookshops or online directly from www.merlinpublishers.com