The Castle Keeper

«Nevermoor» meets «Howl's Moving Castle» in this bright, witty fantasy for teens by acclaimed author Ryan Grodin. There’s an enchanted castle, a ghost wizard, a vegetarian dragon, an ancient talking cat (who is not at all what he seems!), and a girl with a big heart determined to save the place she loves.

Wizard West learned he was dead only a day after his death. Now he is just a ghost, stripped of his magic, and can no longer maintain the spells that hold the ancient castle of Selurdur. If they are not renewed by the next full moon, the castle will perish.

The only one who knows the truth is twelve-year-old Faye, the castle keeper's daughter. While West organizes a magical tournament to choose his successor, she has to make sure everything doesn’t turn into a disaster: putting out kitchen fires, feeding the compost dragon, watching over the contestants, and keeping them away from the pen with… killer roosters.

But soon it becomes clear that the real danger is much more serious. A servant of the Twilight Queen intends to sabotage the tournament, destroy Selurdur, and plunge the entire kingdom of Solum into darkness. Now the fate of the castle depends not on great wizards, but on a girl who has lived in the shadows her whole life. To save those she loves, Faye will have to prove that true magic is born not only from powerful spells but also from courage, resourcefulness, and loyalty to her friends.