There's a lot to like about this novel. It's fast-moving and never hesitates, and it quickly sketches the eight young people who inhabit its pages as quirky and likeable individuals, from the taciturn artist, Michael, to the fiery and intelligent Isobel. It's also a story about stories: tales from the past are woven into the narrative in an elegant way, with the whole book framed by the narrative of the last surviving member of the group.

The book is not without its flaws, however, containing some simple contradictions that can be an irritation to the reader: to give an example, one moment we're told that Ben and Sheere are worried when they learn that Jawahal has penetrated their father's secret house, while a few pages later, they settle down to sleep in that house, safe in the knowledge that "if . . . Jawahal had been able to get in, he would have done so already".

Despite this, however, The Midnight Palace is an enjoyable novel, with a wonderfully sinister villain, plucky and resourceful heroes and some visually arresting imagery, most notably in the depiction of the Firebird, a deadly weapon whose fire engulfs a phantom train of murdered orphans.