The Thief of Always

Some invitations sound lovely until you look at the person holding the door. In The Thief of Always, a boy enters a magical house whose master draws children in and steals their youth to keep himself alive. That is the set-up, and it is quite enough to make a cosy evening feel less cosy.

The fear comes from the gap between what the house offers and what its master wants. Magic ought to be a treat. Here, it gives someone a way to lure children close. I would put the scares at a three: the idea is unsettling, especially if the thought of time being taken from a child gets under your skin. This is one to pick up for creeping dread.

If you like dark fantasy with a nasty question at its centre, this belongs on a rainy evening’s reading pile. How much would you trust a place that seems to welcome you? A cupboard that closes too quietly is already suspect; a whole magical house calls for a proper inspection. I like that the danger is easy to understand without anyone having to explain why you should be afraid. The master wants the children’s youth to keep himself alive. That is plenty to sit with while the rain carries on outside.