Publisher's Synopsis
Blitzdemon is the second instalment of the Hollow King series. It continues the story from book one, The Dreamviewer.
It's 1940, the Battle of Britain rages.
Every night enemy bombers cross the channel to inflict terror on London, but other, more supernatural entities threaten Stanley and his friends as they begin to unravel the perplexing riddle of his grandfather's ancient manuscript, the Grimoire Phantasmagoria.
The revelations they unearth draw them further in a century's old conspiracy and a deadly race against time to unlock the secrets contained within the book of witchcraft. But danger lurks around every corner, ghoulish creatures from folk legend stalk the London suburbs and roam the dark city streets, feeding upon the frightened dreams of its inhabitants. They too search for the book and for the girl out of time. Clara's murder may have been undone by Stanley's spell and by the mystical properties of the Dreamviewer Stone, but other strange and menacing forces have been unleashed.
The cunning crow Stiltskin torments them in the dead of night, his evil call can be heard above the sound of the air-raid sirens and falling bombs. His mistress is the same wicked and ageless queen of England who haunts Stanley's visions. She has pursued Clara across centuries, and she has the power to summon dark mysterious forces from folklore and nightmares.
Staying one step ahead of their ruthless nemesis isn't Stanley's only concern, his uncle is struggling to put together the seasonal pantomime in time for Christmas, and hosting a festive West End show is no easy task with the country at war, especially when unexplained phenomena occur on set and phantom apparitions keep appearing during rehearsals.
Witch's familiars and medieval monarchs aren't the only ones searching for the book, a sinister network of spies and enemy agents are closing in and if Stanley and his companions are going to stay one step ahead, they will need to call upon the help of a mythic underground society of peddlers and street performers. The Hawker's dwell among the twisting labyrinth of London's dim alleyways and backstreets, but their help comes at a price. To unpick the enemy's malevolent enchantment, Stanley and friends will have to help the Hawkers free Clara's master, because the fairy-tale legends of the man in the mirror are more than a myth, and he may be their only hope of solving the riddle of Stanley's past.
