Alasdair McPherson

Broken Crown Alasdair McPherson

The Nursery Rhyme, Jack and Jill, got the facts more or less right, but it makes no mention of the reasons behind Jack's decision to climb the hill. It was hard enough for thirteen-year-old Jack to handle the disappearance of his Dad, a move to a new town and a strange school. It was even harder to be told that he was the hereditary Champion who was urgently needed to rescue the King and Queen of Fairyland. Robin Goodfellow and his wife Mab have the job of convincing Jack, but they like playing tricks and struggle to tell the truth. Jack meets Jill (Princess Gillevra), but it takes a while for him to realise that her mother, the Queen, is an aunt he knew nothing about. When he finally discovers that his Dad was locked up when he went to help his only sister, Jack reluctantly takes the job of rescuing the imprisoned royals. He has to overcome problems caused as much by incompetent friends as by the King's brother, who is the villain of the story. Jack is helped in Fairyland by Bruno, the dog-like son, and Kitty, the cattish daughter of Robin and Mab. In the real world of Louth, he is supported by Pauline, a girl in his class, who likes Jack enough to suspend her disbelief.