The worlds created by Graham Joyce can be fairly hard to categorise. His work is often described as speculative fiction due to the way in which he mixes the contemporary world with myth, legend, horror and the fantastic. The Devil’s Ladder, Joyce’s latest novel for children, is also something of an interesting mix of genres as two regular children become embroiled in the supernatural world of demons as they experience visions and are called upon to help save the world as we know it from the gathering forces of evil.

Since Sophie attends the fairly rough Abbey South School while James the geek goes to posh Castle Gate, it seems that they have nothing in common save for the same walk to and from their respective schools each day. Sophie has noticed James as he walks along alone with his head buried in a book trying to avoid the various bullies who seem to like to torment him but she has never really given him much thought. This all changes on the morning when Sophie sees the words THE TIME HAS COME painted in large white letters on a wall near school and the phrase echoes around her mind, bringing to the surface regular dreams that have been haunting her in which she encounters the same sentiment. Shocked by this intrusion of her dreams into reality, Sophie collides with James as he walks past and is further disturbed to note that the title of the latest book he is reading is also The Time Has Come. After an argumentative exchange with James, a rather freaked out Sophie continues on her way to school but, as the day progresses, she determines to track James down to ask if he noticed the writing on the wall that morning and to see if there is any link between her dreams and his book.

Discovering that the message has now disappeared from the wall, Sophie is both relieved and disturbed when James confirms that he also saw it that morning. James seems to know a lot more about what is happening than Sophie, he also experiences strange dreams and sees odd things in the real world, and suggests that Sophie will soon receive a visitor who will shed some light on the situation. That night Sophie dreams of a knock at the door and, after she answers it, of a strange and slightly menacing hawker who insists that she buy something. The following day an almost identical event happens in the real world and Sophie ends up purchasing a raggedy old chamois leather that, when used to clean surfaces, reveals the words Ravendale, Maslama and Picator on everything it touches.

After Sophie describes the visit in her dream to James and tells him about the mysterious three words that appeared after she used the chamois, James somewhat reluctantly begins to trust her and takes Sophie to meet Mrs Royston. Mrs Royston turns out to be a rather cantankerous old lady who used to be an anthropologist and whose work has given her some insight into who Sophie and James really are and what is happening to them. With her help, Sophie and James begin to unravel the mystery of Ravendale, the ominous derelict house that they have passed everyday on the way to school without every really noticing its presence.

Mixing together mystery and adventure with a nice degree of spine-chilling horror and lingering terror, The Devil’s Ladder is a highly enjoyable book. Sophie and James are well-developed characters and the growth of their friendship as they seek to unravel their mysterious destinies lends an appealing sense of normality to the exceptional circumstances in which they find themselves. The story has a good, solid ending but has the potential to be the first in a great series of paranormal adventures featuring Sophie and James – it will be interesting to see what, if anything, Graham Joyce does with them next.

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