Norwegian debut novelist Tone Almhjell delivers an enchanting and beautifully written adventure in Twistrose Key, creating a strange and magical winter world much like Narnia that readers will want to visit again and again.
Something is wrong in the house that Lin’s family has rented; Lin is sure of it. The clocks tick too slowly. Frost covers the flowerbed, even in a rainstorm. And when a secret key marked “Twistrose” arrives for her, Lin finds a crack in the cellar, a gate to the world of Sylver. This frozen realm is the home of every dead animal who ever loved a child. Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with Rufus, the pet she buried under the rosebush. Together they must find the missing Winter Prince in order to save Sylver from destruction. But they are not the only ones hunting for the boy this night. In the dark hides a shadow-lipped man, waiting for the last Winter Prince to be delivered into his hands. Exhilarating suspense and unforgettable characters await the readers of this magical adventure, destined to become a classic.
Young Adult: What three words come to mind when you think of writing?
Tone Almhjell: Oh, what a challenge to sum up that huge part of my world in three words! But I think they would have to be: Fun, fear, and chocolate.
YA: Tell us a little bit about your debut work. What is different about The Twistrose Key?
TA: The Twistrose Key is a fantasy story set in Sylver, a secret world where every animal that ever loved a child lives on after death. The legends of Sylver are called Twistroses. They are human children who longed so much for their animal friends that they gained the ability to travel between the worlds with the use of a thorned, magical Key.
Our hero, Lindelin Rosenquist, discovers that she is a Twistrose, and that the snowy valley where her beloved pet vole Rufus now lives, is in terrible danger. It is up to her to save them all from troll invasions, hidden traitors, and a shadow-lipped man with a heart full of murder.
I wanted The Twistrose Key to be the kind of classic fantasy story I would have fallen in love with when I was a young reader. I wanted courage, magic, darkness and beauty, no less, and I wanted it both to feel true and to be a fast-paced mystery. I hope that all these ingredients, combined with a strong Scandinavian flavor, make it feel different!
YA: Describe your path to writing and publishing this book out of your home country of Norway. What came easily, and what were the challenges?
TA: Seven years ago, I quit my job, sold my apartment, and started to write. Somewhere along the road, a good friend of mine encouraged me to write my story in English and try to get an agent in the US. I don’t think any of us realized that this was supposed to be impossible – so I just did it, and here I am!
There were many parts of this journey I expected to be rough, but which in my case turned out to be all smooth, like finding an agent and getting a book deal. Sometimes I feel like I’ve just been watching it all unfold from across the Atlantic like a stunned spectator. So for me the biggest challenge is always the writing itself. I’m not one of those rare creatures for whom writing comes easily. Writing is hard. Every aspect of it, every stage of the process. I fight epic battles with my inner, cranky critic. But I love having written!
YA: Talk to us about the interesting collaboration found in this book between you and your brother, a celebrated composer.
TA: I know my brother will be flattered by this description, but yes, Eivind is a very talented musician. I’m so in love with the music he wrote for The Margrave’s Song. It’s dark and haunting with elements from traditional Norwegian songs, and it suits the story and the world so well. But I knew it would – my brother is one my most important readers. He loves digging into the details of the world, and he never ever lets me off the hook easy.
YA: Besides the classic ‘never give up’, what advice would you give to aspiring young writers today?
TA: 1. Write what you love. Write what lights your mind on fire! Fill your notebooks with scenes, snippets, and ideas. You can pull it all together to a coherent story later. But for now, let the words out in whatever shape and form they want. One day, you’ll stumble upon your own, unique voice – or you will find that it was already there all along.
2. Find others who share your passion and be each other’s cheer-readers! Constructive criticism is useful, yes, but sometimes the right kind of encouragement can open the floodgates.
YA: What’s next for you?
TA: Right now, I’m writing another novel for Penguin. I can’t share just yet what it’s about, but like The Twistrose Key it will be for young readers (and grown-ups), and it WILL contain magic. I’m also really excited about coming to the US to launch The Twistrose Key. It’s almost like a fairy tale come true!
YA: What other authors, YA or otherwise, do you idolize? Or, what YA books are on a pedestal for you?
TA: I absolutely adore Laini Taylor, especially her epic and heartbreaking Daughter of Smoke and Bone books. And I love The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss. But my biggest literary crush ever is Locke Lamora of Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastard series. I’m reading the third book, The Republic of Thieves, right now. It’s so good!
Something is wrong in the house that Lin’s family has rented; Lin is sure of it. The clocks tick too slowly. Frost covers the flowerbed, even in a rainstorm. And when a secret key marked “Twistrose” arrives for her, Lin finds a crack in the cellar, a gate to the world of Sylver. This frozen realm is the home of every dead animal who ever loved a child. Lin is overjoyed to be reunited with Rufus, the pet she buried under the rosebush. Together they must find the missing Winter Prince in order to save Sylver from destruction. But they are not the only ones hunting for the boy this night. In the dark hides a shadow-lipped man, waiting for the last Winter Prince to be delivered into his hands. Exhilarating suspense and unforgettable characters await the readers of this magical adventure, destined to become a classic.
Young Adult: What three words come to mind when you think of writing?
YA: Talk to us about the interesting collaboration found in this book between you and your brother, a celebrated composer.