Christopher Larkin is in a London bomb shelter in the middle of the Blitz, while his mum is outside serving as a fire watcher for the city. Looking for a spot on his own, Christopher ventures down a tunnel he hasn’t been before. He finds a thick wooden door and pushes it open…

Earlier that week while searching with his friend for war memorabilia, Christopher found a ring engraved with a picture of a phoenix. He feels it warm and cool as he wears it, and his teacher said it may even be Roman.

…the ring glows as he pushes open the tunnel door. He finds London, but not as he knows it. There is an orange glow in the sky in the distance and a small girl in rags sitting nearby. Christopher is shocked when he asks the date. 1666. He knows that date from his history lessons – the year of The Great Fire of London.

Keen to get home, but worried for his new friend, he has to decide to escape or explain what is about to happen to her city.

He is quickly caught up in the chaos of thousands of people trying to flee, a religious zealot who believes he summoned the fires, a family who believe he’s a ghost of their son, and the one man who actually believes who he really is.

Author – Kelly Gardiner

Age – 8+

(Series, Action, Historical, History, Friendship, Family, Time-travel, Time travel, Secret, St Pauls, Religion, Bible passages)