A Bookkeeper's Guide to Practical Sorcery - Kate Russell

Henry Noble carries a heavy load. For the two years since the disappearance of his father he has toiled as the family's chief breadwinner. Protector of his mother and two obnoxious younger brothers he finds himself trapped in the drudgery of a boring job counting the King's gold, all the while dreaming of a life of magic and wizardry. When a glimmer of light appears, he snatches at it only to stumble into treachery and deceit. Henry and his timid friend Peter are forced to embark upon the scariest journey of their lives. Secretly wishing their fearless friend D.C. was with them, their dread is overshadowed only by the sticky ending they know lurks around every corner. An epic fantasy about courage and passion, friendship and ingenuity, a Bookkeeper's Guide to Practical Sorcery delivers such a no-nonsense description of the mechanics of magic you'll wonder why you weren't taught it at school ...