The Chestnut Soldier (Magician Trilogy Series #3) Book

Gwyn can feel danger coming in the wind. Somehow he knows the warnings have to do with the broken toy horse that holds the evil spirit of a prince who lived long ago. When Gwyn discovers that the prince's dark soul has escaped from the horse and is seeking revenge Gwyn, Emlyn, and Nia have to figure out how to save the mysterious soldier who claims to be Nia's distant cousin. With the help of the Snow Spider, can they recapture the prince's soul without hurting the Chestnut soldier?

Nimmo's fast-paced page turner fantasies appeal to boys and girls with their magical adventures.

Children's Literature

Gwyn's grandmother once gave him five unusual gifts. One, a small wooden horse, was to be hidden away and never used. The horribly disfigured carving holds the malevolent spirit of Efnisien, the demon prince from the ancient Mabinogion legends of Wales. Alas, Efnisien's spirit escapes and finds its way into the soul of Evan Llyr, a troubled soldier who is visiting his cousins in the village of Pendewi. Slowly Evan begins to change—both physically and psychically—as the spirit of Efnisien grows stronger. Disturbing events fill the once quiet lives of Gwyn's friend, Nia (who, little by little, is falling under the spell of Efnisien) and her family. Now Gwyn must draw upon his magical powers to save Evan and to bring the spirit of the dark prince to peace at last. This third book in "The Magician Trilogy" can be read independently, but with many references to events and characters from the earlier books, reading the first two books of the trilogy may make this satisfying fantasy more so.