Etta Starling has never set foot outside Stitchwort. Shrouded by a dark curse for over a century the estate is lost and forgotten. These last few last surviving members of the Starling clan can never leave; to pass the boundary wall means certain death. But just because they can't leave doesn't stop someone else getting in.... AGES: 9 to 14 AUTHOR: Alexandra Dawe was born in Liverpool, and grew up with the sea at the end of her road. She has always loved to read and draw, especially folklore, fantasy and fairy tales. Seeing the movie Labyrinth as a teenager led her to work as a props and model maker in Shepperton and Pinewood studios.