From TES issue 16 (July 2002)

KNIGHTMARE: Lord Fear's Domain.
Published by Yearling in 1994.
Written by Dave Morris.
  Plot: Paul and Lucy have just moved to an old converted coaching inn in Sussex called The Other Half. They are in quarantine after a bout of measles, and are left alone on Halloween night when their parents go to a party. Their evening takes an unexpected turn when Sylvester Hands arrives at the house and starts looking up the chimney for a way into the realm of Knightmare. He tells Paul and Lucy that three angry witches - the Weird Sisters of Birnan Wood - are chasing him. What is more, they are after his blood because he has stolen something from them. When the witches arrive, Sly, Paul and Lucy are all forced to scramble up the chimney and into Knightmare. At least they are safe from the witches, but Paul and Lucy are now stuck in a strange world. Hands agrees to help them find their way home, but Lord Fear complicates matters by setting them a challenge:
 
Unravel my riddles by sunrise, or remain in my world for all eternity.
 
And so Paul and Lucy must travel through Knightmare trying to find their way home, solving various riddles on the way. And this is the clever bit: you have to help them by solving the puzzles. Paul and Lucy meet lots of characters on their journey, who set them riddles. If and when they and you get them right, the characters give them clues about the path homeward. One of the characters they meet is Greystagg, who tells them that they must find the Well of Dawn to get home. She also gives Lucy a magic bell that will bring dawn instantly if it is rung once, twice and then thrice.
 
Waiting at the Well of Dawn is Lord Fear, but Paul and Lucy get past him by bamboozling him with some riddles. When they get home, however, the three witches are waiting for them. After tricking them into using Greystagg's bell to bring dawn, Paul and Lucy's adventure is over. And do their parents wonder where they've been all night? No, because they assumed that they had gone to bed when they got back from the party but did not check to see!
 
Characters from the main story.
 
Paul: He seems to be a mischievous chap, threatening to paint measles on his face when he goes back to school so that he can tell the other kids he's still infectious, but he is also concerned that Lucy doesn't get scared while they're on their journey. I guess he must be good at solving riddles, too.
 
Lucy: She is certainly the more intelligent of the two, and seems to solve most of the riddles that they are set. She is the group's main mouthpiece, talking to the characters more than Paul and Hands do, and one senses that she is the brains of the operation.
 
Paul and Lucy's parents: This negligent couple go to a Halloween party dressed up as The Devil and a witch.
 
Sylvester Hands: The thief's strange behaviour confuses Paul and Lucy at first, but they rely on him as their guide and source of information about the characters they meet once they get into Knightmare.
 
The Sisters of Birnan Wood: They wait in eagerness for Sly to return so that they may punish him for stealing from them. When Paul and Lucy arrive back, they decide to settle for eating fricasseed children instead.
 
Lord Fear: He challenges Paul and Lucy to solve the riddles they will be set by daybreak, or else remain in Knightmare forever. He tries to break the rules by appearing in person and stopping them from escaping once they have completed the challenge, but is completely bamboozled by Paul and Lucy's puzzles. They escape while he's trying to work them out.
 
Brother Strange: The proverbial monk sets a riddle about what direction the group should take.
 
Marta: The serving wench asks Paul and Lucy to help her work out how to seat some awkward customers in the Crazed Heifer. In return, she tells them that Greystagg is their most likely source of help and that they should travel with Ah Wok's cart to find her.
 
Ah Wok: The oriental tradesman gives the group a ride, then writes a coded message telling them that Greystagg is in the Crystal Cavern.
 
Fidjit: The thief and locksmith gives the group a riddle that helps them to find the way to the Crystal Cavern.
 
Majida: The annoying genie pops up from time to time with a crossword or other puzzle for you to try.
 
Sir Hugh: He's left his shield with a load of other knights' shields, but has forgotten which one is his! Once Paul and Lucy have helped him to work it out, he points them in the right direction.
 
Grippa and Rhark: Paul and Lucy have to ask the pair of goblins one question about whether to turn left or right to reach the Crystal Cavern. The catch is that one always tells the truth and the other one always lies.
 
Hordriss: The proud sorcerer sets the group an unnecessarily long riddle that tells them to turn left from their current position.
 
Sidriss and Motley: Once Lucy and Paul have helped Sidriss solve a riddle that Hordriss had set for her, Motley tells them that they need a special key to get into the Crystal Cavern. One of Greystagg's five familiars has it, and Motley sets a puzzle that tells Paul and Lucy which one has the key.
 
Padock the hedgehog: The familiar with the key. She sets a riddle before she gives it to Paul and Lucy.
 
Touchstone the toad, Pippy the bat, Malkin the cat and Harpier the crow: Greystagg's other familiars, just in case you were curious.
 
Greystagg: The witch queen sets a puzzle about two burning candles, then gives the children advice about the Well of Dawn. She also gives Lucy a magic bell that brings dawn instantly.
 
Brother Mace: The large and friendly monk sets a series of clues on a scroll that reveal the password for the toll bridge.
 
The Elfin Knight: After setting a couple of puzzles, this mysterious knight shows Paul and Lucy an elf-path that will take them to the Well of Dawn.
 
Brollachan: The Celtic monster emerges from a swamp near the Well and agrees to let Paul and Lucy past if they answer three of his riddles.

[Previous book: The Dragon’s Lair/The Future King]

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Seventh of the series of seven Knightmare books. Written by Dave Morris and illustrated by Russ Nicholson. First published in 1994 at bargain price of £2.99.

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