For the person in front of him wasn't Julia at all, but a hideous mixture of girl and doll: half flesh, half cloth, and the eyes and face had nothing of Julia left at all, only the evil features of the doll."

When Paul's sister Julia finds a strange doll on the beach, Paul immediately feels something is wrong.

A thrilling fantasy set in a world dominated by a sinister witch beyond redemption, a reissue of Garth Nix's debut novel, newly rejacketed for today's readers, and includes a brand new preface. Garth Nix's worldwide sales are over 6 million copies.

"Julia turned around - and Paul skidded to a stop in shock. He felt like he'd been winded, struck so hard he couldn't breathe at all. For the person in front of him wasn't Julia at all, but a hideous mixture of girl and doll: half flesh, half cloth, and the eyes and face had nothing of Julia left at all, only the evil features of the doll."

When Paul's sister Julia finds a strange doll on the beach, Paul immediately feels something is wrong. And he is right to - the horrible rag doll slowly takes Julia over and then transports Julia into a world of magic, with vile flesh-eating armies and humans condemned to zombie-like servitude. But there is also great goodness, light and magic in this world.

Paul must follow Julia into this strange, magical place and not only save his sister from the clutches of the ragwitch, but the whole world, from a descent into darkness led by the malign ragwitch intent on destruction.