Its a rotten old job being King! says Dido Twite. Her friend King Simon agrees his scheming courtiers want to marry him off to a pushy princess,andhe has to lead his army against a tribe of invading Wends.

Their only hope is to find a long-lost heir to take Simons place on the throne of England, with the help of failed witch Malise and her prophesying parrot.

The last book in the series that first introduced Simon as the hero ofThe Wolves of Willoughby Chaseis a helter-skelter of battles, vicious villains and mysterious monsters, packed full of magic and humour. If you dont know theWolves Chronicles, this gives a wonderful taste of Joan Aikens fantastic world and you still have all the rest to discover!

Joan Aiken was born in Sussex in 1924. She was the daughter of the American poet, Conrad Aiken; her sister, Jane Aiken Hodge, is also a novelist. Before joining the 'family business' herself, Joan had a variety of jobs, including working for the BBC, the United Nations Information Centre and then as features editor for a short story magazine. Her first children's novel,The Kingdom of the Cave,was published in 1960.

Joan Aiken wrote over a hundred books for young readers and adults and is recognized as one of the classic authors of the twentieth century. Amanda Craig, writing inThe Times, said, 'She was a consummate story-teller, one that each generation discovers anew.' Her best-known books are those in the James III saga, of whichThe Wolves of Willoughby Chasewas the first title, published in 1962 and awarded the Lewis Carroll prize. Both that andBlack Hearts in Batterseahave been filmed. Her books are internationally acclaimed and she received the Edgar Allan Poe Award in the United States as well as the Guardian Award for Fiction in this country forThe Whispering Mountain.

Joan Aiken was decorated with an MBE for her services to children's books. She died in 2004.