The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction · Feb 2004

A mysterious castle suddenly appears in the mountains nearby the suburban home of 12-year-old Becky Austen and her younger brother Toby. Becky and Toby sense that dangers lurks within, yet at the same time they feel mysteriously drawn to the castle. They feel, and they somehow even know, that the castle is linked to their lives. What they don't know is that by entering the castle, they are also transporting themselves to a land of enchantment. Encountering witches, elves, trolls, fairies, brownies, gnomes, gryphons, and other magical creatures along the way, Toby and Becky set out on a journey to save the life of the powerful wizard Bartol and restore the once-beautiful but now ruined land of Porphyria.