This is such a fun book. It has good character development. I loved this adventure story. This is thrilling and mysterious.

Loved reading this book! Full of charm, it was funny in places and had great pacing- what a brilliant adventure story. Loved the Labyrinth feel to it!

Absolutely adored this book. Had vibes of Labyrinth. There's something very special about Ross Montgomery's books. From the first chapter, myself and my children (11, 9 and 6) felt completely immersed in the story and there were many nights were we had to stay up and read just one more chapter.

I read this book as I had heard so many wonderful things about it and I was definitely not disappointed.

It is a mixture of tradition folk stories about fairies and made up worlds mixes with a modern twist of adventure and excitement.

Yanni (the main character) is struggling to cope with his new baby sister and ends up giving her away to the villain of the story. He then has to complete 3 tasks with his cousin Amy to win her back. There are constant twists and turns throughout which keep you wanting more.

An amazing book for both children and adults alike.

Yanni wishes his family had never moved to Fallow Hall - his parents have no time for him because they are so exhausted caring for his baby sister, he misses his grandparents and his friends, and sharing baby-sitting duties with his role-playing games obsessed cousin is not on his wishlist. A fantastical tale of being very, very careful about what you wish for - especially in a house like Yanni's! - as he and his cousin are forced to go on a dangerous quest to retrieve his baby sister from the clutches of a malevolent trickster faerie. Shot through with humour which prevents the book from being too scary, this is an exciting and suspense filled read where Yanni and his cousin have to draw on all their wit and courage to rescue his sister.

Ross Mongomery has written another fabulous book, full of magic and charm! The beginning brought back fond memories of the Labyrinth film and childhood books like The Enchanted Wood or the more recent The Various.

The plot is fast-paced, wonderfully written and will have you gripped. Taking place in just a few hours, this fantasy adventure is perfect for fans of dark fairy tales and magical plots. I particularly loved the talking signpost and ravens (I love talking ravens...Marcus Sedgewick's The Raven Mysteries series is a must if you do, too).

Montgomery has created main characters that are sympathetic, funny and relatable even though they find themselves in difficult circumstances. Children's fantasy storytelling at its best.

Ross Montgomery has fast become one of my favorite authors, first reading the midnight guardians I couldn't wait for the chime seekers to be released and I was so glad when I picked this title up. This is a beautiful book and I cannot wait to read more from this author!

I was thoroughly impressed by this story, this was my first Ross Montgomery book and I definitely want to read more. This fantasy story gave me all the magical/fairy vibes. Perfect for a middle grade book. I loved that we were able to see the dark side of fairytales, as well as, the different creatures included throughout the story.

I’m generally not one for stories of faeries and goblins but Ross Montgomery is a brilliant writer of children’s fiction so I put my doubts aside and dived right in.

Yanni is not happy to have moved to Fallow Hall and to a house in the middle of nowhere. He hates everything about the place and to make matters worse his parents are obsessed with his new-born younger sister and have forgotten that he even exists.

When Yanni wishes for the unthinkable, he had not been expecting that someone would actually turn up and make good his darkest wish. With his sister stolen and a changeling left in her place, Yanni must venture into a dark and dangerous world of faeries to right his wrong. But will he be able to outwit a devious fae and save his sister before the clock strikes midnight on All Hallows’ Eve…

The Chime Seekers is a thrilling race-against time fantasy adventure. It follows Yanni and his cousin Amy on a magic-filled treasure hunt that takes our brave heroes from the village of Fallow Hall to the troubled fae world of Hallow Fall as they do battle against the malevolent Lorde Renwin. Win, Yanni saves his sister and may just make it back alive, lose, Lorde Renwin will keep her forever.

In this high stakes read the challenges and obstacles come thick and fast with Yanni, Amy and the changeling facing no end of danger. Goblins, ghosts, a rather unhappy signpost, a talking raven, magical necklaces, a bewitched piano, sleeping statues and changelings all play their part and provide their own frights and fun in this world of dark magic all controlled by a powerful, evil and seemingly all seeing fae.

Yanni is a flawed main character and for the first half of the book I utterly despised him; he is obnoxious and rude, and is completely dismissive of his cousin, Amy, who only wants to help out. But if he is to complete the seemingly impossible tasks that Lorde Renwin sets for him and to return everyone safely home he will need all of the help he can get. Will brotherly love overcome evil lies and horrible truths?

I love the idea of another world existing just beneath the surface of our own, although I wouldn’t be too quick to venture into the depths of Hallow Fall with its malicious fae, scary creatures, enchanted objects and who knows what lurking in the forest and the shadows. Any children who have spotted magical creatures hiding in plain sight or have heard the faint sound of chimes will thoroughly enjoy this exciting read (just make sure you’ve got your protective charms at the ready and don’t forget that magical necklace).

With huge thanks to Walker Books for the copy I received in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended for 9+.

This was everything I want in a MG book: faeries, magic, quests, trickery, budding friendships and a brilliant set of characters. I love all Ross's books but this is a new favourite.

I loved this book! As a big fan of labyrinth and Susannah Clarke, I loved the creepy world our two characters find themselves in and the trials they face. The humour is just right without going too dark and the characters are complex and compelling.

This is a fabulously dark tale of Fairyland that is like a creepy counterpoint to Louie Stowell's Otherland. Both books tackle two children on a mission to rescue a stolen sibling from a capricious faerie, but where Otherland was lighthearted and adventurous, The Chime Seekers is deliciously horror-adjacent, with just-spooky-enough weirdness that will thrill without being too scary for the age range. I really enjoyed the characters: Yanni feels displaced by the arrival of his baby sister in a very believable way; his cousin Amy is a really great depiction of a girl who's a bit uncool, but knows her worth; and the faerie adversary is wonderfully vicious. Very, very enjoyable.

In 'The Chime Seekers', Ross Montgomery has built a world of magic that is both enchanting and frightening. From the moment that we meet Yanni and experience his frustrations with his family and his new surroundings, through his adventure in the faerie world, this book is captivating and impossible to put down.

Yanni's life has been turned upside-down by the arrival of a noisy baby sister and the move to a new home but, when a mysterious stranger offers him the chance to return to his old life, he begins a quest that will force him to challenge his conflicting feelings and fight for the family that he loves.

Along with his cousin, Amy, countless magical creatures who both help and hinder him, and a faerie changeling baby, Yanni sets off on a seemingly impossible mission. Each part of their adventure is brilliantly formed and can shift from being comedic to poignant in a instant. The terrifying villain, Lord Renwin, is a wonderfully creepy antagonist and the narrative is full of surprising twists and turns.

Montgomery's writing is witty and imaginative. He has created characters that are sympathetic, funny and relatable even though they find themselves in the most extraordinary circumstances. This is children's fantasy storytelling at its best and is perfect for fans of dark fairy tales and magical adventures.

Wow wow wow! Magical, Mysterious and possibly my favourite children’s book of the roaring 2020’s.

Would recommend for children 9-13 years depending on reading age/maturity. This book will be pride of place on many bookshelves for years to come... and the movie surely has to follow!?

I’ve ordered a physical copy of this book for my own children to enjoy. Thank you for the opportunity to review the title ahead of publication. If I could give it six stars I would!

Thanks to a book subscription service that my school signs up to, there is a copy of this book in every UKS2 classroom (there’s actually three copies in my classroom) and I have not stopped plugging it since I read it.

I absolutely loved stepping into Ross Montgomery’s faerie land. I think he is a truly brilliant author and one that more children should know about.

A fantasy story clearly inspired by the movie Labyrinth, this gave me all of the vibes my little goblin heart needed, while still being an utterly original, engrossing story. I loved this so much I ran out and bought a physical copy the very next day, I just needed it in my collection.

This has that dark, rotted fairytale vibe I seek out in stories, as Yanni travels through the world the creature who took his sister resides in, trying to complete tasks to try and win her back. I loved the nods to Yanni's Greek heritage, it gave his character depth and added weight to his responsibility to his sister.

I did think that the book's message, that Yanni was just selfish, was wrong. All his parents attention went to his sister, and I felt he was pushed to the wayside in favour of her. After the move, watching his look at her perfectly decorated room when his own room had not even been started on, when all he wanted was to spend a movie night with his Dad, that broke my heart. We can't forget, Yanni is a kid too.

This is a longer middle grade, which gave the story time to flesh out the world the creature resided in. Each task was interesting - meeting goblins, ghouls, grumpy frogs and helpful signposts - and fun, as well as completely terrifying at times. I really enjoyed seeing Yanni and Amy building a friendship, and Yanni growing as a person.

This was brilliant! So whimsical and witty that you can't help but fall into the story. I loved the characters and it reminded me of Labyrinth, which gave me such fond memories of my childhood.

A pacy, thrilling faerie adventure with echoes of the Labyrinth and a super interesting exploration of our darker sides. It's sensitively written - you can totally see the world through Yanni's eyes and no, he's not perfect - who is?? With tricks and treasures, goblin palaces, and plenty of secrets, there's lots to get stuck into here!

Yanni and his family have just moved to the village of Fallow Hall . His parents are exhausted coping with his crying baby sister, Ari , who needs constant attention.Setting out to find some things for Hallowe'en , it takes Yanni a short time to explore all that the village has to offer- not much in his opinion. His parents rip out an iron guard on the old fireplace and scrub away the mysterious marks etched into it.
His Dungeons and Dragons playing cousin Amy is sent to babysit. She is interested in the world of Faerie and fantasy adventure games. When Yanni loses patience with his howling sister it attracts the attention of the Faerie King, Lorde Renwin . Yanni inadvertently breaks all the rules that keep people safe from him at this time of year when the "veils" between worlds are thin.
He must then go to the land of Faerie (which is a negative/mirror image of his own) to get his sister back . He may be ungrateful for Amy's help, but she does know more about this otherworld than he does. Can they combine their forces on a seemingly hopeless quest?

The darker side of this book is balanced out nicely by a great sense of humour. Ross Montgomery I think was once a teacher and he knows how to pace a story and how to write a book which would read really well aloud. He draws on British folklore in the tradition of Susan Cooper, Penelope Lively etc

I loved the talking signpost and the raven characters.. Yanni's Greek heritage adds another layer to an already rich story.

A thoroughly engaging read.

The Chimeseekers is a sparkling work of fantasy steeped in faerie folklore. A main character who's hard to like at first, sets out on a fantastical journey to save a stolen sister. He must face impossible tasks, mythical creatures... and uncomfortable personal truths.