Like a Charm

Ramya Knox has always known she is different. She is neurodivergent, and her dyspraxia makes her clumsy and a regular target of her teachers' disapproval. After her grandfather dies, she makes a startling discovery: she can see magic, and nobody around her can.

The discovery begins when a statue of a dog comes to life. Ramya follows the animal and finds a world she had assumed belonged only in fairy tales. Trolls, witches, kelpies, vampires and other creatures live hidden in the shadows of Edinburgh, keeping out of sight of the humans around them.

They have good reason to hide. Sirens, beautiful monsters whose voices can talk people into doing what they want, are growing in power, and their influence can be harmful. Ramya turns out to have something the city needs, and she may be the only one able to stop them before both the Hidden world and the mortal one are at risk. The book is by Elle McNicoll, the award-winning author of A Kind of Spark.