- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Fantasy
The Night Spinner
Book 3 of 3 in The DreamsnatcherView the full series
The trilogy finale sends Moll, Gryff and Siddy across a frozen northern wilderness of witches, goblins and giants for the last Amulet of Truth. Darker and more emotional than ever, it lands on hope even in the bleakest moments.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Literary
- Conversational
Tone
- Exciting
- Dark
- Adventurous
- Suspenseful
- Inspirational
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Moll Pecksniff and her wildcat Gryff are waiting for a sign from the Old Magic before they can continue their quest. Their friend Alfie is missing, and armed only with a mysterious set of clues, Moll sets out across the northern wilderness with Gryff and Siddy at her side. To find the last Amulet of Truth and free the world from the Shadowmasks' terrible magic, they must brave the Lost Isles, scale the Barbed Peaks and face the witches, goblins and giants that lurk at every turn. As despair creeps in and losses mount, Moll must hold on to hope and keep believing even in the darkest times. The action-packed conclusion to Abi Elphinstone's Dreamsnatcher trilogy is its wildest and most perilous instalment, sweeping its fierce heroine through a frozen, monster-haunted landscape to a final reckoning with the Shadowmasks. Atmospheric, breathless and big-hearted, it brings Moll's story to a satisfying close.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
The trilogy's conclusion for 9-12s reading independently, and aloud from about 8 for confident listeners. It is the darkest and most emotional book of the three, with peril, monsters and grief, so it suits readers who have grown with the series rather than the youngest or most sensitive.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
None
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: scary imagery, violence, death of character, grief, animal harm.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
2 / 5 · Mild
Best for
- Dark fantasy
- Atmospheric adventure
- Animal companions
- Satisfying series finale
Avoid if
- Wants gentle bedtime
- Scared easily
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
Moll's biggest, wildest adventure takes her north into the ice to face witches, goblins and giants. It is the most dangerous journey yet, with real losses along the way, but Moll and Gryff never stop fighting, and the ending pays off everything you have been hoping for.
- Going on a quest
- Surviving danger
- Animal companions
- The underdog winning
- Adventure and freedom
Why parents love it
Elphinstone brings the trilogy home with her most atmospheric writing and its most emotional stakes: loss, despair and, ultimately, hope held onto in the dark. It rewards readers who have travelled with Moll from the start and reads aloud with real momentum.
- Great writing
In the series
The Dreamsnatcher.
3 books · open the series →
About the author
Abi Elphinstone.
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