Voice in the Flames
Mike Edwards
Schoolboy Jack just wants life to go back to what it was before, a time when his hometown of Easton in Teesside was thriving. In those days, the steelworks were the lifeblood of the area, pumping out iron from the blazing furnaces and providing jobs and money to all the local families including Jack’s. But times have changed drastically. Jack’s dad has died and, now that the steelworks have closed, the town is dying too. Out of nowhere, a mysterious man appears to Jack at the abandoned steelworks, but he is more a spirit of the ancient past, made of fire rather than flesh and blood. Does the stranger have good intentions and want to reignite the life of the town, or does he want revenge and bring hell fire to destroy Easton forever? With a strong heart and a curious mind, Jack is the only one who can work out the spirit’s true intentions and save the town, his friends and himself…
Voice in the Flames is an exciting adventure story with strong fantasy elements and plenty of twists and turns that keep the reader guessing right to the end.
Loosely based on the real-life story of the closure of the steelworks on Teesside, the author Mike Edwards brings to life with great feeling a community shattered by a failing economy. Also, Edwards brilliantly conjures up powerful descriptions of raging fires, billowing smoke and smouldering ash which all help to stimulate ideas for our own creative writing.
Published by Walker Books, 2026
