Serenity of storyteller with style

Alexander Armstrong

Marquee at Phyllis Court

Sunday, October 5

ON a crisp autumn Sunday at the Henley Literary Festival, Alexander Armstrong turned a sun-drenched marquee into a venue with magic.

The multifaceted broadcaster — famed for pointed satire on Have I Got News for You, voicing animated mischief in Hey Duggee and presenting on Classic FM, stepped into uncharted territory as debut children’s novelist and his spellbinding debut has ignited young imaginations.

His interactive session for budding authors aged nine to 12 buzzed with infectious zeal, blending storytelling craft with the allure of his 400-page epic, Evenfall: The Golden Linnet. What began as a relaxed chat evolved into a hands-on workshop, encouraging attendees to conjure villains ravenous for dominion (together with their shadowy partners), alongside protagonists brimming with pluck, empathy, wit, mercy and sensitivity.

At its core, Evenfall is based in the shadowed spires of Durham, that Viking-haunted bastion of folklore. Thirteen-year-old Sam, burdened by paternal guardianship after the shattering loss of his mother, navigates a gritty existence laced with unforeseen peril. Thrust into the arcane folds of the Order of the Evening, a clandestine fellowship safeguarding humanity through narrative sorcery rather than brute might, he inherits the enigmatic Golden Linnet magic symbol. This talisman unlocks a forsaken citadel teeming with enchantment and dormant for years.

Amid a whirlwind odyssey, Sam allies with his friend Ish, unravelling family enigmas, forging bonds in improbable corners and confronting a merciless adversary hell-bent on raising relics to unearth the sanctuary. A tapestry of antiquity and modernity emerges. There’s folklore-infused skirmishes, pulse-racing chases, labyrinthine conundrums and soul-stirring revelations that pit valour against malice, loyalty against betrayal.

Alexander’s prose is sophisticated — lush yet accessible, weaving psychological nuance into visceral thrills. His story marries stark realism to ethereal mysticism, evoking a hidden realm where affection triumphs over dread. The narrative’s intricacy rewards patient readers: allies emerge from obscurity, treacheries twist like thorns and heroism blooms. The pace builds like a gathering storm, emotional, explosive and furious. Ambitious in scope, the story rivals classics while mixing fantasy with contemporary hardship. It has both depth and escapism.

Some readers have found the story slow-going, boring and disappointing, but such criticisms tend to become unimportant because of the novel’s inventive spark. The story has odious villains, perilous quests and a conclusion that’s profoundly moving.

Alexander’s personality, effervescent and serene, is possibly mirrored in his tale’s reluctant hero and inspires young potential authors to be ambitious and creative.

As whispers of the sequel, The Tempest Stone (anticipated February 2026), circulated, the event closed on a high: children thinking about fiendish foes and noble quests, their eyes alight with possibility. In Evenfall, Alexander doesn’t merely entertain, he awakens the storyteller within — a triumph and great guidance to young readers.

Anthony Weightman