Little books that make a loud roar: ten plus Catherine Fisher's The Obsidian Mirror was one of the most engrossing fantasy thrillers of last year, so it's good news that volume two, The Box of Red Brocade (Orchard, £6.99, out in early October), is hot on its heels. We once again join Jake, Sarah and the mysterious inventor Oberon Venn - plus the glass Chronoptika, the powerful time travel device Jake hopes will help him find his father, lost in the wastelands of the past. The action opens in 1941, with Jake propelled mistakenly into the height of the Blitz. Not only has the device sent him to the wrong time, but the mirror has been lost among the rubble, so he's stranded, with no way of getting back to deepest Devon 80 years hence. This narrative strand alternates with that of Sarah, on a mission to find and destroy the mirror she fears has the power to bring about the destruction of the world, and of Oberon, intent on saving their female relative, now dead. Will Jake be hanged for treason by the authorities who suspect he's a German spy? Will he manage to escape and to launch another mission for his father, or will Sarah get to the mirror first? And what is the significance of the Black Fox, the Man with the Eyes of a Crow and the Box of Red Brocade? This is a complex story that, despite Fisher's summaries of the characters" motivations and the action to date, will be most rewarding to readers of the first volume. The series is certain to elevate Fisher's status in the world of British fantasy - as will the forthcoming film of her earlier novel Incarceron. Catherine Fisher will be appearing at Bath on October 5 at 1pm. Fans of fantasy should also look out for Michelle Paver, who will talk about her new book, The Burning Shadow (Puffin), on September 29 at 4pm. Charlie Higson will appear on September 28 at 5.30pm to discuss his new zombie book, The Fallen (Puffin, published next month).