The Fighting Spirit
“Would you like to adopt a ghost?
Young spirit, born 1887, seeks kind home to haunt. Gentleman by birth. Good company. Gets on well with other children. Jokes and shocks a speciality.
If interested, place outside your home three twigs, in the shape of an arrow, pointing to your front door...”
Ruby and Jayden get more than they bargained for, when they adopt the ghost of Edward Fitzberranger. He’s a boy from Victorian times, has left his haunted house without permission and is living in Ruby’s wardrobe.
When they find out he can time-travel, they find themselves in the Second World War, with bombs falling and a royal kidnapping plot. Simon Fitzberranger and his Anti-War Party offer a solution – but is he all he seems?
This is the first new Spirits novel for five years. It is both a reboot and a continuation of the original series, featuring the return of ghostly Edward and classic villains alongside some new characters.
Published 28 March 2025
. . .
“It's just so lovely to be sent a new Spirits story to read over Christmas. It's been five years since Ellie fixed the timeline in The Coming of the Spirits and took her leave as Edward's human companion in spirit world adventures… But Ruby and Jayden are fantastic replacements. They're new characters in their own rights but they also inject the same common sense foil to Edward's chaotic and mercurial interventions into the world of the living. And they're both as courageous and ready for adventure as Ellie ever was. I loved this thrilling adventure into a past that's becoming more and more distant as those who actually lived it become fewer and fewer…
We need more Rob Keeleys writing for children.”
-Jill Murphy, The Bookbag
“The plot was adventurous and exciting. The ghostly activity was spot on without feeling too scary for young readers. The scenes from the 1940s came across as authentic and you could tell the author had done plenty of research.
This is a book that children can become fully invested in. It showcases good versus evil and the lengths some will go to to get their own way. It is also a story of hope and freedom and will teach youngsters what the war was about.”
-Whispering Stories blog
“Once again, any story with Edward Fitzberranger in it is one I'm going to heartily enjoy. Edward is up to his usual tricks here (though he also manages to save the British monarchy, so maybe he's grown up a very little bit since his first adventures)…
[T]his is a quick, fun read that will make you smile… I kept reading to find out what shenanigans Edward would pull and how Ruby and Jayden would deal with them.
Rob Keeley has done it again: concocting a delightful MG story with a touch of ghostliness and time travel, and I for one am glad.”
-The Wood Between The Worlds blog
“I really enjoyed getting to know Ruby and Jayden and being reacquainted with Edward. It was a fun story and I’m already looking forward to more adventures for Ruby, Jayden and Edward!
Definitely recommended if [you] enjoy fun ghost stories for middle grade readers.”
-Secret Library Book Blog
“So good to be back in the Spirits series - although these are easily read as standalones! …
I loved the time travelling aspect of this story. Ruby and Jayden are really up for adventure but soon find themselves in the wrong place at definitely the wrong time, and they are caught up in something much bigger than they were ever expecting. We're thrown into some political and royal drama that was a really clever way of ramping up the drama, and taking us back to some pivotal historic moments.
The story really combines the fun alongside the dramatic side of storytelling for children and there was a really touching ending too - that's made me itching already for future adventures! Highly recommended for readers of all ages looking for a well researched trip back in time - with a supernatural twist!”
-Karen Mace, blogger
