The Shapeshifter

Infobox Book
name = The Shapeshifter


image_caption = "Finding the Fox"
author = Ali Sparkes
cover_artist = David Wyatt
country = UK
language = English
genre = Fantasy, Thriller
publisher = Oxford University Press
pub_date = 4 May 2006 – Present
media_type = Paperback
pages = 1824 (in total, books 1-5)
350 per book (on average)

"The Shapeshifter" is a series of books by Ali Sparkes. The series is set in England, and follows the life of a boy named Dax Jones. Dax is one of the Colas, or Children of Limitless Ability, teenagers who possess amazing supernatural powers. These children attend a school called Cola Club, where they are trained to use their powers. During the first and much of the second book, Cola Club is located at Tregarren College, a large, isolated school in Cornwall. However, in the later books, it is moved to a much smaller location, called Fenton Lodge in the Lake District, about a half-hour drive away from Keswick

Plot

Finding the Fox

When Dax Jones discovers that he has the power to transform himself into a fox, a mysterious government official arrives and takes him to a secret school where Colas (children with supernatural powers) are trained. At this school, Dax soon makes friends, and feels more at home than he ever has before. But other, more sinister forces have taken an interest in these gifted children, and soon Dax finds himself in terrible danger.

Running the Risk

Dax Jones is beginning to get used to his new life at Tregarren College. However, when he returns to the school after a short stay at Lisa Hardman's country house, he discovers an astonishing surprise awaiting him, in the form of Gideon's long-lost brother Luke and sister Catherine. However, these new arrivals are not the only thing which Dax has to worry about; something is bringing on a strange lethargy in his fellow Colas, and it seems to be getting worse. When he tries to warn his friends, they all think that he is being paranoid, leaving him to deal with the danger alone.

Going to Ground

Following the events of "Running the Risk", Dax and the other Colas are sent to recover. However, during this time off, Lisa experiences a vision which warns her that Gideon is in deadly peril. She and Dax attempt to rescue him, only to find that he is not actually in any sort of danger - at least not yet. But strange and unexplainable electrical faults are taking place all over the country, and the government seem to think that Gideon's powers are responsible. Now they will stop at nothing to find him and contain the threat they believe he poses. Gideon, Dax, Lisa and Mia, set off across the country, attempting to outwit their pursuers, while also trying to find the real cause of these electrical events to clear Gideon's name.

Dowsing the Dead

The fantastic Shapeshifter series continues with Dax and his friends settling into their new secret hideaway in the Lake District. The whole place has been fortified so that the Children of Limitless Ability won't ever be under threat again. After dodging death once too often for his liking, Dax is looking forward to a quieter time - building a treehouse in the grounds and shifting to a fox or a falcon and exploring the countryside. But all is not well in the spirit world - strange messages are coming through and Dax, Gideon, Lisa and Mia must once again join forces. Could the messages be coming from Luke and Catherine, Gideon's dead brother and sister? Perhaps they're even still alive? In which case, they have to rescue Luke from Catherine's evil clutches - but is Dax really a match for her?

tirring the storm

In this exciting finale Dax and his friends are moved up the country in a bid to keep their identities a secret, but are the special forces who are transporting them their allies, or are the Children of Limitless Ability being used as pawns in a much bigger scheme? Once again it is Dax who's at the centre of things - it's him they want most of all. But who are 'they'? And who's the brains behind this master plan?

Dax must save his friends from being sold as commodities to the highest bidder, and in the process find out who his mother really is and how he and his friends ended up with such amazing powers.

Major Characters

Dax Jones

Dax is the main character of the series. He has the ability to shapeshift into a fox, falcon and (in the fifth book) an otter. He lives with his cruel stepmother and friendly but annoying step sister. His father who does not seem to take much of an interest in him.

Gideon Reader

Gideon is a telekinetic and Dax's best friend. He is fair and athletic, with many freckles. Gideon enjoys playing football, and constantly eats chocolate. He and his father live alone with their pet bird, until they discover that Gideon has a long lost triplet brother and 'sister', named Luke and Catherine respectively. Gideon's father begins to date in book five.

Lisa Hardman

Lisa is dowser, medium, clairvoyant and telepath. She is initially extremely reluctant to accept her identity as a Cola, however, following the events of "Finding the Fox," begins to come to terms with her powers. Lisa is very rich and lives in a mansion in the countryside. She is also very close to her father, who is proud of her psychic gifts. She becomes quite friendly with Dax and Mia over the course of the series, although her somewhat impetuous nature ofter brings her into conflict with Gideon. She is shown to be a very good actor, especially in book five.

Mia

Mia is the most skilled healer ever to be brought to Cola Club. She is very gentle and compassionate, as well as being a vegetarian. She is also a pyrokenetic in book four onwards, and becomes somewhat more aggressive to due to her Black Obsidian bracelet. She is best friends with Lisa, Dax and Gideon. She becomes very sick in book one, because she absorbs too much pain while healing her friends. However, she is able to channel this pain out of her body and destroy it. She is aware that Spook likes her, but does not return his feelings. Her surname is never given in any books of the series.

pook Williams

Spook is the best illusionist in the series and considers himself to be a highly skilled magician. However, he is disliked by almost all the other colas. He seems to be attracted to Mia, and is close friends with a fellow illusionist named Darren Tyler. In the fifth book, it is revealed he is actually Dax's distant cousin. He is very cruel toward Dax and Gideon, frequently insulting them. He particularly dislikes Dax, who has a resistance to his glamour.

Luke Reader

Luke is Gideon's triplet brother, and is almost identical to him, except for the fact that he wears glasses. He does not appear until book two, and does not display any supernatural powers when brought to Tregarren. He is therefore considered a 'dud' until he holds back the sea to save the lives of his fellow Colas. He is a telekinitic like Gideon, although apparently to a much greater degree. It is revealed in Book Four that his other sibling, Catherine, made him into a mute following the events of "Running the Risk", by shutting down the speech centres of his brain.

Other Characters

Catherine Reader

Catherine is Luke and Gideon's triplet sister. She was adopted and raised in America, but was moved around from family to family so much that she became somewhat unhinged. She has the ability to absorb the powers of other Colas through physical contact, which causes them to become lethargic. She is the principle antagonist of the second and fourth books.

Barry Blake

A glamourist who has the power to vanish from sight. However, this power is not very useful in making him inconspicuous, in that he is rather clumsy and has a permanently stuffed nose which creates a whistling sound whenever he inhales. A friend of Dax and Gideon.

Jessica Moorland

A psychic/ medium who receives messages throughout the first book from Gideon's "Aunty Pam" and the wolf that was trying to contact Dax. She loses her powers at the end of book 2, when Catherine steals them.

Jacob and Alex Teller

Brothers who possess a telepathic link with each other. They can also mimic other people in voice and mannerisms. They both have light blonde hair, and do a very funny impression of Spook.

Darren Tyler

An illusionist and friend of Spook Williams, one of the 'true ten'/'true eleven' at the end of book Four.

Jennifier Troke

One of the 'true eleven' at the end of book four, her power is vanishing, like Barry's. However, she is much better at being invisible, as she is less clumsy and can move about quietly. It is mentioned that she often appears by the elbows of other students and remarks on books which they are reading. She often gets Barry into trouble in lessons, but never gets into trouble as much herself, due to the ability to look innocent. In the last book, Gideon claims that she is attracted to Dax.

Clive

Clive is Dax's very close friend. They are separated in book one when Dax leaves to attend Tregarren, but are reunited in book three. Clive is considered a genius, and is taken in as one of the Colas. He becomes room mates with Barry, with whom he shares a like- hate relationship. His love of technology has helped the Colas on several occasions, although it had caused him to be continuously bullied before he attended Cola Club.

Awards

Nominated for the Bolton Book Award. and the dutch Kinderboekenweek

External links

* [http://www.oup.com/uk/catalogue/?ci=9780192754653 Oxford University Press description page for "Finding the Fox"]
* [http://www.oup.com/oxed/children/authors/sparkes/ Ali Sparkes at OUP]
* [http://www.alisparkes.com/ Ali Sparkes's website]