The Twistrose Key
#6083.85 adjusted 3.88 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 2 books Status Complete 2013–2016 Reading commitment Low Tone Almhjell Last reviewed 2026-10-24
Overview
Tone Almhjell's Twistrose books, written in English by a Norwegian author, are animal fantasies set in Sylver, a frozen realm hidden behind a cellar door that is the home of every dead animal who ever loved a child, most of them once the favourite pet of a human child, in a world of riddles, winter and a missing prince. Eleven-year-old Lin Rosenquist, summoned from her Norwegian home by a mysterious key marked Twistrose, is reunited there with her beloved vole, Rufus; the companion novel Thornghost introduces her friend Niklas Summerhill, a mischievous resident of mountainous Willodale. Kirkus gave the first book a starred review, calling it fantasy that evokes the classics of yore and stands proudly among them.
Portal fantasy · For Middle grade
Core Canon: Reading Order (2 works) counts toward ranking
The Twistrose Key Tone Almhjell
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | The Twistrose Key | 2013 | 1 | core | 3.81 (2,699 ratings) |
 | Thornghost | 2016 | 2 | core | 4.07 (489 ratings) |
Tone Almhjell's two novels of Sylver.
Quick answers
- How many books are in The Twistrose Key? The Twistrose Key's Core Canon is 2 books.
- What is the reading order for The Twistrose Key? Publication order, starting with The Twistrose Key. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is The Twistrose Key finished? Complete (2013–2016).
- How much reading does The Twistrose Key take? Low reading commitment (estimated from 2 Core Canon books).
- How is The Twistrose Key ranked? #608 in this site's official ranking, based on 3,188 reader ratings across 2 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #608?
Ranked #608 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.85 across 2 core books.
- A smaller readership (3,188 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.03 behind #607, The Great Cities Duology.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.45.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 2 books · Complete · 3k ratings · Ranks #608 overall
Good choice if you want a quick, low-commitment portal fantasy universe that's already finished, so there's no wait for the next book.
Reading order
Publication order (2 Core Canon books)
- The Twistrose Key (2013)
- Thornghost (2016)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what The Twistrose Key and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Bed-Knob and Broomstick Portal fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 3.99
- Jim Button Portal fantasy / Comic fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.28
- The Princess and the Goblin Fairy-tale retelling / Portal fantasy · Complete · Low commitment · 4.04
- Tales of Magic Portal fantasy / Comic fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.00
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.85 across 3,188 ratings on 2 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon extension: The Twistrose Key (Tone Almhjell) and The Wrath of Ambar (Tanaz Bhathena) accepted 2026-10-23
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Author page on the rating platform (ratings and years with titles) Tier 2
- Carnegie-Stout Public Library catalogue (Dial first edition) Tier 2
- Penguin Random House (publisher page, with praise) Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-10-23
Rule: Core Canon = The Twistrose Key (2013) and Thornghost (2016), companion novels.