Damien is eleven

One afternoon he turns up at his Aunty Sue's house after school and asks if he can stay the night.

'Go on up and look in the back bedroom' says Aunty Sue, 'I got a box of toys from the car boot sale yesterday. I thought there might be something you'd like'.

Among the battered teddies, broken ninja turtles and bits of dirty lego is an old book; The Illiad, the story of an ancient world. As Damien reads, the book comes to life in his Aunty's back bedroom and he finds himself sucked into an ancient quarrel as old as time itself.