The Ironmaster — Anne Powers

Ben suddenly finds himself alone, his mother in court, their house sold. He is sent to stay with his aunt, a woman he has never met, deep in the Sussex countryside. In the strange ancient woodlands, Ben is attacked by the very force of nature itself, as he struggles to understand what is happening, and come to terms with his loneliness. Ben is plagued by visions of the past, attacked by the very woods themselves. Helped by a local boy he explores the Sussex countryside and learns of the old ironmasters and is drawn into an ancient battle of betrayal and murder. In a race through woods and time, Ben finds himself fighting against the power of the very woods as they seek to stop him from freeing the spirit of the Ironmaster. Set in the historic landscape of Sussex, England, the Ironmaster is a story of a boys adventure, to find his family, discover his roots and overcome the dark ancient spirit of the historic woods themselves.