Unraveller

Description

Unraveller is a spell-binding fantasy from the Costa-award winning author of The Lie Tree, Frances Hardinge. In a world where anyone can cast a life-destroying curse, only one person has the power to unravel them. Kellen does not fully understand his unique gift, but helps those who are cursed, like his friend Nettle who was trapped in the body of a bird for years. She is now Kellen's constant companion and his closest ally. But the Unraveller carries a curse himself and, unless he and Nettle can remove it, Kellen is a danger to everything - and everyone - around him . . . 'Everyone should read Frances Hardinge. Everyone. Right now.' - Patrick Ness, author of the Chaos Walking trilogy.

Frances Hardinge spent her childhood in a huge old house that inspired her to write strange stories from an early age. She read English at Oxford University, then got a job at a software company. However, by this time a persistent friend had finally managed to bully Frances into sending a few chapters of Fly By Night, her first children's novel, to a publisher. Macmillan made her an immediate offer. The book went on to publish to huge critical acclaim and win the Branford Boase First Novel Award. Known for her beautiful use of language, she has since written many critically acclaimed novels, including A Skinful of Shadows, Verdigris Deep, Cuckoo Song, Deeplight and the Costa Award-winning The Lie Tree.

Extraordinary. Exquisite and compelling. Sheer perfection. -- Liz Hyder, author of The Gifts It's gothic and twisty and witty and gripping: dark and delicious and fresh and I loved it. -- Katherine Rundell This multilayered, humane and brilliant YA fantasy is the Costa-winning Hardinge's best yet. -- Imogen Russell Williams * The Guardian * A gloriously creepy, intricate masterpiece full of tangles and knots for the reader to get caught up in. -- Adrian Tchaikovsky One of the most mesmerising journeys I've ever taken within the pages of a book. -- Hilary McKay If you like your children's books gothic, rich in language and occasionally baffling, you will already know Frances Hardinge. The author - who won the Costa prize in 2015 for The Lie Tree - is distinguished by a prose style that is often described as "beautiful" or "luminous" and her latest is no exception. -- Alex O'Connell * The Times * This detailed, thoughtful, original read is not one to rush, but to savour. -- Nicolette Jones * The Sunday Times * Hardinge is a worthy successor to Pullman, yes, but in fact, she is in a league that is entirely her own, a writer whose ideas are modern yet timeless, their execution compelling, eerie, sublime. -- Marianne Levy * iNews * Themes of humanity and redemption play out against this intricately woven backdrop, illuminated by characteristically sublime prose. - YA Book of the Month * The Observer * I would trust Frances Hardinge to lead me blindfolded into the wildest of marshes, and this is my favourite tale of hers yet. Instantly engrossing, effortlessly clever, and completely magical, with a stubbornly compassionate heart. -- Freya Marske Beguiling and uncanny. Hardinge masterfully crafts modern folklore with the wisdom and wit of the ancients. I fell in love with this strange and satisfying novel! -- Tendai Huchu Curses grow like wildflowers in this beautifully written fantasy * SFX * Spellbinding storytelling - the inimitable Frances Hardinge has woven a wonderfully weird, richly imaginative and profoundly thought-provoking tale. -- Katherine Woodfine Complex and clever . . . I was sucked into this magical epic. * The Times * Hardinge's work is always exquisite; this latest volume is no exception. * Irish Times * Superior fantasy from a winner of the Costa Book of the Year prize. -- Suzi Feay * The Financial Times *