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Totally, completely, and utterly gorgeous, this is a beautifully written historical relationship tale with real bite. And can I just qualify the word relationship - this is about the relationships with family, community, fear, nature, as well as the more obvious love. A work of fiction inspired by history, the story begins on Christmas Eve in 1617 when a sudden and violent storm takes the lives of forty fisherman, leaving the stunned women folk learning to survive on their remote northerly Norwegian island. Still reeling from the tragedy, their lives turn in the most frightening direction when the King brings in sorcery laws and a commissioner is installed to root out evil. This is Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s debut adult novel, and I feel as though I have been waiting my reading life for it. The prologue hits with a huge sad inevitability. Kiran Millwood Hargrave writes with a sensitive and considerate pen, the descriptions are truly breathtaking. While there are some savage shocks in store, The Mercies is still a warm, thoughtful and touching read. Chosen as a Liz Robinson pick of the month, we also just had to include The Mercies as a LoveReading Star Book too. Visit our 'Women's Words - 60+ works of feminist-minded fiction' to explore our collection of feminist-minded fiction from around the world, and across centuries.
Born under a blood moon, twin sister travellers, Kizzy - a brave, voluptuous bear dancer - and Lil - slight in frame and blessed with a beautiful voice – are captured after their camp is ransacked on the eve of their divining, the coming-of-age rite that would have seen them learn their fates. With many kinsfolk slain, the twins are enslaved by Boyar Valcar and set to work in the castle kitchens, where rumours about the notorious Dragon loom large over all the female slaves. Separated when Kizzy is snatched away, Lil escapes to search for her sister with Mira, a fellow slave. As they race against time to save Kizzy, encountering the terrifying strigoi (undead) along the way, powerful desires are awakened, which adds extra conflict as the story winds to its transfixing climax. Driven by the sisters’ passion and revenge, loyalty and love, and powerful on the persecution of travellers, this is a dazzling female-focused reimagining of vampire legends, with the writing infused with a lyrical earthiness throughout.
Shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards 2017, Costa Children's Book Award Longlisted for the UKLA 2018 Book Award In a nutshell: beautifully told story of courage and hope and an unforgettable setting Kiran Millwood Hargrave follows up her award-winning debut The Girl of Ink and Stars with a story set in the real world, though one still filled with a sense of wonder and the extraordinary. Set in the Philippines at the beginning of the last century it tells the story of a girl forcibly removed from her mother, as many were, because her mother has leprosy, or as those with the disease preferred, is touched. With the help of her friends Ami makes her way back to her mother and it’s a story of love, courage and hope, all of these symbolised by the butterflies that fill the pages and that are so important to the story. It’s passionately told, full of memorable scenes and characters, and the writing is beautiful. ~ Andrea Reece The Costa Judges say: ‘Entirely original with not a word out of place – as vivid and beautiful as the butterflies themselves.’ A message from the author: ‘At a time when the world seems to be moving deeper towards intolerance, the message that we should be together but not the same, was at the forefront of my mind when writing this book. It’s easy to label people, and labelling means reducing them to one attribute, which in turn makes it easier to dismiss, dehumanise, and persecute. In The Island at the End of Everything, it is down to Ami, and her friend Mari, to find a way home in a society that tells them they are only children, only girls, and so are not in control of their own lives. But of course, this is far from the truth.’
The perfect Christmas gift: a spellbinding new novel from the Sunday Times-bestselling author of The Girl of Ink & Stars, winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. In an Italian city ravaged by plague, Sofia's mother carves beautiful mementoes from the bones of loved ones. But one day, she doesn't return home. Did her work lead her into danger? Sofia and her little brother Ermin are sent to the convent orphanage but soon escape, led by an enigmatic new friend and their pet crow, Corvith. Together they cross the city underground, following clues in bones up to the towers of Siena, where - circled by magpies - the children find the terrible truth ... PRAISE FOR KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE 'She is an outstanding talent' SAMANTHA SHANNON 'The new big gun in children's fiction' TELEGRAPH 'One of the most exciting emerging talents in children's books' OBSERVER
Gothic, intoxicating, feminist, darkly provoking and deeply romantic - this is the breathtakingly imagined untold story of the brides of Dracula, by bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave in her much-anticipated YA debut. 'A Chilling and breathlessly paced thriller... Feminism, spirituality, legend and desire are beautifully interwoven in this mesmerising tale of independence and resistance' - The Daily Mail They say the thirst of blood is like a madness - they must sate it. Even with their own kin. On the eve of her divining, the day she'll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community. Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn't understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts. They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate... 'A feminist origin story of sisterhood, fate and survival certain to bewitch teenage readers and beyond' - Observer
The Sunday Times Bestseller and BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick 2020. For readers of Circe and The Handmaid's Tale, Kiran Millwood Hargrave's The Mercies is a story about a love that could prove as dangerous as it is powerful. Winter, 1617. The sea around the remote Norwegian island of Vardo is thrown into a reckless storm. A young woman, Maren, watches as the men of the island, out fishing, perish in an instant. Vardo is now a place of women. Eighteen months later, a sinister figure arrives. Summoned from Scotland to take control of a place at the edge of the civilized world, Absalom Cornet knows what he needs to do to bring the women of the island to heel. With him travels his young wife, Ursa. In her new home, and in Maren, Ursa finds something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place flooded with a terrible evil, one he must root out at all costs . . . 'Beautiful and chilling' - Madeline Miller, author of Circe 'Took my breath away' - Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl with a Pearl Earring
Twelve-year-old Ami lives on Culion Island in the Philippines, the world's largest leper colony, with her mother who is 'touched'. The arrival of Mr Zamora, a sinister government official, brings the life-changing decree that all healthy children must leave the island and move to an orphanage. Banished across the sea, can Ami find her way home before her mother dies? With themes of prejudice, difference, segregation, family, friendship and loss, this stunning novel provides plenty of opportunies for classroom discussion and will grip 11-14 students.
From the bestselling author of THE GIRL OF INK & STARS comes a paperback edition of this gorgeous wintry folk tale for young and old alike - an exciting adventure to the frozen north, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman. 'This gorgeous story of bravery, sisterhood, goodbyes and beginnings is a must for everyone.' JESSIE BURTON 'The Way Past Winter is a masterclass in exquisite storytelling.' CATHERINE DOYLE 'Gorgeous, heartfelt and incredibly exciting. Her best yet, and that's saying something.' ROBIN STEVENS Mila and her sisters live with their brother Oskar in a small forest cabin in the snow. One night, a fur-clad stranger arrives seeking shelter for himself and his men. But by the next morning, they've gone - taking Oskar with them. Fearful for his safety, Mila and her sisters set out to bring Oskar back - even it means going north, crossing frozen wild-lands to find a way past an eternal winter.
Perfect gift for Christmas with beautiful foiled cover. Gothic, intoxicating, feminist and romantic - this is the breathtakingly imagined untold story of the brides of Dracula, by bestselling author Kiran Millwood Hargrave in her much-anticipated YA debut. They say the thirst of blood is like a madness - they must sate it. Even with their own kin. On the eve of her divining, the day she'll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community. Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn't understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts. They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate...
From the bestselling author of THE GIRL OF INK & STARS comes a gorgeous wintry folk tale for young and old alike - an exciting adventure to the frozen north, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman. 'This gorgeous story of bravery, sisterhood, goodbyes and beginnings is a must for everyone.' JESSIE BURTON 'The Way Past Winter is a masterclass in exquisite storytelling.' CATHERINE DOYLE 'Gorgeous, heartfelt and incredibly exciting. Her best yet, and that's saying something.' ROBIN STEVENS Mila and her sisters live with their brother Oskar in a small forest cabin in the snow. One night, a fur-clad stranger arrives seeking shelter for himself and his men. But by the next morning, they've gone - taking Oskar with them. Fearful for his safety, Mila and her sisters set out to bring Oskar back - even it means going north, crossing frozen wild-lands to find a way past an eternal winter.
Un maravilloso viaje a un mundo de fantasia, magia y grandes aventuras La joven Isabella suena con escapar a las tierras lejanas que su padre, un celebre cartografo, dibujo en mapas, pero no puede porque el Gobernador Adori oprime a todos los habitantes de la isla de Joya. Cuando su mejor amiga desaparece, se presenta como voluntaria para participar en la busqueda. El mundo que queda mas alla de su pueblo es una tierra baldia habitada por monstruos, y bajo los rios secos y las montanas humeantes, un demonio de fuego vuelve a despertar. Isabella seguira su mapa, su corazon y una antigua leyenda para dar con su amiga y, pronto, descubrira el verdadero fin de su viaje: salvar a toda la isla de un horrible destino. "e;Kiran Millwood Hargrave me recuerda a la mejor narrativa de fantasa clsica, como Philip Pullman. Es un libro que la gente seguir leyendo a lo largo de muchos aos."e;James Daunt, librero de Daunt Books y director de Waterstones"e;Una novela mgica con una hermosa y fascinante historia de mapas, mitos y amistad. Una lectura deliciosa."e;The Guardian"e;Hargrave posee el envidiable don de contar aventuras con un estilo narrativo lrico y cautivador."e;The BooksellerGanadora del premio Waterstones Children's PrizeGanadora del premio British Book of the Year de Literatura Juvenil
The magical bestseller: perfect for Christmas Winner of the Waterstones Children's Book Prize Winner of the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year Shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award Shortlisted for the Jhalak Prize 'Absolutely loved it from start to finish' TOM FLETCHER 'I read it, I loved it' MALORIE BLACKMAN 'Kiran Millwood Hargrave creates a spellbinding world of magic, myth and adventure' EMMA CARROLL Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella dreams of the faraway lands her cartographer father once mapped. When her friend disappears, she volunteers to guide the search. The world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland - and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself. Beautiful, thrilling and magical, Sunday Times bestselling-author Kiran Millwood Hargrave's debut novel has all the makings of a modern classic.
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