Synopsis

Rossamund Bookchild has successfully negotiated the treacherous route to High Vesting. But even within the sturdy walls of the great city he is far from safe. For the path to becoming a Lamplighter is fraught with dangers - and not just from the dread monsters who lurk in the wilds. Rossamund will need all his wits to survive his training. And he must watch his back too, for enemies from his past are never far behind.

Stunning in scope and rich in detail, alive with memorable heroes and villains and brimming with new and original science and magics, D.M. Cornish's tale of scolds, scourges, smugglers and shrewds will thrill and captivate, and leave the reader desperate for more.

 

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Reviews

"Rossamünd's action-packed road story serves chiefly to build and populate Cornish's remarkable new world. From the pre-industrial English feel to the sprawling setting and backstory, this book feels every bit as substantial as its heft implies. Highly ambitious."

-Publishers Weekly

"A meticulously imagined place, full of echoes of literary luminaries from Dickens to Patrick O'Brian and bristling with joyous erudition. "

-Washington Post

"A depth and intricacy reminiscent of the work of J. R. R. Tolkien or Robert Jordan. The unique and fascinating Half-Continent, where ships with organic engines sail caustic vinegar oceans and monster-hunters gain supernatural powers through dangerous surgeries, is a delightful, refreshing standout."

-School Library Journal

"Reading it is like being dumped into a lake, having the author shove your head under the water until you're forced to breathe it in and discovering, after a bit of a gurgle, that it tastes bloody lovely [...] a joy to read"

-SFX Magazine


"...A delightful, refreshing standout in a sea of cookie-cutter fantasy worlds."

School Library Journal, starred review

 

"From the pre-industrial English feel to the sprawling setting and backstory, this book feels every bit as substantial as its heft implies."

Publishers Weekly, starred review