The Black North

Based on Irish legends and mythology, this is an enchanting new fantasy from the author of TALL TALES FROM PITCH END.

The Divided Isle, once a place of peace and tranquillity, has been ravaged by war. Twins Oona and Morris live with their grandmother in a stone cottage in the quiet southern county of Drumbroken, but the threat of the Invaders of the Black North - the ravaged northern part of the island - is coming ever closer. When Morris, fighting against the Invaders, is kidnapped by one of the evil Briar Witches, Oona must journey to the unknown realms of the Black North in search of her brother.

She is accompanied only by Merrigutt, a jackdaw with mysterious transformative powers, and a treasured secret possession: a small stone in the shape of a plum, but a stone that reveals truths and nightmares, and which the Invaders and their ruler, the King of the North, seek more than anything. Oona must keep the stone safe at all costs, and find her brother, before the King of the North extends his evil hold over the whole island and destroys it forever.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nigel grew up in County Fermanagh, rural Northern Ireland, and as a child spent most of his time battling boredom, looking for adventure - crawling through ditches, climbing trees, devising games to play with his brother and sister, and reading. His favourite book as a child was THE WITCHES by Roald Dahl.

After graduating with a degree in English (and having no clue what to do with it!), he decided to go off on another adventure, spending almost two years living and working in Australia and New Zealand. With him he took a small notebook containing scribblings about a boy called 'Bruno Atlas', and a seaside town called 'Pitch End'. When he returned to Ireland after his travels, one notebook had multiplied into many, and eventually his notes for TALL TALES FROM PITCH END filled a large cardboard box...

Nigel now lives in London. He has written articles on film and literature for a number of websites. He is always on the hunt for books about folklore and fairytale. He wishes he had more time to climb trees. TALL TALES FROM PITCH END was Nigel's debut novel. Follow Nigel on Twitter: @NMcDowellAuthor

A unique creation ... a gripping fantasy adventure that's very difficult to put down.', The Independent (Praise for TALL TALES FROM PITCH END)