A sixteenth-century English apprentice fisherman is swept away into a world of adventure, mystery, wonder, and monsters in this historical fantasy.
The year is 1588. Reynard Shotwood survived the destruction of the Spanish Armada’s failed invasion, but floats alone in the water off Suffolk, the sole survivor of an English fishing boat enlisted in the common defense. No longer a boy, but not yet a man, Reynard believes his life is already over.
When he is pulled from the North Sea to the dubious shelter of a crippled Spanish galleon, Reynard is tasked by the ship’s captain with guiding them to a safe harbor in these unfamiliar waters. Instead, the ship is swept north, to an island not found on any charts but only whispered of in half-forgotten legend.
There, eldritch creatures visit the crew, stealing precious time from their sleeping forms. Only two are spared: Raynard and Manuel, the ancient mariner who rescued him. Manuel is left miraculously younger, while Reynard is gifted—or cursed—with fragments of knowledge beyond his understanding.
These fragments spur Reynard and Manuel away from the crew and deeper into the island’s mysterious interior. It seems Reynard has a destiny here, one that draws new allies and enemies alike, some human, others found in no earthly bestiary. But his destiny is stubbornly veiled, even as the nature of the island becomes shockingly clear: it is a kingdom at war, an enchanted realm ruled by hierarchies of godlike beings to whom humans are pawns at best and the world itself is no more than an idle game.
But even a lowly pawn can become the most powerful piece on the board. All he has to do is survive . . .
Genre: Fantasy
The year is 1588. Reynard Shotwood survived the destruction of the Spanish Armada’s failed invasion, but floats alone in the water off Suffolk, the sole survivor of an English fishing boat enlisted in the common defense. No longer a boy, but not yet a man, Reynard believes his life is already over.
When he is pulled from the North Sea to the dubious shelter of a crippled Spanish galleon, Reynard is tasked by the ship’s captain with guiding them to a safe harbor in these unfamiliar waters. Instead, the ship is swept north, to an island not found on any charts but only whispered of in half-forgotten legend.
There, eldritch creatures visit the crew, stealing precious time from their sleeping forms. Only two are spared: Raynard and Manuel, the ancient mariner who rescued him. Manuel is left miraculously younger, while Reynard is gifted—or cursed—with fragments of knowledge beyond his understanding.
These fragments spur Reynard and Manuel away from the crew and deeper into the island’s mysterious interior. It seems Reynard has a destiny here, one that draws new allies and enemies alike, some human, others found in no earthly bestiary. But his destiny is stubbornly veiled, even as the nature of the island becomes shockingly clear: it is a kingdom at war, an enchanted realm ruled by hierarchies of godlike beings to whom humans are pawns at best and the world itself is no more than an idle game.
But even a lowly pawn can become the most powerful piece on the board. All he has to do is survive . . .
Genre: Fantasy
Praise for this book
"Set in the age of discovery, a tale of a very strange journey indeed--and a parable of the awakening of the mind of Mankind. As throughout his career, Bear continues to astonish and delight." - Stephen Baxter
"Here there be dragons, monsters and mentors, and landscapes previously seen only in dreams. With the Elizabethan boy Reynard, explore the magical, mythical North in a literary journey unlike any you have made before. An unexpected pleasure to read and remember." - Diana L Paxson
"Here there be dragons, monsters and mentors, and landscapes previously seen only in dreams. With the Elizabethan boy Reynard, explore the magical, mythical North in a literary journey unlike any you have made before. An unexpected pleasure to read and remember." - Diana L Paxson
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