book cover of The Cautious Traveller\'s Guide to the Wastelands
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The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands

(2024)
A novel by

 
 
* INSTANT INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER *

For fans of
Piranesi and The Midnight Library, a STUNNING HISTORICAL FANTASY set on a grand express train, about a group of passengers on a dangerous journey across a MAGICAL LANDSCAPE

“BREATHTAKING…Abounding with mysteries and marvels.” —Samantha Shannon, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

It is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket.

There is only one way to travel across the Wastelands: on the Trans-Siberian Express, a train as famous for its luxury as for its danger. The train is never short of passengers, eager to catch sight of Wastelands creatures more miraculous and terrifying than anything they could imagine. But on the train's last journey, something went horribly wrong, though no one seems to remember what exactly happened. Not even Zhang Weiwei, who has spent her life onboard and thought she knew all of the train’s secrets.

Now, the train is about to embark again, with a new set of passengers. Among them are Marya Petrovna, a grieving woman with a borrowed name; Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist looking for redemption; and Elena, a beguiling stowaway with a powerful connection to the Wastelands itself. Weiwei knows she should report Elena, but she can’t help but be drawn to her. As the girls begin a forbidden friendship, there are warning signs that the rules of the Wastelands are changing and the train might once again be imperiled. Can the passengers trust each other, as the wildness outside threatens to consume them all?

Genre: Science Fiction

Praise for this book

"A spellbindingly original and totally engrossing book; I so much want to ride that train!" - Sharon Bolton

"Asks us to reconsider our place within the natural world amid a backdrop of capitalism and empire. . . thrilling and transcendent." - Rita Chang-Eppig

"Richly imaginative, profoundly allegorical, and utterly propulsive, I loved THE CAUTIOUS TRAVELLER'S GUIDE TO THE WASTELANDS. With impeccable pacing and elegant storytelling, this novel is pure delight. Though all on the same train, each character takes a different journey and it is most marvellous to join in as they travel the Wastelands to reach their final destinations. Bravo! All aboard for a captivating and transformative adventure!" - Melissa Fu

"Exceptional. Strange, addictive, immersive, it's a steampunk Piranesi meets His Dark Materials." - Jennie Godfrey

"I loved this book . . . deserves to become an instant classic." - Emma Kavanagh

"I hugely enjoyed The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands; it's like a steampunk Solaris." - Lawrence Norfolk

"The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wasteland is mysterious and clever and brilliant." - Natasha Pulley

"This is a wild and wonderful journey; gloriously imaginative and completely captivating. Rich in allure, intrigue and suspense, it's a ride that readers will never want to end." - Jennifer Saint

"A journey both unnerving and powerful, which thunders along at breathtaking speed, abounding with mysteries and marvels. Be warned - once you step into The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands, you'll never want to disembark." - Samantha Shannon

"I was completely transported by this book, lost in its world and mysteries, astounded by its beauty, and full of admiration for its humanity. I loved every second I spent with it, and urge everybody to pick up a copy. It's an astonishing journey." - Stuart Turton


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