Abarat

Description

A dazzling fantasy adventure for all ages, the first of a quartet appearing at yearly intervals. Abarat: an archipelago of amazement and wonder. A land made up of twenty-five islands, each one representing one hour of the day, each one a unique place of adventure and danger (and one mysterious place out of time), all ruled over by the evil Christopher Carrion, Lord of Midnight, and his monstrous grandmother, Mater Motley. Candy Quackenbush, a sixteen year old from Chickentown, Minnesota, crosses by accident from our world into Abarat, and discovers she has been there many, many times before. She has friends there, and she has enemies. As Candy makes her journey between all the islands of the archipelago, she will discover a plot by Christopher Carrion to block out the sun, moon and stars to achieve a condition of Permanent Midnight. In order to prevent this disaster, Candy must find the courage to confront the Lord of Midnight; and in doing so come to know who she really is, a revelation which will transform her own understanding of her place in the epic events. The first book of Abarat is a spellbinding adventure for all ages, combining the heart-stopping tension of a thriller with the powerful charm of the most enduring fable. A visual and literary treat that will capture the imaginations of adults and children alike.

Reviews

Praise for the illustrated hardback edition: "ABARAT is more than just a new and major contender. It is (like his earlier book, THE THIEF OF ALWAYS) full of a level of beautiful terror that children are still just able to bear" Independent "Always creating and always pushing into the furthest reaches of the human mind, he is an artist in every sense of the word. He is the great imaginer of our time" Quentin Tarantino "You're eager to love this beautiful, heavy, richly coloured slab of a book. And thankfully it's easy to love...Abarat is a sumptuous and lovely thing. With beautiful pictures of monsters." The Guardian "A blend of Alice in Wonderland and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" Entertainment Weekly "Embraces the lands of Oz, Wonderland and Narnia" Booklist

Author description

Clive Barker was born in Liverpool in 1952. He is the worldwide bestselling author of the Books of Blood, and numerous novels including Weavenworld, Imajica, The Great and Secret Show, Sacrament and Galilee. In addition to his work as a novelist and short story writer he also illustrates, writes, directs and produces for the stage and screen.