Queen of the Dark Things: A Novel - Hardcover

Cargill, C. Robert

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062190458 ISBN 13: 9780062190451

Publisher: Harper Voyager, 2014

Synopsis

Screenwriter and noted film critic C. Robert Cargill continues the story begun in his acclaimed debut Dreams and Shadows in this bold and brilliantly crafted tale involving fairies and humans, magic and monsters—a vivid phantasmagoria that combines the imaginative wonders of Neil Gaiman, the visual inventiveness of Guillermo Del Toro, and the shocking miasma of William S. Burroughs.

 Six months have passed since the wizard Colby lost his best friend to an army of fairies from the Limestone Kingdom, a realm of mystery and darkness beyond our own. But in vanquishing these creatures and banning them from Austin, Colby sacrificed the anonymity that protected him. Now, word of his deeds has spread, and powerful enemies from the past—including one Colby considered a friend—have resurfaced to exact their revenge.

As darkness gathers around the city, Colby sifts through his memories desperate to find answers that might save him. With time running out, and few of his old allies and enemies willing to help, he is forced to turn for aid to forces even darker than those he once battled.

Following such masters as Lev Grossman, Erin Morgenstern, Richard Kadrey, and Kim Harrison, C. Robert Cargill takes us deeper into an extraordinary universe of darkness and wonder, despair and hope to reveal the magic and monsters around us . . . and inside us.

About this title

About the Author

C. Robert Cargill is the author of Dreams and Shadows and Queen of the Dark Things. He has written for Ain’t it Cool News for nearly a decade under the pseudonym Massawyrm, served as a staff writer for Film.com and Hollywood.com, and appeared as the animated character Carlyle on Spill.com. He is a cowriter of the horror films Sinister and Sinister 2, and Marvel’s Dr. Strange. He lives with his wife in Austin, Texas.

From the Back Cover

Screenwriter and noted film critic C. Robert Cargill continues the story begun in his acclaimed debut Dreams and Shadows in this bold and brilliantly crafted tale involving fairies and humans, magic and monsters—a vivid phantasmagoria that combines the imaginative wonders of Neil Gaiman, the visual inventiveness of Guillermo del Toro, and the shocking miasma of William S. Burroughs.

ix months have passed since the wizard Colby lost his best friend to an army of fairies from the Limestone Kingdom, a realm of mystery and darkness beyond our own. But in vanquishing these creatures and banning them from Austin, Colby sacrificed the anonymity that protected him. Now word of his deeds has spread, and powerful enemies from the past—including one Colby considered a friend—have resurfaced to exact their revenge.

As darkness gathers around the city and time runs out, Colby has to turn to forces even darker than those he once battled for aid.

Following such masters as Lev Grossman, Erin Morgenstern, and Kim Harrison, C. Robert Cargill takes us deeper into an extraordinary universe of darkness and wonder, despair and hope to reveal the magic and monsters around us . . . and inside us.

Reviews

Wizard Colby Stevens, young as he is, has enough bad memories to haunt him for several lifetimes. After he simultaneously won and lost his war with the Limestone Kingdom—banishing the fairy folk from Austin, Texas, but losing his best friend in the process and possibly damning himself—he wants only to be left alone. Unfortunately, a wizard as powerful as Colby can’t hide. In this sequel to Dreams & Shadows, a spirit-walker severed from her body, the shades of cursed mutineers, and “Solomon’s Seventy-Two Demons” converge in Austin. Colby must investigate how these forces are linked and create the impossible: a solution in which he punishes evildoers, rescues those in the right, and satisfies his need for redemption. Although too much of the book is devoted to exposition, including more pseudo-academic essays on magic and many (albeit, significant) philosophical digressions, the pacing explodes once all the major players are in place. Clever plotting influenced by trickster lore, a more hopeful ending, and a new cast of complex and likable characters make this sequel a winner. Fans of Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid series will especially like this volume. --Krista Hutley

Edition details

• Publisher: Harper Voyager
• Publication date: 2014
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062190458
• ISBN 13: 9780062190451
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 448