The Purple Emperor - Softcover

Brennan, Herbie

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0765359219 ISBN 13: 9780765359216

Publisher: Tor Books, 2008

Synopsis

When Henry Atherton returned to his own life in the suburbs of London, he thought all was well in the Faerie Ream. His new friend Pyrgus, the crown prince of Faerie, was about to be coronated as Purple Emperor. But then Princess Holly Blue arrived on Earth, seeking Henry's help once more. A plot to assassinate Pyrgus is afoot, but that's not the worst of their problems. Pyrgus's father, the murdered Purple Emperor, has been raised from the dead by means of foul necromantic sorcery. Now Lord Hairstreak and the sinister Faeries of the Night have seized control of the Realm . . . and driven Pyrgus and his allies into hiding. Henry has no choice to return to the world of Faerie to aid his friends. But that proves easier said than done when the mystical portal linking their realms goes awry. Now Henry will have to scramble just to stay alive in a fantastic world that's constantly full of surprises . . . and danger.

About this title

About the Author:

Herbie Brennan is the author of many successful books for adults and children. Over the years his books have sold more than 7.5 million copies worldwide. By age thirty, he made the decision to devote most of his time to full-length works of fact and fiction and since then has published more than sixty books, many of them international bestsellers. Herbie lives in County Carlow, Ireland.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Chapter 1Mr Fogarty’s house was at the end of a short cul-de-sac. The front windows were partly boarded up, which gave it a deserted, derelict appearance. But Henry knew they’d been boarded up while Mr Fogarty still lived there, so the neighbours wouldn’t notice any difference. And nobody with any sense would try to visit him. Mr Fogarty had broken his last visitor’s arm with a cricket bat.
Henry had a full set of keys, but he avoided using the front door and walked around the back. It was gloomy there as always – Mr Fogarty had erected an enormously high fence to stop the neighbours spying on him – and there wasn’t much to see: just a grey, mossy patch of lawn and the garden shed beside the buddleia bush where Henry had first met Pyrgus. He walked down to the bush – it was one of Hodge’s favourite haunts – and called out, ‘Hodge! Come on Hodgie, suppertime!’
Hodge must have been lurking in the undergrowth, because he emerged at once, tail up, and polished Henry’s ankle. ‘Hello, Hodge,’ said Henry fondly. He sort of liked the old tomcat, even though he’d made the place a killing field for rats, mice, birds and rabbits.
Henry walked towards the back door, taking slow, careful steps on account of Hodge making figures of eight between his feet. When he unlocked the door and pushed it open, Hodge ran in ahead of him, eager for his pouch of Whiskas. Mr Fogarty had always fed him some foul-smelling stuff that looked like puke and cost less than 25p a tin. Hodge ate it under protest, but liked pouch Whiskas better. He’d never smooched Mr Fogarty the way he smooched Henry.
Henry opened the cupboard, took out two pouches and Hodge’s special tin plate.
‘You’re ruining that cat – you know that,’ a voice growled from the shadows.
Henry was so startled he dropped the plate, which clattered loudly on the kitchen tiles. Hodge squawked in protest and bolted for the door.
Copyright © 2004 by Herbie Brennan. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Tor Books
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0765359219
• ISBN 13: 9780765359216
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 423