Author:Jill Paton Walsh
When Marion's mother is silenced, first by a stroke, and then by death, she is left confronting the chaotic detritus of a life obsessively devoted to art. she has left it too late to ask the crucial questions about scenes confusedly remembered from her childhood, and above all about the identity of her own father, 'lost in the war'. Out of the hundreds of paintings in her mother's studio, one, a portrait of a young man, is inscribed 'For Marion'. Is this her father? And who was he?
Marion's search takes her to the Cornish town of St Ives. In the remote and closeknit town where communities of fisherfolk and artists have coexisted for many years, she learns of a tragedy which is intrinsically tied up with her father's life. Over fifty years before, the St Ives lifeboat went down with all hands bar one. Marion must delve deep into the past to discover the identity of a man she never knew,a nd in so doing confront the demons which have tortured her own adult life.
The Serpentine Cave is an imagined story containing a true one - a powerful novel about memory and loss, birth and rebirth, and past regrets which still have the power to plague the present.
In his new extrovert role he has ripped off his gilded mask of literature to reveal a savage streak
—— Jill Neville , IndependentCombining the best elements of a spy thriller, heroic fantasy and Elizabethan mystery, Chadbourn deftly mixes gruesome brutality, a shadowy world of plots and counter-plots and a vivid cast of characters...creates an alternate reality as tangible and authentic as the history we think we know...In a year of outstanding fantasies, The Sword of Albion may just be one of the best so far.
—— Monsters and CriticsGets off to a smashing start. The historical detail sets a believable backdrop, and the main character, a spy, could pass for a fantastical James Bond. Chadbourn sets a fast pace, pitting his characters against supernatural threats with a bit of horror thrown in.
—— RT Book ReviewsWeir provides immense satisfaction. She writes in a pacy, vivid style, engaging the heart as well as the mind
—— IndependentThis is a beautifully crafted book - at once a gripping adventure story and a compelling portrayal of human emotion at its bravest and its most vulnerable
—— EconomistThe Colour is the produce of a large and generous talent, generous in its giving of enjoyment
—— Financial TimesAn engrossing novel, an adventure story with a sensitive side
—— ObserverThe Colour is a measured book, a diligent, painstaking book
—— Sunday TelegraphShe is a magical storyteller - it is as an artist that she excels
—— New StatesmanBrilliantly detailed and textured
—— Daily MailTremain is the finest of historical fiction writers
—— GlossIt's uncommonly well written, with a bountiful supply of manic energy... Would Paul Auster kill to write a book as playful, fast-paced and unashamedly populist as this? Doubtful, but somewhere there's a "Paul Auster" who might
—— Alastair Mabbott , HeraldSparky debut
—— Jonathan Barnes , Literary ReviewBenedictus takes us on a trail of the contentious highs and lows of the rich and famous in a mixture of dark humour and sharp dialogue. For Benedictus, and his valiant debut novel, more of the same please
—— Ben Bookless , Big IssueThe story of the ultimate celeb after-party, it's a knowing wink at publishing and celebrity culture - a high-concept first novel sitting just the right side of salacious
—— ElleThe Afterparty avoids smugness partly because it has more affection that vitriol for the culture that it mocks... It's very funny, but sad, too... Well-drawn characters, smart dialogue and a canny plot
—— Anthony Cummins , The Times
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