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Extracts

The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart

Riverkeep

Fifteen-year-old Wulliam is dreading taking up his family's mantle of Riverkeep, tending the river and fishing corpses from its treacherous waters. But then everything changes. One night his father is possessed by a dark spirit, and Wull hears that a cure lurks deep within the great sea-beast known as the mormorach. He realizes he must go on an epic journey downriver to find it - or lose Pappa forever.

A cracking, startlingly original story . . . It would be an extraordinary book by any author - but it is Martin Stewart's first

Relentlessly brilliant . . . Stylish, precise, limitlessly evocative of landscape, atmosphere, guilt and terror . . . That he has packed enough detail, talent and skill in there for three books can hardly be a criticism. His characters lived for me by the end

A completely absorbing fantasy debut from a highly skilled writer

Riverkeep is utterly engrossing. There are elements of Game of Thrones in the grittily realised violence; there is Gormenghast in the grotesque comedy; and it has the strange magic of Earthsea. The prose is by turns dense, sensuous, and funny, but never less than gripping. A superb debut novel

Anthony McGowan, award-winning author of The Knife that Killed Me and Henry Tumour

Stewart's opening is both dramatic and touching, as fifteen-year-old Wull, reluctantly destined to succeed his father as the 'riverkeep', watches his own father disappear beneath the water when a freakish monster grabs him and takes him below. The writing is both visceral and highly visual. It's a remarkably assured debut . . . written by someone utterly confident in the reality of the world he has created and in the appeal of his characters

One of my favourite debuts of the year so far

A truly extraordinary, rich and vivid debut. Martin has built a world and concocted a story you can get lost in - this is one of the most engrossing books I've read this year, and I loved every second of it. One for fans of Pratchett and Gaiman

Robin Stevens, author of Murder Most Unladylike

Stewart is being touted as the new star of fantasy fiction, and the subject of heady comparisons with his heroes Neil Gaiman and Philip Pullman

It's exciting; it's thrilling; it's emotional - it's a roller-coaster of a book which draws the reader right in and doesn't want to let you go

Outstanding . . . Wulliam's world is richly furnished with lush language and wonderful words, despite him being a man of so few

An utterly compelling and masterful young adult fantasy, Riverkeep swallows the reader whole from the first page, immersing them in its atmospheric, watery, ghostly world and keeping them gripped to the end. Highly recommended for any fan of Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman or Ursula Le Guin

An astonishing blend of the literary, the comedic, and the emotionally resonant . . . Marks the beginning of a remarkable career

Riverkeep is a stunning book and a must-read for fans of Neil Gaiman and Philip Pullman. It's dark and immersive with a rich mix of wonderfully complicated - and occasionally hilarious - characters in a dreamy, violent world. It'll sweep you up like a strange and dangerous river and you'll never want it to let you go

Moira Fowley-Doyle, author of The Accident Season

Intense . . . As darkly comical as it is terrifying and violent. Stewart shows a dab hand at crafting memorable characters and thoroughly frightening opponents for them to face. A rich debut: Huck Finn meets Moby-Dick

Filled with wild adventure and hilarious dialogue, this vivid, engrossing fantasy will delight readers

Remarkable . . . A rich and vivid fantasy world with a full cast of memorable characters and fantastical beasts

Exquisite . . . Martin Stewart's descriptions of Wull's world gripped in winter are brutal and beautiful, his monsters are terrifyingly plausible

Martin Stewart has previously worked as a recycling technician, university lecturer, barman, golf caddy, and English teacher. Having written his first book on Post-Its as an eight year-old, it was his time back in the classroom that made him understand the unique joy of writing for younger readers. A native of Glasgow, where he still lives, he enjoys buying books to feed his to-be-read pile, and combining the city's urban splendour with walks on the beaches of Scotland's west coast. Martin's first novel, Riverkeep, was longlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize. Follow him on Twitter: @martinjstewart.

Fifteen-year-old Wulliam is dreading taking up his family's mantle of Riverkeep, tending the river and fishing corpses from its treacherous waters. But then everything changes. 
 
One night his father is possessed by a dark spirit, and Wull hears that a cure lurks deep within the great sea-beast known as the mormorach. He realizes he must go on an epic journey downriver to find it - or lose Pappa forever.

Martin Stewart

An atmospheric coming-of-age story with brilliantly executed elements of horror and comic relief

Stewart is a master at weaving vivid and visceral images in the minds of his readers and this book has no shortage of truly terrifying moments that will stay with you long after you have finished it. Definitely one to read with the lights on and far away from any childhood toys

From the delightfully strange imagination of Scottish writer Martin Stewart comes a creepy and engrossing horror story

This creepy thriller is one for fans of Stephen King and Stranger Things

The comparisons to Stranger Things are apt and well deserved. This is one of the most original and unique books I've ever read

An expertly written horror laced through with joyful comedy, Martin Stewart's follow-up to the award winning Riverkeep is a suspenseful and gruesome tale of friendship, family and faith - perfect for fans of Stranger Things or Stephen King

Moody and atmospheric, with sardonic humor; a meaty slice of horror

Stewart is masterful. He weaves a chilling, supernatural plot with a playfulness and brings the darkest chapters back from the edge. I suspect Stephen King would be impressed

This eldritch escapade is certainly an option for kids too old to go trick-or-treating

Sep, Arkle, Mack, Lamb and Hadley: five friends thrown together one hot, sultry summer. When they discover an ancient stone box hidden in the forest, they decide to each make a sacrifice: something special to them, committed to the box for ever. And they make a pact: they will never return to the box at night; they'll never visit it alone; and they'll never take back their offerings. 
 
Four years later, a series of strange and terrifying events take place. Someone broke the rules, and now everyone has to pay. 
 
But how much are they willing to sacrifice?

Martin Stewart

Praise for The Sacrifice Box

An atmospheric coming-of-age story with brilliantly executed elements of horror and comic relief

Stewart is a master at weaving vivid and visceral images in the minds of his readers and this book has no shortage of truly terrifying moments that will stay with you long after you have finished it. Definitely one ...

From the delightfully strange imagination of Scottish writer Martin Stewart comes a creepy and engrossing horror story

An atmospheric coming-of-age story with brilliantly executed elements of horror and comic relief

Stewart is a master at weaving vivid and visceral images in the minds of his readers and this book has no shortage of truly terrifying moments that will stay with you long after you have finished it. Definitely one ...

From the delightfully strange imagination of Scottish writer Martin Stewart comes a creepy and engrossing horror story

An atmospheric coming-of-age story with brilliantly executed elements of horror and comic relief

Stewart is a master at weaving vivid and visceral images in the minds of his readers and this book has no shortage of truly terrifying moments that will stay with you long after you have finished it. Definitely one ...

From the delightfully strange imagination of Scottish writer Martin Stewart comes a creepy and engrossing horror story

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