Shadows

Shadows is a compelling and inventive novel set in a world where science and magic are at odds, by Robin McKinley, the Newbery-winning author of The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword, as well as the classic titles Beauty, Chalice, Spindle's End, Pegasus and Sunshine 
 
Maggie knows something's off about Val, her mom's new husband. Val is from Oldworld, where they still use magic, and he won't have any tech in his office-shed behind the house. But-more importantly-what are the huge, horrible, jagged, jumpy shadows following him around? Magic is illegal in Newworld, which is all about science. The magic-carrying gene was disabled two generations ago, back when Maggie's great-grandmother was a notable magician. But that was a long time ago. 
 
Then Maggie meets Casimir, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. He's from Oldworld too-and he's heard of Maggie's stepfather, and has a guess about Val's shadows. Maggie doesn't want to know . . . until earth-shattering events force her to depend on Val and his shadows. And perhaps on her own heritage. 
 
In this dangerously unstable world, neither science nor magic has the necessary answers, but a truce between them is impossible. And although the two are supposed to be incompatible, Maggie's discovering the world will need both to survive. 
 
About the author: 
Robin McKinley has won many awards, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown, a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword, and the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature for Sunshine. 
 
She lives in Hampshire, England with her husband, author Peter Dickinson 
 
Check out her blog at robinmckinleysblog.com.

Robin McKinley has won many awards, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown, a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword, and the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature for Sunshine. 
 
She lives in Hampshire, England with her husband, author Peter Dickinson 
 
Check out her blog at robinmckinleysblog.com.

Maggie knows something's off about Val, her mom's new husband. Val is from Oldworld, where they still use magic, and he won't have any tech in his office-shed behind the house. But - more importantly-what are the huge, horrible, jagged, jumpy shadows following him around? Magic is illegal in Newworld, which is all about science. The magic-carrying gene was disabled two generations ago, back when Maggie's great-grandmother was a notable magician. But that was a long time ago. 
 
Then Maggie meets Casimir, the most beautiful boy she has ever seen. He's from Oldworld too-and he's heard of Maggie's stepfather, and has a guess about Val's shadows. Maggie doesn't want to know . . . until earth-shattering events force her to depend on Val and his shadows. And perhaps on her own heritage. 
 
In this dangerously unstable world, neither science nor magic has the necessary answers, but a truce between them is impossible. And although the two are supposed to be incompatible, Maggie's discovering the world will need both to survive.

Elementals: Water

A new collection of fairy tales based on water written by two outstanding and renowned authors.

This is a beautifully presented collection of tales emerging from water, with an absorbing cover. A hauntingly memorable book

Dedicated older readers will thank you for this book

Biography for Peter Dickinson 
 
PETER DICKINSON has won numerous prizes for his books for young readers, including the Carnegie Medal (twice), the Guardian Award, and the Whitbread Literary Award (again, twice). His previous titles for Transworld have included a number of novels for teenage readers, as well as the enchanting Time and the Clock Mice, Etcetera. 
 
 
Biography for Robin McKinley 
 
Robin McKinley is an American writer and has won many awards 
in the US, including the Newbery Medal for THE HERO AND THE CROWN and a Newbery Honor for THE BLUE SWORD. She now lives in Hampshire with her husband, author Peter Dickinson, three whippets, five hundred rose bushes and a 1965 cream-coloured MGB convertible.

Six fabulous tales - vividly imagined and powerfully told. 
 
The shriek of the wind, calling the waters to rebel - and a silver man from the sea with a voice like the roar of a seashell . . . 
 
A long-told story of the sea people and their song - and a golden eye, glittering in a pool at the edge of a desert . . . 
 
A ferocious serpent, its body as think as the trunk of a huge tree - and the immense, unknowable Kraken, dark beyond black, cold beyond ice, waking on the ocean floor . . . 
 
Immerse yourself in this mesmorising collection of short stories inspired buy the element of Water - and be swept away by the supurb storytelling skills of two major award-winning authors.

Pegasus

Robin McKinley has won many awards, including the Newbery Medal for The Hero and the Crown, a Newbery Honor for The Blue Sword, and the Mythopoeic Award for Adult Literature for Sunshine. 
 
She lives in Hampshire, England with her husband, author Peter Dickinson, two hellhounds nicknamed Chaos and Darkness, an 1897 Steinway upright named Rhodanthe, and increasing numbers of rose bushes wedged into three tiny gardens. The view out her office window is her change-ringing bell tower and in the next village over is a paragon among horses whom Robin is so fortunate as to have permission to ride. Check out her blog at robinmckinleysblog.com.

The first book in a magical two-part tale of fantasy and friendship . . . 
 
On her twelfth birthday, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to her own Pegasus, Ebon. For a thousand years humans and pegasi have lived peacefully in the beautiful green country beyond the wild lands. They rely on human magicians and pegasi shamans as their only means of real communication - but not Sylvi and Ebon. Their friendship is like no other. . . 
 
They can understand each other. 
 
But as their bond grows more powerful, it becomes dangerous - could their friendship threaten to destroy the peace and safety of their two worlds?

Spindle's End

A magical retelling of the fairy tale, The Sleeping Beauty, for older readers.

A fairy tale, but also a long, leisurely, sophisticated narrative which makes no linguistic compromises. . . . Spindle's End's subject is magical perils, but as a novel it is an almost utopian love story. A curious and distinctive book

A skilful retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. . . . This is electrifying story-telling, a must-read for fans of quality fantasy of any age

I would recommend very few of the novels written for teenagers that pass through my hands to a discerning adult reader. So this is a bit of a find. An extraordinarily imaginative retelling of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale, McKinley's book is genuinely enchanting but emotionally tough

Written with rich inventiveness, good characters and real stylistic skill and flair, it is a fat treat in which to lose yourself

Robin McKinley is an American writer and has won many awards 
in the US, including the Newbery Medal for THE HERO AND THE CROWN and a Newbery Honor for THE BLUE SWORD. She now lives in Hampshire with her husband, author Peter Dickinson, three whippets, five hundred rose bushes and a 1965 cream-coloured MGB convertible.

An exceptional retelling of The Sleeping Beauty which takes the reader into a magical world filled with modern characters, encountering adventure, love and loss. Rosie is very, very ordinary. No-one, not even an extremely powerful and evil fairy who is out for the princess's blood, would give Rosie a second glance. But then, even Rosie doesn't know the secret of her own birth...and she cannot be hidden forever as her twenty-first birthday approaches. The curse placed on her at her christening will hunt her down through the years, gathering strength, and at some point a princess must become a queen, even if she would rather just stay ordinary-

Robin McKinley

Beauty and the Beast, retold by a plain but captivating heroine

A love story for teenagers that marries realism and fantasy with satisfying imagination, elegance of prose and thoughtful characterisation. McKinley's Beauty is more than skin deep

McKinley adds delightful touches of her own . . .

Beauty is a classic reworking of a classic, McKinley wraps it all up together alluringly

From an award winning author comes this brilliant re-telling which rivals the original

When the family business collapses, Beauty and her two sisters are forced to leave the city and begin a new life in the countryside. However, when their father accepts hospitality from the elusive and magical Beast, he is forced to make a terrible promise - to send one daughter to the Beast's castle, with no guarantee that she will be seen again. Beauty accepts the challenge, and there begins an extraordinary story of magic and love that overcomes all boundaries. This is another spellbinding and emotional tale embroidered around a fairytale from Robin McKinley, an award-winning American author.

Robin McKinley

Praise for Beauty

Beauty and the Beast, retold by a plain but captivating heroine

A love story for teenagers that marries realism and fantasy with satisfying imagination, elegance of prose and thoughtful characterisation. McKinley's Beauty is more than skin deep

McKinley adds delightful touches of her own . . .

Beauty and the Beast, retold by a plain but captivating heroine

A love story for teenagers that marries realism and fantasy with satisfying imagination, elegance of prose and thoughtful characterisation. McKinley's Beauty is more than skin deep

McKinley adds delightful touches of her own . . .

Beauty and the Beast, retold by a plain but captivating heroine

A love story for teenagers that marries realism and fantasy with satisfying imagination, elegance of prose and thoughtful characterisation. McKinley's Beauty is more than skin deep

McKinley adds delightful touches of her own . . .

Books by Robin McKinley

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