The Revels: The must-read spellbinding historical debut of 2023

Product Information

Long-banished dragons, revered as gods, return to the mortal realm in the first in this magical new epic fantasy trilogy from a bestselling author

Speaking of, THAT ENDING?! I need the next book now. It is not up for debate. I hate how I can’t talk about it since I’m trying to keep this review spoiler-free but come on man. Leaving us hanging like this must be a hate crime. How does magic work? Arcady has a cylindrical amulet and does something and thinks about the dragon gods and boom, magic. His sister Cassia's face is "draconic." No shit, she's a dragon. What does that actually look like?

Advance Praise

Set in 1645, at the height of the witch hunts, we follow Nicholas, who has been dragged into the realm of hunting after the death of his brother. Then you add in magic, a heist (my fav), a cast of questionably intentioned supporting characters, a subtle will they/won't they love story and then throw multiple hurdles and twists in the way for such fantastically enjoyable alternating PoV storytelling that I am hanging for book2.

A delicious, witchy delight. An atmsopheric and powerful debut that keeps you guessing at to how it will unravel' The magic is mish mash. Humans get/steal magic from dragons. It's not always clear what they can do. For example, what are wards, and what's the point of them if they are so easily "disarmed"? Dragons are inherently magical, but they also use magic from stars and have silver pools for scrying and telepathy. There are ley lines, which classically means magic comes from the earth, that are related to the Veil. It's not so much a system as it is whatever's convenient for the plot. But my taie [grandparent] had been brilliant. He’d been able to see what others couldn’t. In magic, and in life. It was what made him so dangerous to the Consul." Sometimes I feel like I'll never read a good book again. Sometimes I have to settle for an "it was ok" one. Dragonfall is a submersive, atmospheric epic fantasy with high stakes, slow burn, and gorgeous writing. Come for the dragons, stay for the gay pining. Storytelling at its best.

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The prizes are non-transferable and there are no cash alternatives, and are subject to availability. The Promoter reserves the right to amend the specification of the prize or offer an alternative prize. In exceptional circumstances, the Promoter reserves the right to foreclose the competition without notice. A beguiling tale, rich in atmosphere and beautifully told. Fans of The Binding will love this stand out debut' Moody, atmospheric, gothic historical fiction is my favourite. Add in witches, or more specifically, historical witch trials, and I’m hooked from the outset. The Revels was sublime from the start. Such a smooth and lyrical writing style, a wholly unique narrator, and a storyline with roots deep in historical fact.

Nicholas Pearce, our main protagonist, is called home following the death of his brother, Francis. Wrapped in guilt for encouraging his brother to join the Royalist army, Nicholas enters an uneasy bargain with his father which sees him abandoning his potential career as a playwright and entering an apprenticeship with Judge William Percival, a former renowned witch-hunter. Unfortunately for Nicholas this is the last person he ever wanted to be charged to, for he harbours a dangerous secret, Nicholson can hear the dead sing. Fearing that this will see him hanged for witchcraft, he conceals what the dead reveal in their songs and keeps their burdens to himself. Yet with the rising demand for witch-hunters, William Percival is pressured into returning to his old occupation and Nicholas is tied to him. How long can Nicholas hide his true self? How many innocent lives can he watch be destroyed before he speaks up? I’ve always been fascinated by 17th-century English witch trials, specifically the legacy of Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General. He was only in his twenties when he began persecuting witches. I’ve often wondered why someone would choose to become a witch-hunter—a genuine belief in the supernatural? The financial incentive? Or the opportunity to amass untold power? The Revels is my attempt at answering this question. What are the main themes you explore in your novel? I'm conflicted about the ending. On the one hand, it rendered the majority of the preceding events meaningless. On the other, there were two twists that did make me curious about what happens next. Nicholas Pearce, our main protagonist, is called home following the death of his brother, Francis. Wrapped in guilt for encouraging his brother to join The Royalist army, Nicholas enters an uneasy bargain with his father which sees him abandoning his potential career as a playwright and entering an apprenticeship with Judge William Percival, a former renowned witch-hunter. Unfortunately for Nicholas this is the last person he ever wanted to be charged to, for he harbours a dangerous secret, Nicholson can hear the dead sing. Fearing that this will see him hanged for witchcraft, he conceals what the dead reveal in their songs and keeps their burdens to himself. Yet with the rising demand for witch-hunters, William Percival is pressured into returning to his old occupation and Nicholas is tied to him. How long can Nicholas hide his true self? How many innocent lives can he watch be destroyed before he speaks up?Arcady lives in an abandoned shop called Loc and Key, a pun that only works in English. Their magic is done using something creatively called the Old Tongue, with phrases like, "Ar-réal vanok vaugain." It looks pretty far removed from English. How are they related?