Longlisted for the Carnegie 2022, winner of the Mal Peet

A thrilling fantasy set in a land of shadows-Toby stumbles into a new world in which everything seems possible, and dangerous. Sunday Times & Times best Books of the Year 2021. 'An evocative fantasy from the acclaimed author of THE WOLF ROAD.' SUNDAY TIMES. 'If you like a dose of magical realism with your gothic novel, this story is for you. In a dangerous land enslaved by the cruel Regent where the Dreamers can turn dreams into reality, Toby meets Tamurlaine, a peculiar girl who has lost her memory. To uncover the mystery of her identity and get Toby back home, the pair must go on a journey to the castle of the Regent' THE TIMES. 'Toby, whose parents have freshly split, wanders into a strange, burning kingdom chasing a cat through a tunnel. Everything is falling apart in this autocracy plagued by floods and earthquakes as well as fire. But who is this spectral girl he meets, and how can he ever get home?' OBSERVER