Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published Sep 2015
320 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Speculative, Alt. History
Publication Information
Award-winning YA author Philip Murdstone is in trouble. His star has waned. The world is leaving him behind. His agent, the ruthless Minerva Cinch, convinces him that his only hope is to write a sword-and-sorcery blockbuster. Unfortunately, Philip - allergic to the faintest trace of Tolkien - is utterly unsuited to the task. In a dark hour, a dwarfish stranger comes to his rescue. But the deal he makes with Pocket Wellfair turns out to have Faustian consequences. The Murdstone Trilogy is a richly dark comedy described by one U.K. reviewer as "totally insane in the best way possible."
"Starred Review. Peet's book is enormous fun, especially for those familiar with the literary conventions it skewers, and it's a brilliant valedictory for the author, who died in March." - Publishers Weekly
"Starred Review. Carnegie Medalist Peet (Tamar, 2007) has written a hilarious satire of the fantasy genre with alcohol-laced overtones of Terry Pratchett and William Goldman's The Princess Bride. Blending worlds, wit, and literary allusions with unique narrative voices, Peet's take on fantasy and the writing process will attract adults and teens alike. Darkly comic and a joy to read." - Booklist
"Bitter and frothy as a pint of stout, this formula-thwarting satire will intoxicate fantasy fans with strong stomachs." - Kirkus
"Peet's prose also boasts a Pratchettian vigour and invention, most obviously in the exotic "gremes" and "porlocs" of the Realm but also in the diurnal comedy of the real world. This may be Mal Peet's first book for grownups, but it is an assured, even virtuoso, performance fully deserving that most prestigious of accolades – a rave review in the Guardian." - The Guardian (UK)
"This novel is huge fun, a jeu d'esprit inspired by writers' struggle to survive. Its weakness is that we hear, in synopsis, the story of Philip's fantasy bestseller, and it reads, well, like a fantasy bestseller. But even that might delight the readers who would have made Murdstone's fortune." - The Daily Telegraph (UK)
"... oh, oh, oh, OH! The Murdstone Trilogy is my favourite book of the year so far. Honestly, it is. It's absolutely, utterly hilarious ... Truly: I can't recommend The Murdstone Trilogy highly enough. I've never read anything quite like it ... Don't miss this one, chaps. It's crying out to be read." - Bookbag (UK)
This information about The Murdstone Trilogy was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Mal Peet was both an author and illustrator of children's books. About writing, he said, "Like many people (I suspect) I had no real interest in children's literature until I had children of my own. It'll sound a bit evangelical, I suppose, but I truly believe that there are few things more important, useful, and protective than sharing stories with your children. After their bath, heaped into a big, deep chair, doing the voices, discussing the pictures, softening your voice as the rhythm of their breathing deepens... You start to understand why certain books work and others don't."
His first novel for young adults, Keeper, is an enthralling story of a poor and gawky kid who mysteriously becomes the world's greatest goalkeeper - a seamless blend of magical realism and exhilarating ...
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