The setting is the Northern Lands. It is a medieval world. The Collector journeys here in search of a tale about a group of people known as the Firedancers. As he pursues this he meets with an eclectic mix of people including an inn-keeper that he labels as Grendel's Mother (from the tale of Beowulf) , a story-teller called Markel, an itinerant spice trader with his pet bear, a young prostitute without a name, a dead swift (as in dead like Monty Python's parrot, not really fast) and a couple of travellers known simply as Jeff and Judith. Their stories also he collects, as he observes them. Life in the Northern Lands tends to be nasty ,brutish and short. There are very few murders in this novel but the harsh nature of the people and their culture is brought out through language, dialogue and the portrayal of everyday life. Although there may seem to be a certain fantasy element to the tale, this is a story of the commonplace. Here there be ordinary folk, not dragons.
- ISBN10 1447612531
- ISBN13 9781447612537
- Publish Date 21 July 2011
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 1 October 2014
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Lulu.com
- Format eBook (OEB)
- Language English