The Cup Of The World
3 primary works
Book 1
The tautest, most realistic medieval fantasy you could wish for - and a towering achievement for a first novel. Filled with immense characters, this thrilling novel of moral complexity and vision announces the arrival of a special new writing talent. Phaedra, the beautiful daughter of a baron, has been visited in dreams by an elusive knight for almost as long as she can remember. And when his presence becomes a reality, she is forced to choose him and a new life over her home and her father. But this sets off a chain of events that she could not have foreseen - a battle between good and evil which is in turn violent and psychologically compelling. This stunning novel grapples with the huge themes of life, and turns the reader's expectations upside down again and again, with one vertiginous plunge after another.
Book 2
When the hooded prince of the evil "undercraft" is released from a magical prison, young Ambrose, the last descendant of a great king, flees for his life, not knowing who his friends or enemies are.
Book 3
He could see her, the woman the size of a mountain, weeping for a child lost. He could feel that weeping in his heart - all the loss and pain and darkness of the world, on and on, dragging at him like weights that pulled him into deep water. Atti is the Fatal Child. Beautiful and adored, she is troubled by a recurring nightmare of violence and betrayal. She can love no one and trust no one, and she wakes screaming in the nights. Driven by his love for Atti, Ambrose, son of Phaedra, gives up his wandering existence and takes the throne. This is the story of his kingship and his attempts to remove the curse of Beyah, the weeping goddess, from his land. For while Beyah weeps, she poisons hearts, and only when the weeping stops can peace be restored to the kingdom. Seen through the eyes of Padry, close advisor to the king, and of Melissa, maid to the queen, this is a passionate story of love and betrayal, power and sacrifice, hope and loss. Prophecies are fulfilled and story threads are concluded as Ambrose and his mother struggle to come to terms with their destinies.