The Raven's Head: A gothic tale of secrets and alchemy in the Dark Ages Karen Maitland 9781472215048

A gothic delight from Karen Maitland, author of the bestselling and much-loved Company of Liars, that will enchant readers of Kate Mosse's The Burning Chambers or fans of Deborah Harkness seeking a new, dark fix.

'An atmospheric and dark story' The Times

Never trust your secrets to a Raven when you are not its true master...

1224. Langley Manor, Norfolk.

Lord Sylvain has been practising alchemy in hiding for years and now only the Apothecary's niece can help him with final preparations to forge the Philosopher's Stone.

Alchemy calls for symbols - and victims - and when a man in possession of an intricately carved raven's head arrives at the Manor in a clumsy attempt at blackmail, Sylvain has both symbol and victim within easy reach.

But the White Canons in nearby Langley Abbey are concealing a crucial, missing ingredient... Regulus, a small boy with a large destiny.

What readers are saying about The Raven's Head:

'An intriguing and exciting dark tale about power and intrigue in politics, but most of all about the power and fear of the main ingredient of the book - almighty alchemy!'

'Full of stories, witchcraft, alchemy, suspicion and suspense. Fantastic book'

'As well as being a suspenseful tale that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, the book illustrates that the Middle Ages had a dark edge. The writing is beautiful, and the novel is crafted in a masterful way'

About the Author
Karen Maitland is an historical novelist, lecturer and teacher of Creative Writing, with over twenty books to her name. She grew up in Malta, which inspired her passion for history, and travelled and worked all over the world before settling in the United Kingdom. She has a doctorate in psycholinguistics, and now lives on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon.

Reviews
An atmospheric and dark story... * The Times *
Karen Maitland knows how to wrap you up in the darkest wings of medieval storytelling * S Magazine *
Highly recommended * historicalnovelsociety.org *

Beautifully written by one of today's great masters of medieval historical fiction

* forwinternights.wordpress.com *
A potent brew of mystery and menace... good for a winter's night * thewhishlist.co.uk *



Book Information
ISBN 9781472215048
Author Karen Maitland
Format Paperback
Page Count 512
Imprint Headline Review
Publisher Headline Publishing Group
Weight(grams) 360g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 128mm * 36mm