The Wizards of Once: Book 1 - The Wizards of Once (Hardback)
Cressida Cowell (author)- We can order this from the publisher
From one of Waterstone’s best-love authors, author of the bestselling How to Train Your Dragon, comes an exciting high-adventure series - set in an ancient, magical time, full of Wizards, Warriors, Giants and Sprites.
Once there was Magic, and the Magic lived in the dark forests.
Wizard boy, Xar, should have come in to his magic by now, but he hasn't, so he wants to find a witch and steal its magic for himself. But if he's got any chance of finding one, he will have to travel into the forbidden Badwoods. Xar doesn't realise he is about to capture an entirely different kind of enemy. A Warrior girl called Wish.
And inside this book, at this very moment, two worlds intersect and the fate of the land is changed forever. In a whirlwind adventure, Xar and Wish must visit the dungeons at Warrior fort, and face the evil Queen.
But something that has been sleeping for hundreds of years is stirring...
This is the story of a young boy Wizard and a young girl Warrior who have been taught to hate each other like poison; and the thrilling tale of what happens when their two worlds collide.
Cressida Cowell had an upbringing that wouldn’t look out of place in a story, spending her holidays on a tiny island off the coast of Scotland with no electricity or running water. Perhaps that is where she developed some of the first ideas for her How to Train Your Dragon series, which are amongst Waterstones’ readers’ favourites.
Publisher: Hachette Children's Group
ISBN: 9781444936704
Number of pages: 384
Weight: 674 g
Dimensions: 236 x 164 x 35 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
"World-conquering." - The Guardian
"Funny, thoughtful and surprisingly wise and lively, this is another coup from Cowell." - The Sunday Times
"The detail of Cowell's world is a delight...This one will run and run." - The Observer
"I am pleased to report that The Wizards of Once...is terrific. It introduces us to a new fantasy world, though its roots again lie deep in a familiar mulch of history and legend. Not the Norse myths this time, but a fantasia of ancient Britain, a land of dark, mysterious forests and powerful magic. What follows is a rollercoaster of suspense and surprise...The book has all the familiar Cowell trademarks. The story never flags, even at moments of calm and reflection, and the writing has humour, grit and depth. She provides her own illustrations, and their scratchy style and scribbled annotations strike the right note. It all adds up to a beautifully designed hardback volume." - The Guardian
"... it is by turns grim, poignant, philosophical and terrifying, woven through with Cowell's slapstick humour." - The Times Literary Supplement
"An exciting and promising start... A fantastical adventure ensues, filled with mythical beasts, cliff-hangers and an epic struggle between good and evil." - The Scotsman
"...bristles with rambunctious energy and humour, and feels as if it has been slapped down on the page with glee and mischief....." - Herald Scotland
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