Smoke: Imagine a world in which every bad thought you had was made visible… (Paperback)
Dan Vyleta (author)Published: 06/04/2017
Imagine a world in which every bad thought you had was made visible. Where anger, hatred and envy appeared as a thick, infectious smoke pouring from your body, leaving soot on your skin. A society controlled by an elite who have learned to master their darkest desires.
Thomas and Charlie are friends at a boarding school near Oxford, where the children of the rich and powerful are trained to be future leaders. Charlie is naturally good, but Thomas's father was accused of a terrible crime, and Thomas fears that the same evil lies coiled inside him. Then, on a trip to London - a forbidden city shrouded in darkness - they learn all is not as it appears. So begins a quest to understand the truth about this world of smoke, soot and ash - and perhaps to change it.
'Mesmerising and imaginative ... a novel that tackles the most fundamental question of good versus evil' Hannah Beckerman, Observer
'Like an adult version of the Harry Potter books with a touch of Dickensian dystopia ...a sheer delight' Maxim Jakubowski, Lovereading
'A novel that stays in the imagination long after it is read' Adam Roberts, Guardian
Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
ISBN: 9781474600958
Number of pages: 448
Weight: 315 g
Dimensions: 198 x 132 x 36 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
For once both comparisons (with Harry Potter and Philip Pullman's Northern Lights) are apt . . . this is a novel that stays in the imagination long after it is read - THE GUARDIAN
Mesmerising and imaginative . . . Smoke is at once profound, moving and timely: a novel that tackles the most fundamental question of good versus evil - Hannah Beckerman, THE OBSERVER
Astonishing . . . it's filling in that gaping hole left by both Harry Potter and Philip Pullman's Northern Lights. Yes, really - Stylist
Its subtle touches mean the story takes on a world of its own . . . you'll wonder why no one has seen smoke this way before - EMERALD STREET
It's detailed, multi-layered and feels authentic - and might just win over historical fiction fans too - THE POOL
a great work of imagination - Cathy Rentzenbrink, STYLIST.CO.UK
Potter-esque comparisons will be made (with some Dickensian England thrown in) of the richness and intricacy of Vyleta's world - STYLIST
Original and enthralling - GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
Books to look out for in 2016 - NEW STATESMAN
a vivid, imaginative and gripping fantasy thriller - SCIFI NOW
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“Brilliant. Cannot recommend this enough. Lovers of Philip Pullman have a new God.”
For the fourth time this year, I have found my new favourite book. A gripping story, complex characters and a world rich with ideas.
What would a world be like where all your sins are laid bare and you are judged by...
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“A fantastically dark, atmospheric and visual slow-burner”
A lot of your enjoyment of this novel will depend on your tolerance for drawn out metaphorical imagery. The concept of the ‘smoke’ permeates every page to the point that as a reader you almost feel it on your own... More
“Brilliant. Cannot recommend this enough. Lovers of Philip Pullman have a new God.”
Yet again, I have found my new favourite book. A gripping story, complex characters and a world rich with ideas.
What would a world be like where all your sins are laid bare and you are judged by the smoking gun you...
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