The Bedlam Stacks (Paperback)
Natasha Pulley (author)Published: 14/06/2018
An astonishing historical novel set in the shadowy, magical forests of South America, which draws on the captivating world of the international bestseller The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
Deep in uncharted Peru, the holy town of Bedlam stands at the edge of a forest. The shrine statues move and anyone who crosses the border dies. But somewhere inside are cinchona trees, whose bark yields quinine: the only known treatment for malaria.
On the other side of the Pacific, it is 1859 and India is ravaged by the disease. The hunt for a reliable source of quinine is critical and in its desperation, the India Office searches out its last qualified expeditionary.
Struggling with a terrible injury from his last mission Merrick Tremayne is still grappling with the strange occurrences at his family's ruined estate which lies deep in the Cornish landscape amidst the fabled Lost Gardens of Heligan. It is then he finds himself under orders to bring back cinchona cuttings at any cost and dispatched, against his own better judgement, to Bedlam. There he meets Raphael, a priest around whom the villagers spin unsettlingly familiar stories of impossible disappearances and living stone.
Gradually, he realises that Raphael is the key to a legacy left by two generations of Tremayne explorers before him, one which will prove more dangerous and valuable than the India Office could ever have imagined.
Read Natasha Pulley's recommendations for the best books blending historical fiction and fantasy.
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN: 9781408878477
Number of pages: 352
Weight: 254 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
The Peru that Markham and Tremayne encounter is a sheer fantastical delight. Exploding “whitewood” trees, lamps made of glowing pollen, moving statues and rock formations of pure glass ... What’s more, she writes elegantly and plots like a pro - The Times
An immense treat for lovers of both historical fiction and the surreal - Books of the Year, Observer
A fast-paced adventure story with great characters and a message about colonialism - i
Pulley’s prose is as delightfully playful and evocative as ever. She paints a hidden world that's every bit as colourful as James Cameron’s Pandora, packed with vibrant and quirky characters, and fascinating historical detail that never feels forced - SFX Magazine
Filled with wondrous images, from moving statues to exploding trees … It rolls along at speed to a satisfying ending - Scotsman
A magical, hugely imaginative novel set in 1859 … Adventure and mystery abound as his expedition encounters moving statues, exploding trees, volcanic glass, floating cities and protective Incas - Sunday Express
Impossible to put down - San Francisco Book Review
Natasha Pulley had a lot to live up to after the runaway success of her debut novel, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street. But she’s managed to do just that with The Bedlam Stacks - Herald
This terrific historical adventure draws on the same world of magic and intrigue as Pulley’s bestselling The Watchmaker of Filigree Street … Brilliantly imaginative - Saga ‘Poolside page-turners’
Part adventure story, part meditation, and all richly imagined dreamscape ... Pulley’s story reaches across the years and miles to reflect on the nature of time, myth, magic, and above all, what makes us most human … Magical on the outside and inside - Chicago Review of Books
Immensely readable ... The story’s rich detail provides the reader a clear experience of 1850s Peru while imparting believability to its magic and imaginative elements. Its exciting style, humour and uniqueness are nothing short of charming. Enthusiastically recommended - Historical Novel Society
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“Simply wonderful....”
This second novel from the bestseller " The Watchmaker of Fligree Street " does not disappoint. She has kept all the wonderful elements of the first book and added a mysteries magical storyline based in the... More
“A 19th century setting for a "magic" story”
Reminiscent of a H Rider Haggard or H G Wells novel, his book deals with a pair of English explorers in Peru to bring cinchona bark to India to make quinine and prevent a malaria epidemic. They travel to... More
“Dangerous horticulture”
Natasha Pulley’s follow-up to The Watchmaker of Filigree Street is set in the same universe and again, beautifully written, evoking the feel of the period with a magical twist.
Our hero, Merrick Tremayne, was...
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