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The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice Spiral-Bound | October 30, 2007
Catherynne Valente
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The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice
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Catherynne M. Valente enchanted readers with her spellbinding In the Night Garden. Now she continues to weave her storytelling magic in the next book of Orphan’s Tales—an epic of the fantastic and the exotic, the monstrous and mysterious, that will transport you far away from the everyday. . . .
Her name and origins are unknown, but the endless tales inked upon this orphan’s eyelids weave a spell over all who listen to her read her secret history. And who can resist the stories she tells? From the Lake of the Dead and the City of Marrow to the artists who remain behind in a ghost city of spice, here are stories of hedgehog warriors and winged skeletons, loyal leopards and sparrow calligraphers. Nothing is too fantastic, anything can happen, but you’ll never guess what comes next in these intimately linked adventures of firebirds and djinn, singing manticores, mutilated unicorns, and women made entirely of glass and gears. Graced with the magical illustrations of Michael Kaluta, In the Cities of Coins and Spice is a book of dreams and wonders unlike any you’ve ever encountered. Open it anywhere and you will fall under its spell. For here the story never ends and the magic is only beginning. . . .Enter a world where stars converse with heron kings, where fox-faced women helm living ships, and where a girl may take flight across the moon as a goose. In this astonishing two-volume series, Catherynne M. Valente weaves modernism, myth, and magic to create a re-imagined Brothers Grimm, a 1001 Arabian Nights for the modern age. A world-spanning cycle of fairy tales unlike any you've ever read, The Orphan's Tales at the same time taps into the ancient rhythm of tales as they have been told throughout the centuries -- creating an adventure you'll feel has been with you for as long as you've been reading, some half-forgotten memory of wonders. The Orphan's Tales is an incomparable delight for readers young and old, lavishly illustrated by acclaimed artist Michael Kaluta and perfect for every collection of marvels and mysteries.
ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR IN THE CITIES OF COIN AND SPICE:
"A lovely, epical, awe-inspiring piece of work." --Booklist "For fans of smart, surrealistic fairy tales steeped in Arabian Nights lore and the gnarled fables of Hans Christian Andersen. The overall effect is intoxicating." --Entertainment Weekly "Valente's language is lovely, her imagery evocative, and she can make even the ugliest and strangest things seem briefly luminescent. I loved it." --Fantasy & Science Fiction ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR IN THE NIGHT GARDEN:
"Valente's lyrical prose and masterful storytelling brings to life a fabulous world, solidifies Valente's place at the forefront of imaginative storytelling, and belongs in libraries of all sizes."--Library Journal "Could easily come to be regarded as a literary classic." --SFSite.com "Lyrical, witchy...mixes feminist grit with pixie dust." - Entertainment Weekly "The blooms in her night garden dazzle and bewitch, and are wondrous fair."--SFRevu.com "These are fairy tales that bite and bleed. Every moment of lyricism is countered by one of clear-eyed honesty."--Washington Post Book World. "Valente's prose is creative and sophisticated; her imagery is intricate and arresting. Any lover of well-written fantasy will find much to enjoy about Valente's book." --Green Man Review "A fine patchwork of tales, quilted in diverse colours and textures. Refreshingly original in both style and form, In the Night Garden should delight lovers of myth and folklore." --Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters Trilogy "Catherynne Valente weaves layer upon layer of marvels in her debut novel...a treat for all who love puzzle stories and the mystical language of talespinners." --Carol Berg, author of Daughter of Ancients "Fabulous talespinning in the tradition of story cycles such as The Arabian Nights. Lyrical, wildly imaginative and slyly humorous, Valente's prose possesses an irrepressible spirit." --K. J. Bishop, author of The Etched City "Astonishing work! Valente's endless invention and mythic range are breathtaking." --Ellen Kushner, author of Thomas the Rhymer
Her name and origins are unknown, but the endless tales inked upon this orphan’s eyelids weave a spell over all who listen to her read her secret history. And who can resist the stories she tells? From the Lake of the Dead and the City of Marrow to the artists who remain behind in a ghost city of spice, here are stories of hedgehog warriors and winged skeletons, loyal leopards and sparrow calligraphers. Nothing is too fantastic, anything can happen, but you’ll never guess what comes next in these intimately linked adventures of firebirds and djinn, singing manticores, mutilated unicorns, and women made entirely of glass and gears. Graced with the magical illustrations of Michael Kaluta, In the Cities of Coins and Spice is a book of dreams and wonders unlike any you’ve ever encountered. Open it anywhere and you will fall under its spell. For here the story never ends and the magic is only beginning. . . .Enter a world where stars converse with heron kings, where fox-faced women helm living ships, and where a girl may take flight across the moon as a goose. In this astonishing two-volume series, Catherynne M. Valente weaves modernism, myth, and magic to create a re-imagined Brothers Grimm, a 1001 Arabian Nights for the modern age. A world-spanning cycle of fairy tales unlike any you've ever read, The Orphan's Tales at the same time taps into the ancient rhythm of tales as they have been told throughout the centuries -- creating an adventure you'll feel has been with you for as long as you've been reading, some half-forgotten memory of wonders. The Orphan's Tales is an incomparable delight for readers young and old, lavishly illustrated by acclaimed artist Michael Kaluta and perfect for every collection of marvels and mysteries.
ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR IN THE CITIES OF COIN AND SPICE:
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Original Binding: Trade Paperback
Pages: 528 pages
ISBN-10: 055338404X
Item Weight: 1.7 lbs
Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.4 x 9.2 inches
“Astonishing work! Valente’s endless invention and mythic range are breathtaking. It’s as if she’s gone night-wandering, and plucked a hundred distant cultures out of the air to deliver their stories to us.”—Ellen Kushner, author of Thomas the Rhymer
“Weaves layer upon layer of marvels...a treat for all who love puzzle stories.”—Carol Berg, author of the Bridge of D’Arnath series
“A fairy tale lover’s wildest dream come true.... Valente has created a thought-provoking storytelling tour de force.”—Publishers Weekly
“Weaves layer upon layer of marvels...a treat for all who love puzzle stories.”—Carol Berg, author of the Bridge of D’Arnath series
“A fairy tale lover’s wildest dream come true.... Valente has created a thought-provoking storytelling tour de force.”—Publishers Weekly
Catherynne M. Valente was born in the Pacific Northwest, grew up in California, and now lives in Ohio with her two dogs. This is her fifth novel.