Mark Chadbourn at Tangled Web UK

Page Updated: 06/02/2007

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Mark Chadbourn - Page 2

Paperback - Gollancz (2002)

First British Edition Gollancz (2001)

Always Forever
Britain has been transformed into a land of myth: a magical place where wonder and fear go hand-in-hand. But humanity’s days are numbered. When the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain dawns, Balor, the dark god who has haunted mankind’s nightmares, for, millennia, will finally usher in the eternal night.
Mankind will be no more; our world’s only hope, the Brothers and Sisters of Dragons, are scattered and broken after a terrible defeat. Amidst the wreckage of the twenty-first century’s technology, these flawed champions attempt to pull themselves together for one final assault. But to stand even a chance of victory they need to win over the contemptuous and arrogant gods of Celtic mythology, the golden-skinned, angelic Tuatha Dé Danann.
To do that, Church and Ruth embark on a mind-blowing journey aboard a fantastical ship to the wondrous and terrifying home of the gods themselves.
In this final volume of The Age of Misrule all the mysteries are finally revealed as adventure, romance, chills and deceit carne in a truly shocking and cataclysmic denouement.
‘It’s all go from page one, and high adventure of the finest sort…’ SFX

First British Edition Gollancz (2000)

Paperback - Gollancz Millenium (2001)

Darkest Hour
Book One of the Age of Misrule

The ancient gods of Celtic mythology have returned and technology has become redundant. It is myth and magic that now reign supreme in the new Dark Age ... this Age of Misrule.

The Eternal Conflict between the Light and Dark once again blackens the skies and blights the land. On one side stand the Tuatha De Danann, golden-skinned and beautiful, filled with all the might of angels. On the other are the Fomorii, monstrous devils hell-bent on destroying all human existence.
And in the middle are five flawed individuals, determined to use the strange power that binds them to the land in a last, desperate attempt to save the human race.
Church, Ruth, Ryan, Laura and Shavi have joined forces with Tom, a hero from the mists of time, to wage a guerrilla war against the iron rule of the gods. But they didn't count on things going from bad to worse ...
For the Fomorii are plotting to resurrect the Heart of Shadows, also known as Balor, the one-eyed god of death believed destroyed when they first walked the world an aeon ago. And if this ultimate Evil casts its grim shadow across the country once more, it really will mean the end of everything ...
Praise for Mark Chadbourn and Darkest Hour
`It’s all go from page one, and high adventure of the finest sort. Happily, the action’s also peppered with choice writing . . . genuinely chilling scenes, even to these jaded eyes. Chadbourn stylishly juxtaposes elves and a druggy club-scene, Herne the Hunter and service stations.’ SFX
`Chadbourn handles characterisation with a skill and depth not always found in series fantasy . . . (He) does an excellent job of portraying these prickly relationships, drawing sympathetic portraits of not-wholly-likeable people as they painfully feel their way toward true fellowship.’ SFSite.com
`A very fine, intensely suspenseful dark fantasy.’ Science Fiction Chronicle
`A brisk read, with a good mix of characters, impressive action sequences . . . Chadbourn knows his mythology and folklore, and uses it to good effect. He even manages to put a cynical spin on the traditional heroic happy ending.’ The Third Alternative
‘Things get fun - and surreal ... Appealingly different’ Locus
‘Chadbourn’s careful balance of action, character development, mystery, and revelation makes this a thoroughly gripping read’ The SF Site

Paperback - Gollancz Millenium (2000)

First British Edition Gollancz (1999)

Worlds End
Book One of the Age of Misrule
The ages-old prophecy said: 'In Britain’s darkest hour, a hero shall arise…
When Jack Churchill and Ruth Gallagher encounter a terrifying, misshapen giant beneath a London bridge they are plunged into a mystery which threatens the end of the world as we know it. All over the country, the ancient gods of Celtic myth are returning to the land from which they were banished millennia ago. Following in their footsteps are creatures of folklore: the Fabulous Beasts, wonders and dark terrors - there are dragons buzzing jet planes and shapeshifters on industrial estates, but their existence threatens the very fabric of the modern world. For the first time in many years, the lonely places and the high places of the once-peaceful countryside have become a no-man's land.
As technology starts to fail, Church and Ruth are forced to embark on a desperate quest for four magickal items from the barely remembered days when the myths first walked the world the last chance for humanity in the face of powers barely comprehended. Three other companions join Church and Ruth on their arduous journey to Britain's most mysterious ancient sites, but these are not the heroes of old: some of the biggest obstacles they must overcome spring from their own human nature: jealousy, mistrust and deceit.
With time drawing short and the modern world falling into twilight, can the five terribly flawed companions find it within themselves to be heroes - or will humanity be swept aside in the dawning of a dark new age?
World's End draws on Celtic myth, Arthurian legend and British folklore to tell an epic fantasy of wonder, terror, awe and magick.
‘Buy it. Read it. You won’t be sorry. In fact, you’ll be anxiously waiting for Part Two, Darkest Hour…’ The British Fantasy Society
‘His characters are realistic and distinctive . . . Chadbourn edges up the tension notch by notch in this absorbing and spooky tale, ending (since this is a first volume) on a cliff-hanger. Hugely enjoyable. I can’t wait for Book Two!’ Starburst

First British Edition Gollancz (1997)

Scissorman
When whizzkid City dealer Jon Summers cracks up under the strain of his hated job and a fast-paced drink and drugs lifestyle, his wife arranges for him to recuperate in an old Victorian house called Arcadia - the house where he spent three magical years as a child.
As Christmas approaches and Jon teeters on the brink of a complete nervous breakdown, he discovers the magic of Arcadia still lives, but over the years it has grown much darker...
Caught in the misty area between psychosis and sanity, Jon inadvertently opens a door to somewhere else, and what slips through into our world is a childhood nightmare that should never have shape: the Scissorman, no longer a Victorian myth used to frighten naughty boys and girls, but a monstrous force that sweeps out of the night to carve up frail human bodies with its razored hands.
And it has a mission ...