Advent

For centuries it has been locked away. Lost beneath the sea. Warded from earth, air, water, fire, spirits, thought and sight.

But now magic is rising to the world once more. And a boy called Gavin, who thinks only that he is a city kid with parents who hate him, and knows only that he sees things no one else will believe, is boarding a train, alone, to Cornwall. No one will be there to meet him.

“Treadwell's novel . . . defies description . . . The fantasy at the heart of the story is intricately imagined; sometimes so intricately that it verges on unintelligible. But it is also intriguing, strange, dark, occasionally incoherent and absolutely worth a read. Maybe even a second one, to figure out all the things you missed the first time.”

This mesmerizing fantasy draws aside the thin veil between the magical and the mundane to reveal the chaos that might be unleashed if we had to share our world with creatures long dismissed as legends. Told with great warmth and insight, ADVENT is an epic tale that will linger in your mind long after you turn the last page. - Deborah Harkness, author of A Discovery of Witches

It's a beautifully written tale - the first in a trilogy - which in one sense feels like a return to old-fashioned storytelling, yet manages to be utterly fresh. - Bookseller

The first in a trilogy, this is an interesting and original tale, bringing a fresh outlook to old stories, and the characters are well-realised . . . clever twists keep you hooked, and the ending and coda make it well worth the read. - SFX

Myth and magic in the modern world. A traditional quest tale beautifully told . . . The human characters are realistic and sympathetic, even those who are by any definition, downright odd. The uncanny creatures are sufficiently spooky, horrible, vile and violent. The landscape is alive. -

There is something profoundly different about ADVENT. Perhaps it is the atmosphere of history, magic and mystery it exudes, or maybe the curiosity of the characters. Or it could even be the beauty, the manipulation of the English language that James Treadwell so clearly is a master of. Either way, you know you have something special in your hands even before the story begins . . . -

James Treadwell's debut fantasy novel, ADVENT, is nothing short of magical. It is a rich tapestry of light and dark which has been spun deftly thanks to some delicately intricate - yet nonetheless accessible - prose that stimulates the senses magnificently and so begs the reader to learn more, whether aficionados of the genre or not. -

- Shelf Awareness

James Treadwell was born, brought up and educated within a mile of the Thames, and has spent much of his life further reducing the distance between him and the river. He studied and taught for more than a decade near the crossing at Folly Bridge, Oxford, and now lives within sight of the Tideway in West London. Visit his website,

For centuries it has been locked away. Lost beneath the sea. Warded from earth, air, water, fire, spirits, thought and sight.But now magic is rising to the world once more. And a boy called Gavin, who thinks only that he is a city kid with parents who hate him, and knows only that he sees things no one else will believe, is boarding a train, alone, to Cornwall. No one will be there to meet him.

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