Books by Frances Hardinge
Fly by Night
Twelve-year-old Mosca Mye hasn't got much. Her parents are dead, her cruel uncle keeps her locked away, and her only friend is her pet goose. But she does have one small, rare thing: the ability to read. In a world where books are dangerous things, this gift will change her life—but it may also be the death of her.
Copies
No copies available.
Fly by Night
Twelve-year-old Mosca Mye hasn't got much. Her cruel uncle keeps her locked up in his mill, and her only friend is her pet goose, Saracen, who'll bite anything that crosses his path. But she does have one small, rare thing: the ability to read. She doesn't know it yet, but in a world where books are dangerous things, this gift will change her life.
Enter Eponymous Clent, a smooth-talking con man who seems to love words nearly as much as Mosca herself. Soon Mosca and Clent are living a life of deceit and danger -- discovering secret societies, following shady characters onto floating coffeehouses, and entangling themselves with crazed dukes and double-crossing racketeers. It would be exactly the kind of tale Mosca has always longed to take part in, until she learns that her one true love -- words -- may be the death of her.
Fly by Night is astonishingly original, a grand feat of the imagination from a masterful new storyteller.
Copies
No copies available.
Fly Trap (Fly by Night)
Having barely escaped the revolution they had a huge (if accidental) part in causing, sharp-eyed orphan Mosca Mye; her guard goose, Saracen; and their sometimes-loyal companion, the con man Eponymous Clent, must start anew.
All too quickly, they find themselves embroiled in fresh schemes and twisting politics as they are trapped in Toll, an odd town that changes its entire personality as day turns to night. Mosca and her friends attempt to fend off devious new foes, subvert old enemies, prevent the kidnapping of the mayor's daughter, steal the town's Luck, and somehow manage to escape with their lives—and hopefully a little money in their pockets.
In the eagerly awaited sequel to Fly by Night, acclaimed storyteller Frances Hardinge returns to a vivid world rich with humor, danger, and discovery.
Copies
No copies available.
The Lost Conspiracy
On an island of sandy beaches, dense jungles, and slumbering volcanoes, colonists seek to apply archaic laws to a new land, bounty hunters stalk the living for the ashes of their funerary pyres, and a smiling tribe is despised by all as traitorous murderers. It is here, in the midst of ancient tensions and new calamity, that two sisters are caught in adeadly web of deceits.
Arilou is proclaimed a beautiful prophetess—one of the island's precious oracles: a Lost. Hathin, her junior, is her nearly invisible attendant. But neither Arilou nor Hathin is exactly what she seems, and they live a lie that is carefully constructed and jealously guarded.
When the sisters are unknowingly drawn into a sinister, island-wide conspiracy, quiet, unobtrusive Hathin must journey beyond all she has ever known of her world—and of herself—in a desperate attempt to save them both. As the stakes mount and falsehoods unravel, she discovers that the only thing more dangerous than the secret she hides is the truth she must uncover.
Copies
No copies available.
Well Witched
Ryan and his friends don't think twice about stealing some money from a wishing well. After all, who's really going to miss a few tarnished coins?
The well witch does.
And she demands payback: Now Ryan, Josh, and Chelle must serve her . . . and the wishes that lie rotting at the bottom of her well. Each takes on powers they didn't ask for and don't want. Ryan grows strange bumps—are they eyes?—between his knuckles; Chelle starts speaking the secrets of strangers, no matter how awful and bloody; and Josh can suddenly—inexplicably—grant even the darkest of wishes, the kind of wishes that should never come true.
Darkly witty, wholly unexpected, and exquisitely sinister, Frances Hardinge's Well Witched is one well-cast tale that readers didn't know they were wishing for.
Copies
No copies available.
Well Witched
Ryan and his friends don't think twice about stealing some money from a wishing well. After all, who's really going to miss a few tarnished coins?
The well witch does.
And she demands payback: Now Ryan, Josh, and Chelle must serve her . . . and the wishes that lie rotting at the bottom of her well. Each takes on powers they didn't ask for and don't want. Ryan grows strange bumps—are they eyes?—between his knuckles; Chelle starts speaking the secrets of strangers, no matter how awful and bloody; and Josh can suddenly—inexplicably—grant even the darkest of wishes, the kind of wishes that should never come true.
Darkly witty, wholly unexpected, and exquisitely sinister, Frances Hardinge's Well Witched is one well-cast tale that readers didn't know they were wishing for.
Copies
No copies available.
A Face Like Glass
An enchanting underground world hides sinister secrets in this YA fantasy from award-winning author Frances Hardinge
An ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book
In the underground city of Caverna, the world’s most skilled craftspeople toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare—wines that remove memories, cheeses that make you hallucinate, and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer, even as he slits your throat. On the surface, the people of Caverna seem ordinary, except for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to express (or fake) joy, despair, or fear—at a steep price.
Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. Neverfell’s expressions are as varied and dynamic as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, except hers
are entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed . . .
Copies
No copies available.
A Face Like Glass
An enchanting underground world hides sinister secrets in A Face Like Glass, a YA fantasy from award-winning author Frances Hardinge.
An ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book
In the underground city of Caverna, the world’s most skilled craftspeople toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare—wines that remove memories, cheeses that make you hallucinate, and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer, even as he slits your throat. On the surface, the people of Caverna seem ordinary, except for one thing: Their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned, and only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to express (or fake) joy, despair, or fear—at a steep price.
Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. Neverfell’s expressions are as varied and dynamic as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, except hers are entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed . . .
Copies
No copies available.
Fly By Night
Discover a world where words have untold power in Fly By Night, a thrilling fantasy adventure from award-winning author Frances Hardinge.
Everybody knew that books were dangerous. Read the wrong book, it was said, and the words crawled around your brain on black legs and drove you mad, wicked mad.
Mosca Mye’s father insisted on teaching her to read—even in a world where books are dangerous, regulated things. Eight years later, Quillam Mye died, leaving behind an orphaned daughter with an inauspicious name and an all-consuming hunger for words.
Trapped for years in the care of her cruel Uncle Westerly and Aunt Briony, Mosca leaps at the opportunity for escape, though it comes in the form of sneaky swindler Eponymous Clent. As she travels the land with Clent and her pet goose, Saracen, Mosca begins to discover complicated truths about the world she inhabits and the power of words.
“Through rich, colorful language and a sure sense of plot and pacing, Hardinge has created a distinctly imaginative world full of engaging characters, robust humor, and true suspense.” —School Library Journal (Starred Review)
Books by Frances Hardinge:
Fly By Night
Fly Trap
Copies
No copies available.
Fly Trap: The Sequel to Fly by Night
Mosca Mye and Eponymous Clent return in the sequel to Fly By Night, from award-winning author Frances Hardinge
Having successfully wreaked revolution upon the City of Mandelion, the pair find themselves escaping catastrophe by the skin of their teeth and seeking refuge in Toll. In this strange, aptly named gateway town, visitors may neither enter nor exit without paying a steep price. By day,
the city is well-mannered and orderly; by night, chaotic and debaucherous. Each resident, visitor, and passerby is allowed out in public only during one of these phases, with the segregation dependent on their name.
When Mosca and Clent are separated by this quirky law, they hatch a plot to escape. But wherever there’s a plot, there’s sure to be treachery, and wherever there’s treachery, there’s sure to be trouble—and trouble is what Mosca, Clent, and Saracen the Goose love best. With each trip around the clock, past deeds catch up with them and old enemies reappear. This time, it seems as if there’s no way out . . .
Copies
No copies available.
The Lie Tree
Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature and Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction.
An ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book and an ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten selection
A teenage girl unravels lies and magic to solve her father’s murder in this unforgettable and thought-provoking YA historical fantasy from award-winning novelist Frances Hardinge
Faith Sunderly leads a double life. To most people, she is modest and well mannered—a proper young lady who knows her place. But inside, Faith is burning with questions and curiosity. She keeps sharp watch of her surroundings and, therefore, knows secrets no one suspects her of knowing—like the real reason her family fed Kent to the close-knit island of Vane. And that her father’s death was no accident.
In pursuit of revenge and justice for the father she idolizes, Faith hunts through his possessions, where she discovers a strange tree. A tree that bears fruit only when she whispers a lie to it. The fruit, in turn, delivers a hidden truth. The tree might hold the key to her father’s murder. Or, it might lure the murderer directly to Faith herself, for lies—like fires, wild and crackling—quickly take on a life of their own.
Copies
No copies available.
The Lie Tree
A teenage girl unravels lies and magic to solve her father’s murder in The Lie Tree, an unforgettable and thought-provoking YA historical fantasy from award-winning novelist Frances Hardinge.
Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Young Adult Literature, a Boston Globe–Horn Book Award for Fiction, and a Costa Book of the Year
An ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book and an ALA/YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten selection
Faith Sunderly leads a double life. To most people, she is modest and well mannered—a proper young lady who knows her place. But inside, Faith is burning with questions and curiosity. She keeps sharp watch of her surroundings and, therefore, knows secrets no one suspects her of knowing—like the real reason her family fled Kent to the close-knit island of Vane. And that her father’s death was no accident.
In pursuit of revenge and justice for the father she idolizes, Faith hunts through his possessions, where she discovers a strange tree. A tree that bears fruit only when she whispers a lie to it. The fruit, in turn, delivers a hidden truth. The tree might hold the key to her father’s murder. Or, it might lure the murderer directly to Faith herself, for lies—like fires, wild and crackling—quickly take on a life of their own.
Copies
No copies available.
Island of Whispers
Part gothic thriller and part coming-of-age story, a new illustrated middle-grade fantasy from award-winning author Frances Hardinge and acclaimed illustrator Emily Gravett about a strange island filled with ghosts and long-buried secrets
On the misty island of Merlack, the lingering dead can cause unspeakable harm if they’re not safely carried to the island of the Broken Tower, where they can move on. Milo’s father always told him that he wasn’t suited for dealing with the dead and could never become the Ferryman of the Dead—but one day, he’s unexpectedly thrust into the role. And his father is his first passenger . . .
Soon after, the teenage daughter of the Lord of Merlock passes. But the Lord of Merlock isn’t prepared to give her up, and he follows Milo’s boat in pursuit, in a boat filled with armed men and two sinister magicians at his command. It’s a race to the island as Milo must face swarms of sinister moths, strange headless birds, and chillingly shrouded figures to carry his ghostly passengers across the secret seas.
Filled with suspense and Hardinge’s signature sparkling prose, this new story—accompanied throughout by striking illustrations by award-winning illustrator Emily Gravett—will keep you on the edge of your seat in this remarkable and ultimately heartwarming story of grief, family, kindness, and being true to yourself.
Copies
-
$19.99
The Outcast Hours
by China Miéville, Frances Hardinge, Marina Warner, Sami Shah, S. L. Grey, Omar Robert Hamilton
Finalist for the World Fantasy Award for Best Anthology
The bold new anthology from the acclaimed editors of The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories
These are the stories of people who live at night; under neon and starlight, and never the light of day.
These are the stories of poets and police; writers and waiters; gamers and goddesses; tourists and traders; the hidden and the forbidden; the lonely and the lovers.
These are their lives. These are their stories. And this is their time.
Including new stories by Marina Warner, China Miéville, Frances Hardinge, Will Hill, Sally Partridge, Jesse Bullington, Jeffrey Alan Love, Kuzhali Manickavel, Amira Salah-Ahmed, Cecilia Ekbäck, Celeste Baker, Karen Onojaife, Daniel Polansky, Genevieve Valentine, Indrapramit Das, Leah Moore, Sam Beckbessinger, Sami Shah, Lauren Beukes, Dale Halvorsen, Yukimi Ogawa, Lavie Tidhar, Silvia Moreno Garcia, Genevieve Valentine, Maha Khan Phillips, William Boyle, S.L. Grey, M. Suddain and Omar Robert Hamilton.
Copies
No copies available.
A Skinful of Shadows
A teen is on the run from ghosts during the English Civil War in this YA historical fantasy from award-winning author Frances Hardinge
Sometimes, when a person dies, their spirit goes looking for somewhere to hide. Some people have space within them, perfect for hiding
Young Makepeace has learned to defend herself from the ghosts that try to possess her in the night, desperate for refuge, but one day a dreadful event causes her to drop her guard. And now there’s a spirit inside her.
The spirit is wild, brutish, and strong, and it may be her only defense when she is sent to live with her father’s rich and powerful family. There is talk of civil war, and they need people like her to protect their dark and terrible family secret. But as she plans to escape and heads out into a country torn apart by war, Makepeace must decide which is worse: possession—or death.
Copies
No copies available.
Verdigris Deep
“Deliciously shiver-inducing . . . Fans of dark fantasies such as Neil Gaiman’s Coraline will find this tale irresistible”―from the award-winning author (School Library Journal).
Verdigris (n.): a blue-green rust that tarnishes aging and forgotten copper coins, altering them entirely . . .
Ryan feels invisible: At school, he's in a class with students older and cooler than him, and at home, he's largely ignored during his parents' petty arguments. And then he meets Josh. Josh is popular in the way that only beautiful boys can be―he's almost electric. Both Ryan and his chatterbox sidekick, Chelle, fall under Josh's spell, and the three soon become inseparable.
One summer afternoon, they sneak off to the troubled town of Magwhite. Trapped without bus fare for the ride home, Josh convinces his less mischievous companions their only solution is to steal coins from the infamous wishing well. Soon after, each develops a unique, sinister power. When the well witch appears, she gargles demands of her three new servants. Ryan, Josh, and Chelle have robbed her and now must obey her . . . and the wishes rotting at the bottom of her well.
“A deliciously creepy tale . . . There is a vividness and energy to Hardinge's imagination that makes almost every moment of this absorbing story shine with light or glossy darkness.” ―The Horn Book (starred review)
“Inescapably chilling . . . a dark, polished gem.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“There’s no denying Hardinge's power as a storyteller, her ability to create beautiful, precise imagery, or her expectation that her readers will grasp the subtle ideas and reflections woven into the novel.” ―Booklist (starred review)
Copies
No copies available.
Gullstruck Island
Discover the secrets of Gullstruck Island in this lush fantasy from award-winning author Frances Hardinge
On Gullstruck Island, legend has it that the volcanoes are not just active but alive. Anger them, and pay the price. Keep them happy, and enjoy their protection. These legends become the guiding force for quiet, near-invisible Hathin when she strikes out on a quest to save the island.
Hathin’s sister Arilou is believed to be a Lost. The Lost are held sacred on Gullstruck, for they can send their senses away from their bodies. If she is a Lost, Arilou can read a message across the island; she can hear whispers in the corners of private rooms; she can smell a storm brewing miles away—all from her beachside hut. But the question remains: Is Arilou really a Lost? When all the Lost drop dead—except Arilou—she and Hathin are swept into a grand conspiracy that leads them to the most sinister depths—and heights—of the island.
Copies
No copies available.
Cuckoo Song
A disturbing secret haunts two sisters in this spine-chilling YA historical thriller from award-winning author Frances Hardinge
An ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book
Following a mysterious accident that leaves her sopping wet, Triss awakens to a world that’s eerily off-kilter. Her memories are muddled, her sister despises her, and when she brushes her hair, out come crumbled fragments of leaves.
Is she going mad? Or did her accident trigger a nightmarish chain of events? In her quest to learn the truth, Triss ventures from the shelter of her parents’ protective wings into the city’s underbelly. There she encounters strange creatures whose grand schemes could forever alter the fates of her family.
From master storyteller Frances Hardinge comes the unnerving tale of one girl’s struggle to confront her darkest fears in order to triumph over a world where nothing is as it seems.
Copies
No copies available.
Mystery & Mayhem
by Caroline Lawrence, Frances Hardinge, Sally Nicholls, Helen Moss, Kate Pankhurst, Robin Stevens, Harriet Whitehorn, Julia Golding, Susie Day, Clémentine Beauvais, Katherine Woodfine, Elen Caldecott
Enthralling children's fiction for everyone who loves Robin Steven's Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries and Frances Hardinge's The Lie Tree.
Twelve mysteries.
Twelve authors.
One challenge: can YOU solve the crimes before the heroes of the stories?
These are twelve brand-new short stories from twelve of the best children's crime writers writing today.
These creepy, hilarious, brain-boggling, heart-pounding mysteries feature daring, brilliant young detectives, and this anthology is a must for fans of crime fiction and detection, especially the Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries, The Roman Mysteries and The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow.
The Crime Club are twelve UK-based authors who are mad about crime fiction. Clementine Beauvais, Elen Caldecott, Susie Day, Julia Golding, Frances Hardinge, Caroline Lawrence, Helen Moss, Sally Nicholls, Kate Pankhurst, Robin Stevens, Harriet Whitehorn and Katherine Woodfine can be found anywhere there is a mystery to be solved, a puzzle to be cracked or a bun to be eaten, and they are always ready for the next puzzling case.
Copies
No copies available.
Deeplight
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea meets Frankenstein in Deeplight, an inventive YA fantasy from award-winning author Frances Hardinge.
The gods are dead. Fifty years ago, they turned on one another and tore each other apart. Nobody knows why.
Now, even coin-sized scraps of dead god are worth a fortune because of the strange powers they're said to possess. But few are brave enough to dive and search for them.
When 15-year-old Hark finds the still-beating heart of one of these deities, he'll risk everything to keep it out of the hands of smugglers, scientists, and cults who would kill for its power. Because Hark needs the heart if he wants to save the life of his best friend, Jelt. But the power of a god was not meant for human hands.
With the heart, Jelt begins to eerily transform, and Hark will have to decide if he can stay loyal to his friend--or what he's willing to sacrifice to save him.
"Monsters and mortals collide in this fantasy adventure that explores the hypnotic allure of fear, the adamant grip of the past, and the redeeming power of stories." --Kirkus Reviews
Copies
No copies available.
The Forest of a Thousand Eyes
This original illustrated middle-grade fantasy from acclaimed author and illustrator duo Frances Hardinge and Emily Gravett follows a girl who must venture through the ravenous, dangerous Forest that has overtaken her world to save her community.
Multiple starred reviews! "Sumptuous worldbuilding and deft plotting make for a harrowing dystopian story that nevertheless thrums with hope." (Kirkus starred review)
One thing Feather knows to be true is that given the chance, the Forest will devour her home just like it's devoured everything else in her world. Her small community lives in a section of the crumbling Wall that runs through and above the trees, doing everything they can to keep the Forest out.
When a stranger tricks Feather and makes off with her people's precious spyglass, she has no choice but to go after him, coming face-to-face with the Forest's dangers--and to revelations beyond her wildest imagination.
In the same stunning format as Island of Whispers, this story about perseverance and community from Costa Book Award winner Frances Hardinge and acclaimed illustrator Emily Gravett is sure to become a new classic.
Copies
No copies available.