Mordew

Welcome to Mordew – the first in a fantastic new trilogy from the Wellcome Book Prize-shortlisted writer, Alex Pheby. God lies defeated, his corpse hidden in the catacombs beneath Mordew. On the surface, the streets of this the sea-battered city are slick with the Living Mud and the half-formed, short-lived creatures it spawns - creatures that die and are swept down from the Merchant Quarter by the brooms of the workers and relentless rains, where they rot in the slums. There, a young boy called Nathan Treeves lives with his parents, eking out a meagre existence by picking treasures from the Living Mud - until one day his mother, desperate and starving, sells him to the mysterious Master of Mordew. The Master derives his power from feeding on the corpse of God. But Nathan, despite his fear and lowly station, has his own strength – and it is greater than the Master has ever known. Great enough to destroy everything the Master has built. If only Nathan can discover how to use it. So it is that the Master begins to scheme against him - and Nathan has to fight his way through the betrayals, secrets, and vendettas of the city where God was murdered, and darkness reigns… Experience this critically acclaimed masterpiece, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman and Ben Aaronovitch. "Brilliant... Extraordinary... An extravagant and unnerving marvel." The Guardian "Beautifully rendered... Immersive, tense, full of action." The Irish Times "A treat... The world of Alex Pheby's fourth novel is dizzying... a beguiling splicing of Dickensian social satire and rackety steampunk fantasy. Written with combustible verve." The Spectator "Weird and wonderful, bleak and beautiful... [Mordew] is an extraordinarily vivid piece of world-building." The Sunday Express "A blend of Great Expectations…