The Bishop of Durham
From the bestselling and prize-winning author of Piranesi, an enchanting, beautifully illustrated short story set in the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.
'He had already served three kings. He did not see why he should not be useful to a fourth.'
During the conquest of Northern England, the fairy host sweeps across the countryside. The city of Durham finds itself surrounded. But the encircling forces are not fairies, nor even other humans, but trees that trap the city within an eerie wood.
Ranulf, Bishop of Durham-a consummate politician-understands that the survival of the Northern English people depends on his finding a way to unite the two races, human and fairy. And he's not averse to improving his own position at the same time. With these aims in view, he sets off for the New Castle, in search of the new King-the leader of the fairy host, rumored to be a mysterious human boy, no more than fourteen years old, who speaks no word of any human language.
Set 700 years before the events of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, The Bishop of Durham Attempts to Surrender the City is a bewitching, must-have addition to any fantasy reader's shelf, featuring beautiful illustrations throughout.
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Susanna Clarke
Susanna Clarke's name has become synonymous with spellbinding fantasy, where the boundaries between the magical and the real are delicately blurred. Her work evokes an atmosphere that feels both timeless and distinctly her own—rich in detail, laced with mystery, and filled with a kind of melancholy beauty that lingers long after the last page is turned.
Clarke’s journey into the world of fantasy wasn’t a direct path, but rather a quiet unfolding. Born in England, her literary beginnings were rooted in a love of literature and history, which later blossomed into a passion for the fantastical. It was this blend of the historical and the otherworldly that would become a hallmark of her writing style.
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