The Map rippled. A wave moved through it, lifting it and making the thousand pieces creak and rustle.
Then it sucked itself off the wall and began to rapidly fold itself up, all the roads and forests shrinking, the mountains shrivelling, leaves falling from it, birds squawking out and flying into the darkness of the room.
In only seconds it was just a neat yellow envelope of parchment smaller than Aurelian’s hand.
He bent and picked it up from the floor and put it in his pocket. Then he took a lantern from the desk and held it up. “Are you ready?”
They looked at each other and nodded.
So he led them through the door in the air . Into the Labyrinth.
BUY FROM FIREFLY PRESS
BUY FROM AMAZON
Starspill is a town lost in the Fog. For a hundred and thirty years no one has seen the Sun, and the story is that it was eaten by the Wolf and is lost forever. Only fallen stars give light, and it’s Zac’s job to polish them until they shine.
But the cats of the town are fed up with the dark, they want sunshine to sleep in, and so they
order Zac and his friend Alys to commit the greatest crime the town has ever seen- to break into the Museum, and steal the last Ember of the Sun. But who is the mysterious bookseller Aurelian, and how can there be an endless Labyrinth deep within his shop? And what if the Wolf lies waiting behind its doors?
In Starspill I wanted to write an imaginative adventure that mixes magic and mystery and fun. The talking cats of the town,and especially the ambitious kitten Jinx, were my starting point. I wanted them to be cool, haughty and not that friendly. Like all cats, they just want their own way.
Zac works for his brother the Starsmith, but he is not satisfied with that, and the stories told in the Storyhouse fascinate him and pull at his imagination. I wanted the story to be about searching, seeking out what you want or need in life, even if you don’t really know what it is, even if you are in the Fog, having the courage to believe there is sunlight out there somewhere, and setting out to find it. It was certainly an adventure to write.
Praise for Starspill
‘In Catherine Fisher’s Starspill, the town is swathed in Fog. It is a terrifying, cold phenomenon and has a personality of its own.. Magic and danger are rife, Zac’s courage is winning, and the talking cats provide delightfully sardonic interjections (all they want is to bask in sunlight). Written in clear , poetic prose, this fantasy of reason and love overcoming ignorance and guile will delight readers of ten and up.’
– Literary Review.
‘It’s been years since I’ve loved a fantasy adventure as much as this one. Starspill and Catherine Fisher deserve every prize going.’
– Amanda Craig
‘This compelling fantasy adventure features a cast of mysterious characters and a gripping plot… Readers are thrust into a magical realm of shadows, fear and mistrust.’
– BOOKTRUST
‘A gem.. Reminiscent of Joan Aiken in its wit and style.’
– NEW STATESMAN
‘Storytelling at its best!’
– Jo Bowers