The Twisted Root of Jaarfindor [Paperback]

I get a sort of Jack Vance vibe from this one...a nice tight tale of fantasy adventure.

Sean Wright's world is hard to get out of my head. It made me breathless, because the pace was fast.

New fantasy book ... will leave kids and adult spellbound.

Sean Wright's new world of wizardry ... has captured the imagination of the publishing world.

Watch Out Harry Potter, here comes Jesse Jameson.

Praise for Sean Wright's bestselling Jesse Jameson series: 'A brilliant debut novel, which is fast becoming a modern day classic.’

Very exciting,'

Praise for Sean Wright's Jesse Jameson series. ‘Has the reader hooked from the first page till the last.’

'Outstanding fiction of the highest calibre.'

Lia-Va is an eighteen year old addict - a black sword-wielding princess who has claimed her throne the traditional way of her people: by killing her father in a bloody battle. From the golden steps of Elriad's White Citadel she embarks on a strange and blood-thirsty journey aboard the pirate hovering sky-ship, Voyeur. She is driven to hunt down the fabled and fabulous twisted root which legend claims is hidden beneath Brafindor’s Church of Our Lady in its chilling catacombs. She is obsessed with her root addiction, cares nothing for the throne or loyal subjects she leaves behind, and will not stop until she gets what she wants.

Islan is a mysterious mute stranger. Lia-Va has hired him as her protector, her back-eyes, as she calls him. But there is more to the gangly silent loner than the renegade princess could ever bargain for.

Twisted Root of Jaarfindor is Sean Wright's first novel for the teenage-adult crossover market. The cover-art is by the award-winning Les Edwards, whose superb cover-art has featured on classics such as Ursula Le Guin's 'Wizard of Earthsea,' China Mieville's award-winning bestseller, 'Perdido Street Station,' and Anne McCaffrey's highly acclaimed 'Pern' series. More recently he has illustrated the Terry Pratchett, 2005 Discworld Calendar. The "Twisted Root of Jaarfindor" was short-listed for a British Fantasy Award for best novella in 2005.

I owe a great deal to many writers who have paved a path for me to tred: PKD, John Brunner, M. John Harrison, Mike Moorcock, and Mevyn Peake. Rather than walk in their mighty footsteps, I tip-toe through the verdant verges.

Sean Wright was born in Peterborough, England, in 1959. He attended the St.Peter's Primary School and the Queen's Secondary School in Wisbech. When he left he spent a year at the Isle College, studying print and design. He learned how to take photographs, process film, compose type, design layouts, tinkered in the repro room, messed about with the litho printing machines and generally learned a great deal about 'the old-fashioned' printing trade. This is where his great love of books - both written and illustrated began.

More recently, he has signed over 500 books in two hours at the prestigious London bookshop, Hatchard's, Piccadilly, and signed at events with Ruth Rendell, PD James, Michelle Paver, PB Kerr, and Eleanor Updale.

Sean has been recognised as one of fifteen of the world's most collectable modern children's authors by Book and Magazine Collector alongside JK Rowling, Philip Pullman and GP Taylor. During Xmas 2004, his novel The Twisted Root of Jaarfindor was recommended by The Observer national newspaper in its finance and investments pages as a top collectable, along with Pullman's Scarecrow and his Servant, The Beatle's Yellow Submarine, Paver's Wolf Brother, and Charmian Hussey's Valley of Secrets.

In 2005, he was named as one of Hatchard's Authors of the Year, and featured at Foyle's bookshop as a current favourite in the children's department. His second teenage-adult crossover title - Dark Tales of Time and Space - sold out in hardback edition, emulating his debut crossover success with the critically acclaimed The Twisted Root of Jaarfindor. In 2005 The Twisted Root of Jaarfindor was short-listed for a British Fantasy Award for BEST NOVELLA. His third teenage-adult book - Wicked Or What? - was published in October 2005.

His writing has been compared by fans and critics with three legendary figures in the fantasy/horror/sci-fi genre: Michael Moorcock, Mervyn Peake, and Philip K Dick. As well as liking his new weird, surreal, and bizarre post-modern work to China Mieville, Jeff Vandermeer, and M. John Harrison.