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The Cup of the World (Hardcover)

by John Dickinson (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 432 pages
  • Publisher: David Fickling Books; First Edition edition (1 Jan 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0385605161
  • ISBN-13: 978-0385605168
  • Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 14 x 4.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 384,818 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description

The tautest, most realistic medieval fantasy you could wish for - and a towering achievement for a first novel. Filled with immense characters, this thrilling novel of moral complexity and vision announces the arrival of a special new writing talent. Phaedra, the beautiful daughter of a baron, has been visited in dreams by an elusive knight for almost as long as she can remember. And when his presence becomes a reality, she is forced to choose him and a new life over her home and her father. But this sets off a chain of events that she could not have foreseen - a battle between good and evil which is in turn violent and psychologically compelling. This stunning novel grapples with the huge themes of life, and turns the reader's expectations upside down again and again, with one vertiginous plunge after another.


From the Back Cover

On the eighth day of the New Year, wait for me in this place at the eighth hour after noon. If I come in that hour, I shall give you what help I can. If I do not, I cannot help you at all.
Phaedra, daughter of the Warden of Trant, puts her trust in a man she has only met in dreams. He can see far, and speak far, and pass where no man should be able to pass. With him she may escape to a new beginning, as the Kingdom collapses into war.
But why should he choose to help her?
And what price has he paid for his power?
This is one of those books which hides within itself a secret, a story deeper than it is possible to convey from this blurb or from the cover. We urge you to read it.
John Dickinson lives with his wife and two children near Exeter. He is himself the son of an acclaimed author, and grew up with stories constantly under construction in the house. This is his first published novel.
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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
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4 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
5.0 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars rich, imaginative and deeply engaging, 5 April 2004
In 'The Cup Of The World', John Dickinson has provided the reader with a fully comprehensive world, filled with characters who are both accurately human, and yet at the same time often in receipt of remarkable powers. The story is not hampered by 'fantastical' elements, however - Dickinson has managed to avoid the many potholes of traditional fantasy, and has created a thoroughly absorbing story in which the fantastic adds spice and flavour, but never overwhelms. The opening exposes us to a brilliantly realised world, and the narrative unfolds through the eyes of Phaedra, a young girl-turned-woman who finds herself in the centre of a conflict threatening to destroy the Kingdom. Picking up pace through Part II (the story is split into three sections), the plot is revealed at a tantalising rate, drawing the reader deeper into the narrative. At no time does Dickinson succumb to simple info-dump by a character, but instead rewards the reader's patience with revelations when the story is good and ready: revelations that are often surprising and never disappointing.
By turns tragic, grand and sometimes genuinely unsettling, 'The Cup Of The World' will satisfy both children and adults. On the surface is the story of a young woman caught in a web of love and war, politics and witchcraft; but there is a deeper story here, the history of a world that never was, questions about betrayal, vengeance and the loss of innocence. A truly worthwhile read.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars At last - a convincing gothic world!, 13 Feb 2004
By A Customer
I was initially attracted to this because of the beautiful cover & endpapers. What's inside does not disappoint - a fascinating "medieval" world with a well-crafted plot which develops, step by chilling step, into a truly disturbing and compelling story. Witchcraft, love, a faithfully-evoked physical environment. I have at once bought several copies for friends!
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5.0 out of 5 stars A very special book, 28 Sep 2007
By I. Viehoff "iviehoff" (Chalfont St Giles, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Cup of the World (Mass Market Paperback)
This book has a sophistication rare either for "teen fiction", or fantasy fiction, in which genres it consciously lies. That sophistication means that it is likely to be enjoyed also by an adult audience, as well as its target young adult audience. It is written very much at the same level as Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, ie, not suitable for such young readers as Harry Potter. And I believe that it stands up well to a comparision with the Pullman, which I recently read.

Dickinson has put considerable effort into researching the mediaeval "gothic" period, to create a realistic world of daily life, petty princes, warfare and monasteries, into which to place his story of magic. Writers, like Tolkien, who have such a coherent "back-story" are rare.

There is a realistic humanity to the characters. There is not the cannot-do-wrong hero or always-evil-baddie, (with the exception of some malign magical powers). Rather, whilst we have some clear heroes and enemies, all display only typical levels of self-interest, weakness, duplicity and generosity that any human will have. This is another level of sophistication rarely found in this genre.

Finally, the plot itself is sophisticated. There is no obvious best action that the hero has to choose. Rather, complexities are revealed to every action, as in the real world. Everyone desires unity to avoid war, but no one is willing to give up the power that they have.

On top of that is a page-turning plot that draws you in. Whilst the book stands on its own, the book ends with a tense situation that draws you in to the sequel.

Declaration of interest: the author is a friend of mine.
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