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Riverkeep Audiobook
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Publisher Description
A stunning debut perfect for fans of Patrick Ness and Neil Gaiman!
The Danék is a wild, treacherous river, and the Fobisher family has tended it for generations—clearing it of ice and weed, making sure boats can get through, and fishing corpses from its bleak depths. Wulliam’s father, the current Riverkeep, is proud of this work. Wull dreads it. And in one week, when he comes of age, he will have to take over.
Then the unthinkable happens. While recovering a drowned man, Wull’s father is pulled under—and when he emerges, he is no longer himself. A dark spirit possesses him, devouring him from the inside. In an instant, Wull is Riverkeep. And he must care for his father, too.
When he hears that a cure for his father lurks in the belly of a great sea-dwelling beast known as the mormorach, he embarks on an epic journey down the river that his family has so long protected—but never explored. Along the way, he faces death in any number of ways, meets people and creatures touched by magic and madness and alchemy, and finds courage he never knew he possessed.
Martin Stewart's debut novel is an astonishing blend of the literary, the comedic, and the emotionally resonant. In a sentence, it's The Wizard of Oz as told by Patrick Ness. It marks the beginning of a remarkable career.
From the Hardcover edition.
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“Narrator James Cosmo’s rich, raspy tones immerse listeners in the darkly humorous world created by debut novelist Martin Stewart….Cosmo guides listeners through the labyrinthine story and serves as a skilled interpreter of the knotty dialect. His brisk reading keeps this comedic adventure moving at a thoroughly engaging clip. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.”
— AudioFile
Quotes
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“[Stewart’s] descriptions of Wull’s world gripped in winter are brutal and beautiful, his monsters are terrifyingly plausible, and there are striking moments.”
— New York Times Book Review -
“Memorable characters and thoroughly frightening opponents for them to face…Huck Finn meets Moby-Dick.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“Filled with wild adventure and hilarious dialogue…[A] vivid, engrossing fantasy.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“There isn’t a single forgettable person, monster, or creature in the whole adventure; it’s impossible to not be deeply invested in all of their successes. This is a rare work that feels like a sophisticated, gritty folktale, full of impossibilities and dramatic tension.”
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review) -
“Woven of threads and snippets of fantasy and myth, Riverkeep presents something entirely unique and innovative…It is compelling in the same quirky way that Monty Python is.”
— VOYA -
“With a humorous, light touch and an excellent feel for dialogue, Stewart has created a first-rate fantasy.”
— School Library Journal -
“A unique and distinctive fantasy world, ably conveyed through very readable dialect and buoyed by near-constant action.”
— Booklist
Awards
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Winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award
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A Kirkus Reviews Pick for Best Teen Books of 2016
Riverkeep Listener Reviews
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Sen Bauke, 2/5/2020
About Martin Stewart
Martin Stewart has been writing for a long time, having made his first book using Post-It notes when aged eight. He went on to complete a BA in English as well as a master’s degree in literary studies and taught creative writing at the University of Strathclyde and English at Kyle Academy in Ayr.
About James Cosmo
James Cosmo, one of Scotland’s most celebrated actors, is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator.