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The Binding

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The Binding

By: Bridget Collins
Narrated by: Carl Prekopp
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*PRE-ORDER YOUR COPY OF BRIDGET COLLINS' STUNNING NEW NOVEL, THE NAKED LIGHT*

LOSE YOURSELF IN THE BREAKOUT SENSATION OF THE YEAR

SHORTLISTED FOR WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2019

‘Spellbinding’ Guardian

‘Magic’ Erin Kelly

‘Immersive’ Sunday Times

‘Astounding’ Anna Mazzola

Emmett Farmer is a binder’s apprentice. His job is to hand-craft beautiful books and, within each, to capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory.

If you have something you want to forget, or a secret to hide, he can bind it – and you will never have to remember the pain it caused.

In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, row upon row of books – and secrets – are meticulously stored and recorded.

Then one day Emmett makes an astonishing discovery: one of the volumes has his name on it.

©2019 Bridget Collins Coming of Age Fantasy Genre Fiction Historical Magical Realism
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Critics' reviews

‘The Binding is a dark chocolate slice of cake with a surprising, satisfying seam of raspberry running through it. It is a rich, gothic entertainment that explores what books have trapped in them and reminds us of the power of storytelling. Spellbinding’ Tracy Chevalier
‘Truly spellbinding … readers will sink gratefully into the pleasures of its pages … Like a wonderful meal made from a few simple ingredients: the feeling in your chest when you hold someone in your arms for the first time; the sight of a host of bluebells. In recent years, the state of the world has threatened to make us forget the simple pleasures of kisses and bluebells and thick novels that tell stories of heartbreak. Here is a book to help us remember’ Guardian
‘Intense, immersive … A stirring, highly original piece of storytelling and world-making’ Sunday Times
‘With a twisting narrative that explores humans’ darkest moments and morals, Collins has created a fascinating fantasy world that evokes the atmosphere of Sarah Waters’ books with a nod to Philip Pullman. And, with a love story holding much of the story’s emotion together, this is definitely a book you’ll want to lose yourself to for hours on end’ Stylist
‘Part fantasy, part faux-history, part heart-in-your throat love story, it’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets The Miniaturist’ Grazia
‘More of an experience than a book, written with such grace and wisdom. Utterly brilliant’ Joanna Cannon, author of The Trouble with Goats and Sheep
‘Pure magic. The kind of immersive storytelling that makes you forget your own name. I wish I had written it’ Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said
‘An original concept, beautifully written. Collins’ prose is spellbinding’ Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions
‘A real treat … gothic, imaginative and dark’ The Times
All stars
Most relevant
it was an ok story. full of drama and action. I feel the description wasn't accurate, though. I thought the book would be more about the interesting, binding process which it barely goes into at all. there remain several important loose ends at the conclusion, also, as the author instead focuses on the love angle. it's probably not a book I'd have read if the description had been more accurate, something like, "what if you were forced to forget your true love?"

mostly "romance"

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Dieses Buch ist sowohl schaurig und geheimnissvoll als auch herzerwärmend, berührend, bildgewaltig und spannend zugleich. Der Sprecher ist einfach super! (Ich habe das Buch in englisch gehört.)

absolut fesselnd

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It is quite an amazing story. Ingenious new inventions. Very believable magic. But the narrator is very melancholic and the overall tone of the content is also heavy and dark. It is not a light hearted story. I think it is also a little cold, even at its most emotional- it still feels a little too cold to be entertaining. What I liked about it and found entertaining for my personal taste, was the setting, the unusual magic system, the interesting plot structure (as it relates to the magic system), one or two of the supporting characters, the way the author believably transports the reader to another time and place, which mostly feels true to what our own reality would have been in the past, as well as the almost flawless language. This book is definitely much more than just another fad fantasy read.

Quite an amazing story

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