The Tinder Box

In a kingdom forgotten by history, a legend unfolds...

Wounded in his country's endless wars, former soldier Mag Tresti finds work in the home of a reclusive widow, Jannae Mirchella. But Jannae is more than she seems. A witch of great skill and might, she hides her powers and her deep-laid plans behind a mask of harmless respectability.

When a dead demon falls out of the sky, the fates of the soldier and the witch are irrevocably intertwined. On the demon's body, Mag finds a tinderbox—an artefact of terrifying magical power that can not only grant his every wish but also change the fate of nations.

This is a tale of spellcraft and devilry, of witchcraft and trickery—of the wickedness that resides within a few, the goodness that lies deep within us all, and the choices on which our lives turn.

'A marvellous dark fable... Carey’s craft manages to feel at once familiar and startling, which for me is a hallmark of exceptional writing... Confirms M.R. Carey's place among the best living writers in fantasy.' — Christopher Buehlman, author of Between Two Fires and The Blacktongue Thief

The Tinder Box sparks with wonder and peril... It holds all the magic of a fable and all the complex kindness and cruelty of a human heart. Prepare to be enchanted!' — Melissa Caruso, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Hour Between Worlds

'Witty, crisp, sharp and tender in all the right places. Exactly on the border between gunpowder and fairy tale. You'll find yourself missing these big characters after they're gone.' — Paul Cornell, Hugo Award-winning novelist and screenwriter

'In a grey age of violence and greed, Carey's tale strikes a spark of kindness, humanity, and hope.' — Marie Brennan, author of A Natural History of Dragons