Runcible Jones And The Backwards Hourglass

Fantasy at its best for younger readers. Complex, exciting and Ian Irvine at his best. After every defeat Lord Shambles returns stronger than before, and more determined to punish humanity. Having crushed resistance on Iltior, he now moves the war to Earth. An Earth which is on the verge of collapse. Unfortunately, Earth's leaders refuse to believe that magic exists. Only Runcible Jones and his friends know that Shambles has caused all this havoc. Only Runcible can stop him. When he finally reaches Earth, he discovers that the whole world is against him. Runcible Jones will need every bit of his courage and cunning to defend Earth. And this time, someone close to him is going to die.

Over a million copies of Ian Irvine’s fantasy novels sold. After every defeat, Lord Shambles comes back stronger than before, and more determined to punish humanity. Having crushed all resistance on magical Iltior, he moves the war to Earth, and so much power has been drained that the world is on the verge of collapse. Unfortunately, Earth’s weapons are useless against this enemy. Only Runcible Jones can stop him, though it’s an impossible battle – a fourteen-year-old boy against the most terrible sorcerer on two worlds.Runcible will need every bit of his courage and cunning to save Earth. But this time, someone close to him is going to die. Praise for the Series “A great book for rainy days and lazy afternoons.” John Cohen, Reading Time “A well written and exciting series.” Northern Daily Leader “A great read.” Book Bites

Over a million copies of Ian Irvine’s fantasy novels sold. In a world terrified of magic, a boy is abandoned to the worst school in the world – Grimdgrim. A place designed to crush all magic out of him. But Runcible Jones has to learn magic, to uncover the truth about his father’s death on another world. Hurled through a gate to magical Iltior, Runcible’s arrival begins a war that will spread to Earth. But why is Lord Shambles, the blackest sorcerer on Iltior, hunting him? To uncover the truth, Runcible must fight the dreadful sorcerer, but even if he wins, nothing will ever be the same again. After every defeat, Lord Shambles comes back stronger than before, and more determined to punish humanity. Having crushed all resistance on magical Iltior, he moves the war to Earth, and so much power has been drained that the world is on the verge of collapse. Unfortunately, Earth’s weapons are useless against this enemy. Only Runcible Jones can stop him, though it’s an impossible battle – a fourteen-year-old boy against the most terrible sorcerer on two worlds. Runcible will need every bit of his courage and cunning to save Earth. Praise for the Series “A great book for rainy days and lazy afternoons.” John Cohen, Reading Time “A well written and exciting series.” Northern Daily Leader “A great read.” Book Bites

Over a million copies of Ian Irvine’s fantasy novels sold. On a freezing winter’s night, Lord Shambles shatters the tower where the children are learning magic. Runcible, Mariam and their friends run for their lives. All Iltior now lies in the dreaded sorcerer’s hands and, as soon as he steals the children’s unique magic, he will attack Earth. As they are hunted across Iltior, Runcible realises that there is only one way to attack their enemy. The children must sneak into his terrible fortress and there Runcible has to take on Shambles, the greatest sorcerer in the world, all by himself. Praise for the Series “A great book for rainy days and lazy afternoons.” John Cohen, Reading Time “A well written and exciting series.” Northern Daily Leader “A great read.” Book Bites

Over a million copies of Ian Irvine’s fantasy novels sold. In a world terrified of magic, a boy is abandoned to the worst school in the world – Grimdgrim. A place designed to crush all magic out of him. But Runcible Jones has to learn magic, to uncover the truth about his father’s death on another world. Hurled through a gate to magical Iltior, Runcible’s arrival begins a war that will spread to Earth. But why is Lord Shambles, the blackest sorcerer on Iltior, hunting him? To uncover the truth, Runcible must fight the dreadful sorcerer, but even if he wins, nothing will ever be the same again. After every defeat, Lord Shambles comes back stronger than before, and more determined to punish humanity. Having crushed all resistance on magical Iltior, he moves the war to Earth, and so much power has been drained that the world is on the verge of collapse. Unfortunately, Earth’s weapons are useless against this enemy. Only Runcible Jones can stop him, though it’s an impossible battle – a fourteen-year-old boy against the most terrible sorcerer on two worlds. Runcible will need every bit of his courage and cunning to save Earth. Praise for the Series “A great book for rainy days and lazy afternoons.” John Cohen, Reading Time “A well written and exciting series.” Northern Daily Leader “A great read.” Book Bites

Over a million copies of Ian Irvine’s fantasy novels sold. It’s not easy to be a hero when your bum is the size of an airship and you’re bobbing around the ceiling, mocked by angry dwarves. Mellie has stolen the unluckiest charm in Wychwold and can’t get rid of it. Pook has an insane plan to rescue the Collected children. The demons Nuckl, Spleen and Tonsil are after Ike’s innards. And the Fey Queen, Emajicka, is coming to tear out his worst nightmare. Only Ike can save Grimmery. But first he has to win a contest with a lying, cheating scoundrel – the desperate dwarf, Con Glomryt. Reviews of Grim and Grimmer “The funniest horror story you’ll read in a long while – Ian Irvine is a master of fantasy and this is the best yet.” Good Reading “An extraordinary fantasy world. Fast and furious and very funny.” Reading Time “A fun adventure for upper-primary readers. Recommended.” Bookseller and Publisher “The Grasping Goblintakes the two reluctant heroes on a very wild ride. A grand adventure.” Aussiereviews.com “I gasped and laughed my way through these three books.” Dee White, Kid’s Book Capers. “A wonderful tale. Delightfully dark and delicious.” Jacq Ellem, hittheroadjacq.com “The fun explodes off every page.” Richard Harland, multi-award winning author of Worldshaker. “Fantasy genius Ian Irvine manages to create a world which is believable, thrilling and funny all rolled into one.” Aussiereviews.com on The Headless Highwayman

The war has been raging for a hundred years … and humanity is close to defeat. Santhenar is locked in conflict with the lyrinx – intelligent, winged predators from the Void who are desperate to gain their own world. And despite the development of mechanical battle clankers, and mastery of the crystals that drive them, humanity is losing. The enemy is destroying its nodes of magical power, one by one. Tiaan, a clever but naïve crystal worker in a clanker manufactory, is testing a new kind of crystal when she overhears an enchanting young man, Minis, speaking from far away. The crystal has woken her gift for geomancy, the most powerful of all the Secret Arts, and the most perilous. It is a talent that both humanity and its enemies are desperate to control. Falsely accused of sabotage by Irisis, a malicious rival, Tiaan flees for her life. But soon she is stalked by the outcast, wingless lyrinx, Ryll, who plans to use her in his dreadful flesh-forming sorcery. From afar, Minis advises and guides Tiaan and she now sees him as more than a friend. Aching for him, Tiaan follows his instructions all the way to Tirthrax, the tallest mountain in all the Three Worlds, where a nightmare awaits her … You won’t want to miss this edge-of-the seat epic fantasy series by a million-selling author. What reviewers say about the Three Worlds books “A compelling adventure in a landscape full of wonders.” – Locus “A page-turner of the highest order … Formidable!” – SFX onGeomancer “It is the most engrossing book I’ve read in years.” – Van Ikin, Sydney Morning Herald “Readers of Eddings, Goodkind and Jordan will lap this one up.” – Starlog “Utterly absorbing.” Stephen Davenport, Independent Weekly “For sheer excitement, there’s just no one like Irvine.” SFX on The Destiny of the Dead “As good as anything I have read in the fantasy genre.” – Adelaide Advertiser Reviews and Honours for The Well of Echoes Scrutator, Honourable Mention, 2003 Aurealis Award for best fantasy novel, and listed in the Sydney Morning Herald’s BEST BOOKS OF 2003. Chimaera listed in the Sydney Morning Herald’s BEST BOOKS OF 2004. 'Ian Irvine is arguably the most inventive fantasy author to emerge in recent years. A page-turner of the highest order ... Irvine can now consider himself comfortably ranked next to the works of Robert Jordan and David Eddings and, more appropriately, the mighty Anne McCaffrey. Formidable!' SFX 'This is, attractively, grimmer and grittier than most fantasy novels with a real sense of industrial squalor and a society in paranoid melt-down – and with a neatly unpleasant set of twists at the end.' Roz Kaveney, Amazon.uk 'Ian Irvine has produced one of those rarities in the fantasy genre, and that is a unique, well-thought-out world coupled with a well-written storyline. A gripping read.' Enigma 'Irvine imagines the epic landscape through which the characters move in persuasive detail and describes it powerfully. The misery of the manufactory's oppressed children and fearful adults is effectively communicated and elaborated. Driven by fear and inadequacy ... they cheat, lie and betray others in the cause of their own ambition, but are nonetheless sympathetically portrayed.' Australian Book Review.