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    The Folded World: A Dirge for Prester John Volume Two
    The Habitation of the Blessed: A Dirge for Prester John Volume One
    Audiobook series2 titles

    Prester John Trilogy Series

    Written by Catherynne M. Valente

    Narrated by Ralph Lister

    ()

    About this series

    The Christian Patriarch of Constantinople is fighting a holy war against the forces of Islam. His attempts to rally the support of Europe fail to give him the strength he needs against the forces of Islam. Fearing defeat, he sends his appeals to the great Christian king in the East, Prester John—for the Patriarch was once a boy named Kostas, a novice in the service of John, long before he became king.

    The Patriarch’s message, seemingly via divine providence, manages to cross into the world of John’s Kingdom, where John’s devotion to Christ overcomes his wife’s misgivings. To Hagia, Christianity and Islam are equally foreign to her and her world, and neither is worth fighting for, or against.

    The Kingdom rallies behind John’s banner, and his magical hosts march across the worlds. The closer the armies of Prester John come to Jerusalem, the more information reaches the Patriarch as to its nature, and the less comfortable he feels with his alliance.

    Can John and his armies save Jerusalem? Will the Patriarch remain an alley, or become a deadly enemy? And what will happen to the worlds now that an army has breached the barriers between them?

    Mythopoeic Award winner Catherynne M. Valente continues to re-imagine the legends of the Middle Ages, creating a rich fantasy tapestry that has captivated the imaginations of modern readers.

    “Valente is writing the smartest, gentlest, deepest work in the field, and she’s good enough to do it. I remain in awe.” —Daniel Abraham, author of The Long Price Quartet

    “Valente is a modern-day Scheherazade.” —SFSite

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBrilliance Audio
    Release dateNov 1, 2010
    The Folded World: A Dirge for Prester John Volume Two
    The Habitation of the Blessed: A Dirge for Prester John Volume One

    Titles in the series (2)

    • 1

      The Habitation of the Blessed: A Dirge for Prester John Volume One
      The Habitation of the Blessed: A Dirge for Prester John Volume One

      The Habitation of the Blessed: A Dirge for Prester John Volume One

      Catherynne M. Valente
      5/5 - 2 ratings
      5/5 - 2 ratings

      This is the story of a place that never was: the kingdom of Prester John, the utopia described by an anonymous, twelfth-century document which captured the imagination of the medieval world and drove hundreds of lost souls to seek out its secrets, inspiring explorers, missionaries, and kings for centuries. But what if it were all true? What if there was such a place, and a poor, broken priest once stumbled past its borders, discovering, not a Christian paradise, but a country where everything is possible, immortality is easily had, and the Western world is nothing but a dim and distant dream? Brother Hiob of Luzerne, on missionary work in the Himalayan wilderness on the eve of the eighteenth century, discovers a village guarding a miraculous tree whose branches sprout books instead of fruit. These strange books chronicle the history of the kingdom of Prester John, and Hiob becomes obsessed with the tales they tell. The Habitation of the Blessed recounts the fragmented narratives found within these living volumes, revealing the life of a priest named John, and his rise to power in this country of impossible richness. John's tale weaves together with the confessions of his wife Hagia, a blemmye—a headless creature who carried her face on her chest—as well as the tender, jeweled nursery stories of Imtithal, nanny to the royal family. Hugo and World Fantasy award nominee Catherynne M. Valente reimagines the legends of Prester John in this stunning tour de force.

      This is the story of a place that never was: the kingdom of Prester John, the utopia described by an anonymous, twelfth-century document which captured the imagination of the medieval world and drove hundreds of lost souls to seek out its secrets, inspiring explorers, missionaries, and kings for centuries. But what if it were all true? What if there was such a place, and a poor, broken priest once stumbled past its borders, discovering, not a Christian paradise, but a country where everything is possible, immortality is easily had, and the Western world is nothing but a dim and distant dream? Brother Hiob of Luzerne, on missionary work in the Himalayan wilderness on the eve of the eighteenth century, discovers a village guarding a miraculous tree whose branches sprout books instead of fruit. These strange books chronicle the history of the kingdom of Prester John, and Hiob becomes obsessed with the tales they tell. The Habitation of the Blessed recounts the fragmented narratives found within these living volumes, revealing the life of a priest named John, and his rise to power in this country of impossible richness. John's tale weaves together with the confessions of his wife Hagia, a blemmye—a headless creature who carried her face on her chest—as well as the tender, jeweled nursery stories of Imtithal, nanny to the royal family. Hugo and World Fantasy award nominee Catherynne M. Valente reimagines the legends of Prester John in this stunning tour de force.

    • 2

      The Folded World: A Dirge for Prester John Volume Two
      The Folded World: A Dirge for Prester John Volume Two

      The Folded World: A Dirge for Prester John Volume Two

      Catherynne M. Valente
      4/5 - 2 ratings
      4/5 - 2 ratings

      The Christian Patriarch of Constantinople is fighting a holy war against the forces of Islam. His attempts to rally the support of Europe fail to give him the strength he needs against the forces of Islam. Fearing defeat, he sends his appeals to the great Christian king in the East, Prester John—for the Patriarch was once a boy named Kostas, a novice in the service of John, long before he became king. The Patriarch’s message, seemingly via divine providence, manages to cross into the world of John’s Kingdom, where John’s devotion to Christ overcomes his wife’s misgivings. To Hagia, Christianity and Islam are equally foreign to her and her world, and neither is worth fighting for, or against. The Kingdom rallies behind John’s banner, and his magical hosts march across the worlds. The closer the armies of Prester John come to Jerusalem, the more information reaches the Patriarch as to its nature, and the less comfortable he feels with his alliance. Can John and his armies save Jerusalem? Will the Patriarch remain an alley, or become a deadly enemy? And what will happen to the worlds now that an army has breached the barriers between them? Mythopoeic Award winner Catherynne M. Valente continues to re-imagine the legends of the Middle Ages, creating a rich fantasy tapestry that has captivated the imaginations of modern readers. “Valente is writing the smartest, gentlest, deepest work in the field, and she’s good enough to do it. I remain in awe.” —Daniel Abraham, author of The Long Price Quartet “Valente is a modern-day Scheherazade.” —SFSite

      The Christian Patriarch of Constantinople is fighting a holy war against the forces of Islam. His attempts to rally the support of Europe fail to give him the strength he needs against the forces of Islam. Fearing defeat, he sends his appeals to the great Christian king in the East, Prester John—for the Patriarch was once a boy named Kostas, a novice in the service of John, long before he became king. The Patriarch’s message, seemingly via divine providence, manages to cross into the world of John’s Kingdom, where John’s devotion to Christ overcomes his wife’s misgivings. To Hagia, Christianity and Islam are equally foreign to her and her world, and neither is worth fighting for, or against. The Kingdom rallies behind John’s banner, and his magical hosts march across the worlds. The closer the armies of Prester John come to Jerusalem, the more information reaches the Patriarch as to its nature, and the less comfortable he feels with his alliance. Can John and his armies save Jerusalem? Will the Patriarch remain an alley, or become a deadly enemy? And what will happen to the worlds now that an army has breached the barriers between them? Mythopoeic Award winner Catherynne M. Valente continues to re-imagine the legends of the Middle Ages, creating a rich fantasy tapestry that has captivated the imaginations of modern readers. “Valente is writing the smartest, gentlest, deepest work in the field, and she’s good enough to do it. I remain in awe.” —Daniel Abraham, author of The Long Price Quartet “Valente is a modern-day Scheherazade.” —SFSite

    Author

    Catherynne M. Valente

    Catherynne M. Valente is an acclaimed New York Times bestselling creator of over forty works of fantasy and science fiction, including the Fairyland novels and The Glass Town Game. She has been nominated for the Nebula and World Fantasy awards, and has won the Otherwise (formerly Tiptree), Hugo, and Andre Norton award. She lives on a small island off the coast of Maine with her partner, young son, and a shockingly large cat with most excellent tufts.

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