Mark Stay

The extraordinary coming-of-age novel about life, love, war and magic - Maisie Dobbs meets The Magicians (with a helping of Terry Pratchett!)

The Witches of Woodville 1

The Crow Folk

The Witches of Woodville Part 2 July, 1940 In a quiet village in rural Kent, a magical mystery leads to murder . . . Woodville has returned to 'normal' after the departure of the Crow Folk. The villagers put out fires from aircraft shot down in the Battle of Britain, and Faye Bright discovers that magic can be just as dangerous as any weapon. The arrival of a trio of Jewish children fleeing the Nazis brings the fight for Europe to the village. When their guardian is found dead, Faye must play nanny to the terrified children while gathering clues to uncover a dark magic that threatens to change the course of the war. And she must do it quickly – the children have seen too much and someone wants them silenced for good. For fans of Lev Grossman and Terry Pratchett comes the second novel in this delightful trilogy of war, mystery and a little bit of magic . . . Praise for The Crow Folk 'Swept me straight back to days of losing myself in Diana Wynne Jones novels, and getting lost in truly absorbing, sometimes scary, sometimes emotive adventure with its roots in folklore and history. A story that is full of magic and delight that will thrill readers of any age'—Rowan Coleman, author of The Girl at the Window 'Stay has brewed a cracking blend of charm and creepiness in The Crow Folk. A rip-roaring tale of bravery and witchcraft on the wartime home front, expertly told with lashings of wit and warmth'—Pernille Hughes, author of Probably the Best Kiss in the World ? 'A delightful mash-up of Dad’s Army and Charmed. An absolute treat'—CK McDonnell, author of Stranger Times ‘Warm, witty, witchy wartime fun. With Mark Stay as writer you're always guaranteed a magical read’—Julie Wassmer, author of the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries ‘You'll love it: Doctor Who meets Worzel Gummidge’—Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village ‘A jolly romp with witches, demons, and bellringing. Pratchett fans will enjoy this, and Faye is a feisty and fun hero. Dad's Army meets Witches of Eastwick’—Ian W Sainsbury

The Witches of Woodville 2

Babes in the Wood

'A young witch to rival Tiffany Aching. Magic!'—FMA Dixon The Witches of Woodville Part 3 August 1940 As the Battle of Britain rages overhead, a warlock leader from the Council of High Witches comes to Woodville with a ritual to repel the imminent Nazi invasion. The only catch is it involves full-frontal nudity on the White Cliffs of Dover. The Witches of Woodville are having none of it, but when more witches arrive they realise they might have a spy in their midst, and it’s up to Faye Bright to uncover the traitor. But she’s got enough on her plate already with the ghost of a Polish Hurricane pilot who may hold the key to the truth. For fans of Lev Grossman and Terry Pratchett comes the third novel in this delightful series of war, mystery and a little bit of magic . . . Don't miss the other magical books in the WITCHES OF WOODVILLE series! #1 The Crow Folk #2 Babes in the Wood #3 The Ghost of Ivy Barn Praise for The Witches of Woodville series 'Beautiful and engaging and clever and what more could you ask for in a book?'—Manda Scott, bestselling author of A Treachery of Spies 'ACE. Smart and funny and written so warmly. It's an absolutely smashing read'—Pernille Hughes, author of Probably the Best Kiss in the World ​ 'Swept me straight back to days of losing myself in Diana Wynne Jones novels, and getting lost in truly absorbing, sometimes scary, sometimes emotive adventure with its roots in folklore and history. A story that is full of magic and delight that will thrill readers of any age'—Rowan Coleman, author of The Girl at the Window 'A delightful mash-up of Dad’s Army and Charmed. An absolute treat'—CK McDonnell, author of Stranger Times ‘Warm, witty, witchy wartime fun. With Mark Stay as writer you're always guaranteed a magical read’—Julie Wassmer, author of the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries ‘You'll love it: Doctor Who meets Worzel Gummidge’—Lorna Cook, author of The Forgotten Village ‘A jolly romp with witches, demons, and bellringing. Pratchett fans will enjoy this, and Faye is a feisty and fun hero. Dad's Army meets Witches of Eastwick’—Ian W Sainsbury

The Witches of Woodville 3

The Ghost of Ivy Barn

‘What will you do when the magic is gone?’ Sander Bree is a royal mage. Steeped in privilege, he lives a cushy life advising the king on matters of court and politics, yet still complains that he's stuck in a rut. Rosheen Katell is a freelance mage and, with Anzu her griffin, she’s worked hard to build a reputation as a trustworthy truth seer. She never lies, never kills. The source of their power is the Lapis Moon in orbit above. Very soon, that magic will be gone, changing their lives and their world forever. Sander must keep a promise that would have been difficult enough with magic, but is a suicide mission without it. Rosheen is forced to side with a murderous warlord, and her once-solid principles are tested and found wanting. Both will be set against one another in a war unlike anything the world has seen before, in this sweeping fantasy of magic’s ending. ** ‘Mark Stay paints his world and characters with deft, confident and dark strokes.’ – RJ Barker, author of the Wounded Kingdom Trilogy ‘The sort of book you give to people who say “prove to me why I should read fantasy”... A simply terrific read.’ – James Barclay, author of the Legends of the Raven series ‘Takes the tropes of high fantasy and uses them to wield an original, compelling and intricately plotted story... exactly the kind of fantasy that we need more of.’ – Gavin G. Smith, author of the Veteran series

The End of Magic

Roman

Die Hexen von Woodville - Rabenzauber

It’s May 1941, and the war is in full swing. Yet in the quiet Kentish village of Woodville a happy event is on the horizon, as Faye Bright interrupts her training with the British Secret Service to return home and marry her true love, Bertie.
 
But as preparations get underway, a ghostly premonition throws a spanner in the works. Who is the Corn Bride, and is her burning visage a warning, or a threat to the happiest day of Faye’s life?
 
As Faye and the witches investigate, it’s soon apparent that there’s much more on the line than dress fittings, cake and Bertie’s stag do. For an old enemy is stirring in the shadows, bent on vengeance. And he’s not above crashing a wedding to get it.
 
Will the happy couple make it to the church on time? Or will getting hitched spell Faye’s doom?

The Witches of Woodville 5

The Corn Bride

'Fast-paced, entertainingly creepy, laugh-out-loud funny, and genuinely moving' Michelle Paver 'Full of magic and delight' Rowan Coleman The Holly King is coming, and you're on his list . . . It's December 1940, and Christmas has come to Woodville. Faye Bright is looking forward to a good old knees-up after a year of supernatural mayhem and Luftwaffe air raids, but it seems glad tidings are in short supply. Already contending with food rationing and sky-high beer prices, the village is upended by the arrival of the Holly King, an ancient power bent on reclaiming his woodland domain. No mortal magic can stand in his way. As the winter solstice draws in and the villagers fall under the Holly King's spell, Faye, Bertie and the witches race to prevent his sinister Feast of Fools from reaching its deadly conclusion. But when terrible truths threaten to tear them apart, can they confront the mistakes of the past to save the village from destruction? Or has Woodville seen its last Christmas? *** For fans of Lev Grossman and Terry Pratchett comes the fourth novel in this delightful series of war, mystery and a little bit of magic . . . Don't miss the other magical books in the WITCHES OF WOODVILLE series! #1 The Crow Folk #2 Babes in the Wood #3 The Ghost of Ivy Barn

The Witches of Woodville 4

The Holly King

A truly delightful and escapist coming-of-age story, for fans of Lev Grossman and Terry Pratchett; the third novel in the Witches of Woodville series.

Mark Oliver

A story of second chances that's impossible to put down “Everything the world loves about British comedy.”—USA Today bestselling author Shannon Mayer “Like if Nick Hornby wrote a time travel, body swap adventure!”—New York Times bestselling author Mimi Strong Jo's world is about to change forever, and it’s about time Her marriage is on auto-pilot, daughter hates her, job sucks and it’s not even Tuesday. As Jo's life implodes, a freak event hurls her back to ‘90s Los Angeles where, in a parallel universe, she’s about to hit the big time as a rock star. Jo has to choose between her dreams and her family in an adventure that propels her from London to Hollywood then Glastonbury, the world’s greatest music festival. In her desperate quest, Jo encounters a disgraced guru, a movie star with a fetish for double-decker buses, and the biggest pop star in the world... who just happens to want to kill her. Back to Reality is a funny, heartwarming story about last chances, perfect for fans of Rowan Coleman and Helen Fielding. ------------------- Praise for Back to Reality: “Heartwarming, inventive, and funny. Like if Nick Hornby wrote a time travel, body swap adventure!”—New York Times bestselling author Mimi Strong “Written with an authentic touch and plenty of good humour. A tough book to put down.”—Mark Dawson, USA Today bestselling author of the million-selling John Milton series “I LOVE IT! It's Back to the Future meets Freaky Friday.”—#1 Kindle bestselling author of Hot Mess, Lucy Vine “Everything the world loves about British comedy. For those who wished Simon Pegg wrote novels, you now have the Two Marks.”—USA Today bestselling author Shannon Mayer “Crackles with all the addictive energy of a pop hit, and the heart of a soul classic.”—Samantha King, bestselling author of The Choice “Like a book version of Hot Tub Time Machine with fabulous female characters and great music.”—Kate Harrison, author of the bestselling 5:2 series “If you love time travel and rock and roll, you'll love this book!”—Julie Cohen, author of Together “Sliding Doors meets Back to the Future in a story to make you sing with joy.”—Karen Ball, Speckled Pen “A magnificent book! Loved every page. Beautifully written.”—Callan McAuliffe, actor The Walking Dead The novel from the Bestseller Experiment podcast. ------------------- What Amazon readers are saying: ★★★★★ 'A real page-turner overflowing with humour.' ★★★★★ 'All kinds of funny, from laugh out loud to quiet snorts of recognition.' ★★★★★ 'I miss the characters so much I think I’ll start reading it again!' ★★★★★ 'Pure pleasure to read. You won't put it down until you reach the last page.' ★★★★★ 'An absolutely cracking read. It's funny, it's clever, it's heartwarming, and completely impossible to put down.' ★★★★★ 'It's —Spinal Tap meets —Back to the Future meets —Freaky Friday.' ★★★★★ 'Had me cackling out loud.' ★★★★★ 'Funny, fast and massively entertaining. Hugely recommend.' ★★★★★ '—Bridget Jones meets —Back to the Future. Highly recommended.' ★★★★★ '—Back To Reality has it all; It’s funny, it’s thrilling, its thought-provoking and inspiring, but be warned, once you start reading this book you won’t want to put it down.' ★★★★★ 'Think —Peggy Sue Got Married meets MTV. Funny and warmhearted. Highly Recommended.' ★★★★★ 'This book reads like the best comedy movies. Great pace, humour and loads of action. Recommended for fans of Douglas Adams and Helen Fielding.' ★★★★★ 'Belts along at a cracking pace, at times reminding me of Douglas Adams.'

A Novel

Back To Reality

'Fast-paced, entertainingly creepy, laugh-out-loud funny, and genuinely moving' Michelle Paver 'Full of magic and delight' Rowan Coleman The Holly King is coming, and you’re on his list . . . It's December 1940, and Christmas has come to Woodville. Faye Bright is looking forward to a good old knees-up after a year of supernatural mayhem and Luftwaffe air raids, but it seems glad tidings are in short supply. Already contending with food rationing and sky-high beer prices, the village is upended by the arrival of the Holly King, an ancient power bent on reclaiming his woodland domain. No mortal magic can stand in his way. As the winter solstice draws in and the villagers fall under the Holly King’s spell, Faye, Bertie and the witches race to prevent his sinister Feast of Fools from reaching its deadly conclusion. But when terrible truths threaten to tear them apart, can they confront the mistakes of the past to save the village from destruction? Or has Woodville seen its last Christmas? *** For fans of Lev Grossman and Terry Pratchett comes the fourth novel in this delightful series of war, mystery and a little bit of magic . . . Don't miss the other magical books in the WITCHES OF WOODVILLE series! #1 The Crow Folk #2 Babes in the Wood #3 The Ghost of Ivy Barn

The thrilling new wartime fantasy adventure

STAY IN YOUR HOMES. YOU ARE UNDER QUARANTINE. Three years ago, Earth was conquered by a force of robots from a distant world. This was their one rule. Ignore the order to self-isolate and you're sure to be vaporised by a massive robot Sentry, or a crawling Sniper, or a flying Drone. That's if the vast Cube doesn't incinerate you first. But Sean Flynn is convinced that his father - an RAF pilot who fought in the war - is still alive. And when he and his gang figure out a way to break the robots' curfew, they begin an adventure that will pit them against the might of the ROBOT OVERLORDS. This fast-paced, thrilling novelisation is based on the hit British film starring Sir Ben Kingsley (IRON MAN THREE), Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES) and Callan McAuliffe (THE GREAT GATSBY). A perfect companion to the movie, it expands on the story with additional action, characters, and a special peek behind the scenes. This is the perfect book to let your mind escape these days of self isolation.

Mark Stay

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