**From the acclaimed author of Roses and Rot— a “Brothers Grimm tale for the contemporary reader” (School Library Journal , starred review)—Kat Howard’s exquisite shorter works, nominated for the World Fantasy Award, and performed on WNYC's Selected Shorts. **
Kat Howard has already been called a “remarkable writer” by Neil Gaiman and her “dark and enticing” (Publishers Weekly) debut novel, Roses and Rot , was beloved by critics and fans alike.
Now, you can experience her collected shorter works, including two new stories, in A Cathedral of Myth and Bone. In these stories, equally as beguiling and spellbinding as her novels, Howard expands into the enchanted territory of myths and saints, as well as an Arthurian novella set upon a college campus, “Once, Future,” which retells the story of King Arthur—through the women’s eyes.
Captivating and engrossing, and adorned in gorgeous prose, Kat Howard’s stories are a fresh and stylish take on fantasy. “Kat Howard seems to possess a magic of her own, of making characters come alive and scenery so vivid, you forget it exists only on the page” (Anton Bogomazov, Politics and Prose).
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From School Library Journal
This collection of 16 short stories offers a fresh perspective on mythology. The focus of the tales ranges, but all have realistic settings, well-developed characters, and relatable story lines. The lives of several college students begin echoing the pattern of Arthurian Camelot, and a romance in another entry centers a young woman who slips from her real life into the fictional tales her boyfriend writes about her. Other vignettes explore the idea of breaking curses, following a map to purgatory, and becoming a worshipped saint dispensing miracles. Howard laces each one with hints of magical realism. The immersive, dramatic plots will have teens contemplating themes such as identity and spiritualism. VERDICT Purchase where short story collections such as Ray Bradbury's The Illustrated Man are popular or where thought-provoking fantasy reads are needed. Pair these pieces with traditional myths, or hand them to fantasy and mythology fans.-April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, ALα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
About the Author
Kat Howard’s short fiction has been nominated for the World Fantasy Award, anthologized in best of and annual best of collections, and performed on NPR. She is the author of the critically acclaimed Roses and Rot and the Alex Award–winning An Unkindness of Magicians. She is also the writer of the Books of Magic series, set in the Sandman Universe. She lives in New Hampshire, and you can find her on twitter at @KatWithSword.