Analecta Books

This was a rare opportunity to get a first edition Tolkien remarqued by the artist - obviously first editions by Tolkien are not released very often, so it was quite exciting when this one was announce. I did get some copies of the standard edition done, but they were not signed by Christopher Tolkien. Shown here, is the deluxe tray-cased leatherbound edition, limited to 500 copies worldwide - signed by Christopher Tolkien and Bill Sanderson. Includes full page hand-drawn image of Sigurd slaying the dragon Fafnir - signed and dated by Bill Sanderson. Also comes with a rough preliminary sketch by the artist. Additional pictures available upon request.

Containing a facsimile page of original manuscript, it is hand-bound in goat-skin and features raised spine ribs; the pages are edged in gold. The book is housed in a matching leather traycase lined in real suede and protected in its own shipping carton. In fine condition - good clean tight pages, in mint, unread condition. This copy (number 293 of only 500) is signed by Christopher Tolkien, and is one of only four copies IN THE WORLD to be hand-drawn with an image of Sigurd slaying the dragon Fafnir, and signed and publication-dated by the artist William Sanderson. This is the only copy to be offered for sale publicly, the other three already being in the hands of private collectors.

Synopsis : The world first publication of a previously unknown work by J.R.R. Tolkien, which tells the epic story of the Norse hero, Sigurd, the dragon-slayer, the revenge of his wife, Gudrun, and the Fall of the Nibelungs. "Many years ago, J.R.R. Tolkien composed his own version, now published for the first time, of the great legend of Northern antiquity, in two closely related poems to which he gave the titles The New Lay of the Volsungs and The New Lay of Gudrun. "In the Lay of the Volsungs is told the ancestry of the great hero Sigurd, the slayer of Fafnir most celebrated of dragons, whose treasure he took for his own; of his awakening of the Valkyrie Brynhild who slept surrounded by a wall of fire, and of their betrothal; and of his coming to the court of the great princes who were named the Niflungs (or Nibelungs), with whom he entered into blood-brotherhood. In that court there sprang great love but also great hate, brought about by the power of the enchantress, mother of the Niflungs, skilled in the arts of magic, of shape-changing and potions of forgetfulness. "In scenes of dramatic intensity, of confusion of identity, thwarted passion, jealousy and bitter strife, the tragedy of Sigurd and Brynhild, of Gunnar the Niflung and Gudrun his sister, mounts to its end in the murder of Sigurd at the hands of his blood-brothers, the suicide of Brynhild, and the despair of Gudrun. In the Lay of Gudrun her fate after the death of Sigurd is told, her marriage against her will to the mighty Atli, ruler of the Huns (the Attila of history), his murder of her brothers the Niflung lords, and her hideous revenge. "Deriving his version primarily from his close study of the ancient poetry of Norway and Iceland known as the Poetic Edda (and where no old poetry exists, from the later prose work the Volsunga Saga), J.R.R. Tolkien employed a verse-form of short stanzas whose lines embody in English the exacting alliterative rhythms and the concentrated energy of the poems of the Edda." -- Christopher Tolkien

This example is from Andy Mulligan's hugely-acclaimed "Trash" - it's been signed by the author, and signed and sketched by Richard Collingridge. Richard did a number of these (8 or so) which all sold out quickly (although there may be one left on our site). He drew inspiration from the story, needed no direction in terms of what was needed for sketches. It's a great story - here's the blurb from the publisher;

Synopsis : Raphael is a dumpsite boy. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping next to it. Then one unlucky-lucky day, Raphael's world turns upside down. A small leather bag falls into his hands. It's a bag of clues. It's a bag of hope. It's a bag that will change everything. Soon Raphael and his friends Gardo and Rat are running for their lives. Wanted by the police, it takes all their quick-thinking, fast-talking to stay ahead. As the net tightens, they uncover a dead man's mission to put right a terrible wrong. It's three street-boys against the world...

This one is rather special - a personal copy of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" (book 7 in the Dark Tower series). Michael's art has graced a number of the Dark Tower books, and copies remarqued by him fetch large sums on the secondary collector's market. Michael agreed to remarque this copy, and I sent it to him in the states, from here in the UK. It turned out that his lovely wife comes from Swansea in Wales, an hour's drive from where I live. When Michael realised I was from Wales, he pulled out all the stops to produce this magnificent remarque - I was obviously very pleased with it, and it remains the pride of my collection.

With a spin-off title ("The Wind Through the Keyhole") due soon, and a series of films and TV series slated to be helmed by Ron Howard, interest in the Dark Tower cycle is set to peak. Thoroughly engrossing, this is a series well worth checking out. Here's the blurb for "The Dark Tower", but bear in mind this is the final book in the series, and you first need to get out there and buy "The Gunslinger". What are you wating for? Go. Now.

Synopsis : The final volume sees gunslinger Roland on a roller-coaster mix of exhilarating triumph and aching loss in his unrelenting quest to reach the dark tower.Roland's band of pilgrims remains united, though scattered. Susannah-Mia has been carried off to New York to give birth, Terrified of what may happen, Jake, Father Callahan and Oy follow.Roland and Eddie are in Maine, looking for the site which will lead them to Susannah. As he finally closes in on the tower, Roland's every step is shadowed by a terrible and sinister creation. And finally, he realises, he may have to walk the last dark strait alone...You've come this far, Come a little farther, Come all the way, The sound you hear may be the slamming of the door behind you. Welcome to The Dark Tower.

Here's a rare talent - someone who can write beautifully and prosaically, as well as draw. First-time writer Ali Shaw's "The Girl With Glass Feet" was a real discovery - wandering into (*cough*) Borders (shortly before their sad demise) I saw this lovely-looking book, with silver-edged pages - beautifully produced (although it subsequently transpired that the hardback edition copies were weak at the join of the text block to the flyleaf - I had to sort through a number of copies to get good stock - the paperback is fine, though, go get), it was very eye-catching. Iknow they say don't judge a book by it's cover, but I make no apology for doing so all the time - the cover is a big deal for me. Anyway, was a pleasant surprise to find the author did his own illustrations. The book was replete with them miniature bullocks with butterfly wings, horned dolphins, colourful jellyfish, stags in the woods and his trees - my god, the trees - it's a great story too, due to be followed up in January 2012, by "The Man Who Rained - both synopses are here;

Synopsis : Strange things are happening on the remote and snowbound archipelago of St Hauda's Land. Unusual winged creatures flit around icy bogland; albino animals hide themselves in the snow-glazed woods; jellyfish glow in the ocean's depths...And Ida MacLaird is slowly turning into glass. A mysterious and frightening alchemical metamorphosis has befallen Ida Maclaird - she is slowly turning into glass, from the feet up. She returns to St Hauda's Land, where she believes the glass first took hold, in search of a cure. Midas Crook is a young loner, who has lived on the islands his entire life. When he meets Ida, something about her sad, defiant spirit pierces his emotional defenses. As Midas helps Ida come to terms with her affliction, she gradually unpicks the knots of his heart, and they begin to fall in love...What they need most is time - and time is slipping away fast. Will they find a way to stave off the spread of the glass? "The Girl with Glass Feet" is a dazzlingly imaginative and gripping first novel, a love story to treasure.

Synopsis for "The Man Who Rained" : "When Elsa's father is killed in a tornado, all she wants is to escape - from New York, her job, her boyfriend - to somewhere new, anonymous, set apart. For some years she has been haunted by a sight once seen from an aeroplane: a tiny, isolated settlement called Thunderstown. Thunderstown has received many a pilgrim, and young Elsa becomes its latest - drawn to this weather-ravaged backwater, this place rendered otherworldly by the superstitions of its denizens. In Thunderstown, they say, the weather can come to life and when Elsa meets Finn Munro, an outcast living in the mountains above the town, she wonders whether she has witnessed just that. For Finn has an incredible secret: he has a thunderstorm inside of him. Not everyone in town wants happiness for Elsa and Finn. As events turn against them, can they weather the tempest - can they survive at all? The Man Who Rained is a work of lyrical, mercurial magic and imagination, a modern-day fable about the elements of love."

This is one of Jill Bauman's remarques for the Cemeteray Dance limited edition of Justin Cronin's "The Passage" - a huge title, it's the first of a dystopian trilogy (we plan to have all three remarqued). Jill was brilliant, doing 8 or so sketches, all different (these can be seen on the approriate page on our website). Jill has illustrated many books, including another personal favourite, Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy. The CD edition of this book included material not available in the standard bookshop edition - maps, photographs of locations researched by the author for the book, etc - it was a very large and heavy edition, a wonderful addition to your collection. At this time, I think there may be just one copy left for sale. Here's the publisher blurb for "The Passage";

Synopsis : Amy Harper Bellafonte is six years old and her mother thinks she's the most important person in the whole world. She is. Anthony Carter doesn't think he could ever be in a worse place than Death Row. He's wrong. FBI agent Brad Wolgast thinks something beyond imagination is coming. It is. THE PASSAGE. Deep in the jungles of eastern Colombia, Professor Jonas Lear has finally found what he's been searching for - and wishes to God he hadn't. In Memphis, Tennessee, a six-year-old girl called Amy is left at the convent of the Sisters of Mercy and wonders why her mother has abandoned her. In a maximum security jail in Nevada, a convicted murderer called Giles Babcock has the same strange nightmare, over and over again, while he waits for a lethal injection. In a remote community in the California mountains, a young man called Peter waits for his beloved brother to return home, so he can kill him. Bound together in ways they cannot comprehend, for each of them a door is about to open into a future they could not have imagined. And a journey is about to begin. An epic journey that will take them through a world transformed by man's darkest dreams, to the very heart of what it means to be human. And beyond. THE PASSAGE.

Signed with Hobbs' pen name of Robin Hobbs, and as Megan Lindholm, lined with a quote from the book and dated - first UK hardback edition.

Subsequently signed and hand-sketched by the cover artist Jackie Morris - seven copies only, were remarqued by Jacqui. All were done in pencil.

Synopsis : A collection of novellas and stories from one of the most critically acclaimed authors in the fantasy genre, Robin Hobb. Including work written under her pseudonym, Megan Lindholm. Bingtown heiresses rub shoulders in this wonderful collection with vampires and alien musicians, tramps and feral cats. In The Homecoming, Lady Carillion Carrock and a number of other Jamaillian nobles are sailing to the Cursed Shores. Their journey is not by choice: for plotting against the Satrap, their wealth has been confiscated and they have been exiled. Until now, Carillion has done nothing but lead a life of privilege. She believes they are bound for wondrous cities, cities where ancient kings and queens dusted their skin with gold and wore jewels above their eyes. But when she is marooned by the ship's unscrupulous captain, she will soon discover the grim reality of what survival in the Rain Wilds entails. The Silver Lady is a would-be writer, ekeing out a dull existence by working in a Sears store. The one day a man comes in: fortyish, pleasant-looking. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except he says his name is Merlin, and he's about to change her life. Rosemary got involved with the wrong man. Pell is lazy, good for nothing, a bully. Her best friend Hilia knew it and so did her tom cat, Marmalade. But love is blind: Rosemary had Pell's baby, renovated the cottage his grandfather left in his will, turned its land to good use; and then he left her for another woman. Now he's back, and something must be done!

This is one of just 3 copies (2 proofs and one UK hardback first eition) remarqued by the illustrator Portia Rosenberg. Beautifully drawn in pencil this is probably the best of the 3. Erin Morgenstern's "The Night Circus" (although likened to the Harry Potter books) is reminiscent of this, I think (remarqued copies, incidentally, of Erin's book are due soon).

This is a near-mint UNCORRECTED PROOF copy of the runaway hit by Susanna Clarke - signed by the illustrator Portia Rosenberg to the title page. The artist has also drawn an utterly stunning pencil drawing (which she has also signed) - a truly outstanding copy, extremely rare (one of only 2!). Synopsis : Two magicians shall appear in England. The first shall fear me; the second shall long to behold me The year is 1806. England is beleaguered by the long war with Napoleon, and centuries have passed since practical magicians faded into the nation's past. But scholars of this glorious history discover that one remains: the reclusive Mr Norrell whose displays of magic send a thrill through the country. Proceeding to London, he raises a beautiful woman from the dead and summons an army of ghostly ships to terrify the French. Yet the cautious, fussy Norrell is challenged by the emergence of another magician: the brilliant novice Jonathan Strange. Young, handsome and daring, Strange is the very opposite of Norrell. So begins a dangerous battle between these two great men which overwhelms the one between England and France. And their own obsessions and secret dabblings with the dark arts are going to cause more trouble than they can imagine.

Ed miller is a brilliant artist - his name is a pseudonym, and he also paints under his real name of Les Edwards. I will show a number of examples of his works here, but my introduction to Ed's work came with book 1 of Redick's Charthrand books. Ed has produced some spectacular remarques for me over the last couple of years, inluding his contribution to a remarqued set of (3) books by Stephen King - "The Colorado Kid". Each of the 3 were remarqued (the other artists being Glenn Chadbourne and JK Potter). This is his work for Redick's "The Red Wolf Conspiracy" - book four of this series is due next year.

Synopsis : Told with infectious joy and enthusiasm by an immensely talented new writer this is a landmark fantasy debut. The Chathrand - The Great Ship, The Wind-Palace, His Supremacy's First Fancy - is the last of her kind - built 600 years ago she dwarves all the ships around her. The secrets of her construction are long lost. She was the pride of the Empire. The natural choice for the great diplomatic voyage to seal the peace with the last of the Emperor's last enemies. 700 souls boarded her. Her sadistic Captain Nilus Rose, the Emperor's Ambassador and Thasha, the daughter he plans to marry off to seal the treaty, a spy master and six assassins, one hunderd imperial marines, Pazel the tarboy gifted and cursed by his mother's spell and a small band of Ixchel. The Ixchel sneaked aboard and now hide below decks amongst the rats. Intent on their own mission. But there is treachery afoot. Behind the plans for peace lies the shadow of war and the fear that a dead king might live again. And now the Chathrand, having survived countless battles and centuries of typhoons has gone missing. This is her story.

Publisher and industry reviews : "This outstanding debut novel centres around the Imperial Merchant Ship Chathrand, the mightiest vessel in the fleet of the Arqual Empire. With its colourful cast of inhabitants, which include a band of tiny, Lilliputian style warriors, sentient rates and archetypal ancient evil the Shaggat Ness, the Chathrand brings to mind The Scar's fantastical floating city, Armada. But while Redick shares China Mieville's taste for the macabre he's not so willfully weird." -- Stephen Jewell SFX "The result is hugely impressive - a concoction rich in subtext and subterfuge and above all, adventure, and high seas adventure at that, which I'll gladly wager is the very best kind." -- John Berlyne SF REVU "Intelligently crafted, highly imaginative, and undeniably charming." FANTASY BOOK CRITIC "It seems every year Gollancz discovers another new writing talent. So following on from Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie comes American Robert VS Redick with The Red Wolf Conspiracy. Firmly set in the contemporary fantasy heartland it neatly dissects Lynch and Abercrombie's work by combining both a strong protagonist narrative within the rich framework powered by the geopolitical intrigue of two warring empires - tremendously action packed. The fantasy revival continues." -- Jon Jordan EDGE "The Red Wolf Conspiracy is an extremely enjoyable epic fantasy tale set in a vivid , constantly inventive world. The Chathrand itself comes across as the ocean-going equivalent of Gormenghast, whilst its crew seem to have assembled variously from the works of Charles Dickens, Jack Vance and Scott Lynch, but with a style that is undeniably Redick's own. I suspect that Redick will be 'the' big new fantasy author of 2008, and deservedly so." THE WERTZONE "For a debut novel this was pretty good and very readable, and I'll certainly be picking up the sequels." SANDSTORM REVIEWS "The Red Wolf Conspiracy is an enthusiastic novel that combines tales of pirates with legends of imprisoned Lovecraftian gods, hidden treasure and general skulduggery. Part Master and Commander, part On Stranger Tides, this fantasy debut from a relatively new author has much to be admired." -- Mark Yon SFFWORLD.COM "Redick entertains us with an epic journey of discovery through his fantastical world. He delights in showing us all manner of magical and magnificent creatures. Redick is a promising writer." -- Lee Harris DEATHRAY "A rich, fully packed fantasy. Immensely enjoyable, revealing new wonders in every chapter." -- Mat Coward MORNING STAR

Lauren signed a batch of ten copies of the limited harback edition produced by Angy Robot, before she won the Arthur C Clarke award. Just 2 were subsequently remarqued by Joey Hi-Fi (Dale Halvorsen) (although he also doodled in a 1st South African) edition of ths title, and also Beukes' "Moxyland") replicating his beautiful cover art. Dale also won awards for this cover artwork.

Synopsis : Superb unread copy of the Arthur C Clarke-award-winning "Zoo City" by Lauren Beukes. This is the true first, published by Jacana in South Africa. This copy has been signed, lined and dated by Lauren Beukes, as well as doodled (with what appears to be a dead blackbird) and initialed by the cover artist Joey Hi-Fi (who won best artwork for a sci-fi novel with this cover). A unique copy. Synopsis : ZINZI DECEMBER FINDS PEOPLE. Even if they don't want to be found - like missing pop starlet Songweza. Trouble is, when you go turning over stones and digging up secrets it isn't long before the real truth comes to light. A truth the local crime lord, dark magician and beast master, will kill to keep hidden. In Lauren Beukes' shattered city, magic is horribly real and the criminal classes sport symbiotically linked animals. A stunningly original urban fantasy

Signed by Patrick Ness (author). Signed, lined and dated by Jim Kay (illustrator) - first UK hardback edition. A truly stunning and beautiful book that is already proving very hard to find as a signed 1st/1st - destined to be a prized collectable. I have a small number of remarqued copies left (see the site for availability).

Fom thebookseller.com 24th March 2010 : Author Patrick Ness is to complete a novel begun by Siobhan Dowd, who died in 2007. The novel, which is as yet-untitled, centres around the healing powers of the yew tree. Dowd suffered from breast cancer and the drug, Tomoxifen, used in treatment of such cancer is derived from the yew. In the story, a boy whose mother is ill has to come to terms with her disease, and help arises from this unexpected source. Walker described it as "a dark and funny imaginative journey, circling around the central image of the yew tree". The book will be aimed at the 10-year old market and will be illustrated throughout. Ness said: "I don't see this as a humourless, po-faced eulogy - I don't get the feeling Siobhan would have liked that at all - but as a wild ride she and I are going on together. There's good mischief to be had. I can't wait to get started."

It was originally commissioned by Denise Johnstone-Burt, publisher at Walker Books, and will be published in May 2011. Walker controls world rights.

Synopsis : This is an extraordinarily moving novel about coming to terms with loss. The monster showed up just after midnight. As they do. But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the one he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming...The monster in his back garden, though, this monster is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor. It wants the truth. Costa Award winner Patrick Ness spins a tale from the final idea of much-loved Carnegie Medal winner Siobhan Dowd, whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself. Darkly mischievous and painfully funny, "A Monster Calls" is an extraordinarily moving novel of coming to terms with loss from two of our finest writers for young adults

This one was interesting for me - when I read the publisher's promo blurb, they listed JRR Tolkien as a "comparable author" so checked it out. I really loved the cover art by Jorn Kaspuhl, and there's some cool interior art too. It's a surprisingly slim volume, so it certainly does not have Tolkien's scope, but I can see why the comparision was made. These copies are signed and dated by the author, who has also hand-written a quote from the book. They are also signed, dated and hand-sketched by the artist.

Synopsis : This is the story of a bricklayer. A master of his craft, he keeps its sacred teachings secret. For him a house is the dwelling place of a soul, and a house must be built in the right spirit or the soul inside it will suffer. The building of an arch is a ritual to obtain a right relation with the earth and a connection with the truth. The bricklayer recalls his previous life as a Druid priest. He talks about the creation of the sacred landscape of these islands; how even a simple stick lying on the ground would tell people the direction they needed to go in; how when people stared at the stars, they were staring at their own mind. The reader sees the world through the eyes of this great, magical being at the time of the Roman invasion, and learns how he tricked Julius Caesar and set in train the series of events that would lead to Caesar's assassination on the Ides of March. But as the bricklayer continues, he worries he is losing his ancient, sacred powers. The vision begins to fray at the edges as we learn how he has recently taken violent revenge on yobs who have mocked him. Is he really connected to a once living Druid priest, or is he gradually losing himself in his own fantasies?