In a world of dragons, song-spells, pipers and battles...

Patch Brightwater is in disgrace. Thrown in jail for playing a forbidden spell, he is no one's idea of a hero. But then he discovers a deadly truth - the evil Piper of Hamelyn is on the loose. With the help of Wren, a girl cursed to live as a rat, and Barver, a fire-breathing dracogriff, Patch must stop the Piper sparking the biggest battle of them all.

Three accidental heroes versus one legendary villain...an epic adventure is born.

A perfectly pitched fantasy adventure for readers aged 9+ and for fans of The Hobbit and How to Train Your Dragon.
It was a Waterstones Children's Book of the Month in 2018.

About the Author
S.A. Patrick was born in Belfast. When he was a child, he wanted to write video games, become an author, and have magical powers. The first two came true. If he ever does get magical powers, he hopes people like dragons and griffins because there'll suddenly be a lot of them around. His first novel for children, A Darkness of Dragons was a Waterstones Book of the Month in 2018.

Reviews
All the ingredients of a perfect fantasy adventure. * Kieran Larwood, author of The Legend of Podkin One-Ear *
A Darkness of Dragons creates an exciting imaginary world that will leave children eager to get their hands on forthcoming sequels. * Mark, The Alligator's Mouth *
A Darkness of Dragons is an inspired take on an old story, with engaging characters, a really good story and several unexpected twists. * Linda Wilson, Crime Review *
A Darkness of Dragons is sheer brilliance in children's fiction. I have not been this excited about a children's series of books since a pubescent wizard called Harry Potter first leapt onto the scene. S.A. Patrick's storytelling knows no bounds and is masterfully executed and Patrick builds a quite brilliant original tale whilst also creating an unforgettable magical world for his readers to escape into. * Storgy Kids *
this could turn out to be a fantastically popular new series. [...] S.A. Patrick has adapted the traditional fairy tale to create a fearsome character and then filled the plot with action, suspense and magic from start to finish. * TES *


Awards
Winner of Salford Children's Book Award 2020 (UK). Short-listed for Essex Book Awards 2019 and Crimefest Book Awards 2019 and Harrow Junior Book Award 2020 and Awesome Book Awards 2020. Long-listed for The CILIP Carnegie Medal 2020.



Book Information
ISBN 9781474945677
Author S.A. Patrick
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Usborne Publishing Ltd
Publisher Usborne Publishing Ltd
Weight(grams) 330g
Dimensions(mm) 203mm * 138mm * 25mm