The Magician of Tiger Castle: the highly anticipated debut adult novel from the international bestselling author

Discover a charming and clever modern fairytale for adult readers, from the multi-million-copy international bestselling author of Holes…

‘A medieval fable for the modern age . . . I loved it’ Alix E. Harrow
‘Clever, wistful and lovely in equal measure’ Sarah Beth Durst

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Is true love the greatest form of magic?

Long ago, in a kingdom far away, the magician of tiger castle is on thin ice. Once the greatest in the land, Anatole’s spells have dried up. He can’t even turn sand into gold anymore. The only one who still believes in him is kind Princess Tullia, and he hopes – for the sake of their friendship – that he can soon redeem himself and stay within the king’s court.

When the opportunity arises, Anatole is faced with an impossible decision. Princess Tullia is betrothed to the prince of a rich neighbouring kingdom, an alliance which will save bankrupt Esquaveta and all its citizens. But, Tullia has secretly fallen in love with a lowly apprentice scribe and refuses to wed the prince.

The King tasks Anatole with the most difficult magic of all: an anti-love potion. Anatole can save everything and everyone if he can shatter the young lovers’ romance. But, with the fate of the kingdom hanging in the balance, can he achieve it? Can he even bring himself to try? After all, is true love not the purest form of magic?

Told with the same wit and warmth that has made Louis Sachar’s books classics of children’s literature, The Magician of Tiger Castle is a colourful and enigmatic tale of adventure, love, loss and triumph.

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✨ FALL UNDER THE MAGICIAN OF TIGER CASTLE’S SPELL ✨

‘A medieval fable for the modern age: wise and whimsical, tragic and comic, familiar and strange. I loved it’ Alix E. Harrow, author of Starling House

‘Magicians, potions, princesses, court intrigue. . . This has so many expected ingredients of a classic fairytale, but it’s the unexpected wit and wisdom that make it such a compulsively readable novel’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

‘Clever, wistful and lovely in equal measure . . . the kind of book that lodges itself in your heart!’ Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Spellshop

‘Delightfully quirky… a nostalgic, yet innovative escape’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

‘I adored this book . . . perfect for fans of Holes – or for any reader who wants to go on a grand, magical adventure for the sake of true love’ Susan Dennard, author of The Luminaries

‘With the world in disarray, The Magician of Tiger Castle is the escape I needed… this magical adventure is a present-day fairytale of forbidden love’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

‘While keeping the heart and humanity of Holes, Louis Sachar blazes into the adult space with The Magician of Tiger Castle‘ Rebecca Thorne, author of You Can’t Spell Treason without Tea

‘You will fall in love with the magician and his life story… I can’t wait to share this book with friends and family’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

‘[A] melancholy, heartfelt, and utterly immersive Renaissance-esque fantasy . . . Readers who grew up with Sachar will be especially thrilled, but even those new to his work won’t be able to put this down’ Publishers Weekly

‘Immensely enjoyable… so cozy and delightful’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review