Sullivan, Deirdre – The Bell Bookshop

Wise creatures

Emma — Thu, 28 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

‘When it comes to writing YA fiction as beautiful, eerie and utterly chilling as WISE CREATURES, Deirdre Sullivan is in a league of her own’ – Louise O’Neill, author of ONLY EVER YOURSI always thought that hauntings began with houses. They don’t, of course.It’s people, isn’t it? They begin with people. If anyone knows what it is to be haunted, it’s Daisy. The ghosts of her troubled past are ever present. Daisy has always done her best to shut the ghosts away. To shut away the wise creatures who used to whisper to her from the walls of the house. To live a normal life. But now, something is humming in the house. Something dark, and unknown. And it’s targeting Nina, her beloved sister. Daisy knows that something is up. And that the wise creatures, locked away for so long, are back. And this time, who knows what they want?A haunting psychological horror novel from award-winning author Deirdre Sullivan

Precious Catastrophe

Emma — Thu, 30 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

The utterly compelling and darkly magical sequel to award-winning author Deirdre Sullivan’s PERFECTLY PREVENTABLE DEATHSLook. Madeline. You’ve lost your soul. You’ve lost your freedom. You’ve lost a bit of your sister. What else could go wrong? Catlin and Madeline are extraordinary sisters, living extraordinary lives – in a place that seems entirely ordinary, but which in fact seethes with secrets, both sacred and sinister. Ballyfran is a village where, for centuries, people who are not quite human have gathered. Catlin has already fallen foul of one such creature – a dark, vicious predator who almost killed her – and only Madeline giving up a part of her own soul was able to bring Catlin back from the brink of death. Now, the girls are making their strange new lives: Catlin, haunted by what happened to her, is isolated and bereft; Madeline is learning ancient magics under the tutelage of local wise woman Mamó. Learning that magic isn’t mindfulness and hats. It’s work – hard work. And Madeline knows she has to keep watch. On her sister. On the things that happen. Notice things before they start to happen. And before long, they do …

Savage Her Reply

Emma — Thu, 02 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A dark, feminist retelling of The Children of Lir by the author of the multi-award-winning Tangleweed and Brine

‘No-one else writes like Deirdre Sullivan. She is lyrical, poetic and thoroughly intoxicating.’ Juno Dawson, author of Wonderland

‘Unsettling, haunting, and darkly lyrical, Savage Her Reply is a beautiful thing.’ Louise O’Neill, author of After The Silence

A retelling of the favourite Irish fairytale The Children of Lir. Aífe marries Lir, a chieftain with four children by his previous wife. Jealous of his affection for his children, the witch Aífe turns them into swans for 900 years.

Retold through the voice of Aífe, Savage Her Reply is unsettling and dark, feminist and fierce, yet nuanced in its exploration of the guilt of a complex character.

A dark & witchy feminist retelling from the author of Tangleweed and Brine