Can Wild Alan unite the Discard against the tyranny of the Pyramid?
Idle Hands is an ancient disease that once tore through the Discard, and if Wild Alan doesn’t find a way into the Black Pyramid to administer the cure to his son, Billy, it will soon be stalking Gleam once again. Even with Bloody Nora’s help, there’s only one way in – and that’s through the Sump, which was sealed long ago to contain the horrors within.
And for Alan, the Black Pyramid will be even more dangerous. Thanks to the disease, the Pyramidders’ fear and loathing of the Discard is reaching fever-pitch – and Alan is the most well-known Discarder of all.
Bloody Nora has her own agenda. All the information she needs to complete her people’s Great Work is hidden in the Pyramid – but just by being there, she is violating a centuries-old treaty between the Pyramid and the Mapmakers, which could spark conflict between the two greatest powers that Gleam knows.
‘Gleam’s combination of dystopia, mythic quest, music and squishy monsters is hugely entertaining’ SFX
Idle Hands is an ancient disease that once tore through the Discard, and if Wild Alan doesn’t find a way into the Black Pyramid to administer the cure to his son, Billy, it will soon be stalking Gleam once again. Even with Bloody Nora’s help, there’s only one way in – and that’s through the Sump, which was sealed long ago to contain the horrors within.
And for Alan, the Black Pyramid will be even more dangerous. Thanks to the disease, the Pyramidders’ fear and loathing of the Discard is reaching fever-pitch – and Alan is the most well-known Discarder of all.
Bloody Nora has her own agenda. All the information she needs to complete her people’s Great Work is hidden in the Pyramid – but just by being there, she is violating a centuries-old treaty between the Pyramid and the Mapmakers, which could spark conflict between the two greatest powers that Gleam knows.
‘Gleam’s combination of dystopia, mythic quest, music and squishy monsters is hugely entertaining’ SFX
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Reviews
Gleam is a strong start to a very interesting world. Anyone looking for a science fiction tale of grim darkness should definitely pick this one up. 8/10
There's true passion in every written word . . . With such deep characters and a storyline that promises more in its sequels, Gleam is definitely not one to discard. 4/5
Gleam's combination of dystopia, mythic quest, music and squishy monsters is hugely entertaining. Fletcher's distinctive prose - alternating barogue description and brutal action - is spiced with witty dialogue and eccentric characters. 4/5
Absolutely one of my favourite books of the year . . . a sprawling, wild and highly engaging tale of a completely different world - one inhabited by the weird and wonderful, where dark secrets lie hidden and an eclectic and highly intriguing group set out on a quest to discover them
Gleam is an astonishing novel . . . A book of the year for sure.
Gleam is a very accomplished novel. The tapestry of the Alan's world is extremely rich and is filled with immaculately planned details. The story flows nicely and the last hundred pages or so only made me want to read more. In short, it'll be a long wait for the sequel!
A wild ride through a world rooted in bizarre and unfathomable traditions . . . Gleam is simply beyond fascinating . . . I quickly fell in love with this book.
Idle Hands keeps up the momentum built up in Gleam and goes on to deliver an exciting second instalment of Fletcher's dystopian vision . . . An imaginative and exciting sequel
It is such an interesting, weird, intriguing read I was literally glued to the pages. I hadn't finished a book this quickly in a while, which means a lot. The story, though absolutely bonkers at times, flows so well and reads so quickly
Imaginative and exciting. There's subterfuge, violent action and personal tragedy, along with the mutated monsters, strange landscapes grotesque characters and twisted societies that populate Fletcher's bizarre world
One of the most promising young horror authors of the past decade turned his stark talents to fantasy, conjuring up 'a devastated landscape equal parts Ambergris and Fallout 3' to typically excellent effect
