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"Phenomenal!"

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"A triumphant eruption"

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"A masterfully woven tale"

Out now from            and good bookstores

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DARK: And the Boy in the Hole

WINNER, Best Fantasy Book,
Page Turner Awards 2025

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DARK: And the Girl with the Knives

Finalist, Page Turner Awards 2025

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Book One

The Boy With No Name escapes from the hole in which he has been imprisoned his entire life and encounters the few remaining monsters of the Old World hiding in the forest – the world's last minotaur, lykkan, satyr, a handful of goblins, the last two trolls – hunted to the brink of extinction.

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When they discover the boy can mimic any ability he sees, even their own fantastical powers, he leads them in an uprising against the world's greatest monster: humanity.

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But there is a traitor among them, the King has a deadly new weapon, and the boy must first decide if he is human, or monster.

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Book Two

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Following the destruction of Castle Underock, Dark has set off alone in the world to find answers to his questions: who is he, why was he imprisoned in a hole for his entire life, and why can he mimic any ability he sees?

 

But the realm is in turmoil as the ten barons argue over who shall replace the deposed king, and humanity is now terrified by the discovery that some of the Old World monsters aren't as extinct as they'd believed. Infuriated by the boy and his monster friends, a mysterious cabal has sent an assassin to hunt Dark down and kill him.

 

She is The Girl With The Knives, and she has a special ability of her own: she never misses.

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What readers have said

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"Phenomenal!"

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"My favourite
read this year"

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"A masterfully woven tale"

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"A triumphant eruption"

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"Number one on my
fantasy reads this year"

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"An emotional rollercoaster"

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"Magical and captivating"

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"Delivered power,
tension and heart"

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"Holds a firm grip on you"

© 2025 by M.A.Batten

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