The Tinder Box

“A marvelous dark fable. This novel confirms M.R. Carey’s place among the best living writers in horror and fantasy.”―Christopher Buehlman, author of Between Two Fires

In a kingdom forgotten by history, a legend unfolds ...

Wounded in his county's endless wars, former soldier Mag Tresti finds work in the home of a reclusive widow, Jannae Mirchella. But Jannae is more than she seems. A witch of great skill and might, she hides her powers and her deep-laid plans behind a mask of harmless respectability. 

When a dead demon falls out of the sky, the fates of the soldier and the witch are irrevocably intertwined. On the demon's body Mag finds a tinderbox—an artefact of terrifying magical power that can not only grant his every wish, but also change the fate of nations. 

This is a tale of spellcraft and devilry, of witchcraft and trickery—of the wickedness that resides within a few, the goodness that lies deep within us all, and the choices on which our lives turn.