William Nicholson Books In Order

The Secret Intensity of Everyday Life

‘The writing is unobtrusively brilliant. I can’t remember enjoying and admiring a new novel more.’ Elizabeth Jane Howard, author of Marking Time ‘Utterly captures the sense of quiet desperation of ordinary lives…
and the ways in which life turns on a sixpence.’ Kate Mosse, author of Sepulchre ‘Hugely funny…
. But beneath the Wodehousian surface, it is a serious book about men, women and children with complex inner lives trying to find happiness and coping with disappointment.’ Daily Telegraph Laura is a happily married mother of two who begins to question her choices when her first love resurfaces after twenty years. She’s forced to compare the passion of that relationship with the domesticity of her suburban life. What if she d stayed with him? Would she be happier? And what is happiness, really? Little does she know that many others in her gentrified English village, including a rector who s lost his faith, a frustrated school teacher, and a successful single mother who can t get over her ex, are struggling with their own personal crises. Two of William Nicholson’s screenplays Shadowlands and Gladiator have garnered Academy Award nominations. He is the author of five previous novels and lives in Sussex with his wife and three children.

Seeker

On the rocky island of Anacrea, in a garden within the great castle monastery called the Nom, lives the All and Only, the god who made all things. He is protected by an elite band of fighter monks. These are the Nomana, the Noble Warriors. Seeker, who lives on the island, is now sixteen, at last old enough to follow his brother into the ranks of the Nomana. Far away, Morning Star, also just sixteen, is leaving home to achieve her lifelong wish to join the Nomana. And when a beautiful, violent river bandit known as the Wildman finds himself helpless before two Nomana, he, too, is determined to become a Noble Warrior. But these are dangerous times. Secret enemies have sworn to destroy Anacrea, and in the imperial city of Radiance, where human sacrifices are thrown to their deaths every evening, elaborate plans to attack the Nom are in place. Soon, in a shocking turn of events, Seeker, Morning Star, and the Wildman are caught up in a bloody and harrowing race to save the god of the Nomana and themselves from destruction.

Jango

In joining the warrior society of the Nomana, Seeker, Morning Star, and the Wildman have achieved everything they thought they desired. Yet, as hidden doubts develop, the three friends find themselves pulled in separate directions. Seeker has gained more power in their training than he or anyone ever imagined, and with this, a new responsibility that isolates him from the others. Morning Star is consumed with unexpected feelings of love for a friend and begins to lose faith in her abilities. The Wildman’s hunger for power puts him at odds with the teachings of the Nomana, and he struggles to understand his purpose. But the three heroes fates again intertwine when an evil plan is set in motion that would destroy everything they have ever known, and this enemy is one that the Nomana may not be able to stand up to alone. A story of friendship and love, strength and courage, faith and redemption, Jango is a mesmerizing sequel to the acclaimed Seeker.

Noman

Seeker, Morning Star, and the Wildman’s world has changed drastically: The Nomana have disbanded, the island of Nom is gone forever, and its people have scattered, seeking shelter and something to believe in. When a young boy preaching nonviolence and joy mesmerizes everyone who comes in contact with him, a large following grows quickly, one that soon includes Morning Star and the Wildman. Yet Seeker, obsessed with his increasingly perilous journey to kill the last of the Old Ones, finds his mission placing him at odds with this new leader. As Morning Star longs for things to be the same again with Seeker but fears it is too late, the Wildman a restless warlord without a war turns a new corner that none would have expected. In this stunning and thought provoking conclusion to the Noble Warriors trilogy, the strength of friendship, loyalty, and faith is tested as all three heroes must decide whom to trust…
and what to believe. A thrilling story of integrity shaped in the face of corruption and vaulting ambition. The Guardian London on Jango Written in the same style as Christopher Paolini s Eragon and Terry Brooks s The Sword of Shannara, the quest itself will form the characters into the people they were always meant to be. School Library Journal on Seeker Spectacular. Kirkus Reviews on Seeker Fantasy fans will devour this book and eagerly anticipate the next one. VOYA on Seeker

The Wind Singer

Kestrel Hath’s schoolroom rebellion against the stifling caste system of Aramanth leads to explosive consequences for her and her family: they are relegated to the city’s lowest caste and are ostracized. With nothing left to lose, Kestrel and her twin brother, Bowman, do the unthinkable: they leave the city walls. Their only hope to rescue the rest of their family is to find the key to The Wind Singer, a now defunct device in the city’s center, which was once the course of happiness and harmony in Aramanth. But the key was given to an evil spirit lord, the Morah, in exchange for the Morah’s calling off its terrible army of Zars. Armed with desperate bravery, wits, and determination, Kestrel, Bowman, and a tagalong classmate set off to find the key. Along the way they meet allies and foes, but in order to succeed in their quest, they must face the most sinister force of all: the powerful Morah.

Slaves of the Mastery

The people of Aramanth are finally free of the Morah, the evil power that controlled them for generations. But a ruthless attack by soldiers from a distant land destroys the city, and its people are driven off as slaves. During the invasion, Kestrel and Bowman are separated for the first time in their lives. Bowman becomes a slave of the Mastery. Kestrel escapes, then sets off to avenge the enslavement of her family. As the twins embark on their parallel adventures, their mother’s prophetic dreams reveal their true identity and their dangerous fate. Bowman’s mind power and Kestrel’s fierce spirit are soon joined once again to fight for the freedom of their people.

Firesong

Led by Hanno and Ira Hath, thirty two mostly Manth survivors of the fall of the Mastery search for the fabled Homeland. Ira knows that as long as she feels the warmth on her face, despite the wintry conditions, they are heading in the right directino. She also knows that, according to the prophecy, she will die when they reach the homeland. She grows weaker with every step. Hanno must keep up the spirits of the marchers on the gruelling journey. There is dissent, wretched hardships and terrifying brushes with death. Violent bandits abduct the young women; Captain Canobius attempts to poison them; evil passion flies, lives are lost and all the time, they know they must reach the homeland before the wind on fire, which will scorch the land, purging it of the evil brought by the Morah. But there is also love in the air: Sisi loves Bowman; Pinto loves Mumpo; and other new friendships and relationships are forged Mean while, Bowman waits for a summons from the people of Sirene. It is a call that will mean he must leave his beloved family and make the ultimate sacrifice to save his people. Kestrel, too, waits. But she doesn t know what for, and she dreads it. Eventually, the summons comes. But, to his surprise, before being taken to Sirene, Bowman must be trained by none other than the Master, who was rescued by Jumper, one of the Singer people of Sirene, when the Mastery was destroyed, in order to train Bowman for his future role. Also, Kestrel is to join him. Neither is sure why Bowman thinks his future role is to join the Singer people in their ultimate sacrifice, but in an electrifying mind duel with Kestrel he discovers he is wrong: it is Kestrel who is to give up her life to save their people; Bowman must live to rule them. Just as Kestrel is consumed in the ecstasy of the wind on fire, her people reach the Homeland and Ira dies. Bowman and Sisi marry and rule the kingdom of Gang. Years later, we see the marchers happily settled in their new homeland.

The Society of Others

Cool, clear eyed, and bluntly cynical, the young narrator of The Society of Others embarks on a journey without a destination. He hitchhikes through Europe only to find himself in a mystifying country where terrorists are inexplicably after him, and so is a sinister government. In a surreal landscape where people are shot to death without reason and social control runs deep, he must learn who to trust and what to stand for. Fast paced and provocative, a gripping philosophical thriller, The Society of Others is an ingenious meditation on the nature of contemporary innocence and identity.

The Trial of True Love

Fast paced, beautifully crafted, and intellectually stimulating, The Trial of True Love is a captivating exploration of the nature of love, its elusiveness, and most of all, the universal human need to find it. Bron is a thirty year old writer living in London, a seemingly incurable heartbreaker and dodger of commitment. He is fascinated by the symbolist artist Paul Marotte and has made the artist the center of a book he is writing about love at first sight. On a visit to a friend’s country house, Bron encounters the beautiful, enigmatic Flora and suddenly the theme of his book takes on a completely new, intensely personal dimension. His pursuit of Flora takes him to Amsterdam, where a mysterious art collector offers to help him find the object of his desire, and the search for true love takes surprising twists. With the touch of a master, William Nicholson weaves thought provoking reflections on art, literature, and human nature in a suspense filled love story a novel that touches both the heart and the mind.

Rich and Mad

Maddy is a sixteen-year-old who likes
a boy in her theater club.

Joe is cute and popular and, incredibly,
sending signals that he likes her back.
Or does he? Isn’t Joe going out with Gemma?

Rich has a crush on Grace, and he even sends a letter
of recommendation from the pope to get
her to pay attention to him. But Grace
doesn’t appreciate that tactic…
.

The problem is, in life’s messy
mixed signals of friends and lies
and sex and status, true love can
be hard to find. And the real thing
doesn’t always come in the most obvious
package, either. Is it possible that the person
you never thought of that way is the one
who will ultimately touch your
heart?

This compelling exploration of feelings,
expectations, and attraction offers a
contemporary and candid look at love
and sexuality while moving readers with
its gentle portrayal of a very special first
relationship.

Shadowlands

William Nicholsons Tony nominated stage adaptation of his award winning BBC Teleplay relates the story of shy Oxford don and childrens author C.S. Lewis and American poet Joy Gresham. Shadowlands shows how love, and the risk of loss, transformed this great mans relationships, even with God. A L.A. Theatre Works full cast performance featuring: Arthur Hanket, Harriet Harris, Nicholas Hormann, Martin Jarvis, Christopher Neame, Kenneth Schmidt, W. Morgan Sheppard

The Retreat from Moscow

How well do we know the people we marry? Is it wrong to decide it’s time to be honest? Is love enough to save a family? In The Retreat from Moscow, William Nicholson, the celebrated author of Shadowlands, tells the powerful story of a husband who decides to be truthful in his marriage, and of the wife and son whose lives will never be the same again.

Edward and Alice have been married for thirty three years. He is a teacher at a boys school, perfectly at home with his daily crossword and lately engrossed in reading about Napoleon s costly invasion of Moscow. She is an observant Catholic, exacting and opinionated, and has been collecting poems about lost love for a new anthology. Jamie, their diffident thirty two year old son, is visiting for the weekend when Edward announces he has met another woman. With the coiled intensity of Tom Stoppard s The Real Thing and the embracing empathy of Edward Albee s best family dramas, The Retreat from Moscow shines a breathtakingly natural light on the fallout of a shattered marriage.