Dragons at Crumbling Castle

Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur's knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It's a disaster! Luckily, there's a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who's willing to fill it. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fearsome fire-breathers. But there's a teeny weeny surprise in store . . . Fourteen fantastically funny stories from master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, full of time travel and tortoises, monsters and mayhem! 'So funny I dropped my spoon laughing!' - King Arthur.

Funny, action-packed . . . a rip-roaring read. * The Sun * Full of [Pratchett's] burgeoning wit and wordplay . . . A delightful romp. * Sunday Times * A splendid collection . . . rumbustious, irreverent and hilarious. * Booktrust * A good choice for the chapter-book set, this is highly recommended for reading aloud to younger children as well . . . Pratchett's vast, all-ages fan base will be intrigued by these early offerings, while their accessibility and skillful storytelling will pull in young newcomers to the masterful author's work. * Booklist * Charming and funny . . . Accompanied by Beech's wiry Quentin Blake-like illustrations, as well as numerous typographical flourishes, this volume will please both its intended audience and older Pratchett completists. * Publishers Weekly * Terry Pratchett's youthful short stories, as collected in Dragons at Crumbling Castle, just prove that he has always been what he is . . . These stories are far too good for children. Oops, I mean for children not to share with older people. But you knew that. * The Bookwitch * A joy to read . . . from dragons and wizards to monsters and talking animals, there really is something in each story to appeal to everyone. * whatsgoodtogo.co.uk * Fourteen rollicking tales . . . all feature characters heroic or hiss-worthy, pranks and battles aplenty, sly twists on familiar tropes and [Pratchett's] trademark mix of silly humour and acute moral commentary. Juvenilia from a genius, showing bright signs of future masterworks. * Kirkus *.

Reviews

Terry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books which have sold over 100 million copies worldwide. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal. He was awarded a knighthood for services to literature in 2009, although he always wryly maintained that his greatest service to literature was to avoid writing any. www.terrypratchettbooks.com.