FANTASY

WYNTERTIDE by Andrew Caldecott (Jo Fletcher £14.99)

WE’RE back in the extraordinary world of rotherweird in this assured and beautifully handled sequel that cooks up a banquet of dark delights.

Once again, we are captivated by the compelling alchemy of plot, place and people: the quirks, the mysteries, the saintliness and the sheer bloody evil.

History is a dangerous subject in rotherweird, so dangerous that 21st- century Britain must never know of its existence, and the inhabitants themselves are forbidden to investigate their own heritage.

But diabolic, forgotten powers are rising again.

Clues abound in Latin, in anagrams, in codes and mysterious paintings and an unlikely alliance of teachers, antiquarians and natural scientists must work out who is setting them, in order to save the town from its ancient nemesis.

THE POPPY WAR by R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager £16.99)

A ONCE- GrEAT empire riven by squabbling warlords; the evils of opium; a militaristic island neighbour intent on domination.

Parallels with modern Chinese history resonate deeply and darkly in this blood- soaked epic of orphans and empresses, gods and shamans.

It’s an outstanding debut. We start small, cheering the irresistible rise of the orphan Fang runin, as she wins a coveted place at her country’s military academy.

Overcoming her lowly status, she fights her way to becoming a member of a drug-fuelled, elite warrior sect, each with access to the gods, each blessed — or cursed — with extraordinary powers.

And, with the empire itself under threat, rin must face her toughest challenge: working out how ruthless she must be to win.