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The House of Dusk

An unputdownable adventure, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman

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The House of Dusk

By: Russell Franklin, Tom Roberts
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Summary

Moments after a fatal car accident, a boy wakes up in the underworld, and an extraordinary journey begins. A unique, gripping and life-affirming children's novel.

The last thing Ismail remembers is the sudden flash of headlights through the rain. When he wakes, he is alone, and somewhere very different.

Ismail's journey through the underworld begins at the base of a sprawling house: so vast and dark that he cannot see the top. It's here that Ismail learns of the legend: whoever can journey through the House, up to the highest point, will win their heart’s desire. If they choose it, they will win life.

The House is a dangerous place, with vicious beasts and perilous traps at every turn. No one has made it before. But as Ismail travels through halls, libraries and whole worlds within worlds, strange things begin to happen. Locked doors swing open, broken lights flicker on - almost as if the House recognises Ismail.

Almost as if this is not his first time in the House.

'Wildly ambitious, weird, wonderful . . . I loved it. It'll stay with me for a very long time. An extraordinary book' Liz Hyder

'A gripping and poetic book that breathes, heart, warmth and humour into a monstrous underworld' Beth O'Brien

'Strange and thrilling and properly epic, The House of Dusk is absolutely bursting with imagination and heart - I couldn’t put it down' Rebecca Orwin

© Russell Franklin 2027 (P) Penguin Audio 2027

 Action & Adventure Growing Up & Facts of Life
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Critic reviews

With the vibes of A Wrinkle in Time and The NeverEnding Story, but with an originality all its own, The House of Dusk stands out like a beacon. Give it to your most daring readers. They’ve been waiting for this (Patrick Ness, Carnegie Medal-winning author of A Monster Calls and the Chaos Walking trilogy)
Wildly ambitious, weird, wonderful . . . I loved it. I wish I could go back in time and read this as a child so it could seep into my bones for a lifetime. An extraordinary book . . . Masterful (Liz Hyder, Waterstones Children's Book Prize-winning author of Bearmouth)
A gripping and poetic book that breathes heart, warmth and humour into a monstrous underworld (Beth O'Brien, Carnegie Medal-winning author of Wolf Siren)
Breathtakingly imaginative and brilliantly written (Thomas Taylor, author of Malamander and The Lantern and the Labyrinth)
Strange and thrilling and properly epic, The House of Dusk is absolutely bursting with imagination and heart - I couldn’t put it down (Rebecca Orwin, author of Monsters at the End of the World)
A gripping story, with compelling characters, a perilous quest and a richly imagined world. An author to watch (Rashmi Sirdeshpande, Diverse Book Award-winning author of Dadaji's Paintbrush and Hari Kumar: Ultimate Superstar)
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