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The Candle Man
Book by Catherine Fisher
138 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
3 people are currently reading
136 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Fisher
64 books1,609 followersCatherine Fisher was born in Newport, Wales. She graduated from the University of Wales with a degree in English and a fascination for myth and history. She has worked in education and archaeology and as a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glamorgan. She is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
February 24, 2019
het draait om Conor en Sara die in een dorpje wonen die vlak aan een rivier wonen. de torenwachter vraagt hun om een kaars uit het huis van iemand te halen want als die kaars op is sterft hij. maar dat vind de dame van de rivier niet goed. ze doet er alles aan om de kaars in handen te krijgen maar hun doen er alles aan om de kaars te beschermen. duidelijk een kinderboek maar wel een leuk en origineel verhaal.
December 14, 2025
This book was way more exciting than expected!
Two children befriend a guard of the watchtower. He has an object (a candle) that's connected to his life. The rivergodess wants his life and also the part back where the village is, to reclaim it. She steals the candle and the three of them go by (ancient) ferry (very Charon on the river Styx-vibes) to a mysterious island (very Avalon-vibe) to get it back. Will they be back in time to save the guard's life and the village?
Two children befriend a guard of the watchtower. He has an object (a candle) that's connected to his life. The rivergodess wants his life and also the part back where the village is, to reclaim it. She steals the candle and the three of them go by (ancient) ferry (very Charon on the river Styx-vibes) to a mysterious island (very Avalon-vibe) to get it back. Will they be back in time to save the guard's life and the village?
March 14, 2013
Engaging and original children’s fantasy, atmospheric and pleasurably chilling, with a strong sense of place. I liked the malevolent character of Hafren (the spirit of the River Severn) and the sheer imaginativeness of the storyline. I was delighted to discover this author and will be looking out for more of her books.
October 23, 2019
Meurig is a man haunted by the spirit of the River Severn (Hafren in Welsh). His soul is captured and bound up in a candle and the river taunts him with it and seeks to gain his aid to cause a great flood. Nevertheless some local children come to his aid.
Magical realism, or perhaps almost a ghost story. Touching, and enjoyable for mid grade to young adult readers. This book was set for my daughter's year 7 class (11-12 year olds).
Magical realism, or perhaps almost a ghost story. Touching, and enjoyable for mid grade to young adult readers. This book was set for my daughter's year 7 class (11-12 year olds).
January 30, 2023
Un romanzo molto magico, in cui il nemico è un fiume e la sua personificazione. L'ho trovato al book crossing vicino a casa mia e l'ho letto con grande piacere.
Mi spiace solo che l'idea principale su cui si regga la trama riguardi un personaggio aiutato dal protagonista invece che il protagonista stesso. Penso avrebbe reso la storia molto più potente.
Mi spiace solo che l'idea principale su cui si regga la trama riguardi un personaggio aiutato dal protagonista invece che il protagonista stesso. Penso avrebbe reso la storia molto più potente.
September 11, 2016
A tense supernatural thriller set in the rainy backdrop of a South Wales I know quite well, I found this to be an absorbing story about the fight for one man's soul held in the nearly wick of a candle.
April 11, 2017
As is always the case, Catherine Fisher has written a gem.
The characters are brilliantly drawn and the story, though short is tense and exciting.
The characters are brilliantly drawn and the story, though short is tense and exciting.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews