The Tragickall History Of Henry Fowst

Henry didn’t breathe. Crouched down he listened into the darkness, not daring to move his head. No sound, no light; if anything the darkness intensified, and that weird consciousness, that sense of something luring only just beyond the corner of his eye, returned with force.

In the shadows of Walton Hall a demon lurks. His name: Mephistopheles. In 1586, young John Striven struck a bargain with him in return for help against his murderous foster brother. Nice work for a demon – or it should have been. Because somehow, his plan to trap the 12-year-old went wrong. All he needs now is another soul, in similar desperation, to call on him.

Enter 13 year-old Henry Fowst. A pupil at Northwell School, Henry longs to win the Northwell History Essay Prize. Exploring the school’s sixteenth century library, he stumbles across the diary of a boy his own age beginning this 20th day of Januarie, 1586... Soon Henry is absorbed in John Striven’s struggles with his jealous foster-brother, Thomas Walton, who, it seems, will stop at nothing to be rid of him.

Then matters take a darker turn. Battling to escape his own enemy, Henry finds his life beginning to imitate John’s and when the diary shows John summoning ‘an Angellick Spirit’ to his aid, Henry eagerly tries the same.

Unfortunately, calling up Mephistopheles lands both boys in greater danger than they’d ever bargained for.

Griselda’s first book, Ante’s Inferno, won the Children’s award in the People’s Book Prize 2013 and the Silver award in the 9-12 year-old category of the Wishing Shelf Independent Book Awards 2012. It was also shortlisted in Writing Magazine’s 2013 Self-Publishing Award, and featured in a number of publications, including The Oxford Times, Juno and Aquila. Griselda’s story was featured in The Guardian Self-Publishing Showcase and The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook.

Praise for The Tragickall History of Henry Fowst:

“Really engaged me from the very first page. It is inspired by Marlowe's Doctor Faustus and is based on the idea of a man selling his soul and making a pact with the devil in exchange for knowledge and power. It was a joy to explore this theme with the author - anything can happen and it surely does in this strange tale of demons and darkness.... This story is filled with intensity. You will be looking out of the corner of your eye to see whether anything is lurking beyond your vision. This is a recommended treat to read, especially around halloween time or after dark. It will certainly give you goose bumps from head to toe.”
 –  MR RIPLEY, Mr Ripley’s Enchanted Books

“Very exciting and gripping... the book really grabbed me in the first few chapters and I couldn't put it down.”
–  LAURENCE, aged 12 years

 “A cleverly constructed mystery... this historical time slip novel is an enjoyable and exciting read.”
–  THE HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY

 “Excellent”
–  BOOKS MONTHLY

 “Gripping and more-ish... an absorbing read.”
–  Blogger CHILD-LED CHAOS

 “Sooo gripping, I read the book in one week, one day, one hour, so there!”
–  MANGO BUBBLES BOOKS