Half fairy tale and half historical account of a revolution that never was Owen King's The
Curator is full of sly humor sensuality and strangeness - Holly BlackFrom Sunday Times
bestselling author Owen King comes a Dickensian fantasy of illusion and charm where cats are
revered as religious figures thieves are noble scholars are revolutionaries and conjurers
the most wonderful criminals. At first glance the world has not changed: the trams on the
boulevards the grand hotels the cafes abuzz with conversation. The street kids still play on
the two great bridges that divide the city and the smart set still venture down to the Morgue
Ship for an evening's entertainment. Yet it only takes a spark to ignite a revolution. For
young Dora a maid at the university the moment brings liberation. She finds herself walking
out with one of the student radicals Robert free to investigate what her brother Ambrose may
have seen at the Institute for Psykical Research before he died. But it is another
establishment that Dora is given to look after The Museum of the Worker. This strange
forgotten edifice is occupied by waxwork tableaux of miners nurses shopkeepers and other
disturbingly lifelike figures. As the revolution and counter-revolution outside unleash forces
of love betrayal magic and terrifying darkness Dora's search for the truth behind a mystery
that she has long concealed will unravel a monstrous conspiracy and bring her to the very edge
of worlds. In The Curator Owen King has created an extraordinary time and place - historical
fantastical yet compellingly real and a heroine who is courageous curious and utterly
memorable. 'The Curator feels a little like Owen King somehow brought a curiosity cabinet to
life. There are terrors here but also marvels and delights and a set of the most interesting
characters I've met in some time. Put The Curator on the same shelf as other classics of the
uncanny and uncategorisable like Susanna Clarke's Piranesi and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast. I
loved it' - Kelly Link'Owen King's The Curator is a rich read. Language characters and a
fascinating world combine to create an intensely satisfying experience' - Charlaine Harris
