THE KINGDOM OF THE TWO SICILIES is Mary Gentle's take on opera, volcanoes and the Mind of God: a sumptuous, lush alternate Italy where music has magical power. Mary Gentle's bestseller ASH, the largest single-volume fantasy ever published, reinvented the field of historical fantasy. The first genre novel to be shortlisted for the WH Smith's Thumping Good Read Award, it won a slew of prestigious awards within the fantasy & sf field. Mary Gentle is one of the most critically acclaimed writers in the Gollancz stable: 'Gentle's feel for language and character provide both immediacy and a sense of timelessness' LIBRARY JOURNAL 'When she's got you hooked, there's no beating Mary Gentle' Rhianna Pratchett, SFX 'Mary Gentle's novels hover in the grey area between fantastic postmodern and historical fiction. The prose is flinty, the characters real and ... Gentle pushes hard at the boundaries of genre. An Arthur C. Clarke-award nominee in waiting' THE GUARDIAN

Mary Gentle is one of the world's most acclaimed writers of fantasy and science fiction; ASH, the largest single fantasy work ever - longer even than THE LORD OF THE RINGS - combines the authentic details of Bernard Cornwell and the magical storytelling of Terry Goodkind. Mary has a number of academic degrees, including an MA in War Studies, and has hands-on experience of sword-fighting and armour, amongst many other useful talents. She lives in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.