Listen free for 30 days
Listen with offer
-
They Mostly Come Out at Night: A Yarnsworld Publisher's Pack
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 19 hrs and 28 mins
Failed to add items
Add to basket failed.
Add to wishlist failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
99p for the first 3 months
Buy Now for £34.00
No valid payment method on file.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Summary
Contains two stand-alone books from Benedict Patrick’s Yarnsworld series.
Series can be listened to in any order.
They Mostly Come out at Night, book one
The villagers of the forest seal themselves in their cellars at night, whispering folktales to each other about the monsters that prey on them in the dark. Only the Magpie King, their shadowy, unseen protector, can keep them safe.
However, when an outcast called Lonan begins to dream of the Magpie King’s defeat at the hands of inhuman invaders, this young man must do what he can to protect his village. He is the only person who can keep his loved ones from being stolen away after dark, and to do so he will have to convince them to trust him again.
From the Shadows of the Owl Queen's Court, book four
If you value your life, stay out of the forest. As a captive of the Owl Queen’s Court, Nascha’s life has always been one knife’s edge away from disaster. But when she is threatened for nothing more than the color of her hair, Nascha attempts the unthinkable: an escape through the dreaded Magpie King’s forest.
Hunted by sharp-toothed and sharper-witted foxfolk and hated by all for being a witch, Nascha fears herself doomed until she joins forces with a mysterious young man. With him she finds a glimmer of hope, even as her own unpredictable powers flicker into existence.
But hope is fleeting. The forces arrayed against her are insurmountable, and Nascha soon comes to realize that pursuit of her own freedom will come at a greater cost to the forest. As the darkness closes in around them, Nascha is forced to ask: At what price is she willing to purchase her life? How dearly is she willing to sell it?
Includes a special note from the author.
More from the same
What listeners say about They Mostly Come Out at Night: A Yarnsworld Publisher's Pack
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Glennccc
- 29-09-20
So, so original
Yarnsworld, the world that Benedict has created is one of the most amazing worlds I have read in a long, long time. Filled with fantastic characters from folklore. They Mostly Come Out At Night is about the tale of the Magpie King, The second book, From the Shadows of the Owl Queen's Court has many more wonderful characters inspired by folklore and shows the depth of the author's writing improving. One of the highlights of these books is the folktales inbetween chapters, seemingly random at first, they slowly bring the stories together. I love these books and have read them many, many times, so I have the characters firmly fixed in my head, however the narrator, Derek Perkins, did a wonderful job, adding even more depth to the work. Highly recommended.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 20-08-22
A Fantastic Story
Great audiobook. World building was incredible. Performance was incredible. Would recommend to anyone who likes dark fairytale fantasy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 08-08-22
Great Books
The stories are quite different from the "norm" in the fantasy genre. Brilliantly so, I recommend highly.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Miss
- 07-08-22
Good different
I really enjoyed both books. Particularly all the folk stories and their interaction with the main story line.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lauren
- 20-01-21
Dark fairytale steeped in mythology and magic
They Mostly Come Out At Night is an easy five star read for me.
I read the audiobook, which was brilliantly narrated, and actually contained two books: They Mostly Come Out At Night (book 1), and From The Shadows of The Owl Queen’s Court (book 4 in the Yarnsworld series) - they can be read out of order as each is a stand-alone, simply sharing the universe.
Both stories were wonderful, although I think I preferred TMCOAT a little bit more. They have a kind of dark fairytale vibe with a rich mythology and strong characters. With narration by Derek Perkins, who was absolutely wonderful, this bizarre world was brought to life in an epic way.
I’ve never read anything quite like these books. From the stunningly spectacular covers to the richly built worlds, the mythology and magic, and of course, fantastic characters who seem to jump off the page. The prose is rather beautiful, almost lyrical, and it’s a delight to listen to/read - even if there are some awful things happening at that point!
Both stories take place in the same universe, where there are people beholden to various spirits - the Corvay follow the Magpie King, the Titonieday have an Owl Queen. There are mouse folk, lion folk, fox folk etc. It’s rather breathtaking and revolves around a mythology I’ve never encountered before, which made it all the more fantastical.
Much of the story takes place in the Magpie King’s forest, where there are numerous beasts, magical creatures, and other spirits vying to live and survive. There are villages of people whose life can be envious or dangerous depending on what’s happening with the Magpie King and other creatures nearby - whether or not there is a madness, how relations are with the other forest folk etc.
There are certain parts which are definitely more abstract/weird, but they aren’t too frequent to take away from the excellent stories that are written here. I particularly loved the folk tales squeezed in between chapters, where we learned about the people’s own mythologies, tales, and characters doing heroic (or less than heroic) deeds. It fleshes out the world and brings it to life in such a wonderful way.
They Mostly Come Out At Night introduces us to the last Magpie King, and how a simple village boy, Lolan, ends up embroiled in a life-changing, world-changing plot rife with magic, betrayal, love, and sorrow. We’re introduced to “knacks,” a kind of magic that mostly peasant folk have that usually helps them with their work.
From The Shadows of The Owl Queen’s Court takes place some time after the end of the TMCOAN, following a new set of characters in a forest changed by the events of the past. Through Braden and Nascha, we see new branches of magic, new spirits and new powers, and how one person can change everything - although for better or worse remains to be seen.
I don’t want to say too much because I really think going in blind, with as few expectations as possible, is best for a book like this. I was constantly amazed with the small details, the creatures, the different beliefs that characters had, and how it influenced their behaviours. Most of the time I had no idea where the plot would go, how characters would connect or get themselves out of ever-greater peril.
There is a tonne of heart in these books, and many sections are incredibly emotional to read. I found I cared for all the characters in their own way, and wanted them all to succeed or at least be okay.
Benedict Patrick is now an auto-buy author for me, and I really hope his other words are turned into audio - having experienced this in audio I would love to hear the rest of his worlds narrated in similar fashion.
If you love obscure magic, curses, madness, mythology, characters in peril, the shifting of a forest over ages, gods and people, and everything in between, you’ll love this brilliant book. It’s a slice of the most fantastical fantasy and I adored every single word.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mr. D. J. Asker-browne
- 23-09-20
Wonderful
A perfect audiobook
Great story with echos of the tales of old
So well read/performed
Highly recommended
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Barbara
- 10-10-22
it's well written but too bleak for me
I enjoyed the most the mythology of magpie king (that increased my rating), but the main story is very depressing, especially the ending. both main characters end up having horrendous lives, too much suicide, murder and being married to violent monstrous men for my liking.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SAQ
- 18-08-22
Enjoyable
Really enjoyable original fantasy that thankfully lacks the cynicism that many modern fantasy writers feel they have to include. Narrator was excellent as always.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
- Sarah Jones
- 07-08-22
Highly recommended
I'm not a one for writing reviews but I really enjoyed this. highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Old King
- 13-10-22
Loved it
Lilting & engaging stories that entwine each other - refreshingly different & wonderful narration - I immediately got another from the author
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful