Drawing upon the centuiries-old lore of Britain's Old Magic, acclaimed novelist
Geraldine McCaughrean has created a bold, original fantasy. Richly textured,
this gripping tale of perilous adventure is filled with unforgettable scenes of
terror, heroism, and treachery in the timeless fight between good and evil.

It was from out at sea that Phelim got his first glimpse of the Stoor Worm:
Alexia pointed it out to him. A mass of land thrust out into the sea, interrupting
the smooth curve of the coast. Within it and behind it, the land was far higher
than round about, and it had a reddish tinge to it. There was no eye, no ear,
no claw, no thorny tail. It was simply a piece of land. How can you be afraid of a
piece of land? Phelim, who had been expecting the fright of his life, felt
absolutely nothing. The Stoor Worm was simply a morsel of legend, untrue. "It
doesn't even look like a dragon," he said, half laughing with relief.

"Well, that is only the snout," Alexia said.