The Tinder Box
On sale
23rd June 2026
Price: £22
Genre
Prepare to be entranced by this utterly unique, historical fantasy novel with a fairytale feel from the million-copy bestselling M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts.
In a kingdom forgotten by history, a legend unfolds . . .
Wounded in his county’s endless wars, former soldier Mag Tresti finds work in the home of a reclusive widow, Jannae Mirchella. But Jannae is more than she seems. A witch of great skill and might, she hides her powers and her deep-laid plans behind a mask of harmless respectability.
When a dead demon falls out of the sky, the fates of the soldier and the witch are irrevocably intertwined. On the demon’s body Mag finds a tinderbox – an artefact of terrifying magical power that can not only grant his every wish, but also change the fate of nations.
This is a tale of spellcraft and devilry, of witchcraft and trickery – of the wickedness that resides within a few, the goodness that lies deep within us all, and the choices on which our lives turn.
‘A marvellous dark fable . . . Carey’s craft manages to feel at once familiar and startling, which for me is a hallmark of exceptional writing . . . Confirms M.R. Carey’s place among the best living writers in fantasy’ Christopher Buehlman, author of Between Two Fires and The Blacktongue Thief
‘The Tinder Box sparks with wonder and peril . . . It holds all the magic of a fable and all the complex kindness and cruelty of a human heart. Prepare to be enchanted!’ Melissa Caruso, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Hour Between Worlds
‘Witty, crisp, sharp and tender in all the right places. Exactly on the border between gunpowder and fairy tale. You’ll find yourself missing these big characters after they’re gone’ Paul Cornell, Hugo Award-winning novelist and screenwriter
‘In a grey age of violence and greed, Carey’s tale strikes a spark of kindness, humanity, and hope’ Marie Brennan, author of A Natural History of Dragons
In a kingdom forgotten by history, a legend unfolds . . .
Wounded in his county’s endless wars, former soldier Mag Tresti finds work in the home of a reclusive widow, Jannae Mirchella. But Jannae is more than she seems. A witch of great skill and might, she hides her powers and her deep-laid plans behind a mask of harmless respectability.
When a dead demon falls out of the sky, the fates of the soldier and the witch are irrevocably intertwined. On the demon’s body Mag finds a tinderbox – an artefact of terrifying magical power that can not only grant his every wish, but also change the fate of nations.
This is a tale of spellcraft and devilry, of witchcraft and trickery – of the wickedness that resides within a few, the goodness that lies deep within us all, and the choices on which our lives turn.
‘A marvellous dark fable . . . Carey’s craft manages to feel at once familiar and startling, which for me is a hallmark of exceptional writing . . . Confirms M.R. Carey’s place among the best living writers in fantasy’ Christopher Buehlman, author of Between Two Fires and The Blacktongue Thief
‘The Tinder Box sparks with wonder and peril . . . It holds all the magic of a fable and all the complex kindness and cruelty of a human heart. Prepare to be enchanted!’ Melissa Caruso, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Last Hour Between Worlds
‘Witty, crisp, sharp and tender in all the right places. Exactly on the border between gunpowder and fairy tale. You’ll find yourself missing these big characters after they’re gone’ Paul Cornell, Hugo Award-winning novelist and screenwriter
‘In a grey age of violence and greed, Carey’s tale strikes a spark of kindness, humanity, and hope’ Marie Brennan, author of A Natural History of Dragons
Reviews
A fascinating window onto a dangerous and multifaceted universe
M.R. Carey is a master of imagination and suspense
This is gripping, unrelenting, and absolutely unique. Carey is working at the absolute top of his game, and I cannot wait to see where this story goes next! They say there's nothing new under the sun. Well, M. R. Carey heard this and invented a whole new sun to put new things under. Absolutely brilliant. Top-notch science fiction, thrilling and thoughtful at the same time.
A dazzling speculation on the many ways our world could have evolved, layered inside a thriller that will make your eardrums vibrate. M.R. Carey reveals the human (and non-human) cost extracted by the crumbling aspirations of a multiverse empire. I was charmed, disturbed, and fascinated by turns - and I couldn't put this book down
Infinity Gate is a powerful exploration of the near-future, skilfully and seamlessly weaving different realities and different iterations of AI . . . A compelling entry and a must-read!
A genuine treat for SF fans: an epic multiverse tale that moves like a thriller
A mind-bending multiverse novel that feels wholly original
[A] brilliant dimension-hopping sci-fi thriller . . . readers will be wowed
A dazzling speculation on the many ways our world could have evolved, layered inside a thriller that will make your eardrums vibrate. M.R. Carey reveals the human (and non-human) cost extracted by the crumbling aspirations of a multiverse empire. I was charmed, disturbed, and fascinated by turns - and I couldn't put this book down
This is gripping, unrelenting, and absolutely unique. Carey is working at the absolute top of his game, and I cannot wait to see where this story goes next! They say there's nothing new under the sun. Well, M. R. Carey heard this and invented a whole new sun to put new things under. Absolutely brilliant. Top-notch science fiction, thrilling and thoughtful at the same time
Compulsively readable . . . This is the science-fiction epic I've always wanted to read. It's nothing short of superb, and deserves every accolade it's sure to get. Go and read it as soon as it comes out - you will not be disappointed
A genuine treat for SF fans: an epic multiverse tale that moves like a thriller
The Tinder Box is witty, crisp, sharp and tender in all the right places. Exactly on the border between gunpowder and fairy tale. You'll find yourself missing these big characters after they're gone
M.R. Carey is a master of imagination and suspense
When the book's different subplots converge, they do so in a brilliantly realised set-piece that combines balletic über-violence with real emotional heft - which only makes you impatient to open the next volume
A marvellous dark fable. Echoes of The Brothers Grimm and Faust do not detract from the originality on display in The Tinder Box; indeed, Carey's craft manages to feel at once familiar and startling, which for me is a hallmark of exceptional writing. *Of course* that elegant sentence rolled out that way-how could it have done otherwise? This novel, along with last year's Once Was Willem, confirms M.R. Carey's place among the best living writers in horror and fantasy
Humane, thoughtful and exciting, Mike Carey reaffirms his place in the ranks of SF with this startlingly good novel
Infinity Gate, with its in-depth science and rich characterization, is a must-read for SF fans, as Carey's story crosses the militarism of an anthropomorphic Starship Troopers with Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter's Long Earth series while waging a war against Stargate's replicators.
The Tinder Box sparks with wonder and peril, unleashing a tale that feels both fresh and familiar, old and new. It holds all the magic of a fable and all the complex kindness and cruelty of a human heart. Prepare to be enchanted!
Infinity Gate is a powerful exploration of the near-future, skilfully and seamlessly weaving different realities and different iterations of AI . . . Carey has the experience, imagination and verve to pull it off. A compelling entry and a must-read!
In a grey age of violence and greed, Carey's tale strikes a spark of kindness, humanity, and hope