JAMES NICOL BOOKS
You can find out all you need to know about my books here.
Contact Me
If you would like to contact me please get in touch via Authors Aloud UK or contact Jasmine Bartlett Love at Chicken House.
You can find out all you need to know about my books here.
A gorgeously cosy fantasy novel from the acclaimed author of The Apprentice Witch series and The Spell Tailors – perfect for fans of Studio Ghibli and Diana Wynne Jones. Mara lives with her father in a drought-stricken village, where rain comes at a price controlled by powerful cloud-makers. Without enough water, the village crops, animals and people will continue to suffer.
When Mara’s father’s illness takes a turn for the worse, she sneaks to The Cloud Factory in the hopes a healthy cloud will help him.
But stealing a cloud isn’t simple, as Mara soon finds – and she begins to discover the secrets behind The Cloud Factory…
Hen dreams of becoming a spell tailor, stitching magic into clothing like his beloved Nana.
But thanks to new factories, spell tailors are struggling. His Uncle Bertie’s fancy shop has shut down, and when he, Aunt Lucia and stuck-up cousin Connie move in, it’s a disaster for all the family.
Then Hen stumbles upon a new kind of stitch – one which causes Nana and Bertie to ban him from sewing.
What is the power of the stitch that can sew memories into clothes – and could it be the very thing to save them all?
Explores the real magic of clothes as Hen, a spell tailor’s apprentice, struggles to master his family craft – and discovers a new kind of stitch in the process!
AUDIOBOOK EXTRACT
In the Four Kingdoms, witches use a set of five magical symbols, called glyphs, to control the natural flow of magic in the world. But Arianwyn Gribble, a young apprentice witch, has seen a sixth glyph for as long as she can remember, a glyph that has always heralded trouble and darkness, like the death of her mother.
"A barrage of fantasy gold that is packed with elegance and nostalgic charm" - Mr Ripleys Enchanted Books
"Although The Apprentice Witch is aimed at young readers, I believe people of all ages would enjoy this book and the magical world it contains. I hope James Nicol chooses to write more of Arianwyn’s adventures in the future." - Cuckoo Review
Long-listed for the 2017 Branford Boase Award.
Long-listed for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize 2017.
A bewitching debut set in a world of domestic magic, filled with thrills, pesky magical conundrums, outlandish creatures and an enchanted forest - perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones or The Worst Witch. Arianwyn fluffs her witch’s assessment – instead of qualifying, she’s declared an apprentice and sent to remote Lull in disgrace. Then her arch-enemy, mean girl Gimma, arrives on holiday determined to make her life a misery. But as a mysterious darkness begins to haunt her spells, Arianwyn realises there’s much more than her pride at stake…
Newly qualified Arianwyn is rushed off her feet. The hex has driven supernatural creatures from the Great Wood and into Lull. What's more, the High elder has set her a dangerous secret mission, it's the toughest spell of her witching career - can Arianwyn really see it through all alone? A secret mission and a whole heap of magical trouble await Arianwyn Gribble in her second adventure and with new friends and old enemies it seems being fully qualified might not be everything she was imagining it would be...
"A distinct brand of cosy, magical storytelling" - Fiona Noble, The Bookseller
AUDIOBOOK EXTRACT
The war is over and Arianwyn has discovered the secret of the quiet glyphs, but her troubles are far from over. Her day-to-day work as Lull's witch is tricky enough: winter has set in, bringing bad weather, ice imps and befuddling Yule traditions. But when Arianwyn's grandmother is abducted by the traitor on the Council, our witch faces her greatest challenge yet. What really makes a witch come true? Our lovable heroine is about to find out ...
"I love the magical world Nicol has created and as ever he writes with such warmth in a very satisfying finish to the series." - Fiona Noble, The Bookseller
The stunning Apprentice Witch series covers were illustrated by the wonderful Daniela Terrazzini and I loved them from the very first sketch!
If you would like to contact me please get in touch via Authors Aloud UK or contact Jasmine Bartlett Love at Chicken House.