Elias Martin

By Nicola Davies

Elias Martin lives a scowling, solitary life for a decade until a small, lost child wanders into his path.

One in a series of tales that explore the deeper, darker side of our connection with the natural world. Be ready to feel a little bit of magic, and perhaps a few shivers down the spine.

- Elias Martin lives a lonely, isolated life in the middle of a snowy forest. Then one day he finds a strange young child sleeping in his wood store, and he soon takes the child under his wing. As with her whole Shadows and Light series, Davies is inspired by both nature and grim folklore in this tale. Shum's beautiful black-and-white illustrations perfectly complement Davies's writing, especially emphasising the starkness of the harsh landscape. A mysterious and highly engrossing read.' Inis Reading Guide 2017-18, Children's Books Ireland

- A well-written, thought-provoking tale for older and reluctant readers who enjoy a touch of the supernatural.' Marie Orlando, School Library Journal

• Language: English
• Publisher: Graffeg
• Release date: Apr 20, 2020
• ISBN: 9781912050147

Nicola Davies

Nicola Davies is a writer, producer and presenter of radio and television, including The Really Wild Show. Amongst her many acclaimed books for children are Big Blue Whale, One Tiny Turtle, and Poo which was shortlisted for a Blue Peter Book Award.

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Reviews for Elias Martin

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Driven north as an embittered young man, the eponymous Elias Martin becomes even harder and more bitter as he struggles to survive the perils of a cold, unforgiving world. A fur trapper who considers every kill a blow for survival, a victory against an uncaring world, Elias has no room in his heart for softer emotions. Until, that is, a mysterious young girl shows up outside his shack one wintry day, and he unexpectedly takes her in, beginning to raise her as his own. Birch is awake to the beauty of the world, and she awakens Elias as well. But when a wolverine strikes, Elias' determination to kill this rival for their food source leads to the loss of the only meaningful thing in his life...The fourth book in British author Nicola Davies' immensely powerful Shadows and Light collection, which offers fantastic original stories intended to "explore the deeper, darker side of our connection with the natural world," Elias Martin is a heartbreaking book, one whose pathos is not at all diminished by the inevitability of its tragic end. I read the second half of the story with a knot in my stomach, fulling expecting the loss that Elias suffered, but despite my foreknowledge, the blow was not softened. Davies is a marvelous writer, and the text here is poetic and powerful. The artwork by Fran Shum, which looks almost etching-like in style, perfectly captures the harshness and beauty of the world around Elias. I picked this one up with the impression that it was the last of a four-book series, but I see from the back matter that two more titles are in the offing - Bee Boy and the Moonflowers and The Eel Question. This is all to the good, as I have greatly enjoyed all four titles thus far published, and heartily recommend them to any young reader who has a taste for folktale-style fiction. The themes can be quite dark, but the writing is superb and the artwork beautiful.