Cressida Cowell is back: Read the opening to her brand new book The Wizards of Once

Published on: 27 September 2017 Author: Catriona Wightman

How To Train Your Dragon author Cressida Cowell is back with a brand new book - and she's giving you the chance to read the opening right now!

Cressida Cowell: The Wizards of Once

Cressida Cowell won over millions of readers and inspired films and a television programme with her How To Train Your Dragon series - and now she's back with a brand new book!

The Wizards of Once follows Xar, a wizard boy with no magic, and Wish, a warrior girl who owns a banned magical object.

Brought up since birth to hate each other, what will happen when Xar and Wish's worlds collide? And will they be able to work together when something begins to stir in their ancient world?

Cressida is promising that The Wizards of Once is the first in a brand new series, so get ready to get absolutely hooked all over again... and you can get a head-start right now as we have an extract from the book!

Yes, simply click here or on the pages below to download the extract and get reading...

Pages from The Wizards of Once

 

Get a sneak peek inside

Not only do we have an extract from the book, but Cressida has shared some lovely images from the book, which is full of fantastic illustrations.

Meet the characters, immerse yourself in the map of the world she has created - and even see some snaps of a young Cressida playing on the South Downs in the 1970s... the place she used as inspiration for The Wizards of Once! Check out our gallery below.

See inside Cressida Cowell's The Wizards of Once

Cressida Cowell with The Wizards of Once
An illustration from the Wizards of Once
An illustration from the Wizards of Once
An illustration from the Wizards of Once
An illustration from the Wizards of Once
An illustration from the Wizards of Once
An illustration from the Wizards of Once
An illustration from the Wizards of Once
An illustration from the Wizards of Once
An illustration from the Wizards of Once
Cressida Cowell plays on the South Downs in the 1970s - the location inspired The Wizards of Once.
Cressida Cowell was inspired by the South Downs when she wrote The Wizards of Once
Cressida Cowell with The Wizards of Once

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An illustration from the Wizards of Once

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An illustration from the Wizards of Once

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An illustration from the Wizards of Once

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An illustration from the Wizards of Once

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An illustration from the Wizards of Once

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An illustration from the Wizards of Once

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An illustration from the Wizards of Once

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An illustration from the Wizards of Once

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An illustration from the Wizards of Once

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Cressida Cowell plays on the South Downs in the 1970s - the location inspired The Wizards of Once.

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Cressida Cowell was inspired by the South Downs when she wrote The Wizards of Once

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David Tennant reads the book

Discover our review

The Wizards of Once

Author: Cressida Cowell

Wish is a girl from a warrior tribe and Xar is a boy from a wizard tribe, living in a world loosely based on Ancient Britain at the beginning of the Iron Age, but where magic is real. A fabulously imaginative, funny and unpredictable adventure. 

Read more about The Wizards of Once

The Wizards of Once is out now, published by Hachette UK.

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