Cup of the World, The

The Cup of the World and its sequels follow a young woman, Phaedra, and subsequently her son, Ambrose, as they come to understand the forces of sin and retribution that have afflicted a small medieval kingdom since its founding. The writing style of The Cup of the World was described by Jan Mark in The Guardian as "detailed, glowing rich, and unforgettable." Amanda Craig wrote in The Times that The Cup of the World and The Widow and the King were "The strangest novels I've come across since William Morris's fairytales."