Staff Pick
If you're looking for a story to really whisk you away, then this is your book. The worlds in which Jack travels are so immersive, the characters so fleshed out and wonderful — combined with horror and fantasy elements, The Talisman is a near-perfect book! Recommended By Heather A., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
The iconic, “extraordinary” (The Washington Post) collaboration between #1 bestselling author Stephen King and Peter Straub—an epic thriller about a young boy’s quest to save his mother’s life. Jack Sawyer, twelve years old, is about to begin a most fantastic journey, an exalting, terrifying quest for the mystical Talisman—the only thing that can save Jack’s dying mother. But to reach his goal, Jack must make his way not only across the breadth of the United States but also through the wondrous and menacing parallel world of the Territories.
In the Territories, Jack finds another realm, where the air is so sweet and clear a man can smell a radish being pulled from the ground a mile away—and a life can be snuffed out instantly in the continuing struggle between good and evil. And Jack discovers “Twinners,” reflections of the people he knows on earth—most notably Queen Laura, the “Twinner” of Jack’s own imperiled mother. As Jack “flips” between worlds, making his way westward toward the redemptive Talisman, an array of heart-stopping encounters challenges him at every step.
An unforgettable epic of adventure and resounding triumph, The Talisman is one of the most influential and highly praised works of fantasy ever written.
Review
“Rare and dazzling…A journey to rival the greatest adventure stories ever told.”—New York Daily News
Review
“Extraordinary…makes your hair stand on end.”—Washington Post
Synopsis
The iconic, "extraordinary" (The Washington Post) collaboration between #1 bestselling author Stephen King and Peter Straub--an epic thriller about a young boy's quest to save his mother's life.
Why had twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer's mother frantically moved the two of them from Rodeo Drive to a New York City apartment to the Alhambra, a fading ocean resort and shuttered amusement park in New Hampshire? Who or what is she running from? She is dying . . . and even young Jack knows she can't outrun death. But only he can save her--for he has been chosen to search for a prize across an epic landscape of dangers and lies, a realm of innocents and monsters, where everything Jack loves is on the line.
Synopsis
Why had twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer’s mother frantically moved the two of them from Rodeo Drive to a New York City apartment to the Alhambra, a fading ocean resort and shuttered amusement park in New Hampshire? Who or what is she running from? She is dying . . . and even young Jack knows she can’t outrun death. But only he can save her—for he has been chosen to search for a prize across an epic landscape of dangers and lies, a realm of innocents and monsters, where everything Jack loves is on the line.
Synopsis
Why had twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer’s mother frantically moved the two of them from Rodeo Drive to a New York City apartment to the Alhambra, a fading ocean resort and shuttered amusement park in New Hampshire? Who or what is she running from? She is dying . . . and even young Jack knows she can’t outrun death. But only he can save her—for he has been chosen to search for a prize across an epic landscape of dangers and lies, a realm of innocents and monsters, where everything Jack loves is on the line.
About the Author
Stephen King is the author of more than fifty books, all of them worldwide bestsellers. His recent work includes Drunken Fireworks, Finders Keepers, Revival, Mr. Mercedes (winner of the 2015 Edgar Award), Doctor Sleep, and Under the Dome, now a major TV miniseries on CBS. His novel 11/22/63 was named a top ten book of 2011 by The New York Times Book Review and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Mystery/Thriller. He is the recipient of the 2003 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. He lives in Bangor, Maine, with his wife, novelist Tabitha King.Peter Straub is the New York Times bestselling author of more than a dozen novels, including A Dark Matter. He has won the Bram Stoker Award for his novels Lost Boy Lost Girl and In the Night Room, as well as for his recent collection 5 Stories. Straub was the editor of the two-volume Library of American anthology The American Fantastic Tale. He lives in New York City.