Description

‘Exquisitely written and structurally bold … a deeply impressive novel’ Eva Dolan, author of This Is How It Ends

Arthur and Gwen married young. Twenty years on, Gwen’s got it all: wealth, beauty, a famous husband who’s the founder of Britain’s most successful tech company, stables full of horses, millions of followers on Instagram, an unstable lover, a wayward son, a hoard of secrets, an aching heart, and a cyberstalking blackmailer who calls himself The Invisible Knight.

As the Wiltshire town of Abury prepares to celebrate the fortieth birthday of its favourite son, Morgan, Gwen’s former best friend, is on her way back to Abury after two decades away, keen to expose Abury’s long buried secrets and hellbent on revenge.

An inventive, magisterial reworking of Britain’s greatest myth, Bliss & Blunder is a heartrending novel of power, friendship and betrayal.

Publisher Review

Whipsmart … Gosling’s prose is ironic, honest and humorous in a postmodern collage of myth and modernity * Guardian * A thrilling romp through contemporary Britain with an eye on its ancient past. Victoria Gosling’s Bliss & Blunder manages to be simultaneously pacy, rich and formally adventurous — Ben Fergusson, author of Tales from the Fatherland Bliss and Blunder, like the questing beast of legend, is many things at once; epic, sprawling yet intricate, it’s a novel of action and intimacy, an astute critique of our technological era, a fitting homage to Arthurian myth, and a moving, highly original story in its own right. — Roisin Kiberd, author of The Disconnect Jaw-droppingly brilliant writing — Marian Keyes Exquisitely written and structurally bold, this is a standout reimagining of the Arthurian cycle, where tech bros and hackers fight their battles and wield their powers with the same brutality as their mythic forebears. At once a driving revenge narrative, a meditation on love and a searing dissection of our ruling tech elite’s troubling morals, Bliss & Blunder is a deeply impressive novel. — Eva Dolan, author of This Is How It Ends The vivid sensuality of a summer’s day and the brutal compulsiveness of a battle march … Playful, clever and romantic, like the best Arthurian myths, with something new and electrifying that is all Gosling’s own. The women are wild, the tension is exhilarating, and the jokes are very, very funny. — Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta, authors of The View Was Exhausting Praise for Before the Ruins:

‘Engrossing, beguiling, and with an undertow of menace, Before the Ruins is a masterly debut from a richly talented author.’ — Sarah Waters Before the Ruins, Victoria Gosling’s stunner of a debut novel, is rich with mystery and moral disorder. It put me in mind of Edward St. Aubyn and Donna Tart; dark, fierce, and totally addictive. — Valerie Martin A clever retelling of the King Arthur story * Grazia * A retelling of the Arthurian myth might sound like hard work, but this modern take is funny and fresh. Throw in a love triangle, blackmail and someone hellbent on revenge and you have a gripping read * Good Housekeeping UK * This modern-day Arthurian retelling devoured me with its cleverness, great writing and sharp interpretation of the legend that felt both mythic and startlingly current. — Sophie Keetch, author of Morgan is My Name Sharp and timely … With granular detail, this well-researched work combines elements from the old story and brings them into contemporary focus in witty, original and illuminating fashion. * Buzz books *