The Paleomancer

When fossil witch Mary Anning tells a dangerous lie about a prehistoric creature lurking in the Scottish Highlands, she never expects there might be some truth to it. In this magical and transporting sequel to The Geomagician, perfect for fans of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries and A Natural History of Dragons. Mary Anning has achieved the impossible. Last year, she brought a creature back from extinction. But keeping her beloved pterodactyl Ajax secret is becoming increasingly difficult – and when he mysteriously falls ill, Mary fears she may lose him altogether. So when Bishop Price, a formidable Inquisitor charged with rooting out forbidden magic, discovers that Ajax is still alive, Mary does the only thing she can to protect him: she lies. There are rumours, she claims, of another impossible prehistoric creature in the wilds of Scotland. Now Mary must travel to a remote estate on the shores of Loch Ness to prove a story she invented or risk losing Ajax forever. Joining her are fiercely loyal Lucy, adrift without the Prometheans; Henry Stanton, the infuriating scholar Mary can never quite leave behind; and Price himself, whose interest in Mary may be more complicated than either of them would care to admit. But Scotland is hiding more than Mary bargained for. Driven by whispers of a witch rebellion, Mary races to unlock the secrets of paleomancy and discovers that her bond with Ajax might be more dangerous than she ever imagined—and she’s not the only one who can wield this extraordinary magic. The past is coming back to life. And it could change their world forever. © Jennifer Mandula 2027 (P) Penguin Audio 2027