Starmaker Stella

An epic mystery set within the exquisitely realised ‘created-world’ realm of Dica. At its heart is a story spanning the millennia – from ancient myth and legend to the realm’s turbulent present – all seen through the intimate vision of its idiosyncratic characters. These are folk who’ll become as real to you as friends or family, and whose revealing and somehow contemporary story will stay with you for ever more.This is the kind of fantasy you might have expected to have come from the pen of Mervyn Peake, peopled with fully fleshed out characters reminiscent of those so joyously created by Terry Pratchett. The story at times, though, may seem to owe more to CS Lewis as it weaves its way through a rich, deep and multi-threaded tapestry of a plot that would have pleased the science fiction master Olaf Stapledon. And of course, there’s one character who mustn’t be overlooked, and that’s Dica itself – so real, immediate and all-embracing that you could be forgiven for thinking it had sprung from JRR Tolkien’s own hand.Don’t be misled, though, for this series is entirely Clive S. Johnson – the author, the poet, the artist. Unique, inventive, idiosyncratic and thought provoking, this series will push you away from the shores of the everyday and into a delightful voyage of discovery. You will find wonder, surprise, dry humour and some gritty truths as you’re inexorably drawn into the pure joy of such a rich, poetic and deep tale, so well and beautifully told.Stella has grown up harbouring a secret – a view of her world no one else can see.Being a Starmaker, working alone at the top of the Star Tower, seemed like the job for her. Maybe so, but the view constantly reminds her how unique she really is in this realm of Dica.She finally resolves to find out why, and thereby begins another enthralling episode in this much loved created-world’s turbulent history. It’s a tale seen through the eyes of Stella, a fresh, new Dican character, the daughter of Geran and Falmeard – two readers’ favourites from this singular series.Follow Stella as she uncovers the truth not only about herself, but about the true nature of her world, and of all those held captive within it. It’s a path to discovery fraught with dangers only she and some few beloved Dican characters, like Lord Nephril, can overcome.Even Stella’s own life comes under threat when she decides to challenge the realm’s established order, when she becomes one young woman against the might of the certain power of Dica.