The Binding. Bridget Collins

       Copyright

      The Borough Press

      An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd

      1 London Bridge Street

      London SE1 9GF

       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      Published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2019

      Copyright © Bridget Collins 2019

      Cover design by Micaela Alcaino © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2019

      Cover illustration © bilwissedition Ltd. & Co. KG / Alamy Stock Photo (background),

      Shutterstock.com (key, boarders)

      Illustrations © Andrew Davidson

      Bridget Collins asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

      A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

      This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

      All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

      Source ISBN: 9780008272111

      Ebook Edition © JANUARY 2019 ISBN: 9780008272135

      Version: 2018-12-03

       Praise for The Binding

      ‘The Binding is a dark chocolate slice of cake with a surprising, satisfying seam of raspberry running through it. It is a rich, gothic entertainment that explores what books have trapped in them and reminds us of the power of storytelling. Spellbinding’

      Tracy Chevalier

      ‘Pure magic. The kind of immersive storytelling that makes you forget your own name. I wish I had written it’

      Erin Kelly, author of He Said/She Said

      ‘The Binding held me captive from the start and refused to set me free. It is a beautifully crafted tale of dark magic and forbidden passion, where unspeakable cruelty is ultimately defeated by enduring love. Breathtaking!’

      Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things

      ‘An original concept, beautifully written. Collins’ prose is spellbinding’

      Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions

      ‘Intriguing, thought-provoking and heartbreaking . . . what a gorgeous book’

      Stella Duffy

      ‘What an astounding book . . . something entirely of its own. Brilliant concept, truly extraordinary writing and a killer plot’

      Anna Mazzola, author of The Unseeing

       Dedication

       For Nick