It is said that The Lull began with a laugh, a laugh so bright and so brilliant that it could not be contained, and so it flew upward into the sky where it burst into bits of light which found their homes where resided the only thing vast enough to hold such reckless bodies: The Dark.

And The Dark cradled the very first stars  in its bosom, a tender home for each one. And the stars became maps, and maps became prophecies, and courses and destinies were set according to this celestial atlas.

But eventually, as all things do, the laugh faded, and so did its memory, and with it, all recollection of  who it belonged to or why it ever burst forth at all. And so there were the stars, and there was the thing born of the Dark. The thing which, in every story, becomes forgotten. 

As daylight dwindles and the Night Season descends, a world of trickery, wonder, and peril comes alive. In this original fairytale by Nina Maybe and Michelle Heselton, uncover the extraordinary tale of the creature who swallowed the Sun and the curious reasons the days grow shorter during the darkest time of year.

Part mythic legend, part whimsical field guide, the Compendium of Curiosities invites readers into a richly imagined world brimming with peculiar creatures and cryptic rituals. Through lyrical poems and charmingly detailed footnotes, discover the secret art of navigating crossroads, the etiquette of leaving offerings for the elusive Hawkers, and why bells ring loudest when darkness reigns.

Lyrical, eerie, and brimming with imagination, this spellbinding journey unfolds  into a world where myth and mischief intertwine. Perfect for dreamers, wanderers, and anyone who’s ever wondered what whispers in the dark, and how one might befriend it