The Tinder Box

By: M. R. Carey

Published by Orbit, 2026-06-23

Prepare to be entranced by this utterly unique and completely spellbinding dark fairy tale from the million-copy bestselling M. R. Carey, author of The Girl With All the Gifts.



In a kingdom forgotten by history, a legend unfolds ...



Wounded in his county's endless wars, former soldier Mag Tresti finds work in the home of a reclusive widow, Jannae Mirchella. But Jannae is more than she seems. A witch of great skill and might, she hides her powers and her deep-laid plans behind a mask of harmless respectability.



When a dead demon falls out of the sky, the fates of the soldier and the witch are irrevocably intertwined. On the demon's body Mag finds a tinderbox--an artefact of terrifying magical power that can not only grant his every wish, but also change the fate of nations.



This is a tale of spellcraft and devilry, of witchcraft and trickery--of the wickedness that resides within a few, the goodness that lies deep within us all, and the choices on which our lives turn.