Lanceheim: A Novel

The second book in Tim Davys’s Mollisan Town quartet—following the critically-acclaimed Amberville—Lanceheim is a literary and psychological drama in which the trials and tribulations of stuffed animals Reuben Walrus and Wolf Diaz illuminate the moral and philosophical dilemmas of humans. If you enjoy the works of Chris Moore (You Suck, Fool), Neil Gaiman (Stardust, Coraline), Clifford Chase (Winkie), and Jasper Fforde (The Big Over Easy)—or classics novels such as Animal Farm and Watership Down—you’ll love the unique brilliance of Lanceheim. |

Famed composer Reuben Walrus is going deaf, even as he finishes up his greatest symphony. To stave off the encroaching silence, he embarks on an odyssey that will, hopefully, lead him to Maximilian, a fabled creature rumored to have miraculous healing powers. But exactly who—or what—is Maximilian? According to Wolf Diaz, Maximilian, unlike the other stuffed animals of Mollisan Town, did not arrive by green delivery truck. He cannot be identified as any particular species and is made from a material unlike any other with almost invisible seams. And, as he’s matured, he’s begun preaching odd parables, attracting a legion of followers hoping to learn from his teachings. But his acolytes aren’t the only plush figures paying attention. The dark forces currently ruling Mollisan Town are listening as well—which has sent Maximilian into hiding. Now time is running out if Reuben hopes to find him before the sounds of his world fade out forever.

Through the complex lives of the stuffed animals living in the world he brilliantly introduced in Amberville, Tim Davys explores the hopes and fears, strengths and weaknesses defining humanity.

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“[In Lanceheim] Davys ups the ante in Mollisan Town…and meditates on the nature of sin and redemption from an appealingly fresh perspective.” - Kirkus Reviews

“[An] audacious concept . . . [a] giddy thrill.” - Los Angeles Times

“Amberville is a delightful mystery-thriller set in a city populated by stuffed animals. Yes, it sounds kooky, weird, even hopelessly cute, like some Christmas special where the animals wear fedoras and mutter in tones of Sam Spade. But this debut is dastardly fun to read. . . . Once the “whoa—this is weird” reaction subsides, Amberville is a nifty rollick that’s as bracing as a good shot of whisky.” - San Francisco Chronicle

“Amberville has some bite to it. . . . True identities constantly shift in this world—lovers might be enemies, priests can be evil, and stuffed animals, given the depth and intellect that Davys gives them, may as well be human.” - Chicago Sun-Times

“Weird? Obviously. But oddly gripping and convincing. Amberville, originally published in Swedish, is the first novel by the pseudonymous Tim Davys. . . . Should you flinch? Laugh? Both? There’s more than stuffing here, though, including questions of good vs. evil, life vs. death, and sanity vs. insanity. Skip that evening Scotch and read this one stone-cold sober—it’s plenty trippy as is.” - Washington Post