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Cecilia Dart-Thornton
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The Ill-Made Mute - Special Edition: The Bitterbynde Book #1: Volume 1 (The Bitterbynde Trilogy) Paperback – 10 April 2014

by Cecilia Dart-Thornton (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars 134 ratings
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THE ILL-MADE MUTE - SPECIAL EDITION The Bitterbynde Trilogy #1
Revised and extended, with extras, including information about Ms Dart-Thornton's life as an author and fragments of her unpublished juvenilia.
'The Stormriders land their splendid winged stallions on the airy battlements of Isse Tower. Far below, the superstitious servants who dwell in the fortress's lower depths tell tales of wicked creatures inhabiting the world outside, a world they have only glimpsed. 'Yet it is the least of the lowly - a mute, scarred, and utterly despised foundling - who dares to scale the Tower, sneak aboard a Windship, and then dive from the sky. 'The fugitive is rescued by an adventurer who gives it a name, the gift of communicating by handspeak, and an amazing truth, never guessed. Now Imrhien begins a journey to distant Caermelor, seeking a wise woman whose skills may be life-changing. Along the way Imrhien must survive a wilderness of endless danger. For the hearthside tales are all true. The unhuman wights are real in all their legions. They haunt every pool, every turn in the road, and threaten and torment all travelers.'
Readers who enjoy Tolkien's 'The Lord of the Rings' will enjoy Dart-Thornton's work. The Bitterbynde Trilogy hit the best-seller lists world-wide and has been translated into several languages.
The cover finish on this paperback is satin matte. "Wanderer in Autumn Forest" cover first released on Valentine's Day 2024 (14th February 2024).
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  1. Reading age
    12 - 18 years
  2. Book 1 of 1
    The Bitterbynde Trilogy
  3. Print length
    508 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Dimensions
    15.24 x 3.23 x 22.86 cm
  6. Publication date
    10 April 2014
  7. ISBN-10
    1925110532
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1925110531
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Product description

Review

Dart-Thornton's Bitterbynde trilogy - each book, and all three together, DESERVE TO WIN EVERY FANTASY AWARD THERE IS. This glorious book gives my back my faith in fantasy fiction... a stunning representative of its field... to Cecilia Dart-Thornton I extend the plea: More! More!
- TANITH LEE, World Fantasy Award Winner

The Ill-Made Mute is THE BEST FANTASY NOVEL I'VE READ. . . at last, a book to get excited about.
- THE MERCURY - Tasmania

A buzzing proliferation of NEW WORLDS, weaving in and out of the psychic profile of our own.
- THE WASHINGTON POST

With deep roots in folklore and myth, tirelessly inventive, fascinating, affecting and profoundly satisfying - and Dart-Thornton has plenty in reserve for sequels. A STUNNING, DAZZLING DEBUT.
- KIRKUS REVIEWS

This is an enjoyable entree to The Bitterbynde. LIKE TOLKIEN and many of the best fantasy writers, Dart-Thornton has created a wonderful fantasy world that is a delight to wander through.
- THE HERALD SUN

About the Author

Cecilia Dart-Thornton is the author of numerous bestselling fantasy novels, notably the Bitterbynde Trilogy. The Washington Post reported that the first summer after Neilsen Booktrack launched in Australia, it showed Dart-Thornton's newly launched fantasy tome The Ill-Made Mute hitting the Herald's best-seller list, ranked next to mainstream authors and 'serious' fiction. Technology, in one swift blow, destroyed a decades-long publishers' bias against fantasy. It demonstrated that what people were really buying was simply not reflected in the old bestseller lists, based as they were on reports from a small panel of bookshops. The reality was, people were buying fantasy - in particular, they were buying The Ill-Made Mute. This debut novel and its two sequels in the 'Bitterbynde Trilogy' went on to win fans and accolades across the globe. The Ill-Made Mute was listed on Amazon's Best, Locus Magazine's Best First Novels, the Sydney Morning Herald's Top Twenty and the Australian Publishers' Association 'Australia's Favourite Read'. It is published in five languages and distributed in more than fifty countries around the world.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Leaves of Gold Press; paperback edition (10 April 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 508 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1925110532
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1925110531
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 12 - 18 years
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 3.23 x 22.86 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 134 ratings

About the author

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Cecilia Dart-Thornton

Cecilia Dart-Thornton

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Cecilia Dart-Thornton is a full-time writer. A keen supporter of animal rights and wilderness conservation, she is also interested in art, craft, horticulture, playing folk music, and digital media.

Her books are published around the world and have been translated into several languages.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

THE BITTERBYNDE TRILOGY

'This series follows the journey of a mute, amnesiac foundling through a world of beauty and peril, teeming with faerie creatures.'

The Ill-Made Mute (2001)

The Lady of the Sorrows (2002)

The Battle of Evernight (2003)

SHORT STORIES

"Long the Clouds are Over me Tonight" (Published in the anthology EMERALD MAGIC: Great Tales of Irish Fantasy; Tor Books, 2004)

"The Stolen Swanmaiden" (Published in Australian Women's Weekly September 2005)

"The Lanes of Camberwell" (Published by Harper Collins in the anthology DREAMING AGAIN, 2008)

"The Enchanted" (Published by Harper Collins in the anthology LEGENDS OF AUSTRALIAN FANTASY, 2010)

Four short stories in "NIGHT'S NIECES: The Legacy of Tanith Lee", Immanion Press December 2015

“The Churchyard Yarrow” (published in BORDERLANDS: TALES FROM THE EDGE— a new anthology. Ford Street Publishing, March 2024.)

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
134 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one describing it as perfect escapism. The plot receives positive feedback, with one customer noting its vast overall arc and incredible plotting.

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5 customers mention ‘Enjoyment’5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, with one describing it as perfect escapism and another noting it's relaxing to read.

"...I can’t wait to read it again! Perfect escapism!" Read more

"...I occasionally found myself skipping pages, but the book was mostly enthralling and quite unlike any other book I've read. I look forward to part two." Read more

"...Always a pleasure to pick up and read, very imaginative and relaxing!" Read more

"Good book..." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Plot’3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, with one describing it as an epic tale with a vast overall arc, while another finds it imaginative and full of magic.

"...The overall arc of the plot is so vast and there is just so much folklore and bizarre enchantment involved, I found it weird adjusting to normal..." Read more

"A unique and original tale. One could almost describe it as topsy turvy as so much seems to happen in the wrong order...." Read more

"...Always a pleasure to pick up and read, very imaginative and relaxing!" Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • WESTERMAN
    5.0 out of 5 stars The best trilogy I’ve ever read!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 November 2022
    Verified Purchase
    This is such a sweeping, epic tale, full of magic, romance, danger and mystery. The writing is superb (and yes, flowery, but that adds to the reading experience!) and the plotting is incredible. It’s unlike any other book I’ve read before and has to be my firm favourite series of all time. The overall arc of the plot is so vast and there is just so much folklore and bizarre enchantment involved, I found it weird adjusting to normal reality after haha. Definitely not like the usual commercial fiction on the market nowadays, which is probably jarring for a lot of people, but I loved it that way. I can’t wait to read it again! Perfect escapism!
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  • Astare
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 July 2020
    Verified Purchase
    A unique and original tale. One could almost describe it as topsy turvy as so much seems to happen in the wrong order. Heroes die and the main character is most unusual as is the journey undertaken. I occasionally found myself skipping pages, but the book was mostly enthralling and quite unlike any other book I've read. I look forward to part two.
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  • Stephanie Noverraz
    4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to rate...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 May 2007
    The Ill-Made Mute is the first book in the Bitterbynde trilogy (before The Lady of Sorrows and The Battle of Evernight).

    The story starts on the lower floors of Isse Tower, the huge, black relay fortress of the Stormriders and their winged steeds. Down in the servants' quarters, an ugly, deformed and mute foundling is raised by an old crone.

    Hearing terrifying stories about the evil creatures that dwell in the outside world, but constantly bullied not only by the lordly inhabitants of the upper levels but even by the other menials, the child one day scales the walls of the tower and escapes aboard a Windship.

    Soon the flying vessel is attacked by pirates though, and crashes in the forest. The youth is rescued by and Ertishman called Sianadh, taught hand-speak and given a name: "Imrhien". Together they start a journey through the woods, and face the attacks of numerous monsters, one looking for treasure, the other for a wise woman who could heal those disfiguring scars.

    This book is actually hard to rate... Cecilia Dart-Thorton's style is elaborate, alas sometimes to such an extent as to be difficult to read. Her use of clever words, mostly for the purpose of lovely alliterations, is somewhat hindering (at least for an non-native English speaker like me).

    Same thing about the plot... The first chapters in Isse Tower have descriptions that can really make your head spin from vertigo. Then the story seems to stall: the companions meet so many wights, often grostesque or simply annoying, in the forest, they barely make any progress (those familiar with the Final Fantasy game franchise probably know what I mean). Thankfully, the story eventually picks up again in the last chapters, when Imrhien and Sianadh's nephew, Diarmid, meet a Dainnan warrior, Thorn. Now I'm eager to go on with the next book!
    2 people found this helpful
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  • kez
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 March 2013
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    This is the 2nd time I've read this book and I still love it, I lost my original copy. Always a pleasure to pick up and read, very imaginative and relaxing!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Erica
    3.0 out of 5 stars Debut novel syndrome
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2013
    I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend, and while I liked it, it took me a while to really get into it. The book's title is its protagonist - a child who has been left to die out in the cold, and while trying to crawl to safety it fell face-first into a patch of paradox ivy, which has scarred and mutilated it to hideousness. On top of that he has lost his memory, as well as the powers of speech.
    A cruel start, and a good part of the book is spent on regaling the circumstances in which the mute finds himself once he is rescued by a lowly kitchen servant. You get a sense of the world in which the people live - a world where the members of the ten Stormrider Houses traverse the world on eotaurs: flying horses used to transport messages and small cargo. The horses cannot fly purely of their own accord, but this world possesses a unique metal, sildron, which repels the earth and is used to shoe the horses with. Sildron is also used to keep great airships aloft, and these are used to transport the larger cargo.
    After a rather long time spent on describing the nameless mute's drudgery within Isse Tower, where he is subject to constant derision and revulsion, the boy finally decides to escape, and stows himself away on one of the airships.
    At this point the book picks up a little in pace, for the mute fiends a friend in the wandering adventurer Sianadh, who not only gives him a name (Imrhien), but also teaches him to speak with his hands. They go in search for a legendary treasure, and have to travel through dangerous landscape in order to find it.
    This book borrows heavily from Celtic lore, not so much its myths and legends, but its fairy lore. Creatures in this world are either unseelie, ie. malevolent, or seelie. Seelie creatures aren't malevolent in intent, but even they can be dangerous when approached incorrectly. In addition to this the world is often visited by so-called `shang unstorms' - eerie storms which carry images from long past, which were imprinted on them by strong emotions from people who were caught in earlier unstorms. To protect people, everyone is required to wear a taltry, a hood which contains a mesh made of the metal talium, which prevents such emotional imprints from being made.
    All this becomes fully clear only after you've read at least half the book, and until then it can be slow going. The prose is flowery, complicated, often excessively so, and while I have no inherent problem with encountering words I've never seen before, in this book I often wasn't certain whether the words even existed or whether they were made up. Also, in the section with Sianadh in the wilderness, where they constantly bump into creatures both seelie and unseelie, it became a bit repetitive to see Sianadh fall for their tricks every time, even after professing to know all about such creatures.
    Still, the book is worth sticking with, because the last third becomes truly interesting, and the book leaves off on a cliffhanger which immediately made me buy the next book in this trilogy, even though I have about fifteen other books in my `to read' pile. I think the reader should keep in mind that this is a debut novel in which the author was still finding her feet, but the concept and richness of the world are intriguing enough to overlook that fact.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Ms. Rachel A. Gill
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 December 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Book given as gift and receiver enjoyed it.
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  • hfffoman
    2.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2018
    Reading this is like going for a ride in a cart with square wheels. The sentences are short and clumsy, even the choice of words is poor, and even the names lack any kind of authentic ring.
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  • Sue Pegg
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very enjoyable.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 April 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Attention holding, now want to read the other two books in the Trilogy.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • ealovitt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous heroine, dream-like prose
    Reviewed in the United States on 4 June 2002
    Verified Purchase
    Cecilia Dart-Thornton's Bitterbynde series reminds me of "The Worm Oroborous" by ER Eddison or "The King of Elfland's Daughter" by Lord Dunsany, in its power to describe a new and dream-like world. Reading "The Ill-Made Mute" was like looking through a series of Aubrey Beardsley drawings---the detail was minute, intense and unforgettable. There was so much description, it almost overwhelmed the plot.
    In fact, there isn't much plot. This is a story of a mute, facially-scarred amnesiac who sets out on a journey to find someone with the right kind of magic to heal her. The plot is the journey, or the journey is the plot. Along the way, the ill-made mute interacts with flying horses, flying galleons, an Irishman straight out of a Mike and Pat joke, a treasure cave, unstorms, pirates, King's rangers, and eldritch wights. There is plenty of drama, and wondrous sights to see along the way. Read slowly and savor the rich text. Journey's end is only partially satisfying, but a wonderful sequel has already been published--"The Lady of the Sorrows"---I've already read it and it's even better than "The Ill-Made Mute." The third book of the trilogy, "The Battle of Evernight," is promised for April, 2003.
    It's going to be a long wait. Now that I've read the first two books of the Bitterbynde trilogy, it will be very hard to go back to the generic, Robert Jordan, ya da-da, ya da-da, 'the hero slays the dragon, saves the maiden, and finds the ring of eternal spin-offs' type fantasy.
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  • Shatiel
    5.0 out of 5 stars Attenzione potreste riceve la vecchia edizione o quella di amazon publishing
    Reviewed in Italy on 7 February 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Per quanto riguarda il libro in se non ho niente da dire a parte che è uno dei più bei romanzi che io abbia mai letto.
    Volevo acquistare la special edition in inglese per collezione e quando ho sentito dell'uscita della special edition con queste nuove copertine (e non quelle con le donne in copertina) ho capito che volevo averle assolutamente. Purtroppo ricevere questo libro è stata un'odissea.
    Al primo ordine effettuato a dicembre ho ricevuto la vecchia edizione del 2013. Ho provato a fare il reso ma il sistema non mi permetteva di richiederne un altro, ho quindi chiamato il customer service che mi ha risolto il problema e ho fatto il reso. Purtroppo mi è arrivato nuovamente l'edizione del 2013 e il customer service mi ha rimborsata dato che non poteva inviarne un'altra copia e mi ha detto di provare a riordinarlo più avanti e che se il prezzo fosse stato maggiore mi avrebbero rimborsato la differenza a cui l'avevo pagato originiariamente.
    Ho quindi aspettato un po' e che tornasse disponibile venduto e spedito da amazon. Fortunatamente quando l'ho ordinato era sceso a 14 circa (che era il prezzo che avevo speso a dicembre) e ho ricevuto l'edizione corretta. Ho sentito personalmente l'autrice via IG che mi ha confermato che l'edizione corretta ha la sovraccoperta con la nuova copertina. La cover rigida infatti è blu satinata e col titolo embossato sul dorso. Quindi la copia di The lady of the sorrows che ho ricevuto (che avevo ordinato a dicembre insieme a The ill made mute) è una copia di bassa qualità di amazon publishing probabilmente...e non quello che dovevo ricevere.
    Quindi fate attenzione ad ordinarlo spedito e venduto da amazon in modo che possiate fare il reso in caso non vi arrivi l'edizione corretta.
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  • Mr O. Fricko
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read for fantasy fans
    Reviewed in Germany on 24 August 2018
    Verified Purchase
    The entire book series has been fascinating. With extensive descriptions of sceneries and characters the book is must read for all fantasy fans. Unfortunately there are only three books all of which I absorbed like a sponge.
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  • Sagar Vibhute
    3.0 out of 5 stars Visual
    Reviewed in India on 6 September 2021
    Verified Purchase
    The Ill-made Mute is my first fantasy read in a while, following The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings which I read over a year ago. I actually found this by way of a compilation list of books similar to Tolkien's masterpiece, so expectations were naturally high.

    There are elements where Cecelia Dart-Thornton doesn't disappoint, and even exceeds expectations from it when pitted against Tolkien's magnum opus. Of these what stands out the most is the justice done to world building in a deliciously visual style of narration. I could imagine every single scene in my head as I read along which for a fantasy with so many elements is no mean feat! From simple ones like the forests and the forts to significantly more complex ones like the encounters with the multitude of fantastic elements and characters, Dart-Thornton's writing is lucid, engrossing and emotive without being daunting. The very first chapter which introduces the protagonist is perhaps the very best of this style of writing I've read.

    The writing style is perhaps what kept me going through the nearly 350 pages, because the story itself couldn't. Here's where the comparisons with LoTR or Hobbit are way off the mark. There is no closure to any story or even a sub-plot, characters and elements are introduced but by the time you seek a pay-off for your investment the focus of attention shifts to something else. Too many different, and what felt like significant, subjects are under utilized which segues into my other problem with the book - there are too many elements. I'm aware that this is the first in a trilogy so maybe the investments in book one pay off later on, but that's not to my liking as a reader. A stronger conclusion with lesser pieces could have been better.

    5/5 for the beautiful narrative and language.
    2/5 for the story.
    3-3.5 overall.
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!
    Reviewed in Australia on 27 January 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I love every bit of folk lore woven into this incredible tale, it has you intrigued from the start and the small tales within the story are just as enthralling as the main story itself. Loved it!
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