Cathrynne Valente weaves layer upon layer of marvels in her debut novel. In the Night Garden is a treat for all who love puzzle stories and the mystical language of talespinners. -Carol Berg, author of Daughter of Ancients Fabulous talespinning in the tradition of story cycles such as The Arabian Nights. Lyrical, wildly imaginative and slyly humorous, Valente's prose possesses an irrepressible spirit. -K. J. Bishop, author of The Etched City Astonishing work! Valente's endless invention and mythic range are breathtaking. It's as if she's gone night-wandering, and plucked a hundred distant cultures out of the air to deliver their stories to us. -Ellen Kushner, author of Thomas the Rhymer Refreshingly original in both style and form, In the Night Garden should delight lovers of myth and folklore. -Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters trilogy While the obvious comparison is to One Thousand and One Nights. . . . These are fairy tales that bite and bleed. Every moment of lyricism is countered by one of clear-eyed honesty, and sometimes the moments combine. . . . Valente weaves an intricate, exquisite web that ultimately binds each story to the other. -Washington Post Book World