Michelle Paver


Michelle Paver is a British novelist. She is best known for her children's historical fantasy series Chronicles of Ancient Darkness, set in prehistoric Europe, which started with Wolf Brother, in 2004. It has sold more than 2.5 million copies and has been translated into 30 languages.
Born in Nyasaland, she moved to England as a young child. Paver started her career as a lawyer, before becoming a full-time writer. She is also the author of the children's series Gods and Warriors, as well as novels for adults, including the Daughters of Eden trilogy and several standalone books.

Biography

Early life

Michelle Paver was born on 7 September 1960, in Blantyre, Nyasaland, to a Belgian mother and South African father. Her father ran a newspaper, the Nyasaland Times. In 1963, her family moved to Wimbledon, England. She was educated at Wimbledon High School. Later, after earning a first-class degree in biochemistry from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, she became a solicitor and, after five years, a partner at a City of London law firm.
Paver's father's death in 1996 prompted her to take a one-year sabbatical, during which she travelled around France and America and wrote the first draft of the book, Without Charity. She resigned from legal practice soon after her return, to concentrate on writing.

Writing career

Standalone novels

In 2000, Michelle Paver published her debut adult historical novel, Without Charity, followed by A Place in the Hills '', the following year.
Other standalone works include the ghost novel, Dark Matter, a chilling tale of isolation and terror set in the Arctic, which was nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel; Thin Air, a tale of mountaineering and supernatural terror in the Himalayas; and Wakenhyrst, a gothic thriller about a young girl uncovering dark secrets in the Fens. Her forthcoming novel, Rainforest, described as "an 'immersive' companion story to Dark Matter and Thin Air''", is set to be published in 2025.

''Daughters of Eden''

Paver's Daughters of Eden trilogy, was published from 2002 to 2005, consisting of The Shadow Catcher, Fever Hill, and The Serpent's Tooth.

''Chronicles of Ancient Darkness''

In 2004 she published Wolf Brother, the first book in her Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series and her first book for children. The book has sold more than 2.5 million copies and has been translated into 30 languages. Paver was paid a reported £2.8 million advance for the first book.
The series is set in prehistoric Northern Europe and is made up of nine novels published from 2004 to 2022. It tells the story of Torak, a twelve-year-old boy who is clanless, and his friends Renn and Wolf. The main story arc revolves around Torak and his quest to defeat the Soul Eaters, a group of evil clan mages who seek out to destroy all life in the forest in which they live. For the sixth book of the series, Ghost Hunter, she won the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, a book award judged by a panel of British children's writers.

''Gods and Warriors''

Paver's second children's series, Gods and Warriors, is set during the Bronze Age. It tells the story of Hylas, a twelve-year-old goatherd, whose adventures take him to Ancient Crete and Ancient Egypt, and Pirra, the daughter of a high priestess with a crescent-shaped scar on her cheek. The story features animals in the plot: a dolphin from the first book, a lion from the second book onwards and a falcon from the third.

Books

''Daughters of Eden'' trilogy

  1. The Shadow Catcher
  2. Fever Hill
  3. ''The Serpent's Tooth''

    ''Chronicles of Ancient Darkness'' series

  4. Wolf Brother
  5. Spirit Walker
  6. Soul Eater
  7. Outcast
  8. Oath Breaker
  9. Ghost Hunter
  10. Viper's Daughter
  11. Skin Taker
  12. ''Wolfbane''

    ''Gods and Warriors'' series

  13. The Outsiders /Gods and Warriors
  14. The Burning Shadow
  15. Eye of the Falcon
  16. The Crocodile Tomb
  17. ''Warrior Bronze''

    Stand-alone books

  • Without Charity
  • A Place in the Hills
  • Dark Matter
  • Thin Air
  • Wakenhyrst
  • ''Rainforest''