The Goddess of Buttercups and Daisies

Set in ancient Athens, The Goddess of Buttercups and Daisies is the new book from the celebrated author of The Good Fairies of New York and the Kalix Werewolf series. The year is 421 BC and playwright Aristophanes is struggling. He's halfway through his new masterpiece but it's tough keeping focused with politicians shouting for war, the public demanding peace, a terrifyingly poor poet on the loose and an assortment of gods (who are no better than they ought to be) skipping about causing untold mischief. Worst of all, his comedy fake phalluses have gone floppy. His chances of winning first prize at the Dionysia Festival are looking weaker by the day - and that's before the death threats begin . . . This is Martin Millar at his best, gently poking fun while tugging at our heart strings, surprising us with sudden and sharp insights into the life of the outsider. A whimsical and charming fantasy, this is a must-read for fans of Neil Gaiman, Ben Aaronovitch and Kurt Vonnegut. 'Undeniably brilliant' - Guardian 'The funniest writer in Britain today' - GQ 'Martin Millar writes like Kurt Vonnegut might have written, if he'd been born fifty years later in a different country and hung around with entirely the wrong sort of people' - Neil Gaiman 'For the deceptively simple poetry of the everyday, nobody does it better' - List "Aristophanes is inconsolable-his rival playwrights are hogging all the local attention, a pesky young wannabe poet won't leave him alone, his actors can't remember their lines, and his own festival sponsor seems to be conspiring against him, withholding direly needed funds for set design and, most importantly, giant phallus props. O woe, how can his latest comedy convince Athenian citizens to vote down another ten years of war against Sparta if they're too busy scoffing at the diminutive phalluses? And why does everyone in the city-state seem to be losing their minds? Wallowing in one inconvenience after another, Aristophanes is unaware that the Spartan and Athenian generals have unleashed Laet, the spirit of foolishness and bad decisions, to inspire chaos and war-mongering in Athens. To counteract Laet's influence, Athena sends Bremusa, an Amazon warrior, and Metris, an endearingly airheaded nymph (their first choice was her mother Metricia, but she grew tired of all the fighting and changed back into a river). Dashing between fantastical scenes of moody and meddlesome gods, ever-applicable political debates in the senate, backstage scrambling for the play, and glimpses of life in Ancient Greece, Martin Millar delivers another witty and comical romp for readers of all ages. "-- New book by cult author Martin Millar with his usual blend of satirical humour and off-beat charm, perfect for fans of Neil Gaimon, Christopher Brookmyre and Ben Aaronovitch