Jonathan Strange is handsome, charming, and talkative - the very opposite of Mr. Norrell. Astonished to find another practicing magician in early 1800s England, Mr. Norrell accepts Strange as a pupil. But it soon becomes clear that their ideas of what English magic ought to be are very different. For Norrell, their power is something to be controlled, while Jonathan Strange will always be attracted to the wildest forms of magic. He becomes fascinated by the shadowy, ancient figure of the Raven King, the most legendary magician of all. Eventually, Strange's heedless pursuit of long-forgotten magic threatens to destroy not only his partnership with Norrell, but everything he holds dear.

Susanna Clarke was an editor at Simon and Schuster's Cambridge (UK) office. She has published seven short stories and novellas, one of which, Mr. Simonelli, or The Fairy Widower, was shortlisted for a World Fantasy Award in 2001. Clarke lives in Cambridge, England.