Elidor
core novel 1965 Elidor
Record
| First published | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 3.85 (3,719 ratings, collected 2026-09-14) |
| Page count | 173 |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780007274789 |
| Internal chronology | 1 |
Synopsis
Four English children exploring a derelict Victorian church in modern Manchester stumble upon a hidden portal leading to Elidor, a dying fantasy realm slowly being consumed by encroaching darkness, where the aged King Malebron charges them with safeguarding four ancient treasures stolen from his failing kingdom by the forces threatening it. Reluctant heroes pulled far from their ordinary lives, the children accept the burden of protecting the treasures and are eventually sent back to their own world to keep them safe until Malebron can find a way to reclaim them properly. Their relief at returning home proves short-lived, however, as the children soon discover that whatever darkness pursued them in Elidor has not stayed behind, and their ordinary Manchester street is no longer quite as safe, or as separate from Elidor, as they once assumed.
Where it sits
- Universe: Elidor
- Series: not part of a registered series (standalone work within its universe)
- Author: Alan Garner
Notes
- Standalone children's portal fantasy: four English siblings in Manchester find a doorway, through a derelict church, into the dying otherworld of Elidor, and must guard four magical treasures needed to restore its light. First published by William Collins, Sons (UK, 1965); a commended runner-up for the Carnegie Medal. Confirmed as a separate, unrelated universe from Alan Garner's other two already-admitted works, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen and The Owl Service.
Sources
← Elidor dossier · All universes
Part of the Library. Fields without an identified source are omitted, never guessed.