James Hogg 3 hr 42 min read

On the Scottish Borders, a company of friends whiles away a siege telling wild tales, of war, of women, and of the fearful witchcraft of the wizard Michael Scott.

James Hogg's 1822 novel (volume two) is a rollicking Scottish fantasy classic. Vivid, earthy, gloriously strange. Read it for a boisterous border romance of chivalry and dark magic from the author of the Confessions of a Justified Sinner, a wild, funny, frightening blend of history, folklore, and diablerie.

In its time

Published in 1822, during the 1820s, tales of mesmerism, ghosts, and the fantastic voyage flourish in the romantic imagination.

Reading it

3 hr 42 min read (a novel-length work, settle in).