The Autumn Castle is a 2003 horror

Horror fiction

Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...

/fantasy novel by Kim Wilkins

Kim Wilkins

Kim Wilkins is an Australian writer of popular fiction based in Brisbane, Queensland. She is the author of several mass-market novels, including her debut horror novel, The Infernal , which won Aurealis Awards for both horror and fantasy...

. It follows the story of Christine Starlight who has strong memories of her childhood friend, Mayfridh. Mayfridh was then abducted by the king and queen of a Germanic faeryland and is now on the throne of the Autumn Castle. Now the human and faery worlds have joined with Mayfridh falling in love with Christine's partner and Christine venturing to the faery world.

Background

The Autumn Castle was first published in Australia in April 2003 by Voyager in trade paperback format. It was released in the United Kingdom and the United States in both hardback and paperback formats in 2004 and 2005. It was re-released in Australis in mass market paperback in 2004 and then as an audio edition in 2005 by Bolinda Publishing. The Autumn Castle was a short-list nominee for the 2003 Aurealis Award

Aurealis Award

Aurealis Award for Excellence in Speculative Fiction is an annual literary award for Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award.-History:...

 for best horror novel

Aurealis Award for best horror novel

The Aurealis Awards are presented annually by the Australia-based Chimaera Publications and SpecFaction NSW to published works in order to "recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy, horror writers"...

 but lost to Victor Kelleher

Victor Kelleher

Victor Kelleher is an Australian author. Victor was born in London and moved to Africa with his parents, at the age of fifteen. He spent the next twenty years travelling and studying in Africa, before moving to New Zealand. Kelleher received a teaching degree in Africa and has taught in Africa,...

's Born of the Sea

Born of the Sea

Born of the Sea is a 2003 horror novel by Victor Kelleher. It follows the story of Madeleine Sauvage, Frankenstein's bride from Mary Shelley's story, if she wasn't destroyed and laying in the bottom of the sea and goes out in search of her creator....

.