She has, however, a quarrel against the gods, in that they have judged her, making both her and Psyche wretched, whereas if only they had shown her Psyche's palace clearly, 'I would have walked aright'.

She returns to Glome, and eventually becomes its Queen – and a very just and successful Queen at that. Orual sees a vision of the god of the westwind pronouncing judgement on her that she too 'will be Psyche'. By threatening to kill herself, Orual forces Psyche to light a lamp at her husband's side at that point the mountain valley where Psyche has been living is wrecked and Psyche goes wandering into exile. When Psyche shows Orual her supposed palace, however, Orual can see nothing, and decides that Psyche is deceived, having fallen prey either to a demon or an outlaw. But on the mountain she finds Psyche herself, declaring that the Shadowbrute is the god of the westwind and that he has taken her for his bride – while forbidding her to see his face. She is ugly, but deeply attached to Psyche, and when Psyche is sacrificed she determines to follow and bury her. Orual, the book's narrator, is the oldest of the sisters. Psyche is beautiful, indeed so beautiful that she begins to be worshipped as a goddess after being betrayed by a third sister, Redival, she is left on a mountainside as a human sacrifice to the 'Shadowbrute', a monster which is also believed to be the son of Ungit, Glome's equivalent of Aphrodite. It concerns two sisters, Orual and Psyche, daughters of the King of the semi-barbaric country of Glome. The last fantasy we shall consider is Lewis' Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold, which is a reworking of the story of Cupid and Psyche.

Each part can be read independently, so dip in for a fascinating analysis of your favourite book and then re-read the book with renewed insight - or be inspired to go away and read some of these for the first time. The nine parts provide an illuminating study of different ways to include God and the 'supernatural' in a novel. Chronicles of Heaven Unshackled examines the presence (and absence) of God in the English novel, with particular reference to Tolkien and C.S.

Cs lewis until we have faces