Brother Hiob of Luzern, on missionary work in The East on the eve of the 16th century, stumbles across a miraculous tree who's fruits are books... books which chronicle the Kingdom of Prester John. The Habitation of the Blessed recounts the fragmented narratives found within these miraculous volumes, revealing John's rise to power... from John's own viewpoint... from the viewpoint of his wife Hagia, and from the viewpoint of Hajji, a prayer-cantor who vowed to end John's illegitimate reign. World Fantasy Award nominee Catherynne M.Valente reimagines the legends of Prester John in this stunning tour de Force. Catherynne M. Valente was born on Cinco de Mayo, 1979 in Seattle, WA, but grew up in in the wheatgrass paradise of Northern California. She has three brothers and a sister. She graduated from high school at age 15, going on to UC San Diego and Edinburgh University, receiving her B.A. in Classics with an emphasis in Ancient Greek Linguistics. She then drifted away from her M.A. program and into a long residence in the concrete and camphor wilds of Japan. She currently lives on a small island off the coast of Maine, with her partner, two dogs, and one recalcitrant cat, having tumbled back to America and the otherworldly New England coast. She has Won the James Tiptree Award, and been Nominated for the Norton Award Stated First Edition