Comic (humorous) fantasy

Book SynopsisA gripping BBC Radio 4 full-cast dramatisation of Neil Gaiman's bestselling and much-loved novelWhen his father dies, Fat Charlie Nancy discovers that not only was the late Mr Nancy actually the god Anansi, but that he also has a long-lost brother, Spider, who is everything Fat Charlie is not. When Spider begins to take over Fat Charlie's life, flat and even his fiancée Rosie, Fat Charlie is forced to make a pact that lands him in trouble with the gods themselves...Anansi Boys is a story of love, laughter, music and murder, old gods and new tricks that takes Fat Charlie from his home in South London to Florida, the Caribbean, and the very Beginning of the World itself. Or the End of the World. Depending on which direction you’re coming from.Jacob Anderson stars as Charlie, and he has written and performed a specially commissioned song – ‘Charlie's Song’ – which forms part of the magical fabric of Anansi Boys.Dramatised for Radio 4 by the award-winning Dirk Maggs (Neverwhere, Good Omens, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy), the stellar cast of this series also includes Joseph Marcell, Lenny Henry, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Adjoa Andoh,Julie Hesmondhalgh and Julian Rhind-Tutt, as well as a cameo appearance from Neil Gaiman himself.Duration: 3 hours 15 mins

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Book SynopsisAll Tastes! • All Species! • All Currencies!You can find anything in Scalentine, the city of portals, but you won’t find a better brothel than the Red Lantern. And its proprietor, Babylon Steel (ex-mercenary, ex-priestess, ex… lots of things), means to keep it that way.But a prurient cult are protesting in the streets, sex workers are disappearing, and Babylon has bills to pay. When the powerful Diplomatic Section hires her – off the books – to find a missing heiress, she has to take the job.And then her past starts to catch up with her...Originally published as Babylon Steel in 2011 to critical acclaim, this trope-busting, inclusive, sex positive fantasy is back to delight and entertain readers, complete with a gorgeous new cover from Discworld artist Stephen Player.Trade Review"A pacy fantasy romp – idiosyncratic, but an entertaining slice of fun." -- The Guardian -- Keith Brooke * The Guardian *"Sebold has a flair for storytelling... you’ll enjoy this if you appreciate the better end of female-friendly fantasy. -- SFX * SFX Magazine *"Worth a hearty recommendation." -- Fantasy Book Review * Fantasy Book Review *“Sebold’s world is vibrant and so fully fleshed out that exploring the many twists and turns is a pleasure.” – Aurealis * Aurealis *

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Book SynopsisOrec Blackblade missed the fall of the Kinslayer, tasked instead with leading his elite band of warriors on a diversionary battle where he split the head and pulsating crown of the enemy’s sorcerer, causing a blast that killed almost everyone in a 100-meter radius. Just four months later the broken circlet finds its way to Doctors Catt and Fisher, collectors of rare artefacts, and their innate curiosity and tinkering with the crown unleashes a new terror on the land. Only Orec and his surviving men can stop it, but will the black sword he carries be enough to stop the coming darkness?Trade Review"I really enjoyed Redemp­tion’s Blade, and I’d like to see more." -- Liz Bourke, Locus"If you’re looking for something that celebrates the genre, while working to interrogate and question how that genre works, look no further than Redemption’s Blade. I can only hope there are more tales to tell in this world to come." -- Tor.com"Salvation’s Fire... it’s a damn good book in its own right." -- Liz Bourke, Locus"All in all, four different takes on two great characters, each author bringing something different and interesting to make a lovely little collection. You don’t have to have read the other books to enjoy them, though you probably get a bit more out of them if you do." -- fantasy-hive.co.uk"Catt and Fisher, or Catty and Fishy to their friends, are a delight... I just have to have more of these characters in my life." -- theeloquentpage.co.uk"If Jack Reacher came to Westeros and started beating the hell out of everybody, you’d have Mark De Jager’s Infernal ... daring, dangerous, and full of surprises" -- Sebastien de Castell"Clever, funny and cheerfully brutal" -- Snorri Kristjansson (on Infernal)"Infernal proves to be an incredibly strong start for this series. With drama, mystery, bloodshed, and grim humour abound, fans who favour the likes of The Elric Saga or The Silerian Trilogy will definitely have some fun with this one" -- Starburst"Epic fantasy without any pretensions of changing literature or establishing itself in the canon, Infernal is only concerned with being entertaining. And it definitely succeeds." -- SciFiNow (on Infernal)

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Book SynopsisThe tyrannous Huntsmen have declared everyone in one village to be outlaws, since they insist on supporting the magical beings of neighbouring Darkwood. Why won’t they accept that magic is an abomination? Far from being abominable, the residents of Darkwood are actually very nice when you get to know them, even Snow the White Knight, who can get a bit tetchy when people remind her she’s a Princess. In order to stop the Huntsmen from wiping out all magical beings, Snow and her friends have to venture into the Badlands of Ashtrie, and seek the support of the Glass Witch – but she has plans of her own, and let’s just say they’re not good ones.Trade Review‘Gabby is one of the funniest writers I know.’ Sarah Millican ‘...very funny. If you like Terry Pratchett, or think gothic fairytales should have more LOLs, "tis the book for ye."’ Greg Jenner‘I have read this and it is great. Pratchetty fun for all the family.' Lucy Porter'...magical, surprising and funny.' Jan Ravens

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Book SynopsisWinner of the World Fantasy Award Tenth Anniversary Edition, with a new introduction and three extra stories. It's a rainy day when the woman approaches Joe. He is a private detective and she is looking for someone, as these things often go. Her quarry is the obscure author of a series of pulp novels featuring one Osama bin Laden: Vigilante. Joe's quest will take him across the world in search of the writer. And every step of the way – from the backwaters of Laos to Paris and London – he is plagued, by assailants he cannot name, by questions he cannot hope to answer and by ghostly entities he cannot seem to shake. Joe knows how the story should end, but even he is not ready for the truths he will find in New York and atop a quiet hill above Kabul, nor for the choice he will have to make there...Trade ReviewBears comparison with the best of Philip K. Dick's paranoid alternate-history fantasies. It's beautifully written and undeniably powerful * Financial Times *Osama is an ingenious inversion of modern history: Osama bin Laden is the central character in a string of pulp novels allegedly written by one Mike Longschott. The terrorist crimes exist, in this novel, in a different realm... Excellent, evocative and atmospheric' -- Christopher Priest, award-winning novelist and author of The PrestigeAn awesome book, dark, twisty alt-universe terrorist noir -- Lauren Beukes, bestselling author of Zoo City

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Book SynopsisLower Rhumbsford is a city far removed from its glory days. On the banks of the great River Rhumb, its founding fathers channelled the river's mighty flow into a subterranean labyrinth of pipes, valves and sluices, a feat of hydraulic prowess that would come to power an empire. But a thousand years have passed since then, and something is wrong: the pipes are leaking, the valves stuck, the sluices silted, and the once-torrential Rhumb has been reduced to a sluggish trickle. The fortunes of the Locke family, descendants of the city's most celebrated engineer, are similarly reduced. In a once-fashionable quarter of the once-great city, siblings Samuel and Briony Locke are about to be drawn into a web of ancestral secrets and imperial intrigues, as a ruthless new power arises... Reviews for A Clockwork River: 'Exuberant isn't often a word you'd apply to fantasy novels, but A Clockwork River rushes along at a pace to match the waterway at its heart' SFX 'Delightfully weird and clever' Grimdark Magazine 'Oh, just plunge into this "hydro-punk" fantasy novel, will you' The TimesTrade Review'Oh, just plunge into this 'hydro-punk' fantasy novel, will you. It's as charming as it is uncontainable, an uber-confident picaresque comedy in the authentic, madcap 18th-century manner' The Times. * The Times *4½ stars! Exuberant isn't often a word you'd apply to fantasy novels, but A Clockwork River rushes along at a pace to match the waterway at its heart * SFX Magazine *It is delightfully weird, clever, and a luxuriously slow novel set in a historical urban fantasy world * Grimdark Magazine *A monumental hydropunk novel centred around a hydraulic city in danger of collapse, Emery's meticulously realised fantasy brings in everything from house spirits and troglodytes to the Ladies Whist Club * Waterstones *A languid and lengthy exploration of societal expectations and boundaries across multiple tiers and cultures, all told through a narrative voice that has humour and intelligence in spades and is not afraid to use them to follow random tangents and relate these tales in complex sentences using complex vocabulary. It shouldn't work, this arduous spiralling of detail over many, many hours of reading, and yet somehow, 12ish hours later, it has * British Fantasy Society *

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Book Synopsis'A twisted masterpiece' Guardian 1939. In a grotty corner of London, in a flat above a shop, a private eye known as Wolf keeps his office. The city is in the throes of a very British Fascism, and Wolf is far from the life he left behind in Germany, before the Fall. Business hasn't been good, so when a glamorous Jewish heiress comes through his door, he has no choice but to take on her case. It's a decision Wolf will soon regret. For in another time and place, a man lies dreaming. Once a Yiddish pulp writer, but now imprisoned in a hell of humanity's making, Shomer creates lurid tales of revenge in his sleep... Prescient, darkly funny and wholly original, the award-winning A Man Lies Dreaming is a modern fable for our time.Trade ReviewA twisted masterpiece... A Holocaust novel like no other, Lavie Tidhar's A Man Lies Dreaming comes crashing through the door of literature like Sam Spade with a .38 in his hand. This is a shocking book as well as a rather brilliant one' * Guardian *Tidhar tightropes between fantasy, farce, and historical fiction, all while grounding things in brisk, gritty noir. Parallels to our current state of affairs abound, but if anything, they're simply symptoms of how the past can recycle itself in frightening new ways – a process that Dreaming compellingly picks apart and rewires. History isn't written by the winners or the losers, Tidhar illustrates, but by those who know how to shroud it and spin it the most entertainingly. Which only makes Dreaming all the more chilling * NPR *Tidhar knows how to say a great deal in very little. There is eloquence and gravitas in the sparseness and brevity of noir fiction when it is good, and Tidhar's is quite incredible * TOR.com *Tidhar truly is one of the key literary voices of the modern age... A Man Lies Dreaming is a masterpiece' * The Fantasy Hive *

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Book Synopsis'They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.'Everybody knows there's no such thing as a female wizard. So when the wizard Drum Billet accidentally passes on his staff of power to an eighth daughter of an eighth son, a girl called Eskarina (Esk, for short), the misogynistic world of wizardry wants nothing to do with her.Thankfully Granny Weatherwax, the Discworld's most famous witch, has plenty of experience ignoring the status quo. With Granny's help, Esk sneaks her way into the magical Unseen University and befriends apprentice wizard Simon.But power is unpredictable, and these bright young students soon find themselves in a whole new dimension of trouble. Let the battle of the sexes begin . . .'If you've never read a Discworld novel, what's the matter with you?' Guardian'Pratchett uses his other world to hold up a distorting mirror to our own' The TimesEqual Rites is the first book in the Witches series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.Trade ReviewThe Discworld novels have always been among the most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasies * Independent *Funny, delightfully inventive, and refuses to lie down in its genre * Observer *Warm, silly, compulsively readable, fantastically inventive, surprisingly serious exploration in story form of just about any aspect of our world * Evening Standard *

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Book Synopsis'There's a kind of magic in masks. Masks conceal one face, but they reveal another. The one that only comes out in darkness . . .'The Opera House in Ankh-Morpork is home to music, theatrics and a harmless masked Ghost who lurks behind the scenes. But now a set of mysterious backstage murders may just stop the show.Agnes Nitt has left her rural home of Lancre in the hopes of launching a successful singing career in the big city. The only problem is, she doesn't quite look the part. And there are two witches who would much rather she return home to join their coven.Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg have travelled to Ankh-Morpork to convince Agnes that life as a witch is much better than one on the stage. Only now they're caught up in a murder mystery featuring masks and maniacal laughter.And the show MUST go on . . .'A master storyteller' A. S. Byatt'Funny, delightfully inventive, and refuses to lie down in its genre' ObserverMaskerade is the fifth book in the Witches series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order.Trade ReviewIncredibly funny ... compulsively readable * The Times *Cracking dialogue, compelling illogic and unchained whimsy ... Pratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own * Sunday Times *If you've never read a Discworld novel, what's the matter with you? * Guardian *

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Book Synopsis'It's vital to remember who you really are . . . it isn't a good idea to rely on other people or things to do it for you, you see. They always get it wrong.'An eighth son of an eighth son is born, a wizard squared, a source of magic. A sourcerer.Unseen University, the Discworld's most magical establishment, has finally got its wish: the emergence of a wizard more powerful than ever before. You'd think they would have been a little more careful what they wished for . . .As the sourcerer takes over the University and sets his sights on the rest of the world, only one wizard manages to escape his influence. Unfortunately for everyone, it's Rincewind.Once again the cowardly wizard must embark on a quest: to deliver a precious artefact - the very embodiment of magic itself - halfway across the Disc to safety. If he doesn't make it, the death of all wizardry is at hand.And the end of the world, depending on who you listen to.'One of our greatest fantasists, and beyond a doubt the funniest' George R.R. Martin'May well be considered his masterpiece . . . Humour such as his is an endangered species' The TimesSourcery is the third book in the Wizards series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order. Trade ReviewCracking dialogue, compelling illogic and unchained whimsy... Pratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own * Sunday Times *He will remain an enduring, endearing presence in comic literature * Guardian *His spectacular inventiveness makes the Discworld series one of the perennial joys of modern fiction * Mail on Sunday *

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Book Synopsis'The universe is, instant by instant, recreated anew . . . The perfect moment is now. Be glad of it.'Time is a resource. Everyone knows it must be managed. You can let it move fast or slowly, but what you mustn't do is allow it to stop.On the Discworld, the History Monks have the important job of ensuring that tomorrow always comes. But the construction of the world's first truly accurate clock starts a race against, well . . . time.Monk Lu-Tze, his apprentice Lobsang Ludd and Death's granddaughter Susan must stop the clockmaker before he completes his task. Because a truly accurate clock will stop time completely.And then, there really will be no tomorrow . . .'This is the best Pratchett I've read' Sunday TelegraphThief of Time is the fifth book in the Death series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order. Trade ReviewTerry Pratchett is one of the great inventors of secondary - or imaginative or alternative - worlds. He is not derivative. He is too strong . . . He has the real energy of the primary storyteller. * The Times *In a better world he would be acclaimed as a great writer rather than a merely successful one . . . This is the best Pratchett I've read * Sunday Telegraph *Reads with all the polished fluency and sure-footed pacing that have become Pratchett's hallmarks over the years. * The Times On Saturday *

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Book Synopsis'The world lives between those who say it cannot be done and those who say that it can . . . it's just a matter of thinking creatively.'Moist von Lipwig is a con man turned civil servant. As head of the Royal Bank and Post Office of Ankh-Morpork, he doesn't really want or need another job. But when the Patrician Lord Vetinari gives you a task, you do it or suffer the consequences. In Moist's case, death.A brand-new invention has come to the city: a steam locomotive named Iron Girder, to be precise. With the railway's introduction and rapid expansion, Vetinari enlists Moist to represent the government and keep things on track.But as with all new technology, some people have objections, and Moist will have to use every trick in his arsenal to keep the trains running . . .'The most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasies' IndependentRaising Steam is the third and final book in the Moist von Lipwig series, but the Discworld novels can be read in any order.Trade ReviewLaugh-out-loud funny...A chuffing wonderful book.—SFXTerry Pratchett’s creation is still going strong after 30 years as Ankh-Morpork branches into the railway age…There are sly nods to the history of railways and a cheeky reference to The Railway Children. Most aficionados, however, will be on the look-out for in-jokes and references from previous novels – of which there is no shortage…It is at the level of the sentence that Pratchett wins his fans.—The TimesThe genius of Pratchett is that he never goes for the straight allegory. . .he remains one of the most consistently funny writers around; a master of the stealth simile, the time-delay pun and the deflationary three-part list. . .I could tell which of my fellow tube passengers had downloaded it to their e-readers by the bouts of spontaneous laughter.—Ben Aaronovitch, The Guardian

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Book Synopsis'HOLY WOOD IS A DIFFERENT SORT OF PLACE . . . HERE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO BE IMPORTANT.'A new phenomenon is taking over the Discworld: moving pictures. Created by the alchemists of Ankh-Morpork, the growing 'clicks' industry moves to the sandy land of Holy Wood, attracted by the light of the sun and some strange calling no one can quite put their finger on...Also drawn to Holy Wood are aspiring young stars Victor Tugelbend, a wizarding student dropout, and Theda 'Ginger' Withel, a small-town girl with big dreams.But behind the glitz and glamour of the clicks, a sinister presence lurks. Because belief is powerful in the Discworld, and sometimes downright dangerous...The magic of movies might just unravel reality itself.'Funny, delightfully inventive, and refuses to lie down in its genre' - ObserverThe Discworld novels can be read in any order but Moving Pictures is a standalone.Trade Review'A true original among contemporary writers' * The Times *'Cracking dialogue, compelling illogic and unchained whimsy...Pratchett has a subject and a style that is very much his own' * Sunday Times *'Offers more entertainment per page than anything this side of Wodehouse' * Washington Post Book World *

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Book Synopsis'NOBLE DRAGONS DON'T HAVE FRIENDS. THE NEAREST THEY CAN GET TO THE IDEA IS AN ENEMY WHO IS STILL ALIVE.'The city of Ankh-Morpork is in turmoil, its citizens revolting. Again.A shadowy secret brotherhood has summoned a dragon to spread terror throughout the city, intent on overthrowing the Patrician and ruling in his place. Too bad the dragon has ideas of its own ...It's up to Captain Sam Vimes and the ramshackle Night Watch to stop it. Only problem is, the Watch are more used to dealing with mobs than dragons.And if they can't bring down this fire-breathing tyrant and reinstate their own, slightly less dangerous one, Ankh-Morpork might be lost. For ever...'This is one of Pratchett's best books. Hilarious and highly recommended' The TimeGuards! Guards! is the first book in the City Watch series, but you can read the Discworld novels in any order. Trade Review'This is one of Pratchett's best books. Hilarious and highly recommended' * The Times *'Pratchett is at the peak of his powers; it's hard to think of any humorist writing in Britain today who can match him... A masterful ear for dialogue, a keen eye for the ridiculous and a real feel for language' * Time Out *'The best humorous English author since P.G. Wodehouse' * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book Synopsis'Uniquely twisted ... cracking gags' - Rob Grant'Frantically wacky and wilfully confusing ... gratifyingly clever and very amusing' - Mail On SundayHERE COMES THE SUNThe sun rises late, dirty and so badly in need of a service it's a wonder it gets up at all. The moon's going to be scrapped soon and a new one commissioned - but they've been saying that for years ... All is not well with the universe, and it's because the mortals are running the show. It's time for a Higher Power to take charge ...ODDS AND GODSIt's a god's life at the Sunnyvoyde Residential Home for retired deities. Everlasting life can be a real drag when all you've got to look forward to is cauliflower cheese on Wednesdays. But things are about to change, because those almighty duffers Thor, Odin and Frey have restored a thousand-year-old traction engine ... and the thing actually works. Then there's Osiris, preparing to set out on a quest that will test his wheelchair to the very limits. Only one thing might save the world. Dentures.Two fantastic comic fantasies - HERE COMES THE SUN and ODDS AND GODS - reissued with brilliant new cover style.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild SideTrade ReviewPraise for Tom Holt: 'Uniquely twisted ... cracking gags' Rob Grant, THE GUARDIAN, 'Frantically wacky and wilfully confusing ... gratifyingly clever and very amusing' MAIL ON SUNDAY, 'Frothy, fast and funny' SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY, 'Dazzling' TIME OUT, 'Wildly imaginative' NEW SCIENTIST

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Book Synopsis'Frantically wacky and wilfully confusing ... gratifyingly clever and very amusing' - Mail on Sunday'Frothy, fast and funny' - Scotland on SundayJ.W. Wells seemed to be a respectable establishment, but the company now paying Paul Carpenter's salary is in fact a deeply sinister organisation with a mighty peculiar management team. Paul thought he was getting the hang of it (particularly when he fell head over heels for his strangely alluring colleague Sophie), but death is never far away when you work at J.W. Wells. Unlike the stapler - that's always going awol. Our lovestruck hero is about to discover that custard is definitely in the eye of the beholder. And that it really stings.Tom Holt's exceedingly comic fantasies are populated with evil goblins, annoying sprites and people like us. However, it's not always possible to tell the difference.The third book to follow the hilarious adventures of Paul Carpenter - Tom Holt at his inventive best.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild SideTrade ReviewPraise for IN YOUR DREAMS: 'Wacky humour bubbles through the polished narrative ... Holt doesn't skimp on the flashes of brilliance' SFX Praise for Tom Holt: 'Uniquely twisted ... cracking gags' Rob Grant, THE GUARDIAN, 'Frantically wacky and wilfully confusing ... gratifyingly clever and very amusing' MAIL ON SUNDAY, 'Frothy, fast and funny' SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY, 'Dazzling' TIME OUT

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Book Synopsis'Holt is, as usual, absurd, funny, and light-handed enough with the completely ridiculous bits to keep the story moving, assuring that the reader doesn't actually notice how bizarre the story has become, or how tangled the mystery is, until it's nearly done.' - Booklist'Uniquely twisted . . . cracking gags.' - GuardianThere are all kinds of products. The good ones. The bad ones. The ones that stay in the garage mouldering for years until your garden gnome makes a home out of them. Most are harmless if handled properly, even if they do contain traces of peanuts. But some are not. Not the ones that contain traces of magic.Chris Popham wasn't paying enough attention when he talked to his SatNav. Sure, she gave him directions, never backtalked him, and always led him to his next spot on the map with perfect accuracy. She was the best thing in his life. So was it really his fault that he didn't start paying attention when she talked to him? In his defence, that was her job. But when 'Take the next right' turned into 'Excuse me,' that was when the real trouble started. Because sometimes a SatNav isn't a SatNav. Sometimes it's an imprisoned soul trapped inside a metal box that will do anything it can to get free. And some products you just can't return.Another slice of fantastic comic TOMfoolery.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild Side

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Book Synopsis'Anything can happen... You turn the pages wondering, 'Whatever next?''' - SFXPolly, an average, completely ordinary property lawyer, is convinced she's losing her mind. Someone keeps drinking her coffee. And talking to her clients. And doing her job. And when she goes to the dry cleaner's to pick up her dress for the party, it's not there. Not the dress - the dry cleaner's.And then there are the chickens who think they are people. Something strange is definitely going on - and it's going to take more than a magical ring to sort it out.A wonderfully quirky and comedic outing from the hugely talented Tom HoltBooks by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild SideTrade ReviewA great mix of the fantastical and the funny . . . another great satirical offering from Tom Holt that entertains thoroughly while effortlessly moving between the silly and the smart * Bookgeeks.co.uk *Crazy, absurd, complex and hilarious . . . His writing is in the same mould as that of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde * TheBookBag.co.uk *

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Book SynopsisAn alternative world where big curves are cool... Sad, lonely Sharon Plunkett is a plus-size girl. She's tried every fad, every diet and every cream, but like stains of grease on a pure silk blouse, her rolls of fat refuse to budge. The man of her dreams isn't interested, and her skinny best friend only uses her to look good. But all that changes when Sharon visits Dr. Marvel's Miracle weight clinic, and steps into a strange new world where bill boards and magazines spill over with pictures of gorgeous size 20 celebs! Suddenly life is fantastic for Sharon, her platinum hair and voluptuous figure make her the perfect choice for designers Z&Zak. Before she can scoff another doughnut, she finds herself a top model moving up the ladder of fame. Rung by rung, she nets a footballer, dates a rock god, and snares the ultimate Hollywood heartthrob. Sharon, now known as 'Shaz', becomes a trend-setting icon of fame, and her life is bliss until the time it all starts to go very wrong. ...Sharon starts to lose weight. A deliciously wicked satire, Making It Big bites back at the 'skinny insanity' currently gripping the western world. Size Zero, celebrity weight-obsessed magazines, the fashion and advertising industries, high society and Hollywood - all are hit by a giant, witty dollop of fun.Trade ReviewI loved my literary romp with the fabulous Lyndsay Russell. Two words - SUCH FUN! -- MIRANDA HARTA funny, weird satire on size zero perfectionism - and I loved it -- Natasha Harding * The Sun *This novel will strike a chord with anyone who's ever felt less than perfect - pretty much all of us then! Four Stars * Star Magazine *fans of Jane Green and Megan Crane will find a kindred spirit in Russell as her sharp and richly textured novel confronts a variety of image-related themes with wit and humor * Booklist *A perfect, filling winter read! * Take A Break's Fiction Feast *

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Book SynopsisBabylon Steel, ex-sword-for-hire, ex...other things, runs The Red Lantern, the best brothel in the city. She’s got elves using sex magic upstairs, S&M in the basement and a large green troll cooking breakfast in the kitchen, and she’d love you to visit, except... She’s not having a good week.The Vessels of Purity are protesting against brothels, girls are disappearing, and if she can’t pay her taxes, Babylon’s going to lose the Lantern. She’d given up the mercenary life, but when the mysterious Darask Fain pays her to find a missing heiress, she has to take the job. And then her past starts to catch up with her in other, more dangerous ways.

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Book SynopsisRimuru is gaining more and more power with his monster country, especially now that he has demon lord and dwarf allies. But then he has a dream about Shizue-a grief-stricken plea to save her former students...

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Book SynopsisDespite Rimuru's absence, Tempest was as peaceful as always. Well, as peaceful as a monster town called "Tempest" could get, anyway. But that was only until they learned that a bunch of heavily armed humans were coming their way. To make matters worse, the Beast Kingdom of Eurazania has declared war on Milim, and Rimuru is nowhere to be found...!

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Book SynopsisHaving wrapped up their battles in Yutith's Tomb, Holy Warrior Naotsugu Toudou and crew head to Golem Valley to further level up. But there's no end in sight for Ares's troubles--his newest recruit Stephenne may be high-level, but her klutziness is practically world-famous! With her around, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Will Ares be able to keep both her and the Holy Warrior out of harm's way?

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Book SynopsisThe hero's party is off to the water capital, Cloudburst, in order to contract with more powerful spirits. It's a big endeavor, and they may have bitten off more than they can chew, but not to worry--priest Ares Crown is not far behind, and this time he's got powerful mercenaries with him! One way or another, he'll keep the hero safe, even if it means following the party to the bottom of the ocean!

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Book SynopsisIn this world, on the day that they reach adulthood, everyone visits the temple to receive their life's calling. Many will become warriors or magic users. But when the frail younger brother of a minor feudal lord named Arsrod goes in for his job, he comes out with...Oda Nobunaga?! Not only has that job never been heard of, not a single person can even figure out what it's supposed to mean. But when this young man inherits the experience, tactics, and prowess in war of the great Sengoku strategist Nobunaga, his very destiny will change!

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Book SynopsisArsrod manages to seize the Kanryuu Prefecture in an battle that defies all common sense, making him the leader of one of the largest forces in the country. And he's all but invincible, now that he's joined forces with Kerala, who works as "Akechi Mitsuhide." With no one to keep him in check, he's ready to launch his next plan: A scheme to invade the imperial capital with Hasse, the orphaned child of the previous king! But no one knows that Arsrod himself is burdened by a certain secret...

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Book SynopsisAfter ending up on a deserted island, what should have been a desperate tale of survival for Masato's party turns out to be...fun times at a resort?! Thanks to Mamako, island life feels no different from being at home! The cutting-edge momcom adventure continues with the Deserted Island arc!

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Book SynopsisThe mastermind controlling the Libere Rebellion's Four Heavenly Kings appears, and that spells trouble for Masato's party! This time, it's not just Masato's mom who will come to their aid...but Wise's and Medhi's moms, too?! Plus, the identity of the fourth Heavenly King is finally revealed, and it's definitely not the person Masato was expecting...

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Book SynopsisThe heinous demon lord Jaldabaoth has launched his attack on the Sacred Kingdom, bringing its people to their knees. In such dire times, they have little choice but to turn to the Nation of Darkness, even if its ruler is an undead, the mortal enemy of all living beings!

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Book SynopsisIn a world where an endless variety of humanoid species coexist, there's an equally endless variety of sexy shops for all your nightlife needs! Join Stunk, Zel, and Crim on their erotic adventures as they sample the many deviant delights that the world of succubus joints has to offer!

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Book SynopsisIt's a wonder one witch can see so many fantastic places, yet never settle down. Then again, when your average encounter can include poisonous apples, meeting a spy, a rendezvous with a flying dragon, finding a sunken city, exploring an ice town, and more...you might find yourself reluctant to stay in one place, too.

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Book SynopsisOnce upon a time there was a witch named Elaina who traveled with neither aim norpurpose. On this leg of her journey, she encounters an old woman who runs asecondhand bookstore, a stylish witch and a group of bandits, a man and woman onthe run from a monarch, a group of witches at the beck and call of a statue, the chiefof a village comprised solely of beautiful women, an ancient dragon who has returnedfrom the dead, and a heroic witch. And finally, two girls fascinated by a clock that turnsback time at Latorita Academy spin a yarn about their love for a magician.

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Book SynopsisOn this stretch of her journey, Elaina encounters an immortal witch, people who claim they’re from an advanced nation, an ink witch, a fake witch with a knack for sewing, a spy who hates coffee, and a pair of feline sisters who once served as knights but now work as baristas. Then, at long last, she crosses paths with the black-haired girl whose fate is entwined with her own. What sort of chapter will their meeting add to Elaina’s tale?

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Book SynopsisElaina, now alongside her mentor, Stardust Witch Fran, continues her leisurely journey.On this leg of her travels, she encounters a commander and a record keeper living in amysterious restaurant, two college girls searching for a historical scoop, a charcoalwitch and her talented assistant, a girl who pines after a prince, plus her concernedfamily, and finally, the daughter of a distinguished mage clan and her orphaned friend.Can Elaina provide the help they need?

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Book SynopsisThe time for the final battle has come. These young women-these adventurers-are preparing for the ultimate struggle. No matter who wins, who loses, who lives, who dies, there will be no glory or riches to win. Those who fall shall not be remembered in the annals of history. Even so, they stand strong in the face of the greatest evil the world has seen in 1000 years. This is the story of one more familia...

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Book SynopsisThe day has finally come for the Tempest Founder's Festival to kick off! From live concerts to incredible feats of monster engineering (and most of all, the massive labyrinth), revelers are sure to have their minds blown. And who should decide to participate in the battle tournament than the hero himself, Lightspeed Masayuki?!

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Book SynopsisHaving easily thwarted the Eastern Empire's invasion, Rimuru wishes to end theconflict once and for all and therefore heads for the imperial capital to take out thesource. Meanwhile, Yuuki has worked his way up inside the Empire with the intention tostage a coup d'état and usurp the throne. Rimuru, however, comes to find that theEmpire's true power is on a whole other level from what he’s seen so far...

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Book SynopsisAfter a fierce battle, Veldora has fallen into the enemy's clutches, and Rimuru isfurious. The order comes down to unleash a massacre, and Benimaru and the otherTempest executives couldn't be more thrilled. The fuse has been lit for the final battlebetween Tempest and the Eastern Empire. But if he wants to save Veldora, Rimuru willneed to evolve even further. It's time to release the power he's been holding back!

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Book SynopsisBeast Emperor Grandleon, Machine Emperor Oxerio, and Vengeful Empress Celmonic have all been vanquished. Seiya and Rista venture to the sand territory to face the last of the Demon Lord's forces, but are wholly unprepared for what they find. They are greeted by an alternate Ixphoria where Seiya never lost to the demon lord, and he and Tiana are living a happy life together; the future that could have been...

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