Dystopian & Alternative History Fiction Books

From Huxley's Brave New World in 1932 to The Hunger Games, our fascination with the speculative & extreme never dwindles

1360 products


  • Animal Farm

    Penguin Books Ltd Animal Farm

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe perfect edition for any Orwell enthusiasts' collection, discover Orwell's classic dystopian masterpiece beautifully reimagined by renowned street artist Shepard Fairey 'All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others.' Mr Jones of Manor Farm is so lazy and drunken that one day he forgets to feed his livestock. The ensuing rebellion under the leadership of the pigs Napoleon and Snowball leads to the animals taking over the farm. Vowing to eliminate the terrible inequities of the farmyard, the renamed Animal Farm is organised to benefit all who walk on four legs. But as time passes, the ideals of the rebellion are corrupted, then forgotten. And something new and unexpected emerges. . . First published in 1945, Animal Farm - the history of a revolution that went wrong - is George Orwell's brilliant satire on the corrupting influence of power.'Remains our great satire of the darker face of modern history' MalcoTrade Review'Animal Farm is a timeless satire on the central tragi-comedy of all politics—that is, the tragi-comedy of corruption by power' Timothy Garton AshIt is the book for everyone and Everyman, its brightness undimmed after fifty years * Ruth Rendell *Remains our great satire of the darker face of modern history * Malcolm Bradbury *Animal Farm has seen off all the opposition. It's as valid today as it was fifty years ago * Ralph Steadman *

    15 in stock

    £8.09

  • The Promised Neverland Complete Box Set: Includes

    Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc The Promised Neverland Complete Box Set: Includes

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe children of the Grace Field House orphanage must escape a macabre fate before it’s too late. Life at Grace Field House has been good for Emma and her fellow orphans. While the daily studying and exams they have to take are tough, their loving caretaker provides them with delicious food and plenty of playtime. But when they discover the horrifying truth about why they are being kept at the orphanage, their lives change forever… The complete Promised Neverland saga in one stunning box set! In addition to all 20 volumes of the suspense hit, the box set contains an exclusive booklet and a double-sided full-colour poster.

    10 in stock

    £120.00

  • Red Queen

    Orion Publishing Co Red Queen

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Hunger Games meets the X-Men in this internationally bestselling YA fantasy series soon to be a major TV show from the producers of Divergent directed by and starring Elizabeth Banks . . .__________________Set in a far-future post-apocalyptic America brimming with romance and revolution, Red Queen is a ferocious ode to the power and promise of resistance against the relentless fires of oppression - perfect for fans of Fourth Wing and The Bone Season.''All hail Victoria Aveyard - the new Queen of dystopian fiction'' GUARDIAN''Exhilarating. Compelling. Action-packed. Unputdownable'' USA TODAY''A whirlwind of betrayal and plot twists'' SCI-FI NOW''It''s slick, it''s interesting, it''s gripping'' SFX''A volatile world with a dynamic heroine'' BOOKLIST''Breakneck pace'' SCHOOLTrade ReviewA whirlwind of betrayal and plot twists * SCI-FI NOW *It's slick, it's interesting and ... gripping * SFX *All hail Victoria Aveyard - the new Queen of dystopian fiction. * THE GUARDIAN CHILDRENS BOOKS *Red Queen is a clever blend of The Hunger Games, The Selection, Graceling and Divergent * STARBURST *Unique and amazing . . . filled with twists and turns throughout. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone as it is a great read and I can't wait for the sequel to be released. * THEGUARDIAN.COM *In Red Queen Victoria Aveyard has delivered a clever, slick and compelling debut. The dystopian novel will please fans of The Hunger Games but uses a supernatural twist to explore the theme of social injustice * We Love This Book *Red Queen... Where do I start? As I sit here after closing the book just this second, with a shocked, enthralled, amazed brooding look on my face I think its safe to say that this book has royally floored me... If you're having hangovers over the Divergent series, or having withdrawal symptoms from the Hunger Games then this is the book that will get you out of that funk * DARK READERS *Trust us when we say that it will have you up late at night trying to finish the next chapter, next page, next line - or maybe the whole thing because this book is impossible to put down. * MAXIMUM POP! *Aveyard weaves a compelling new world, and Mare and the two men in her life evolve intriguingly as class tension rises. Revolution supersedes romance, setting the stage for action-packed surprises. An inventive, character-driven twist breathes new life into tired fantasy trends. * KIRKUS *A wonderful mash up of Ancient Rome and Marie Antoinette with a dash of Catherine Fisher's Incarceron and Ridley Scott's Gladiator, not to mention some of Marvel Comic's box of tricks . . . Exciting and original * Sam Hawksmoor, author of the Repossession Trilogy *Victoria Aveyard is a genuinely good writer... a dark gripping book that grips and surprises the reader * THE BOOKBAG *This is the first book I read in 2015 and I'm glad I began the year with a book outside my comfort zone because I truly, truly enjoyed. * EMMALOUBOOKBLOG *I enjoyed this book immensely... the plot of the book was well executed, the twists creeped up on me slowly but surely. The atmosphere Aveyard created was perfect * BOOKSFORBIRDS *Red Queen simply blew me away... an exquisite debut from Aveyard, usually it takes a few books for an author to become a favourite, but Aveyard has managed to become a favourite with just one book * The Readers Den *Red Queen is a debut bursting with betrayal, jealousy, love and rebellion and it's fantastic. YA fantasy is really on the up at the moment and Victoria Aveyard is going to be one of the leaders of the pack * SO LITTLE TIME FOR BOOKS *A fantastic debut, with a perfect balance of epic, action filled scenes, cunning characters, mystery and a creative plot, RED QUEEN is a definite favourite and I cannot wait for more from this author * WHAT DANIELLE DID NEXT *

    15 in stock

    £7.99

  • World War Z

    Duckworth Books World War Z

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisBased on extensive interviews with survivors and key players in the ten-year fight against the horde, World War Z brings the finest traditions of journalism to bear on what is surely the most incredible story in the history of human civilisation.Trade Review'An absolute must have... Brooks infuses his writing with such precise detail and authenticity, one wonders if he knows something we don't' Simon Pegg‘The best science fiction has traditionally been steeped in social commentary. World War Z continues that legacy... We haven't been this excited about a book without pictures since well, since ever’ Metro'Brilliant' Time Out'Max Brooks really is the godfather of all the zombie stories' The Sun'When the zombie apocalypse arrives, we'll be at Max Brooks' house... As a horror story, it's exciting. As a parable, it's terrifying' Empire, 5-starred review‘Prepare to be entranced by this addictively readable oral history of the great war between humans and zombies... Will grab you as tightly as a dead man’s fist’ Entertainment Weekly‘[Brooks’] iron-jaw narrative is studded with practical advice on what to do when the zombies come, as they surely will. A literate, ironic, strangely tasty treat’ Kirkus Reviews‘A sober, frequently horrifying and even moving account... Brooks has delivered a full-blown horror novel, laced with sharp social and political observations and loads of macabre, gruesome imagery’ Fangoria

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • Parable of the Sower

    Headline Publishing Group Parable of the Sower

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe extraordinary, prescient NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling novel.''If there is one thing scarier than a dystopian novel about the future, it''s one written in the past that has already begun to come true. This is what makes Parable of the Sower even more impressive than it was when first published'' GLORIA STEINEM''Unnervingly prescient and wise'' YAA GYASI--We are coming apart. We''re a rope, breaking, a single strand at a time.America is a place of chaos, where violence rules and only the rich and powerful are safe. Lauren Olamina, a young woman with the extraordinary power to feel the pain of others as her own, records everything she sees of this broken world in her journal.Then, one terrible night, everything alters beyond recognition, and Lauren must make her voice heard for the sake of those she loves. Soon, her vision becomes reality and her dreams of a better way to live gaiTrade ReviewOne of the most significant literary artists of the twentieth century. One cannot exaggerate the impact she has had -- Junot DiazButler's prose, always pared back to the bone, delineates the painful paradoxes of metamorphosis with compelling precision * Guardian *A dark, compelling and still horribly resonant time travel story * Independent *[Her] evocative, often troubling, novels explore far-reaching issues of race, sex, power and, ultimately, what it means to be human * New York Times *No novel I've read this year has felt as relevant, as gut-wrenching or as essential... If you've ever tweeted "All Lives Matter", someone needs to shove Kindred into your hand, and quickly * The Pool *Kindred is that rare magical artifact . . . the novel one returns to, again and again * Harlan Ellison *One cannot finish Kindred without feeling changed. It is a shattering work of art * Los Angeles Herald-Examiner *[A] must-read novel * BBC *Everyone should read at least one novel by the grand dame of science fiction, and Kindred is a perfect (and harrowing and disturbing and brilliant) place to start * Refinery 29 *The immediate effect of reading Octavia Butler's Kindred is to make every other time travel book in the world look as if it's wimping out... This is a brilliant book, utterly absorbing, very well written, and deeply distressing. It's very hard to read, not because it's not good but because it's so good * Tor *A searing, caustic examination of bizarre and alien practices on the third planet from the sun * Kirkus *One of the most original, thought-provoking works examining race and identity * Los Angeles Times *Impossible to turn away from once you've devoured the first few pages * Starburst *If you haven't read Butler, you don't yet understand how rich the possibilities of science fiction can be * Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction *Butler's books are exceptional * Village Voice *Few writers in our field are so good at blending page-turners with philosophical questions so seamlessly -- Cory Doctorow

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • Fahrenheit 451

    HarperCollins Publishers Fahrenheit 451

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisVoyager Classics timeless masterworks of science fiction and fantasy.A beautiful clothbound edition of the internationally acclaimed Fahrenheit 451 a masterwork of twentieth-century literature.Over 1 million copies sold in the UK.The terrifyingly prophetic novel of a post-literate future.Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books.The classic dystopian novel of a post-literate future, Fahrenheit 451 stands alongside Orwell's 1984 and Huxley's Brave New World as a prophetic account of Western civilization's enslavement by the media, drugs and conformity.Bradbury's powerful and poetic prose combines with uncanny insight into the potential of technology to create a novel which, decades on from first publication, still has the power to dazzle and shock.Trade Review‘‘Ray Bradbury’s gift for storytelling reshaped our culture and expanded our world’ Barack Obama ‘Fahrenheit 451 is the most skilfully drawn of all science fiction’s conformist hells’Kingsley Amis ‘Bradbury’s is a very great and unusual talent’Christopher Isherwood ‘Ray Bradbury has a powerful and mysterious imagination which would undoubtedly earn the respect of Edgar Allen Poe’ Guardian

    15 in stock

    £13.49

  • The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Movie Tiein

    Scholastic The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Movie Tiein

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes will revisit the worldof Panem sixty-four years before the events of The Hunger Games,starting on the morning of the reaping of the Tenth Hunger Games.

    15 in stock

    £8.54

  • Fire Punch Vol. 1

    Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc Fire Punch Vol. 1

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn a frozen dystopia where inhabitants eat flesh to survive, can the destructive powers of fire bring salvation?In the not-too-distant past, the Ice Witch blankets the world in snow, starvation, and madness, leading the inhabitants to seek their salvation in fire. With that, an unusual destiny unfolds for two young orphans, Agni and Luna, blessed with the ability to regenerate. But will this ability prove to be more of a curse than a blessing?Orphaned siblings Agni and Luna, like the Ice Witch who cursed their world, are two of the “blessed,” humans who hold special abilities. However, not all who are blessed are friendly, and after another of their kind attacks Agni and decimates the orphans'' village, Agni fights to survive, vowing revenge.

    15 in stock

    £10.44

  • Dark Matter

    Pan Macmillan Dark Matter

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisBlake Crouch is a bestselling novelist and screenwriter. His novels include the New York Times bestseller Dark Matter, and the international bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, which was adapted into a television series for FOX. Crouch also co-created the TNT show Good Behavior, based on his Letty Dobesh novellas. He lives in Colorado.Trade ReviewBrilliant. A book to remember. I think Blake Crouch just invented something new -- Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher seriesIt's been a long time since a novel sucked me in and kept me turning pages the way this one did. Exceptional -- Andy Weir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The MartianA masterful, truly original work of suspense. Crouch delivers laser-focused prose . . . and a touching, twisted love story that plays out in ways you'll never see coming -- Harlan CobenWow. I gulped down Dark Matter in one sitting and put it down awed and amazed by the ride. It's fast, smart, addictive - and the most creative, head-spinning novel I've read in ages -- Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of GravityIt also might be the most helter-skelter, race-to-the-finish-line thriller you'll read all year * Observer *Terse prose, strong characterisation and clever twists make for a quick, smart, engrossing read * Financial Times *Blake Crouch's Dark Matter is a mind-bending thriller of the first order, not merely a rollicking entertainment but a provocative investigation into the nature of second chances. I dare you to put it down, because I sure couldn't -- Justin Cronin, New York Times bestselling author of The Passage TrilogyDark Matter is the kind of book the word "thriller" was coined for - it's a shooting star through multiple genres, posing fundamental questions about identity and reality before revealing itself as, at its core, a love story -- Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Guilty Minds and SuspicionAn addictive read! You're in for an intelligent, breath-taking ride -- John Lescroat, New York Times bestselling author of The FallA mind-blowing sci-fi/suspense/love-story mash-up * Entertainment Weekly *Excellent characterization and well-crafted tension . . . the rousing and heartfelt ending will leave readers cheering * Publishers Weekly *Suspenseful, frightening, and sometimes poignant * Kirkus *Crouch keeps the pace swift and the twists exciting. Readers who liked his Wayward Pines trilogy will probably devour this speculative thriller in one sitting [as will] those who enjoy roller-coaster reads in the vein of Harlan Coben * Booklist *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • 1984

    HarperCollins Publishers Inc 1984

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA PBS Great American Read Top 100 Pick With extraordinary relevance and renewed popularity, George Orwell’s 1984 takes on new life in this hardcover edition. “Orwell saw, to his credit, that the act of falsifying reality is only secondarily a way of changing perceptions.Trade ReviewOne of the BBC's 100 Novels that Shaped the World “Orwell saw, to his credit, that the act of falsifying reality is only secondarily a way of changing perceptions. It is, above all, a way of asserting power.”—The New Yorker “1984 is a profound, terrifying, and wholly fascinating book. It is a fantasy of the political future, and like any such fantasy, serves its author as a magnifying device for an examination of the present.”—Lionel Trilling —

    15 in stock

    £16.19

  • Alice in Borderland, Vol. 8

    Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc Alice in Borderland, Vol. 8

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisAn action-packed thriller and source of the hit Netflix drama where the only way to survive is to play the game!Eighteen-year-old Ryohei Arisu is sick of his life. School sucks, his love life is a joke, and his future weighs on him like impending doom. As he struggles to exist in a world that can’t be bothered with him, Ryohei feels like everything would be better if he were anywhere else. When a strange fireworks show transports him and his friends to a parallel world, Ryohei thinks all his wishes have come true. But this new world isn’t an empty paradise, it’s a vicious game. And the only way to survive is to play.Not every visitor to Borderland spends their time struggling to survive. Much like Arisu, some are hunting for the truth behind the strange and deadly world they’ve landed in. But whether that means searching for the boundaries of their strange prison or finding ways to expose Borderland to the media back home, does the truth even matter if everyone dies before they can share it?

    15 in stock

    £14.39

  • Parable of the Talents

    Headline Publishing Group Parable of the Talents

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe stunning sequel to Parable of the Sower, the NEW YORK TIMES-bestselling novel.''In the ongoing contest over which dystopian classic is most applicable to our time... for sheer peculiar prescience, Butler''s novel may be unmatched'' NEW YORKER''Octavia Butler was playing out our very real possibilities as humans. I think she can help each of us to do the same'' GLORIA STEINEM---In order for me to understand who I am, I must begin to understand who she was.Asha was born into a broken world. There are many things she needs to know: how her country could embrace a violent, far-right President promising to make America great again, why they turned a blind eye to the suffering - and the truth about her mother.In her journals, Lauren Olamina tells of a great love divided between her young daughter, her community and the revelation that led her to found a new faith that teaches ''God Is ChanTrade ReviewOne of the most significant literary artists of the twentieth century. One cannot exaggerate the impact she has had -- Junot DiazButler's prose, always pared back to the bone, delineates the painful paradoxes of metamorphosis with compelling precision * Guardian *A dark, compelling and still horribly resonant time travel story * Independent *[Her] evocative, often troubling, novels explore far-reaching issues of race, sex, power and, ultimately, what it means to be human * New York Times *No novel I've read this year has felt as relevant, as gut-wrenching or as essential... If you've ever tweeted "All Lives Matter", someone needs to shove Kindred into your hand, and quickly * The Pool *Kindred is that rare magical artifact . . . the novel one returns to, again and again * Harlan Ellison *One cannot finish Kindred without feeling changed. It is a shattering work of art * Los Angeles Herald-Examiner *[A] must-read novel * BBC *Everyone should read at least one novel by the grand dame of science fiction, and Kindred is a perfect (and harrowing and disturbing and brilliant) place to start * Refinery 29 *The immediate effect of reading Octavia Butler's Kindred is to make every other time travel book in the world look as if it's wimping out... This is a brilliant book, utterly absorbing, very well written, and deeply distressing. It's very hard to read, not because it's not good but because it's so good * Tor *A searing, caustic examination of bizarre and alien practices on the third planet from the sun * Kirkus *One of the most original, thought-provoking works examining race and identity * Los Angeles Times *Impossible to turn away from once you've devoured the first few pages * Starburst *If you haven't read Butler, you don't yet understand how rich the possibilities of science fiction can be * Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction *Butler's books are exceptional * Village Voice *Few writers in our field are so good at blending page-turners with philosophical questions so seamlessly -- Cory Doctorow

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • Weyward

    HarperCollins Publishers Weyward

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisEMILIA HART''S STUNNING NEW BOOK THE SIRENS IS OUT NOWTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLEROVER 700,000 COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDEAs seen on BBC's BETWEEN THE COVERS''A bewitching debut. I can't wait to see what Emilia Hart writes next'' KATE MORTONA much-heralded epic' OBSERVEREmpowering' GLAMOURThree women, five centuries, one spellbinding storyIn the present day, Kate flees a traumatic relationship to the Cumbrian cottage she inherited from her great-aunt; but the cottage hides secrets of its own.In 1942, Violet rebels against her father's ideas of a proper young lady' until he takes matters into his own hands.In 1619, Altha is on trial for witchcraft, implicated in the gruesome death of a local man.Three women they tried to cage but Weyward women belong to the wild. And they cannot be tamedWeyward was a Times bestseller w/e 18-02-2023.Trade Review‘Alive, vivid and gripping’ ABIGAIL DEAN ‘Humming with a sly, exhilarating magic’ BRIDGET COLLINS ‘Totally unique’ GILLIAN MCALLISTER ‘Utterly absorbing’ ABI DARÉ ‘Fierce and moving… magnificent’ ROSIE ANDREWS ‘A stunning debut’ LUCY CLARKE ‘Relevant, empowering and brilliantly written… I just love it!’ JOANNA CANNON ‘A magical read’ WOMAN & HOME ‘[A] bold witchy debut’ RED ‘It seems to be the year of the witch book – and this is the best I’ve read so far’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING ‘An absolute beauty… a riveting page turner for wild women everywhere’ JULIE OWEN MOYLAN, author of That Green Eyed Girl ‘Beautifully written and intricate as a spider's web’ SUNYI DEAN, author of The Book Eaters ‘A brave and original debut – spellbinding’ SARAH PENNER, author of The Lost Apothecary ‘Beguiling, absorbing and exquisitely-rendered’ LIZZIE POOK, author of Moonlight and the Pearler's Daughter ‘A fabulous debut’ PRIMA ‘An entertaining read’ THE TIMES ‘Leave[s] you keen to turn the page and find out more’ INDEPENDENT ‘A beautifully powerful debut’ LOVE READING ‘An empowering read that will keep you glued to the final word… Buy this book’ GLAMOUR ‘An outstanding debut’ FABULOUS magazine ‘2023 is set to be the year of witchy reads, and Weyward is one of the most exciting new titles’ COSMOPOLITAN

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Lions of AlRassan

    HarperCollins Publishers The Lions of AlRassan

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisHauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, a deeply compelling story of love, adventure, divided loyalties, and what happens when beliefs begin to remake or destroy a world.The ruling Asharites of Al-Rassan have come from the desert sands, but over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, their stern piety has eroded. The Asharite empire has splintered into decadent city-states led by warring petty kings. King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, aided always by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan poet, diplomat, soldier until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever.Meanwhile, in the north, the conquered Jaddites'' most celebrated and feared military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, driven into exile, leads his mercenary company south.In the dangerous lands of Al-Rassan, these two men from different worlds meet and serve for a time the same master. Tangled in their interwoven fate and divided by her feelings is Jehane, the accomplished court physician, whose skills may not be enough to heal the coming pain as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.Trade ReviewPraise for THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN: ‘Impossible to put down’Kirkus Reviews ‘Genre fans looking for more romance and strong female character development will find this an engrossing tale’Publishers Weekly ‘A magnificent, deeply moving book’Locus ‘Wistful and elegiac in tone, with a few clever sleight-of-hand plot twists thrown in for good measure, THE LIONS OF AL-RASSAN weaves a subtle spell. The publication of a Guy Gavriel Kay book has become something of an event in the international fantasy community. He's considered to be one of the (if not the) premiere fantasists of our time’The Financial Post

    Out of stock

    £11.69

  • Red Rising 3. Morning Star

    Random House USA Inc Red Rising 3. Morning Star

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisA conclusion to the trilogy that includes Golden Son finds Darrow emerging from years of hiding among the Golds and declaring an open revolution against the overlords who oppress his people and caused the loss of his wife.

    Out of stock

    £20.25

  • The Testaments: WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019

    Vintage Publishing The Testaments: WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE 2019

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis**THE NUMBER 1 BESTSELLER AND WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE**In this electrifying sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood answers the question that has tantalised readers for decades: What happened to Offred?The Republic of Gilead is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, two girls with radically different experiences of the regime come face to face with the legendary, ruthless Aunt Lydia. But how far will each go for what she believes?Now with additional material: book club discussion points and an interview with Margaret Atwood about the real-life events that inspired The Testaments and The Handmaid's Tale.'The Testaments is Atwood at her best . . . To read this book is to feel the world turning' Anne Enright_________________________________PRAISE FOR THE TESTAMENTS:'Everything The Handmaid's Tale fans wanted and more. Prepare to hold your breath throughout, and to cry real tears at the end' Stylist'She manages to write about the darkest and most terrifying parts of human psychology in a way that is still deeply funny and full of dark strange hope' Naomi Alderman, author of The PowerTrade ReviewThrilling and blistering * Daily Telegraph *An incredible follow-up * the Sun, *Pick of the Week* *Gripping, pacy and beautifully written -- Justine Jordan * Guardian *Finding hope in a hopeless place, this is everything The Handmaid’s Tale fans wanted and more. Prepare to hold your breath throughout, and to cry real tears at the end. My book of the year -- Kayleigh Dray * Stylist *The Testaments is Atwood at her best, in its mixture of generosity, insight and control. The prose is adroit, direct, beautifully turned. All over the reading world, the history books are being opened to the next blank page and Atwood’s name is written at the top of it. To read this book is to feel the world turning -- Anne Enright * Guardian *I gobbled it down... Atwood has an incredible intellectual nimbleness that challenges us constantly and poses the question that lies like a pearl inside the shell of this frighteningly readable novel, "Before you sit in judgement, how would you behave in Gilead?" -- Allison Pearson * Sunday Telegraph *No one needs another recommendation for The Testaments and still I have to say how thrilling it is when a book manages to exceed all expectations. How did she manage to make darkness feel so effortless? How did she think to inject humour where no humour should exist? Because she’s Margaret Atwood, and she can do anything -- Ann PatchettA cracker: urgent, moving and as tense as any thriller... there's a darkly rebellious humour, ingenious wordplay and, of course, chillingly timely warnings. Atwood is long overdue a Nobel -- Hepzibah Anderson * Mail on Sunday *At its heart, this gripping novel is a rallying call for action... In Atwood's world, resistance is never futile -- Mernie Gilmore * Daily Express *The must-read novel of the year -- a perfect gift for bookworms and fans of the TV series * Sunday Telegraph *Believe the reviews, it is remarkable -- Lindsay Woods * Irish Examiner *A plump, pacy, witty and tightly plotted page-turner that transports us straight back to the dark heart of Gilead... Atwood is on top form -- Julie Myerson * Observer *The Testaments is that elusive dream of a book -- an erudite, accessible, highly readable adventure, that brims with ideas but never lets them get in the way of the story -- Cathy Rentzenbrink * Prospect *While unflinching in depicting horror and showing how complicity enables the collapse of compassion, The Testaments is also a clarion call to hope, resistance and activism... a formidable achievement that will doubtless be read in decades to come -- Anita Sethi * i news *With surgical clarity, Atwood documents how the stripping of fundamental freedoms, the weight of systemic oppression, pushes individuals to extremes... The pacing is flawless. The prose is lean, mean, and charged -- David Canfield * Entertainment Weekly *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • Station Eleven

    Pan Macmillan Station Eleven

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisEmily St. John Mandel was born in Canada and studied dance at The School of Toronto Dance Theatre. She is the author of the novels Last Night in Montreal, The Singer's Gun, The Lola Quartet and Station Eleven and is a staff writer for The Millions. She lives in New York City.Trade ReviewMandel’s beautiful depiction of the survival of human culture and art in a post-apocalyptic world, Perfect for fans of The Handmaid’s Tale. * Cosmopolitan *The Handmaid’s Tale isn’t the only one out there to examine life in a dystopia or collapsing society, or examine the challenges women face when confronting an authoritative power. * The Verge *A dystopian novel that every woman should read after The Handmaid’s Tale. * Refinery29.com *Glorious, unexpected, superbly written; just try putting it down. * The Times *One of the 2014 books that I did read stands above all the others, however: Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel . . . It's a deeply melancholy novel, but beautifully written, and wonderfully elegiac, a book that I will long remember, and return to. -- George R. R. MartinDisturbing, inventive and exciting, Station Eleven left me wistful for a world where I still live. -- Jessie Burton, author of The MiniaturistOnce in a very long while a book becomes a brand new old friend, a story you never knew you always wanted. Station Eleven is that rare find that feels familiar and extraordinary at the same time, expertly weaving together future and present and past, death and life and Shakespeare. This is truly something special. -- Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night CircusVisually stunning, dreamily atmospheric and impressively gripping . . . Station Eleven is not so much about apocalypse as about memory and loss, nostalgia and yearning; the effort of art to deepen our fleeting impressions of the world and bolster our solitude. * Guardian *Station Eleven is so compelling, so fearlessly imagined, that I wouldn't have put it down for anything. I think this one is really going to go places. -- Ann Patchett, author of Bel Canto and State of WonderA beautiful and unsettling book, the action moves between the old and new world, drawing connections between the characters and their pasts and showing the sweetness of life as we know it now and the value of friendship, love and art over all the vehicles, screens and remote controls that have been rendered obsolete. Mandel's skill in portraying her post-apocalyptic world makes her fictional creation seem a terrifyingly real possibility. Apocalyptic stories once offered the reader a scary view of an alternative reality and the opportunity, on putting the book down, to look around gratefully at the real world. This is a book to make its reader mourn the life we still lead and the privileges we still enjoy. * Sunday Express *Station Eleven is a firework of a novel. Elegantly constructed and packed with explosive beauty, it's full of life and humanity and the aftershock of memory. -- Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining GirlsThere is no shortage of post-apocalyptic thrillers on the shelves these days, but Station Eleven is unusually haunting . . . There is an understated, piercing nostalgia . . . there is humour, amid the collapse . . . and there is Mandel's marvellous creation, the Travelling Symphony, travelling from one scattered gathering of humanity to another . . . There is also a satisfyingly circular mystery, as Mandel unveils neatly, satisfyingly, the links between her disparate characters . . . This book will stay with its readers much longer than more run-of-the-mill thrillers. -- Alison Flood, Thriller of the Month * Observer *Station Eleven is a magnificent, compulsive novel that cleverly turns the notion of a "kinder, gentler time" on its head. And, oh, the pleasure of falling down the rabbit hole of Mandel's imagination - a dark, shimmering place rich in alarmingly real detail and peopled with such human, such very appealing characters. -- Liza Klaussmann, author of Tigers in Red WeatherA genuinely unsettling dystopian novel that also allows for moments of great tenderness. Emily St. John Mandel conjures indelible visuals, and her writing is pure elegance. -- Patrick deWitt, author of The Sisters Brothers (shortlisted for the 2011 Man Booker Prize)An ambitious and addictive novel -- Sarah Hughes * Guardian *Possibly the most captivating and thought-provoking post-apocalyptic novel you will ever read . . . Mandel truly creates a unique future - no battling for resources, but a Travelling Symphony of musicians and actors who go from settlement to settlement performing Shakespeare plays. Mandel's message is that civilisation - and just as importantly, art - will endure as long as there is life. She tells us that when humanity's back is against the wall, decency will emerge. Mandel has a beautiful writing style and the chapters preceding the apocalypse (the book jumps around in time) show an assured handle on human emotions and relationships, particularly those sequences involving Arthur Leander . . . Though not without tension and a sense of horror, Station Eleven rises above the bleakness of the usual post-apocalyptic novels because its central concept is one so rarely offered in the genre - hope. * Independent on Sunday *Station Eleven reads as a love letter - acknowledging all those things we would most miss and all those things we would still have -- Karen Joy Fowler, author of We Are All Completely Beside OurselvesA haunting tale of art and the apocalypse. Station Eleven is an unmissable experience. -- Samantha Shannon, author of The Bone SeasonTremendous . . . if you are looking for a novel you can just wallow in I'd pick Station Eleven up right now. -- Jane Garvey * BBC Radio 4, Woman's Hour *Station Eleven begins with a spectacular end. One night in a Toronto theater, onstage performing the role of King Lear, 51-year-old Arthur Leander has a fatal heart attack. There is barely time for people to absorb this shock when tragedy on a considerably vaster scale arrives in the form of a flu pandemic so lethal that, within weeks, most of the world's population has been killed . . . Mandel is an exuberant storyteller . . . Readers will be won over by her nimble interweaving of her characters' lives and fates . . . Station Eleven is as much a mystery as it is a post-apocalyptic tale . . . Mandel is especially good at planting clues and raising the kind of plot-thickening questions that keep the reader turning pages . . . Station Eleven offers comfort and hope to those who believe, or want to believe, that doomsday can be survived, that in spite of everything people will remain good at heart, and when they start building a new world they will want what was best about the old. -- Sigrid Nunez * New York Times *Station Eleven is the kind of book that speaks to dozens of the readers in me - the Hollywood devotee, the comic book fan, the cult junkie, the love lover, the disaster tourist. It is a brilliant novel, and Emily St John Mandel is astonishing. -- Emma Straub, author of The Vacationers and Laura Lamont's Life in PicturesEmily St John Mandel is currently gathering lots of world-ending buzz with her new novel Station Eleven . . . conjures up an eerie post-killer-flu future * Grazia *Speculative fiction . . . of a decidedly literary bent * Metro *Riveting, brilliant -- Nina Stibbe, author of Love, NinaA novel that miraculously reads like equal parts page-turner and poem. One of her great feats is that the story feels spun rather than plotted, with seamless shifts in time and characters . . . This is not a story of crisis and survival. It's one of art and family and memory and community and the awful courage it takes to look upon the world with fresh and hopeful eyes. * Entertainment Weekly *Ambitious, magnificent . . . Mandel's vision is not only achingly beautiful but startlingly plausible, exposing the fragile beauty of the world we inhabit. In the burgeoning postapocalyptic literary genre, Mandel's transcendent, haunting novel deserves a place alongside The Road * Booklist *This breathtaking highwire act argues theatre is primal - and instinct to tell and act out stories, to come together to experience art. Who wouldn't want to write novels about that? * Big Issue *An ambitious take on a post-apocalyptic world where some strive to preserve art, culture and kindness . . . Think of Cormac McCarthy seesawing with Joan Didion . . . Mandel spins a satisfying web of coincidence and kismet . . . Magnetic . . . A breakout novel. * Kirkus (starred review) *Station Eleven is a mesmerising and beautiful book that puts a unique spin on a familiar end-of-the-world scenario . . . Like The Road, Mandel's novel makes you desperately glad for the world we live in. -- Mark Edwards, author of The MagpiesDrew me in irresistibly -- Anne Tyler * New York Times *A theater troupe in a post-epidemic dystopia. Art and celebrity at the zenith of North American civilization and its nadir. Childhood and marriage and violence and comic books. Station Eleven is about all of these things, but none of them fully capture the magic of the book, which is one of the best I've read in a while . . . It reminded me quite a bit of Kate Atkinson's fantastic Life After Life. And the plot, characters, writing-it's all fantastic, as well. honestly, I don't know what else to say except . . . Buy, buy, buy. Seriously. Go pre-order it now. * BookRiot *Totally spellbinding . . . Deftly switching between the time before and after the pandemic, the story reveals the fates of six compelling characters, whose lives are interlinked. Full of eerie suspense and surprises, this is a haunting, original novel that makes you consider what's truly valuable in life. * Hello Magazine *A beautifully written and compelling debut from Emily St John Mandel * Good Housekeeping Magazine *Mandel's strong storytelling ability sets Station Eleven apart . . . Mandel fluidly switches between characters and time periods . . . the result is a provocative tale of societal apocalypse that convincingly creates a disorientated reality, where humanity moves into an uncertain future on a planet littered with reminders of an imperfect past * The List *Excellently written, Station Eleven is closer to Joyce than Orwell as it stealthily connects plots and people * Sunday Times *Plays with time and place in a manner that brings to mind Kate Atkinson's superb Life After Life. * Stylist *A deeply unsettling and well-crafted tale exploring human relationships in extreme circumstances -- Philippa Williams * The Lady *The inventiveness and exploration of ideas about survival and art give Mandel's novel its indelibility . . . Station Eleven amazed me with its sharp and emotionally true reimagining of nearly everything we take for granted in the world -- Meg WolitzerStrong storytelling and believable characters combine in this very human tale * Bella *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Labyrinth

    Simon & Schuster Ltd The Labyrinth

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe Labyrinth is a unique vision of a dystopian future from one of the most sought-after visual storytellers in the world and internationally acclaimed author of The Electric State.

    7 in stock

    £21.25

  • The Lathe Of Heaven

    Orion Publishing Co The Lathe Of Heaven

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis'Her worlds have a magic sheen . . . She moulds them into dimensions we can only just sense. She is unique. She is legend' THE TIMES'Le Guin is a writer of phenomenal power' OBSERVERGeorge Orr is a mild and unremarkable man who finds the world a less than pleasant place to live: seven billion people jostle for living space and food. But George dreams dreams which do in fact change reality - and he has no means of controlling this extraordinary power.Psychiatrist Dr William Haber offers to help. At first sceptical of George's powers, he comes to astonished belief. When he allows ambition to get the better of ethics, George finds himself caught up in a situation of alarming peril.Trade ReviewLe Guin is a writer of phenomenal power * OBSERVER *Ursula Le Guin was able to reimagine many concepts we take to be natural, shared, and unalterable - gender, utopia, creation, war, family, the city, the country - and reveal the all-too-human constructions at their center ... Literature will miss her. There's no one like her -- Zadie SmithShe is unparalleled in creating fantasy peopled by finely drawn and complex characters * GUARDIAN *Le Guin is one of the singular speculative voices of our future, thanks to her knack for anticipating issues of seminal importance to society * TLS *Her worlds have a magic sheen . . . She moulds them into dimensions we can only just sense. She is unique. She is legend * THE TIMES *I'd love to sit at my desk one day and discover that I could think and write like Ursula Le Guin -- Roddy DoyleA rare and powerful synthesis of poetry and science, reason and emotion * NEW YORK TIMES *[Le Guin had] the heart of a poet who knew all too well the difference between miracle and eureka, revelation and revolution * PUBLISHERS WEEKLY *Le Guin's storytelling is sharp, magisterial, funny, thought-provoking and exciting, exhibiting all that science fiction can be * EMPIRE *Ursula Le Guin is a chemist of the heart -- David Mitchell, author of CLOUD ATLASWhen I read The Lathe of Heaven as a young man, my mind was boggled; now when I read it, more than twenty-five years later, it breaks my heart. Only a great work of literature can bridge - so thrillingly - that impossible span -- Michael ChabonLe Guin writes tellingly of different kinds of society . . . and of the individual's response to them * DAILY TELEGRAPH *

    15 in stock

    £8.54

  • The Promised Neverland Vol. 2

    Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc The Promised Neverland Vol. 2

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe children of the Grace Field House orphanage must escape a macabre fate before it’s too late.Life at Grace Field House is good for Emma and her fellow orphans. While the daily studying and exams they have to take are tough, their loving caretaker provides them with delicious food and plenty of playtime. But perhaps not everything is as it seems… Behind the facade of a happy orphanage, the children of Grace Field House are secretly being raised as food for demons! Determined to save themselves and the other kids, Emma, Norman and Ray begin planning an escape. But their caretaker, “Mom,” has brought in extra help to keep the orphans in line…

    15 in stock

    £7.59

  • Temeraire

    HarperCollins Publishers Temeraire

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisNaomi Novik's stunning series of novels follow the global adventures of Captain William Laurence and his fighting dragon Temeraire as they are thrown together to fight for Britain during the turbulent time of the Napoleonic Wars.Captain Will Laurence has been at sea since he was just twelve years old; finding a warmer berth in Nelson''s navy than any he enjoyed as the youngest, least important son of Lord Allendale. Rising on merit to captain his own vessel, Laurence has earned himself a beautiful fiancée, society''s esteem and a golden future. But the war is not going well. It seems Britain can only wait as Napoleon plans to overrun her shores.After a skirmish with a French ship, Laurence finds himself in charge of a rare cargo: a dragon egg bound for the Emperor himself. Dragons are much prized: properly trained, they can mount a fearsome attack from the skies. One of Laurence''s men must take the beast in hand and join the aviators'' cause, thus relinquishing all hope of a normal life.But when the newly-hatched dragon ignores the young midshipman Laurence chose as its keeper and decides to imprint itself on the horrified captain instead, Laurence''s world falls apart. Gone is his golden future: gone his social standing, and soon his beautiful fiancée, as he is consigned to be the constant companion and trainer of the fighting dragon TemeraireTrade Review‘These are beautifully written novels, not only fresh, original and fast-paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart’Peter Jackson 'Novik won me over with her first novel. the combination of history, sympathetic characters, and an engaging style makes this series great, intelligent fun.’The Times ‘Plenty of intrigue, swordplay, exotic locations, plausible invention. In short a treat’The Telegraph ‘Novik has stirred the passions with a genre-busting historical fantasy of the first order’Sunday Sport

    Out of stock

    £9.49

  • One Italian Summer

    Quercus Publishing One Italian Summer

    15 in stock

    Book Synopsis WILL THE JOURNEY OF A LIFETIME HELP KATY FIND HER WAY HOME? 'Rebecca Serle is a maestro of love in all its forms' GABRIELLE ZEVIN'An extraordinary, beautiful, magical book' JILL MANSELLWhen Katy's mother dies, she's left reeling from the loss. Carol had been her best friend, her anchor, and they'd been so close to their dream of travelling to Positano together.Feeling untethered from her own life and unable to connect with anyone, Katy makes a rash decision. In a bid to keep her mother close, she follows in a young Carol's footsteps, flying to Italy alone.Katy had imagined a holiday painted by grief but finds more comfort than she had expected. Then, in a sharp twist of fate, Carol's past and Katy's present collide, leaving Katy to wonder if she ever really knew her mother at all...'A clever, immersive novel - gorgeous!' CESCA MAJOR, author of Maybe Next Time'Really can't recommend this enough - beautiful, inspiring . . . the perfect summer read' Reader review'Breathtakingly original and heartbreakingly emotional' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS, author of Love Struck'Rebecca Serle is now officially an auto buy author for me' Reader review'Startlingly fresh and utterly compelling' HOLLY MILLER, author of What Might Have Been'Beautifully heartbreaking and reaffirming all at once' Reader reviewTrade ReviewI loved In Five Years but with One Italian Summer Rebecca has truly excelled herself. An extraordinary, beautiful, magical book. (And now I NEED to visit Positano...) * JILL MANSELL, author of SHOULD I TELL YOU? *Startlingly fresh and utterly compelling, One Italian Summer is a spellbinding story of love, loss and hope, so beautifully depicted I felt I lived and breathed every word of Katy's journey along with her. It's extraordinary storytelling - a book with magic on every page * HOLLY MILLER, author of THE SIGHT OF YOU *Breathtakingly original and heartbreakingly emotional, One Italian Summer is a tearjerker of a masterpiece that combines family, romance, and feeling lost, found and hopeful, set against the hauntingly evocative backdrop of one of the most beautiful places on earth. I was floored by it * LAURA JANE WILLIAMS, author of THE LUCKY ESCAPE *A gorgeous story that swept me away to Italy - breathtaking! * EMMA COOPER, author of IT WAS ALWAYS YOU *One Italian Summer is a feast for the senses. Serle is the queen of taking a truly original idea and breathing life and heart into every corner of it. I couldn't love her books more * LAURA PEARSON, author of I WANTED YOU TO KNOW *One Italian Summer is the perfect escapist read. Compelling, moving and masterfully told * LAURA KAY, author of THE SPLIT *Rebecca Serle is a maestro of love in all its forms * GABRIELLE ZEVIN, author of YOUNG JANE YOUNG *Honestly what a book - she's so bloody clever - sparing with words but able to write with real poetry. The whole book was so vivid and gorgeous and I am SO HERE for women's fiction that surprises - which this did in spades. Loved it and would read anything she ever writes * CESCA MAJOR, author of THE LAST NIGHT *Rebecca Serle has crafted a beautiful love story which shows her character's grief slowly ebbing away and being replaced by something new * IPAPER *[One Italian Summer is] wonderful on grief and love, and every reader lucky enough to still have their mother will want to hug her tight after this * DAILY MAIL *There is more than a touch of magic in this new novel from the author of In Five Years. Beautifully and sensitively written, exploring themes of grief, loss and the power of love, this haunting, touching tale is sure to get under your skin * SUNDAY EXPRESS *This is a captivating and poignant read, exploring relationships, the importance of family bonds and how we carry on after loss * CANDIS *A beautiful love story that turns its own pages as you are sucked into the Italian summer sun * WOMAN'S WAY *A beautiful love story that turns its own pages as you are sucked into the Italian sun * HERALD *Rebecca Serle writes such clever and original stories, ones which never turn out how I expected (this is a good thing!) and are full of emotion * NB MAGAZINE *In these cynical times full of snark and memes, it's nice to surrender to magic every now and then * PRESS ASSOCIATION *Poignant and beautiful exploration of loss, grief and how we heal our hearts * CULTUREFLY *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • Cloud Cuckoo Land

    HarperCollins Publishers Cloud Cuckoo Land

    1 in stock

    Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTA dazzling epic of love, war and the joy of books' GuardianThere is magic in this place You just have to sit and breathe and wait and it will find you'Fifteenth-century Constantinople. Present day Idaho. The future, and humanity's last hope.Across time and space, five young dreamers are bound by a single ancient text. Together, they tell a story of a world in peril; of the power of words, of resilience, and of hope against all odds.The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All the Light We Cannot See returns with a heart-breaking, magnificent epic of human connection and a love letter to storytelling itself.Wonderment and despair, love and destruction and hope all find their place in its sumptuously plotted pages' ObserverIngenious, hopeful and totally absorbing' Financial TimesThis engagingly written, big-hearted book is a must-read' Daily MirrorTrade Review Praise for Cloud Cuckoo Land: ‘Sets him comfortably alongside Tolkien, Rowling and David Mitchell, and he is a much more elegant writer than two of those … Cloud Cuckoo Land is an impressive achievement and a joy to read. Serious novels are rarely this fun.’ The Times ‘There is a kind of book a seasoned writer produces after a big success: large-hearted, wide in scope and joyous. Following his Pulitzer winner All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr’s Cloud Cuckoo Land is a deep lungful of fresh air – and a gift of a novel’ Guardian ‘A paean to stories as a source of sustenance and solace, and to the sweetness of our shared terrestrial home, Doerr’s narrative is buoyant with humanity and it’s author’s palpable pleasure in invention’ Daily Mail ‘A humane and uplifting book for adults that’s infused with the magic of childhood reading experiences. Cloud Cuckoo Land is ultimately a celebration of books, the power and possibilities of reading’ New York Times ‘Cloud Cuckoo Land is a fascinatingly ambitious tale that’s worth the seven year wait’ Stylist ‘Pulitzer Prize-winner Anthony Doerr’s new novel traverses time and space, unifying his characters through a text written by Diogenes in the first century AD. Cloud Cuckoo Land begins there and sweeps through the millennia in a huge, imaginative arc that celebrates the outsiders, the writers and the keepers of books. An ultimately hopeful and life-affirming novel about the essence of love, literature and art’ Irish Independent ‘This is a dazzling epic of love, war and the joy of books – one for David Mitchell fans’ Guardian ‘Wonderment and despair, love and destruction and hope – all find their place in its sumptuously plotted pages’ Observer

    1 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Machine Stops

    Penguin Books Ltd The Machine Stops

    Book Synopsis''You talk as if a god had made the Machine, cried the other. I believe that you pray to it when you are unhappy. Men made it, do not forget that.''E.M. Forster is best known for his exquisite novels, but these two affecting short stories brilliantly combine the fantastical with the allegorical. In ''The Machine Stops'', humanity has isolated itself beneath the ground, enmeshed in automated comforts, and in ''The Celestial Omnibus'' a young boy takes a trip his parents believe impossible.This book contains The Machine Stops and A Celestial Omnibus.

    £5.06

  • Shamans Crossing

    HarperCollins Publishers Shamans Crossing

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe first book in The Soldier Son Trilogy, from the author of the bestselling Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies.Nevare Burvelle anticipates a golden future. He will follow his father into the army, to the frontier and thence to an advantageous marriage.Over twenty years the army has pushed the frontiers of Gernia as far as the Barrier Mountains, home to the enigmatic Speck people, who retain the last vestiges of magic in a progressive world. Exotic and misunderstood, they are believed to spread a sexual plague which has ravaged the frontier, decimating entire regiments.Such beliefs will affect Nevare's military training at the Academy, where he will experience injustice and foul play. But his world view will also be challenged by his unconventional cousin Epiny. And on Dark Evening, when the carnival comes to Old Thares, it will bring with it the first Specks Nevare has ever seenTrade Review‘Every new Robin Hobb novel is a cause for celebration’George R.R. Martin 'Hobb is one of the great modern fantasy writers…what makes her novels as addictive as morphine is not just their imaginative brilliance but the way her characters are compromised and manipulated by politics.'THE TIMES ‘Hobb is a remarkable storyteller’GUARDIAN

    2 in stock

    £10.44

  • Holy Sister Epic finale to the bestselling Book

    HarperCollins Publishers Holy Sister Epic finale to the bestselling Book

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisNona Grey's story reaches its shattering conclusion in the third instalment of Book of the Ancestor.THEY CAME AGAINST HER AS A CHILD. NOW THEY FACE THE WOMAN.The ice is advancing, the Corridor narrowing, and the empire is under siege from the Scithrowl in the east and the Durns in the west. Everywhere, the emperor's armies are in retreat.Nona faces the final challenges that must be overcome if she is to become a full sister in the order of her choice. But it seems unlikely that Nona and her friends will have time to earn a nun's habit before war is on their doorstep.Even a warrior like Nona cannot hope to turn the tide of war.The shiphearts offer strength that she might use to protect those she loves, but it's a power that corrupts. A final battle is coming in which she will be torn between friends, unable to save them all. A battle in which her own demons will try to unmake her.A battle in which hearts will be broken, lovers lost, thrones burned.HOLY SISTER completes the Book of the ATrade Review‘An excellent writer’George R.R. Martin ‘Dark, passionate, tense, with a female hero anyone could relate to–I was utterly fascinated! This is no pretty, flowery tale, but one of vastly different people struggling to survive when a hostile government comes to power’#1 New York Times bestselling author Tamora Pierce ‘This is a book very distinct from everything that came before; what it has in common though is a narrative that pulls no punches, and characters that are beautifully, brokenly, repellently, cleverly human’Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews ‘I had never thought it was possible to find a greater character than the Emperor Jorg Ancrath. I had never even slightly considered that there might be a fantasy world out there toppling that of Τhe Final Empire, and most definitely, I had never thought that I could love a book more than The Night Angel. But here we are’BookNest ‘Any other author is going to have to smack the ball way, way out of the park to top this read’Parmenion Books

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • Malice

    Pan Macmillan Malice

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisJohn Gwynne studied and lectured at Brighton University. He's been in a rock 'n' roll band, playing the double bass, travelled the USA and lived in Canada for a time. He is married with four children and lives in Eastbourne, running a small family business rejuvenating vintage furniture. Malice is his debut novel.Trade ReviewInfluenced by Gemmell's Rigante and GRR Martin's Game of Thrones - two good strands of DNA. Great characters and plot - it gets faster and more fascinating by the page. All I want now is for the author to put everything else aside, including his health - and write two or three more as fast as humanly possible. Hell of a debut: Highly recommended -- Conn IgguldenWith all manner of battles, betrayals and revelations. I particularly enjoyed the battle scenes and duels ... If it sounds like your thing, then it probably is -- Mark LawrenceWith its warring clans, sleeping giants, Banished Lands and omens and portents . . . is a strong contender for the “if you like Game of Thrones, why not try this?” award. * Independent blog *It’s exciting when you find a strong new voice ringing out through the halls of fantasy, and John Gwynne hits all the right spots in his epic tale of good vs evil, the first in the Faithful & The Fallen series . . . there’s a lot of pleasure to be had in this debut novel; Gwynne is definitely one to watch. * SFX *Malice is easily one of the best fantasy novels I read this year, and one which will appeal to most fans of the genre. * Iwillreadbooks.com *With three-dimensional characters, a gripping plot, and a world that became real to me, John Gwynne’s Malice is a great debut. In short, this is the kind of fantasy I love to read and I truly can’t wait for the next volume in The Faithful and the Fallen! * Fantasy Book Critic *

    15 in stock

    £11.39

  • Recursion

    Pan Macmillan Recursion

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA breathtaking exploration of memory and what it means to be human, Recursion is the follow-up novel to the smash-hit thriller, Dark Matter, by Blake Crouch.'Recursion takes mind-twisting premises and embeds them in a deeply emotional story about time and loss and grief and most of all, the glory of the human heart' - Gregg Hurwitz, author of Orphan XAt first, it looks like a disease. An epidemic that spreads through no known means, driving its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.But the force that’s sweeping the world is no pathogen. It’s just the first shockwave, unleashed by a stunning discovery – and what’s in jeopardy is not just our minds.In New York City, Detective Barry Sutton is closing in on the truth – and in a remote laboratory, neuroscientist Helena Smith is unaware that she alone holds the key to this mystery . . . and the tools for fighting back.Together, Barry and Helena will have to confront their enemy – before they, and the world, are trapped in a loop of ever-growing chaos.'A fantastic read' – Andy Weir, author of The Martian.Trade ReviewCrouch isn’t just a world-class thriller writer, he’s a Philip K. Dick for the modern age. Recursion takes mind-twisting premises and embeds them in a deeply emotional story about time and loss and grief and most of all, the glory of the human heart -- Gregg Hurwitz, international bestselling author of Orphan XIt's not often I plough through a book in two days. But Blake Crouch’s action-packed, brilliantly unique Recursion had me up late and shirking responsibilities until I had devoured the last page. A fantastic read -- Andy Weir, Number one New York Times bestselling author of The MartianBlake Crouch has invented his own brand of page-turner--fearlessly genre-bending, consistently surprising, and determined to explode the boundaries of what a thriller can be -- Karin SlaughterBlake Crouch is brilliant. His innovative novels never fail to grip! -- Sarah Pekkanen, bestselling co-author of The Wife Between UsThis is a mind-twisting exploration of memory and what it means to be human. If you’re into thoughtful, fluidly written science fiction, this one will hit the mark * ES Magazine *Blake Crouch's fantastic, mind-blowing philosophical thriller * Yahoo News *Praise for Dark Matter: Brilliant . . . I think Blake Crouch just invented something new -- Lee ChildPraise for Dark Matter: It also might be the most helter-skelter, race-to-the-finish-line thriller you'll read all year * Guardian *

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Handmaids Tale Deluxe Edition

    Ecco Press The Handmaids Tale Deluxe Edition

    5 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    5 in stock

    £18.99

  • Babel

    HarperCollins Publishers Inc Babel

    Out of stock

    Book Synopsis

    Out of stock

    £15.00

  • Sunbringer

    HarperCollins Publishers Sunbringer

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe thrilling epic fantasy sequel to No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, GODKILLER. THE INSTANT NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER!War is coming, godkiller.Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Now they are stirring, whispering of war. Godkiller Kissen sacrificed herself to vanquish the fire god Hseth and save her friends, but gods cannot be destroyed so easily and neither can godkillers.Reeling from the loss of Kissen, young noble Inara and her little god of white lies, Skedi, seek answers to the true nature of their bond. The secrets they uncover could determine the outcome of the war.Meanwhile, Elogast, no longer a loyal knight of King Arren, has been charged with destroying the man he once called friend. The king vowed to eradicate all gods, but has now entered into an unholy pact with the most dangerous of them all.The kingdom is on the brink of destruction. What will they each sacrifice to save it?Praise for GODKILLER:Godkiller will have you in its grasp from the first pages' SamanTrade Review‘I absolutely adored Godkiller. This novel has everything – adventure, wonderful characters, tenderness, humour, passion’ Elodie Harper, internationally bestselling author of the Wolf Den trilogy ‘A wonderful, gritty, explosively violent, and beautifully realized debut’ Daily Mail ‘Kaner thrusts readers into a grisly world of treacherous gods in her enthralling debut’ Publishers Weekly ‘In this debut trilogy launch, already a bestseller in the UK, Kaner provides a satisfying payoff, along with twists setting up a sequel with much higher stakes’ Library Journal ‘Kaner’s debut offers all the bloodshed, demons, and magic a fantasy fan could want’ Financial Times ‘Dark, gritty and highly immersive’ The Fantasy Hive

    15 in stock

    £15.29

  • A Clockwork Orange Penguin Essentials

    Penguin Books Ltd A Clockwork Orange Penguin Essentials

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe daring dystopian satire that inspired one of the most notorious films ever made, beautifully reimagined as part of the Penguin Essentials series''Every generation should discover this book'' Time Out ________________In this nightmare vision of youth in revolt, fifteen-year-old Alex and his friends set out on a diabolical orgy of robbery, rape, torture and murder. Alex is jailed for his teenage delinquency and the State tries to reform him - but at what cost? Experiment of language? Social prophecy? Black comedy? A Clockwork Orange is all of these. Dazzling and transgressive, this frightening fable about good and evil asks the meaning of human freedom.________________''A gruesomely witty cautionary tale'' Time ''Not only about man''s violent nature and his capacity to choose between good and evil. It is about the excitements and intoxicating effects of Trade ReviewA gruesomely witty cautionary tale * Time *Every generation should discover this book * Time Out *Not only about man's violent nature and his capacity to choose between good and evil. It is about the excitements and intoxicating effects of language * Daily Telegraph *I do not know of any other writer who has done as much with language...a very funny book -- William S. BurroughsOne of the cleverest and most original writers of his generation * The Times *

    7 in stock

    £8.54

  • The Invisible Library

    Pan Macmillan The Invisible Library

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisOne spy. One dangerous book. One deadly mission. Discover the first book in this gripping fantasy mystery series – The Invisible Library is the astounding debut from bestselling author Genevieve Cogman.Perfect for fans of Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan, Jasper Fforde's The Eyre Affair or Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London.'I absolutely loved this' – N.K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth SeasonIrene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, whose staff are sent to different realities to harvest dangerous and mystical fiction.Irene has been posted to an alternative steampunk London along with her enigmatic new assistant, Kai. Their mission: to retrieve a dangerous edition of Grimms' Fairy Tales. But it has already been stolen.In London's underground, the laws of nature have been bent – supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic Trade ReviewI absolutely loved this ... flavored with truly unique mythology and a dash of the eldritch. Such clever, creepy, elaborate worldbuilding and snarky, sexy-smart characters * N.K. Jemisin, author of the Broken Earth series, including The Fifth Season *A dazzling bibliophilic debut -- Charles Stross, author of the Laundry Files, including The Atrocity ArchivesIt's a breath of fresh air ... with a companionable heroine in Irene, and a satisfyingly complex plot, The Invisible Library - the first of a series - is a book in which to wallow * Guardian *Written in a similar vein to Deborah Harkness's All Souls trilogy ... Contemporary meets fairy-take in this novel * Big Issue *Cogman writes with a vivacity and wittiness that breathes new life into the genre . . . Reminiscent of the works of Diana Wynne Jones and Neil Gaiman, Cogman's novel is a true treat to read * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *Surrender to the sheer volume of fun that appears on every page...thoroughly entertaining * Starburst Magazine *Fantasy doesn't get much better ... If you're looking for a swift, clever and witty read, look no further * Fantasy-Faction.com *This witty and spirited adventure sets up a potential gold mine of lore for the writer to plunder in future sequels ... a fun and original page-turner * SciFiNow.co.uk *Highly entertaining ... It reminded me a lot of Jasper Fforde's Thursday Next series * TheBookPlank blog *The Invisible Library is everything I could ever want out of a book . . . a stunning work of art that has me absolutely begging for more * FantasyBookReview.co.uk *Hits the spot straight from the opening page ... one of the most pleasurable debuts of the year * Upcoming4.me *An adventure story to delight the heart . . . The characters of Irene, her companion and those they encounter are vividly drawn, and the story moves along at breakneck speed to a thoroughly satisfying conclusion * ScifiBulletin.com *A book that was a sheer joy to spend time with ... solid prose alongside great pace * FalcataTimes blog *Cogman's dialogue is clever and funny, and her characters delightfully flawed. With this book she has crafted an exciting, fast-paced introduction to a world you will yearn to revisit ... Books such as The Maze Runner and The Hunger Games series are paving the way for stories like this * Geekchocolate.co.uk *A mix of Doctor Who, Fringe and The Librarians . . . Genevieve Cogman has crafted a well-paced, smart and fun novel that will certainly be a quick read for most people * TheFictionalHangout blog *The Invisible Library is currently at the top of my list of favourite books read this year . . . so much fun * Fantasybookcafe.com *Cogman's debut is a tremendously fun, rip-roaring adventure with protagonists that are easy to love and a setting that couldn't have suited my tastes better ... I can't wait for the second instalment * AFantasticalLibrarian.com *I've seen it compared to Doctor Who, I'm sure it'll be compared to Harry Potter, and it'll probably get compared to every Anglophile novel full of vim and fun that's ever been written. These comparisons will all be well-earned * BastianBalthasarbooks.co.uk *

    15 in stock

    £8.09

  • Before the Coffee Gets Cold

    Pan Macmillan Before the Coffee Gets Cold

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisA beautiful, moving story about a small Japanese cafe that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time, to find an answer to the question: what would you do if you could go back? For fans of The Guest Cat and If Cats Disappeared from the World.

    15 in stock

    £13.49

  • The Road

    Pan Macmillan The Road

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisCormac McCarthy was the author of many acclaimed novels, including Blood Meridian, Child of God and The Passenger. Among his honours are the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. His works adapted to film include All the Pretty Horses, The Road and No Country for Old Men the latter film receiving four Academy Awards, including the award for Best Picture. McCarthy died in 2023 in Santa Fe, NM at the age of 89.Trade ReviewSo good that it will devour you. It is incandescent * Telegraph *[The Road,] heartbreaking and haunting, has an overbearing, almost suffocating atmosphere . . . you cannot forget you’ve read it * The Times *McCarthy’s novel was one of the triggers for my writing Room; I wanted to see what a mother-child modern myth would look like, because his father-child one was so powerful -- Emma Donoghue, author of Room and HavenThe first great masterpiece of the globally warmed generation. Here is an American classic which, at a stroke, makes McCarthy a contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature. -- Andrew O’Hagan, author of Our Fathers and MayfliesYou will read on, absolutely convinced, thrilled, mesmerized. All the modern novel can do is done here -- Alan Warner, author of Morvern CallarMcCarthy conjures from this pitiless flight the miracle of unswerving humanity. Gripping beyond belief -- Chris Cleave * Sunday Telegraph *One of the most shocking and harrowing but ultimately redemptive books I have read. It is an intensely intimate story. It is also a warning -- Kirsty Wark * Observer Books of the Year *A masterpiece that will soon be considered a classic * Herald *

    15 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Burning Page

    Pan Macmillan The Burning Page

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisIn an alternate St. Petersburg, librarian-spy Irene faces unimaginable dangers – as her arch-nemesis returns. The Burning Page is the third instalment in the Invisible Library series from bestselling author Genevieve Cogman.Librarian-spy Irene is on probation – and absconding from a mission doesn't look good. But when her escape route home goes up in flames, what's a spy to do?It turns out, Irene's home, the trans-dimensional library, is under siege. Across dozens of worlds, its once-reliable Gates back to the library are malfunctioning. Irene's nemesis, Alberich, is responsible – with plans to annihilate the library itself.To face the threat, Irene and assistant Kai are posted to St Petersburg. Here, Irene stumbles upon an incredibly dangerous – yet alluring – opportunity. It's a chance to save the library. Saving herself would be a bonus . . .Brace yourself for an action-filled ride witTrade ReviewBrilliant and so much fun. Skulduggery, Librarians, and Dragons – Cogman keeps upping the ante on this delightful series! -- Charles Stross, author of the Laundry Files, including The Atrocity ArchivesThe Burning Page does not disappoint. It’s a fun, adventure-filled romp . . .If you haven’t picked up this series and you like magic, adventure, Sherlock Holmes, a dash of steampunk, lots of mystery, and books, then definitely pick up The Invisible Library! If you’ve read the first two and liked them, you’ll certainly enjoy The Burning Page * SFF World *It’s fun. It’s packed with chaotic and dramatic adventures and is witty to boot * Speculative Herald *The author writes with a speed and verve that keeps you on the edge of your seat through a rollicking good adventure . . . The Burning Page is not only hard to put down, it’s hard to walk away from * Fantasy Book Review *The Burning Page is action packed from start to finish, so that even Irene and you the reader hardly get the chance to catch your breath * The Book Plank *This excellent series has traces of the satire of Terry Pratchett, the breadth of imagination of Jasper Fforde, and the wonderful ability of Neil Gaiman to mix reality and fantasy in one satisfying whole, but make no mistake: it feels in all senses original and engrossing * The Book Bag *A gripping addition to the mythos Cogman has already built * RT Book Reviews *The Invisible Library series is tailor-made for bibliophiles . . . It’s immensely entertaining, and I continue to love Irene and her third person narrative voice: she’s practical, analytical, and competent, and she handles the absurd situations in which she constantly finds herself with aplomb * Fantasy Book Cafe *Cogman’s writing is fresh, with a rich tonality ranging from the whimsical and witty to the suspenseful . . . the story is buoyed by the fast action scenes, and readers will be fascinated by the ever-growing complexities of Cogman’s world * Publishers Weekly *

    10 in stock

    £7.99

  • Hyperion

    Orion Publishing Co Hyperion

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe book that reinvented Space Opera - from the Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Terror, which is now a chilling TV show.It is the 29th century and the universe of the Human Hegemony is under threat. Invasion by the warlike Ousters looms, and the mysterious schemes of the secessionist AI TechnoCore bring chaos ever closer.On the eve of disaster, with the entire galaxy at war, seven pilgrims set fourth on a final voyage to the legendary Time Tombs on Hyperion, home to the Shrike, a lethal creature, part god and part killing machine, whose powers transcend the limits of time and space. The pilgrims have resolved to die before discovering anything less than the secrets of the universe itself.Readers are hooked on Hyperion:''One of the best epic, old mythology, and literature inspired, mindblowing, amazingly ingeniously written space operas'' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ nTrade ReviewTruly astonishing -- Iain M BanksUnfailingly inventive...bears comparison with FOUNDATION and DUNE * NEW YORK TIMES *

    15 in stock

    £9.74

  • Blood of Tyrants

    HarperCollins Publishers Blood of Tyrants

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisNaomi Novik's beloved Temeraire series, a brilliant combination of fantasy and history that reimagines the Napoleonic wars as fought with the aid of intelligent dragons, is a twenty-first-century classic.Shipwrecked and cast ashore in Japan with no memory of Temeraire or his own experiences as an English aviator, Laurence finds himself tangled in deadly political intrigues that threaten not only his own life but England's already precarious position in the Far East. Age-old enmities and suspicions have turned the entire region into a powder keg ready to erupt at the slightest spark a spark that Laurence and Temeraire may unwittingly provide, leaving Britain faced with new enemies just when they most desperately need allies instead.For to the west, another, wider conflagration looms. Napoleon has turned on his former ally, the emperor Alexander of Russia, and is even now leading the largest army the world has ever seen to add that country to his list of conquests. It is there, outside Trade Review‘These are beautifully written novels, not only fresh, original and fast-paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart.’Peter Jackson ‘Novik won me over with her first novel… the combination of military history, sympathetic characters, and engaging style makes this series great, intelligent fun.’The Times ‘Plenty of intrigue, swordplay, exotic locations, plausible invention. In short a treat.’The Telegraph ‘Novik has stirred the passions with a genre-busting historical fantasy of the first order.'Sunday Sport 'In the best tradition of fantasy, historical fiction and nautical novels.'Guardian

    Out of stock

    £10.44

  • Ruin

    Pan Macmillan Ruin

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisShortlisted for the 2016 David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Novel.The third in The Faithful and the Fallen series, Ruin by John Gwynne continues the gripping battle of good vs evil.The Banished Lands are engulfed in war and chaos. The cunning Queen Rhin has conquered the west and High King Nathair has the cauldron, most powerful of the seven treasures. At his back stands the scheming Calidus and a warband of the Kadoshim, dread demons of the Otherworld. They plan to bring Asroth and his host of the Fallen into the world of flesh, but to do so they need the seven treasures. Nathair has been deceived but now he knows the truth. He has choices to make; choices that will determine the fate of the Banished Lands. Elsewhere the flame of resistance is growing - Queen Edana finds allies in the swamps of Ardan. Maquin is loose in Tenebral, hunted by Lykos and his corsairs. Here he will witness the birth of a rebellion in Nathair's own realm. Trade ReviewMythical, magical, intense, brutal, poignant . . . utterly brilliant. * Fantasy Book Review *The battles are brutal and bloody, just as they should be (especially when you chuck giants, bears, draigs and huge wolf like beasts into the mix). All through the book it builds, the smaller battles leading towards bigger and bigger ones and leading to a climax that will knock you for six . . .don’t expect to come out of it with your heart in one piece. * Ebookwyrm *Triumphant . . . A masterful thrill ride of a book. * Dominish Fantasy Reviews *Dark, thrilling and bloody. But Ruin’s strongest point is, for me, its characters. The author takes character relationships crafted throughout the first two novels – between friends, family, loved ones and, especially, animals – and brings them beautifully to the fore without overstating them, whilst also forging new ones along the way. * Half Strung Harp Reviews *This was an incredible follow-up . . . Ruin is probably the strongest novel in the series so far. Gwynne did an incredible job leading things to their logical conclusions for massive payoffs, while shuffling things up just enough to make me both dread and anticipate the finale. * Reading Lamp Reviews *

    15 in stock

    £11.69

  • American War

    Pan Macmillan American War

    10 in stock

    Book SynopsisWinner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Literary FictionShortlisted for the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction and the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Science Fiction Book of the Year.2074. America's future is Civil War. Sarat's reality is survival. They took her father, they took her home, they told her lies . . . She didn't start this war, but she'll end it.Omar El Akkad’s powerful debut novel imagines a dystopian future: a second American Civil War, a devastating plague and one family caught deep in the middle. In American War, we’re asked to consider what might happen if America were to turn its most devastating policies and deadly weapons against itself.Trade ReviewAmerican War creates as haunting a post-apocalyptic universe as Cormac McCarthy did in The Road, and as devastating a look at the fallout that national events have on an American family as Philip Roth did in The Plot Against America. -- Michiko Kakutani * New York Times *So sharply observed . . . hard to resist. * Sunday Times *This is extremely good . . . Basically was hoping for my train to be delayed -- Sarah PerryThis is an outstanding book – 1984 meets The Handmaid’s Tale – that feels closer to reality than it possibly should. * Prima *America’s tortured present lends unsettling believability to American War, the dystopian debut from journalist Omar El Akkad with its late 21st-century picture of a second civil war, fought over fossil fuel in a US devastated by environmental disaster. Brilliantly imagined, it’s both a timely tale and a salutary warning. -- Mariella Frostrup, Guardian ‘Best Books of 2017’Terrifying . . . moving . . . Convincing, compelling and very bloody scary. * Metro *Future dystopias always tell us a great deal about our most pressing contemporary anxieties and this is a novel that imagines the cracks currently emerging in US society widening into ravines. -- Alex Preston ‘Best Fiction of 2017’ * Observer *[An] exciting debut . . . what sets this impressive book apart from other dystopian novels is the fully realised plausibility of the scenario El Akkad’s created, the roots of which can be all too easily identified in the world around us today… As diverting a read as this engrossing novel is, American War should no doubt also be read as a cautionary tale. * Independent *Informed by writer El Akkad's experiences working as a journalist in Afghanistan and Egypt's Arab Spring, this is a timely and haunting book that reflects our uncertain era. * Stylist *It is an ambitious concept and El Akkad . . . pulls it off in an imaginative feat of world building . . . American War is an assured debut and El Akkad’s experience as a war reporter lends a grisly realism to proceedings . . . A vivid and nightmarish vision of an all-too-conceivable future. * Express *American War is an extraordinary novel. El Akkad’s story of a family caught up in the collapse of an empire is as harrowing as it is brilliant, and has an air of terrible relevance in these partisan times. -- Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven[A] striking debut . . . El Akkad is well equipped to speculate on the way in which our present predicaments might spark brutal conflict: he has seen those conflicts for himself . . . the book’s politics and its situations are all too believable. * New Statesman *Disturbingly plausible . . . a tale of a future America torn asunder by its own political and tribal affiliations . . . The novel’s thriller premise notwithstanding, Akkad applies a literary writer’s care to his depiction of Sarat’s psychological unpacking and the sensory details of her life . . . Whether read as a cautionary tale of partisanship run amok, an allegory of past conflicts or a study of the psychology of war, American War is a deeply unsettling novel. The only comfort the story offers is that it’s a work of fiction. For the time being, anyway. -- Justin Cronin * New York Times *The comment being made on the Trump administration is impossible to miss in this engaging novel . . . It paints a bleak picture pf the future of humanity if climate change and the divisions of our society are not addressed now. * i *American War is the most impressive new novel I’ve read this year. Set in a scarily plausible future scarred by civil strife and climate change, it’s thrilling for the sheer transporting force of its storytelling. Its lasting power, though, lies in its complex account of moral disintegration, both individual and societal. -- Garth Greenwell, 'Best holiday reads 2017' * Guardian *Follow the tributaries of today’s political combat a few decades into the future and you might arrive at something as terrifying as Omar El Akkad’s debut novel, American War . . . Poignant and horrifying . . . El Akkad demonstrates a profound understanding of the corrosive culture of civil war, the offenses that give rise to new hypocrisies and mythologies, translating terrorists into martyrs and acts of despair into feats of heroism. * Washington Post *American War is a worthy first novel, thought-provoking [and] earnest . . . It is at its best depicting the lives of ordinary people caught up in terrible circumstances and how those ordinary people are, in the crosshairs of crisis, forever changes, and how some can become extraordinary or at least affect history. * Los Angeles Times *Unsettling and horribly plausible * Psychologies Magazine *In American War, [Omar El Akkad] has crafted a most unusual novel, one featuring a gripping plot and an elegiac narrative tone, but also an oppressively grim vision of a divided, selfdestructive nation that becomes a victim of its darkest impulses and actions. * Boston Globe *El Akkad’s debut novel transports us to a terrifyingly plausible future in which the clash between red states and blue has become deadly . . . Part family chronicle, part apocalyptic fable, American War is a vivid narrative of a country collapsing in on itself, where political loyalties hardly matter given the ferocity of both sides and the unrelenting violence that swallows whole bloodlines and erodes any capacity for mercy or reason. This is a very dark read; El Akkad creates a world all too familiar in its grisly realism. * Publishers' Weekly *Omar El Akkad’s topically minded tale deals with climate change, drone warfare, refugee crisis and the use of torture . . . Compelling. * SFX *El Akkad has created a brilliantly well-crafted, profoundly shattering saga of one family’s suffering in a world of brutal power struggles, terrorism, ignorance, and vengeance. American War is a gripping, unsparing, and essential novel for dangerously contentious times. * Booklist (starred review) *American War is Omar El Akkad’s first novel and it is masterful. Both the story and the writing are lucid, succinct, powerful and persuasive . . . Over the course of the novel, we will discover how the narrator came to know and love Sarat, how he suffered to see her suffer and how he witnessed good and evil do battle for her soul. But, more importantly, we come to reflect once more on the egotism and idiocy of war, and on the millions of people it makes homeless, and on the unfortunate way that those who still have the means to live inside locked homes tend to hate others who show up en masse at their doorstep, shoeless and hungry and desperate. * Toronto Globe and Mail *A plausible, terrifying chronicle of the fracture and subsequent annihilation of the US . . . A thrillingly complex adventure that moves from the American south to Alaska and on to the Middle East and North Africa . . . At its heart and most movingly, the novel also becomes a coming-of-age narrative about how easily a curious child faced with horror and powerlessness can transform into a weapon intent on obliteration. As we learn at the end of the prologue, “This isn’t a story about war. It’s about ruin.”’ * The Australian *

    10 in stock

    £9.49

  • Hyperion SF MASTERWORKS

    Orion Publishing Co Hyperion SF MASTERWORKS

    4 in stock

    Book SynopsisThe book that reinvented Space Opera, from the Hugo and World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Terror, which is now a chilling TV show.Trade ReviewTruly astonishing -- Iain M BanksUnfailingly inventive...bears comparison with FOUNDATION and DUNE * NEW YORK TIMES *

    4 in stock

    £10.44

  • The Masked City

    Pan Macmillan The Masked City

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisLibrarian-spy Irene's assistant has been kidnapped by the Fae – a fairy faction who will stop at nothing to cause utter chaos. The Masked City is the second entry in the Invisible Library series from Genevieve Cogman. Irene is working undercover when disaster strikes. Her assistant, Kai, is snatched away by the dangerous Fae faction, unveiling his secret identity. Kai is a dragon prince – with this act of aggression, the Fae are determined to trigger a war that will hurl all dimensions into havoc.With the stakes higher than ever before, Irene must navigate a treacherous path into the heart of enemy territory – a dark, alternate Venice under the grim control of the Fae. To prevent the Fae from triggering armageddon, she must find and rescue Kai. She will be forced to blackmail, fight and make an unlikely alliance – or face death . . .This book also includes a extra, bonus section – with fascinating insights into Trade ReviewA book very much in the humorous and satirical tradition of Discworld * Guardian *The Masked City is a joy to read and Cogman makes it look effortless. She knows her characters, understands how to pace the action and the world she has built is intricate and compelling. Lovers of literature will adore this universe . . . You simply can't get more fun than this * SciFiNow *

    15 in stock

    £7.99

  • The Inheritors

    Faber & Faber The Inheritors

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisHunt, trek, and feast among Neanderthals in this stunning novel by the radical Nobel Laureate and author of Lord of the Flies, introduced by Ben Okri.This was a different voice; not the voice of the people. It was the voice of other.When spring comes, the people leave their winter cave, foraging for honey, grubs, and the hot richness of a deer''s brain. They awaken the fire to heat their naked bodies, lay down their thorn bushes, and share pictures in their minds. But strange things are happening: inexplicable scents and sounds. Imaginable beasts are half-glimpsed in the forest; upright creatures of bone-faces and deerskins. What the people do not know is that their day is already over ...''Extraordinary ... Genius ... Remarkable in the literature of the twentieth century.'' Ben Okri''A stun gun to read ... Truly a masterpiece.'' Monique Roffey''An earthquake in the petrified forests o

    15 in stock

    £9.49

  • 1984 Deluxe Edition

    HarperCollins Publishers Inc 1984 Deluxe Edition

    Out of stock

    Book SynopsisTrade ReviewOne of the BBC's 100 Novels that Shaped the World “Orwell saw, to his credit, that the act of falsifying reality is only secondarily a way of changing perceptions. It is, above all, a way of asserting power.”—The New Yorker “1984 is a profound, terrifying, and wholly fascinating book. It is a fantasy of the political future, and like any such fantasy, serves its author as a magnifying device for an examination of the present.”—Lionel Trilling —

    Out of stock

    £20.00

  • Babel

    HarperCollins Publishers Inc Babel

    7 in stock

    Book Synopsis

    7 in stock

    £23.79

  • Iron Gold

    Random House USA Inc Iron Gold

    15 in stock

    Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER â? In the epic next chapter of the Red Rising Saga, the #1 bestselling author of Morning Star pushes the boundaries of one of the boldest series in fiction.â??Mature science fiction existing within the frame of blazing space opera . . . done in a style [that] borders on Shakespearean.â?â??NPR (One of the Best Books of the Year) They call him father, liberator, warlord, Slave King, Reaper. But he feels a boy as he falls toward the war-torn planet, his armor red, his army vast, his heart heavy. It is the tenth year of war and the thirty-third of his life. A decade ago Darrow was the hero of the revolution he believed would break the chains of the Society. But the Rising has shattered everything: Instead of peace and freedom, it has brought endless war. Now he must risk all he has fought for on one last desperate mission. Darrow still believes he can save everyone, but can he save himself?

    15 in stock

    £14.18

  • League of Dragons The Temeraire Series Book 9

    HarperCollins Publishers League of Dragons The Temeraire Series Book 9

    2 in stock

    Book SynopsisWith the acclaimed Temeraire novels, New York Times bestselling author Naomi Novik has created a fantasy series like no other. Now, with LEAGUE OF DRAGONS, Novik brings the imaginative tour-de-force that has captivated millions to an unforgettable finish.Napoleon's invasion of Russia has been roundly thwarted. But even as Capt. William Laurence and the dragon Temeraire pursue the retreating enemy through an unforgiving winter, Napoleon is raising a new force, and he'll soon have enough men and dragons to resume the offensive. While the emperor regroups, the allies have an opportunity to strike first and defeat him once and for all if internal struggles and petty squabbles don't tear them apart.Aware of his weakened position, Napoleon has promised the dragons of every country and the ferals, loyal only to themselves vast new rights and powers if they fight under his banner. It is an offer eagerly embraced from Asia to Africa and even by England, whose dragons have long rankled at thTrade Review‘These are beautifully written novels, not only fresh, original and fast-paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart.’Peter Jackson ‘Novik won me over with her first novel… the combination of military history, sympathetic characters, and engaging style makes this series great, intelligent fun.’THE TIMES ‘Plenty of intrigue, swordplay, exotic locations, plausible invention. In short a treat.’THE TELEGRAPH 'In the best tradition of fantasy, historical fiction and nautical novels.'GUARDIAN

    2 in stock

    £9.49

  • The Untold Story

    Pan Macmillan The Untold Story

    7 in stock

    Book SynopsisReturn to the world of the Invisible Library for Irene's most perilous mission yet . . . Librarian Spy Irene is heading into danger. Not for the first time, but could this be her last? She’s tasked with a terrifyingly dangerous solo mission to eliminate an old enemy, which must be kept secret at all costs. But even more troubling news emerges. Multiple worlds are disappearing – and the Library may have something to do with it.Determined to uncover the truth behind the vanished worlds, Irene and her friends must descend into the unplumbed depths of the Library. And what they find will change everything they know. This may be Irene’s most dangerous assignment of her hazardous career.The Untold Story is the unputdownable eighth book in the Invisible Library fantasy series by Genevieve Cogman. Genevieve is also the author of the Sunday Times bestselling Scarlet - which reimagines the tale of the Scarlet Pimpernel, but with vampires, mages and magic. . . Praise for the series: ‘I absolutely loved this’ – N. K. Jemisin, author of The Fifth Season‘Irene is a great heroine: fiery, resourceful and no one’s fool’ – Guardian‘Brilliant and so much fun. Skullduggery, Librarians and dragons – Cogman keeps upping the ante on this delightful series!’ – Charles Stross, author of the Merchant Princes seriesTrade ReviewI absolutely loved this . . . flavoured with truly unique mythology and a dash of the eldritch. Such clever, creepy, elaborate world-building and snarky, sexy-smart characters! -- N. K. Jemisin on The Invisible LibraryIrene is a great heroine: fiery, resourceful and no one’s fool, she has a wonderfully droll sense of humour – much like the novel itself -- Guardian on The Masked CityBrilliant and so much fun. Skullduggery, Librarians and dragons – Cogman keeps upping the ante on this delightful series! -- Charles Stross on The Burning PageA fantastic addition to Genevieve Cogman’s oeuvre, and paves the way for a deeper exploration of the fantastic world that she has created. -- Fantasy Book Review on The Lost PlotCogman fills a captivating story with animated characters and propels the narrative at a cracking pace, planting perfectly timed plot twists and reversals of fortune along the way -- Guardian on The Mortal WordSimply a joy to read - deeply atmospheric where it should be, properly exciting when anything’s going on as it generally is, and tender too. This is a series that shows absolutely no sign of losing pace, and I'm already impatient for the next -- Blue Book Balloon on The Secret ChapterWithout sacrificing the adventure that is a hallmark of the series, Cogman pulls Irene through a multi-level maze of doubts and paranoia that will have readers jumping at shadows, too. Fans will be delighted to find this series still going strong -- Publishers Weekly on The Dark Archive

    7 in stock

    £8.09

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