Dystopian & Alternative History Fiction Books

Book SynopsisDragon Award for Best Speculative Fiction Nominee. In a present-day Britain where the British Empire never existed, wives and mothers strive for deliverance in a novel about oppression, autonomy, and family secrets by the author of The Peacekeeper. What if Europe had never colonized the world? It is a world that never had overseas empires, the transatlantic slave trade, or the Protestant Reformation. There is, however, in an obscure island nation called England, a woman running for her life. Marie, Duchess of Suffolk, has no choice. In this society, women are a reproductive commodity. Marriage is the only available occupation. And barren wives like Marie are expendable trade. After absconding with the family jewels, Marie fakes her own death and seeks a life outside the confines of her family and her marriage. She’s looking for freedom but finds even more: an underground network of women like her, her estranged sister, and a greater mission to discover the truth behind their mother’s inexplicable death. Hunted and chased across borders by those she fled, Marie has stolen more than the family jewels. She is escaping with secrets. And all that matters now, no matter the risk, is stealing freedom.Trade Review“[A] dystopian thrill ride.” —Publishers Weekly “I have never read a book as transformative, sharp, fun, genuinely page-turning and transgressively Indigenous as B.L. Blanchard's The Mother. This is Indigenous Futurism at its absolute best.” —Erika T Wurth, author of Whitehorse

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Book SynopsisMarena struggles to remember the past: a time before the Zero Tolerance Party murdered her mother and put her father under house arrest. A time before they installed listening devices in every home and outlawed writing. A time when she was free. But it feels like the only thing the new, repressive government wants is to have Marena forget. When the Minister of Education, Helmsley Greengritch, cracks down on Marena's youth training facility, she knows she has to fight back. In the spirit of her revolutionary mother, she forms her own resistance group--the White Rose. With nothing but words and a hunger for freedom, Marena fights for what she knows is right, only to discover the ZT Party's horrifying plans for the country. A thrilling story of resistance and the power of art, The Silenced draws upon the true story of Sophie Scholl and the White Rose group's resistance to the Nazi party.Trade ReviewPraise for The Silenced: Wisconsin Library Association 2008 Outstanding Book 2008-2009 Texas Tayshas Reading List 2008-2009 Bookpage Notable Title Read on Wisconsin! Book Choice "This is far and away the best young adult novel I have read for years ... It has a marvelously vibrant and courageous young heroine, and friends who may betray or help--hard to predict. Best of all it is based on one of the most ultimately tough young women to grace this earth. The White Rose. After reading this book, you will want to read more about her." -- Louise Erdrich "Tautly plotted novel ... ripe for discussion." -- Kirkus Reviews "Gripping suspense combined with satisfyingly capable teen characters make this a good YA read ... a convincing dystopia." -- Booklist "The Silenced is unique ... I would recommend this book to students and libraries for its unique approach and readability, and I believe it could be well used in a literature or social studies class to approach an introduction to Holocaust Education" -- Shoah Education "The gripping plot will engage readers and raise fundamental questions about individual responsibility and the cost of conscience." -- VOYA "The book keeps up a fast pace that will appeal to teen readers. An interesting discussion of freedom and control that can be used as a conversation-starter as readers grapple with the question posed to Marena and the other students: 'Who do you think you are?'" -- Children's Literature "James DeVita's grim and sure-to-be-controversial novel of adolescence in a police state ... excellent, though troubling, novel." -- Bookpage (Notable Title) "Escapism with substance." -- Seattle Times "With plenty of twists and betrayals, the fast-paced plot still gives readers time to reflect: Would they risk their lives for what they believe." -- Stephanie Dunnewind "This surrealistic and grim world, wherein children are recruited to spy on their parents, lobotomized resisters are turned into unquestioning guards, and painting a rose can get you murdered, is hauntingly well developed, serving as the perfect challenge for the irascible and resolute Marena ... Compelling protagonist, terrifyingly realistic (sometimes only slightly exaggerated) setting, and gripping pace." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "This is a gripping read and young adults will certainly empathize with the characters' conflicts between self-expression and a desire to fit in. They will find the Zero Tolerance credo that the state's first priority must be the safety of its citizens to have a chilling resonance with statements in the news today." -- School Library Journal Praise for Blue: American Booksellers Association Pick of the List Virginia Center for Children's Books Best Bet for the Classroom The Center for Children's Books Best Book of 2001 "A cheerfully diverting fantasy about a boy who demonstrates that you really can become anything you want--if you only believe." -- Booklist

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Book SynopsisSugar Land is a southern fried novel about love, Lead Belly, and liberation. According to a starred Kirkus Review, Sugar Land "is a postcard of small-town Texas life from Prohibition through civil rights, tracing the treatment and awareness of gay people through these decades. The love child of Fannie Flagg and Rita Mae Brown… [a] ravishing debut.” It’s 1923 in Midland, Texas, and Miss Dara falls in love with her best friend―who also happens to be a girl. Terrified, Miss Dara takes a job at the Imperial State Prison Farm for men. Once there, she befriends inmate and soon-to-be legendary blues singer Lead Belly, who sings his way out (true story)―but only after he makes her promise to free herself from her own prison. Sugar Land is a triumphant, beautiful novel about the heart’s refusal to be denied what the heart wants.Trade ReviewAudio recording of an excerpt from Sugar Land on The Other Stories Review in Dallas Voice Hasty Booklist Interview with tammy lynne stoner Featured in Deep South Magazine's Fall/Winter 2018 Reading List.Once you start reading, you will not be able to stop nor will you want to.—Amos Lassen Reviews Sugar Land follows a smart and feisty lesbian liberating herself from prisons literal and figurative in Depression-era West Texas. She meets real-life blues legend Lead Belly, marries a warden (part of both her escape and imprisonment), and becomes a stepmother — but her life spirals downward with the deaths of the two men. Crumpling under the weight of life, she purchases a mobile home, falls in love with a local seamstress, and becomes matriarch of a family of misfits....Sugar Land is a beautiful next step — a book that will remind you a bit of Fried Green Tomatoes and could one day be a film about a determined woman struggling against her own secrets, as well as homophobia and misogyny in small-town Texas. —Diane Anderson-Minshall, Editorial Director of Advocate How can you not adore a novel about love, food, and how working in a prison can help you discover who you really are? Every page has a beating heart; every character is so alive, you swear you hear them breathing. Stoner is an original and this debut is just fantastic.—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times Bestselling author of Is This Tomorrow and Pictures of You It's 1923 in Midland, Texas, and Nana Dara, newly employed by the Imperial State Prison Farm for men and newly awakened to a secret she'd rather lock up than face, has encountered the most unlikely of allies: Leadbelly. Yes, that Leadbelly. Out from this very particular pairing spools a Southern epic that spans decades. With beautiful peculiarity of detail and a perfect combination of sharpness and sensitivity, Tammy Lynne Stoner pens a gorgeous debut novel about race, class, sexuality, and the prisons we make of ourselves.—Gigi Little, Powell’s Book Seller and editor of City of Weird With Sugar Land, Stoner creates a captivating story for the ages—a young, southern girl in the 1920's who becomes a ballsy broad in a double-wide, and on the journey learns about love the hard way. This heartbreaking and hysterical book inspires us with a brave and unusual life. Sugar Land is for anyone who still believes in love.—Jillian Lauren, New York Times bestselling author of Some Girls: My Life in a Harem and Everything You Ever Wanted Much of what occurs in the novel is difficult to swallow, in great part because the story takes place in a time when Dara’s identity is not readily accepted, even by herself . . . Sugar Land is a raw, spiraling, and hopeful story about a woman who wishes that she didn’t love as she does, and the life she leads in the wake of her self-realizations.—Hannah Hohman, Foreword Review Stoner has written a book that is heartfelt and tender . . . These characters linger and are quite unforgettable. It’s very much a Southern book in language and with Stoner’s observations that are wry and thoughtful. Sugar Land spans decades in a well-told, easy going manner and I finished the book with a satisfied smile.—Sarah Leamy Overall, Sugar Land is a precisely-told, gritty, redeeming story about second chances filled with hope and inspiration, if you look for it. —Jennifer of Tar Heel Reader...the story takes many delightful twists and turns, always described succinctly and colorfully by this narrator, who is irresistible even on days when she's "retaining enough water to grow rice in Arizona." By the end of it, she comes to believe "that each and every life has the number of trials it is destined to have, and if you take one away, another one fills its place….No life is easy and no life is hard; it's just what adjectives you choose to use to describe it." Dara's story is a postcard of small-town Texas life from Prohibition through civil rights, tracing the treatment and awareness of gay people through these decades. The love child of Fannie Flagg and Rita Mae Brown, Stoner is sure to win her own devoted following with this ravishing debut.— STARRED Kirkus Review Sugar Land by Tammy Lynne Stoner follows a wise and feisty lesbian woman as she frees herself from her own emotional and physical prison to a place of self-love and acceptance... Stoner has penned a novel that reads like Fried Green Tomatoes and The Secret Lives of Bees, and will touch hearts with its tale of a courageous and determined woman struggling against her own secrets, as well as of the patriarchy and intolerance of small-town, West Texas life.—DP, Advocate Dara is a teenager in 1923 when she falls in love with her best friend, another girl, in their small town of Midland, Texas. Scared of what might happen, she takes a job at the Imperial State Prison Farm for men, where she meets the legendary Lead Belly, a real-life blues singer who eventually sings his way to freedom, and in the process, shows Dara how to achieve her own. A powerful paperback that doesn't pull any emotional punches, Sugar Land is a debut you don't want to miss. —Sadie Trobetta, Bustle In 1923 rural Texas, 19-year-old Dara has fallen for her best friend Rhodie. In order to hide her forbidden love, she flees to a job as a cook at the Sugar Land Prison, where she befriends the incarcerated Blues singer Lead Belly and tries to stay in the closet by marrying the prison warden. “Dara's story is a postcard of small-town Texas life from Prohibition through civil rights, tracing the treatment and awareness of gay people through these decades. The love child of Fannie Flagg and Rita Mae Brown, Stoner is sure to win her own devoted following with this ravishing debut.” (Kirkus)—Oakland Public Library, "Ten Great Reasons to Read Fiction October 2018" [Sugar Land] is about improbable kindnesses stubbornly taking root in harsh environments; the resourcefulness of people who feel they’ve been cursed not just by society but their own desires; and how the toughest prisons are often the ones we create for ourselves. —Houston Chronicle It’s a story that deals with heavy themes such as racism and gender and sexual discrimination and violence, but one that stoner writes with such a tender, warm lilt that readers don’t get bogged down. Her characters are complex, fully drawn and utterly alive thanks to stoner’s deft deployment of pitch-perfect regional dialogue.—ArtsAtl

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Book SynopsisBrian Ranzum and his crew wake up to find themselves off course, low on fuel, and lost in space. The exact year and time is unknown. Drifting in space with no destination and limited fuel, Brian Ranzum and his crew are thankful to find a large space station nearby. They acquire permission to board and retrieve supplies for the trip back home, but upon entry, no one is there to greet them. The crew is forced to search the barren station for supplies alone, where they face uncooperative doors, lighting blackouts, and even an odd visual programming that creates their life-like drawings on the ceilings drawn in pitch, black ink. Their quest takes them further into the station’s labyrinth-like depths, and what started as a search for supplies becomes a battle of survival as the crew discovers the hidden mysteries that are buried within the recesses of the station. Living Ink: Ascension is a psychological thriller that will take its readers to the edge of reality and beyond.

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Book SynopsisIt's never been easier to attack Attack on Titan than with these new, giant-sized 3-in-1 omnibus editions! If you've been waiting for the final anime season to check out the do-or-die shonen adventure that defined a decade, now's your chance. These new books tuck almost 600 pages of manga behind a specially-embossed cover, all in a larger size than the regular version. Includes Vol. 31-32 of Attack on Titan. After breaking through a stronghold of old friends and enemies, Zeke hands down his plan for the Eldians to Eren. But what Eren was plotting with his rumbling powers leaves his brother in the dust, betrayed and alone once more. Now, with some help from Ymir, a parade of massive Titans are roused from their centuries-long slumber, breaking free of the Walls to answer their founder’s call. Where the march leads, only Eren knows…

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Book SynopsisA new sci-fi action-adventure from "the Queen of Canadian speculative fiction"Eleven years after a world war destroyed the consumer-driven, plastic-based existence of 2055, a new order of players jostles for power. Streaky electricity, ravaging drought, a scarcity of food, and deadly Monarch butterflies make for an increasingly desperate situation.Worlds collide when both Mother and Sharps''s children are kidnapped by the unstable plastic surgeon Alpha Plus and taken to The Fountain of Youth compound. There''s flowing water and beautiful people and beautiful clothes and an incongruous convent where children wear smart uniforms and are tutored by nuns. Lovely, until they discover that a subterranean sex trade funds the compound and the man who leads it is mad. Can Mother, Sharps, and the others take down Alpha Plus and his army? Or will they too become pawns in his bid for world domination?Hilarious and at the same time poignant, EVERYTHING YOU DREAM IS REAL is a fabulous, adventure-filled sequel to highly acclaimed The Rage Room that will delight fans both new and old."Witty and elegant, dorky and weird: EVERYTHING YOU DREAM IS REAL is a fantastically riveting book, loaded with strange delights, scary caprices and an infinity of comic turns and twists."--Lynn Crosbie, author of Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"Lisa de Nikolits''s EVERYTHING YOU DREAM IS REAL is aptly named: this novel reads like a delirious hallucination, but one with unmistakable immediacy. Come for the sci-fi and action-adventure; stay for the love story that lurks just below the surface."--Mark Sampson, author of All the Animals on Earth"This is one rollicking ride! In her stunning follow up to The Rage Room, Lisa de Nikolits punches the gas right from the starting line and never stops, taking us through a mindbending series of twists and turns that will leave you breathless."--Rich Ehisen, The Open MicFiction. Speculative Fiction.

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Book Synopsis"Afifi’s staggering and un-put-downable debut offers a fresh and feminist-forward take on cloning [...] This riveting debut is a must-have for any sci-fi fan."— Publishers Weekly starred review of Book 1 in the series Amira Valdez’s adventures continue in the sequel to The Sentient, as she finds herself in unprecedented danger. The ruthless new leader of the fundamentalist Trinity Compound seeks to understand his strange neurological connection with Amira and unleash an army on an unstable North America. The first human clone has been born, but thanks to the mysterious scientist Tony Barlow, it may unlock the secret to human immortality – or disaster. Together, Amira and Barlow form an uneasy alliance in pursuit of scientific breakthroughs and protection from shared enemies. But new discoveries uncover dark secrets that Barlow wants to keep hidden. FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing Independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePressTrade ReviewPraise for The Sentient, Book 1 in the series: "Afifi’s staggering and un-put-downable debut offers a fresh and feminist-forward take on cloning [...] This riveting debut is a must-have for any sci-fi fan." — Publishers Weekly starred review "Afifi’s first novel is a science fiction noir [...] The worldbuilding is a particular strength, as every locale feels well-realized and lived-in. This is an excellent book for fans of Mira Grant and Michael Crichton, or readers who love a thrilling narrative and welcome moral and philosophical questions in their science fiction." — Booklist "Nadia Afifi is a brand-new voice, and one you should become familiar with [...] Exciting, mesmerizing, and full of cutting-edge science, 'The Sentient' is an excellent beginning to what’s sure to be a successful career." — Analog SF “Honestly, this book was big on character, big on plot, and a well written science fiction piece, all good things I love as a bookworm and a scientist!” — The Nerd Daily "A piece of ethical excellency, a cry of freedom, and a thought-provoking debut is what Nadia Afifi has delivered for those who love to plunge into the gray morality of stories, as well as the riveting explorations of science fiction and the theory of the multiverse." — Bookwyrm's Guide to the Galaxy

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR In a disturbingly familiar parallel world, a small population of tiny, semi-aquatic humans known as lambdas has quietly lived in the capital for decades. When a school bombing is claimed by an unknown faction of their community, everything changes. Meet Cara Gray, anarchist-turned-surveillance officer, who is trialling an application that will render her life as a novel. Experience a world of government agents made of slime mould protein, dubious quantum computers, and sentient toothbrushes.Trade Review"Literary SF at its best." * The Guardian *“A neat idea… a scathing critique of the attitude towards migrants in Brexit Britain.” * The Financial Times *"Ceaselessly inventive yet grounded in a world we recognise - an eloquent, insightful and funny demonstration the future is now. And always will be." * Richard Beard (The Day That Went Missing) *“A science fiction novel not quite like any other I’ve read." * Ananyo Bhattacharya (The Man from the Future) *“Part cyber-thriller, part sci-fi parable, part glorious social satire.” * Tim Baker (Fever City) *“Lambda harks back to the utopian preoccupations of early pioneers of the genre like Orwell or Zamiatin, leavening its tale with wry humour and quiet social commentary and satire that scores and hits the target with systematic ferocity… Most definitely a novel of ideas, where the plot insidiously burrows into the reader’s mind to unsettling effect. A fascinating curiosity and well worth the detour.” * Maxim Jakubowski, CrimeTime *

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Book Synopsis'Unputdownable ... I was blown away' Angus Donald, bestselling author of the Outlaw ChroniclesTwo kings. Two nations. One crown. The start of an epic historical espionage series by master authors A.J. Mackenzie.1328. After years of civil unrest between England and France, Charles IV dies, leaving no apparent heir. His closest heir to the throne is Edward III of England, but it passes instead to Charles' cousin, Phillip, spurring both countries on to war.1346. Landing at Normandy, Edward's immense army makes inroads into French territory, burning everything in their path. But the mysterious assassination of an English knight reveals a terrible truth: there is a traitor in their midst. The king charges Simon Merrivale, the Prince of Wales’ herald, with solving the case.As the army marches on towards its destiny, at the awesome scenes of the Battle of Crécy, Simon will uncover a conspiracy that goes to the heart of the warring nations. Among the ashes and the rubble, their fate will be decided: on the battlefield... and in the shadows.A scintillating medieval adventure of warfare and espionage, steeped in years of research, perfect for fans of David Gilman and Conn Iggulden.Praise for A Flight of Arrows Like one of those exquisite tapestries with interlacing strands in an array of vivid colour [...] a truly enthralling account of the events leading up to Crécy. Compulsory reading for all who enjoy that most fascinating period of English history' Paul Doherty, author of The Nightingale Gallery'Fast-paced, action-packed and full of adventure [...] one of the best reads this year' Parmenion Books'A rip-roaring story and devilish plot with outstanding historical detail [...] Mackenzie has created a character who will surely take his place in the canon of historical literary detectives' C. B. Hanley, author of the Mediaeval Mysteries series'Espionage, treachery and long-buried sins come to the fore in the blood-stained fields of fourteenth-century Normandy. A compelling story of courage and betrayal - I loved it' Katherine Stansfield, author of the Cornish Mystery series

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Book SynopsisShapers – an underground community of scientists and mystics – must take subtle action in a time of political tyranny in Rhonda. Continuing her search for the Real, the rebellious young Ana recasts as Mesa, centuries ahead to Rhonda, AD 2450, where Governors uphold a law that inhibits emotions as the solution to crime. As anarchy looms, Mesa navigates her soul bond with Ana and Cara. Mesa, an agent of the Ypocs, a genetically enhanced species, is re-called by Cassia, the Shaper oracle, from a future timeline to alleviate the crisis in Rhonda. As Mesa aids the survival of Rhondeans and Shapers, she must also explore the origin and myth of her being and her tribe of Ypocs to find clues as to why time is slowing in her utopian world. Time is a bridge that Ana, Mesa and Cara traverse towards the realisation that they are a triple soul, existing in different places at once. Each bears the urgent task to mend relationships across parallel epochs. As they encounter each other, they must explore the myth of past, present and future...

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Book SynopsisPride comes before the fall.DSV, the elite secret service tasked with fighting Daedalus, the descendants of the Nazis, are on the run. Framed for a crime they didn’t commit, they are pursued not just by their mortal enemies, but the combined might of world government, as global public enemies number one.Led by special operative Ethan Munroe, the broken and bruised remnants of the once brilliant task force must evade capture across the world in their relentless pursuit of justice, redemption, and the architect of their downfall, Daedalus Commander Hans Bauer.Everything will, finally, come to a head in the ruins of a once great city, the site of DSV’s terrible defeat. Among the ashes and the rubble, a war that has been waged for decades will be decided once and for all. For a victor must prevail.The shattering finale to the hundred-mile-an-hour thriller series, perfect for fans of Lee Child, Adam Hamdy and Mark Greaney.

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Book Synopsis‘There is much to enjoy in a sumptuous novel that slips between present day and 1557.’ Sunday Mirror “My name is Mary Seymour and I am the daughter of one queen and the niece of another.” Browsing antiques shops in Wiltshire, Alison Bannister stumbles across a delicate old portrait – supposedly of Anne Boleyn. Except Alison knows better… The woman is Mary Seymour, the daughter of Katherine Parr who was taken to Wolf Hall in 1557 as an unwanted orphan and presumed dead after going missing as a child. The painting is more than just a beautiful object from Alison’s past – it holds the key to her future, unlocking the mystery surrounding Mary’s disappearance, and the enigma of Alison’s son. But Alison’s quest soon takes a dark and foreboding turn, as a meeting place called the Phantom Tree harbours secrets in its shadows… ************************************************************* Readers love Nicola Cornick: ‘Alluring and hypnotising… I was hooked from page one.’ ‘A haunting and mesmerising story.’ ‘Atmospheric and filled with tension and danger.’ ‘Full of dark twists and spooky turns. Brilliantly written, unguessable and page-turning.’ ‘Spellbinding, with a narrative that left me bewitched. Not to be missed!’ ‘A fabulous read. I was completely enthralled, and kept guessing throughout.’Trade ReviewPraise for Nicola Cornick: ‘A fascinating tale with intriguing twists.’ Barbara Erskine ‘I was hooked from the first pages.’ Gill Paul ‘You just can’t put it down. Brilliant!’ Katie Fforde ‘A gorgeous novel, so fresh and original. And the tension! I was on the edge of my seat.’ Jenny Ashcroft ‘There is much to enjoy in a sumptuous novel that slips between present day and 1557.’ Sunday Mirror ‘Ms. Cornick is first-class, queen of her game.’ Romance Junkies ‘A rising star.’ Publishers Weekly ‘Fans of Kate Morton will enjoy this gripping tale.’ Candis ‘This compelling yet poignant and at times frightening story calls out to every historical fiction lovers out there to read it and enjoy its glory forever’ Book Stop Corner ‘Her books are fabulous’. New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn ‘A sumptuous, spell-binding story’ Sara Manning, Red Online

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Book SynopsisIn an alternate reality a lot like our world, every person's physical size is directly proportional to their wealth. The poorest of the poor are the size of rats, and billionaires are the size of skyscrapers.Warner and his sister Prayer are destitute - and tiny. Their size is not just demeaning but dangerous: day and night they face mortal dangers that bigger, richer people don't ever have to think about, from being mauled by cats to their house getting stepped on. There are no cars or phones built small enough for them, or schools or hospitals, for that matter - there's no point, when no one that little has any purchasing power, and when salaried doctors and teachers would never fit in buildings so small. Warner and Prayer know their only hope is to scale up, but how can two littlepoors survive in a world built against them?Brilliant, warm and funny, this is a social novel for our times in the tradition of 1984 or the work of Douglas Adams.Trade ReviewMunmun is satire at its finest: brilliant, insightful and at times hysterically funny. It's a powerful look at class, wealth and power in our modern world. * Nicola Yoon, bestselling author of EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING *Warner's distinctive voice and language compel readers to pay attention to this detailed world . . . Brilliant, savage, hilarious, a riveting journey through a harsh world that mirrors our own. * Kirkus *This was probably the funniest book I've ever read... Everyone should read this book. * The Guardian on ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL *Funny, warm, enjoyably scatterbrained... An honest depiction of society's reaction to illness and death. * The Observer on ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL *Shocking and funny, unsettling and charming * Roddy Doyle on THE HATERS *Somewhere in the unlikely intersection between 1984 and Douglas Adams sits Munmun, a hilarious and prescient novel that skewers the inequalities of today. In an alternative world, the poor are tiny and the rich skyscraper tall. Warner is the size of a rat, but for how long? * NetGalley *

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Book SynopsisIt’s the late postgenomic era and the loss of habitable landmass has led to severe limits on human birth. In the drive for species perfection, fewer and fewer can breed, and the long-simmering tension between the reproductive ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ is coming to the boil. A young woman’s body is found, and Detective Cooper-Clark (Coop to his friends) thinks it a routine case: yet another victim of the ‘red-dirt cocktail’ of drugs, disease and despair. But when he discovers the female had recently miscarried an illegal pregnancy, the case turns anything but routine. Convinced the lost baby is the key to the murder, Coop finds himself sucked into the dirty waters of state-sponsored eugenics and to the heart of an existential struggle for control over human reproduction.

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Book SynopsisAndrea Víctrix presents a dystopian vision of Palma, Mallorca, now named ‘Turclub’, in the year 2050. The unnamed narrator, who bears a certain resemblance to the author, had placed himself in voluntary cryo-stasis in 1965, fatigued by modern ‘civilization’ and morality, only to reawaken 85 years later with the physique of a 30-year old. Villalonga sets up an intriguing interplay between the narrator and the eponymous, androgynous Andrea Víctrix, so-called Director of Pleasure, in a satirical, sometimes self-ironizing exploration of contemporary issues such as gender and sexuality, consumerism, environmental disaster and the politics of big business. Both of its time and startlingly prescient, Andrea Víctrix merits a place amongst the greats of European dystopian fiction.Trade ReviewRACHEL FARMER (LUNATE LITERARY JOURNAL) - full review HERE Andrea Víctrix is certainly a unique reading experience, veering from grotesque and macabre to ludicrously funny in the space of a single paragraph… Ultimately, it is a rich, multi-layered work—one that would benefit from being studied in depth. It seems unlikely that a single reading can hope to unearth all its treasures. EUROPEAN LITERATURE NETWORK. Full review here Villalonga’s prose, in Johnson’s expertly crafted translation is extravagant and striking, perfectly suited to the city of Turclub, where decadence and hedonism are of utmost importance. The translator’s task could not have been easy – particularly in terms of language and gender surrounding the mysterious character of Andrea Víctrix – however, Johnson’s translation perfectly captures Villalonga’s often dark humour and immerses us deep into the world of Turclub, a city of excess and extravagance. This flamboyant and brilliant prose, however, never distracts from the important discussions that the novel can fuel today. ELEANOR UPDEGRAFF - Full review here Relayed in pacey, atmospheric prose peppered with sharp wit, Andrea Víctrix is a vision of a future none of us is likely to want to experience. Part incisive social criticism, part wild flight of the imagination, Villalonga’s masterpiece is a complex and entertaining work of fiction that deserves both to inspire and terrify readers for many years to come. BUZZ MAGAZINE. Full review here Compulsive reading, ending on an ambiguous note, leaving us to ponder its questions long after the last page is turned. THE MODERN NOVEL. Full review here This is another excellent novel from still relatively new publisher Fum d’Estampa. I had read quite a few Catalan novels before they were formed but I am clearly going to discover quite a few more interesting ones... (This is) a superb story with a host of fascinating ideas – my idea of a good novel. JACKIE LAW. Full review here A fascinating work of fiction that is both thought-provoking and disquieting. A reminder of the importance of critical thinking when considering widely promoted changes in attitude that are supposedly for the common good. The Monthly Booking Literary Blog. Full review here Relayed in pacey, atmospheric prose peppered with sharp wit, Andrea Víctrix is a vision of a future none of us is likely to want to experience. Part incisive social criticism, part wild flight of the imagination, Villalonga’s masterpiece is a complex and entertaining work of fiction that deserves both to inspire and terrify readers for many years to come. Ramon Mas, Les Males Herbes “This is, until someone proves otherwise, the best dystopian literature ever written in Catalan. And I say this not because of Llorenç Villalonga’s singular narrative talent, but rather because of his exceptional development of a series of ideas that provide Andrea Víctrix with a speculative solidity that is difficult to find anywhere else.” Andrea Navarra, The Barcelona Review “With the novel Andrea Víctrix, Llorenç Villalonga’s amalgamation is a spasmotic, incredible story, accumulative and grotesque, truly original, unique and highly relevant in its own literary context.” Jordi Llavina, El 3 de Vuit “A truly great novel, beautiful and terrfying in equal parts, tender and groundbreaking, and one that should be read for many years to come. A warning from history.”

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Book SynopsisAs if 27 enormous Monsters ruling over post-apocalyptic Earth wasn't enough, now there's a new threat from outer space: Crawlies, a legion of voracious alien predators eating everything in their path. Humanity's only chance is the Pilot Beti, her incredible Mech and her best friend, a telepathic, telekinetic dog named E.K. And Beti will face an even bigger challenge: the return of a long-lost flame. Filled with jaw-dropping visuals, spine-tingling romance and laugh-out-loud comedy, see why THE 27 RUN: CRUSH continues what Steve Orlando (WONDER WOMAN) calls, "A wasteland tale energized with dark humor and fantastic creatures."Trade Review"All in all, we have to recommend everyone picks up a copy of The 27 Run: CRUSH." -- Nerdophiles"THE 27 RUN: CRUSH is a brilliant sci-fi tale. Beautiful from top to bottom, and jam-packed with action and comedy, it also makes you think about how to build a better world. THE 27 RUN: CRUSH is something really special... and something you're not going to want to miss." -- Jason Bennett - POPCULTHQ.com

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisA hugely compelling, dark, offbeat adventure from the bestselling author of ROTHERWEIRD.'A deeply strange but also deeply compelling world' Blue Book BalloonThe world has become a dangerous place: the atmosphere has turned toxic, destroying almost all life, and most of humanity too. Survivors live in domes protected by chitin shields, serving one or other of the last two great companies. A long period of uneasy collaboration between Tempestas and Genrich is about to end, and they have very different visions for mankind's future. Far from these centres of power stands the Museum Dome, home to mankind's finest paintings and artefacts and their curator, a young man, Fogg, who has laboured for three years without a single visitor.Then a single mysterious pill - a momenticon - appears in the Museum and triggers a series of bewildering events, embroiling Fogg and his unexpected new companions in a desperate fight against the dark forces which threaten to overwhelm all that remains.And time is running out.'Compelling and enrapturing . . . captures the reader from the first page to the last. A five-star read' Grimdark Magazine'One of the UK's most intriguing imaginations. Momenticon is whimsical science fiction at its finest' Geek Dad Trade ReviewA history-tragic-comedy all rolled into one, Rotherweird is intricate and crisp, witty and solemn: a book not unlike other books, but with special and dangerous properties. Line by line, silent and adroit, it opens a series of trap-doors in the reader's imagination * HILARY MANTEL, two-time Man Booker prize winner, on ROTHERWEIRD *One of the UK's most intriguing imaginations. His novels remind me very much of Neal Stephenson and this book put me in mind of Josiah Bancroft's Selin Ascends. These comparisons I make as an absolute compliment. Momenticon is whimsical science fiction at its finest: a satisfying jigsaw where the bigger picture doesn't become visible until the final piece is slotted into place * GEEK DAD on MOMENTICON *Sheer post-apocalyptic weirdness . . . Momenticon is wild but fun * PILE BY THE BED on MOMENTICON *It feels non-stop: constantly splitting the protagonists up and bringing them together again, delivering a series of growing climaxes and then leaving readers hanging for a concluding second volume * PILE BY THE BED on MOMENTCION *One of the most unique books I've read . . . compelling and enrapturing story that captures the reader from the first page to the last. Caldecott managed to craft something that is utterly his own . . . a five-star read * GRIMDARK MAGAZINE on MOMENTICON *A book that is unlike anything else you have read * SF BOOK REVIEWS on MOMENTICON *Momenticon is a strange dreamlike tale that was just wonderful * MUSEBOOKS on MOMENTICON *Caldecott's prose is very readable, and his world very inventive * SFX MAGAZINE on MOMENTICON *A gripping and enthralling trip into a phantasmagorical world * ANNA RELLIX on MOMENTICON *Lean into the weirdness and you're bound to find something you love! Caldecott is in a league of his own. His style is distinct, his voice unmistakable * SHARON CHOE, Read Between the Lines, on MOMENTICON *Momenticon packs an enormous lot in, keeping its protagonists (and the reader) on their toes . . . and taking both into a deeply strange but also deeply compelling world * BLUE BOOK BALLOON on MOMENTICON *Ingenious . . . an enjoyable romp * SFCROWSNEST on MOMENTICON *Has the arbitrary and rather hallucinogenic atmosphere of the Alice in Wonderland books * BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION on MOMENTICON *Baroque, Byzantine and beautiful - not to mention bold. An enthralling puzzle picture of a book * M.R. CAREY, author of the bestselling The Girl With All The Gifts, on ROTHERWEIRD *Compelling * THE GUARDIAN on ROTHERWEIRD *Magnificent * MIDNIGHT BLUE on WYNTERTYDE *Darkly hypnotic * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH on WYNTERTYDE *A triumphant final volume to what has been a constantly surprising piece of modern British fantasy. Part Gormenghast, part Monty Python, part mythology, part Terry Pratchett, a little bit steampunk . . . this series, its setting and its tone is totally unique and thoroughly enjoyable and should be celebrated as such * PILE BY THE BED on LOST ACRE *A rip-roaring adventure through a brilliantly weird and wonderful dystopian landscape. I can't imagine what'll happen in the next book but I can't wait to find out! * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Weird, mad and utterly bloody brilliant. Caldicott's latest offering to offbeat fantasy is not to be missed. Featuring his trademarked style, absurdist humour and a cast of larger-than-life characters, this was a joy to read * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *I thoroughly enjoyed the journey in to Caldecott's world. I read this book in 3 days, no mean feat as it is detailed but totally absorbing . . . It is simply brilliant. Congratulations to the author * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Momenticon is wild but fun and works within its own crazy frame of reference. The trick is to accept the fantastical premise . . . it feels non-stop, splitting the protagonists up and bringing them together again, delivering a series of growing climaxes and then leaving readers hanging for an anticipated concluding second volume * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Caldecott is marvellously imaginative in his intricate dystopian world-building . . . This is a wonderfully entertaining, compelling and immersive fantasy read, with plenty of suspense and tension, in which Caldecott successfully creates an equally engaging and original a world as Rotherweird. Highly recommended * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Momenticon was one of the books I was most looking forward to reading this year, and it has not disappointed even those high expectations . . . Anyone who enjoys fantasy adventure books will love these . . . The end leaves things up in the air, ready for a sequel - I'm already desperate to get my hands on it! * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *After the brilliant Rotherweird trilogy, it would likely take something extraordinary to reach the same heights or even surpass it. Thankfully with Momenticon, the author has turned out an exceptionally spellbinding novel that transcends the norm and enters the realms of the sublime * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Momenticon is the first in a wonderful new series by Andrew Caldecott. What a mind this man must have! I experienced this book as a warning about what will happen when climate change finally goes up a few gears * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *This book was strange and I adored it. When I saw Alice in Wonderland meets Station Eleven I knew I had to read it and I was not disappointed. This was a wild ride of a read . . . When I finished I just sat staring and thinking it is definitely one of those books. Well written with a great atmosphere and compelling storyline and well-developed characters. I couldn't put it down . . . A great read * NETGALLEY REVIEWER *Caldecott successfully creates an equally engaging and original a world as Rotherweird. Highly recommended. * GOODREADS REVIEWER *Momenticon is a perplexing and brilliant story full of literary and artistic rabbit holes and quirky characters. It ends on a cliffhanger and I want to continue this journey for sure. * GOODREADS REVIEWER *I'm not sure there are enough words that can accurately describe this weird, brilliant, funny and adventurous read. * GOODREADS REVIEWER *A rip-roaring adventure through a brilliantly weird and wonderful dystopian landscape. I can't imagine what'll happen in the next book but I can't wait to find out! * GOODREADS REVIEWER *

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Book SynopsisArthur C. Clarke Award-Winning Author'An uneasy read that manages to feel both timely and urgent... Beckett offers an intelligent, visceral reminder that unless we change what today looks like, tomorrow will be turbulent indeed.' - GuardianAmerica, one century on: a warmer climate is causing vast movements of people. Droughts, floods and hurricanes force entire populations to abandon their homes. Tensions are mounting between north and south, and some northern states are threatening to close their borders against homeless fellow-Americans from the south.Against this backdrop, an ambitious young British-born publicist, Holly Peacock, meets a new client, the charismatic Senator Slaymaker, a politician whose sole mission is to keep America together, reconfiguring the entire country in order to meet the challenge of the new climate realities as a single, united nation. When he runs for President, Holly becomes his right hand woman, doing battle on the whisperstream, where stories are everything and truth counts for little.But can they bring America together - or have they set the country on a new, but equally devastating, path?Trade ReviewAn uneasy read that manages to feel both timely and urgent... Beckett offers an intelligent, visceral reminder that unless we change what today looks like, tomorrow will be turbulent indeed. * Guardian *Compelling... a grim demonstration of how one person can change history, but not control it. * SFX *America City is beautifully written, inventive, with a strong cast of characters... and a plot that makes the reader think, and is another great book from one of the best writers around. * Concatenation *Chris Beckett is a genius. * Eric Brown bestselling author of THE SERENE INVASION *Tells an all too believable story. * Daily Mail (Scotland) *Unless we change what today looks like, tomorrow will be turbulent indeed. * Guardian *

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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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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 *

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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?

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Book SynopsisA tale set in a bleak future society torn by class divisions follows the experiences of secret revolutionary Darrow, who after witnessing his wife''s execution by an oppressive government joins a revolutionary cell and attempts to infiltrate an elite military academy.

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Book Synopsis#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ? Red Rising thrilled readers and announced the presence of a talented new author. Golden Son changed the game and took the story of Darrow to the next level. Now comes the exhilarating next chapter in the Red Rising Saga: Morning Star.ITW THRILLER AWARD FINALIST ??[Brown?s] achievement is in creating an uncomfortably familiar world of flaw, fear, and promise.??Entertainment WeeklyDarrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society?s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within. Finally, the time has come. But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied?and too glorious to surrender.Praise for Morning Star?There is no one writing today who does shameless, Michael Bay?style action set pieces the way Brown does. The battle scenes are kinetic, bloody, breathless, crazy. Everything is on fire all the time.??NPR ?Morning Star is this trilogy?s Return of the Jedi. . . . The impactful battles that make up most of Morning Star are damn near operatic. . . . It absolutely satisfies.??Tordotcom ?Excellent . . . Brown?s vivid, first-person prose puts the reader right at the forefront of impassioned speeches, broken families, and engaging battle scenes . . . as this interstellar civil war comes to a most satisfying conclusion.??Publishers Weekly (starred review) ?A page-turning epic filled with twists and turns . . . The conclusion to Brown?s saga is simply stellar.??Booklist (starred review)Don?t miss any of Pierce Brown?s Red Rising Saga:RED RISING ?GOLDEN SON ?MORNING STAR ?IRON GOLD ?DARK AGE ? LIGHT BRINGER

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Book SynopsisDISCOVER PUCKOON, SPIKE MILLIGAN''S CLASSIC SLAPSTICK NOVEL''Pops with the erratic brilliance of a careless match in a box of fireworks'' Daily MailIn 1924 the Boundary Commission is tasked with creating the new official division between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State. Through incompetence, dereliction of duty and sheer perversity, the border ends up running through the middle of the small town of Puckoon.Houses are divided from outhouses, husbands separated from wives, bars are cut off from their patrons, churches sundered from graveyards. And in the middle of it all is poor Dan Milligan, our feckless protagonist, who is taunted and manipulated by everyone (including the sadistic author) to try and make some sense of this mess . . .''Bursts at the seams with superb comic characters involved in unbelievably likely troubles on the Irish border'' Observer''Our first comic philosopher'' EddiTrade ReviewBursts at the seams with superb comic characters involved in unbelievably likely troubles on the Irish border * Observer *Pops with the erratic brilliance of a careless match in a box of fireworks * Daily Mail *Our first comic philosopher -- Eddie IzzardMilligan is the Great God to all of us -- John Cleese

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Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Darrow returns as Pierce Brown’s New York Times bestselling Red Rising series continues in the thrilling sequel to Dark Age.The Reaper is a legend, more myth than man: the savior of worlds, the leader of the Rising, the breaker of chains. But the Reaper is also Darrow, born of the red soil of Mars: a husband, a father, a friend. Marooned far from home after a devastating defeat on the battlefields of Mercury, Darrow longs to return to his wife and sovereign, Virginia, to defend Mars from its bloodthirsty would-be conqueror Lysander. Lysander longs to destroy the Rising and restore the supremacy of Gold, and will raze the worlds to realize his ambitions. The worlds once needed the Reaper. But now they need Darrow, and Darrow needs the people he loves—Virginia, Cassius, Sevro—in order to defend the Republic. So begins Darrow’s long voyage home, an interplan

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Book SynopsisFrom internationally bestselling author Terry Goodkind, comes this outstanding epic adventure set in the captivating world of his classic Sword of Truth novels.The Sword of Truth is Terry Goodkind''s wonderfully creative, seamless, and stirring epic fantasy set in a fascinating world rich in detail, history and incredible violence.Reluctant hero turned magical warrior Richard Rahl has long since learned the wizard''s first rule (People are stupid and will believe almost anything) and accepted his fate. With his beloved Kahlan Amnell, the last Mother Confessor, he has battled unearthly adversaries, military foes, the Underworld, the malign and wild magic of the Old World, even the elements themselves.Now Terry Goodkind, acclaimed and superlatively gifted storyteller, delivers another thrilling novel, with all the complexity and taut characterization we''ve come to expect from this master of fantasy.Trade ReviewPraise for Terry Goodkind: ‘A real born storyteller'Anne McCaffrey 'Everything one could ask for in an epic fantasy'Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisThe classic dystopian manga returns in three 3-in-1 omnibus editions! An elite student named Shion lives a seemingly perfect life in the city of No. 6, where life is carefully controlled down to the last detail. However, everything changes one fateful night when Shion offers an injured young man shelter from a storm. Known only as Rat, this boy is a VCfugitive living outside the computerized tapestry of city controlhelping him throws Shion's life into chaos and starts him down a path to discovering the appalling secrets behind the superficial perfection of No. 6. Includes volumes 1-3.

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