Dystopian & Alternative History Fiction Books

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Book SynopsisInception meets Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in this captivating prequel to the acclaimed, bestselling science fiction romance Reset by Sarina DahlanCan you give up a love you can't forget?After the Last War destroyed most of the world, survivors formed a new society in four self-sustaining cities in the Mojave Desert. To halt extinction, everything in the Four Cities is carefully predicted and carefully controlled ... even love.But how can you control love and freedom? In the engrossing prequel to Reset, Preset weaves the tales of Eleanor, the Crone, and Eli, the Planner, before and after the creation of the Four Cities. Much has changed in the world and their relationship, but there are some truths that have yet to come to light.Fighting for change yet still loving her husband Eli, the scientist Eleanor travels to Elara, the lone city resisting fully bending to Eli's control. There she must separate reality from lies, memories from desires, as she tries to piece together the truth about what is happening in the Four Cities.But the gulf between love and freedom, between the past and the now, between what we remember and what we strive to become can be as vast as the break between two hearts bound together. It is here, in the dark fissure left by loss, where Eleanor discovers the true cost that has been paid to save humanity.

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Book SynopsisPre-order Andrew Hunter Murray's brilliantly entertaining new thriller A Beginner's Guide to Breaking and Entering coming May 2024!Half the world is in darkness. Only she can save the light . . . the post-apocalyptic bestselling read.'A brilliant near-future thriller and a really cracking read' Richard Osman'Will keep you gripped to the very last page' C.J. Tudor'Wonderful ... the best future-shock thriller for years.' Lee Child'A stunningly original thriller' Harlan Coben'A beautifully realised and thought-provoking thriller' The Times'Intriguing and unusual' Sunday Times____________________2059. The world has stopped turning. One half suffers an endless frozen night; the other, nothing but burning sun.Only in a slim twilit region between them can life survive.In an isolationist Britain clinging on in the twilight zone, scientist Ellen Hopper receives a letter from a dying man. It contains a powerful and dangerous secret.One that those in power will kill to conceal . . .____________________'Reminiscent of Robert Harris's high-concept conspiracy thrillers' Financial Times'I read this hungrily ... A fabulous achievement.' Stephen Fry'Inventive, richly detailed world-building' Telegraph'A tantalizing, suspenseful odyssey of frustration, deceit, treachery, torture, hope, despair and ingenious sleuthing' Washington Post'A taut, thrilling runaround' Guardian'A brilliant debut ... Fans of Robert Harris will love it' Daily Express'To say it's gripping is an understatement' Sara Pascoe'Murray has crafted something original ... an interesting new twist on a post-apocalyptic tale.' Kirkus'Downright impossible to stop reading.' Booklist'Dark, believable and brilliantly written' Jenny Colgan'I couldn't put this book down!' Christina DalcherTrade ReviewI read this hungrily ... Its intelligence and bravura characterization will have you turning page after page. A fabulous achievement. * STEPHEN FRY *A brilliantly clever thriller from a brilliantly clever writer. -- Richard OsmanMurray should be commended for going into the nitty-gritty of how his post-disaster society functions[…] What really distinguishes the book, though, is the creative energy of its world-building: it demonstrates the virtue of using the future as a playground for the imagination rather than trying to second-guess it. * Telegraph: the best thrillers and crime fiction of 2020 *A taut, thrilling runaround... The Last Day is an impressive dystopian techno-thriller. Murray paints a grim picture of a draconian isolationist Britain, with some vivid descriptions of a much-changed London, and the novel’s climax has a neat twist. * Guardian Books of the Month *A brilliant debutwhich blends apocalyptic drama with a tale of espionage, keeping readers on tenterhooks […] Fans of Robert Harris will love it. * Daily Express *

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Book SynopsisOrwell is most well-known for his two famous novels Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm, but their dystopian vision was informed by observations of poverty in England (Down and Out in Paris' and London and Road to Wigan Pier), and disillusion with political and national events of the 1930s and 1940s. Homage to Catalonia chronicled his experience of the Spanish Civil War and formulated his revulsion against totalitarianism, highlighted in his subsequent novels. This new collection (edited and with a new introduction by Professor Richard Bradford, and a foreword by Whitbread Prize winner D.J. Taylor) brings together Orwell's two celebrated novels and some of his seminal nonfiction (extensive extracts from Down and Out in Paris and London and The Road to Wigan Pier, and the whole of Homage to Catalonia), along with some brief extracts of pertinent work by Jack London, who also explored totalitarianism in The Iron Heel (fiction), and the Russian dissident Yevgeny Zamyatin whose own work We (1921) offers a strong warning about a dystopian police state. A new addition to the Flame Tree deluxe Gothic Fantasy series on classic and modern writers, exploring origins and cultural themes in myth, fable and speculative fiction. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

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Book SynopsisZen Cho was born and raised in Malaysia and now lives in London. She was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer for her short fiction and also won the Crawford Award. Sorcerer to the Crown was Zen Cho's debut novel, followed by her standalone set in the same world, The True Queen. Trade ReviewAn enchanting cross between Georgette Heyer and Susanna Clarke, full of delights and surprises -- Naomi NovikZen Cho’s Sorcerer to the Crown is inventive, dangerous, brilliant, unsettling, and adorable, all at the same time. It shatters as many rules as its characters do. Historical Britain will never be the same again, and I can’t wait for the next book -- Courtney MilanA warm, funny debut novel by a brilliant new talent -- Charles StrossCompulsively readable and wickedly funny, this magical marriage of Jane Austen and P. G. Wodehouse delivers love, laughs, and a thoroughly modern sensibility, and will keep you reading long into the night. I loved it -- Lavie TidharFabulous! If you like Austen or Patrick O'Brian, or magic and humor like Susannah Clarke, or simply a very fun read, you will really, really, enjoy this -- Ann LeckieA delightful and enchanting novel that uses sly wit and assured style to subvert expectations while it always, unfailingly, entertains. I loved it -- Kate ElliottSorcerer to the Crown is fast-paced and witty, and should appeal to fans of Mary Robinette Kowal and Gail Carriger -- Elizabeth BearA deliciously true tale of politics and power in a charming, cruel world – it demands and deserves to be read again and again. Cho has humor and flair to match Pratchett and Heyer plus her own marvelous style -- Karen Lord

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Book SynopsisThe long-awaited return of the great master of horror. Mister B. Gone is Barker''s shockingly bone-chilling discovery of a never-before-published demonic memoir' penned in the year 1438, when it was printed one copy only and then buried until now by an assistant who worked for the inventor of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg.This bone-chilling novel, in which a medieval devil speaks directly to his readerhis tone murderous one moment, seductive the nextis a never-before-published memoir allegedly penned in the year 1438.The demon has embedded himself in the very words of this tale of terror, turning the book itself into a dangerous object, laced with menace only too ready to break free and exert its power.A brilliant and truly unsettling tour de force of the supernatural, Mister B. Gone escorts the reader on an intimate and revelatory journey to uncover the shocking truth of the battle between Good and Evil.Trade ReviewPraise for Clive Barker: ‘An invocation of both magic and the imagination… A majestic maze of mythmaking’Washington Times ‘Passionate and ingenious… A ride with remarkable views’Times Literary Supplement ‘A fabulous, engrossing war of the worlds’People Magazine ‘Barker’s fecundity of invention is beyond praise. In a world of hard-bitten horror and originality, Clive Barker dislocates your mind’Mail on Sunday ‘A powerful and fascinating writer with a brilliant imagination… Clive Barker is an outstanding storyteller’J G Ballard

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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. Nakled Empire provides a perfect jumping-in point for new readers.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 Review'A real born storyteller'Anne McCaffrey 'Everything one could ask for in an epic fantasy' Publishers Weekly

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Book SynopsisA terrifying collection of short stories from the master of zombie fiction, Max Brooks. Written in his trademark style, these tales combine horror, drama, and socio-political commentary to explore the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse.Trade Review'Brooks infuses his writing with such precise detail and authenticity, one wonders if he knows something we don't' Simon Pegg'When the zombie apocalypse arrives, we'll be at Max Brooks house... As a horror story, its exciting. As a parable, it's terrifying' Empire Magazine (praise for World War Z)'A welcome continuation to the world that Max Brooks created, and subsequently destroyed, in his previous fictional outings. Brooks writes with an intelligence and poise that elevates his work above the rest of the genre. Brooks shows incredible knowledge of a wide variety of topics, including geography, military procedures and socio-political factors, throughout his work. The level of care and detail he puts into settings and characters make for stories that are nothing short of compelling and, perhaps even better, are entirely convincing. If George A. Romero is revered as the king of zombie films then Max Brooks must surely be dubbed the king of zombie fiction' This Is Horror

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Book SynopsisIn this postapocalyptic fantasy, a sea of sand swallows everything but the past.

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Book SynopsisWhat if the course of history had been changed by a different decision, a different victor, a different invention? Utopian stories and alternative history stories by H.G. Wells, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Castello Holford and others are combined here with new stories by new writers from open submissions, exploring the variety and delight of alternative history to reimagine the world around us: What if the Ancient Egyptians had conquered Rome? What if World War II had been won by the loser, not the victors? What if women had ruled the world for 4000 years not men? New, contemporary and notable writers featured are: Essa Bah, Rebecca Buchanan, Monica Butler, Jay Caselberg, Jonathan Davidson, Evan A. Davis, C.R. Hobson, Vylar Kaftan, Richard Kigel, Andrea Kriz, Adam Lawson, Kwame M.A. McPherson, Eve Morton, Chiamaka Muoneke, Maureen O'Leary, Jennifer R. Povey, Guy Prevost, Matias F. Travieso-Diaz, Rebecca E. Treasure, DJ Tyrer, Iris Whelan, Cameron Wise-Maas, Alex Woodroe, James Young, and Elizabeth Zuckerman. These appear alongside classic stories by authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Castello Holford, H.G. Wells, and John Wyndham. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

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Book SynopsisIn the aftermath of the First World War, a young woman gets swept into a glittering world filled with illicit magic, romance, blood debts and murder in this lush and decadent debut novel.On Crow Island, people whispered, real magic lurked just below the surface. But Annie Mason never expected her enigmatic new neighbour to be a witch.When she witnesses a confrontation between her best friend Bea and the infamous Emmeline Delacroix at one of Emmeline''s extravagantly illicit parties, Annie is drawn into a glittering, haunted world. A world where magic can buy what money cannot; a world where the consequence of a forbidden blood bargain might be death.''Brimming with romance and gilded with danger, Wild and Wicked Things is a heady, lyrical gem of a book'' Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf''A lush and evocative story that transports readers far away from reality and into a witchy worlTrade ReviewBrimming with romance and gilded with danger, Wild Wicked Things is a heady, lyrical gem of a book -- Hannah Whitten, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of FOR THE WOLFViciously enchanting, with a spell woven onto every page. Francesca May has given us a cast of wild and wicked women who dare to hold a mirror to the darkest, and most tender, parts of our souls. I couldn't get enough! -- Heather Walter, author of MALICEWild and Wicked Things ticked all my boxes. . . . I couldn't put it down -- Genevieve Gornichec, author of THE WITCH'S HEARTAn intoxicating blend of secrets and glamour, romance and scandal, blood magic and dark pasts. If you've ever thought the Jazz Age would have been better with witchcraft, this book is for you -- H. G. Parry, author of THE UNLIKELY ESCAPE OF URIAH HEEPHaunting, immersive and seething with dark magic, Wild and Wicked Things cast it's spell on me -- Alexis Henderson, author of THE YEAR OF THE WITCHINGEven after the last page is turned, this intoxicating story lingers like a deep dark wine. Sparkling and deadly, Wild and Wicked Things enchanted me, and if you're feeling dangerous, it will enchant you too -- Lucy Holland, author of SISTERSONGEntrancing, seductive, and decadently beautiful, Francesca May weaves an intoxicating spell. Here is a deep, sensuous exploration of the bonds between three very different, complex women that readers won't soon forget -- Gwenda Bond, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling authora lush and evocative story that transports readers far away from reality and into a witchy world full of damning secrets, unbreakable bargains, intoxicating love and found family. Add to this a little murder cover-up and you've got yourself the perfect Spring/Summer read -- CULTUREFLYThe extravagance and extremes of the Roaring Twenties combines with witchcraft, corruption and violence in this heady, absorbing read -- LoveReading

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Book SynopsisSpanning twentieth-century Egyptian history and opening with the true story of a prominent Cairo businessman’s murder, this rags-to-riches story wondrously combines real-life events with fiction, told by a “magical storyteller”It was in the spring of 1927 that Cairo's attention was captured by the shocking murder of prominent businessman Solomon Cicurel in his Nile-side villa in the upscale Zamalek district. It was a burglary that went wrong, and four culprits were soon arrested. Their trial was concluded swiftly, their punishments were decisive, and society breathed a sigh of relief.In Ashraf El-Ashmawi's telling, there was a fifth accomplice, Abbas, who fled to his home in the countryside to lay low until the murder trial blew over. However, he did not escape empty-handed and kept stolen documents from Cicurel's villa, ones that he imagined would lead him to a hidden safe. Abbas hatched a plan to return to the capital, find the safe, and make his fortune. The first step was to place his sister Zeinab with Cicurel's widow, Paula.Abbas’s rags-to-riches story unfolds as a tale of modern Egypt, taking in the Second World War, the 1952 revolution and rise of Nasser, the 1967 war, and the Sadat and Mubarak eras. Spanning the 1920s to the 1990s, El-Ashmawi deftly weaves together history with fiction in this intriguing English-language debut.Trade ReviewOne of 51 Favorite Books of 2021 by The Washington Independent Review of Books"A grand family drama set in a society at once strange and familiar, rife with surprise revelations that keep the reader fully engaged. . . .It deserves to be a bestseller."—Alice Stephens, Washington Independent Review of Books"There's something very compelling about opening a book to read about a place you've never visited before, from the eyes of an author who knows it well." —Leah Dearborn, LitReactor"Set in the confines of one toxic family as its members, over decades, perpetually attempt to outmaneuver one another, the narrative creates a sense of vicious hopelessness. In the family, as, it’s implied, the country around them, this cycle swallows all; even acts of extreme insurrection feed back into a negative cycle."—Talya Zax, LitHub"The sweep of Egyptian history and the portrait of class, social norms, and values are fascinating"—Historical Novels Review"A brilliantly spun tale. . . playing with politics and powerful people. El-Ashmawi paints a story where money comes and goes, power changes hands, and where both can disappear in an instant."—Arab News"A bold attempt to reimagine not only the transformations of the Zamalek district of Cairo, but also those of the Egyptian nation itself."—Dr. Mohamed Afifi, al-Dostoor"Ashraf El-Ashmawy holds a scalpel to dissect the classes of Egyptian society over more than half a century.” —Bilal Ramadan, al-Youm al-Sabe'

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Book Synopsis''AN EERILY PLAUSIBLE DYSTOPIAN MASTERPIECE'' Emily St. John Mandel, author of STATION ELEVEN''AN EXTRAORDINARY NOVEL . . . with echoes of The Handmaid''s Tale'' Cory Doctorow***SHORTLISTED FOR THE PHILIP K. DICK AWARD***From one of the most original new voices in modern fiction comes a startling vision of a world where you can get away with anything . . .Theo Miller knows the value of human life - to the very last penny. Working in the Criminal Audit Office, he assesses each crime that crosses his desk and makes sure the correct debt to society is paid in full. But when his ex-lover is killed, it''s different. This is one death he can''t let become merely an entry on a balance sheet. Because when the richest in the world are getting away with murder, sometimes the numbers just don''t add up.From the award-winning Claire North comes an electrifying and provocative new novel which Trade ReviewAn eerily plausible dystopian masterpiece * Emily St. John Mandel, author of STATION ELEVEN *An extraordinary novel that stands with the best of dystopian fiction, with echoes of The Handmaid's Tale -- Cory Doctorow on 84KAbsolutely breath-taking... An early and compelling candidate for best novel of 2018. Read it * Sci Fi Magazine *Another captivating novel from one of the most intriguing and genre-bending novelists * BOOKLIST on 84K *Claire North goes from strength to strength . . . A tense, moving story set in drawing from current political trends to present a draconian future similar to that of Nineteen Eighty-Four * GUARDIAN on 84K *Absolutely breath-taking... An early and compelling candidate for best novel of 2018. Read it * Sci Fi Magazine *[A] gut-punch of a novel . . . a story that is rare - one of those that is so good I didn't want it to end . . . Painted in shades of Fahrenheit 451, of Children of Men, Soylent Green and Brave New World * NPR *[North] demonstrates again that her imaginative energy is as prodigious as her output. * SUNDAY TIMES *Absorbing and timely; a book to wrestle and argue with, but first and foremost, to read * NEW YORK TIMES on 84k *84K is a furious, confrontational book that's extremely smart . . . .its energy is infectious and its ideas are fiercely provocative * SCIFINOW *This is a dystopian anthem for the modern activist, a warning of an all too near future and a wake-up call for anyone who believes justice should not come with a price tag. 84K is an important book but also a cracking thriller and a great bit of near-future speculative fiction. Quite simply, North's best book so far, and given how brilliant The Sudden Appearance of Hope and The Fifteen Lives of Harry August are, that is saying a lot. * STARBURST *North is an original and even dazzling writer, and fans of her work will enjoy this grim tale of capitalism taken to a terrifying extreme * KIRKUS on 84K *The truly scary thing about 84K is how convincing this dark, brutal class-divided Britain is * SFX (4 1/2 stars) *North demonstrates skill in creating a terrifying setting that feels rooted to the present day . . . Every aspect of life in Theo's Britain is imbued with a menace that feels both recognizable and urgent, and the decisions the characters make as a result feel uncomfortably real. * RT BOOK REVIEWS on 84K *One of the most distinct and compelling SF novels of the year thus far * THE TORONTO STAR on 84K *It's exciting to read a genre novel that's willing to be this bold with language . . . 84K opens with a simple "what if," but it quickly develops into a structurally inventive, sharply ob­served thought experiment about the gradual disap­pearance of our basic liberties and human rights * LOCUS *A fascinating look at the decisions society is taking now * THE BOOKBAG on 84K *North's talent shines out * SUNDAY TIMES *Claire North is a true original, a master of ingenious plotting and feats of imagination * Alex Marwood, author of THE WICKED GIRLS *Claire North's writing is terrific, smart and entertaining * Patrick Ness *

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Book SynopsisThe penultimate volume of the mighty Riftwar Cycle from best selling author Raymond E. Feist.War rages in Midkemia but behind the chaos there is disquieting evidence of dark forces at work.Jim Dasher's usually infallible intelligence network has been cleverly dismantled; nowhere is safe. He feels that the world is coming apart at the seams and is helpless to protect his nation.Quiet palace coups are underway in Roldem and Rillanon; and King Gregory of the Isles has yet to produce an heir. In each kingdom a single petty noble has risen from obscurity to threaten the throne.Lord Hal of Crydee and his great friend Ty Hawkins, champion swordsman of the Masters' Court, are entrusted with the task of smuggling Princess Stephané and her lady-in-waiting, the lovely but mysterious Lady Gabriella, out of Roldem to a place of greater safety. But is there any safe haven to be found?Meanwhile, Hal's younger brothers Martin and Brendan are attempting to hold the strategic city of Ylith against an onslaught of Keshian Dog Soldiers, and a mysterious force from beneath the sea. The Kingdom might lose Crydee and recover; but if Ylith falls, all is lost.An unknown player appears to orchestrating these conflicts. Can Pug and the Conclave of Shadows track down this source before Midkemia is destroyed?Trade ReviewPraise for Raymond E. Feist: ‘File under guilty pleasure’ Guardian ‘Get in at the start of a master’s new series’ Daily Sport ‘Well-written and distinctly above average… intelligent… intriguing’ Publishers Weekly ‘ Epic scope…vivid imagination…a significant contribution to the growth of the field of fantasy’ Washington Post

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Book SynopsisThe Great Plague destroyed Europe. Now the world’s a different place … From the award-winning author of the Mars trilogy, ‘the ultimate in future history’ (Daily Mail), comes the most ambitious alternate history novel ever written.Trade Review‘One of the finest working novelists in any genre’GUARDIAN 'If I had to choose one writer whose work will set the standard for science fiction in the future, it would be Kim Stanley Robinson’NEW YORK TIMES Praise for THE YEARS OF RICE AND SALT: ‘A dazzling work of speculation with all the qualities of a great historical novel – it is by turns thrilling, tragic, funny and thoughtful’SCOTSMAN ‘A 600-year tapestry of striving, joy, unhappiness and ambiguity … this marvellous book may be the most hopeful thing you read for a long time.’EVENING STANDARD ‘Stunning’GUARDIAN ‘A huge, complex and highly enjoyable book’NEW SCIENTIST

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Book SynopsisA stunning coming of age novel set in a richly imagined post-apocalyptic world. For fans of THE PASSAGE and THE ROAD this is a fantastic addition to the growing cannon of dystopian fictionTrade Review'A great, gorgeous whirlwind of a novel, boundless in its imagination. You will be swept away' * Justin Cronin, New York Times bestselling author of The Passage *'PURE is a post-apocalyptic thrill ride, filled with wildly inventive characters whose journey of struggle and revolution manifests as a fast-paced narrative full of promise and hope. As visceral and kinetic as it is socially relevant, PURE is bursting with imagination and epic adventure. Baggott is here to stay. And we are all the beneficiaries' * Steven Schneider, producer of Paranormal Activity I and II *'PURE is a dark adventure that is both startling and addictive at once. Pressia Belze is one part manga heroine and one part post-apocalyptic Alice, stranded in a surreal Wonderland where everyone and everything resonates with what has been lost. Breathtaking and frightening. I couldn't stop reading PURE' * Danielle Trussoni, bestselling author of ANGELOLOGY *

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Book SynopsisThe Circle meets Black Mirror in a thrilling, plausible and gripping debut. Frighteningly inventive.' John Marrs, bestselling author of The OneWow wow wow! What a story that was! An unputdownable thriller Absolutely brilliant read that had me on the edge of my seat!' NetGalley reviewer, 5 starsDon't close your eyes. Don't fall asleep. Don't let them in.Thea is an insomniac; she hasn't slept more than three hours a night for years.So when an ad for a sleep trial that promises to change her life pops up on her phone, Thea knows this is her last chance at finding any kind of normal life.Soon Thea's sleeping for longer than she has in a decade, and awakes feeling transformed. So much so that at first she's willing to overlook the oddities of the trial the lack of any phone signal; the way she can't leave her bedroom without permission; the fact that all her personal possessions are locked away, even her shoes.But it soon becomes clear that the trial doesn't just want to help Thea sleep. ITrade Review ‘An original and action-packed thriller, with a perfectly unnerving premise that hooked me from the start.’ Philippa East, author of Little White Lies ‘A complex, clever novel with memorable characters and a dash of sci-fi. A truly gripping rollercoaster ride through a dark, dystopian land.’ Vikki Patis, author of Girl, Lost 'A tense, unsettling psychological thriller that’ll leave you wondering if there’s something more behind your own sleepless nights!' Karin Nordin, author of Where Ravens Roost

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Book SynopsisOne day, the children begin to show up in the subtropical town of San Cristóbal, unwashed and hungry. No one knows where they have come from or where they disappear to each night. And then they rob a supermarket and stab two adults, bringing fear to the town. So begins a thrilling morality tale that retraces the lines between good and evil, the civil and the wild, dragging our assumptions about childhood and innocence out into the light.Trade Review'A Luminous Republic has all the stark power of a folk-tale or a fable. It also raises concerns that are pressing and contemporary-about the function and source of language, about public paranoia and hysteria, about the idea of community and how information spreads. At the book's center is a moving personal story about memory and loss. The narrative is engaging, at times playful, wholly compelling' - Colm Toibin'At first you will feel fear, but what you feel next is something much deeper, disturbing and luminous' - Samanta Schweblin

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Book SynopsisContinuing their leisurely journey through the post-apocalyptic wastes, Youko and Airi stay the night in Oarai before racing up the Irohazaka slopes of Nikko and visiting the best hidden spots Saitama has to offer. And as they leave the Kanto region, the two climb the Japanese alps to the Nagano Venus Line—one of the best driving roads in Japan!

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Book SynopsisIn the western Pacific Ocean floats an island archipelago, cut off from the world and full of mysteries: scientific secrets that some believe are best forgotten, decaying monuments to an era of human decadence two centuries gone, and strange, radioactive monsters that tear apart any human beings foolish enough to set foot there. Its name, spoken only in whispers: Japan. An experienced soldier of fortune, Leon is tasked with retrieving a powerful weapon called Tsugumi. Can they stay alive long enough to find this Tsugumi? And does it have anything to do with the quiet, brutal girl with taloned feet who swoops in to save Leon's life?

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Book SynopsisSave lives… Or take them? A gripping novel of the Roman frontier.Ebook includes a new short story, entitled The West PastureArmy Medic Postumus Justinius Corvus is a long way from his native Britannia, in the Syrian provinces at the far corner of Empire. But now he is going home, unexpectedly promoted to Senior Surgeon in the Sixth.The new Emperor faces problems in the far flung island at the edge of Empire. Trouble is brewing north of the Wall. The tribes are stirring, a new conflict is brewing, old and new loyalties will be tested.Postumus will find himself at the heart of the maelstrom – and with his hands soaked in blood...Deeply researched and utterly enthralling, this is a searing historical epic perfect for fans of Ben Kane, Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.Praise for The Wall at the Edge of the World ‘A fine mix of story and history, and the author manages to shed light on a period when the Roman Empire flexed its muscles at the edge of the world’ Historical Novel Society‘The finest sense of history, character and narrative I’ve seen since Rosemary Sutcliffe’ Delia Sherman, author of Changeling

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Book SynopsisLITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE meets THE STEPFORD WIVES in the spectacular new novel from the New York Times bestselling author Chandler Baker.***SOON TO BE A MAJOR FILM*** Behind every successful woman . . . there''s a secret worth KILLING for ''A howl of feminist rage, but one that is pure fun'' STYLIST PRAISE FOR CHANDLER BAKER''Honest, timely, and completely thrilling'' REESE WITHERSPOON''Furious and relevant'' CLARE MACKINTOSH''Slick, smart, fierce'' SARAH VAUGHAN''Chandler Baker is the queen of the feminist thriller'' SALLY HEPWORTH ''Incredible . . . it made me angry in the best possible way'' JESSICA MOOR ''The Husbands may just save your marriage'' CELIA WALDEN ______________''A howl of feminist rage, but aTrade ReviewChandler Baker, queen of the feminist thriller, has delivered once again! The Husbands is a poignant exploration of what it would take for women to have it all ... and it's as sobering as you might imagine. My head is still spinning. I can already hear the book club discussions! -- Sally HepworthEvery weary wife needs to read this book. You'll belly laugh in recognition, sob in recognition - but ultimately, The Husbands may just save your marriage -- Celia WaldenIncredible. . . The Husbands expresses a truth that needed to be articulated, that will resonate with every woman I know. It made me angry in the best way. -- Jessica MoorEvery once in a while there's a book that stays with you - whether the subject resonates, makes you think or quite simply shocks. The Husbands does all that, and more. * Woman & Home *Soon to become a film, this clever novel is well worth a read and perfect for book clubs * Belfast Telegraph *An utterly addictive page-turner * Daily Mail *The deviously dark twists keep the reader hooked until the shocking climax * Candis *This gender-swapping Stepford Wives story is as creepy as it is delicious * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisA preliminary to Dick's masterwork, Valis, in which Phil appears as an explicitly named autobiographical character for the first time. Soon to be a major new film.As America gasps in the stranglehold of a skull-crushing totalitarian regime, a supernatural intelligence speaks from the starsARAMCHEK the word scratched in the sidewalk of the President's childhood home.ARAMCHEK the name of the subversive society with no official membership' whose sole purpose is to overthrow the American government.ARAMCHEK the word printed on a book which contains the President's signature a book in the hands of a Communist Party organiser.ARAMCHEK the name of a woman who may hold the key and who has only weeks to live.Will the agents of the omniscient Valis succeed in their mission of liberation? Or will the seek-and-destroy tactics of President Ferris F. Freemont extend the mind-numbing grip of the Antagonist across the parameters of the free world?In Radio Free Albemuth, his last novel, Philip K. DicTrade Review‘An engrossing, non-stop excursion into a believable vision of hell’Publishers Weekly ‘The most brilliant sci-fi mind on any planet’Rolling Stone

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Book SynopsisThe sequel to the cult classic The Dice Man, this book can also change your life!Larry Rhinehart is the son of an infamous father the renegade psychiatrist Luke Rhinehart, otherwise known as the Dice Man.Luke became a cult figure in the seventies, inspiring thousands to follow him into the anarchic world of Dice Living, where every decision is made not by the self, but by the roll of the dice.Larry, however, is emphatically not a follower. He has grown up to have a great respect for order and control. A wealthy Wall Street analyst, all set to marry the boss's daughter, Larry has got life where he wants it. Until rumours begin to circulate about the reappearance of his long-vanished father and Larry's carefully organized world begins to look a lot less certain.By turns funny, moving and wildly erotic, The Search for the Dice Man is a journey of the body and spirit never to be forgotten.

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Book SynopsisHey, you. Yes, you. Put this grimy, beautiful, devastating, hilarious, screaming, writhing, all-out post-apocalyptic girl-buddy-road-warrior-lost princess-techno-thriller in your face and read it right now. It is every kind of badass' Laini Taylor, NYT bestselling author of STRANGE THE DREAMER and the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogyA thrilling new series from Jay Kristoff, internationally best-selling author of The Nevernight Chronicle and The Illuminae Files.It's just another day on the Scrap: lose the last of your credits at the WarDome, dodge the gangs and religious fanatics, discover you can destroy electronics with your mind, stumble upon the deadliest robot ever builtWhen Eve finds the ruins of an android boy named Ezekiel in the scrap pile she calls home, her entire world comes crashing down. With her best friend and her robotic sidekick in tow, she and Ezekiel will trek across deserts of irradiated glass, battle cyborg assassins, and scour abandoned megacities to save the oTrade Review‘Kristoff's vivid world of grit, metal, and technology evokes all the senses, and his characters every emotion. This is a breathless, action-packed exploration of what humanity really means’Marie Lu, #1 NYT Bestselling Author of WARCROSS and THE YOUNG ELITES ‘Fierce friendships, brutal heartbreak, and the question of what makes us who we are–in the midst of a seriously awesome and terrifying post-apocalyptic world–make LIFEL1K3 your next favorite book. Trust me’Kiersten White, NYT Bestselling Author of AND I DARKEN ‘I'd like to live in the vivid and raw world of LIFEL1K3, if only I wasn't certain it would kill me. Jay Kristoff delivers an utterly unique and entirely brilliant story with his signature punch-to-the-gut writing that will leave you bruised but longing for more’Beth Revis, NYT bestselling author of STAR WARS: REBEL RISING and the Across the Universe trilogy

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Book SynopsisGripping' MARGARET ATWOOD''A fabulous, witty writer on the digital world' SUNDAY TIMES''A little Atwood, a little Gibson, all Alderman, it's brilliant and I loved it'' LAUREN BEUKESThe latest novel from the Women's Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Power, The Future is a white-knuckle tour de force and dazzling exploration of the world we have made and where we are going.Lai Zhen is about to die. As an Internet-famous survivalist, she's spent her life prepping for the end of the world. But now, desperate and cornered in a mall in Singapore, she's mad she might go out not knowing what the hell is going on. If she makes it out alive, what kind of a future will be waiting for her?Across the world, Martha Einkorn works the room at a gathering of mega-rich companies hell-bent securing a future just for them. Covert weapons, private weather, technological prophecy, when Martha fled her father's compound she may have left the cult behind, but if the apocalyptic warnings of his fox and Trade Review'Gripping … about to sweep the charts' Margaret Atwood 'Alderman has crafted characters readers will want to follow wherever they go—even to the end of the world. A smart, engrossing fable about digital technology and human community' Kirkus Starred Review ‘Alderman has gone from promising young author to publishing phenomenon, a writer gifted with the double Midas touch of commercial success and literary prestige … Alderman is a fabulous, witty writer on the digital world’ Sunday Times ‘This is a terrific novel that, for all its dystopian elements, may even make you optimistic about what lies ahead’ SFX Magazine 'The endless intrigue and surprising twists keep the pages turning' Publishers Weekly 'Playful, incisive, horribly relevant and surprisingly hopeful, The Future is a thrill ride that’s also a powerful manifesto. A little Atwood, a little Gibson, all Alderman, it’s brilliant and I loved it' Lauren Beukes, bestselling author of The Shining Girls 'It is the genius of Naomi Alderman to embed a smart and thought-provoking meditation inside a page-turner of a book. This is one wild (and thoughtful) ride' Karen Joy Fowler, bestselling author of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves 'How can a novel of big ideas be such compulsively readable entertainment? A nail-biting love story and a witty page-turner about the pros and cons of human civilization, The Future is a wow' Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room 'The Future couldn't be more timely, or more welcome … a rollicking, fun-packed thriller with juicy stakes, constantly escalating twists, and a cast of characters who feel like they already exist somewhere out there in our fragile, free-wheeling present' Alastair Reynolds, author of Eversion

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Book SynopsisThe return of the famous shared-world superhero books created and edited by George R. R. Martin, author of A Song of Ice and Fire.For decades, George R.R. Martin bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire has collaborated with an ever-shifting ensemble of science fiction and fantasy icons to create the amazing Wild Cards universe.In the aftermath of World War II, the Earth's population was devastated by an alien virus. Those who survived were changed forever. Some, known as jokers, were cursed with bizarre mental and physical mutations; others, granted superhuman abilities, became the lucky few known as aces.Queen Margaret, who came to the English throne after the death of her sister Elizabeth, now lies on her death-bed. Summoningthe joker aceAlan Turing, she urges him to seek the true heir: Elizabeth''s lost son. He was rumoured to have died as a baby but, having been born a joker, was sent into hiding.Margaret dies and her elder son Henry becomes king and at once declares he wantTrade ReviewPRAISE FOR THE WILD CARDS SERIES: “Deep and complex”Starburst “Perhaps the most original and provocative of the shared worlds books.”Peter S. Beagle, author of The Last Unicorn "Martin has assembled an impressive array of writers. . . . Progressing through the decades, Wild Cards keeps its momentum to the end."Locus "The shared-world series known as Wild Cards has had a long and illustrious history of contributors and achievements." SciFi.com

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Book SynopsisPart thriller, part treasure hunt and part love story Profound and heartbreaking' Sunday TimesA terrific, engrossing novel' Roddy DoyleA masterpiece' Sebastian BarryA rich, strange book. Very truthful and moving' Tessa HadleyThe new novel about the transformative power of art, the weight of history and the strange connection we make with one another, from the author of The Speckled People.The narrator of The Pages is not a human but a book: a first edition of Joseph Roth's masterpiece Rebellion, rescued from a Nazi book-burning in 1933. In recounting its history, it tells a multitude of stories: of Andreas, the character who lives in its pages; of its current owner, a woman whose discovery of a hand-drawn map in the book begins a thrilling mystery; and of Roth himself, a writer on the run. Together, they form a compelling story about art, nationalism, the weight of history, and the strange connections between us.This book simply must be read. It is magnificent' Irish IndependentA poweTrade Review Praise for The Pages: 'Brilliant. It's a lovely, rich, strange book, very truthful and moving, with a beautiful ending' Tessa Hadley ‘It is … a masterpiece. The Alignment of the destructive forces of the 1920s and the 2020s in this virtuoso work are uncanny and, frankly, alarming. This book simply must be read. It is magnificent’ Sunday Independent ‘A classic Joseph Roth novel takes centre stage in this mix of thriller, treasure hunt and love story…profound and heart-breaking’ Sunday Times 'A powerful, powerful piece of work. A wounded book making its own book. It brings so much to life – Joseph Roth, Chechnya, Germany, the art of writing, the whole notion of banning books, the lips of the past speaking to the present' Colum McCann 'A terrific, engrossing novel. I love the narrator – such a great character – and the structure is clever and carefully woven, and very satisfying' Roddy Doyle 'An ingenious conceit' John Banville 'A masterpiece. Full of great sentences. But also sort of obliteratingly moving, strange, and right' Sebastian Barry ‘Wonderful. It is as if Hugo Hamilton has invented a new form’ Neil Jordan, author of Carnivalesque ‘Although ideas of memory, legacy and repetition — the indelible imprints of history — fill The Pages, it moves with a fast and fluid gait … It reminds us that, even in an age when people “live in a rush to forget” (Roth’s words), we must read the book of the past in order to understand the present’ Boyd Tonkin, Financial Times ‘The form itself – a novel narrated by a novel – is so cunningly realised that it’s accepted almost immediately. It also inspires the thought: why are more novels not told like this? … it’s a fascinating work of real depth that combines biography, fiction and history to create a manifesto for the importance of literature in the times of political dismay’ Business Post

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Book SynopsisWonderfully heart-warming, it made me cry, filled my heart with hope, and cast a magical spell on me' M.A. Kuzniar, Midnight in EverwoodWonderfully heart-warming, it made me cry, filled my heart with hope, and cast a magical spell on me until I'd turned the very last page' M.A. Kuzniar, Midnight in EverwoodHaunting, magical and sparkling with Christmas spirit, One Christmas Morning is a festive love story with a difference . . . A warm and powerful debut' Holly Miller, The Sight of You -They say you know when you meet the one.The moment Eva locked eyes with James over a library bookshelf, she knew she'd found her soulmate. Over ten years, they fell in love, got married and made plans to start a family. Until everything changed one Christmas three years ago, and they've been drifting apart ever since.Eva hopes a friend's Christmas party at an old manor house in Cornwall will give them the chance to reconnect but the last thing she expects is to wake up on Christmas morning in the body oTrade Review Praise for Rachel Greenlaw and One Christmas Morning ‘Haunting, magical and sparkling with Christmas spirit, One Christmas Morning is a festive love story with a difference. A clever and cathartic novel about healing, grief, facing up to ourselves and letting go, it tugged on my heartstrings and took me through every emotion possible. A warm and powerful debut’ Holly Miller, The Sight of You 'Perfectly heartwarming' The Debut Digest 'The book I didn't know I needed to read – gorgeous, Christmassy and compelling’ Ella Allbright, The Last Charm ‘Wonderfully heart-warming, One Christmas Morning is a beautifully festive second-chance romance that made me cry, filled my heart with hope, and cast a magical spell on me until I’d turned the very last page’ M.A. Kuzniar, Midnight in Everwood ‘One Christmas Morning by Rachel Greenlaw is a festive treat. An intelligent, romantic story of star-crossed lovers, I was completely absorbed by the millennial Scrooge Eva’s predicament. Greenlaw’s debut is a shimmering success’ Laura Shepperson, The Heroines 'Relatable and captivating' The Sunday Post

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Book SynopsisA fascinating and prescient account of a future dominated by capitalist greed and mechanical forceA troubled insomniac in 1890s England falls suddenly into a sleep-like trance, from which he does not awake for over two hundred years. During his centuries of slumber, however, investments are made that make him the richest and most powerful man on Earth. But when he comes out of his trance he is horrified to discover that the money accumulated in his name is being used to maintain a hierarchal society in which most are poor, and more than a third of all people are enslaved. Oppressed and uneducated, the masses cling desperately to one dream - that the sleeper will awake, and lead them all to freedom.For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. R

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Book SynopsisPenguin presents the audiobook edition of Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell.''Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.''Hidden away in the Record Department of the sprawling Ministry of Truth, Winston Smith skilfully rewrites the past to suit the needs of the Party. Yet he inwardly rebels against the totalitarian world he lives in, which demands absolute obedience and controls him through the all-seeing telescreens and the watchful eye of Big Brother, symbolic head of the Party. In his longing for truth and liberty, Smith begins a secret love affair with a fellow-worker Julia, but soon discovers the true price of freedom is betrayal.(P) Penguin Audio 2021

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Book Synopsis''I recommend Hamilton at every opportunity, because he was such a wonderful writer and yet is rather under-read today. All his novels are terrific'' Sarah Waters''If you were looking to fly from Dickens to Martin Amis with just one overnight stop, then Hamilton is your man'' Nick HornbyPatrick Hamilton''s novels were the inspiration for Matthew Bourne''s new dance theatre production, The Midnight Bell.Impromptu in Moribundia is a satirical fable about one (nameless) man''s trespass (through a fantastical machine called the ''Asteradio'') into a parallel universe on a far-off planet where the ''miserably dull affairs of England'' are mirrored and transformed into an apparent idyll of bourgeois English imagination.Moribundia is the ''physical enactment of the stereotypes and myths of English middle-class culture and consciousness.'' Yet the narrator comes to discover that he has stumbled among a people characterised by ''cupidity, ignorance, complacence, meanness, ugliness, short-sightedness, cowardice, credulity, hysteria and, when the occasion called for it . . . cruelty and blood-thirstiness.

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Book Synopsis1720: political intrigue besets the kingdom as the Stuarts try to claim the throne occupied by the Hanoverians and the Morlands have to use all their wiles to keep their fortunes intact.Jeremy Morland, sole heir to his father''s will, has no option but to marry to cold-hearted Lady Mary to secure Hanoverian protection and safeguard his inheritance. Then the rebellion of ''45 and the bloody massacre at Culloden thrust his daughter Jemima into the spotlight as the saviour of the family. Independent, single-minded, and a rare beauty, Jemima is a capable caretaker of the Morland heritage. Although Morland Place and its lands suffer from the excesses of her dissolute husband, Jemima''s quiet courage earns her an abiding love and loyalty...

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Book Synopsis1795: the shadow of Bonaparte has fallen across Europe and touches each member of the far-flung Morland family.As the century draws to a close, Jemima Morland wearily ackowledges that her life is also nearing its end, but she has scant peace as her unpredictable children behave ever more incomprehensibly: James''s marriage to Mary Ann is closer to falling apart; Lucy''s marriage de convenance is in the balance - her affair with Lieutenant Watson is an open scandal.Mary bears a daughter on board her husband''s ship during the battle of the Nile; and William supports a mistress whose marriage cannot be dissolved.Jemima''s death appears to unite the family but, as ever with the Morlands, the future holds more peril than hope.

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Book Synopsis1815: Napoleon''s escape from Elba and the preparations for battle entangle the Morland family in a web of romance and heartbreak.The Allied Army is gathering in Flanders, and where the army is, the fashionable world must go- so London society hastens to Brussels to enjoy the most exhilarating Season ever.For Heloise it brings a renewed acquaintance with her former suitor, to Duc de Veslne-d''Estienne; while Rosamund must finally come to terms with her feelings for her cousin Marcus; and for Sophie, a meeting with an enigmatic French major could well alter her future.But as romance flourishes in a warlike atmosphere, the looming shadow of battle only makes the dancers whirl more feverishly. And when the Army marches out to face the might of the French at Waterloo, one question is in every heart: which of them will not come back?

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Book Synopsis''A howl of feminist rage, but also one that is pure fun'' StylistThe wives here are different. They are living proof that women can have it all: successful careers, loving families, beautiful homes.Their husbands are different too. They are living proof that men can do just as much as women. They can remember the kids'' schedules, use an iron and notice when the house needs dusting.Nora thinks she''s found the perfect new home for her family. But when she agrees to get involved in a wrongful death case in the neighbourhood, Nora becomes convinced that there''s a dark secret at the heart of this perfect world.For these women, it seems the secret to having it all is worth killing for . . .''This gender-swapping Stepford Wives story is as creepy as it is delicious'' Good HousekeepingTrade ReviewChandler Baker, queen of the feminist thriller, has delivered once again! The Husbands is a poignant exploration of what it would take for women to have it all ... and it's as sobering as you might imagine. My head is still spinning. I can already hear the book club discussions! -- Sally HepworthEvery weary wife needs to read this book. You'll belly laugh in recognition, sob in recognition - but ultimately, The Husbands may just save your marriage -- Celia WaldenIncredible. . . The Husbands expresses a truth that needed to be articulated, that will resonate with every woman I know. It made me angry in the best way. -- Jessica MoorEvery once in a while there's a book that stays with you - whether the subject resonates, makes you think or quite simply shocks. The Husbands does all that, and more. * Woman & Home *Soon to become a film, this clever novel is well worth a read and perfect for book clubs * Belfast Telegraph *An utterly addictive page-turner * Daily Mail *The deviously dark twists keep the reader hooked until the shocking climax * Candis *This gender-swapping Stepford Wives story is as creepy as it is delicious * Good Housekeeping *

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Book SynopsisFrom highly acclaimed author Inga Simpson - twice nominated for Australia's most prestigious literary award - comes a stunning a terrifying novel for fans of STATION ELEVEN, BIRDBOX and A QUIET PLACE.Trade ReviewThe Last Woman in the World layers precise nature writing with a conspiratorial tone for our times, turning in a gripping apocalyptic thriller that infects the sublime features of the landscape with primal fear * Guardian *Creepy and chilling * Observer *Each page is shaped with an impressive, world-building cinematic scope so that I was reminded of the thrilling paralysis I felt as I watched The Quiet Place, mixed with the frightening torment of the creepiest scenes in I Am Legend * Sydney Morning Herald *Inga Simpson deftly combines horror and hope in this necessary read that is sure to set the literary world on fire. The Last Woman in the World will grab you and not let go * Christina Dalcher *As terrifying as Bird Box or A Quiet Place but full of the most beautiful writing about nature. An absolute must-read * Mark Edwards *The Last Woman in the World is a novel of fear, fire and an uncertain future. A powerful narrative in Inga Simpson's own unique voice. Horrifying, yet humane and ultimately hopeful - a masterwork * Angela Slatter *A heart-racing, page-turning, hiding under the doona stuff. Will read anything this woman writes, did not expect to be so terrified * Kate Mildenhall *Chilling . . . powerful * Good Reading Magazine *

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Book SynopsisG. Willow Wilson was born in New Jersey in 1982. After graduating with a degree in History and coursework in Arabic language and literature, she moved to Cairo, where she became a contributor to the Egyptian opposition weekly Cairo Magazine until it closed in 2005. She has written for politics and culture blogs across the political spectrum, and has previously written a graphic novel, Cairo, illustrated by M. K. Perker, and a series of comics based on her own experiences, for D.C. Comics.Trade ReviewAn exhilarating techno-thriller but also far more than that... Wilson has created in this rich, literate novel a profound dialogue between tradition and modernity, belief and non-belief, fairy tale and urban reality. * Guardian *Brilliant... witty, imaginative and unorthodox in all senses * Observer *Among the most original and challenging books of 2012, and my personal pick for at least one major award in 2013. * Guardian *Charming and original * Sunday Telegraph *Wilson writes beautifully, tells a great story, and even makes computer hackery seem like magic. * Sunday Times *A Harry Potter-ish action-adventure romance [that] unfolds against the backdrop of the Arab Spring... Improbably charming... A bookload of wizardry and glee. * New York Times *Marvelous... Intoxicating... Hugely entertaining... It doesn't take magical powers to predict it will be one of the year's best-loved books. * Washington Post *

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Book SynopsisJohn Marrs is an author and former journalist based in London and Northamptonshire. After spending his career interviewing celebrities from the worlds of television, film and music for numerous national newspapers and magazines, he is now the bestselling author of: The One, The Passengers, The Minders, What Lies Between and When You Disappeared.Trade ReviewA page-turning and thought-provoking read * Daily Mirror *Skilfully evokes a future Britain . . . Marrs also excells when it comes to worldbuilding . . . a socially aware novel packed with thought-provoking questions * SFX Magazine *Clever, compelling and terrifyingly plausible. A near future nightmare that grips from the first page and never let’s go. The Marriage Act is a brilliant examination of relationships and the power we let others have over us. And talk about a page-turner. This one will leave you with paper cuts! -- C. J. Tudor, author of A Sliver of DarknessJohn’s creative, high-concept thrillers never fail to keep me furiously turning the pages and The Marriage Act is no exception. Pacy and packed full of tension, the book kept me constantly guessing as the thought-provoking plot about marriage and everything that comes with it unfolded in the most sinister of ways . . . dark, immersive speculative fiction at it’s very best! -- Sarah Pearse, author of The Retreat and The SanatoriumA scarily plausible alternative future with a truly twisted narrative. Tensely plotted and terrifyingly imagined - it’ll put you off marriage and modern technology for life! -- Harriet Tyce, author of Blood OrangeChilling thriller * Daily Mail *Original thriller with lots of surprises * My Weekly *The king of near-future what ifs is back with a smart and chilling page-turner. Twisty, unsettling, scarily believable and thought provoking, this is his best yet. -- Ellery Lloyd, author of The ClubFour couples navigate an increasingly claustrophobic world in this razor sharp and chillingly plausible tale from the masterful John Marrs * Woman's Own Magazine *One of the most exciting original thriller writers -- Simon Kernick, author of Good Cop Bad CopAn absolute blinder of a book . . . another gripping page turner. -- Claire Allan on The Marriage ActI really loved it… a plot that had me guessing all the way through. A triumph. -- Justin Myers on The Marriage ActMarrs is brilliant at twists . . . for the addicts of adrenaline-fuelled twisty rides -- Peter James, author of Picture You DeadJohn Marrs can do no wrong. Like Huxley and Orwell before him, Marrs manages to take real life sanctities and twist them into something terrifyingly plausible. All hail the master of the speculative thriller! -- Jack Jordan, author of Sunday Times bestseller Do No HarmAnother savagely clever near-future thriller. Provocative, terrifying and compulsive. If you loved The One, you'll love this! -- Cara Hunter, author of Hope to DieA tense, thrilling read – I found it impossible to put down. It’s dark and twisted, and I loved it -- Alex Michaelides, bestselling author of The Silent PatientDark, twisted, and full of surprises -- Mark Edwards, bestselling author of Her to Stay and The RetreatClever, original, and impossible to put down. The Marriage Act had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. John Marrs is a master of suspense. -- Jeneva Rose, international bestselling author of The Perfect MarriageThis was a brilliantly tricksy read. -- Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond

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Book SynopsisNew edition of the Terry Nation classic Galactic freedom fighters battle The Federation.Accused of a brutal crime and exiled from Dome City, where a vicious regime wields dictatorial power, Roj Blake swears vengeance on the corrupt leaders who have destroyed his future.Hijacking the Liberator, the most advanced spacecraft ever created, Blake travels to the sinister planet Cygnus Alpha and risks everything to rescue other victims of the regime. And with these allies he forms a new fighting force to combat galactic injustice and fight The Federation.Blake''s 7 is born.Trade ReviewBlake's 7: 40 years on, the dystopian sci-fi drama still packs a punch * GUARDIAN *A genuine classic * TELEGRAPH *It was forward thinking in the use of ongoing storylines and has been cited as an influence on such shows as Babylon 5, Firefly and Deep Space 9 * SFFCHRONICLES.COM *One of the most popular sci-fi series Britain has ever produced * DOUX REVIEWS *A serious home grown science fiction adventure series * TelevisionHeaven.co.uk *

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Book SynopsisTHE REESE WITHERSPOON BOOK CLUB PICKTHE PANDORA BOOK CLUB PICKA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA hottest book for THE TIMES, DAILY MAIL, THE INDEPENDENT, VOGUE, STYLIST, TIME MAGAZINE, EVENING STANDARD, THE I and THE IRISH MAIL ON SUNDAY.''It''s impossible not to be moved'' Stephen King, New York Times ''Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching...I was so invested in the future of this mother and son, and I can''t wait to hear what you think of this deeply suspenseful story!'' Reese Witherspoon (Reese''s Book Club October ''22 Pick)From the #1 bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere, comes one of the most anticipated books of the year - the inspiring new novel about a mother''s unbreakable love in a world consumed by fear.Twelve-year-old Bird Gardner lives a quiet existence with his loving but broken father, a former linguist who now shelves books in Harvard''s library. He knows Trade ReviewA stunning story of injustice and resistance...Lyrical, intricate, unsparing: this novel will break your heart and fire up your courage * Mail on Sunday *A lyrical and touching testimony to maternal love, it's also a salutary reminder of how easily freedoms can be lost and of the power of words to change lives * Daily Mail *One of the biggest books of the year...deeply moving * Stylist *Beautifully stirring and heart-wrenching, this powerful novel from the author of Little Fires Everywhere is a homage to love and will tug at your heartstrings * Heat, Book of the Month *A beautiful, thoughtful book...Brilliant and moving * Hello magazine *Ng's compelling writing paints a picture of a world so real you can almost touch it. Despite the darkness of the story, the love of a family stands out. * Independent *[A] feat of meaty storytelling...Ng effortlessly combines a character-led family story with a detective tale, a tribute to books and storytelling and a confrontation with history...a story that is exceptionally powerful and scaldingly relevant * Observer *Remarkable and deeply moving... as moving as it is gripping. [Ng] is an astute writer...her writing feels gorgeously supple * The i *Thought-provoking, heart-wrenching...I was so invested in the future of this mother and son, and I can't wait to hear what you think of this deeply suspenseful story! * Reese Witherspoon (Reese’s Book Club October ’22 Pick) *On another level, Our Missing Hearts is a meditation on the sometimes accidental power of words... I won't give away the splendid conclusion of Ng's book; suffice it to say the climax deals with the power of words, the power of stories and the persistence of memory. It's impossible not to be moved by Margaret Miu's courage, or to applaud her craftiness * Stephen King, New York Times *Powerful and brilliant * Vogue *Thought-provoking... My heart broke and was remade several times over by this book * Good Housekeeping *Ng, whose previous novels subtly probed tensions surrounding race,class, and gender, boldly tacklesanti-Asian racism head-on * Time magazine, 100 Must-Read Books of 2022 *Shot through with vivid color and rising hope, an unflinching yet life-affirming drama about the power of art and love to push back in dangerous times...Ng's brilliance lies in leaving the reader with an unshakable belief that against all odds, people will find the courage to resist, revolt, and defend . . . remarkable * Oprah Daily *[Ng] has really hit her authorial stride in her eagerly anticipated third novel, Our Missing Hearts... It's her masterful weaving huge themes of race, class, privilege and identity with the simplicity of everyday lives that has made her a deserved international phenomenon * Daily Mirror *Ng's third novel is eagerly awaited and does not disappoint...Our Missing Hearts deftly weaves together a coming-of-age story with a threatening vision of a heavily censored future * Daily Express *Little Fires Everywhere became a global phenomenon and now author Celeste Ng is back with another gripping tale * Irish Mail on Sunday *Tense, poignant and chilling * Grazia *

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Book SynopsisSet amidst the devastation of climate change and global pandemics, Lost Girl is a dystopian nightmare from the master of horror Adam Nevill. How far will he go to save his daughter? How far will he go to get revenge?It's 2053 and climate change has left billions homeless and starving - easy prey for the pandemics that sweep across the globe, scything through the refugee populations. Easy prey, too, for the violent gangs and people-smugglers who thrive in the crumbling world where 'King Death' reigns supreme.The father's world went to hell two years ago. His four-year-old daughter was snatched from his garden when he should have been watching. The moments before her disappearance play in a perpetual loop in his mind. But the police aren't interested; amidst floods, hurricanes and global chaos, who cares about one more missing child? Now it's all down to him to find her, him alone . . .Trade ReviewNevill ornaments his tale of brutality and bloodshed with florid Gothic prose, like flock wallpaper gracing a torture dungeon. There's acute psychological insight amid Lost Girl's squalid inferno, and the author's vision of our near future is horribly plausible. -- James Lovegrove * Financial Times *Adam Nevill excels at making nightmares real . . . Nevill's portrayal of the breakdown of civilisation, mirrored by the father's own spiralling moral crisis, is unflinchingly realistic - though not without hope. The author says he wanted the novel to amend "the status of climate change from the existential to the very real", and in this Lost Girl succeeds brilliantly * Guardian *Bleak, disturbing and terrifying - and horribly compelling. * Independent *Nevill concocts a unique, paranoid vision of dystopian drama that's nigh impossible not to get sucked into * Starburst *Lost Girl, to put it simply, is absolutely stunning . . . The book will change you by its end. And once you get there, you won't regret one moment spent! * scifinow.co.uk *Set amongst the stereotypically British boarding houses and tacky seaside resorts of the south coast of England, Lost Girl still manages to feel like a Sam Peckinpah movie * Dirge Mag *This is a journey you need to go on yourself. Put some time aside, get comfortable and pour yourself a stiff drink. You're going to need it * Pop Mythology *Lost Girl is a brutally powerful novel, it forces us to look both inwards at ourselves, to wonder if we would go to the same lengths, and one that forces us to look at the world we live in, can we halt the downward decline of our world or will we face a slow and inevitable decline into oblivion. The Future presented in Lost Girl may be a bleak one, but the future of Horror with writers such as Nevill at the helm is a bright future for all * Ginger Nuts of Horror *Lost Girl is an outstanding novel, a gripping, terrifying read from an author who never fails to deliver. It's a book that ably demonstrates that the horrors that arise from human nature itself are just as terrifying as those of a supernatural nature. It's a novel I highly recommend * Dark Musings *The almost prophetic descriptions of a vast refugee crisis (considering Nevill wrote this book before the current problems hit the papers) was almost spooky in its timeliness. And the vivid details of his story-weaving sucks you right out of this world into the one he is master of. As with all of his books, I advise that you read it at your own risk. But at the same time, you will be glad you did * Reluctantly Freaky *A novel which recognises the complex lives we all lead, that of private intimates (family, lovers, friends) as well as global citizens. It's how these two intermesh that determine the way things go for us, and by exploring these double realms of experience with such conviction, Nevill's narrative tears us apart at the end of the book. It's all too true in our troubled times, and I fear the novel will grow increasingly topical as the years unfold -- Gary FryLost Girl is a novel that is tough and will hit hard, particularly for those, as the father observes, "born partially stricken by so many solvents of the heart." . . . Lost Girl seems to be one of Nevill's most deeply personal novels, and I think it is his best * Literature Works *The king of darkness has donned a new mantle for a brilliant thriller that envisions a terrifying future . . . Nevill's writing is eloquent, spare and breathtakingly detailed, persuading us through the medium of words and compelling visual description that this is a future not of fantasy or make-believe, but grounded in the reality of a planet under serious threat * Lancashire Evening Blues *Lost Girl holds up an unflinching mirror to our reality, and it's not a pretty sight. It does, however, also hold out a thin hope for humanity - and after reading this, you'll probably feel that we need one * Murder and Mayhem *

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Book SynopsisIn this chillingly resonant dystopian adventure, two parallel versions of America are locked in conflict. Invisible Sun concludes Charles Stross’s Empire Games trilogy.Two twinned worlds are facing attack.The New American Commonwealth is caught in a deadly arms race with the USA, its rival in a parallel world. And the USA’s technology is decades ahead of the Commonwealth.Yet the Commonweath might self-combust first – its leader has just died, leaving a crippling power vacuum. Now, in a power grab by her oldest adversary, Minister Miriam Burgeson faces allegations of treason.But all factions soon confront a far greater danger.In their drive to explore other timelines, the high-tech USA awakened an alien threat. This force destroyed humanity on one version of Earth. And if the two superpowers don’t take action, it will do the same to them.Invisible Sun follows Empire Games andTrade ReviewStross’s ferociously imaginative world-building is on full display here . . . few other writers can match him for humour, creativity and sheer density of ideas -- SFX on Empire GamesSheer brilliance: when Stross is in this mood, nobody else comes close -- Kirkus starred review on Dark StateHigh-octane thriller action, mixed in with personal drama and some fantastically sympathetic characters -- Starburst on Dark StateMind-boggling, complex and truly brilliant -- Daily Mail on Empire GamesWhen intrigue, politics and suspense are so well executed, it doesn’t matter which realm, dimension or timeline the participants hail from. Add to that a sense of mischief, wit and humour and Charles Stross gives you the full package -- Chris Brookmyre on Empire GamesPlenty of fun -- Locus on Dark State

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Book SynopsisFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of 13 Minutes and the writer behind Netflix''s Behind Her Eyes comes a heart-breaking, heart-stopping tale of love, life and death which will take your breath away.Toby is a boy who has forgotten how to live.Clara is a girl who was born to die.Toby''s life was perfectly normal . . .Taken from his family, Toby now lives in the Death House. Isolated from the outside world the inhabitants of are watched for any signs of a mysterious illness . . .Clara was a girl who had everything. Adored by her friends and her family, her life was destined for greatness. Now, Clara is the newest resident of the Death House and she''s determined not to allow her life to end there.This is Toby and Clara''s story.Readers love The Death House:''A marvel of a read, beautifully emotional, so terribly addictive that I read it in one afternoon and just asTrade Reviewshocking and gripping, albeit ultimately hopeful and utterly moving, and it's Sarah Pinborough's finest novel to date * Sci-Fi Now *A bleak but compulsive tale...The Death House could be her finest novel yet * The Big Issue *The Death House is a stunning novel, and a harsh reminder that our lives are simply fragile, fleeting, heart-breaking and most likely destined to end long before we want * Starburst *First things first: Sarah Pinborough's latest novel, The Death House, made me cry...The Death House is the best book you'll read in 2015, guaranteed, and Sarah Pinborough cements her place as one of our finest living novelists * Reader Dad *The Death House is a dazzlingly emotional account of growing up, death and bits in between as well as an early contender for the book of the year * Upcoming 4 Me *The Death House is something completely different and doesn't fall into one definite category. There are many thoughts underlying the storyline but the most prominent ones are an extraordinary love story...it won't let you go without breaking your heart * The Book Plank *The attraction of The Death House is its tragedy. This book is bleak and horrible and you will love it * Geek Native *The Death House was a marvel of a read, beautifully emotional, so terribly addictive that I read it in one afternoon and just as a warning, will stomp all over your heart and make it bleed * Liz Loves Books *Death becomes her - Sarah Pinborough's most powerful work to date * Sf Bulletin *The Fault in Our Stars for the dystopian fan?....brilliantly written and moving, this is definitely recommended * Civilian Reader *The Death House is emotive, thoughtful and memorable - remarkably subversive in its complex nature all wrapped up in a superb ending" - one to read in 2015 * SF Book *Sarah Pinborough has created an incredible book with The Death House. Ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances highlighting the power of humanity....The writer's deft touch leaves the reader emotional. You might feel like your heart has been stomped on * Geek Syndicate *The Death House is sad, stealthily creepy, emotionally haunting and quite brilliant * SFF World *fascinating characters, sinister undertones and mysterious circumstances it makes for an incredibly addictive read * Fizz and Tattle *Sarah Pinborough has managed to write one of the saddest love stories I have read in a while, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet by being tragic and yet also triumphant * Fantasy Book Review *Unsettling, frightening and in the end uplifting, The Death House has stayed with me * Jenny Colgan *Impressive and moving * SFX *fascinating characters, sinister undertones and mysterious circumstances it makes for an incredibly addictive read * FIzz and Tattle *Sarah Pinborough has managed to write one of the saddest love stories I have read in a while, reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet by being tragic and yet also triumphant * Fantasy Book Review *[Pinborough] deftly manages to pull elements from various places, from horror tropes to science fiction or thriller or crime and re-weaves them into something far more compelling... she also manages to craft a book which functions perfectly well as an engrossing tale for an adult or for a YA reader. * Forbidden Planet International *It surprised me, it warmed me, it charmed me and shocked me both, and it's brilliant. * The Book Bag *This is a touching tale that will linger long after you've finished reading, haunting and heartbreakingly sad * The Eloquent Page *A very evocative, quick read - I really recommend it if you're looking for a very chilling, mysterious standalone novel * Books and Writers JNR *Pinborough layers a beautiful account of that first, maddening, youthful love, alongside the friendship and brotherhood only found in those doomed to die together. It's poignant and tear-jerking: the ending is stunning, and I haven't cried this much at a book in a long time * Strange Horizons *There are curveballs and plot twists galore, and more than a handful of tear-jerkers as the story progresses, but all of it is crafted with a care and attention to detail that defines what a good narrative and cracking tale it really is * British Fantasy Society *Situated somewhere between Margaret Atwoods' The Handmaid's Tale and William Golding's Lord of the Flies, The Death House is a moving triumph with a gut-punch of a denouement * The Independent on Sunday *In a world where detah is everywhere, every breath, every heartbeat becomes previous. Pinborough's vivid writing ensures her readers feel every one * The Telegraph *Moving and totally involving. I couldn't put it down * Stephen King *Compelling, heat braking, yet sinister this novel is beautifully written and thought-provoking * Telegraph and Argus *This is a powerful book; emotional and frightening with a killer ending. An absolute must read. * Terror Tree *you turn the pages begging for the story to continue ever further and not reach its poetic but terrible conclusion so fast. It will leave you in tears. * Love Reading *

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Book SynopsisFrom Elizabeth Bear comes a near-future tale about a woman who was engineered for combat in a world that's running out of time.Trade ReviewA gritty and painstakingly well-informed peek inside a future we'd all better hope we don't get * Richard Morgan, author of Altered Carbon *A remarkable SF writer who's leaving many of her contemporaries in the dust * SFReviews *What Bear has done in Hammered is create a world that is all too plausible . . . an unnerving peek into a future humankind would be wise to avoid * SciFi.com *A tightly plotted page-turner. The noir universe [Bear] creates is as hard-edged as the people who inhabit it * SFRevu *A tense, involving and character-driven read . . . a doozy of a ride * New York Review of Science Fiction *A roller coaster of a good thriller * SF Crowsnest *

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