Family saga / generational saga fiction

Book SynopsisFive hundred miles from mainland Colombia, grassroots resistance, sloppy vacationers, and a muddy history of conquest converge for Verónica, returning after living in Mexico City, ready to understand herself and the place she came from.San Andrés rises gently from the Caribbean, part of Colombia but closer to Nicaragua, the largest island in an archipelago claimed by the Spanish, colonized by the Puritans, worked by slaves, and home to Arab traders, migrants from the mainland, and the descendants of everyone who came before.For Victoria – whose origins on the island go back generations, but whose identity is contested by her accent, her skin colour, her years far away – the sunburnt tourists, sewage blooms, sudden storms, and ‘thinking rundowns’ where liberation is plotted and dinner served from a giant communal pot, bring her into vivid, intimate contact with the island she thought she knew, her own history, and the possibility for a real future for herself and San Andrés.Trade Review"Colombian writer Bendek’s clear-eyed debut….heralds an intriguing new voice." —Publishers Weekly"A brilliant and sensory overload of a novel." —The Crack Magazine

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Book SynopsisEl Caribe es un ombligo, profundo, infinito.... susurro. Me aprietan unos músculos firmes, me hace cosquillas la brisa de un aliento fresco. Tiembla San Andrés extasiada. Y tiemblo yo.A mil doscientas millas de tierra firme, resistencia raizal, turistas descuidados, y una historia embarrada sobre la conquista convergen para Victoria, quien vuelve a su hogar desde la Ciudad de México lista para descifrarse a sí misma y al lugar de donde viene.Regresar a san Andrés hace que Victoria Baruq cuestione su relación con la isla. Una foto inquietante de sus tatarabuelos y el raro encuentro con Maa Josephine, una anciana raizal a quien conoce frente a la First Baptiste Church, son algunos de los detonantes que empiezan a revelar detalles de sus orígenes. Su pasado no solo la pone en contacto con la desconocida historia de la isla, sino también con los movimientos sociales que, entre zouk y calipso, celebran la identidad raizal, hacen thinking rundowns, resisten.Esta obra fue ganadora del Premio de Novela Elisa Mújica 2018 (Colombia).Five hundred miles from mainland Colombia, grassroots resistance, sloppy vacationers, and a muddy history of conquest converge for Verónica, returning after living in Mexico City, ready to understand herself and the place she came from.San Andrés rises gently from the Caribbean, part of Colombia but closer to Nicaragua, the largest island in an archipelago claimed by the Spanish, colonized by the Puritans, worked by slaves, and home to Arab traders, migrants from the mainland, and the descendants of everyone who came before.For Victoria – whose origins on the island go back generations, but whose identity is contested by her accent, her skin colour, her years far away – the sunburnt tourists, sewage blooms, sudden storms, and ‘thinking rundowns’ where liberation is plotted and dinner served from a giant communal pot, bring her into vivid, intimate contact with the island she thought she knew, her own history, and the possibility for a real future for herself and San Andrés.Trade Review"Colombian writer Bendek’s clear-eyed debut….heralds an intriguing new voice." —Publishers Weekly"A brilliant and sensory overload of a novel." —The Crack Magazine

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Book SynopsisBrutal and overwhelming, Confession wrestles with the legacy of Argentina’s past and the passions of one young girl.When Mirta López looks out the dining room window, she sees a slim, self-possessed older boy on his way back from school. It’s 1941 in provincial Argentina, and the sight has awakened in her the first uncertain, unnerving vibrations of desire. Naturally, she confesses. But she cannot stop herself.Over thirty years later, in 1977, that same young man is a general, leading the ruling military junta of a country, and a cell of young revolutionaries plot an audacious attack on him, and the regime.Writing from the present into the past, Martín Kohan maps the contours of Argentina’s 20th century, but finds his centre in one woman – devout, headstrong, lit up with ideas of right and wrong – not the grand historical figures of her lifetime’s omnipresent, brutalizing history. And yet, there is great beauty in Confession , its decades and landscapes, and the legacy of love and guilt, pieties religious and civic, that play out in one family and against the background of dictatorship’s traumas.Trade Review"An expertly structured, morally complicated, and surprisingly timely blend of fact and fiction." —Kirkus"Beguiling." —Publishers Weekly"A wonderful book."" —Fiona Mozley , author of ELMET and HOT STEW"The prose of Argentinian writer Martín Kohan, above all in the most recent books, conveys a clinical precision and cool distance. From one novel to another, however, the effects are different."" —Edmundo Paz Soldán , author of TURING'S DELIRIUM and NORTE"Confession delves into Kohan’s poetics in an agile and determined manner, preserving his affectionate distance from the intimate affairs of his characters, as well as his freedom vis-à-vis militant writing" —Latin American Literature Today"A must-read." —Morning Star"A stupendous novel." —El País"One of Argentina’s greatest living writers." —La gaceta literaria"A fantastic writer whose texts question established ideas." —Letras Libres"Kohan works with tradition and with the Borgesian idea of the traitor and the hero. He chooses three situations and explores them minutely." —La Nación"Kohan’s novel understands and helps to understand; it delimits, records, pursues and reaches the most slippery crevices of history." —Letralia"The end result is a fluid, disturbing novel, one that neither resorts to low blows nor commonplaces when it comes to the military regime and the disappeared, but puts its finger on that concept that still causes unease when spoken aloud: civilian complicity." —La primera piedra"Hypnotic prose. A writer who owns a literary universe and a style all his own; a writer of unquestionable solidity." —El periódico"Martín Kohan is becoming an obligatory name in Argentinian literature." —Pagina/12"With a gift for totally natural dialogue, Kohan writes with an elegant lightness, paying great attention to rhythm. His specialty is the measured, exact word. Impeccable" —El Mundo************Praise for Martín Kohan"The worthy successor of Borges, Sábato and Bioy Casares." —Le Devoir"An expertly structured, morally complicated, and surprisingly timely blend of fact and fiction." —Kirkus"Beguiling." —Publishers Weekly"Hypnotic prose. A writer who owns a literary universe and a style all his own; a writer of unquestionable solidity." —El periódico"A must-read." —Morning Star"A stupendous novel." —El País"One of Argentina’s greatest living writers." —La gaceta literaria"A fantastic writer whose texts question established ideas." —Letras Libres"Kohan works with tradition and with the Borgesian idea of the traitor and the hero. He chooses three situations and explores them minutely." —La Nación"Kohan’s novel understands and helps to understand; it delimits, records, pursues and reaches the most slippery crevices of history." —Letralia"The end result is a fluid, disturbing novel, one that neither resorts to low blows nor commonplaces when it comes to the military regime and the disappeared, but puts its finger on that concept that still causes unease when spoken aloud: civilian complicity." —La primera piedra"Martín Kohan is becoming an obligatory name in Argentinian literature." —Pagina/12************

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Book SynopsisBrutal y sobrecogedora, una novela con la dictadura argentina como telón de fondo.Tres historias que forman parte de una misma historia. En 1941, en una ciudad de provincias argentina, una niña confiesa a un sacerdote los primeros y difusos impulsos sexuales que nota en su cuerpo, relacionados con la atracción que siente por un joven apellidado Videla que pasa cada día bajo su ventana. En 1977 un grupo de jóvenes revolucionarios prepara un atentado en un aeródromo para liquidar a un Videla que ya no es joven y es conocido por todos. Y, por último, una anciana –la niña de la primera historia– juega una partida de cartas con su nieto, que ha ido a visitarla a la residencia donde pasa sus días, y entre jugada y jugada le cuenta lo que le sucedió a su hijo, el padre del chico, en lo que resulta una nueva confesión. Tres historias y tres tiempos que se entretejen para forjar una única historia. Tres historias que hablan de dolor, culpa y confesiones.Una novela sobrecogedora y deslumbrante, construida con una brillantísima arquitectura que le permite al autor penetrar hasta la médula de las historias –de la historia– que nos relata.Brutal and overwhelming, Confession wrestles with the legacy of Argentina’s past and the passions of one young girl.There are mysteries in the world of man, just as there are in the Kingdom of God, and that they too, albeit quite differently, are unfathomable.When Mirta López looks out the dining room window, she sees a slim, self-possessed older boy on his way back from school. It’s 1941 in provincial Argentina, and the sight of the Videla’s eldest son has awakened in her the first uncertain, unnerving vibrations of desire. Naturally, she confesses. But she cannot stop herself. Thirty years later, Videla is a general, leading the ruling military junta, and a cell of young revolutionaries plot an ingenious attack on him, and the regime. Writing from the present into the past, Martín Kohan maps the contours of Argentina’s 20th Century, but finds his center in one woman—devout, headstrong, lit up with ideas of right and wrong—not the grand historical figures of her lifetime’s omnipresent, brutalizing history. “There is an art to keeping lives constant, not allowing them to be altered by facts that are merely external.” And there is great beauty in Confession , its decades and landscapes, and the legacy of love and guilt playing out in one family and against the background of dictatorship’s traumas.Trade Review"An expertly structured, morally complicated, and surprisingly timely blend of fact and fiction." —Kirkus"Beguiling." —Publishers Weekly"Hypnotic prose. A writer who owns a literary universe and a style all his own; a writer of unquestionable solidity." —El periódico"A must-read." —Morning Star"A stupendous novel." —El País"One of Argentina’s greatest living writers." —La gaceta literaria"A fantastic writer whose texts question established ideas." —Letras Libres"Kohan works with tradition and with the Borgesian idea of the traitor and the hero. He chooses three situations and explores them minutely." —La Nación"Kohan’s novel understands and helps to understand; it delimits, records, pursues and reaches the most slippery crevices of history." —Letralia"The end result is a fluid, disturbing novel, one that neither resorts to low blows nor commonplaces when it comes to the military regime and the disappeared, but puts its finger on that concept that still causes unease when spoken aloud: civilian complicity." —La primera piedra"Martín Kohan is becoming an obligatory name in Argentinian literature." —Pagina/12************Praise for Martín Kohan"The worthy successor of Borges, Sábato and Bioy Casares." —Le Devoir"An expertly structured, morally complicated, and surprisingly timely blend of fact and fiction." —Kirkus"Beguiling." —Publishers Weekly"The prose of Argentinian writer Martín Kohan, above all in the most recent books, conveys a clinical precision and cool distance. From one novel to another, however, the effects are different. – Edmundo Paz Soldán"" —Edmundo Paz Soldán , author of TURING'S DELIRIUM and NORTE"Hypnotic prose. A writer who owns a literary universe and a style all his own; a writer of unquestionable solidity." —El periódico"Confession delves into Kohan’s poetics in an agile and determined manner, preserving his affectionate distance from the intimate affairs of his characters, as well as his freedom vis-à-vis militant writing" —Latin American Literature Today"A must-read." —Morning Star"A stupendous novel." —El País"One of Argentina’s greatest living writers." —La gaceta literaria"A fantastic writer whose texts question established ideas." —Letras Libres"Kohan works with tradition and with the Borgesian idea of the traitor and the hero. He chooses three situations and explores them minutely." —La Nación"Kohan’s novel understands and helps to understand; it delimits, records, pursues and reaches the most slippery crevices of history." —Letralia"The end result is a fluid, disturbing novel, one that neither resorts to low blows nor commonplaces when it comes to the military regime and the disappeared, but puts its finger on that concept that still causes unease when spoken aloud: civilian complicity." —La primera piedra"Martín Kohan is becoming an obligatory name in Argentinian literature." —Pagina/12"With a gift for totally natural dialogue, Kohan writes with an elegant lightness, paying great attention to rhythm. His specialty is the measured, exact word. Impeccable" —El Mundo************

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Book SynopsisThe four translations assembled here are intended to supplement the early Bishops Sagas that are already easily available in translation. The texts included are Hungrvaka (Foretaste), Páls saga byskups (The Saga of Bishop Páll Jónsson), Oddaverja þáttr (An Account of the People at Oddi) and Prestssaga Guðmundar góða (The Priesthood of Bishop Guðmundr Góði). All have been dated to the first years of the thirteenth century. Together with the Viking Societys edition of þorláks saga byskups (2013), they typify the first emergence of saga writing and show how the evolution of saga composition began. The texts are translated by Theodore M. Andersson who also provides a full introduction. The book includes a bibliography and index of names.

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Book Synopsis1982. Thirteen-year-old Ewan Fraser is sent to the remote island of Barra, off Scotland’s west coast, to stay with his aunt and uncle. Resigned to a monotonous summer of boredom, he is befriended by local girl Laura Robertson; together they explore the golden beaches and rocky coves of the idyllic island. But a dark secret that connects Laura to the mysterious outcast Mhairi Matheson and her son, Billy, is hidden beneath the tranquil surface… A secret that threatens to tear the small community apart. Forty years later, Ewan returns to confront the truth about the formative summer of his adolescence, and finally learn the truth about Laura and the boy from Barra.

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Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE A joyful family saga about free will, forgiveness, and how we are all interconnected. In October 1989, triplet babies are born into chaos in a Swedish hospital. Over two decades later, the siblings are scattered around the world, barely speaking. Sebastian is in London working for a mysterious scientific organisation and falling in love. Clara has travelled to Easter Island to join a doomsday cult. And the third triplet, Matilda, is in Sweden, practising being a stepmother. Then something happens that forces them to reunite. Their mother calls with worrying news: their father has gone missing and she has something to tell them, a twenty-five-year secret that will change all their lives … 'Hilarious' CLAIRE LOMBARDO 'Playfully experimental' THE GUARDIAN 'Magnificent' THE TELEGRAPHTrade Review‘A wild 529-page trip … magnificent.’ -- Amber Medland * The Telegraph *‘Playfully experimental … enjoyable … funny.’ -- Suzi Feay * The Guardian *‘This is a prismatic, hilarious, and deeply intelligent novel overflowing with wisdom about the complexities of being alive — I read it ravenously, and with pen in hand.’ -- Claire Lombardo, author of The Most Fun We Ever Had‘With gorgeous prose and a wry wit, Amanda Svensson offers readers at once a novel of family, love affairs, the search for meaning, of grief and of sibling rivalry — of triplets with a twist.’ -- Donna Freitas, author of The Nine Lives of Rose Napolitano‘A brilliant vision of family and modern life, both as we know it and as it can only be imagined by one of Sweden’s finest writers — as translated by one of our finest translators, Nichola Smalley. A playful, tender, and funny gem.’ -- Saskia Vogel, author of Permission‘Big, playful, and very strange.’ -- Gayle Lazda * London Review Bookshop *‘In her new novel Amanda Svensson portrays with both sincerity and humour, how there is a system to the madness and a madness in the system. It is a winding work that establishes her among the great storytellers with a totally unique voice.’ -- Jury statement from the Per Olov Enquist Literary Prize‘[W]ith a devoted passion for narration and a steadfast belief in the intrinsic value of fiction, Amanda Svensson portrays triplets Sebastian, Clara, and Matilda. The story of their lives in different corners of the world evolves into a supreme literary work, which expands the reader’s senses in the face of the possibilities of reality, just by being so unabashedly fictitious.’ -- Jury statement from the Tidningen Vi’s Literary Prize‘[A] novel about serious contemporary issues such as climate and fear, but that also makes you smile.’ -- Jury statement from the Svenska Dagbladet Literary Prize‘A verbose, kooky, surrealistic, and simply wonderful novel with major existential questions.’ * Svenska Dagbladet *‘A classic family saga, which recalls Thomas Mann and Zadie Smith, but also has the intricacy and ambition of the intellectual mystery à la Marisha Pessl or Donna Tartt. Svensson pours art and science, literature, and politics into the brew, until she has achieved an entertaining bildungsroman that is far removed from the egocentric autofiction that is said to be dominating contemporary literature … Svensson carries out her almost perilously demanding literary project with a lightness that is impressive.’ * Expressen *‘There is such an enormous amount of energy and vitality in Amanda Svensson’s prose, an energy that is instantly recognisable from her previous books. There is not a single stale sentence, not a single dull repetition or artificial response. She seamlessly moves between the novel’s different moods and she can be insanely funny without losing any of the fundamental sincerity.’ * Östersunds-Posten *‘A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding is composed like a rich kind of symphony, with a diverse set of voices and places that together move from cacophony to harmony. This is a book that, to use the author’s own words, makes you feel alive.’ * Göteborgs-Posten *‘The Freudian term unheimlich appears early in the novel, pre-empting the doubles and doublings, shadows and ghosts, recurring images and disappearing persons that haunt the book. It is oddly comforting that against such an uncanny backdrop the banalities and joys of the world continue — characters still fall in love, quarrel, sit in discomfort and make amends. The beauty of Svensson’s work is in this precise balance: she maintains compelling emotional resonance amid a truly wild and sprawling world. … A truly delightful study of the contours of family, the limits of free will, and the end of the world as we know it, A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding is expansive and expanding.’ -- Leah Jing McIntosh * The Saturday Paper *‘Chaos and the search for order duel in Svensson’s intelligent debut.’ * Publishers Weekly *‘In Amanda Svensson’s novel A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding, a shocking secret forces three siblings to reevaluate their places in their family and the world … A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding is a dynamic novel about methods of coping in a world where nothing is certain.’ * Foreword Reviews *‘[A System So Magnificent] is joyous and funny.’ * ANZ LitLovers *‘Svensson writes beautifully... it's a pleasure simply to follow along.’ * The Complete Review *‘All families are dysfunctional, but some raise it to an art form, as Amanda Svensson so deftly outlines in her admirable novel A System So Magnificent It Is Blinding … While all of her main characters are deeply — really deeply — flawed, Amanda Svensson has you rooting for them through their highs and lows.’ * Book Page *‘At the heart of Svensson’s tumultuous epic lies a perennial query: Are our lives simply random intersections of space and time, or are they part of a grand master plan of the universe, where we are all but cosmic marionettes and nothing is coincidence?’ * The New York Times *‘Brilliant … a sprawling family epic exploring complex questions about the power of one’s mind and the impact of one’s choices … This sharp and expansive novel takes up love, loss, truth, and beauty and will challenge readers to decide if they agree when Matilda asserts: “We're all living in different worlds. It's up to each of us to decide what form that world takes”.’ * Shelf Awareness *‘Amanda Svensson’s raucous, sprawling debut takes on the enigmas of our origins, riddles of human consciousness and animal cognition, doomsday cults, and the most bedevilling of mysteries — the minds and choices of our closest intimates.' -- Jury statement from the International Booker Prize 2023

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Book SynopsisTo a passing stranger, Carrie is just an ordinary woman living an ordinary life... and that's exactly the way she wants to keep it. In a sleepy little seaside town, she occupies herself day-to-day without incidents or drama, until someone comes along who threatens her private world of sorrow and regret.

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Book SynopsisOn the evening of the launch of his debut novel, Matt West and his wife, Jo are knocked down by a car. She is killed and he's left in a wheelchair. After a challenging few months in hospital, Matt begins living independently. The driver of the car, Greg Dymond struggles with anger, mental turmoil and guilt but also organises a crowdfunding appeal to help Matt and his young daughter, Tilly. Community Nurse, Sophie Howlett supports Matt with daily living and emotional adjustment. Emerging from her latest unsatisfactory relationship, and with no one else to turn to, Sophie goes to Matt for support. Thus begins a valuable friendship as they seek to move on from what life has thrown at them - and love grows. A story of grief and joy, conflict and resolution, tears and laughter.

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Book SynopsisThe March's End is a multi-generational portal fantasy of strange magics, epic warfare, and deadly intrigue, in which the personality conflicts and toxic struggles of the Harrow family are reflected in the fantasy world they've sworn to protect. The Harrows are a typical suburban family who, since time immemorial, have borne a sacred and terrible charge. In the daylight they are teachers, doctors, bartenders and vagrants, but at night they are the rulers and protectors of the March, a fantastical secondary world populated with animate antiquated toys and sentient lichen, a panorama of the impossible where cities are carried on the backs of giant snails, and thunderstorms can be subdued with song. But beneath this dreamlike exterior lie dark secrets, and for generation after generation the Harrows have defended the March from the perils that wait outside its borders - when they are not consumed in their own bitter internecine quarrels. In the modern day the Harrow clan are composed of Sophia, the High Queen of the March, a brilliant, calculating matriarch, and her three children - noble Constance, visionary, rebellious Mary Ann, and clever, amoral Will. Moving back and forth between their youth, adolescence, and adulthood, we watch as this family fractures, then reconciles in the face of a conflict endangering not only the existence of the March, but of the 'real world' itself. THE MARCH'S END is a book about growing up, in which the familial struggles of the Harrows are threaded through the mythic history of the fantastical land they protect. It is a story of failure and redemption, in which the power of love is tested against forces that seek to break it, and the necessity of each generation to recreate itself is asserted.Trade Review"The battles of politics and war give a real feeling of tension and life to this novel. Readers who enjoy the political complexity and epic battles of A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin as well as the classic fantasy of The Nutcracker will enjoy this stand-alone." – Library Journal"Readers who crave a touch of whimsy in their dark family sagas will get both itches scratched by this one."– Publishers Weekly"Framed inside the stunning worldbuilding of sentient lichen and antique toys lies a heartfelt story of family seeking resolution and absolution from their own madness." – SciFiNow “Daniel Polansky is one of my favorite new writers. Again and again, he manages to reinvent and invert well-worn genres.” – David S. Goyer, screenwriter and director “Polansky is his own genre.” – Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times-bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma “Surges like a revelation.” – Matt Fraction, Eisner Award-winning comic book writer “This f*cking guy. He’s too good to live…” – John Hornor Jacobs, author of Southern Gods

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Book SynopsisBecoming the planet's most (in)famous human has not changed Brooklyn Lamontagne one bit, but the time has come for him to choose where his allegiances really lie. The United Nations is working to get everyone off Earth by the deadline - set by the planet's true owners, the aliens known as the First. It's a task made somewhat easier by a mysterious virus that rendered at least fifty percent of humanity unable to have children. Meanwhile, the USA and the USSR have set their sights on Mars, claiming half a planet each. Brooklyn Lamontagne doesn't remember saving the world eight years ago, but he's been paying for it ever since. The conquered Earth governments don't trust him, the Average Joe can't make up their mind, but they all agree that Brooklyn should stay in space. Now, he's just about covering his bills with junk-food runs to Venus and transporting horny honeymooners to Tycho aboard his aging spaceship, the Victory. When a pal asks for a ride to Mars, Brooklyn lands in a solar system's worth of espionage, backroom alliances, ancient treasures and secret plots while encountering a navigation system that just wants to be loved...Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR MERCURY RISING "Greene remixes sci-fi conventions into a wild, satisfying adventure in a nearly picaresque vein…Readers willing to roll with the punches will delight in following Greene’s winding path."– Publishers Weekly "Mercury Rising is a rollicking, funny, picaresque adventure novel… Recommended for fans of old sf-adventure serials and Ernest Cline's Armada."– Booklist "The action in Mercury Rising is compelling from the first chapter. Greene’s skill at creating an alternate space-faring America in the mid-1970’s is studded with the perfect amount of pop culture references, and his many-layered Everyman, Brooklyn Lamontagne, feels like a long-lost best friend. All this combines to lock you in for a thrilling story that’s impossible to put down."– Ginger Smith, author of The Rush's Edge "Everything I've come to love about Greene: impeccable story logic, fantastic prose, sly humor, and hope in all its glory."– Zig Zag Claybourne, author of Afro Puffs are the Antennae of the Universe "Mercury Rising charmed and fascinated me. Greene has taken an absolutely wild premise and somehow made it fit like a puzzle piece into our own history and knowledge of the greater universe. It is unexpected and clever, heartfelt and funny, with big, conceptual penny-drop moments that hit the reader as hard as they hit the novel's weary protagonist, Brooklyn Lamontagne."– Chris Panatier, author of Stringers and The Phlebotomist "Surprising, engaging, and with plenty of smart nods to society’s bullshit, Mercury Rising is a slice of alternative history that reads like science-fiction Stephen King. A joy."– Dan Hanks, author of Swashbucklers "Greene's world is immersive, compelling, and fun. Brooklyn's saga takes us from a dank New York City jail cell to bone-dry Texas, the rim of a still-smoking crater, the Arctic circle, a Vegas-like city on the moon, and beyond. And, like Brooklyn, I could only hang on for dear life and enjoy the ride. As with all good alternate history, it entertains while shining a light on issues that bedevil this world, and makes you think about the missed opportunities in our own timeline.” – B.L. Blanchard, author of The Peacekeeper "With a deft weaving of rock ‘n roll, denim suits, AMC Pacers and nuclear-powered spaceships, Greene effortlessly recreates a 1970s America that could have been. This thoroughly plausible alternate history in which asteroid-slinging aliens threaten a spacefaring human race is narrated by Greene’s unlikely hero, Brooklyn Lamontagne. Seemingly a brash young ne-er-do well, Brooklyn is redeemed by his love for his mother and his loyalty to his friends and you can’t help but root for him as he navigates a rocky path from the cold streets of NYC to the moon and beyond. As the stakes intensify and the mystery around earth’s implacable enemy deepens, the story becomes a ride as fast as an Oppenheimer-powered rocket and you won’t want it to stop. Can’t wait to see what comes next!"– Sarah J. Daley, author of Obsidian

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Book SynopsisThe Overlords have risen! They've torn apart the Wellish Steppes and raised mountains, they're fighting against the gods themselves, attacking the Daxar Taaalor and bringing the wrath of the Children of the Forges. They've turned one of the greatest sorcerers in the history of Fellein to their side and divided the council of wizards, forcing Desh Krohan into battle with old allies. The empire is at war. The Sa'ba Taalor are preparing for battle, and the Overlords have begun their own plans, raising an army of shapechangers called the War-Born to do their bidding. The armies of the Overlords are savage, they hunt, kill and eat their prey. They are endlessly hungry. The final war is on, one that will change the shape of the Fellein Empire. Even as the gods involve themselves in the final confrontations between the empire and the enemies, old and new. File Under: Fantasy [ Last Stand The Battle Persists Rising Enemy Cold Front ]Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR JAMES A. MOORE "Fantasy does not get much better than this." - Morpheus Tales "James A. Moore keeps getting better. The cast of characters expands. Moore juggles them with ease, giving each one some background so that they don't all run together. And the battle scenes, whether it's individual combat or armies clashing, are riveting. Plus the intrigue keeps on getting more complex. This is one is highly recommended." - Adventures Fantastic "The prose is sharp, the pace wonderfully timed with great action tempered with some wonderful lulls to allow you to get your breath back. Back this up with some great characters alongside a world that is delightfully designed all round makes this a series that continues to go from strength to strength. Finally, and this is the clincher for me, Moore gives the characters a depth with their dialogue that not only shows their devotions but also gives them a roundedness that allows you to become fully immersed. Cracking." - Falcata Times "I need more stories set in this world. Please indulge me, Mr Moore." - Fantasy Book Review "A strong instalment with no shortage of action." - The Speculative Herald "I love this series, I will not lie about it. It has ALL the things that make a great fantasy read." - Shelf Inflicted

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Book SynopsisThe Wraiths have raised an army of the dead. An army of the living is marching on the throne. Caught in the middle, Myla is supposed to be spying on a sorceress who can read minds. Things are not going well. Far away, Seth and Fings are trying their hardest to have nothing to do with any of this. All Fings has to do is not steal anything. All Seth has to do is not meddle with Forbidden Magics. All they have to do is lie low. And for once, it’s all going swimmingly. Until, that is, Fings sees a face he thought they’d left behind in the ashes of Deephaven. As Seth’s past catches up with him and Myla unravels the true nature of the Empire’s new Princess-Regent, the trio converge on the dead city of Valladrune. Armed with sinister secret behind an old war, they once more hold the fate of the Empire in their reluctant hands. If only they knew what the heck to do with it. File Under: Fantasy [ Tough crowd i-Spy Forbidden fun End of an era ]Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR STEPHEN DEAS"Subterfuge and skulduggery from one of my favourite fantasy writers.”– RJ Barker, author of The Bone Ships"Adventure fantasy in the classic style, as faction battles faction in a city of blood and grit and deathtrap back alleys. But it’s the storytelling that makes the pages fly by. Wit, humor, and a percolating sense of enchantment are signatures of a Stephen Deas novel, and this is Deas at the top of his game.”– Robert V.S. Redick, author of Master Assassins and The Red Wolf Conspiracy"A big, rich world, with a plot full of surprises and characters that will linger long after you finish the book… not to be missed."– Joshua Philip Johnson, author of The Forever Sea"This dark and gritty fantasy is recommended for readers wanting the scope of an epic with the grittiness of grimdark urban fantasy. It will be loved by those who are looking for stories that exhibit all the darkness at the heart of “Game of Thrones” set in the mean streets of the grittiest of fantasy cities, and/or those who like antihero protagonists stuck in a morally gray area."– Library Journal"Three unlikely characters land in the midst of political intrigue in this fun fantasy from Deas...This will most appeal to fantasy readers who love seeing everyday characters caught up in sweeping events."– Publishers Weekly"Deas's prose is witty, occasionally almost Pratchett-like...there's something vital and dangerous going on in the world, but our fun comes from the petty tragedies of three downtrodden rogues."– SFX"Readers who like their high fantasy laced with revenge and political intrigue will find this tale of interest."– Booklist

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Book SynopsisTwo teenage girls from opposite sides of the tracks in 1960s Midlands England are forced into prostitution in this engrossing tale of loss, liberty, and love. Weep at the relationship between clever Janet and spoiled Priscilla, as their handsome, young English teacher, Mr Edwards – and his corrupting father – become embroiled in their tortuous journeys. But then a smart heroine Tara fatefully enters the fray on a secret detective mission. Dramatic and topical events include a city-slum killing, police malfeasance, newspaper-business bribery, emotional blackmail, destitute homelessness, and a mountaineering adventure. This saga combines a socio-political struggle by the under-privileged against repression, with both feminine and asexual insights into love, to produce a thought-provoking, yet stylishly old-fashioned, romantic rollercoaster.

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Book Synopsis‘I can never make any sense of what happened to you, Ethel. There were people had it in for you and I don’t know why. I think you were a soft target for cruel men.’ Timid Ethel Slater grows up in a squalid terraced house in a railway community in 1950s York. Perpetually at the mercy of the men she encounters, she falls pregnant out of wedlock, retreats into obscurity and gives birth alone at home. When her newborn is found dead in her bedroom a few days later and fatal head injuries are discovered at the post-mortem, Ethel breaks and confesses to the killing. On trial for murder, Ethel is plunged into a legal world she does not understand. The voices of well-meaning neighbours who give evidence are twisted and distorted by their own secrets and fears. Ethel faces the death sentence for a brutal crime she may not have committed. The right questions are asked, but in this secretive and insular community, nobody can ever be sure of the right answers.

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Book Synopsis ''In a life full of books and not enough time to read them, I never read a novel twice. This one I will'' Clo CareyWinner of the Irish Novel Fair 2021 A compelling story of family, secrets, identity, and a reminder that love and life can surprise you right until the very end.When Alina's son, Fin, traces his long-absent birthfather, it's the catalyst for decades of secrets to implode in Alina's neatly ordered life.With the sudden appearance of Rory, and the ever-present pull of a very different life in Bangladesh, she's left reeling.Three relationships, all of them built on half-truths. All Alina can truly be sure of, is that you can choose your family, you just can't choose who they will turn out to be.''A lovely, compelling read about love, family, and finding yourself'' Becky Hunter, author of One Moment''Intricately explores themes of home, family, identity, love, and loss, inviting readers to po

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Book SynopsisDanny knows his family is not poor because they have not one, but two tea towels. His mam never learned to cook, so Danny has to do his best. The family lives on the edge of legality, monitored by both police and social services. Life in a fishing port on the east coast in the 1960s is not easy. Aided by the local grocer, Danny takes an illegal job working at the newly opened Chinese restaurant and discovers a passion for cooking. However, he finds it hard to combine his barely functioning family life with his ambitions as a chef; fighting to protect his clever brother, idle sister and prostitute mother, while his father looks after no one but himself. Inspired by Leo Tolstoy’s series of semi-biographical vignettes, Childhood, Boyhood, Youth is a classic coming-of-age novel, cast in a rarely documented setting in the voice of a rarely heard narrator.

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Book SynopsisAt a stately home in Burnley in 1936 a young girl is employed as a maid in service to the lord and lady of the house. She falls in love for the first time, ultimately having to deal with the consequences of her love in a manner she never imagined. A young man in the British Army in 1959 wrestles with his own identity and keeps secrets – some of which he will hold for the rest of his life. St. Helens in the mid 1970s and a young boy faces his father with legal documents he doesn’t understand that he finds in a shoe box under the stairs. Based on real events of one family’s search for the truth, Under the Stairs is an aching saga told across time, told through the generations of one family; their unconditional love for each other and their determination to answer the question we all want to know the answer to – Who am I?

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Book SynopsisIt is January 2017. E.G. Rawlings, a noted foreign correspondent forced into retirement after a serious injury in the field, arrives by boat at a vacant mooring on the Thames. To his surprise, he finds it is owned by an old friend from Afghanistan, Isobel Mallinson, the widow of a British diplomat. On learning that Rawlings is now writing an account of his war experiences, Isobel allows him to use her mooring for the year he needs to finish his memoir. During the months that follow, Rawlings, suffering from PTSD and in terrible emotional and physical pain, finds solace in the peaceful life of the river and the community he finds there. Although a loner by nature, he becomes particularly close to Marnie, a middle-aged art teacher with a fragile heart who lives near him in the boathouse. He begins to tell Marnie his story, explaining the unexpected events that have resulted in what he calls 'turning points' in his life, taking him in surprising and new directions. Little does the jaded reporter realise that another turning point is just around the corner that will not only profoundly affect his life, but also the lives of all those around him.Trade ReviewA remarkable story of love and survival. Brilliant, compelling and unexpected. Gyles Brandreth; A truly outstanding story. 5 stars; Marnie rents the boathouse on Lady Isobel Mallison's land. She's startled when a man emerges out of the mist, asking if he can moor his houseboat. Little does she know how E.G. Rawlings' arrival will change her life as she gets acquainted with him over the year.... she invites him to share either dinner or coffee. She uses these occasions to find out about his life as a war correspondent. The places he's reported from, the love of his life, the PTSD he and other wartime journalists have in common. However, this book is so much more than Marnie and her growing interest in Rawlings. Lady Isobel Mallison, the owner of this beautiful property, had first met Rawlings while she was a diplomat's wife at the embassy in Kabul. Her husband Peter had passed from cancer a couple of years before leaving her with this beautiful property they had both so looked forward to exploring and developing in their retirement. Isobel was a woman in her own right, having been a Justice of the Peace. It was through this role that she met Marnie and offered her the boathouse to rent. She shines through this storyline as this graceful, elegant but very kind "matriarch". Others interact throughout the novel with the main protagonists. All are superbly drawn so that as the reader, you feel like you're getting acquainted not just with Rawlings, Marnie, and Isobel, but with all those who make up this very lively house filled with love. There were so many things I loved in this book, Rawlings view on Brexit. The confidence Marnie embraces to hide her past. Isobel's role as the matriarch of this strange group of players. Felix's arrival brings love and life to all who he meets while grappling with his demons. I stupidly started reading this book at midnight, thinking "I'll read a chapter to lull me to sleep". It did not! Instead, I read until the sun came up at six. Fortunately, I was able to close the book with a deep sense of fulfilment and love with one proviso, Jane McCulloch; this was such a beautiful storyline filled with interesting, vibrant characters from whom I want to hear more... With a bit of luck, I won't have to wait too long to find the answers. Treebeard; Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

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Book Synopsis‘Really Rawlings, you are incredibly blind sometimes…’ This is the final book in the superb E.G. Rawlings trilogy. All of the characters from the last two books are back, with a couple of new faces adding to the rich tapestry of Jane McCulloch’s outstanding storytelling. Still suffering from the injuries he sustained in Afghanistan, E.G. Rawlings, the veteran war correspondent, is balancing writing his new book with the very different demands of two strong women, and those of his delightful grandson Felix. As if things weren’t already complicated enough, Rawlings’ life is again turned upside down when Covid hits the UK. Will the difficult but charming Rawlings manage to navigate yet more turning points in his life? Will he see what’s staring him in the face or will he once again make the wrong decisions when it comes his complicated love life? Whether you are a committed Rawlings fan or new to this irascible but lovable character, you will not be disappointed. A truly engrossing read. This story stands on its own - but if you have enjoyed it you will want to read the first two books of the Rawlings Trilogy.Trade ReviewI’ve grown to love Rawlings, Isobel, Felix and all the eccentric friends who surround them and I’m very sad that this is the final book in the trilogy. They will live with me for a very long time to come. Elite Reviewing Group - 5 stars. We all doubt our life’s worth. Rawlings is no different but we’re not all so fortunate to have a boy called Felix waiting in the wings. So moving, in so many directions. Ian Lavender, actor

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Book SynopsisSet from 1954 until present times in Cornwall and London, the story begins with seven-year-old Sarah Hodges, a mixed-race child and her loving parents. Music, particularly jazz is a major part of their family, a backdrop to her Cornish childhood and her adult life in London. She considers how to navigate her way as an outsider throughout. A major life event, together with people she meets helps her to reflect upon her own identity.Trade Review‘Themes of race and identity are explored in rural and urban environments, and found to be problematic in both. Growing up and becoming aware of these issues, coupled with oppressive gender attitudes she encounters, Sarah’s innocence seems to be gradually eroded. And yet, despite Sarah’s life struggles, there is a sense of joy, and a positivity, that flows throughout her life’s narrative. Grounded and anchored by family and friends, our protagonist finds delight and comfort in the simple things - shared meals, music and companionship. This marks Anna’s drama out from others that might deal with such crucial subjects in a less optimistic way. Above all, there is hope.’ David Brett, The Word Bookshop, London; ‘I Hear a Melody gives an insightful and rich perspective into how it feels to be a child growing up within two cultures as she navigates her own identity in Britain.’ Oluwatoyin Odunsi, Creative Producer and Head of Learning and Participation, Brixton House, London; ‘unique, memorable, and brilliant storytelling.’ Lorna Wells, playwright, writer and lyricist

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of the BBC Radio 2 Book Club Recommended Read, The Tin Nose Shop.

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Book SynopsisDisappearing Moon Cafe was a stunning debut novel that has become a Canadian literary classic. An unflinchingly honest portrait of a Chinese Canadian family that pulses with life and moral tensions, this family saga takes the reader from the wilderness in nineteenth-century British Columbia to late twentieth-century Hong Kong, to Vancouver''s Chinatown.Intricate and lyrical, suspenseful and emotionally rich, it is a riveting story of four generations of women whose lives are haunted by the secrets and lies of their ancestors but also by the racial divides and discrimination that shaped the lives of the first generation of Chinese immigrants to Canada.Each character, intimately drawn through Lee''s richness of imagery and language, must navigate a world that remains inexorably double: Chinese and Canadian. About buried bones and secrets, unrequited desires and misbegotten love, murder and scandal, failure and success, the plot reveals a compelling microcosm of the history of race and gender relations in this country.

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Book SynopsisIn the summer of 1930, fifteen-year-old Matthew Clayton''s mother dies, leaving him alone in Vancouver. Using the Union Steamship ticket she gave him, he sets out in search of his father, who is logging somewhere on the rugged West Coast. Matt boards the SS Cardena and begins an incredible voyage up the Inside Passage and through the isolated coastal communities the ship services.On board he befriends fellow passengers Monica James and the high rigger Will Cameron, both intent on finding a new life, and Emily Carr, a soon-to-be-famous painter searching for a new direction in her art. What each of them finds comes as a surprise as they journey aboard the legendary steamship Cardena.

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Book SynopsisLife, madness, and death run rampant in this epic novel chronicling the life of one Faroese family.

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