Fantasy Books

Book Synopsis''The world needs more novels like Foxes of Foxham that bring wonder and uplifting messages. Clearly, the Force is strong with the Author"- James Kahn (Author and Literary adaptor of Return of the Jedi, Poltergeist, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.)''This wonderful fantasy story is one for the whole family, charming and reminded me of my love of Roald Dahl''s tales when I was younger'' - Amanda J Evans (Romance, Paranormal and Fantasy Author)''A wonderfully original story that certainly appealed to me and my daughter, who loved it'' - Our Favourite Shelf: Mod & Beyond in Print*A magical adventure story set in the 1950s that transports the reader to the bustle of Naples, the thrills of London, and the tranquillity of Norfolk.The reader encounters quick-witted and cheeky foxes, Vespa riding wolves, stylish bears, reliable badgers, good & bad witches on the way, in a host of exciting situations, resulting in a dramatic battle of good versus evil.Inspired by classic fantasy stories and films of yesteryear, Tales from The Foxes of Foxham is a humorous, graceful, and joyous novel. That will make the reader laugh, screech, and cheer.* ''Another enjoyable romp!'' - Steve White, Drummer, (The Style Council, Paul Weller)''Fictional fantasy fun, with a sprinkling of Harry Potter and Star Wars ethics to add to the aura.'' - Scootering Magazine''A lesson on understanding, empathy, inclusion, and expectancy.'' - Mods Of Your Generation

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Book SynopsisThere’s a supernatural killer on the loose... Elliot Cross didn’t believe in monsters. At least, not until his brother died at the hands of something unnatural. Four years later and a string of impossible deaths leave the police baffled. Consumed by a desire to shine a journalistic light on the supernatural world, Elliot sees a chance to make a difference. Enlisting the help of his (only) employee, Samantha, he quickly identifies the culprit – a demonic mime artist whose invisible creations are fatally real. Way out of his depth, Elliot’s only hope is renowned demon hunter Gabriel Cushing. But tracking down Gabriel is only the beginning… The search for a way to end the demon forever will take Elliot and Sam across the country, uncovering lost history, buried secrets, and a few new truths about themselves.

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Book SynopsisOne Day Three Autumns was written to preserve the memory of the author's sixth uncle, a talented artist whose paintings were tragically burned after his death. It attempts to bring them back to life in writing, proving that those we love are never truly gone, and that a home is more than what we choose to fill it with.

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Book SynopsisThere is a legend... Britannia, AD 535 The Romans have gone. While their libraries smoulder, roads decay and cities crumble, men with swords pick over civilisation's carcass, slaughtering and being slaughtered in turn. This is the story of just such a man. Like the others, he had a sword. He slew until slain. Unlike the others, we remember him. We remember King Arthur. This is the story of a land neither green nor pleasant. An eldritch isle of deep forest and dark fell haunted by swaithes, boggarts and tod-lowries, Robin-Goodfellows and Jenny Greenteeths, and predators of rarer appetite yet. This is the story of a legend forged from a pack of self-serving, turd-gilding, weasel-worded lies told to justify foul deeds and ill-gotten gains. This is the story - viscerally entertaining, ominously subversive and poetically profane - of a Dark Age myth that shaped a nation. EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT BY FORCE ALONE: 'A bloody, bravura performance, which Tidhar pulls off with graphic imagery and modern vernacular' Guardian. 'As eclectic as the Sword in the Stone and as ruthless as A Game of Thrones, this retelling of the whole Arthurian legend stands alongside the very best' Daily Mail. 'The narrative voice is deadly serious but there's a strong undercurrent of gleefulness to the profanity, violence and otherworldly magic that makes By Force Alone a whole lot of fun to dive into' Spectator. 'Lavie Tidhar has crafted a punk epic on the mouldering bones of legend and jolted it to life with ten thousand volts of knowing wit and fury. By Force Alone eviscerates the complacent posturing of the Arthurian myth, explodes the well-worn conventions of the tale and from the shiny jagged pieces assembles a wholly fresh rollercoaster ride of cheap violence, vicious magic and messy human truth' Richard Morgan. 'A twisted Arthur retelling mixing the historical and the magical with a very modern eye. Brutal and vicious, funny, Peaky Blinders of the Round Table' Adrian Tchaikovsky.Trade Review'Plunging a broadsword into the heart of Arthurian legend, Tidhar's novel depicts the Knights of the Round Table as a bunch of sweary, sweaty thugs. So much for the glories of a magical, mythical past. Britain, it seems, has forever been a land of factional infighting, presided over by a brutal, uncaring elite' Financial Times. 'London-based Israeli author Tidhar's latest fantasy is a ferocious and often very funny reinvention of the King Arthur myth, taking in references from Tolkien to Brexit' iNews. 'Iconoclastic, provocative, poetic and profane. King Arthur re-imagined - as you'd expect from the author of A Man Lies Dreaming and The Violent Century as well as the World Fantasy Award-winning Osama and the Locus Award short-listed Central Station' Concatenation. 'In true Lavie Tidhar style, we get something much more entertaining, bizarre and fantastical ... If you're looking for something riotously, uncompromisingly graphic and frenzied, then this book well certainly stand out from the crowd' SF Crowsnest. 'Every new book by the fiendishly ingenious and canny Tidhar is so radically different from his previous ones that I always await the next with bated breath ... The result is stunningly unique and the way he threads his daring if not sacrilegious additions into the fabric of the Camelot tale is like a punch in the gut ... Uproarious, provocative and utterly gripping' Crime Time. 'At a time when many in a fractious, divided Britain are looking to the past for comfort, Tidhar seeks to remind us - in dizzying, profane fashion - that our nation was, like so many others, built on nothing more romantic than bloodshed and conquest' Financial Times. 'A bloody, bravura performance, which Tidhar pulls off with graphic imagery and modern vernacular ... By Force Alone is Tidhar's scatological contribution to the field of Arthurian romance, a salutary antidote to the more romantic glossings of recent modern fantasy' Guardian. 'A New Weird Britain take on Arthurian mythos ... It's an immense remix of the myth, done with an extremely ruthless eye. Lavie is an extremely clever writer' Warren Ellis. 'Everyone is a bastard here, from Guenevere to Arthur to Merlin; I have never come across a more despicable bunch of characters, this is surely an indictment of Lavie Tidhar's warped and degenerate brain. Without a doubt this is the best Arthurian tale ever written, it has ruined the entire mythology for me' Saad Z. Hossain, author of Escape From Baghdad! and Djinn City. 'A comet that blazes a brilliant new path through dusty old territory. Bold and inventive, it smashes Arthurian myth to bits, sweeps up the brightest, weirdest, most enchanting pieces, and reshapes them into a wildly original tale. Legend has it that King Arthur will return when he's most needed, and this Arthur - this flawed, ambitious, irreverent boy-kingpin - is exactly the one we need now' Lisa L. Hannett, author of Bluegrass Symphony and Lament for the Afterlife. 'Tidhar turns King Arthur's court into a gangster's paradise, full of wheelings and dealings, and true grit. If the tale didn't go down like this, it should have' Silvia Moreno-Garcia, author of Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic. 'A beautifully written and thrilling tale, soaked in gore and evocative historical detail, peppered with subtle humour. Tidhar storms the castle of Grimdark, sword dripping with blood, and makes a claim for its crown' Angus Watson, author of Age of Iron and You Die When You Die. 'Utterly bonkers, utterly brilliant - a brutal, witty and slightly insane deconstruction of the Arthurian legend by way of Goodfellas, this is absolute bloody (and sweary) joy on the page' Russel D. McLean, author of The Good Son and Ed's Dead. 'Lavie Tidhar has crafted a punk epic on the mouldering bones of legend and jolted it to life with ten thousand volts of knowing wit and fury. By Force Alone eviscerates the complacent posturing of the Arthurian myth, explodes the well-worn conventions of the tale and from the shiny jagged pieces assembles a wholly fresh rollercoaster ride of cheap violence, vicious magic and messy human truth' Richard Morgan, author of Altered Carbon. 'You can always trust Lavie Tidhar to create something brilliant, savage and endlessly entertaining' Starburst. 'Drawing on everything from wushu movies to The Wire by way of Tarkovsky and Tarantino, By Force Alone is wild, surprising and entertaining, and a hugely immersive read' M.R. Carey, author of The Girl with All the Gifts and The Unwritten. 'A violent, funny, absurd epic - Tidhar remains an utterly original voice in contemporary fiction' Daniel Polansky, author of Low Town and The Builders. 'Lavie Tidhar has created something wonderful, an extraordinary blend of history, legend, and sheer, lunatic inspiration. I loved it' Christopher Farnsworth, author of The Eternal World and Killfile. 'A twisted Arthur retelling mixing the historical and the magical with a very modern eye. Brutal and vicious, funny, Peaky Blinders of the Round Table' Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Cage of Souls and Dogs of War. '[An] extraordinary and vivid retelling of our national myth. Gritty revisionism is super-charged by the supernatural ... As eclectic as the Sword in the Stone and as ruthless as A Game of Thrones, this retelling of the whole Arthurian legend stands alongside the very best' Daily Mail.

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Book SynopsisGod bless you, England, on this glorious Year of Our Lord, 1145. Things are definitely not right in Nottingham. Rebecca, daughter of a Jewish money-lender, has a sense for it. A mad monk schemes to resurrect the Christ from body parts. A bone harpist murders creatures of legend for a price. A fae creature binds its wings and embraces a new God and his son. And don't even mention the Hood. The Man in Green. The Prince of Thieves. The tick-tock taker of the ten-toll tax. What hope have the series of sheriffs sent to hold the peace? It's the forest, you see. Sherwood. Ice Age ancient, impenetrable, hiding a dark and secret heart. But hearts, no matter how black, no matter how hidden, are not immune to change. The old world is dying... and a terrifying new one is waiting to take its place. Rebecca senses an opportunity. But how far is she willing to go, and what price – because there is always a price – will she have to pay? The Hood is Lavie Tidhar's narcotic reweirding of an ancient English myth, a tale stitched together from legends lost to time, a tale told and retold, reworked and renewed for each passing century. A tale, reader, for today. 'A wild, inventive tapestry of myth and magic, with a wry sense of humor. Tidhar's writing is wonderfully vibrant' Silvia Moreno-Garcia, bestselling author of Mexican GothicTrade ReviewThis is a book to experience rather than to read, as every chapter and revisionist character expands into sheer, wonderful madness. One for the ages * Crime Time *Chaotic, wildly inventive and relentlessly entertaining * Big Issue *Tidhar fancies himself an iconoclast, and his incidental invention reaches impressive levels of delirium * The Times *A wealth of colorful tales and memorable characters * Locus *PRAISE FOR BY FORCE ALONE: 'A bloody, bravura performance, which Tidhar pulls off with graphic imagery and modern vernacular' Guardian. 'As eclectic as the Sword in the Stone and as ruthless as A Game of Thrones, this retelling of the whole Arthurian legend stands alongside the very best' Daily Mail. 'The narrative voice is deadly serious but there's a strong undercurrent of gleefulness to the profanity, violence and otherworldly magic that makes By Force Alone a whole lot of fun to dive into' Spectator. 'Lavie Tidhar has crafted a punk epic on the mouldering bones of legend and jolted it to life with ten thousand volts of knowing wit and fury. By Force Alone eviscerates the complacent posturing of the Arthurian myth, explodes the well-worn conventions of the tale and from the shiny jagged pieces assembles a wholly fresh rollercoaster ride of cheap violence, vicious magic and messy human truth' Richard Morgan. 'A twisted Arthur retelling mixing the historical and the magical with a very modern eye. Brutal and vicious, funny, Peaky Blinders of the Round Table' -- Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Book SynopsisTwenty-six new short stories representing the state of the art in international science fiction. 'Rare and wonderful' The Times 'The most important anthology of SF short fiction since Dangerous Visions' Adam Roberts 'Fizzes with great ideas and wonderful writing... Now this book exists, it feels absurd it didn't exist sooner' SFX The future is coming. It knows no bounds, and neither should science fiction. They say the more things change the more they stay the same. But over the last hundred years, science fiction has changed. Vibrant new generations of writers have sprung up across the globe, proving the old adage false. From Ghana to India, from Mexico to France, from Singapore to Cuba, they draw on their unique backgrounds and culture, changing the face of the genre one story at a time. Prepare yourself for a journey through the wildest reaches of the imagination, to visions of Earth as it might be and the far corners of the universe. Along the way, you will meet robots and monsters, adventurers and time travellers, rogues and royalty. In The Best of World SF, award-winning author Lavie Tidhar acts as guide and companion to a world of stories, from never-before-seen originals to award winners, from twenty-three countries and seven languages. Because the future is coming and it belongs to us all. Stories: 'Immersion' by Aliette de Bodard; 'Debtless' by Chen Qiufan (trans. from Chinese by Blake Stone-Banks); 'Fandom for Robots' by Vina Jie-Min Prasad; 'Virtual Snapshots' by Tlotlo Tsamaase; 'What The Dead Man Said' by Chinelo Onwualu; 'Delhi' by Vandana Singh; 'The Wheel of Samsara' by Han Song (trans. from Chinese by the author); 'Xingzhou' by Yi-Sheng Ng; 'Prayer' by Taiyo Fujii (trans. from Japanese by Kamil Spychalski); 'The Green Ship' by Francesco Verso (trans. from Italian by Michael Colbert); 'Eyes of the Crocodile' by Malena Salazar Maciá (trans. from Spanish by Toshiya Kamei); 'Bootblack' by Tade Thompson; 'The Emptiness in the Heart of all Things' by Fabio Fernandes; 'The Sun From Both Sides' by R.S.A. Garcia; 'Dump' by Cristina Jurado (trans. from Spanish by Steve Redwood); 'Rue Chair' by Gerardo Horacio Porcayo (trans. from Spanish by the author); 'His Master's Voice' by Hannu Rajaniemi; 'Benjamin Schneider's Little Greys' by Nir Yaniv (trans. from Hebrew by Lavie Tidhar); 'The Cryptid' by Emil H. Petersen (trans. from Icelandic by the author); 'The Bank of Burkina Faso' by Ekaterina Sedia; 'An Incomplete Guide...' by Kuzhali Manickavel; 'The Old Man with The Third Hand' by Kofi Nyameye; 'The Green' by Lauren Beukes; 'The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir' by Karin Tidbeck; 'Prime Meridian' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; 'If At First You Don't Succeed' by Zen ChoTrade ReviewAlthough science fiction imagines diverse, imaginative, and frightening futures, genre anthologies rarely achieve the brilliant range and diversity of voices of The Best of World SF: Volume 1... The anthology brings a fresh, revolutionary perspective in that its selections are intentionally curated to suggest that the horizon is both closer and brighter than Western readers might think. Vital and exciting, The Best of World SF blows the blast panels off the dusty, well-worn tropes of popular science fiction and lets in a dazzling burst of lunar light' * Foreword *This excellent anthology proves editor Tidhar's assertion that science fiction should no longer be thought of as 'white, male, and American' with 26 exemplary stories from 21 countries... Worthwhile both as a survey of international sci-fi and on a story-by-story level, this wonderful anthology should be a hit with any sci-fi fan' * Publishers Weekly *This is one of those books in our seasonal listing that warrants doing well. Some may say Lavie is doing foreign writers a favour. He's not. He's doing English-speaking readers one * Concatenation *Tidhar gives a cheerful, fannish introduction to the stories, drawn from 26 countries on five continents, and encompassing a dizzying range of tones and approaches * The Times *An excellent, lovingly curated collection that is also uniformly well translated * Financial Times *Stories like these are the ones you sometimes want to foist upon readers who claim not to like SF, and The Best of World SF: Volume 1 reminds us that such stories can come from anywhere these days, if only we get to see them. I look forward to future volumes * Locus Magazine *The variety and diversity of the material on offer is refreshing, the quality does not waver, and the translations are top-notch * Financial Times *Hopefully the little rocket on the cover will let readers know what they'll find inside this 26-story, 575-page cinder block of a collection. We're talking spaceships and nanobots, creeping horrors and astral wonders, cyberpunk dystopias and cold, empty places where no one can hear you scream. It's true the sci-fi world is always expanding, writes Israeli author/editor Lavie Tidhar in the forward, but this sort of international compendium – which includes the works of mostly non-white, non-famous authors from such far-flung homeworlds as Singapore, Brazil, Croatia, and the Philippines – is still something of a novelty in our timeline. Embrace the unknown * Philadelphia Inquirer *You can't read this and not be changed by it, which always seemed like the point of [science fiction] * Amazing Stories *This handsome volume from Head of Zeus is a major step on a 45-year journey to bring global speculative fiction to Anglophone attention... The print edition of The Best of World SF: Volume 1 is truly a thing of beauty, providing gravitas and a wider audience for the authors it collects... There are many striking stories in the collection... This anthology is just the start of a whole new game for speculative fiction authors around the world' * LA Review of Books *Fizzes with great ideas and wonderful writing... Now this book exists, it feels absurd it didn't exist sooner * SFX Magazine *Table of ContentsImmersion' by Aliette de Bodard 'Debtless' by Chen Qiufan 'Fandom for Robots' by Vina Jie-Min Prasad 'Virtual Snapshots' by Tlotlo Tsamaase 'What The Dead Man Said' by Chinelo Onwualu 'Delhi' by Vandana Singh 'The Wheel of Samsara' by Han Song 'Xingzhou' by Yi-Sheng Ng 'Prayer' by Taiyo Fujii 'The Green Ship' by Francesco Verso 'Eyes of the Crocodile' by Malena Salazar Maciá 'Bootblack' by Tade Thompson 'The Emptiness in the Heart of all Things' by Fabio Fernandes 'The Sun From Both Sides' by R.S.A. Garcia 'Dump' by Cristina Jurado 'Rue Chair' by Gerardo Horacio Porcayo 'His Master's Voice' by Hannu Rajaniemi 'Benjamin Schneider's Little Greys' by Nir Yaniv 'The Cryptid' by Emil H. Petersen 'The Bank of Burkina Faso' by Ekaterina Sedia 'An Incomplete Guide...' by Kuzhali Manickavel 'The Old Man with The Third Hand' by Kofi Nyameye 'The Green' by Lauren Beukes 'The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir' by Karin Tidbeck 'Prime Meridian' by Silvia Moreno-Garcia 'If At First You Don't Succeed' by Zen Cho

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Book Synopsis'Mesmeric, intoxicatingly original' Hannah Kent, bestselling author of Burial Rites'Haunting and surreal... With its sharp wit and beautiful writing, this book had me flying through the pages.' Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Pines'A towering achievement, stunningly good storytelling.' Melissa Lucashenko, Miles Franklin Award winning author of Too Much LipOn the surface, Alice is exactly where she should be in life: she's just given birth to a beautiful baby girl; her ever-charming husband - an academic whose area of study is conveniently her own Mohawk culture - is nothing but supportive; and they've moved into a home in a wealthy neighbourhood. But strange things have started happening. Alice finds herself hearing voices she can't explain and speaking with things that should not be talking back to her, all while her neighbours' passive aggression begins to morph into something far more threatening... Told in Alice's raw and darkly funny voice, and infused with Native American myth and legend, And Then She Fell is a wild, fierce novel.Trade ReviewAlice and her husband have woven a lattice pattern of silence and secrets that slowly implodes in this fierce, remarkable debut. Elliott's meticulous prose is an agile portal through the narrator's complex inner life, the tensions, and fractures that surface when the trappings of success hide the weight of intergenerational trauma, racism, sexism, and the unwieldy expectations of Motherhood. And Then She Fell saves us from devastation by the grace it shows its characters and, ultimately, by the strength of their connections. -- Eden Robinson * Eden Robinson, bestselling author of RETURN OF THE TRICKSTER *And Then She Fell is an unblinking look at the complex and often terrifying journey of new motherhood and what we're told we should want, with moving insights into connecting with our ancestors and our own identity. Alicia Elliott is a powerful storyteller, and this book is both suspenseful and heartfelt, with haunting elements that linger long after the final page is turned. -- Vanessa Lillie, bestselling author of LITTLE VOICE and BLOOD SISTERSA towering achievement, stunningly good storytelling. -- Melissa Lucashenko, Miles Franklin Award winning author of TOO MUCH LIP * Melissa Lucashenko *And Then She Fell is an incredible and indelible novel. It's full of wonder and surprise, full of life and heart. This book is a gift that breathes life into the reader. Alicia Elliott has given us a knockout - a book so good you can't put it down. -- Morgan Talty, bestselling author of NIGHT OF THE LIVING REZI could not put this book down. And Then She Fell is one of the most mesmeric, intoxicatingly original novels I have read in recent years, with a central character I will carry with me for a very long time. -- Hannah KentFamiliar and ethereal. Brutal and beautiful. And Then She Fell is the fulfilment of the promise of Alicia Elliott 's storytelling prowess. . . . A soundtrack for the gorgeous nightmare that is both motherhood and belonging in and of itself, stitched together by the depths only grief and love can hook together. The Naked Lunch meets Rosemary's Baby . . . and shot together with the golden humour and philosophy of Haudenosaunee story like an intimate lifeline, And Then She Fell is remarkable, and a world unto itself. What an accomplishment. What a gift. -- Cherie Dimaline, author of ThE MARROW THIEVES and VENCOAnd Then She Fell is a stunning, propulsive novel that complexly folds generational love and mental health into a story about relationships: the ones we have with our ancestors, our family and friends, and ourselves. Through Alice's strong and unforgettable voice, Alicia Elliott highlights the macro and micro aggressions, gaslighting, and violence that Indigenous women often face from white people, even the ones who claim to love us. I laughed, cried, and rooted for the women in these pages. For their unending love for each other in every timeline of life, and for the ways in which they continue to choose each other in spite of trauma, disorder, and colonial forces who hope they don't. I'm so happy that a novel like this exists, and I am excited to see the future of writing that this work inspires. And Then She Fell is a triumph of a debut. -- Jessica Johns, author of BAD CREEAnd Then She Fell is an unblinking look at the complex and often terrifying journey of new motherhood and what we're told we should want, with moving insights into connecting with our ancestors and our own identity. Alicia Elliott is a powerful storyteller, and this book is both suspenseful and heartfelt, with haunting elements that linger long after the final page is turned. -- Vanessa Lillie, bestselling author of LITTLE VOICES and BLOOD SISTERSHaunting and surreal, And Then She Fell had me questioning reality alongside Alice as she grappled with motherhood, being a writer, a wife, and feeling like an outsider in her own life. With its sharp wit and beautiful writing, this book had me flying through the pages. -- Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of THE HOUSE IN THE PINESAnd Then She Fell is an outstanding debut novel by an eminent literary voice. Alicia Elliott's thorough and thoughtful examination of motherhood, intergenerational trauma, and modern Indigenous realities is a caring salve for Indigenous readers and an important enlightenment for others. I loved its profound exploration of the spaces we navigate as Indigenous peoples - from the rez to the city and beyond - and I greatly appreciated the depth of humanity with which Elliott was able to portray her rez characters. This novel is a triumph of Indigenous truths and experiences. -- Waubgeshig Rice, author of MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW and MOON OF THE TURNING LEAVESAnd Then She Fell is at once engrossing and profound, terrifying and empathetic. Like The Bell Jar, it sheds new light on the trope of the mad woman, laying bare the million blows it takes to leave a person unhinged. * The Walrus *

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Book SynopsisIn this heart-warming tale of female empowerment, a young woman comes to terms with the revelation that she may be able to fly. This is an extraordinary novel, exploring one woman's identity whilst posing universal questions: Who is she? Where does she belong? And must she accept her lot, or can she spread her wings and be free at last?

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Book SynopsisFriends become foes. Romance becomes deadly. Legends become truth. In a world where the ancient power known as the Flare has faded to myth, Beatrix Arnett is determined to prove herself to her family a group of anti-monarchist rebels.Stone Sword begins the first of a new fantasy trilogy by Diana T. Hunter.

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Book SynopsisThe story is about the keepers chosen to restore the realm. The Keepers are chosen from our world, from everyOur Keepers don't know what they're walking into in Ratatatuvue as they entered the realm in different ways.part of our world. Five nine year old are chosen by the dragon's spirit, the guiding spirit of Ratatatuvue.

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of ‘The Underground Railroad’, Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, and Longlisted for the 2017 Man Booker Prize. ‘John Henry Days’ is a novel of extraordinary scope and mythic power. It established Colson Whitehead as a pre-eminent American writer of our time. Building the railways that made America, John Henry died with a hammer in his hand moments after competing against a steam drill in a battle of endurance. The story of his death made him a legend. Over a century later, J. Sutter, a freelance journalist and accomplished expense account abuser, is sent to West Virginia to cover the launch of a new postage stamp at the first 'John Henry Days' festival. John Henry Days is a riveting portrait of America. Through a patchwork of interweaving histories Colson Whitehead triumphantly reveals how a nation creates its present through the stories it tells of its past.Trade Review‘Funny and wise and sumptuously written.’ Jonathan Franzen 'Blithely gifted…an ambitious, finely chiselled work.' John Updike 'Witty, acerbic and immensely compelling …Whitehead is a first-rate writer.’ Financial Times ' Hugely talented…Colson Whitehead has produced an immensely rich, many stranded novel. The writing is inspired on every page. Just Wonderful! One of my books of the year.' Time Out 'Such is the buoyancy of his talent, and the protean assuredness of his prose, that the result is controlled, poignant, wittily observed and often gleefully comic.' Guardian 'Dazzling … It may be nothing new to suggest that history is fiction; but the pleasure of reading this ingenious patchwork lies in how it reminds us of the vitality of those fictions.' Independent on Sunday

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Book SynopsisOnce there were three worlds, each with their own people. Then, fleeing out of the void, on the edge of extinction, came the Charon. And the balance changed for ever.With A SHADOW ON THE GLASS, Book One of A View from the Mirror, a major new fantasy epic begins. Karan, a sensitive with a troubled past, is forced to steal an ancient relic in payment for a debt. But she is not told that the relic is, in fact, the Mirror of Aachan, a twisted, deceitful thing that remembers everything it has seen. Llian, meanwhile, a brilliant chronicler, is expelled from his college for uncovering a perilous mystery.Thrown together by fate, Karan and Llian are hunted across a world at war, for the Mirror contains a secret of incredible power.More information on this book and others can be found on the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.ukTrade ReviewIrvine has built a history and wonderful culture for his vivid world. His first novel vibrates with originality * THE WEST AUSTRALIAN *The complex cultures, detailed geography, and the palpable weight of history provide a solid background to an intense story that ... becomes increasingly compelling. This stands out as a worldbuilding labour of love with some truly original touches * LOCUS *Magic pathways from world to world were a curse, making possible invasion and enslavement, and long ago those paths were closed leaving three worlds and the void between them a hopeless jumble of what had been and what is now. Ian Irvine's A Shadow on the Glass, first volume of his fantasy quartet "The View from the Mirror", takes us to one of those worlds and to two adventurers, a scholar and a psychic, who find themselves dragged into the conflicts of the mighty and the ambitious. Karan is blackmailed into helping steal a magic mirror, and finds herself on the run from warlords and warlocks; all that Llian wanted to do was find a great story to tell, and clarify some minor ambiguities in the archives of the college of storytellers--but he finds himself expelled and ostracised, and accompanying Karan on her breakneck journeys on high barrens and treacherous rivers. What Irvine brings to the mix is a sense of irony and some intelligent observation of character: Llian and Karan are not your average squeaky clean hero and heroine, and their opponents are hardly villainous, just people acting out the planned treacheries that seemed like a good idea. * Roz Kaveney, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisWar rages across Santhenar as the quest for the Mirror of Aachan continues. In desperation, Tensor, leader of the Aachims, flees with the Mirror into the wilderness, taking the chronicler Llian with him. Only Karan can locate them, but it will be a perilous journey. Tensor wants her dead, other powers are hunting her down, and Rulke the Charon broods over them all from his Nightland prison ...'The complex cultures, detailed geography, and the palpable weight of history provide a solid background to an intense story ... this stands out as a worldbuilding labour of love with some truly original touches' LOCUSLook out for more information on this book and others on the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

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Book SynopsisTwo hundred years after the Forbidding was broken, Santhenar is locked in war with the lyrinx - intelligent, winged predators who will do anything to gain their own world. Despite the development of battle clankers and mastery of the crystals that power them, humanity is losing. Tiaan, a lonely crystal worker in a clanker manufactory, is experimenting with an entirely new kind of crystal when she begins to have extraordinary visions. The crystal has woken her latent talent for geomancy, the most powerful of all the Secret Arts - and the most perilous. Falsely accused of sabotage by her rival, Irisis, Tiaan flees for her life. Struggling to control her talent and hunted by the lyrinx, Tiaan follows her visions all the way to Tirthrax, greatest peak on all the Three Worlds, where a nightmare awaits her ...Find out more about this title and others at www.orbitbooks.co.ukTrade ReviewA page-turner of the highest order ... Irvine can now consider himself comfortably ranked next to the works of Robert Jordan and David Eddings. Formidable * SFX *Ian Irvine has produced one of those rarities in the fantasy genre, and that is a unique, well-thought-through world coupled to a well-written storyline. A gripping read for Irvine fans, or a fresh new series for any other readers. * ENIGMA *Geomancer starts a new sequence of novels "The Well of Echoes", set some centuries after Ian Irvine's earlier fantasy sequence "The View from the Mirror". The world of Santhenar is under attack from the Void by the lyrinx, giant winged intelligent carnivores, and generations of war have turned human society into a totalitarian spy-state with the front line of the war held over all men and so-called "Breeding Factories" held as a threat over women. Tiaan is a brilliant young artisan in a munitions factory whom the authorities are deliberately pressuring into excelling herself; when she falls foul of her rival Iriis and the apprentice spy Nish, events are set in chain which jeopardise the humanity of two worlds. * Irvine's strength here is that he makes us care not only about the idealistic, wet, misguidedly ruthless Tiaan, but also about the occasionally vicious and manipulative Iriis and Nish, who are not merely villains, but products of their unpleasant world so *Roz Kaveney, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW

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Book SynopsisStarting a new job is always stressful (especially when you don't particularly want one), but when Paul Carpenter arrives at the office of J. W. Wells he has no idea what trouble lies in store. Because he is about to discover that the apparently respectable establishment now paying his salary is in fact a front for a deeply sinister organisation that has a mighty peculiar agenda. It seems that half the time his bosses are away with the fairies. But they're not, of course. They're away with the goblins. Mister Tom Holt, Master of the Comic Fantasy Novel, cordially invites you to join him in his world of madness by reading his next hilarious masterpiece.Trade Review'...hugely inventive and highly amusing ...His sharply observed dialogue and the desire to think round corners and u-bends distinguish Holt's books. He has the ability to make the reader laugh out loud and should be treasured' * Computer Crowsnest *'...hugely inventive and highly amusing ...His sharply observed dialogue and the desire to think round corners and u-bends distinguish Holt's books. He has the ability to make the reader laugh out loud and should be treasured' * Computer Crowsnest *hugely inventive and highly amusing ...His sharply observed dialogue and the desire to think round corners and u-bends distinguish Holt's books. He has the ability to make the reader laugh out loud and should be treasured. * COMPUTERCROWSNEST *A definite must for all fans of comic fantasy * ENIGMA *The jokes are delicious * SFX *The best similes since Douglas Adams. Buy it for heaven's sake * SFX *

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Book SynopsisIn the frigid wasteland of the north, Raif Sevrance, Watcher of the Dead, has endured many trials to lay claim to the renowned sword known as Loss. But the price of wielding the legendary weapon is high, and Raif is unsure if he is willing to pay it. Ash Marsh, Daughter of the Sull, still struggles to come to terms with her heritage, and the knowledge that the Watcher, armed with Loss, could be the one who will save the Sull - or end them. Raina Blackhail, widow of a murdered ruler and wife of his brutal successor, has seen her clan disgraced and has, herself, taken up the mantle of chief. But there are enemies both beyond her gates and within.And in the murky swamps of the Stillwater, two children will learn the secrets of the Marsh clan. Secrets so terrifying they threaten everything . . .Trade ReviewRelentless and powerful. This is damned good stuff * Glen Cook, Bestselling author of the Black Company Series on The Sword of Shadows *

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

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Book SynopsisAfter ten years of servitude, Nish is about to be released from the blackest prison of the maimed God-Emperor, Jal-Nish Hlar, his corrupt father. Jal-Nish holds the two sorcerous quicksilver tears, Gatherer and Reaper, and with them controls all of the Secret Art. All opposition having been crushed, he has begun to remake the world in his depraved image. The only hope of overthrowing him lies in Nish, whom the oppressed peoples of the world see as a messianic figure. They have named him the Deliverer for, as Nish was dragged away to prison a decade ago, he wildly promised to return and cast down his father. Unfortunately Nish is powerless and without allies. But worse, his father wants Nish to become his lieutenant and become as corrupt as he is. Jal-Nish offers Nish everything he has ever desired and, faced with the unbearable alternative of another ten years in prison, he isn't sure he can resist the temptation.

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Book SynopsisNish and his remaining allies are trapped on the Range of Ruin, surrounded by the relentless army of his father, the God-Emperor. And Nish's choices seem limited: a humiliating surrender, or a suicidal fight to the death. Yet Nish must fight, and win, as he's needed to counter an unprecedented threat facing the whole of Santhenar. The danger is Stilkeen, a shape-shifting being, who has erupted from the void consumed by a need for retribution. Its chthonic power was stolen in ages past - and Stilkeen wants it back. But the chthonic fire Stilkeen sensed has now escaped to run wild through Santhenar's Antarctic territories. Even if Nish defeats his father, there may be no way to stop the fire, or Stilkeen, before everything is consumed.

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Book Synopsis'Tom Holt's comic fantasy is a great, uplifting read, fit to grace any reader's book collection' - Waterstones Books Quarterly'Holt's quirky characters and whimsical voice successfully infuse life into this entertaining romantic comedy' - Publishers WeeklyIt touches all our lives; our triumphs and tragedies, our proudest achievements, our most traumatic disasters. Alloyed of love and fear, death and fire and the inscrutable acts of the gods, insurance is indeed the force that binds the universe together.Hardly surprising, therefore, that Frank Carpenter, one of the foremost magical practitioners of our age, felt himself irresistibly drawn to it. Until, that is, he met Jane, a high-flying corporate heroine with an annoying habit of falling out of trees and getting killed. Repeatedly.It's not long before Frank and Jane find themselves face to face with the greatest enigma of our times: When is a door not a door? When it's a mousetrap.A madcap comic fantasy from one of Britain's funniest writers.Books by Tom Holt: Walled Orchard Series Goatsong The Walled Orchard J.W. Wells & Co. Series The Portable Door In Your Dreams Earth, Air, Fire and Custard You Don't Have to Be Evil to Work Here, But It Helps The Better Mousetrap May Contain Traces of Magic Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Sausages YouSpace Series Doughnut When It's A Jar The Outsorcerer's Apprentice The Good, the Bad and the Smug Novels Expecting Someone Taller Who's Afraid of Beowulf Flying Dutch Ye Gods! Overtime Here Comes the Sun Grailblazers Faust Among Equals Odds and Gods Djinn Rummy My Hero Paint your Dragon Open Sesame Wish you Were Here Alexander at World's End Only Human Snow White and the Seven Samurai Olympiad Valhalla Nothing But Blue Skies Falling SidewaysLittle PeopleSong for NeroMeadowlandBarkingBlonde BombshellThe Management Style of the Supreme BeingsAn Orc on the Wild SideTrade ReviewInventively entertaining ...make you both laugh out loud and stop and think * SFX *Tom Holt's comic fantasy is a great, uplifting read, fit to grace any reader's book collection * Waterstone’s Books Quarterly *Highly amusing ... Eloquently snarky prose * Publishers Weekly *Holt's quirky characters and whimsical voice successfully infuse life into this entertaining romantic comedy * Publishers Weekly *

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

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

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Book Synopsis'"The Judging Eye" is an incredibly smart and smart ass title to a book that deceives in being Bakker's most straight forward read. How Bakker continues to move Kellhus in mysterious ways is something I can't wait to witness more of' - BookSpotCentral'Exquisitely intelligent and beautifully written...this is fantasy with muscle and brains, rife with intrigue and admirable depth of character, set in a world laden with history and detail.' - Steve Erikson, author of Gardens of the MoonA score of years after he first walked into the histories of Men, Anasûrimbor Kellhus rules all the Three Seas, the first true Aspect-Emperor in a thousand years.Wielding more power than even the greatest sorcerer, Kellhus now leads a holy war deep into the wastes of the Ancient North, intent on destroying the stronghold of Golgotterath and preventing the Second Apocalypse.Meanwhile his wife and consort, Esmenet, struggles to rule not only his vast empire, but their murderous children as well. And Achamian, who lives as a Wizard in embittered exile, undertakes a mad quest to uncover the origins of the Dûnyain.But Achamian, of all people, should know that one must be very careful what one seeks . . .First he was the Prince of Nothing, then the Warrior-Prophet. Now Anasurimbor Kellhus is the Aspect-Emperor. But is he a living god . . . or a demon from hell?Books by R Scott Baker:Prince of Nothing TrilogyThe Darkness That Comes BeforeThe Warrior-ProphetThe Thousandfold ThoughtAspect-EmperorThe Judging EyeThe White Luck WarriorThe Great OrdealThe Unholy ConsultNovelsNeuropathDisciple of the DogLight, Time, and GravityTrade ReviewThis book marks a triumphant return for the most philosophical and literary epic fantasy writer around. -- THE WERTZONE(Bakker) presents a literary and philosophical depth largely absent from the genre...shows maturity as an author and demonstrates why his name belongs among the best epic fantasy authors -- NETHSPACEThe worldbuilding is once again head and shoulders above what is currently the norm in today's fantasy market. The evocative narrative is rich in details, and the Middle Eastern setting continues to be a joy to discover... It's R. Scott Bakker writing at the top of his game -- PATAS FANTASY HOTLIST"The Judging Eye" is more accessible to the average reader without sacrificing the depth that gained Bakker so much acclaim. A powerful start to a new trilogy -- CINEMARATTY[Bakker] clamps his hand over yours and simply does not let go...Amid the cluttered shelves of the Epic Fantasy genre, Bakker is a name that stands out among not just the new writers in the crowd but established and recognized names. -- SFFWORLDThe entire series is going to set a new standard for fantasy writers everywhere. -- THE ALIEN ONLINE

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Book SynopsisOver a millennium ago, Erna, a seismically active yet beautiful world was settled by colonists from far-distant Earth. But the seemingly habitable planet was fraught with perils no one could have foretold, and the colonists found themselves caught in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a terrifying natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, drawing forth images from a person's worst nightmare or most treasured dreams and indiscriminately giving them life.Twelve centuries after fate first stranded the colonists on Erna, mankind has achieved an uneasy stalemate, and human sorcerers manipulate the fae for their own profit, little realising that demonic forces which feed upon such efforts are rapidly gaining in strength. Now, as the hordes of the dark fae multiply, four people - Priest, Adept, Apprentice and Sorcerer - are about to be drawn inexorably together for a mission which will force them to confront an evil beyond their imagining, in a conflict which will put not only their own lives but the very fate of humankind in jeopardy ...Trade ReviewA magnum opus of the imagination * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisDespite opposition by his Patriarch, warrior priest Damien Vryce again seeks the assistance of the immortal sorcerer Gerald Tarrant. While racing against time to prevent the enslavement of their world, the two men find themselves trapped between justice and retribution. Betrayal and loyalty assume ironic forms in this conclusion to Friedman's complex and compelling Cold Fire Trilogy. The richly detailed setting and strong supporting characters give substance to a tale that explores the consequences of embracing evil in the hope of achieving its redemption.Trade ReviewPraise for the Coldfire Trilogy: 'One of the better fantasy series in recent memory' Publishers Weekly 'A priority purchase for fantasy collections' Library Journal

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Book SynopsisIt is the beginning of the hottest July in decades, and two men have come to Hopewell, Illinois. One is not human, a dark servant of the Void, who will use the anger and frustration of the community to achieve a terrible secret goal. The other is John Ross, a Knight of the Word. While he sleeps, he lives in the hell the world will become if he fails to change its course on waking. John Ross has been given the ability to see the future. But does he have the power to change it? At stake is the soul of a fourteen-year-old girl and the lives of the people of Hopewell. And that's just the beginning. This Fourth of July, while friends and families picnic in Sinnissippi Park and fireworks explode in celebration of freedom and independence, the fate of Humanity itself will be decided ...Trade ReviewBy far the best of Terry Brook s' many wonderful novels: darker, starker, classically written. John Saul John Ross, the tortured, conflicted A Knight of the Word from Terry Brooks's Running with the Demon, finally gets a good night's sleep in the sequel. He buys this moment's peace at the cost of his sacred oath to be a champion of the Word, renouncing that The story winds lazily through sleepy, wet Seattle like a tour bus, steadily building. Everything eventually converges on the homeless shelter where John works with his new sweetheart Stefanie Winslow for uber-activist Simon Lawrence, a man his dreams tel Paul Hughes 'His fans should embrace it as eagerly as they have THE SWORD OF SHANNARA' - Publisher's Weekly 'as readable as it is thoroughly enjoyable.'

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Book Synopsis***50 MILLION TERRY BROOKS COPIES SOLD AROUND THE WORLD***THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES IS NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES'Terry's place is at the head of the fantasy world' Philip PullmanThree hundred years have passed in the Four Lands. The Federation now controls all of the Southland. In the West, the Elves have vanished. In the East, the dwarves are enslaved. Par Ohmsford has retained some of the magical powers of his ancestors, although he does not fully understand the way they work. He is troubled by dreams of Allanon, the Druid whose fate has always seemed linked with that of the Ohmsfords. But when he is told of the Shadowen, the greatest danger ever to threaten the Four Lands, he embarks upon a perilous quest - to meet the shade of Allanon and to carry his message to the other Scions of Shannara.Praise for Terry Brooks:'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett, author of The Painted Man'If you haven't read Terry Brooks, you haven't read fantasy' Christopher Paolini, author of EragonThe Heritage of Shannara series:THE SCIONS OF SHANNARATHE DRUID OF SHANNARATHE ELF QUEEN OF SHANNARATHE TALISMANS OF SHANNARATrade ReviewI can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years -- Patrick Rothfuss, author of THE NAME OF THE WINDI would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara -- Peter V. Brett, author of THE PAINTED MANIf you haven't read Terry Brooks, you haven't read fantasy -- Christopher Paolini, author of ERAGONTerry's place is at the head of the fantasy world -- Philip Pullman

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Book SynopsisWren Ohmsford, Scion of Shannara, came from the Westlands, where she lived the life of a Rover. Now she, like her kinsmen, Par and Walker Boh, has been called upon to help the shade of Allanon fight the totalitarian power of the Federation. She must find the Elves, who disappeared from their strongholds more than one hundred years ago ...But even knowledge of the Elves is hard to find - only a blind, wise woman of the West knows something of their location. On her advice, Wren and her Rover companion, Garth, journey to the coast of the Blue Divide, where they build a fire and let it burn for three days. With the unexpected help that their blaze attracts, they reach the isle of Morrowindle and near their goal - to find the last of the Elves. But they also find dangers such as they could not have imagined, and Wren will make a discovery that will change her life for ever.Trade ReviewA marvellous fantasy trip' Frank Herbert 'If Harry Potter has given you a thirst for fantasy and you have not discovered the magic of Terry Brooks, you are in for a treat' ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS 'Confirms Terry's place at the head of the fantasy world' Phi

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Book Synopsis***50 MILLION TERRY BROOKS COPIES SOLD AROUND THE WORLD***THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES IS NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES''Terry''s place is at the head of the fantasy world'' Philip PullmanThe descendants of the Elven house of Shannara have all completed their quests: Paranor, the Druid''s Keep, has been restored; the Elves have been returned to the Four Lands; and Par Ohmsford has found what he believes to be the legendary Sword of Shannara. But their work is not yet done. The Shadowen still swarm over the Four Lands, poisoning all with their dark magic, and their leader is determined to prevent the scions of Shannara from sharing the knowledge that will end the sickness. To this end he sets his traps. For Walker, he will dispatch the Four Horsemen; for Wren, he sends an untrue friend; and for Par, he devises the most terrible fate of all...The charges given by the shade of the Druid Allanon seem doomed to failure - unless the Shannara children can escape t

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Book SynopsisIn the first book of The Runelords, Raj Ahten, the Wolf Lord of Indhopal, uses magic to transform himself into the ultimate warrior: The Sum of All Men. He seeks to bring all of humanity under his rule - destroying anything and anyone in his path. Standing in his way is Prince Gaborn Val Orden, who must fulfil a 2,000-year-old prophecy and become the Earth King, a mythic figure who can unleash the forces of the earth itself. Only then will humanity have a chance to survive. . .Trade Review'The Runelords is a first rate tale, an epic fantasy that more than delivers on its promise. Read it soon and treat yourself to an adventure you won't forget.' Terry Brooks

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Book SynopsisThe epic struggle begun in THE SUM OF ALL MEN continues in BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF. Gaborn has managed to drive off Raj Ahten, but Ahten is far from defeated. Striking at far-flung cities and fortresses and killing dedicates, Ahten seeks to draw out the Earth King from his seat of power, in order to crush him. But as they weaken each other's forces in battle, the armies of an ancient and implacable enemy issue forth from the very bowels of the Earth. . .Trade ReviewThe Runelords is a first rate tale, an epic fantasy that more than delivers on its promise. Read it soon and treat yourself to an adventure you won't forget. * Terry Brooks *David Farland's "Runelords" fantasy sequence began in 1998 with The Sum of All Men, a career-relaunch novel whose sales far outstripped earlier SF published under his real name Dave Wolverton. Runelords are supermen whose strength, stamina, vision, etc. * Farland maintains a steady flow of new situations, reversals, gambits and surprises...it's a real shock when one chap who has incurred a dreadful penalty for virtuous reasons is not spared (as expected in the normal chivalry of fantasyland) but pays the f *David Langford, AMAZON.CO.UK REVIEW

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Book SynopsisThe Earth King, Gaborn Val Orden, has roamed to the ends of the known world to preserve his people, but the life-draining powers he has embraced have finally taken their toll. His death leaves his young son Fallion at the mercy of his enemies.But Fallion is no ordinary prince, with no ordinary enemies, but is a reincarnation of an immensely powerful immortal. Known as the torch-bearer, Fallion is fated to engage with an ancient evil across the many ages of his existence. Now, without his father's protection, powerful supernatural forces will seek to prevent him waking to his full powers - and the land of the Runelords will become their battlefield. At stake is not just a single world and Gaborn's hard-won legacy of peace, but the very foundations of creation ...Trade Review'The Runelords is a first rate tale, an epic fantasy that more than delivers on its promise. Read it soon and treat yourself to an adventure you won't forget.' Terry Brooks

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Book Synopsis***50 MILLION TERRY BROOKS COPIES SOLD AROUND THE WORLD***THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES IS NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES'Terry's place is at the head of the fantasy world' Philip PullmanFifty years from now, our world looks very different. Governments have fallen. Thousands live in fortified strongholds; others roam the landscape as either predator or prey. Standing against the forces that have tipped the balance from good to evil are a very few heroes, men and women imbued with powerful magic and sworn to a high destiny. Logan Tom is one of those heroes. He's on a desperate quest to deliver the street kids he rescued in Seattle to safety. So, too, is Angel Perez, who is leading a second group in the Oregon wilderness where she encounters the long-hidden Elves of Cintra. And Hawk - just learning his magic - has an encounter with the mystical King of the Silver River, who promises safety for both humans and elves - if only they can reach him. . .Praise for Terry Brooks:'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett, author of The Painted Man'If you haven't read Terry Brooks, you haven't read fantasy' Christopher Paolini, author of EragonThe Genesis of Shannara trilogy:ARMAGEDDON'S CHILDRENTHE ELVES OF CINTRATHE GYPSY MORPHTrade ReviewI can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years -- Patrick Rothfuss, author of THE NAME OF THE WINDTerry's place is at the head of the fantasy world -- Philip PullmanI would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara -- Peter V. Brett, author of THE PAINTED MANIf you haven't read Terry Brooks, you haven't read fantasy -- Christopher Paolini, author of ERAGONBrooks has always aimed for a Tolkien level of epic, fantasy swagger in his work and The Elves of Cintra is no exception . . . a worthy sequel to Armageddon's Children and a pretty damn intelligent fantasy opus. . . The Elves of Cintra is metaphorically rich and politically smart. * DEATHRAY *What a gripper of a story! In the second book of the Genesis of Shannara series, Brooks delivers a tension-fuelled tale mixing Shannara fantasy with the contemporary world of the Knights of the Word * SFX *A brilliant apocalyptic fantasy novel that will have readers on the edge of their seats from the start. * WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY *

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Book Synopsis***50 MILLION TERRY BROOKS COPIES SOLD AROUND THE WORLD***THE SHANNARA CHRONICLES IS NOW A MAJOR TV SERIES'Terry's place is at the head of the fantasy world' Philip PullmanThe last cities have fallen. Demons and once-men swarm the ravaged landscape of the former United States. A small band of survivors - the elves of Cintra and a ragtag group of human children and their protectors - flees northward toward a safe haven promised by the mystical King of the Silver River. To reach it, they must follow the boy named Hawk - now revealed as the legendary gypsy morph.With two Knights of the Word as their only protection, the brave remnant faces attacks on all sides. At stake are the survival of races human and elf - and the beginning of a new world for both.Praise for Terry Brooks:'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss, author of The Name of the Wind'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett, author of The Painted Man'If you haven't read Terry Brooks, you haven't read fantasy' Christopher Paolini, author of EragonThe Genesis of Shannara trilogy:ARMAGEDDON'S CHILDRENTHE ELVES OF CINTRATHE GYPSY MORPHTrade ReviewTerry's place is at the head of the fantasy world -- Philip PullmanI can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years -- Patrick Rothfuss, author of THE NAME OF THE WINDI would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara -- Peter V. Brett, author of THE PAINTED MANIf you haven't read Terry Brooks, you haven't read fantasy -- Christopher Paolini, author of ERAGON

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Book SynopsisThe stunning prequel to the worldwide bestselling Black Magician Trilogy*Over 3 million Trudi Canavan copies sold worldwide*In the remote village of Mandryn, Tessia serves as assistant to her father, the village Healer - much to the frustration of her mother, who would rather she found a husband. But her life is about to take a very unexpected turn.When treating a patient at the residence of the local magician, Lord Dakon, Tessia is forced to fight off the advances of a visiting Sachakan mage - and instinctively uses magic. She now finds herself facing an entirely different future as Lord Dakon's apprentice. But along with the excitement and privilege, Tessia is about to discover that her magical gifts bring with them a great deal of responsibility. Events are brewing that will lead nations into war, rival magicians into conflict, and spark an act of sorcery so brutal that its effects will be felt for centuries . . .Praise for Trudi Canavan:'Epic, vivid and believable' Guardian'It's easy to see why Trudi Canavan's novels so often make the bestseller lists. Her easy, flowing style makes for effortless reading . . . Delightful worldbuilding . . . Vivid and enjoyable' SFX'The world-building is tremendous. The magical system is sophisticated and fascinating' Striking Keys'A suspenseful masterpiece . . . will have fans desperate for the sequel' RT Book Reviews'Superb . . . an enthralling tapestry of a book that's hard to put down' Fantasy Faction*Have you tried Trudi Canavan's stunning new series, Millennium's Rule? It starts with the Sunday Times bestselling THIEF'S MAGIC*

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Book SynopsisDiscover the first thrilling novel in the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling Traitor Spy Trilogy from the fantasy phenomenon Trudi Canavan.As the son of the late High Lord Akkarin, saviour of the city, and Sonea, the former street urchin turned Black Magician, Lorkin has a legacy of heroism and adventure to live up to. So when Lord Dannyl takes the position of Guild Ambassador to Sachaka, Lorkin volunteers to be his assistant in the hopes of making his mark on the world. When news comes that Lorkin is in danger, the law that forbids Black Magicians leaving the city forces Sonea to trust that Dannyl will save him. Besides, her old friend Cery needs her as never before: someone has been assassinating Thieves, and when his family is targeted he finds evidence that this Thief Hunter uses magic. Either a member of the Guild is hunting down the Thieves one by one, or there is - once again - a rogue magician on the streets of Imardin. And this one has full control of their powers - and is willing to kill with them.Set in the same world as her global bestselling Black Magician Trilogy, Trudi Canavan's Traitor Spy Trilogy is a gripping fantasy adventure filled with danger and forbidden magic. ESCAPE TO A NEW WORLD. DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF TRUDI CANAVAN.'It's easy to see why Trudi Canavan's novels so often make the bestseller lists. Her easy, flowing style makes for effortless reading . . . Delightful worldbuilding . . . Vivid and enjoyable' SFXThe Traitor Spy Trilogy: The Ambassador's Mission The Rogue The Traitor Queen

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Book SynopsisThe Traitor Queen is the triumphant conclusion to the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling Traitor Spy trilogy from fantasy phenomenon Trudi Canavan, which began with The Ambassador's Mission and continued with The Rogue.Events are building to a climax in Sachaka as Lorkin returns from his exile with the Traitor rebels.The Traitor Queen has given Lorkin the huge task of brokering an alliance between his people and the Traitors. Lorkin has also had to become a feared black magician in order to harness the power of an entirely new kind of gemstone magic. This knowledge could transform the Guild of Magicians - or make Lorkin an outcast forever.Set in the same world as her global bestselling Black Magician Trilogy, Trudi Canavan's Traitor Spy Trilogy is a gripping fantasy adventure filled with danger and forbidden magic.ESCAPE TO A NEW WORLD.DISCOVER THE MAGIC OF TRUDI CANAVAN.'It's easy to see why Trudi Canavan's novels so often make the bestseller lists. Her easy, flowing style makes for effortless reading . . . Delightful worldbuilding . . . Vivid and enjoyable' SFXThe Traitor Spy Trilogy: The Ambassador's Mission The Rogue The Traitor Queen

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Book SynopsisCharlie Asher is a pretty normal guy. A little hapless, somewhat neurotic, more of a Beta than an Alpha Male. Charlie's been lucky, though. He owns a building in the heart of San Francisco, and runs a second-hand store with the help of a couple of loyal, if marginally insane, employees. He's married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normality. And she, Rachel, is about to have their first child. But normal service is about to be interrupted. As Charlie prepares to go home after the birth, he sees a strange man dressed in mint-green at Rachel's hospital bedside - a man who claims that no one should be able to see him. But see him Charlie does, and from here on out, things get really weird. . . .People start dropping dead around him, giant ravens perch on his building, and it seems that everywhere he goes, a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Strange names start appearing on his nightstand notepad, and before he knows it, those people end up dead, too. Yep, it seems that Charlie Asher has been recruited for a new job, an unpleasant but utterly necessary one: Death. It's a dirty job. But hey, somebody's gotta do it.

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Book SynopsisJust why do humpback whales sing? That's the question that has marine biologist Nate Quinn and his crew poking, charting, recording and photographing very big, wet, gray marine mammals. That is, until the extraordinary day when a whale lifts its tail into the air to display a cryptic message spelled out in foot-high letters: BITE ME.Trouble is, Nate's beginning to wonder if he hasn't spent just a little too much time in the sun. 'Cause no one else saw a thing- not his longtime partner, Clay Demodocus; not their saucy young research assistant; not even the spliff-puffing white-boy Rastaman Kona (ne Preston Applebaum). But later, when a roll of film returns from the lab missing the crucial tail shot- and his research facility is trashed- Nate realizes something very fishy indeed is going on.Trade ReviewI should warn you. I'm a newcomer to Moore - and I'm addicted! As with all good fantasy writers, he uses absurdity to make you focus on reality. . . he's streets beyond anyone else writing this genre at the moment. * THE BOOKBAG *

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Book SynopsisThey say the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, but if you ask Castor he'll tell you there's quite a bit of arrogance and reckless stupidity lining the streets as well. And he should know. There's only so many times you can play both sides against the middle and get away with it. Now, the inevitable moment of crisis has arrived and it's left Castor with blood on his hands. Well, not his hands, you understand; it's always someone else who pays the bill: friends, acquaintances, bystanders.So Castor drowns his guilt in cheap whisky, while an innocent woman lies dead and her daughter comatose, his few remaining friends fear for their lives and there's a demon loose on the streets. But not just any demon - this one rides shotgun on his best friend's soul and can't be expelled without killing him. Looks like Felix Castor's got some tough choices to make, because expel the demon he must or all Hell will break loose. Literally . . .Trade ReviewA welcome return for Felix Castor... You'll literally find hours disappearing when turning the pages of The Naming of the Beasts, and afterwards you'll be clamouring for more. Carey's unique and eminently readable style, with his excellent command of concise description and dialogue lends itself perfectly to the pacing of the book, one that we found ourselves wanting to re-read as soon as we finished it. It's highly recommended for fans of the Castor books, and for those that aren't familiar with the character, we'd be amazed if it didn't entice you to pick up earlier entries from this grim and depressing, yet wholly engrossing series. At the very least, you might not look at London in the same way again. * SciFi Now *Like Humphrey Bogart meets John Constantine, Felix Castor makes for an enjoyably, untrustworthy guide through the undead-filled streets of London, as painted by Mike Carey . . . huge verve and energy . . . engaging and vivacious . . . Carey has a fine e * SFX *Mike Carey's Felix Castor novels are something special . . . the writing is just brilliant with each volume jam-packed with vividly descriptive prose, witty dialogue, clever phrases and some of the best similies/metaphors I've had the pleasure of reading . . . Mike's books possess remarkable depth which applies to both the aforementioned characters and prose as well as dense plotting and highly creative supernatural elements that have their own scientific logic. In other words, reading most urban fantasy nowadays is like watching a movie trailer on your computer - short and fun, but unsatisfying - whereas the Felix Castor novels offer the full IMAX experience . . . Mike Carey's Felix Castor novels are simply one of the best urban fantasy series on the market today . . . ' FantasyBookCritic.blogspot.com: reviews of all five books * ‘The Naming of the Beasts is Mike Carey’s best outing yet for Felix Castor. Book six cannot come soon enough as far as I’m concerned!’ Graeme’sFantasyBookReview.com *There are some authors that guarantee a good read. Mike Carey is one of them. His Felix Castor novels are edgy and realistic, portraying London and its surroundings in a way that makes you hurry past dark alleyways even faster than usual, your back hol

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Book SynopsisOld ghosts of different kinds come back to haunt Fix, in the fourth gripping Felix Castor novel. Names and faces he thought he'd left behind in Liverpool resurface in London, bringing Castor far more trouble than he'd anticipated. Childhood memories, family traumas, sins old and new, and a council estate that was meant to be a modern utopia until it turned into something like hell ...these are just some of the sticks life uses to beat Felix Castor with as things go from bad to worse for London's favourite freelance exorcist. See, Castor's stepped over the line this time, and he knows he'll have to pay; the only question is: how much? Not the best of times, then, for an unwelcome confrontation with his holier-than-thou brother, Matthew. And just when he thinks things can't possibly get any worse, along comes Father Gwillam and the Anathemata. Oh joy ...Trade ReviewThe author has mastered the challenge of incorporating the paranormal into a normal urban setting, and his refusal to pull punches makes this a harder hitting genre entry than many others PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

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Book SynopsisMeet Harry Dresden, Chicago's first (and only) Wizard P.I. Turns out the 'everyday' world is full of strange and magical things - and most of them don't play well with humans. That's where Harry comes in.But even a career of narrow escapes and supernatural shenanigans hasn't prepared Harry for this. A vampire with a grudge has kidnapped his daughter. A daughter he never knew he had. Furthermore, this vampire plans to use her blood in a violent ritual sacrifice - designed to kill Harry, his ex-partner Susan and their child.As allies are perilously thin on the ground, Harry must find a new source of strength. In the past, there had always been a line he wouldn't cross, and he's never given in to the full fury of his own untapped dark powers. But then, only his own life was at stake.Magic - it can get a guy killed.Trade ReviewFast-paced and compelling * Publishers Weekly *A can't-miss entry in one of the best urban-fantasy series currently being published * Booklist (starred review) *If you're only going to read one Dresden Files novel, this is the one to read, as it's got all the aspects that make the series great * TheBookbag.co.uk *Changes is yet another excellent instalment in what is arguably the finest urban fantasy series being written at the moment * Bookgeeks.co.uk *

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Book SynopsisJody never asked to become a vampire. But when she wakes up under an alley Dumpster with a badly burned arm, an aching neck, superhuman strength, and a distinctly Nosferatuan thirst, she realises the decision has been made for her. Making the transition from the nine-to-five grind to an eternity of nocturnal prowlings is going to take some doing, however, and that''s where C. Thomas Flood fits in. A would-be Kerouac from Incontinence, Indiana, Tommy (to his friends) is biding his time night-clerking and frozen turkey bowling in a San Francisco Safeway. But all that changes when a beautiful, undead redhead walks through the door ... and proceeds to rock Tommy''s life - and afterlife - in ways he never imagined possible.

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Book SynopsisFor centuries, the people of Alera have relied on the power of the furies to protect them from outside invaders. But the gravest threat might be closer than they think.Tavi has escaped the Calderon Valley and the mysterious attack of the Marat on his homeland. But he is far from safe, as trying to keep up the illusion of being a student while secretly training as one of the First Lord's spies is a dangerous game. And he has not yet learned to use the furies, making him especially vulnerable.When the attack comes it's on two fronts. A sudden strike threatens the First Lord's life and threatens to plunge the land into civil war. While in the Calderon Valley, the threat faced from the Marat is dwarfed by an ancient menace. And Tavi must learn to harness the furies if he has any chance of fighting the greatest threat Alera has ever known . . .

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Book SynopsisPower-hungry Kalare has rebelled against Alera's aging First Lord, Gaius Sextus. Ill-equipped to face this attack, Gaius must seek support - even from the combative High Lord of Aquitaine. Kalare has also seized valuable hostages that could mean the difference between victory and failure. And Amara, the First Lord's Cursor, has been tasked with their rescue. She has earned this trust but are her allies as worthy - or does the Lady Aquitaine see the time as ripe for betrayal?Treachery is rife elsewhere, as young Tavi of Calderon will find. Posted away from the war, Tavi joins a legion anyway, under an assumed name. Then Kalare does the unthinkable - uniting with the brutish Canim. When treason wipes out the army's command structure, Tavi finds himself leading an inexperienced legion against the might of the Canim horde - the very last resort of a war-torn realm.

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