Fantasy Books

Book SynopsisLONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD The long-awaited, profoundly moving, and unforgettable new novel from PEN Award-winning Native American author Mona Susan Power, spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day.From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried….Sissy, born 1961: Sissy’s relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy’s ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy’s life.Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an “Indian school” far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school’s abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls.  Cora, born 1888: Though she was born into the brutal legacy of the “Indian Wars,” Cora isn’t afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be “civilized.” When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost…A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. With stunning prose, Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page.Trade Review“Power’s deep knowledge of Indigenous history comes through in keen depictions of the Indian schools, and she illuminates the characters’ struggles with generation trauma, which arise as they try to sustain their connections to the past. This story of survival shines brightly.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) “A Council of Dolls reached out, grabbed me and did not let go. Power’s ability to make language sing, cry, scream, and laugh illuminates this heartstopper of a book that shines a light into the dark corners of America’s history. I wanted the generational journey I was taking with these unforgettable characters—and their dolls—to never end. Read it—and be healed.” — Marie Myung-Ok Lee, author of The Evening Hero “A Council of Dolls absorbs through the skin, enters the bone, and disperses through the psyche—it perfectly captures the internal roots of the Native experience. Through the lives of three Dakota women, we grapple with the emotional, psychological, and spiritual toll on Indigenous peoples enduring an often brutal system and, moreover, how strength, healing, and love reverberate down each passing generation to dispense hope and resiliency. I cannot more highly recommend Power’s newest masterpiece.” — Oscar Hokeah, PEN/Hemingway award-winning author of Calling for a Blanket Dance "Moving...hypnotic." — Minneapolis Star Tribune "Mona Susan Power’s new novel is an honor song to the love and strength of Native families and our stories, to our brilliant selves. I couldn’t have known how much I needed the wisdom and offerings of these pages." — Kelli Jo Ford, author of Crooked Hallelujah “This tender and magical novel will stay with me for a long time. Mona Susan Power writes with dazzling empathy. The result is a heart-rending and many-layered narrative, a captivating story which is also a thrilling testimonial to the power of stories.” — Margot Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field A resplendent novel about the spirited lives of three inspiring women who endure significant change and hardship. Each story so deeply compelling I wanted to read quickly but was magnetized by the transformative power of each voice. A mighty, dazzling whirlwind of storytelling. These stories lift from the page. Prepare to stay up all night. A Council of Dolls is mesmerizing. Take a deep breath! Mona Susan Power can peer into darkness and transform it." — Debra Magpie Earling — Debra Magpie Earling “A work of exquisite beauty and courageous truth-telling, and an unforgettable homage to ancestral suffering and strength.” — Sheila O’Connor, author of Evidence of V “A talent like Susan Power comes along once in a lifetime, and lucky for us she's arrived. Here is a debut so stunning, so extraordinary in its depth and passion, you will swear there's a miracle on every page.” — Alice Hoffman, on The Grass Dancer “The Grass Dancer is astonishing, and not simply because it's Susan Power's first book. It is pure and potent magic, with storytelling that encircles you like wisps of tribal ghosts." — Amy Tan “This is a wild river of a book. Susan Power writes with a headlong energy and a force that are nothing less than thrilling. The Grass Dancer is painfully authentic, and Anna Thunder one of the most compelling female characters in contemporary fiction.” — Louise Erdrich “Captivating…a healing vision that goes to the core of our humanity.” — New York Times Book Review on The Grass Dancer “Stunning…Power steeps us in the traditions and culture of contemporary Indian life.” — San Francisco Chronicle on The Grass Dancer “Every new book by Susan Power is cause for celebration. This vibrant work is no exception. Her vision is intact: vivid, telling, honest, and transcendent. Power is a treasure and a true artist.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, on Sacred Wilderness

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDjango Wexler is the author of flintlock fantasy series The Shadow Campaigns, middle grade fantasy The Forbidden Library, and YA fantasy The Wells of Sorcery. His latest is the fantasy comedy How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying. In his former life as a software engineer, he worked on AI research and programming languages. He currently lives near Seattle with his wife, daughter, four cats, and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he wrangles computers, paints tiny soldiers, and plays games of all sorts.www.djangowexler.com @DjangoWexlerTrade ReviewThe Price of Valor is a very enjoyable epic fantasy, and a damned good book. And if you’re not reading Wexler’s “The Shadow Campaigns” yet… Well, what the hell are you waiting for? -- Liz Bourke * Tor.com *Django Wexler has delivered a highly entertaining debut that mixes elements of Bernard Cornwall–esque military adventure with an original take on magic and a keen eye for action, dialogue, and character....Succeeding volumes may end up doing for the Napoleonic Wars what George R. R. Martin did for the Wars of the Roses. Highly recommended. -- Anthony Ryan, New York Times Bestselling Author of Blood SongWith The Price of Valor, Django Wexler continues to prove that he’s got a great story to tell. Great characters painted on a fascinating backdrop with military and political conflict make for an excellent novel, and an excellent installment in a thoroughly entertaining Military/Flintlock Fantasy saga. * www.sffworld.com *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe STAR WARS epic continues its dazzling space odyssey in The New Jedi Order - as Luke and Mara, Leia and Han and others battle the mighty enemy from beyond the galactic rim. The brutal Yuuzhan Vong are scouring the universe for Jedi to slaughter. With no help from the divided New Republic, the Jedi stand alone against their seemingly invincible foe. Han and Leia Organa Solo risk deadly consequences with their controversial tactics to bolster the Jedi resistance. After uncovering a new Yuuzhan Vong menace, Anakin and Tahiri find themselves wanted for murder by the Peace Brigade. To avoid capture, they jump into hyperspace . . .and into trouble far graver. Hunted by the Yuuzhan Vong, wanted as criminals by the New Republic, and with unrest stirring within their own ranks, the Jedi find peril everywhere they turn. But even in the midst of despair, while the fiercest battle of all looms on the horizon, hope arises with the birth of one very special child . . .

Read more less

Book SynopsisSalman Rushdie is the author of sixteen novels, including Midnight's Children (for which he won the Booker Prize and the Best of the Booker), The Satanic Verses, and Quichotte (which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize). A former president of PEN American Center, Rushdie was knighted in 2007 for services to literature and was made a Companion of Honour in the Queen's last Birthday Honours list in 2022.Trade Review"A brilliant, fascinating, generous novel...wonderful" -- Ursula le Guin Guardian "A wild and whirling novel" Observer "For Rushdie, as for the artists he writes about, the pen is a magician's wand. There is more magic than realism in this latest novel. But it is, I think, one of his best. If The Enchantress of Florence doesn't win this year's Man Booker I'll curry my proof copy and eat it" Financial Times "My first desire on finishing it was to go back and re-read it. Like all of Rushdie's work, the playfulness, the passion, the erudition and the sensuousness go hand in hand. It's immensely rich...it's one of his best" Scotsman "An exuberant mix of fantasy and history" Daily Mail

Read more less

Book SynopsisHigh-class call girls billed to Mastercard. A psychic 13-year-old dropout with a passion for Talking Heads. A hunky matinee idol doomed to play dentists and teachers. A one-armed beach-combing poet, an uptight hotel clerk and one very bemused narrator caught in the web of advanced capitalist mayhem. Combine this offbeat cast of characters with Murakami's idiosyncratic prose and out comes Dance Dance Dance. 'If Raymond Chandler had lived long enough to see Blade Runner, he might have written something like Dance Dance Dance' Observer 'Mr Murakami writes metaphysical Far Easterns with a Western beat' New York Times 'An entertaining adventure that takes us to the frozen north of Japan to the dark, damp corners of the imagination... Reading Dance Dance Dance is a bit like being taken blindfold on a joy-ride' Independent 'Murakami reveals throughout, along with turn-on-a-sixpence plotting and joyous satirical Trade ReviewIf Raymond Chandler had lived long enough to see Blade Runner, he might have written something like Dance Dance Dance * Observer *An entertaining mix of modern sci-fi, nail-biting suspense and ancient myth...a sometimes funny, sometimes sinister mystery spoof, but like all good postmodern fiction, it also aims at contemporary human concerns, philosophical as well as literary * Chicago Tribune *An entertaining adventure that takes us to the frozen north of Japan, to Hawaii and to the dark, damp corners of the imagination... Reading Dance Dance Dance is a bit like being taken blindfold on a joy-ride * Independent *Mr Murakami writes metaphysical Far Easterns with a Western beat...there are echoes of Raymond Chandler, John Irving and Raymond Carver, but Mr. Murakami's mysterious plots and original characters are very much his own creation * New York Times *Brilliantly combines elements of the surreal, film noir and existentialist enquiry * Sunday Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA narrative particle accelerator that zooms between Wild Turkey Whiskey and Bob Dylan, unicorn skulls and voracious librarians, John Coltrane and Lord Jim.Trade ReviewHis fantasies, with their easy reference to western pulp fiction and music, retain a beauty of the mind * Guardian *A remarkable writer...he captures the common ache of contemporary heart and head -- Jay McInerneyCombines a witty sci-fi pastiche and a dream-like Utopian fantasy in two separate narratives which alternate in an interweave of precognition and deja vu -- Richard Lloyd Parry * Independent *Here is abundant imagination at play * Sunday Times *Murakami's bold willingness to go straight-over-the-top has always been a signal indication of his genius...a powerful melange of disillusioned radicalism, keen intelligence, wicked sarcasm and a general allegiance to the surreal. If Murakami is the "voice of a generation," as he is often proclaimed in Japan, then it is the generation of Thomas Pynchon and Don De Lillo * Washington Post *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWalter Moers was born in 1957 and is a writer, cartoonist, painter and sculptor. He is the creator of the comic strips The Little Asshole and Adolf and the author of the cult bestseller The 13.5 Lives of Captain Bluebear, Rumo, A Wild Ride Through The Night and The City of Dreaming Books. He lives in Hamburg.Trade ReviewThis follows the pattern familiar to Moers fans of old... There are short stories galore hidden here... for me they're top notch * thebookbag.co.uk *Another fascinating fantasy... Moers has created an absolutely charming world populated by lovable characters, and the well-paced stories he tells about it are informed by fairy-tale morality * Booklist *Elegantly written...Secrets are revealed, old bodies unearthed and strange allies made in this entrancing tale of darkness, determined survival and incredibly luxurious cuisine * Publisher's Weekly *Moers' creative mind is like J.K. Rowling's on ecstasy * Detroit News *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1978, Haruki Murakami was 29 and running a jazz bar in downtown Tokyo. One April day, the impulse to write a novel came to him suddenly while watching a baseball game. That first novel, Hear the Wind Sing, won a new writers' award and was published the following year. More followed, including A Wild Sheep Chase and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but it was Norwegian Wood, published in 1987, which turned Murakami from a writer into a phenomenon. His books became bestsellers, were translated into many languages, including English, and the door was thrown wide open to Murakami's unique and addictive fictional universe.Murakami writes with admirable discipline, producing ten pages a day, after which he runs ten kilometres (he began long-distance running in 1982 and has participated in numerous marathons and races), works on translations, and then reads, listens to records and cooks. His passions colour his non-fiction output, from What I Talk About WhTrade ReviewMurakami writes of contemporary Japan, urban alienation and journeys of self-discovery, and in this book he combines recollections of the war with metaphysics, dreams and hallucinations into a powerful and impressionistic work * Independent *Deeply philosophical and teasingly perplexing, it is impossible to put down * Daily Telegraph *Murakami weaves these textured layers of reality into a shot-silk garment of deceptive beauty * Independent on Sunday *Critics have variously likened him to Raymond Carver, Raymond Chandler, Arthur C. Clarke, Don DeLillo, Philip K. Dick, Bret Easton Ellis and Thomas Pynchon - a roster so ill assorted as to suggest Murakami is in fact an original * New York Times *Mesmerising, surreal, this really is the work of a true original * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe attempt fails but it intensifies his desire to be human again.Just as Lestat resigns himself to the body of a killer he is approached by the body thief, a creature who covets Lestat's monstrous power and can give him what he wants: a mortal body.Trade ReviewSupernatural horror that seems to have everything - passions, originality, imagination, narrative power, kinky sexuality and a superbly drawn otherworldly protagonist * The Washington Post *An enchanting tale * Publishers Weekly *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SHOW, FROM THE NETWORK BEHIND THE WALKING DEAD''[W]hen I found Rice''s work I absolutely loved how she took that genre and (...) made [it] feel so contemporary and relevant'' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes''[Rice wrote] in the great tradition of the gothic'' Ramsey Campbell, bestselling author of The Hungry MoonIn this terrifying novel from the phenomenally successful Anne Rice, the illustrious vampire Lestat makes a Faustian pact with Devil.Satan has come to New Orleans with an enticing proposition. Under the name Memnoch this lord of darkness takes Lestat on a tour through the boundaries of space and time, offering an alternative and personalised account of the Bible, exploring the events which shaped our world. Their journey comes to an apocalyptic conclusion in hell, from which Lestat returns frail and broken. The experience has shattered his pTrade ReviewA modern Paradise Lost * Washington Post *Lavish description, rapid narrative, gorgeous costume, and larger-than-life heroes, all against the biggest concept of them all: immortality * Guardian *Startling, fiendish, compelling * New York Daily News *Rice's most passionate and inventive work since Interview With the Vampire, Memnoch has a half-maddened, fever-pitch intensity and tells a tale as old as Scripture's legends and as modern as today's religious strife -- Mikal Gilmore * Rolling Stone *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTells the tale of the mesmerising leader of the vampire coven, the Theatre des Vampires in Paris. This angel-faced killer was snatched from the steppes of Russia as a child, and sold as a slave in Renaissance Venice. From there Armand's story spans several hundred years, culminating in a visit to New Orleans at the end of the twentieth century.Trade ReviewAnne Rice fans will no doubt be thrilled. . . It's not just the epic plot but Rice's voluptuary worldview that's the main attraction * Washington Post *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe 10th novel in Anne Rice's internationally bestselling Vampire Chronicles is an erotic tale of immortal loveThe dazzling vampire Lestat was once the epitome of evil.Trade ReviewThe chronicles are hard to put down because they are like old friends * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisChuck Palahniuk is the bestselling author of fifteen fictional works, including Fight Club, Invisible Monsters, Survivor, Choke, Lullaby, Diary, Haunted, Rant, Pygmy, Tell-All, Damned, Doomed, Beautiful You, and most recently Make Something Up. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.Trade ReviewIt's not for the faint-stomached. It's also rather brilliant… A grand, funny, troubling and rewarding read… Maddie is my new post-alive heroine. -- Euan Ferguson * Observer *Funny, bloody and always original. But then we should expect nothing less from the creator of Fight Club. * The Sun *Instantly engaging (and excellently gory)… it makes Tyler Durden's psychological problems look positively pedestrian. * Shortlist *A fantastic exploration of modern fame, unfolding in typically opaque sci-fi style as we follow child-of-the-stars Madison after she overdoses on Oscar night and is driven to hell in a limo. * Grazia *Hellishly good reading... Filled with Palahniuk's sublimely detailed grossness and blacker-than-black giggles. * Bizarre *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Titus Awakes the 77th Earl of Groan leaves the crumbling castle of Gormenghast and finds the larger world even stranger than his birthplace. Confronted by elemental and human threats - snowstorms, shipwrecks and attempts on his life - Titus'' bravery is tested and he must fight to free himself from the claims of his past. Peake began this fourth and final volume of the Gormenghast stories but he died having only written a few pages. Using notes and the fragments he left behind, his wife, the painter and writer Maeve Gilmore, has created a richly imagined sequel that fans of The Gormenghast Trilogy will delight in.Trade ReviewTitus Awakes is a treasure salvaged from the ruins * New Statesman *Peake does not, as some have said, defy classification; rather, he is beyond classification in any single genre, and therein perhaps lies his genius. In his centenary year it is to be hoped that the latest surge of interest in his enormous range of work will finally help to place him in his rightful position as one of Britain's most brilliant, original and creative figures * Times Literary Supplement *A century after his birth, the gothic surrealism of Peake's fantasy world still attracts new fans * Independent *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''[W]hen I found Rice''s work I absolutely loved how she took that genre and (...) made [it] feel so contemporary and relevant'' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes''[Rice wrote] in the great tradition of the gothic'' Ramsey Campbell, bestselling author of The Hungry MoonMAN OR MONSTER?Anne Rice reinvented the vampire legend. Discover what she''s done with the werewolf myth.After a brutal attack Reuben finds himself changing. His hair is longer, his skin is more sensitive and her can hear things he never could before.Now he must confront the beast within him or lose himself completely.Trade ReviewWhat makes this novel special is the changes the author rings on the werewolf theme... This allows Rice to spin both a convincing thriller and an inquisition on the nature of good and evil – a recurring theme in her work. Superb. * Guardian *The Wolf Gift is vintage Anne Rice – a lushly written, gothic... metaphysical tale. * Wall Street Journal *I want to howl at the moon over this... I devoured these pages... [A] terrific new novel. . . The plot [is] magnetic, the characters fascinating. * The Boston Globe *A thrilling, page-turning yarn. * Booklist *[Rice] returns to the lushly evocative scenery and gothic atmosphere of her vampire novels with great success. . . her reimagining of a well-worn mythology is fresh and intriguing. Fans of Rice's 'The Vampire Chronicles' and 'The Lives of the Mayfair Witches' series should delight in this new saga delivered in the author's distinctive style. Part creation story, part love story, all excellent! * Library Journal *

Read more less

Book SynopsisSalman Rushdie was born in Bombay in 1947. He is the author of many adult novels including the Booker winning Midnight's Children. He wrote Haroun and Luka for his sons, Zarfar and Milan.Trade ReviewLively, wonderfully inventive comic tale -- Alison Lurie * New York Times Book Review on Haroun *A beautiful book... It's like a bridge, built between generations, fabulous and strange and from the heart -- Neil Gaiman on Luka

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING NOVELADAPTED INTO A FEATURE FILM WITH ELIJAH WOODFrom the bestselling author of Here I Am, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and We are the Weather - a hilarious, life-affirming and utterly original novel about the search for truth''Gripping, hilariously funny and deeply serious. An astonishing feat of writing'' The Times''One of the most impressive novel debuts of recent years'' Joyce Carol Oates, Times Literary Supplement''A first novel of startling originality'' Jay McInerney, Observer''It seems hard to believe that such a young writer can have such a deep understanding of both comedy and tragedy'' Erica Wagner, The TimesA young man arrives in the Ukraine, clutching in his hand a tattered photograph. He is searching for the woman who fifty years ago saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Unfortunately, he is aided in his quest by Alex, Trade Review'An astonishing feat' The Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Last Four Things is the second in Paul Hoffman''s remarkable series.Death, Judgement, Heaven and HellThese are the Last Four Things Now there are FiveMeet Thomas CaleReturning to the Sanctuary of the Redeemers, Thomas Cale is told by the Lord Militant that the destruction of mankind is necessary; the only way to undo God''s greatest mistake.Cale seemingly accepts his role in the ending of the world: fate has painted him as the Left Hand of God, the Angel of Death. Absolute power is within his grasp, the terrifying zeal and military might of the Redeemers a weapon for him to handle as simply as he once used a knife.But perhaps not even the grim power that the Redeemers hold over Cale is enough - the boy who turns from love to poisonous hatred in a heartbeat, the boy who switches between kindness and sheer violence in the blink of an eye. The annihilation that the Redeemers seek may well be in Cale''s hands - but his soul is far stranger than they could ever know.The Last Four Things follows on from The Left Hand of God. It is the second instalment in a gripping trilogy by Paul Hoffman. Imagine if Phillip Pullman''s His Dark Materials met Umberto Eco''s Name of the Rose. Fans of epic heroic fiction will love this series.Praise for Paul Hoffman:''This book gripped me from the first chapter and then dropped me days later, dazed and grinning to myself'' Conn Iggulden''Tremendous momentum'' Daily Telegraph''A cult classic . . .'' Daily Express

Read more less

Book SynopsisDanielle Trussoni is the author of the memoir Falling Through the Earth, which was chosen by the New York Times as one of the ten best books of 2006. She currently lives in France with her husband, the writer Nikolai Grozni, and their children.

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover the explosive second instalment in the Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore, the bestselling author of I AM NUMBER FOUR''Exhilarating . . . Each book grows more and more cataclysmic and heroic'' 5***** Reader Review''This series is consistently captivating. It makes me shiver to think about it'' 5***** Reader Review______They caught Number One in Malaysia.Number Two in England.And Number Three in Kenya.They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio . . . and failed.I am Number Seven. And I''m ready to fight.I''ve seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened to John Smith. To the world he''s a mystery, but to me . . . he''s one of us.Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us, if we all still believe in our mission.There are six of us left. We''re hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another, but our Legacies are devel

Read more less

Book SynopsisDiscover the heartstopping fourth instalment in the Lorien Legacies series by Pittacus Lore, the bestselling author of I AM NUMBER FOUR''Exhilarating . . . Each book grows more and more cataclysmic and heroic'' 5***** Reader Review''This series is consistently captivating. It makes me shiver to think about it'' 5***** Reader Review______I thought things would change when I found the others. We would stop running. We would fight the Mogadorians. And we would win.But I was wrong. Even though we have come together, we barely escaped from them with our lives. And now we''re in hiding, figuring out our next move.The six of us are powerful - but not strong enough to take on their entire army. We haven''t discovered the full extent of our Legacies. We haven''t learned to work together.Time is running out, and there''s only one thing we know for certain: We need to find Number Five before they do.They caught Number One in Malaysia.Number Two in England.And Number Three in Kenya.I am Number Four. I was supposed to be next.But I''m still alive.This battle is far from over.Praise for Pittacus Lore:''Tense, exciting, full of energy'' Observer''Relentlessly readable'' The Times''Set to eclipse Harry Potter and moody vampires. Pittacus Lore is about to become one of the hottest names on the planet'' Big Issue''Tense, keeps you wondering'' Sunday TimesPerfect for fans of The Hunger Games - I Am Number Four is the first book in Pittacus Lore''s Lorien Legacies series and is now a major Disney film.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA man of devilish charm and enterprising spirit, Dougal Douglas is employed to revitalize the ailing firm of Meadows, Meade & Grindley. He succeeds, but not quite in the way his employer intended. Strange things begin to happen as Dougal exerts an uncanny influence on the inhabitants of Peckham Rye and brings lies, tears, blackmail and even murder into the lives of all he meets, from Miss Merle Coverdale, head of the typing pool, to Beauty, the resident femme fatale, and even Mr Druce, the unsuspecting Managing Director himself.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLewis Carrollâ??s whimsically timeless tale, beautifully illustrated by world-renowned pop artist Yayoi Kusama. Nominated as one of Americaâ??s best-loved novels by PBSâ??s The Great American ReadSince childhood, Kusama has been afflicted with a condition that makes her see spots, which means she sees the world in a surreal, almost hallucinogenic way that sits very well with the Wonderland of Alice. She is fascinated by childhood and the way adults have the ability, at their most creative, to see things the way children do, a central concern of the Alice books. The classic book is colour illustrated with a clothbound jacket, and produced to very high specification. Kusama's images are interspersed throughout the text. Produced in collaboration with the Kusama Studio, Tokyo and Gagosian Gallery.Trade Review“A breathtaking piece of visual philosophy to complement Carroll’s timeless vision...a striking contender for the most visually captivating take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland yet.”—BrainPickings“Yayoi Kusama’s visionary take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland...shows how no matter how old you are, childhood never has to end.”—Huffington Post“A charming little book...this is pretty much the perfect pairing.”—Flavorwire

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe coveted and award-winning Penguin Threads series continues with three more enchanting, beautifully sewn covers by a talented visual artistWith paper and pen or needle and thread, storytelling has many traditions. Penguin's award-winning art director Paul Buckley presents Penguin Threads, a series of Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions inspired by the aesthetic of handmade crafts with specially commissioned cover art. Jillian Tamaki's embroidered artwork appears on The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Emma by Jane Austen, and Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. This latest set features three beloved classics for both adults and children with cover art by painter and illustrator Rachell Sumpter. Sketched in a traditional illustrative manner, the final covers are sculpt embossed and present full front and reverse hand-stitched designs. Through story, style and texture, the Penguin Threads is an exciting chapter in Pe

Read more less

Book SynopsisA vivid and inspiring adventure story from the father of magical realismDissatisfied with his empty, Sisyphus-like existence in New York City, where he has abandoned his creative dreams for a job in corporate advertising, an aspiring composer wants nothing more than to tear his life up from the root. He soon finds his escape hatch: a university-sponsored mission to South America to look for indigenous musical instruments in one of the few areas of the world safely untouched by the industrial world. Retracing the steps of time, he voyages with his lover into a land that feels outside of history, searching not just for music but ultimately for himself, and turning away from modernity towards the very heart of what makes us human.Trade Review“Penguin Classics has recently published sensational new translations of two of Carpentier’s novels, The Lost Steps (1953) and Explosion in a Cathedral (1962). . . . What made them influential, and makes them so dazzlingly readable still, is their style. . . . Needless to say, this marriage of style and subject would be illegible to English-language readers without a first-rate translator, and in Adrian Nathan West, Penguin Classics has found their man.” —The Wall Street Journal“An erudite yet absorbing adventure story . . . A book full of riches—stylistic, sensory, visual.” —The New York Times Book Review“Carpentier’s novels are full of luscious descriptions of nature. . . . His descriptions of food and drink are exquisite. . . . The mannered intensity of Carpentier’s language—maintained at fever pitch by West—propels the reader. . . . Every sentence in the novel [is] freighted with learning and a passion for high art. . . . What the reader takes away overall from West’s translation is a freshness and bite and aesthetic ambition that match Carpentier’s.” —Natasha Wimmer, The New York Review of Books“Extraordinary.” —The New Yorker“The most remarkable translating feat I encountered in 2023 comes courtesy of Adrian Nathan West, who in The Lost Steps and Explosion in a Cathedral brings the almost orgiastically baroque prose of Alejo Carpentier into glorious English.” —Sam Sacks of The Wall Street Journal, via Twitter“An absolutely magnificent piece of literature . . . The prose is mesmerizing, and it’s one of those books where I just want to have it tattooed on me in its entirety to keep with me forever.” —BuzzFeed“The greatest novel to have appeared in Latin America in our time.” —Le Figaro Littéraire“Beautiful and stirring . . . One of [Carpentier’s] finest works . . . which for many readers is the most alluring of his novels.” ―Leonardo Padura, from the Introduction

Read more less

Book SynopsisSomething strange is afoot in the kingdom of Pür.The most favoured suitor at Princess Vasundhara''s swayamvara has disappearedA reclusive sorceress has emerged from the Eastern IslesThe Inter-Realm Ambassador is furious.A long-lost stone with dark powers must be found.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn exciting and accessible study of the genre of fantasy.One of the dominant modes of storytelling in the twenty-first century, fantasy can mirror contemporary experiences and convey our anxieties and longings better than any representation of the merely real. It is the lie that speaks truth. This book addresses two central questions about fantastic storytelling: first, how can it be meaningful if it doesn''t claim to represent things as they are, and second, what kind of change can it make in the world? How can a form of storytelling that alters physical laws and denies facts about the past be at the same time a source of insight into human nature and the workings of the world? What kind of social, political, cultural, intellectual work does fantasy perform in the world--the world of the reader, that is, not that of the characters? Focusing on various aspects of fantastic world-building and story creation in classic and contemporary fantasy, from the use of symbolic structures to the way new stories incorporate bits of significance from earlier texts, this book shows how fantasy allows writers such as Michael Cunningham, Hans Christian Anderson, Helene Wecker, C. S. Lewis, Ursula K. Le Guin, Nnedi Okorafor, Nalo Hopkinson, George MacDonald, Aliette deBodard, and Patricia Wrightson to test new modes of understanding and interaction and thus to rethink political institutions, social practices, and models of reality.Trade ReviewReadable and authoritative, rich in example without losing us in abstract theory... For many-academics and general readers alike-the value of this volume will be in the way it places the fantasy we have grown up with in the context of a range of other voices. * Andy Sawyer, Strange Horizons *[Fantasy] proceeds from the deep, sincere, unselfconscious heart of fandom. It follows the zigzagging logic of love... can I recommend this book? The answer is yes. * Sandra Newman, Times Literary Supplement *Attebery writes personably and with grace... Fantasy: How it Works is the beginning of lots of good discussions. * Gary K. Wolfe , Locus *Internationally, fans, students, established and new, and academics will all find a great deal of accessibly written and thoroughly researched, useful, entertaining work in this lovely book. * Gina Wisker, Dissections *a short and friendly book that eschews jargon and is very firmly based on Attebery's phenomenonally wide reading within the genre... If you haven't read much fantasy fiction, this book is a wonderful introduction. If you have, you will still come away with a to-read list as long as your arm, a new appreciation of the novels you love, and plenty of food for thought. * Helen Parry, Shiny New Books *[a] lively and informative tour of a wonderful genre. * George Kelley *Fantasy literature is often defined as "literature of the impossible" and dismissed as escapism and sometimes even as irrelevant. In this brief but powerful book, Attebery (Idaho State Univ.) argues against these views. Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; professionals; general readers. * Choice *The great strength of Fantasy: How It Works lies in the way it draws on and showcases a lifetime of careful reading of and thinking about the fantastic, marking another invaluable addition to fantasy studies... There is no book quite like it, and it is best approached as just what Attebery intended, a conversation starter about how fantasy means and what it does, the important work it performs in the world. * Timothy S. Miller, Los Angeles Review of Books *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Speaking of Fantasy 1: How Fantasy Means: The Shape of Truth 2: Realism and the Structures of Fantasy: The Family Story 3: Neighbors, Myths, and Fantasy 4: If not Conflict, then What? Metaphors for Narrative Interest 5: A Mitochondrial Theory of Literature: Fantasy and Intertextuality 6: Young Adult Dystopias and Yin Adult Utopias 7: Gender and Fantasy: Employing Fairy Tales 8: The Politics of Fantasy 9: Timor mortis conturbat me: Fear and Fantasy Conclusion: How Fantasy Means and What It Does: Some Propositions Works Cited

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow would a creature limited to two dimensions be able to grasp the possibility of a third? In Flatland, A Square's linear world is invaded by a Sphere bringing the gospel of the third dimension. Part geometry lesson, part social satire, the novel enlarges readers' imaginations beyond the limits of our 'respective dimensional prejudices'.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAnd you thought your adolescence was scary. Suburban Seattle, the mid-1970s. We learn from the outset that a strange plague has descended upon the area''s teenagers, transmitted by sexual contact. The disease is manifested any number of ways - from the hideously grotesque to the subtle (and concealable) - but once you''ve got it, that''s it. There''s no turning back. As we inhabit the heads of several key characters - some kids who have it, some who don''t, some who are about to get it - what unfolds isn''t the expected battle to fight the plague, or bring heightened awareness of it, or even to treat it. What we become witness to instead is a fascinating and eerie portrait of the nature of high-school alienation itself - the savagery, the cruelty, the relentless anxiety and ennui, the longing for escape. And then the murders start. As hypnotically beautiful as it is horrifying (and, believe it or not, autobiographical), Black Hole transcends itTrade ReviewMany regard Black Hole as one of the greatest graphic novels, and it's not hard to see why. Burns's black-and-white strips are so cool, and his story - sex, drugs and teenage mutants - grips like a vice. -- Rachel Cooke * Observer *Drawn in [Burns’] signature woodblock style, and [is] visually memorising * Stong Word *A bleak but brilliant tale of suburban alienation -- Marc Chacksfield * ShortList *Black Hole just might be the most perfect book going, if not the sexiest... As startling and evocative a work as the medium has ever produced. -- Matt Fraction * Art Bomb *Make no mistake: this is a bleak book that tries desperately in its final frames to introduce a note of optimism in resignation. It's also brilliant. -- Peter Millar * The Times *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAs the ruthless forces of Russia lay waste to the New World, English troops make landfall in the east, determined to reconquer the colonies. Trapped in between are the Native Americans, ex-slaves, and European refugees, led by Benjamin Franklin and the Choctaw shaman Red Shoes. But the balance of power rests with the French woman Adrienne de Montchevreuil, whose grasp of science is the equal of Franklin’s, whose magic may be stronger than the Choctaw, and whose shocking secret may call into question where her true allegiances lie . . . 'Inventive and exciting, filled with clever details and high adventure, this brings to a close a sequence that seems likely to establish Keyes as one of the more significant and original new fantasy writers to appear in recent years' Science Fiction Chronicle 'Thrilling . . . The book builds to a climactic confrontation to see who will reshape the universe' Publishers Weekly

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe story of Judah, a foundling born with a special gift and raised inside Highfall castle along with Gavin, the son and heir to Lord Elban's vast empire. An epic fantasy tale.Trade Review'Familiar yet entirely unique, The Unwilling is the sort of story that seeps under your skin and pulses there, intimate and vibrant and alive. Fantasy at its most sublime' Erin Morgenstern, author of The Night Circus.'A juggernaut of an epic fantasy novel with ingenious, thrilling twists and turns. Kelly Braffet is a marvel and I'll read anything she writes' Kelly Link, MacArthur Genius Recipient.'Suspenseful; magical, wonderfully written and never predictable ... An essential addition to all epic fantasy collections' Booklist, starred review.'Having read this wonderful book, I'd DOUBLE star it. Absolutely couldn't put it down. Didn't want it to end' Stephen King.Table of Contents0

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Summer was drawing to a close, and I realized that the book was monstrous.''Fantastical tales of mazes, puzzles, lost labyrinths and bookish mysteries, from the unique imagination of a literary magician. Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Time is a catastrophe, perpetual and irreversible.'' Science and fiction interweave delightfully in these playful Cosmicomic short stories.Penguin Modern: fifty new books celebrating the pioneering spirit of the iconic Penguin Modern Classics series, with each one offering a concentrated hit of its contemporary, international flavour. Here are authors ranging from Kathy Acker to James Baldwin, Truman Capote to Stanislaw Lem and George Orwell to Shirley Jackson; essays radical and inspiring; poems moving and disturbing; stories surreal and fabulous; taking us from the deep South to modern Japan, New York''s underground scene to the farthest reaches of outer space.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''Extraordinary'' Philip PullmanFollowing one man''s journey from earth to an alien landscape of ethereal beauty and existential terror, A Voyage to Arcturus is a profound questioning of the nature of evil. Dreamlike and philosophical, this landmark cult novel has influenced generations of writers.''That shattering, intolerable and irresistible work'' C. S. Lewis''A Nietzschean Pilgrim''s Progress ... Lindsay''s engrossing book, a mixture of metaphysics and surreal dream-quest, stands as one of the great originals'' GuardianTrade ReviewThe book I think is most underrated: David Lindsey, A Voyage To Arcturus. -- Philip PullmanThat shattering, intolerable, and irresistible work -- C. S. LewisLindsay's engrossing book, a mixture of metaphysics and surreal dream-quest, stands as one of the great originals. * Guardian *

Read more less

Book Synopsis''A great shout of life and individuality ... an act of defiance that gladdens the soul'' Guardian Lolly Willowes, so gentle and accommodating, has depths no one suspects. When she suddenly announces that she is leaving London and moving, alone, to the depths of the countryside, her overbearing relatives are horrified. But Lolly has a greater, far darker calling than family: witchcraft. ''The book I''ll be pressing into people''s hands forever . . . It tells the story of a woman who rejects the life that society has fixed for her in favour of freedom ... tips suddenly into extraordinary, lucid wildness'' Helen Macdonald''Witty, eerie, tender ... her prose, in its simple, abrupt evocations, has something preternatural about it'' John UpdikeTrade ReviewA great shout of life and individuality. -- Justine Jordan * Guardian *The book I'll be pressing into people's hands forever is Lolly Willowes [. . .] Starting as a straightforward, albeit beautifully written family saga, it tips suddenly into extraordinary, lucid wildness -- Helen Macdonald * The New York Times Book Review *Sylvia Townsend Warner moves with sombre confidence into the realm of the supernatural, and her prose, in its simple, abrupt evocations, has something preternatural about it -- John UpdikeMy comfort read -- Tracey Thorn

Read more less