Whether your passion is The Ancient Greeks, The Wars of The Roses or The Russian Revolution, you'll find stories of life during these eras and every other, often using factual accounts to build a fictional narrative.
Historical Fiction Books
Unbound The Scottish Boy
Book Synopsis1333. Edward III is at war with Scotland. Nineteen-year-old Sir Harry de Lyon yearns to prove himself, and jumps at the chance when a powerful English baron, William Montagu, invites him on a secret mission with a dozen elite knights. They ride north, to a crumbling Scottish keep, capturing the feral, half-starved boy within and putting the other inhabitants to the sword.But nobody knows why the flower of English knighthood snuck over the border to capture a savage, dirty teenage boy. Montagu gives the boy to Harry as his squire, with only two rules: don't let him escape, and convert him to the English cause.At first, it's hopeless. The Scottish boy is surly and violent, and eats anything that isn't nailed down. Then Harry begins to notice things: that, as well as Gaelic, the boy speaks flawless French, with an accent much different from Harry's Norman one. That he can read Latin too. And when Harry finally convinces the boy – Iain mac Maíl Coluim – to cut his filthy curtain of hair, the face revealed is the most beautiful thing Harry has ever seen.With Iain as his squire, Harry wins tournament after tournament and becomes a favourite of the King. But underneath the pageantry smoulder twin secrets: Harry and Iain's growing passion for each other, and Iain's mysterious heritage. As England hurtles towards war once again, these secrets will destroy everything Harry holds dear.
£15.07
Bonnier Books Ltd Hungerstone
Book SynopsisTHE FIERCEST, MOST POWERFUL RETELLING OF 2025 'Ravenous, righteous and utterly sublime' Bea Fitzgerald, Sunday Times bestselling author of GIRL, GODDESS, QUEEN'Intoxicating and vivid . . . Sensual and vicious' Hannah Kaner, Sunday Times bestselling author of GODKILLER'An extraordinary book: a dark, sensuous, gothic story of female appetite, ravenous desire and insatiable rage' Jennifer SaintFOR WHAT DO YOU HUNGER . . . ?Lenore is the wife of steel magnate Henry, but ten years into their marriage the relationship has soured, and no child has arrived to fill the distance growing between them. Henry's ambitions take them from London to the Peak District, to the remote, imposing Nethershaw estate, where he plans to host a hunting party. Lenore must work to restore the crumbling house and ready it for Henry's guests - their future depends on it.But as the couple travel through the bleak countryside, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into Lenore's life. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night, Carmilla who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger . . .As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband's affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk . . .Set against the violent wilderness of the Peaks and the uncontrolled appetite of the Industrial Revolution, HUNGERSTONE is a compulsive sapphic reworking of CARMILLA, the book that inspired DRACULA: a captivating story of appetite and desire.'A sumptuous delight, Hungerstone combines gothic thrills with a feminist exploration of what it means to become estranged from our desires, and what it might mean if we let ourselves be whole. I feasted on it' Jessica Moor'Kat Dunn repaints the classic story of Carmilla in the boldest, bloodiest colours. Hungerstone is decadent, brilliant, triumphant and I devoured it' Sarah Underwood, author of Lies We Sing to the Sea'Richly imagined and utterly compelling, this story's fierce heart beats like a drum, calling to every woman who has ever had to deny herself. A dark, gothic delight' Hester Musson'Deliciously dark and atmospheric, Hungerstone throbs with the taste of the forbidden. I devoured this breathtakingly original novel' Emily Critchley
£13.49
Headline Publishing Group The Winemaker's Wife: An internationally bestselling story of love, courage and forgiveness
If you love The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Beekeeper's Promise and then you'll adore this beautiful story of love, hope and survival. East of Paris in the sun-drenched vineyards of northern France lies the glamorous champagne house Maison Chauveau. But as the Nazis march closer and the Resistance builds strength, it becomes clear the grand house is not all it seems. 1940: When young Ines married into the famed Chauveau family she dreamt of peace and luxury. But with German occupation comes a life of fear: for herself, for family and friends joining the Resistance and for Celine, the Jewish wife of their chief vintner. As tensions mount and loyalties are tested, Ines will be faced with a terrible choice. 2019: Liv Kent has lost everything: her job, her husband and the family she thought they were building. Alone and adrift she leaps at the chance to join her eccentric grandmother on a trip to Champagne. But it's not long before past and present collide, and in a desperate search for the truth, Liv is led straight to the Maison Chauveau.If you loved The Winemaker's Wife then check out Kristin Harmel's instant bestseller The Book of Lost Names, out now.What readers are saying about The Book of Lost Names:'A heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism centered on a female forger who risks everything to help Jewish children escape Nazi-occupied France' People Magazine, '20 Best Books to Read this Summer''Brilliantly imagined' Publishers Weekly, Starred Review'Heartbreakingly real with a dash of suspense and romance' Booklist ___________What readers are saying about The Winemaker's Wife: 'A beautifully woven tale of love, betrayal and redemption' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'This is a story of love through generations, of the French Resistance and families of blood and choice. Fabulous read!' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars 'A memorable book that weaves a heartbreaking, yet hopeful, tale. This book is fascinating and a must read!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars 'It is a story of love and betrayal. It's also a story of forgiveness ... kept me intensely interested until the very end' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars 'A deeply thoughtful historical fiction novel, based on details of real-life Resistance activities that occurred in France during World War II' Gwendalynbooks.blog 'I would highly recommend The Winemaker's Wife to those who like historical fiction and women's fiction. A 5 star for me!' Stories Unfolded Blog 'This was a wonderfully twisty book ... I definitely want to read more from this author' The Good, the Bad and the Unread
£8.99
Pan Macmillan The Light Years
Book SynopsisAs featured on BBC Radio 4 Open BookA modern classic, The Light Years is a story of twentieth-century English life in the countryside and the first in Elizabeth Jane Howard's extraordinary, bestselling family saga The Cazalet Chronicles.'She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts' – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf HallEvery summer, the Cazalet brothers – Hugh, Edward and Rupert – return to the family home in the heart of the Sussex countryside with their wives and children. There, they are joined by their parents and unmarried sister Rachel to enjoy two blissful months of picnics, games, and excursions to the coast. But despite the idyllic setting, nothing can be done to soothe the siblings’ heartache: Hugh is haunted by the ravages of the Great War, Edward is torn between his wife and his latest infidelity, and Rupert is in turmoil over his inability to please his demanding wife. Meanwhile, Rachel risks losing her only chance at happiness because of her unflinching loyalty to the family.'Charming, poignant and quite irresistible . . . to be cherished and shared' – The TimesWith cover artwork exclusively designed by artist Luke Edward Hall, this is an edition to treasure. Continue the dazzling historical series with Marking Time and Confusion.Trade ReviewIf I were sent to a desert island with one book this would be my choice -- Her Majesty Queen CamillaCharming, poignant and quite irresistible . . . to be cherished and shared * The Times *She is one of those novelists who shows, through her work, what the novel is for . . . She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts -- Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies The Cazalets have earned an honoured place among the great saga families . . . rendered thrillingly three-dimensional by a master craftsman * Sunday Telegraph *Superb . . . hypnotic . . . very funny * Spectator *Evocative and gracefully written * Cosmopolitan *A family saga of the best kind . . . a must * Tatler *A dazzling historical reconstruction -- Penelope Fitzgerald, Booker Prize-winning author of OffshoreThe Blue FlowerThis chronicle will be read, like Trollope, as a classic about life in England in our century -- Sybille Bedford, author of A Legacy and JigsawGloriously addictive . . . Family loyalty, betrayals, triumphs, tragedy, births and deaths are all blissfully here, and you become emotionally absorbed in the fate of each character * Daily Mail *
£7.99
Pan Macmillan Casting Off
Book SynopsisAs featured on BBC Radio 4 Open BookThe Second World War has finally ended and so begins a new era of freedom and opportunity for the Cazalet family. Elizabeth Jane Howard's magnificent Cazalet Chronicles continues with Casting Off, the fourth novel in the saga.'She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts' – Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf HallThe Cazalet cousins are now in their twenties, trying to piece together their lives in the aftermath of the war. Louise is faced with her father's new mistress and her mother's grief at his betrayal, while suffering in a loveless marriage of her own. Clary is struggling to understand why her beloved father chose to stay in France long after it was safe to return to Britain, and both she and Polly are madly in love with much older men.Polly, Clary and Louise must face the truth about the adult world, while their fathers – Rupert, Hugh and Edward – must make choices that will decide their own, and the family's, future . . .'Charming, poignant and quite irresistible . . . to be cherished and shared' – The TimesWith cover artwork exclusively designed by artist Luke Edward Hall, this is the heartbreaking and heartwarming fourth instalment of Elizabeth Jane Howard's bestselling series. It is followed by All Change, the fifth and final book in the series.Trade ReviewIf I were sent to a desert island with one book this would be my choice -- Her Majesty Queen CamillaCharming, poignant and quite irresistible . . . To be cherished and shared * The Times *She is one of those novelists who shows, through her work, what the novel is for . . . She helps us to do the necessary thing – open our eyes and our hearts -- Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf HallThe Cazalets have earned an honoured place among the great saga families . . . rendered thrillingly three-dimensional by a master craftsman * Sunday Telegraph *Superb . . . hypnotic . . . very funny * Spectator *Evocative and gracefully written * Cosmopolitan *A family saga of the best kind . . . a must * Tatler *A dazzling historical reconstruction -- Penelope Fitzgerald, Booker Prize-winning author of OffshoreThis chronicle will be read, like Trollope, as a classic about life in England in our century -- Sybille Bedford, author of A Legacy and JigsawGloriously addictive . . . Family loyalty, betrayals, triumphs, tragedy, births and deaths are all blissfully here, and you become emotionally absorbed in the fate of each character * Daily Mail *
£10.99
Daunt Books In the Distance
Book Synopsis
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Great Expectations
Book SynopsisHarperCollins is proud to present its new range of best-loved, essential classics.''Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There''s no better rule.''Living with his sister and her husband, Pip is an orphan without any expectations. It is only when he begins to visit a rich old woman, Miss Havisham and her adopted niece that he begins to hope for something better. When it is revealed that Pip has inherited a large sum of money from a mysterious benefactor on the condition that he moves to London to become a gentleman, Pip''s adventure really begins. Epic, illuminating and memorable, Dickens mysterious tale of Pip''s quest to find the truth about himself is one of his most enduring and popular novels to date.
£5.62
HarperCollins Publishers Beren and Lúthien
Book SynopsisPainstakingly restored from Tolkien's manuscripts and presented for the first time as a continuous and standalone story, the epic tale of Beren and Luthien will reunite fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings with Elves and Men, Dwarves and Orcs and the rich landscape and creatures unique to Tolkien's Middle-earth.Trade ReviewPraise for The Children of Húrin:‘I hope that its universality and power will grant it a place in English mythology’Independent on Sunday ‘The darkest of all Tolkien’s tales. Alan Lee’s illustrations complement the writing splendidly’Times Literary Supplement
£56.25
Little, Brown Book Group The Lady Most Likely A Novel in Three Parts
Book SynopsisThree of the brightest stars of Regency romance invite you to a party at the country home of the Honourable Marquess of Finchley . . . If you loved Bridgerton, this is an unmissable opportunity!
£9.49
Headline Publishing Group The Book of Longings
Book SynopsisTHE New York Times BESTSELLERThe stunning bestseller about a woman who finds her voice and her destiny, from author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings''Transporting, life-affirming, gripping. It is simply brilliant'' Mel Giedroyc''Fascinating . . . Clever, rebellious Ana is a memorable character'' The Times''Brilliant . . . Brava! The Daily MailAna is born in Galilee at a time when women are seen as possessions, only leaving their fathers'' homes to marry. Ana longs to control her destiny. Taught to read despite her mother''s misgivings, she wants to be a writer and to find her own voice. A voice that will speak for the silenced women around her.Betrothed to an elderly widower, Ana almost despairs. But an encounter with a charismatic young carpenter in Nazareth awakens new longings in her, and a difTrade ReviewThis author is one of my favourites . . . A challenging and sensitive subject, but beautifully written * Santa Montefiore *Unleashes the reader's imagination with glorious evocations of extraordinary times and places, allowing our minds to roam... Original, challenging, beautiful -- Adele Parks * Platinum *I kept having to close this novel and breathe deeply, again and again. A radical re-imagining of the New Testament that reflects on women's longing and silencing and awakening, it is a true masterpiece. * Glennon Doyle, author of Untamed *Compelling ... Ana is a truly wonderful character, strong and inspiring, and her life story so captivating that it swept me along * Good Housekeeping *A bold, imaginative reworking of the Christian tale from a female perspective * Sunday Times *Brilliant ... the familiar characters brought to vivid life * Daily Mail *"This novel has an intriguing premise . . . The novel's evocation of life in Galilee is fascinating, and clever, rebellious Ana is a memorable character." * —The Times (UK) *This is not Jesus' story, but Ana's. [...] The Book of Longings is the testament of a bold woman, and the story of many stolen female voices. * Irish Times *Superlative . . . from a writer at the top of her game . . . A practically perfect historical novel * New York Journal of Books *Kidd uses her unexpected narrator to reveal new perspectives on an endlessly parsed era. * The Washington Post *Riveting . . . Telling the story of an extraordinary life in one of the most startling pieces of historical fiction you're likely to set eyes on this year * Sunday Business Post *Imaginative . . . Charts a young woman's struggle to confront the ways in which society dictates what she can and cannot do. * TIME *'A wonderfully researched novel ... reimagining the past through the eyes of a creative, curious and defiant woman' * Culturefly *'A testament to the author's talent for creating both compelling characters and intriguing story lines ... The intensity, bravery, and strength of character of Ana ... will inspire readers ... to live authentically and remain true to oneself' * Library Journal *An inspiring story of a strong woman living in a society bent on her silence * Good Housekeeping (US) *Kidd's bold narrative revisionism allows her protagonist to be in every respect the equal of her husband while posing this question: How would Western culture be different if men and women had grown in appreciation of each other's spirit? * O, The Oprah Magazine *This is Ana's story . . . Well-researched and a cracking good read * Church Times *Ana's ambition and strong sense of justice make her a sympathetic character for modern readers ... A vibrant portrait of a woman striving to preserve and celebrate women's stories - her own and countless others * Publishers Weekly *Kidd describes a first-century world full of political and religious tensions, which feels simultaneously ancient and freshly awake with spiritual possibility. [...]The message about the importance of kindness and the power of women's voices should resonate strongly with today's readers' * Booklist *· A master of literary women's fiction, Kidd always strikes a chord with her strong, feisty female protagonists . . . [The Book of Longings] is an engaging story about a young woman defying the odds to make her voice heard, a story that remains relevant today . . . [and] underscore[s] what's lost when one group - be it one gender, race or religion - gets to write the history for all. * The Atlanta Journal-Constitution *No other writer has fleshed out a partner who can stand on her own, who is intellectually and spiritually well matched with Jesus . . . Kidd's research into first-century Jewish life, along with her vivid descriptions of the villages and terrain, make Ana's story come alive * Christian Science Monitor *Praise for Sue Monk Kidd's earlier novels'Exhilarating. . . powerful' * Washington Post *'Moving, original, and accomplished . . . It is wonderfully written, powerful, poignant, and humorous' * Joanna Trollope *'The tale of one motherless daughter's discovery of what family really means - and of the strange and wondrous places we love' * Washington Post *'Wonderful - well-written, moving and engaging by turns, and always compelling' * Daily Mail *'A resonant, illuminating novel' * Observer *This year's The Help - but even better * Fabulous *'A remarkable novel that heightened my sense of what it meant to be a woman - slave or free . . . a conversation changer' - Oprah Winfrey, O, The Oprah Magazine * Oprah Winfrey, O, The Oprah Magazine *'The stunning metaphors and realistic characters are so poignant they will bring tears to your eyes' * Library Journal *
£7.49
Headline Publishing Group Invictus Eagles of the Empire 15
Book SynopsisIF YOU DON''T KNOW SIMON SCARROW, YOU DON''T KNOW ROME!The Sunday Times bestseller. INVICTUS is a gripping, authentic and exciting novel of the Roman army from bestselling author Simon Scarrow. Not to be missed by readers of Conn Iggulden and Bernard Cornwell.It is AD 54. The soldiers of the Roman army patrol a growing Empire, from the Mediterranean to the North Sea, from the Atlantic to the banks of the Nile. Rome brutally enforces its rule, and its legions are the most efficient and aggressive fighting force in the world. Two battle-scarred veterans of this army, Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro, have survived years of campaigning in Britannia and have been recalled to Rome. Their time in the teeming, dangerously political city is short, and soon they are travelling with the Praetorian Guard to Spain, a restless colony where simmering tension in the face of Roman rule is aggravated by bitter rivalry amongst the natives. The challenges that faceTrade ReviewPraise for Simon Scarrow : 'I really don't need this kind of competition... It's a great read' -- Bernard CornwellScarrow's [novels] rank with the best * Independent *[Simon Scarrow] blends together historical facts and characters to create a book that simply cannot be put down... Highly recommended * Historical Novels Review *'A satisfyingly bloodthirsty, bawdy romp...perfect for Bernard Cornwell addicts who will relish its historical detail and fast-paced action. Storming stuff' * Good Book Guide *Rollicking good fun * Mail on Sunday *
£8.24
Rebellion Publishing Ltd. The Hacienda
Book SynopsisHacienda San Isidro was meant to be Beatriz’s haven, her salvation from an oppressive life with her uncle and his vicious wife. When Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposed, Beatriz dreamed only of the security his estate in the countryside would provide, ignoring the rumors surrounding his first wife’s demise and his sinister allegiances. She will have her own home again, no matter the price. But the house has ideas of its own. Visions and voices claw at Beatriz, stealing her sleep, and the weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Deep in her bones, Beatriz knows—something is wrong with San Isidro. Desperate for help, she turns to the young priest, Padre Andrés. Handsome and sympathetic, he seems like Beatriz’s only hope. But as their passions rise and the walls close in around Beatriz, the weight of secrets everyone is carrying may lead them all to their doom.Trade Review“A haunted history, a gory gothic, a forbidden romance. This book kept me up at night, and it was worth every second of lost sleep.”—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of The Once and Future Witches“A hypnotic, sinister tale that is equal parts terrifying and luxurious. Cañas’s debut is a nightmare lined with velvet.”—Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tale of the Flower Bride“Lush, sinister, and darkly romantic. The Hacienda is a haunting and brilliant debut.”—Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd Three Sisters Three Queens
Book SynopsisTHE COMPELLING NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER PHILIPPA GREGORY'There is only one bond that I trust: between a woman and her sisters. We never take our eyes off each other. In love and in rivalry, we always think of each other.' When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look, each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined – with Margaret’s younger sister Mary – to a sisterhood unique in all the world. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland and France. United by family loyalties and affections, the three queens find themselves set against each other. Katherine commands an army against Margaret and kills her husband James IV of Scotland. But Margaret’s boy becomes heir to the Tudor throne when Katherine loses her son. Mary steals the wTrade Review‘A master storyteller…Gregory captures the intrigue and suspense of life at the Tudor court in vivid detail. She skilfully combines painstaking historical research with a gripping fictional narrative and her characters are so lifelike and engaging that they practically leap from the page’ -- Daily Express‘A cleverly wrought political novel. In introducing Parr to a new audience, Gregory has done the first lady of English letters something of a favour’ -- Sunday Telegraph‘Gregory dramatises the story of a reluctant royal wife negotiating the anxious, dangerous years of her marriage… written with her usual authority and capacity for great drama’ -- Sunday Times‘The Taming of the Queen reads like a clever, intimate thriller’ -- The Times‘Gregory brilliantly captures the torn loyalties, treacheries and tragedies that lie beneath the historical detail, to entertaining effect’ -- Good Housekeeping‘The contemporary mistress of historical crime’ -- Kate Mosse‘Popular historical fiction at its finest, immaculately researched and superbly told’ -- The Times‘Gregory creates a world in which all but the most determined women are tools in the hands of powerful men… past-paced, convincing, vivid and engrossing’ -- Daily Express‘Philippa Gregory has another hit on her hands with this gripping page-turner. Her novel simplifies and humanises the complex politics of the period’ -- Sunday Times‘Lady Margaret Beaufort – cold, clever, calculating – will stop at nothing to put her son Henry Tudor on the throne. Gregory is very good at describing the bitchiness of the women in this tale of dynastic rivalry’ -- Daily Telegraph‘Rollicking, page-turning stuff’ -- Metro‘Popular history at its best’ -- Daily Mail‘Meticulously researched…for each novel she immerses herself in dozens of primary and secondary sources, before transforming them into vivid fiction’ -- Sunday Telegraph‘History comes gloriously alive as Elizabeth Woodville seduces and marries Yorkist King Edward IV’ -- Daily Mirror‘Philippa Gregory is truly the mistress of the historical novel. It would be hard to make history more entertaining, lively or engaging’ -- Sunday Express ‘Her novels are filled with strong, determined women who take their fate into their own hands’ -- Financial Times‘Rarely has history been so seductive’ -- Tatler‘Gregory makes history come alive ... riveting’ -- Daily Express
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd The White Princess
Book SynopsisThe fifth novel in The Cousins' War series tells the story of Elizabeth, daughter of Elizabeth Woodville, The White Queen.
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Year of Wonders
Book SynopsisIntroducing the Collins Modern Classics, a series featuring some of the most significant books of recent times, books that shed light on the human experience classics which will endure for generations to come.In the spring of 1666, a bolt of infected cloth carries the plague from London to the quiet village of Eyam. The villagers elect to isolate themselves in a fateful quarantine, seen through the eyes of eighteen-year-old Anna Frith. As death and superstition creep from household to household, she must confront loss and the lure of illicit love in an extraordinary Year of Wonders.This timeless and powerful novel, based on a true story, was the astonishing debut novel from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March.Trade Review‘Beautifully written…it has a vivid imaginative truth’ Hilary Mantel 'Year of Wonders is a staggering fictional debut that matches journalistic accumulation of detail to natural narrative flair' Guardian ‘A lyrically written and emotionally engaging novel' Independent 'Gripping…packed with historical detail' Daily Mail
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Lords of the Bow the epic story of the Khan
Book SynopsisThe action-packed second novel in the No. 1 bestselling Conqueror series, bringing to the epic story of Genghis Khan brilliantly to lifeThe gathering of the tribes of the Mongols has been a long time in coming but finally, triumphantly, Temujin of the Wolves, Genghis Khan, is given the full accolade of the overall leader and their oaths.Now he can begin to meld all the previously warring people into one army, one nation. But the task Genghis has set himself and them is formidable. He is determined to travel to the land of the long-time enemy, the Chin and attack them there. The distances and terrain-the wide deserts, the impenetrable mountains-make it a difficult venture even for the legendary Mongolian speed of movement, but the greatest problem is that of the complex fortifications, a way of fighting wars of a settled urban population which the nomadic Mongolians had never come across. Finding ways to tackle that and keeping his tribes together in a strange environment presents anothTrade Review‘Iggulden is in a class of his own when it comes to epic, historical fiction’ Daily Mirror ‘Iggulden…tells an absolutely cracking story…the pace is nail-biting and the set dressing magnificent’ The Times ‘Iggulden weaves an entertaining tale of this world of men, swords, bows and the call of war and the plains’ Daily Express ‘I felt as if a blockbuster movie was unfolding before me…read the book before Hollywood takes it over’ Daily Express
£8.54
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Kings Curse
Book SynopsisThe riveting story of Margaret Pole, daughter of George, Duke of Clarence, one of the few surviving members of the Plantagenet dynasty
£9.49
Oneworld Publications Grace: From the Booker Prize-winning author of
Book Synopsis WINNER OF THE KERRY GROUP IRISH NOVEL OF THE YEAR 2018 SHORTLISTED FOR THE WALTER SCOTT PRIZE FOR HISTORICAL FICTION, THE WILLIAM SAROYAN INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR WRITING 2018 & FRANCE'S PRIX LITTÉRATURE MONDE (2019) Winter is closing in and Ireland is in the grip of famine. Early one October morning, Grace's mother snatches her from sleep, brutally cuts her hair and tells her: ‘You are the strong one now.’ Her mother fits her up in men's clothes and casts her out, as she is no longer safe at home. With her younger brother Colly in tow, she sets off on a remarkable journey against the looming shadow of her country's darkest hour.Trade Review‘The Irish writer’s third novel raises timeless questions about suffering and survival through the story of two children expelled from their impoverished home in the midst of the Great Famine. When you’re starving, Lynch seems to be asking, are you truly alive?’ Editors' Choice, The New York Times Book Review‘This book is one of the most beautiful I have read in a long time. Heart wrenching and so moving, with language that makes your soul sing.’ Caitriona Balfe, actress and star of Outlander‘A profound and unusual coming-of-age story.’ The Sunday Times‘A shudderingly well written, dead-real, hallucinatory trip across Famine Ireland.’ Emma Donoghue, author of Room‘Haunting and poetic… Lynch has given us poignant glimpses of the human body’s limits, that peculiar messiness of identity, and what happens when parts of a society fail to help, or even acknowledge, those in need.’ Irish Times‘Lynch is frighteningly skilled...searing images into the mind and forcing you to press carefully through sentences as if they are strips of long grass.’ Sunday Independent, (Dublin)‘Lynch…has a particular gift for finding the unexpected yet compelling image that conveys the anomalous nature of this otherworld…. [The] poetic prose is at deliberate odds with the stark horror it depicts, and yet the four blank, black pages at the terrible climax of Grace’s journey are as eloquent as anything else on the unspeakable tragedy of the Famine.’ TLS‘Lynch brilliantly conveys the rabid effects of the famine on his characters…and he offers us a worthy heroine to guide us through it.’ Irish Examiner‘A literary beauty… It is the saddest, heaviest, most beautiful, lyrical [novel], one of the most stunning books I’ve read in recent times. I would urge you to read it.’ Ryan Tubridy, The Tubridy Show, RTE‘An epic tale of endurance, which in Lynch's deft hands is harrowing and simultaneously starkly beautiful.’ Esquire, (Best Books of 2017 So Far)‘When you finish, you feel like saying "wow". Under your breath perhaps, but do not be hard on yourself if you shout it out, because this is a work of staggering beauty and deep insight.’ Sydney Morning Herald‘Lynch’s wonderful third novel follows a teenage girl through impoverished Ireland at the height of the Great Famine…Lynch’s powerful, inventive language intensifies the poignancy of the woe that characterizes this world of have-nothings struggling to survive.’ Publishers Weekly, (starred review)‘A beautifully written novel, with a haunting story and deep echoes of the Ancients.’ Edna O’Brien, author of The Country Girls‘Lynch makes the page sing like the old masters.’ Philipp Meyer, author of The Son ‘The power of Paul Lynch's imagination is truly startling; his ability to inhabit and deeply understand the moments, both slight and shattering, of a life and of an era translates into an instinct not just for story, but for the most hidden, most forceful currents of language and what they can do.’ Belinda McKeon, author of Tender'As a writer, Lynch is sui generis. His style is bold, grandiose, mesmeric. He strives for large effects, wrestles with big ideas... Lynch has been compared to greats such as Cormac McCarthy, Faulkner and Beckett, while others have located him in the Irish gothic tradition of Stoker and le Fanu.' The Sunday Times (Ireland)‘A work of great lyricism. Its beautiful prose is put to devastating effect in his vivid story of the Irish potato famine, which killed at least a million people... Lynch’s narrative gripped us from the start and never let us go. It haunted the judges long after the final line.’ The Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction Judges‘A mesmerizing, incandescent work of art... An exhilarating, Odyssean, heartpounding, glorious story, wrought by a novelist with the eye and the ear and the heart of an absolute master.’ Donal Ryan, Booker-nominated author of The Spinning Heart‘Lynch never shies away from the subject matter—the impossibly gruelling winters Grace faces, the people she meets and can never trust, the heartbreak of losing a family member... In Lynch’s deft hands I found myself enthralled as Grace cuts herself a path through a forbidding world.’ Johanna Zwirner, The Paris Review‘It’s not just style that makes this an unforgettable book. Its heroine, 14-year-old Grace, may not have much to say for herself, but her younger brother, Colly, is a gleefully riddling, smutty delight. Gradually [the book] becomes a darker book as hunger eats away at humanity — and the darker it gets, the more [Lynch’s] unerring gifts are confirmed.’ Daily Mail
£9.49
Pan Macmillan Dead Mans Walk
Book SynopsisTaking you deep into the heart of the American West, Dead Man's Walk is the first book in Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove quartet.These are the wild days when Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call - heroes of Lonesome Dove - first encounter the untamed frontier that will form their characters.Not yet twenty, Gus and Call enlist as Texas Rangers under the command of Caleb Cobb, a capricious outlaw determined to seize Santa Fe from the Mexicans. The two young men experience their first great adventure in the barren, empty landscape of the great plains, in which arbitrary violence is the only law - whether from nature, or from those whose territory they must cross in order to reach New Mexico.Danger, sacrifice and fear test Gus and Call to the limits of endurance, as they seek the strength and courage to survive against almost insurmountable odds in the West of early nineteenth-century America.Continue the series set in the Wild West wiTrade ReviewMcMurtry has crafted a tale of love, fear and sacrifice in the face of Wild West adversity. With his vibrant, dynamic landscapes and language that springs from the page, this book captures the heart until the last word * The Times *A well told novel, undemonstrative in its depiction of violence, and it offers a fascinating lesson on the realities of life in the mythical Wild West * Sunday Times *In Dead Man's Walk, McMurtry uses a simple, wry, immensely accessible storyteller's voice to ponder the same questions that Melville and Conrad did. This is a great book. . . . Larry McMurtry, at his best here, is one of the finest American novelists, ever * Los Angeles Times *Succeeds marvellously . . . resurrecting two brilliantly conceived characters and delivering a rousing tale of the Wild West * San Francisco Chronicle *
£10.99
Random House USA Inc Oh William
Book Synopsis
£9.27
Pan Macmillan Winter of the World
Book SynopsisKen Follett was born in Cardiff, Wales. Barred from watching films and television by his parents, he developed an early interest in reading thanks to a local library. After studying philosophy at University College London, he became involved in centre-left politics, entering into journalism soon after. His first thriller, the wartime spy drama Eye of the Needle, became an international bestseller and has sold over 10 million copies. He then astonished everyone with his first historical novel, The Pillars of the Earth, the story of the building of a medieval cathedral, which went on to become one of the most beloved books of the twentieth century. One of the most popular authors in the world, his many books including the Kingsbridge series and the Century trilogy - a body of work which together chronicles over a thousand years of history - and his latest novel Never - which envisages how World War III could happen - have sold more than 188 million copies. A f
£11.69
Zaffre Crossfire
Book SynopsisA race against time Courtney series thriller from the Master of Adventure, Wilbur Smith
£17.60
Penguin Putnam Inc Europe Central
Book Synopsis
£22.50
Random House USA Inc Lady Macbeth
Book Synopsis
£13.50
HarperCollins Publishers The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois The
Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERAN OPRAH BOOK CLUB PICKDeeply moving' Sarah Winman, author of Still LifeRemarkable' Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish)A sweeping epic Outstanding' Daily MailImmerse yourself in a celebration of Black womanhood and an epic tale of the stories that span generations.Ailey Pearl Garfield grows up between the City in the north and summers spent in her mother's small hometown of Chicasetta, Georgia. From an early age, she finds herself in a battle for belonging that's made all the more difficult by a hurt in her past, as well as the whispers of womenher mother, Belle, her sister, Lydia, and a maternal line reaching back two centuriesthat urge Ailey to succeed in their stead.To come to terms with her identity, Ailey embarks on a journey through her family's past, uncovering the shocking tales of generations of ancestorsIndigenous, Black, and whitein the deep South. In doing so Ailey must learn to embrace her full heritage, a legacy of oppression and resistance, bondTrade Review‘Prepare to be wholly engrossed… Phenomenal’ Observer ‘Utterly essential’ iNews ‘Intimate, considered, beautifully written and perceived, ambitious and ultimately satisfying. Outstanding’ Daily Mail ‘Astonishing… I lived in this novel for three weeks. It is long. It is a journey. It is something so remarkable I’m not sure we collectively ever even dreamed it.’ Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple ‘Beautifully, and traumatically, weaves a spell of a story about more than ten generations of an American family―indigenous, African and European… Remarkable’ Afua Hirsch, author of Brit(ish) ‘Breath-taking … A book I urge everyone to read. It is deeply moving and deeply informative. It is magnificent’ Sarah Winman, author of Still Life ‘Exceptional in the way it engages so deeply and emphatically with history’ Guardian ‘Epic and intimate… an extraordinary achievement’ The Spectator ‘A work of profound beauty’ Irish Times ‘Extraordinary … moving and evocative’ TLS ‘The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois is the kind of book that comes around only once a decade … Simply magnificent’ Washington Post ‘Quite simply the best book that I have read in a very, very long time’ New York Times ‘Just as brilliant as it is necessary, just as intimate as it is expansive. An outstanding portrait of an American family and in turn, an outstanding portrait of America’ Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give ‘Masterful and stunning … These Love Songs make for a frank, feminist, and unforgettable read’ Deesha Philyaw, author of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies
£10.44
Faber & Faber Small Things Like These
Book SynopsisAn exquisite winter tale of courage - and its cost - set in Catholic Ireland.Trade Review'A haunting, hopeful masterpiece.' - Sinead Gleeson'A moral tale that is unsentimental and deeply affecting, because true and right.' - David Hayden
£11.69
Orion Publishing Co Sepulchre
Book Synopsis1891. Seventeen-year-old Léonie Vernier and her older brother abandon Paris for the sanctuary of their aunt''s isolated country house near Carcassonne, the Domaine de la Cade. But when Léonie stumbles across a ruined sepulchre she uncovers a timeless mystery and a unique deck of tarot cards that seem to hold power over life and death.2007. Meredith Martin arrives at the Domaine de la Cade to research a biography. But Meredith is also seeking the key to her own complex legacy and becomes immersed in the story of a tragic love, a missing girl, a quest for revenge and the haunting events of one cataclysmic night a century ago . . . ''Brilliantly absorbing . . . richly evocative and full of compelling twists and turns'' Red''A powerful storyteller with an abundant imagination'' Daily TelegraphBOOK TWO OF THE LANGUEDOC TRILOGY. Now fully revised and updatedTrade ReviewSEPULCHRE is a compulsive, fantastical, historical yarn. Mosse's skill lies in the precise nature of her storytelling * OBSERVER *Ghosts, duels, murders, ill-fated love and conspiracy ... addictively readable * DAILY MAIL *[Mosse is] a powerful storyteller with an abundant imagination * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Brilliantly absorbing ... Richly evocative and full of compelling twists and turns * RED *Mosse's gifts for historical fiction are considerable ... Mosse does what good popular historical novelists do best - make the past enticingly otherworldly, while also claiming it as our own * INDEPENDENT *The best of the Brits ... Where Mosse really wins is in the writing department. She's the real role model there * DAILY MIRROR *Her narrative lyricism, beautifully drawn female characters and deft journey from the past to the present day, are also a cut above * SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY *A sure, deft momentum . . . the secrets begin to slip out thick and fast * Daily Express *The latest from the author of bestselling Labyrinth, this adventure will keep you engrossed * Eve *
£8.79
HarperCollins Publishers Black Powder War
Book SynopsisNaomi Novik's stunning series of novels follow the adventures of Cpt Laurence and his dragon Temeraire as they travel from the shores of Britain to China and Africa.Before Captain Will Laurence can prepare his crew for the slow voyage home from China, new orders arrive for him and his dragon, Temeraire: they must fly home immediately, stopping only in Istanbul to collect three priceless dragon eggs, purchased by the British government from the Ottoman Empire.But the cross-continental journey is fraught with danger; not only will they have to scale mountains and traverse vast hostile deserts, but a Machiavellian herald precedes them, spreading political menace in her wake. Holding Temeraire responsible for the death of her princely companion, Lien has absconded from China consumed by vengeance. If she can, she will destroy everything and everyone Temeraire loves.Trade Review‘These are beautifully written novels, not only fresh, original and fast-paced, but full of wonderful characters with real heart’Peter Jackson 'Novik won me over with her first novel. the combination of history, sympathetic characters, and an engaging style makes this series great, intelligent fun.’The Times ‘Plenty of intrigue, swordplay, exotic locations, plausible invention. In short a treat’The Telegraph ‘Novik has stirred the passions with a genre-busting historical fantasy of the first order’Sunday Sport
£9.49
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Red Queen: Cousins' War 2
Book SynopsisTHE COMPELLING NOVEL FROM SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER PHILIPPA GREGORY The second book in Philippa's stunning new series, The Cousins' War, brings to life the story of Margaret Beaufort, a shadowy and mysterious character in the first book of the series - The White Queen - but who now takes centre stage in the bitter struggle of The War of the Roses.The Red Queen tells the story of the child-bride of Edmund Tudor, who, although widowed in her early teens, uses her determination of character and wily plotting to infiltrate the house of York under the guise of loyal friend and servant, undermine the support for Richard III and ultimately ensure that her only son, Henry Tudor, triumphs as King of England. Through collaboration with the dowager Queen Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret agrees a betrothal between Henry and Elizabeth's daughter, thereby uniting the families and resolving the Cousins War once and for all by founding of the Tudor dynasty.Praise for Philippa Gregory: ‘Meticulously researched and deeply entertaining, this story of betrayal and divided loyalties is Gregory on top form’ Good Housekeeping ‘Gregory has popularised Tudor history perhaps more than any other living fiction writer…all of her books feature strong, complex women, doing their best to improve their lives in worlds dominated by men’ Sunday Times ‘Engrossing’ Sunday Express ‘Popular historical fiction at its finest, immaculately researched and superbly told’ The Times
£8.54
HarperCollins Publishers Inc First Comes Scandal
Book Synopsis#1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn presents the fourth novel of the delightful Bridgerton Prequel series in a stunning new package. There were Bridgertons before the eight alphabetically named siblings, and in this novel, we go back to where it all began. . .She was given two choices...Georgiana Bridgerton isn’t against the idea of marriage. She’d just thought she’d have some say in the matter. But with her reputation hanging by a thread after she’s abducted for her dowry, Georgie is given two options: live out her life as a spinster or marry the rogue who has ruined her life.Enter Option #3As the fourth son of an earl, Nicholas Rokesby is prepared to chart his own course. He has a life in Edinburgh, where he’s close to completing his medical studies, and he has no time—or
£8.49
Pan Macmillan Dark Fire
Book SynopsisC. J. Sansom was educated at Birmingham University, where he took a BA and then a PhD in history. After working in a variety of jobs, he retrained as a solicitor and practised in Sussex, until becoming a full-time writer. Sansom is the bestselling author of the acclaimed Shardlake series, the Spanish Civil War thriller Winter in Madrid and the number one bestseller Dominion. In 2023, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Edinburgh. He lived in Sussex until his death in 2024.
£10.44
Amazon Publishing Beneath a Scarlet Sky: A Novel
Book SynopsisSoon to be a major television event from Pascal Pictures, starring Tom Holland. Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, the USA Today and #1 Amazon Charts bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours. Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior. In an attempt to protect him, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier—a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders. Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share. Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love.Trade ReviewA Goodreads Choice Award Finalist, Historical Fiction A 2017 Goodreads Top 20 Most-Read Book A Goodreads Best Book of the Month “Exciting…taut thriller…Beneath a Scarlet Sky tells the true story of one young Italian’s efforts to thwart the Nazis.” —Shelf Awareness “Meticulous research highlights this World War II novel of a youth growing into manhood…a captivating read…” —RT Book Reviews “An incredible story, beautifully written, and a fine and noble book.” —James Patterson, New York Times bestselling author “Sprawling, stirring, like the richest of stories, and played out on a canvas of heroism and tragedy, Beneath a Scarlet Sky is like one of those iconic World War II black and white photos: a face of hope and tears, the story of a small life that ended up mattering in a big way.” —Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The One Man “Action, adventure, love, war, and an epic hero—all set against the backdrop of one of history's darkest moment—Mark Sullivan's Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything one can ask for in an exceptional World War II novel.” —Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of Playing with Fire “This is full-force Mark Sullivan—muscular, soulful prose evincing an artist’s touch and a journalist’s eye. Beneath a Scarlet Sky conjures an era with a magician’s ease, weaving the rich tapestry of a wartime epic. World War II Italy has never been more alive to me.” —Gregg Hurwitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Nowhere Man “Beneath a Scarlet Sky has everything—heroism, courage, terror, true love, revenge, compassion in the face of the worst human evils. Sullivan shows us war as it really is, with all its complexities, conflicting loyalties, and unresolved questions, but most of all, he brings us the extraordinary figure of Pino Lella, whose determination to live con smania—with passion—saved him.” —Joseph Finder, New York Times bestselling author of Suspicion and The Switch
£12.10
Random House USA Inc Atmosphere
£15.00
Amazon Publishing The Echo of Old Books: A Novel
Book SynopsisA novel about the magical lure of books and summoning the courage to rewrite our stories by the Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Keeper of Happy Endings and The Last of the Moon Girls. Rare-book dealer Ashlyn Greer’s affinity for books extends beyond the intoxicating scent of old paper, ink, and leather. She can feel the echoes of the books’ previous owners—an emotional fingerprint only she can read. When Ashlyn discovers a pair of beautifully bound volumes that appear to have never been published, her gift quickly becomes an obsession. Not only is each inscribed with a startling incrimination, but the authors, Hemi and Belle, tell conflicting sides of a tragic romance. With no trace of how these mysterious books came into the world, Ashlyn is caught up in a decades-old literary mystery, beckoned by two hearts in ruins, whoever they were, wherever they are. Determined to learn the truth behind the doomed lovers’ tale, she reads on, following a trail of broken promises and seemingly unforgivable betrayals. The more Ashlyn learns about Hemi and Belle, the nearer she comes to bringing closure to their love story—and to the unfinished chapters of her own life.Trade Review“[The] dueling timelines, packed with twists and turns, should appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.” —Booklist “The author’s ability to present two different, but related, heartbreaking stories inside her own novel and keep all the voices distinct is so impressive. The fascinating characters and the beauty of the writing pull the reader in…Highly recommended.” —Historical Novels Review “Delightful! …very satisfying. Barbara Davis endings usually are!” —Midwest Book Review “I’ve voraciously consumed all of Barbara Davis’s books, but this gem of a dual timeline, which features a protagonist who owns an antique bookshop, has woven its way into my heart. The Echo of Old Books is a shining testament to the redemptive power of love. I took my time reading this story, savoring all the beautiful sentences, because I didn’t want it to end. Highly recommend.” —Terry Lynn Thomas, USA Today bestselling author of The Silent Woman “Woven with intriguing historical elements, The Echo of Old Books celebrates an enduring romance that overcomes all obstacles and the transformative power of love to heal the pain of past secrets. A big-hearted gem of a novel sure to delight true book lovers everywhere.” —Christine Nolfi, bestselling author of A Brighter Flame “I knew from page one that I would fall in love with this ambitious jewel of a story. Two books within a book. Two love stories within a story. And a bit of the unbelievable as only Davis can weave. All of this done in a manner I’ve not seen before. This book has everything readers want: family drama, deceit, lies, and corruption set against one of the most horrifying periods in history. And love. Davis may have reached a new height in her career.” —Barbara Conrey, bestselling author of My Secret To Keep “With her latest novel, Barbara Davis has delivered a beautiful gift to readers who enjoy a true passion for books. I was entranced by The Echo of Old Books from the very first page. A story within a story, it has all the elements I love—unforgettable characters, an old mystery begging to be solved, a well-researched historical backstory that is both romantic and tragic, and a touch of magical realism that swept me into the delightful world of my imagination. I couldn’t have loved it more!” – Julianne MacLean, bestselling author of Beyond the Moonlit Sea “A new book by Barbara Davis is cause for celebration, and The Echo of Old Books is a carefully woven, brilliant, beautiful, complex story of finding family and rediscovering lost love. Davis's characters are living, breathing people that you miss when you get to the last page. I loved every single page of this historical, lyrical, magical novel." —Maddie Dawson, bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners and Snap Out of It
£8.54
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC The Kite Runner
Book SynopsisThe number one bestseller, chosen as a Book of the Decade by The Times, Daily Telegraph and Guardian ‘Devastating’ Daily Telegraph ‘Heartbreaking’ The Times ‘Unforgettable’ Isabel Allende ‘Haunting’ Independent Afghanistan, 1975: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite-fighting tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. After the Russians invade and the family is forced to flee to America, Amir realises that one day he must return to Afghanistan under Taliban rule to find the one thing that his new world cannot grant him: redemption.Trade ReviewA gripping read and a haunting story of love, loss and betrayal. Guaranteed to move even the hardest heart * Independent *Shattering … devastating and inspiring * Observer *Hosseini is a truly gifted teller of tales … he’s not afraid to pull every string in your heart to make it sing * The Times *Rings true with tenderness and truth * Daily Mail *A devastating, masterful and painfully honest story of a life crippled by an act of childhood and cowardice and cruelty … It speaks the harrowing truth about the power of evil, personal and political, and intoxicates, like a high-flying kite, with the power of hope * Daily Telegraph *Stunning and heartbreaking in its quiet intensity * Guardian *This is one of those unforgettable stories that stay with you for years. All the great themes of literature and of life are the fabric of this extraordinary novel: love, honour, guilt, fear, redemption … It is so powerful that for a long time after, everything I read seemed bland * Isabel Allende *The novel that made Afghanistan the talking-point of every book group * Guardian, 50 Books that Defined the Decade *
£6.99
HarperCollins Publishers Flashman and the Mountain of Light
Book SynopsisCoward, scoundrel, lover and cheat, but there is no better man to go into the jungle with. Join Flashman in his adventures as he survives fearful ordeals and outlandish perils across the four corners of the world.The British Empire needs a man to satisfy insatiable lust and indulge in ungentlemanly acts fortunately it has Harry Flashman. And with the mighty Sikh army poised to invade India, Flashman must go back into secret service and this time contend with the intrigues of the Court of Punjab.Trade Review'Flashman is a wonderful creation, by a master storyteller. We'll forever delight in his evil antics' JEFFREY ARCHER ‘Politically incorrect, lascivious and fiendishly handsome, Flashman is the greatest ’ BORIS JOHNSON ‘Flashman is one of the great characters of modern fiction; a rogue, a lover, and always an irresistible read’ BERNARD CORNWELL ‘Flashman, Sherlock Holmes, Toad of Toad Hall, Bertie Wooster. Any writer would give his eye-teeth to have created a character as good as those. GMF was one of the greats’ CONN IGGULDEN ‘The perfect fictional creation’ TONY PARSONS ‘A first-rate historical novelist’ KINGSLEY AMIS
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Vagabond
Book SynopsisThe eagerly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling Harlequin, this is the second instalment in Bernard Cornwell''s GRAIL QUEST series, in a bright and bold repackage.It is 1346. While King Edward III fights in France, England lies exposed to the threat of invasion. Thomas of Hookton, archer and hero of Crécy, finds himself back in the north just as the Scots invade on behalf of their French allies.Thomas is determined to pursue his personal quest: to discover whether a relic he is searching for is the Holy Grail. But once again it is the archers whose skills will be called upon, and who will become the true heroes of the battle.Trade Review‘Crackling with good deeds, fine characters and sparkling set pieces, it confirms yet again Cornwell’s reputation for masterly historical novels’ DAILY MAIL ‘It is all spectacular, rattling good stuff: war and torture; love, lust and loss’ THE TIMES ‘The battle scenes, as always, are masterful; and the vignettes of everyday living, in times of extreme hardship, have the ring of simple truth’ SUNDAY TELEGRAPH ‘A very fine writer’ ECONOMIST
£7.99
HarperCollins Publishers A Woman of Substance
Book SynopsisThe unputdownable multi-million copy bestseller charting the rags to riches story of Emma HarteWith new Foreword from Fern Britton.A WOMAN''S AMBITIONIn the brooding moors above a humble Yorkshire village stood Fairley Hall. There, Emma Harte, its oppressed but resourceful servant girl, acquired a shrewd determination. There, she honed her skills, discovered the meaning of treachery, learned to survive, to become a woman, and vowed to make her mark on the world.A JOURNEY OF A LIFETIMEIn the wake of tragedy she rose from poverty to magnificent wealth as the iron-willed force behind a thriving international enterprise. As one of the richest women in the world Emma Harte has almost everything she fought so hard to achieve-save for the dream of love, and for the passion of the one man she could never have.A DREAM FULFILLED-AND AVENGED.Through two marriages, two devastating wars, and generations of secrets, Emma''s unparalleled success has come with a price. As greed, envy, and revenge consume those closest to her, the brilliant matriarch now finds herself poised to outwit her enemies, and to face the betrayals of the past with the same ingenious resolve that forged her empire.Trade Review‘An extravagant, absorbing novel of love, courage, ambition, war, death and passion.’New York Times ‘A mighty saga. Little has been so riveting since Gone With the Wind’ Evening News ‘A long, satisfying novel of money, power, passion and revenge, set against the sweep of 20th-century history.’Los Angeles Times ‘Few novelists are as consummate as Barbara Taylor Bradford at keeping the reader turning the page. She is one of the world’s best at spinning yarns’ Guardian
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Inc The Song of Achilles
Book Synopsis
£14.39
Orion Publishing Co Labyrinth
Book SynopsisThe number one bestselling phenomenonJULY 1209, Carcassonne. Seventeen-year-old Alaïs Pelletier is given a mysterious book by her father, which he claims contains the secret of the true Grail. Although Alaïs cannot understand the strange words and symbols hidden within, she knows that her destiny lies in keeping the secret of the labyrinth safe.JULY 2005. Archaeologist Alice Tanner discovers two skeletons in a forgotten cave in the French Pyrenees. Puzzled by the labyrinth symbol carved into the rock, she realises she has disturbed something that was meant to remain buried. Soon, a link to a shocking secret - and her own past - is revealed . . . ''LABYRINTH is a reader''s Holy Grail . . . a heart-wrenching, thrilling tale'' Val McDermid''An action-packed adventure of modern conspiracy and medieval passion'' IndependentBOOK ONE OF THE LANGUEDOC TRILOGYTrade ReviewThe author has combined an ingenious adventure story with a wonderfully detailed account of the historical background of the Languedoc ... the result is entirely compelling and full of incidental pleasures -- Christina Koning * THE TIMES *Pacey and addictive -- Kate Saunders * THE TIMES *Saturated with a passionate understanding of the region's past in a way that puts more conventional historical accounts to shame. Mosse wears her learning so lightly, knitting her historical research so neatly into her narrative . . . reminiscent of those twin goddesses of popular historical fiction, Jean Plaidy and Mary Renault * GUARDIAN *A gripping holy grail quest ... the story line runs on knowledge and fun - Carcassonne never looked so good -- Anthony Sattin * SUNDAY TIMES *This is a novel clearly fuelled by an authorial obsession with a history, region and concept. The settings are evocative and... there are also some powerful dramatic scenes: the climactic moments where the good and evil women meet and battle it out are particularly compelling... [An] intriguing...passionate book * SUNDAY TIMES *A spellbinding adventure story * REAL *LABYRINTH is very much a Girl's Own story: a grail quest in which women aren't helpless creatures to be rescued, or decorative bystanders, but central to the action, with the capacity to change history * OBSERVER *An elegantly written time-slip novel set in France. There's medieval passion and modern-day conspiracy, all revolving around three hidden books * INDEPENDENT *A thumping read: Mosse creates a world so complete I began to miss it before the last page. More intriguing than Dan Brown, a conundrum with lasting depth and vigour, LABYRINTH captivates from the first page until the final twist -- Denise MinaLabyrinth is a reader's Holy Grail, mixing legend, religion, history, past and present in a heart-wrenching, thrilling tale. Eat your heart out, Dan Brown, this is the real thing -- Val McDermidThis year's gripping romp . . . intelligently written. Her love of the location around Carcassonne . . . is evident from her generous descriptions of the city and the surrounding countryside; and her research into the details of the Cathar's lives and language is evidently extensive . . . LABYRINTH will fulfil everyone's expectations, not least because of Mosse's passion for the subject matter and her narrative verve * Observer *LABYRINTH has all the ingredients of a summer blockbuster * Daily Mail *It is the freedom to luxuriate in a fully realised work that makes Mosse's novel such a pleasurable read . . . Mosse infuses each scene with such depth of atmospheric detail that full immersion is inevitable . . . Mosse wields admirable control over the vast body of her material and manoeuvres through it with subtlety and grace * Mxlexia *Prepare to be chilled by Kate Mosse's archaeological thriller * RED *There is nothing like a lovely long luscious journey through the French Pyrenees, and that is what Kate Mosse provides in her latest novel, Labyrinth . . . a spellbinding novel that slips between the present day and the thirteenth century . . . Mosse mixes a Grail adventure with passion and great writing in a book that for once features two feisty lead women * NEW BOOKS *A lovely, intelligent novel of discovery and loss, generous in its historical scope and intimate in its tender details -- Nicci GerrardSaturated with a passionate understanding of the region's past in a way that puts more conventional historical accounts to shame. Mosse wears her learning so lightly, knitting her historical research so neatly into her narrative, that we never get the slightest sense of being preached or lectured to... [conveying] the texture of various patches of the past with such rich complexity * GUARDIAN *An action packed adventure of modern conspiracy and medieval passion ... a Grail gripper [and] elegantly written timeslip novel set in France * INDEPENDENT *
£9.74
Zaffre Cilka's Journey: The Sunday Times bestselling
Book SynopsisCilka's Journey is the million copy bestselling sequel to the phenomenon The Tattooist of Auschwitz.Don't miss the conclusion to The Tattooist of Auschwitz Trilogy, Three Sisters. Available now.'She was the bravest person I ever met'Lale Sokolov, The Tattooist of Auschwitz In 1942 Cilka Klein is just sixteen years old when she is taken to Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp. The Commandant at Birkenau, Schwarzhuber, notices her long beautiful hair, and forces her separation from the other women prisoners. Cilka learns quickly that power, even unwillingly given, equals survival.After liberation, Cilka is charged as a collaborator by the Russians and sent to a desolate, brutal prison camp in Siberia known as Vorkuta, inside the Arctic Circle. Innocent, imprisoned once again, Cilka faces challenges both new and horribly familiar, each day a battle for survival. Cilka befriends a woman doctor, and learns to nurse the ill in the camp, struggling to care for them under unimaginable conditions. And when she tends to a man called Alexandr, Cilka finds that despite everything, there is room in her heart for love.Cilka's Journey is a powerful testament to the triumph of the human will. It will move you to tears, but it will also leave you astonished and uplifted by one woman's fierce determination to survive, against all odds.- - - - - - - - 'Her truly incredible story is one to be read by everyone.' Sun'Cilka's extraordinary courage in the face of evil and her determination to survive against the odds will stay with you long after you've finished reading this heartrending book.' Sunday Express'Her courage and determination to survive makes for a heartrending read.' Daily Mirror
£8.99
Pan Macmillan The Orchard Keeper
Book SynopsisSet in rural Tennessee between the world wars, The Orchard Keeper is the unique, darkly biblical debut novel from the legendary author of Blood Meridian and The Road, Cormac McCarthy.'McCarthy has the best kind of Southern style' – New York TimesJohn Wesley Rattner is a young boy when his father is murdered. Marion Sylder, an outlaw and bootlegger, strangled him to death.By chance, John and Marion will meet. They will not recognize each other; John will not know what this man has done.An experimental debut following in the footsteps of William Faulkner, this is a magnificent conjuring of an American landscape – and a devastating portrayal of innocence lost.Part of the Picador Collection, a series celebrating fifty years of Picador books and showcasing the best of modern literature.'A complicated and evocative exposition of the transience of life' –
£9.89
Pan Macmillan The Light Years
Book SynopsisElizabeth Jane Howard was the author of fifteen highly acclaimed novels, including the five volumes of The Cazalet Chronicles, as well as After Julius, Falling, Getting It Right, Love All, and Odd Girl Out. The Cazalet Chronicles The Light Years, Marking Time, Confusion, Casting Off and All Change have become established as modern classics and have been adapted for a major BBC television series and for BBC Radio 4. She had one child, Nicola, and married three times lastly to fellow author Sir Kingsley Amis. In 2000 she was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, and in 2002 Macmillan published her autobiography, Slipstream. She died, aged ninety, at home in Suffolk on 2 January 2014.
£10.44
Pan Macmillan Edge of Eternity
Book Synopsis
£11.69
Pan Macmillan The House at Riverton
Book SynopsisDiscover Kate Morton's multi-million copy bestselling debut novel, The House at Riverton, a mesmerising story of tragedy and buried secrets, with this new edition.Winner of the Richard and Judy Book Club Best Read of the YearSummer, 1924.On the eve of a glittering society party, by the lake of a grand English country house, a young poet takes his life. The only witnesses, sisters Hannah and Emmeline Hartford, will never speak to each other again.Winter, 1999.Grace Bradley, ninety-eight, one-time housemaid at Riverton Manor, is visited by a young director making a film about the poet's suicide. Ghosts awaken, and memories, long-consigned to the dark reaches of Grace's mind, begin to sneak back through the cracks. A shocking secret threatens to emerge; something history has forgotten, but Grace never could . . .
£9.49
Penguin Books Ltd Glorious Exploits
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewBold and totally unexpected, I loved this book. A brilliant novel about friendship, the healing power of art, and why we must fight for our dreams. I was hooked from the first page * Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain *In At Swims-Two-Birds, Flann O'Brien gave us cowboys riding through Dublin. Now, Ferdia Lennon gives us modern-day Dubliners living among the ancient Greeks. This is a very special, very clever, very entertaining novel * Roddy Doyle *As thrilling for me as the first time I picked up a Kevin Barry novel. Glorious Exploits is exuberant, funny, lyrical and profoundly moving. It is, quite simply, a rare beauty * Sarah Winman, author of Still Life *Glorious Exploits stinks of misery, despair, love, war, poetry, reckless ambition, terrible failure, and glorious triumph. It’s a novel thick with the stuff of the Classics, in other words. A delicious treat of a read. I loved it * Jon McGregor *With all the blunt humanity of Roddy Doyle, Glorious Exploits is a vividly conjured vision of the past. Madly ambitious, cathartic like all great tragedy, but shockingly funny too, Ferdia Lennon's outstandingly original début is just glorious * Emma Donoghue, author of Room *What a voice! What a story! A darkly funny double act from Lampo and Gelon, sandwiched in between the transformative experience of theatre and forgiving your enemies. I loved it from the first line * Claire Fuller *Sublime. Pitch-perfect dialogue, a fast-moving story that is both dark and lyrically beautiful, tragic and funny in equal measure. Glorious Exploits is an astonishingly original and gripping story of brotherhood, war and art. Ferdia Lennon is a fierce new talent * Rebecca Stott, author of In the Days of Rain *A glorious thunderbastard, with a unique, stark voice that is expertly drawn. It is cheeky, contemplative and sly with an outrageous sense of humour and a massive heart. Lennon beats you with a club then whispers you poetry. It is harsh and fun in a way that few other books are ... A book like this is long overdue and very welcome. Thank the Gods. * Rory Gleeson, author of Rockadoon Shore *Glorious Exploits is an agonising exploration of the cost of violence, for both its winners and losers. It is also a reminder of how dangerous and radical the making of art can be, as the attempt to stage Medea with prisoners-of-war in 412 BC comes to represent war's opposite. This perfect first novel is a tragicomic masterpiece. Ferdia Lennon has created a story worthy of the Athenians: mortal, maddening, heart-mending * Clare Pollard, author of Delphi *What a truly magnificent novel this is: in turns riotous, brutal and deeply affecting. I am in no doubt that Ferdia Lennon is the real deal. His captivating storytelling resonates with all the beauty of Euripides' plays. * Imogen Hermes Gowar, author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock *Contemporary yet classical, vulnerable yet self-assured, a beautiful story about the very power of storytelling * Santanu Bhattacharya, author of One Small Voice *Funny, thoughtful, moving, brilliant * Nick Laird, Irish Sunday Independent *I loved this book. Fierce, funny, fast-paced. Glorious Exploits brings the ancient world roaring to life in a brilliantly non-stuffy way - as if the figures on a Greek vase turned round, offered you wine, and started chatting. Thoroughly enjoyable, occasionally brutal, and shot through with insight, pathos and hope. Reminiscent of Kevin Barry and George Saunders, but wholly original - an unforgettable debut * Joanna Quinn, author of The Whalebone Theatre *Lennon brings ancient Sicily to life with humor and pathos in his stunning debut . . . Lampo’s crackling modern vernacular adds just the right amount of levity . . . Lennon’s vital tale captivates * Publishers Weekly *Lennon’s distinctly modern voice adds levity and wit to this highly recommended narrative about the tragic aftermath of war and the tragic beauty of the human condition * Library Journal *Lennon evokes a time when it was common to relish and revere the art of Homer’s poetry and Euripides’ drama. Those with that appetite today are fortunate to have Madeline Miller, Emily Wilson, Pat Barker, and recently James Hynes’ Sparrow. And Lennon. An entertaining and impressive debut * Kirkus Starred Review *A truly original, blackly comic novel * Sunday Independent *A highly entertaining story from a brilliant new voice * The Gloss *Gorgeous * Guardian *At once charming and convincingly gritty. The logistics are riveting enough but Lennon takes them to a conclusion that will move you profoundly, in several directions all at once * Mail on Sunday *A blinder of a book, narrated by Lampo in a modern Irish vernacular with all the wit to match. In fewer than 300 pages it also manages to pack in a heap of ideas – about war and art, brotherhood and community, love and loss. A true gem * inews, The Best New Books to Read in January 2024 *'The debut novelist to watch ... Remarkable ... This debut is entertaining, vivid, original – and has a huge amount of fun turning the genre on its head ... The premise is irresistible ... Terrific ... A novel to be gulped down' * The i *This larky, spirited caper feels like a blast and a breeze ... A delight, both for the originality of its conception and its willingness to pursue such an eccentric idea to its logical conclusion’ * Sunday Times *Quirkily original ... A tragi-comedy, in homage to Euripides, it is simultaneously shocking, touching, and thought-provoking ... Recounted in a lively Irish brogue, Glorious Exploits has brio and brass neck * The Herald *Immensely likeable ... Raucously funny ... The writing is beautifully controlled * The Observer *Very funny ... Lennon is good on the art of direction. He is good, too, on historical contingency * Times Literary Supplement *Wonderfully odd, riotously funny ... This superb novel builds to a page-turning crescendo that evokes the great tragedy the men stage' * Booklist *Engrossing, surprising ... He writes with a wit and an enchantment that very seldom waver ... Expect to encounter a heartfelt, convincing, poetically rendered world [which Lennon has conjured from] the ocean of his own defiantly original sensibility * Literary Review *
£13.49
Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc Golden Kamuy Vol. 2
Book SynopsisA tale of high adventure and survival!In the early twentieth century, Russo-Japanese War veteran Saichi Sugimoto searches the wilderness of Hokkaido for a hoard of hidden gold. With only a cryptic map and a native Ainu girl to help him, Saichi must also deal with every murderous cutthroat, bandit and rogue who knows about the treasure!On the trail of a hoard of hidden gold, Saichi “Immortal” Sugimoto and the Ainu girl Asirpa have already tracked down some of the escaped prisoners whose tattoos form a map to the lost treasure. But their search has caught the attention of a group of rogue Japanese soldiers from the legendary 7th Division. Their leader, the utterly cold-blooded and driven Lieutenant Tsurumi, will stop at nothing to find the gold. And Tsurumi is not the only formidable opponent Saichi and Asirpa must deal with—a former samurai who escaped with the prisoners is carving his own path to the loot. These enemies will put Saichi’s &
£9.49
HarperCollins Publishers Master and Commander
Book SynopsisIn this, the first of Patrick O’Brian’s much lauded Aubrey–Maturin novels, discover a vibrant world conjured by a master storyteller, rich with detail and character.Trade Review‘If O’Brian’s novels have become a cult, this is because they are truly addictive. . . They are, quite magnificently, adventure yarns whose superb authenticity never distracts from the sheer thrill of the action.’Caroline Moore, Sunday Telegraph ‘The Aubrey–Maturin novels, by Patrick O’Brian, are so addictive that after I finish one I have to hide the next from myself for a little while in order to do anything else but read.’Louise Erdrich ‘In Aubrey and Maturin, Patrick O’Brian has created two of the most enjoyable characters in twentieth-century fiction. Their relationship sustains an absorbing and thrilling sequence of naval stories, unrivalled in their complexity, full of impeccable detail and psychological insight. O’Brian switches from the intimate to the epic with equal assurance. One of the greatest authors to sail with.’Michael Palin ‘My hero is Patrick O’Brian. It’s basically impossible to write that well.’David Mamet ‘One of the most compelling and brilliant novelists of his time . . . Beyond his superbly elegant writing, wit and originality, Patrick O’Brian showed an understanding of the nature of a floating world at the mercy of the wind and the sea which has never been surpassed.’Max Hastings, Evening Standard ‘I devoured Patrick O’Brian’s twenty-volume masterpiece as if it had been so many tots of Jamaica grog.’Christopher Hitchens ‘Written with most engaging enthusiasm that can’t fail to give pleasure to anybody who enjoys historical adventure flavoured with more than a dash of realism.’The Sunday Times ‘One of the most brilliantly sustained pieces of historical fictional writing this century.’James Teacher, Spectator ‘Patrick O’Brian brings depth to his sea-stories with outstanding dialogue, characterisation, humour and a golden thread of romance. You don’t have to love books about naval battles to become entranced.’Katie Fforde
£9.49
