Traditional or cultural fiction and true stories, tales and retellings
St Martin's Press The Fox Wife
Book SynopsisSome people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .Manchuria, 1908.In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Bao, a detective with an uncanny ability to sniff out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman's identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they've remained tantalizingly out of reachuntil, perhaps, now.Meanwhile, a family who owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments but can't escape the curse that afflicts themtheir eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. When a disruptively winsome servant named Snow enters their household, the family's luc
£23.79
St Martin's Press The Sun Walks Down
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£16.15
St Martin's Press The Fox Wife
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£37.49
Picador USA Madeleine Is Sleeping
Book SynopsisA National Book Award Finalist, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum's enchanting and inventive first novel is a groundbreaking, contemporary classicWhen a girl falls into a mysterious, impenetrable sleep, the borders between her provincial French village and the peculiar, beguiling realm of her dreams begin to disappear: A fat woman sprouts delicate wings and takes flight; a failed photographer stumbles into the role of pornographer; a beautiful young wife grows to resemble her husband's viol. Madeleine, the dreamer, travels in their midst, trying to make sense of her own metamorphosis. She leaves home, joins a gypsy circus, and falls into an unexpected triangle of desire and love. Embracing the earthy and the ethereal, the comical and the poignant, Madeleine Is Sleeping is part fairy tale, part coming-of-age story, and above all, an adventure in the discovery of art, sexuality, community, and the self.
£999.99
St Martin's Press The First Binding
Book SynopsisEpic fantasy at its finestan homage to storytelling and legend, richly told and endlessly engaging.Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard DaughterDon't miss the first novel in this stunning Silk Road-inspired epic fantasy series from R.R. Virdia saga of legends, lies, and the secretive storyteller who's spun them all.All legends are born of truths. And just as much lies. These are mine. Judge me for what you will. But you will hear my story first.I buried the village of Ampur under a mountain of ice and snow. Then I killed their god. I''ve stolen old magics and been cursed for it. I started a war with those that walked before mankind and lost the princess I loved, and wanted to save. I''ve called lightning and bound fire. I am legend. And I am a monster. My name is Ari. And this is the story of how I let loose the first evil.Rich world-building, plenty of action, and devious twists abound. Very highly recommen
£18.99
Picador USA Likes
Book SynopsisA BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: Library Journal, Electric Literature, The New York Public Library, PopMattersA Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Story PrizeNational Book Award finalist Sarah Shun-lien Bynum's highly anticipated return weaves together like and unlike, mythic and modernIn nine stories that range from the real to the unreal, strange to familiar, funny to frightening, Sarah Shun-lien Bynum reminds us why her wildly original debut, Madeleine Is Sleeping, and her masterful Ms. Hempel Chronicles have become contemporary classics--celebrated and beloved.In a nimble dance of lightness and gravity, Likes explores the full range and contradictions of our contemporary moment. Through unexpected visitors, Waldorf school fairs, aging indie-film stars, the struggle to gain a foothold in the capitalist shell-game of work, the Instagram posts of a twelve-year-oldthese stori
£14.45
Tor Books The Book Eaters
Book SynopsisI devoured this.V. E. Schwab, New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie La RueAn International BestsellerAn NPR Best Sci Fi, Fantasy, & Speculative Fiction Book of 2022A Book Riot Best Book of 2022A Vulture Best Fantasy Novel of 2022A Goodreads Best Fantasy Choice Award NomineeA Library Journal Best Book of 2022Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book''s content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries. Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devonlike all other book eater womenis raised on
£22.94
Picador USA Popisho
Book SynopsisBold, iridescent . . . Dazzling and shocking . . . Ross's lyrical, rhythmic writing is something to be savored . . . [Her] voice sings out loud and pure. Eowyn Ivey, The New York Times Book ReviewAn uproarious, sensual novel, Leone Ross's Popisho conjures a world where magic is everywhere, food is fate, politics are broken, and love awaits.Everyone in Popisho was born with a little something-something, boy, a little something extra. The local name was cors. Magic, but more than magic. A gift, nah? Yes. From the gods: a thing so inexpressibly your own. Somewhere far awayor maybe right nearbylies an archipelago called Popisho. A place of stunning beauty and incorrigible mischief, destiny and mystery, it is also a place in need of change. Xavier Redchoose is the macaenus of his generation, anointed by the gods to make each resident one perfect meal when the time is right. Anise, his long-lost love, is on a
£16.20
Holt McDougal The Council of Animals
Book SynopsisFrom national bestselling author Nick McDonell, The Council of Animals is a captivating fable for humans of all agesdreamers and cynics alikewho believe (if nothing else) in the power of timeless storytelling.Now,' continued the cat, there is nothing more difficult than changing an animal's mind. But I will say, in case I can change yours: humans are more useful to us outside our bellies than in.'Perhaps.After The Calamity, the animals thought the humans had managed to do themselves in. But, it turns out, a few are cowering in makeshift villages. So the animalsamong them a cat, a dog, a crow, a baboon, a horse, and a bearhave convened to debate whether to help the last human stragglers . . . or to eat them.Rest assured, there is a happy ending. Sort of.Featuring illustrations by Steven Tabbutt
£15.29
Tor Books ArchConspirator
Book SynopsisIn this gripping and atmospheric reimagining of Antigone, #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth reaches back to the root of legend and delivers a world of tomorrow both timeless and unexpected.I'm cursed, haven't you heard?Outside the last city on Earth, the planet is a wasteland. Without the Archive, where the genes of the dead are stored, humanity will end.Antigone's parentsOedipus and Jocastaare dead. Passing into the Archive should be cause for celebration, but with her militant uncle Kreon rising to claim her father''s vacant throne, all Antigone feels is rage.When he welcomes her and her siblings into his mansion, Antigone sees it for what it really is: a gilded cage, where she is a captive as well as a guest.But her uncle will soon learn that no cage is unbreakable. And neither is he.Roth is a masterful conjurer, summoning both classic myth and visceral dystopia to weave a breat
£16.99
Tor Books The Whispering Swarm
Book SynopsisSet in a marvelous multiverse, this fantasy adventure-plus-memoir grapples with questions of identity, creativity, heroism, and the very structure of storytelling.Postwar London, Swinging Sixties London--a time and place of creativity and social change. Young Michael Moorcock embarks upon adulthood as both editor and writer of science fiction and fantasy, helping shape the genre into its modern form through his work and his friendships with other writers. His marriage is new and fresh; his children are young and raising them, an adventure.But no adventure lasts forever, and Moorcock begins to chafe under the grind of work and family. What seems a chance encounter with a monk--one of the White Friars--leads to a secret at the heart of London. Massive yet phantasmal doors lead to the Alsacia, a hidden world inhabited by great heroes of both history and fiction. Captivated, Moorcock rides as a highwayman and finds himself drinking in the company of all four Muske
£28.79
Hyperion Kiss the Girl
Book SynopsisA modern tale of unexpectedly falling in love and finding your voice, Kiss the Girl is the highly anticipated third installment in the acclaimed and best-selling Meant to Be collection.Ariel del Mar is one of the most famous singers in the world. She and her sisters—together, known as the band Siren Seven—have been a pop culture phenomenon since they were kids. On stage, wearing her iconic red wig and sequined costumes, staring out at a sea of fans, is where she shines. Anyone would think she’s the girl who has everything. But lately, she wants more. Siren Seven is wrapping up their farewell tour, and Ariel can’t wait to spend the summer just living a normal life—part of a world she’s only ever seen from the outside. But her father, the head of Atlantica Records, has other plans: begin her breakout solo career immediately, starting with a splashy announcement on a morning talk show. The night before, Ariel and her sisters sneak out of their Manhattan penthouse for a night of incognito fun at a rock concert in Brooklyn. It’s there that Ariel crosses paths with Eric Reyes, dreamy lead singer of an up-and-coming band. Unaware of her true identity, Eric spontaneously invites her on the road for the summer. And for the first time in her life, Ariel disobeys her father—and goes with him. Caught between the world she longs for and the one she’s left behind, can Ariel follow her dreams, fall in love, and, somehow, find her own voice?
£21.59
Bloom Books Never
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£18.04
Bloom Books Never
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£24.29
Simon & Schuster Phantom Pains
Book SynopsisSynopsis coming soon.......Trade Review* "Everything readers think they know about both worlds will be upended by this enthralling installment." * Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW ** " This follow-up to Borderline keeps the emotional punches from Baker’s resilient protagonist coming." * Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW *"In her second outing, Baker expands on the rich world she created and adds new dimension to Millie, who remains a thoroughly appealing and complex heroine." * Booklist *"Smart, snappy, fast, fantastic. You will not be sorry you read this." -- Seanan McGuire, New York Times bestselling author of the October Daye series, on BORDERLINE* "Fully articulated, flawed, and fascinating characters combine with masterly urban fantasy storytelling...[a] beautifully written story that is one part mystery, one part fantasy, and wholly engrossing." * Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW, on BORDERLINE ** "Takes gritty urban fantasy in a new direction with flawed characters, painful life lessons, and not a small amount of humor." * Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW, on BORDERLINE *"An enjoyable fantasy mystery that tackles physical disability and mental illness without sacrificing diverting, fast-paced storytelling." * Kirkus Reviews, on BORDERLINE *"Baker’s consistent, caring integration of the realities of disability into the narrative, makes Borderline one of the most purely respectful portrayals of people with disabilities that I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading, and that in turn makes it an excellent launch to a very promising urban fantasy series." * Publishers Weekly STAFF PICK, on BORDERLINE *"Baker has crafted a swift, delightful, and complex beginning to your next favorite urban fantasy series, very nearly redefining the genre along the way...an unabashed pleasure cruise, filled to the brim with snappy dialogue, smart character choices, behind-the-scenes Hollywood shenanigans, and delightful fish-out-of-water moments." * B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy blog, on BORDERLINE *"A fast-paced story of high costs laced with humor that goes from light-hearted to scathing with the flip of a coin...navigates the borderlands of friendship and enmity, trust and betrayal, with shrewd and unrelenting grace." * NPR, on BORDERLINE *"Urban fantasy series often live of die on the strength of their protagonist, and by that measure, Mishell Baker has written one of the greats...Baker spins a fast-moving fantasy yarn while crafting fully formed characters, showing great compassion in her depiction of mental illness and alienation." * B&N Sci-Fi and Fantasy blog, Bookseller picks, on BORDERLINE *"Borderline [is] a strange, fast-paced, and surprisingly dark tale about magic, madness and mystique...Despite the engaging plot, Millie’s character, and the complexities in the characters around her made the book a real page-turner for me...Immensely riveting, with unexpected influxes of depth." * MuggleNet.com, on BORDERLINE *"Mishell Baker’s new Arcadia Project series is off to a thrilling and glamorous start with Borderline...Baker has given her audience urban fantasy at its finest—visceral and real in its sense of space, and dancing on the uncanny edges of our vision...Borderline is dark and creeping and smart as a whip." * Tor.com, on BORDERLINE *"Boasting a truly unique heroine whose flaws only make her more compelling, Baker’s debut is an exciting entry into an imaginative new world." * Booklist, on BORDERLINE *"Borderline is worldbuilding at its most original...I loved this book." -- Charlaine Harris, New York Times bestselling author of DEAD UNTIL DARK, on BORDERLINE“Baker’s prose is a liquid line with light in it, that you can’t tell is gasoline until she touches it with a match…. Phantom Pains succeeds in being both seamlessly connected to Borderline and utterly its own ambitious project. I was constantly aware of being impressed with it while being absorbed by it – and I ended up loving it more than Borderline, which is saying something.” * Lightspeed Magazine *
£16.14
Amazon Publishing Indexing: Reflections
Book Synopsis“For her to love me, she had to be willing to kill me. Anything else would show that her heart was untrue.” The struggle against not-so-charming storybook narratives isn’t the only complicating factor in Henrietta “Henry” Marchen’s life. As part of the ATI Management Bureau team protecting the world from fairy tales gone awry, she’s juggling her unwanted new status as a Snow White, dealing with a potentially dangerous Pied Piper, and wrangling a most troublesome wicked stepsister—along with a budding relationship with Jeff, her teammate. But when a twisted, vicious Cinderella breaks out of prison and wreaks havoc, things go from disenchanted to deadly. And once Henry realizes someone is trying to use her to destroy the world, her story becomes far from over—and this one might not have a happily ever after. Indexing: Reflections is New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire’s continuing new urban fantasy, where everything you thought you knew about fairy tales gets turned on its head. This book was initially released in episodes as a Kindle Serial. All episodes are now available for immediate download as a complete book.
£12.24
Dark Horse Comics,U.S. Norse Mythology Volume 1 (Graphic Novel)
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£26.99
Dark Horse Comics,U.S. Norse Mythology Volume 3 (Graphic Novel)
Book Synopsis#1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman and Eisner Award–winning comics legend P. Craig Russell breathe new life into the ancient Norse stories in this comic-book adaptation of the hit novel Norse Mythology.In this third volume, Gaiman and Russell once more team with a legendary collection of artists to bring more Norse myths to life, including a wild quest where Thor and Tyr face a multiheaded giantess, fire-breathing sea serpents, and more bizarre mythological creatures; the journey of Odin to the end of the world, and finally we reach the end of the world Ragnarok: the final destiny of the gods. Collects Norse Mythology III #1–#6, featuring art by P. Craig Russell, David Rubín, Colleen Doran, and Galen Showman.
£23.99
Random House USA Inc The Memory Theater: A Novel
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£20.76
Grand Central Publishing Bronze Drum
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£16.19
Forever When a Rogue Meets His Match: Includes a Bonus
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£999.99
BookBaby The Legendary Music Tree
£23.24
Exile Editions Over the Rainbow: Folk and Fairy Tales from the
Book SynopsisFairy tales tell us the stories we need to hear, the truths we need to be aware of. Arising from oral narrative, born of imagination, they are constantly being adapted to fit new cultural contexts. They shapeshift just like their characters. Their plots, motifs, and elements often serving as warnings. Over the Rainbow: Folk and Fairy Tales from the Margins is a collection of adult stories that invite us to imagine new possibilities for our contemporary times. And much is happening in these times! Cultural diversification and increased societal awareness of personal differences is allowing voices that tend to be silenced by mainstream society to come to the forefront. Collected by seven-time Prix Aurora Award-winning editor Derek Newman-Stille, these are edgy stories, tales that invite us to walk out of our comfort zone and see what resides at the margins. Over the Rainbow is a gathering of modern literature that brings together views and perspectives of the underrepresented, from the fringe, those whose narratives are at the core of today's conversations—voices that we all need to hear.
£16.16
Exile Editions Alice Unbound: Beyond Wonderland
Book SynopsisLewis Carroll explored childlike wonder and the bewildering realm of adult rules and status, which clashed in bizarre ways. And although it seems we all know something about Alice and Wonderland, we-like Alice herself upon her first reading of Jabberwocky-find “It fills my head with ideas, but I don’t know what they are.” So as each new generation falls under Carroll’s word spells, each in turn must attempt to understand what Alice and Wonderland might mean in the context of their world and in their time. This collection of twenty-first century speculative fiction stories is inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Hunting of the Snark, and to some degree, aspects of the life of the author, Charles Dodgson, and the real-life Alice (Liddell). Enjoy our wild ride down into and back up out of the rabbit hole! Preface by David Day Authors: Patrick Bollivar, Mark Charke, Christine Daigle, Robert Dawson, Linda DeMeulemeester, Pat Flewwelling, Geoff Gander and Fiona Plunkett, Cait Gordon, Costi Gurgu, Kate Heartfield, Elizabeth Hosang, Nicole Iversen, J.Y.T. Kennedy, Danica Lorer, Catherine MacLeod, Bruce Meyer, Dominik Parisien, Alexandra Renwick, Andrew Robertson, Lisa Smedman, Sara C. Walker, James Wood
£18.66
Nimbus Publishing (CN) Glooscap Legends
£8.95
Nimbus Publishing Ltd The Lunenburg Werewolf: And Other Stories of the Supernatural
£15.15
Red Wheel/Weiser Gargoyles: From the Archives of the Grey School
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£12.34
The New York Review of Books, Inc The Violins of Saint-Jacques
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£12.60
The New York Review of Books, Inc Glory Of The Empire: A Novel, A History
Book SynopsisThe Glory of the Empire is the rich and absorbing history of an extraordinary empire, at one point a rival to Rome. Rulers such as Basil the Great of Onessa, who founded the Empire but whose treacherous ways made him a byword for infamy, and the romantic Alexis the bastard, who dallied in the fleshpots of Egypt, studied Taoism and Buddhism, returned to save the Empire from civil war, and then retired “to learn to die,” come alive in The Glory of the Empire, along with generals, politicians, prophets, scoundrels, and others. Jean d’Ormesson also goes into the daily life of the Empire, its popular customs, and its contribution to the arts and the sciences, which, as he demonstrates, exercised an influence on the world as a whole, from the East to the West, and whose repercussions are still felt today. But it is all fiction, a thought experiment worthy of Jorge Luis Borges, and in the end The Glory of the Empire emerges as a great shimmering mirage, filling us with wonder even as it makes us wonder at the fugitive nature of power and the meaning of history itself.
£15.29
Soft Skull Press The Weak Spot: A Novel
Book SynopsisA woman discovers something toxic at work in the isolated village where she is apprenticing as a pharmacist, in this fable-like novel about power, surveillance, prescriptions, and cures by a captivating debut voice.On a remote mountaintop somewhere in Europe, accessible only by an ancient funicular, a small pharmacy sits on a square. As if attending confession, townspeople carry their ailments and worries through its doors, in search of healing, reassurance, and a witness to their bodies and their lives. One day, a young woman arrives in the town to apprentice under its charismatic pharmacist, August Malone. She slowly begins to lose herself in her work, lulled by stories and secrets shared by customers and colleagues. But despite her best efforts to avoid thinking and feeling altogether, as her new boss rises to the position of mayor, she begins to realize that something sinister is going on around her.The Weak Spot is a fable about our longing for cures, answers, and an audience--and the ways it will be exploited by those who silently hold power in our world.
£14.36
Penguin Putnam Inc Mr. Fox
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£15.30
Penguin Putnam Inc White is for Witching
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£15.20
Penguin Putnam Inc Boy, Snow, Bird: A Novel
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£12.33
Penguin Putnam Inc Gingerbread: A Novel
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£17.10
Roaring Brook Press Hera: The Goddess and her Glory
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£10.97
Dover Publications Inc. Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen
Book SynopsisThis beautifully designed treasury gathers Hans Christian Andersen''s most beloved fairy tales in a gilt-stamped, hardcover volume, abundantly illustrated by full-color and black-and-white images by Golden Age master Harry Clarke. Offering such classics as "The Snow Queen," "The Nightingale," and "The Wild Swan," this masterful collection showcases Clarke''s peerless artistry as he highlights the mythic and uncanny qualities of Andersen''s timeless stories. This stunning book will be a welcome addition to any discerning library, private or public.
£33.59
University of New Orleans Press A Calabash of Cowries: Ancient Wisdom for Modern
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£17.06
Parkhurst Brothers Publishers Inc Hot Wind, Boiling Rain: Scary Stories for Strong
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£11.40
Other Press LLC Every Leaf a Hallelujah
Book SynopsisThe Guardian: Best Children's and YA Book of the Year An environmental fairytale that speaks eloquently to the most pressing issues of our times, from the Booker Prize–winning author of The Famished Road.Mangoshi lives with her mom and dad in a village near the forest. When her mom becomes ill, Mangoshi knows only one thing can help her—a special flower that grows deep in the forest. The little girl needs all her courage when she sets out alone to find and bring back the flower, and all her kindness to overpower the dangers she encounters on the quest. Ben Okri brings the power of his mystic vision to a timely story that weaves together wonder, adventure, and environmentalism.
£19.54
Other Press LLC The Last Gift of the Master Artists: A Novel
Book SynopsisThe Booker Prize–winning author, a child of the Nigerian Civil War, reinvents through the story of the Atlantic slave trade the beautiful soul and resilient culture of his country.A boy and a girl meet by chance on a riverbank in Africa. One is the son of a king, struggling to find his place in the world, the other the daughter of a craftsman from the secretive tribe of master artists. The prince, entranced, stays hidden in the bushes. The girl, knowing nothing of him but his voice, agrees to meet again. When she fails to appear the next day, he begins to search for her, tracing her at last to her village where, disguised as an apprentice, he finds a place in her father’s workshop. But this is no fairy tale, no conventional love story. Their world—though they don’t know it yet—is ending. A strange wind has begun to blow, and in its wake, things are disappearing: songs, stories, artworks, and finally, people. Beautiful ships with white sails are glimpsed on the horizon… When the novel was first published in the UK in 2007 under the title Starbook, the central role of the Middle Passage was overlooked. Okri has since rewritten the book, giving it a new dimension, more light, more acumen. In 2022 the deep political impact of this extraordinary tale won’t be missed.
£23.99
Alcove Press Phaedra: A Novel
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£15.29
Crooked Lane Books The Hidden: A Novel
Book SynopsisFollowing her acclaimed debut Little Darlings,Melanie Golding''s newest folkloric suspense is a spine-tingling twist on Celtic mythology. One dark December night, in a small seaside town, a little girl is found abandoned. When her mother finally arrives, authorities release the pair, believing it to be an innocent case of a toddler running off. Gregor, a seemingly single man, is found bludgeoned and left for dead in his apartment, but the discovery of children''s toys raises more questions than answers. Every night, Ruby gazes into Gregor?s apartment, leading to the discovery of his secret family: his unusually silent daughter and his mentally unstable wife, Constance, who insists that she is descended from the mythological Selkies. She begs Ruby to aid in finding the sealskin that Gregor has hidden from her, making it impossible to return to her people. DS Joanna Harper''s investigation into Gregor?s assault leads her to CCTV footage of the mother-daughter pair from town.Harper realizes she knows the woman almost as well as she knows herself: it''s her estranged daughter, Ruby. No matter the depth of Ruby?s involvement, she knows she will choose her daughter over her career. Steeped in local legend and exploring the depths of what it means to be a mother, Melanie Golding''s newest novel is "a lyrical and atmospheric folktale for the modern age." (Bustle, on Little Darlings)
£16.14
Stygian Sky Media LLC Tapetum Lucidum
Book SynopsisA band of friends unknowingly awaken something ancient and hungry, the glowing orbs descending from the trees are more than fireflies. A ravenous group of hunters is set free and are now moving closer and closer to the small town of Brush Mill. Halloween night will mark their arrival, and the townsfolk will have to fight to keep from being eaten alive. Can they survive what lurks in the darkness? Can you?
£14.73
Bloomsbury Publishing USA Every Drop Is a Man's Nightmare
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£22.39
Astra Publishing House God of Mercy
Book Synopsis“Nwoka’s debut feels like a dream, or a fable, or something in between . . . Recommended for fans of Nnedi Okorafor’s Remote Control or Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune.” —Ashley Rayner, Booklist"[God of Mercy] owes a debt to Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, revising that novel's message for the recent past . . . A well-turned dramatization of spiritual and social culture clashes." —Kirkus ReviewsHomegoing meets Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Okezie Nwọka’s debut novel is a powerful reimagining of a history erased.God of Mercy is set in Ichulu, an Igbo village where the people’s worship of their gods is absolute. Their adherence to tradition has allowed them to evade the influences of colonialism and globalization. But the village is reckoning with changes, including a war between gods signaled by Ijeoma, a girl who can fly.As tensions grow between Ichulu and its neighboring colonized villages, Ijeoma is forced into exile. Reckoning with her powers and exposed to the world beyond Ichulu, she is imprisoned by a Christian church under the accusation of being a witch. Suffering through isolation, she comes to understand the truth of merciful love.Reimagining the nature of tradition and cultural heritage and establishing a folklore of the uncolonized, God of Mercy is a novel about wrestling with gods, confronting demons, and understanding one's true purpose.Trade Review"Okezie Nwọka's debut novel, God of Mercy . . . continues a powerful literary tradition of representing Igbo resistance to colonial pressures. Like Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart (1958), God of Mercy narrates both the dignified beauty of Igbo village life and also the village’s struggle with its own traditions."—Cynthia R. Wallace, Ploughshares"While this tremendous work is most readily described as magical realism or as a work of fable, God of Mercy is too powerful to stay within the confines of a single genre . . . Written in verse that recalls the rhythm of fables, Nwoka eloquently details the perseverance and thriving of a young woman descended from a people who have resisted colonization at every turning point in history."—Maya C. James, Locus"Nwoka’s debut feels like a dream, or a fable, or something in between . . . The vestiges of colonialism run deep throughout this novel, as well as themes of forgiveness and compassionate love . . Recommended for fans of Nnedi Okorafor’s Remote Control or Nghi Vo’s The Empress of Salt and Fortune."—Ashley Rayner, Booklist"In Okezie Nwọka’s dazzling and disquieting novel God of Mercy, battles between gods reignite a war between religions . . . Rife with magical realism and full of promise . . . God of Mercy undertakes a scrupulous review of the destructive power of colonialism through an imprisoned, gifted girl."—George Hajjar, Starred Review, Foreword Reviews"Nwoka trusts readers to follow the story without much expository cultural background, and the result feels authentic and organic. Book clubs looking for stories to inspire deep discussion need look no further." —Shelf Awareness"[God of Mercy] owes a debt to Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, revising that novel's message for the recent past . . . A pair of distinctive qualities [make] Nwọka worth continued attention. First is their command of different rhetorical modes . . . Second is an earned note of optimism . . . A well-turned dramatization of spiritual and social culture clashes."—Kirkus Reviews "Nwọka’s dense, mythologically charged debut . . . immerses the reader in an often-bewildering world . . . [a] stirring coming-of-age story."—Publishers Weekly"Tradition and change clash to devastating effect in Okezie Nwoka's compelling and heartrending debut, God of Mercy . . . Nwoka writes with a sure rhythm all their own, slipping easily between structured passages and stream of consciousness inner monologues."—Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads via Shelf Awareness"What an incisive contemplation of being in the world. I read this book with awe and gratitude. It is a love letter to a world in which multiple ways of being may be celebrated. Through their meditation on igbo ontology and its colonial defilement, Nwọka invites us into an exquisite exploration of flight and abandonment, evoking stories that are as old as they are new, timeless as they are timely."—Novuyo Tshuma, author of House of Stone"God of Mercy is an elegantly written, morally rigorous exploration of tradition and belonging. Reminiscent of Toni Morrison's inventive language-making and Chinua Achebe's decolonizing legacy, Okezie Nwọka is a masterful storyteller, and a writer of unusual grace."—Alexia Arthurs, author of How to Love a Jamaican"God of Mercy is a profound exploration of religion, faith, and compassion from a gifted storyteller. Okezie Nwọka creates a richly imagined postcolonial landscape that is at once otherworldly, tragically human, and completely unforgettable."—Maisy Card, author of These Ghosts are Family"God of Mercy isn't just a heart-stopping debut—it's a complete decolonization of the novel, a resounding rejection of the white gaze, a chronicle of a history that has for too long gone untold. This book is at the forefront of a new generation of postcolonial novels, and Nwoka's talent is unmatched."—R.A. Frumkin, author of The Confidence“This beautiful book has magic in it, and grace, and power.”—Kate Christensen, author of The Great Man
£22.50
The New York Review of Books, Inc Other Worlds: Peasants, Pilgrims, Spirits, Saints
Book SynopsisStories about the occult, folk religions, superstition, and spiritual customs in Russia by one of the most essential twentieth-century writers of short fiction and essays.Though best known for her comic and satirical sketches of pre-Revolutionary Russia, Teffi was a writer of great range and human sympathy. The stories on otherworldly themes in this collection are some of her finest and most profound, displaying the acute psychological sensitivity beneath her characteristic wit and surface brilliance.Other Worlds presents stories from across the whole of Teffi’s long career, from her early days as a literary celebrity in Moscow to her post-Revolutionary years as an émigré in Paris. In the early story “A Quiet Backwater,” a laundress gives a long disquisition on the name days of the flora and fauna and on the Feast of the Holy Ghost, a day on which “no one dairnst disturb the earth.” The story “Wild Evening” is about the fear of the unknown; “The Kind That Walk,” a penetrating study of antisemitism and of xenophobia; and “Baba Yaga,” about the archetypal Russian witch and her longing for wildness and freedom. Teffi traces the persistent influence of the ancient Slavic gods in superstitions and customs, and the deep connection of the supernatural to everyday life in the provinces. In “Volya,” the autobiographical final story, the power and pain of Baba Yaga is Teffi’s own.
£15.26
North Star Press of Saint Cloud Inc The New Folklore: Lyrical Tales for Dreamers &
Book SynopsisThe New Folklore: Lyrical Tales for Dreamers & Thinkers is a collection of seven stories written by musician Teague Alexy and beautifully illustrated by artists from across the country: "The Wisdom of King Joe Colli," "Old Lady Truth," "The New Tune of Elijah Swoon," "Three Little Fish," "How Lefty Stepanovich Turned Water Into Wine," "Teufelo's Tongue" and "Old Rickety Bridge." Alexy's modern folktales are told in the tradition of being nonsensical on the surface with strong underlying truths. Filled with humor, lively characters, clever rhyme schemes and wordplay, The New Folklore provides entertainment and deep insight for young and old. Information on musical versions of these stories performed by Teague Alexy & The Feelin Band (featuring Nicholas David) and information on Teague's band Hobo Nephews of Uncle Frank is available atteaguealexy.com.
£11.35
Sourcebooks, Inc Athena's Child
Book Synopsis
£17.09
