Search results for ""Astra Publishing""
Astra Publishing House What About Bear?
Goose and Bear are back in this classic friendship story about choosing one friend over another.It's playtime! Bear and Goose are having fun. Then Little Fox joins in – and somebody gets left out. Feelings are bound to get hurt. But as this gentle story shows, the solution lies in including friends, not excluding them. As in her previous Bear and Goose stories, Suzanne Bloom's latest book deals with a familiar aspect of friendship and how to solve problems.
£9.03
Astra Publishing House Paul Revere's Ride
The classic poem in a newly illustrated edition. Paul Revere and his famous ride were immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in a poem published in 1861, more than eighty years after the even. Longfellow wrote the poem at the time of the Civil War. He hoped that his story of an ordinary citizen who comes to the aid of his country would stir patriotic feelings and support for the Union. He was right. In face, if it hadn't been for Longfellow, Paul Revere may have remained a local legend. The poem fired the imaginations of Americans and a national hero was born. This illustrated edition of the classic poem features vivid oil paintings by Monica Vachula, whose research into period and place can be seen in the smallest detail. A concluding note by historian Jayne Triber, author of A True Republican: The Life of Paul Revere, explores the poem and Paul Revere's place in American history.
£9.94
Astra Publishing House In the Spin of Things: Poetry of Motion
£10.99
Astra Publishing House Black and White: The Confrontation between Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene Bull Connor
In the nineteen fifties and early sixties, Birmingham, Alabama, became known as Bombingham. At the center of this violent time in the fight for civil rights, and standing at opposite ends, were Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and Eugene "Bull" Connor. From his pulpit, Shuttlesworth agitated for racial equality, while Commissioner Connor fought for the status quo. Relying on court documents, police and FBI reports, newspapers, interviews, and photographs, author Larry Dane Brimner first covers each man's life and then brings them together to show how their confrontation brought about significant change to the southern city. The author worked closely with Birmingham's Civil Rights Institute as well as with Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth and his wife to bring together this Robert F. Sibert Honor Book, ALA Notable Children's book, and Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of the Year.
£15.07
Astra Publishing House The Guardian Team: On the Job with Rena and Roo
Shepherds have used dogs to protect livestock for thousands of years. But burros also have a natural instinct to protect, which makes them a perfect guardian animals as well. Meet Rena and Roo, a super dog-and-burro guardian team at work on a sheep ranch in Wyoming. The animals have a close connection with the sheep they protect, but it takes time and effort for Rena and Roo to grow to trust one another. In this companion book to her award-winning Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs, Cat Urbigkit uses simple, informative text and eye-catching photographs to show how Rena and Roo develop into guardian animals.
£13.66
Astra Publishing House Snakes!
Can you climb a tree without using arms or legs? Can you smell odors by wiggling your tongue in the air? Snakes can! Beginning with these simple questions, award-winning author Laurence Pringle invites readers to explore the remarkable abilities and lives of snakes. Snakes are legless reptiles, but thanks to their powerful muscles and hundreds of rib bones they can coil, creep, climb, and swim. Some can even glide through the air. Join Laurence Pringle in this NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book as he takes a look at some of the more than two thousand snakes that are found almost all over the world. A lively and informative text, joined with Meryl Henderson's bold and realistic art, explains how snakes hunt for food, move, shed their skin, give birth, and play important roles in nature. While snakes may look strange, this fascinating book shows why they are also wonderful creatures.
£9.99
Astra Publishing House Birmingham Sunday
Jane Addams Children's Honor BookNCTE Orbis Pictus Honor BookKirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of the YearThis nonfiction picture book focuses on Birmingham Sunday, a fateful day and significant part of the Civil Rights movement, and places it in historical context.Racial bombings were so frequent in Birmingham, Alabama that it became known as "Bombingham." Until September 15, 1963, these attacks had been threatening but not deadly. On that Sunday morning, however, a blast in the 16th Street Baptist Church ripped through the exterior wall and claimed the lives of four girls. The church was the ideal target for segregationists, as it was the rallying place for Birmingham's African American community, Martin Luther King, Jr., using it as his "headquarters" when he was in town to further the cause of desegregation and equal rights. Rather than triggering paralyzing fear, the bombing was the definitive act that guaranteed passage of the landmark 1964 civil rights legislation.
£14.97
Astra Publishing House My School in the Rain Forest: How Children Attend School Around the World
At a school that sits on the edge of the Sahara, students are learning to speak English from a teacher who stands in front of a Webcam in North America. These students are learning in a virtual classroom. In another part of the world, kids aren't waiting to ride the bus to school—they are waiting to hop in a boat that will take them to a school that floats on a river. And some kids don't mind heights, especially those who attend a school on the slope of a mountain in the Himalayas, in one of the most remote corners of the earth. Margriet Ruurs contacted teachers and volunteers, many of whom took cameras in hand to photograph their schools and students. In this lively photo-essay, readers get to know students—from the arid plains of southern Afghanistan to the rain forests of Guatemala—who are pursuing their dreams of a brighter future.
£13.96
Astra Publishing House Sidewalk Chalk: Poems of the City
At every corner, down every block, a city percolates with people at work and play: girls jumping double Dutch, the shoeshine man polishing a pair of wing tips, boys heading toward the basketball court. Each neighborhood is filled with unique characters (the beautician, the barber, the short-order cook) and places (the storefront churches, the outdoor market, the park pool) - all as familiar as family. Carole Boston Weatherford pays tribute to these sights and sounds of urban life in twenty fresh and rhythmic poems. In quiet moments and lively street scenes, her work captures the excitement and diversity found in these places that have "no trees / to climb" but where people young and old still "reach for the stars." Dimitrea Tokunbo's vivid illustrations are sure to delight.
£8.42
Astra Publishing House Math Dictionary: The Easy, Simple, Fun Guide to Help Math Phobics Become Math Lovers
Here's real help for math students. From abacus to zero property of multiplication, this handy reference guide for students contains more than five hundred common mathematical terms. Written in simple language and illustrated with hundreds of helpful photographs and drawings, Math Dictionary takes the mystery out of math.
£15.46
Astra Publishing House A Writing Kind of Day: Poems for Young Poets
It's easy to make one,lying on your back in the newest snow.You move your arms like wings.Later you forget about your creation,go inside for a mug of hot chocolate.That's when she rises from the snowtakes a feathery breath, tries out her wings.So begins a poem about making a snow angel, but it might also refer to the mysterious way that a poem comes into being and takes on a life of its own. In this new collection, Ralph Fletcher shows us how you can write a poem about almost anything: a baby sister, a Venus's-flytrap, a failing grandmother, a squished squirrel, grammar homework, and more. These poems take us inside the creative process as they reveal both the playfulness and the power of poetry. More than anything, they invite us to pick up pen and paper and write some poems of your own.
£8.81
Astra Publishing House Dog of Discovery: A Newfoundland's Adventures with Lewis and Clark
Meet Seaman, the Newfoundland dog who joined the Lewis and Clark expedition into the uncharted western wilderness. Seaman was much more than the faithful companion of Captain Lewis. Seaman risked his life many times and served the Corps of Discovery as a hunter, retriever, and guard dog. This richly detailed account of the expedition includes its planning, its adventures and discoveries, and its aftermath. During the trek from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean and back, every member of the Corps of Discovery suffered from hunger, insect bites, injuries, and close calls with death. Noted children's author Laurence Pringle follows the expedition closely and highlights the adventures of Seaman as they appear in the journals of Lewis and Clark. Pringle also offers evidence, first revealed in 2000, about what happened to Seaman after the journey's end. With intriguing sidebars, historical illustrations, journal excerpts, and original art, this account of the Corps of Discovery features the remarkable dog that was the expedition's most unusual member.
£10.43
Astra Publishing House Big Moon Tortilla
Marta Enos is having a bad day. It begins when the wind blows her homework out the window and the dogs chew it to pieces. Her grandmother consoles her with a tortilla as "big and pale as a rising full moon," along with ancient words of advice. This charming story, set on a Papago reservation in southern Arizona near the Mexican border, offers Native American wisdom that helps children--and adults as well--put their problems in perspective.
£9.06
Astra Publishing House Guess Whose Shadow?
Now in paperback and filled with stunning full-color photographs, Steve Swinburne's concept book introduces children to the basics of shadows. He then leads them on a shadow hunt, playing a game called "Guess Whose Shadow?," in which young ones will discover there's more to shadows than first meets the eye.
£8.92
Astra Publishing House Wham! It's a Poetry Jam: Discovering Performance Poetry
Take a wild ride with poet Sara Holbrook as she guides young writers in performing their poetry with style and pizzazz. With enthusiasm and a touch of irreverence, Ms. Holbrook, a performance poet herself, explains how to use voice, rhythm, attitude, movement, and other techniques to perform poetry in a group, duo, or solo. More than thirty poems are included for young readers to practice, as well as instructions for putting on a poetry jam at school or in the community.
£8.96
Astra Publishing House Albert Helps Out
Each read-aloud book in the Mouse Math series focuses on a single, basic math concept and features adorable mice, Albert and Wanda, who live in a People House. Entertaining fiction stories capture kids’ imaginations as the mice learn about numbers, shapes, sizes and more. Over 3 million copies sold worldwide!What could be better than a Captain Slime penny? Albert needs two quarters to use the library's new penny-smashing machine. Luckily, Wanda has a great idea for how Albert can earn the money. Every Mouse Math title includes back matter activities that support and extend reading comprehension and math skills, plus free online activities. (Math concept: Counting money)
£8.90
Astra Publishing House The Case of the Buried Bones (Book 12)
The Milo & Jazz Mysteries stars two kid detectives-in-training who use STEM problem-solving skills as they race to unravel cases and save the day! Perfect for fans of Encyclopedia Brown, Cam Jansen and Nate the Great.When it's time to dig up the town time capsule, all that is found is a mysterious note…and a skeleton! To everyone's relief, "Herman" turns out to be the long-lost skeleton from the high school science lab. Can Milo and Jazz gather enough clues to find the missing capsule and solve a 75-year-old mystery? This ideal series for beginning readers making the transition to chapter books has incredible Super Sleuthing activities in each book, including hidden pictures, puzzles, mini-mysteries, and quizzes—plus free online activities.
£8.30
Astra Publishing House Mice on Ice
Each read-aloud book in the Mouse Math series focuses on a single, basic math concept and features adorable mice, Albert and Wanda, who live in a People House. Entertaining fiction stories capture kids’ imaginations as the mice learn about numbers, shapes, sizes and more. Over 3 million copies sold worldwide!The puddle is frozen and Albert can't wait to go mice skating! All the other mice are skating shapes. Wanda can make a circle, and the Mousely triplets can make a triangle. But can Albert make anything but trouble? Every Mouse Math title includes back matter activities that support and extend reading comprehension and math skills, plus free online activities. (Math concept: 2D Shapes)
£8.91
Astra Publishing House Albert's BIGGER Than Big Idea
Each read-aloud book in the Mouse Math series focuses on a single, basic math concept and features adorable mice, Albert and Wanda, who live in a People House. Entertaining fiction stories capture kids’ imaginations as the mice learn about numbers, shapes, sizes and more. Over 3 million copies sold worldwide!Albert, Wanda, and Cousin Pete are sneaking into the People Kitchen for food. Albert is the smallest mouse, so he gets the smallest bag . . . and the smallest piece of fruit. But Albert dreams of bagging the biggest piece of fruit in the whole kitchen . . . if only he can avoid the cat! Every Mouse Math title includes back matter activities that support and extend reading comprehension and math skills, plus free online activities. (Math Concept: Comparing Sizes: Big, Bigger, Biggest; Small, Smaller, Smallest)
£8.90
Astra Publishing House Tessa Tiger's Temper Tantrums
Tessa Tiger likes to play sports—but NOT when she loses. She stomps and storms until her friends don’t want to play with her anymore. Can Tessa change her attitude and make T-ball fun again—for everyone?
£8.85
Astra Publishing House Quentin Quokka's Quick Questions
Quentin Quokka has lots of questions! Quick questions, quiet questions—always more questions! On a string of field trips, Quentin discovers that sometimes it’s good to be quiet . . . and sometimes it’s good to ask questions!
£8.85
Astra Publishing House The Case of the Missing Moose (Book 6)
The Milo & Jazz Mysteries stars two kid detectives-in-training who use STEM problem-solving skills as they race to unravel cases and save the day! Perfect for fans of Encyclopedia Brown, Cam Jansen and Nate the Great. Milo’s team is losing the camp Color War. But their awesome moose mascot could help them pull off a win. That is, until it mysteriously disappears. Can Milo and Jazz crack the case? This ideal series for beginning readers making the transition to chapter books has incredible Super Sleuthing activities in each book, including hidden pictures, puzzles, mini-mysteries, and quizzes—plus free online activities.
£8.21
Astra Publishing House The Case of the July 4th Jinx (Book 5)
The Milo & Jazz Mysteries stars two kid detectives-in-training who use STEM problem-solving skills as they race to unravel cases and save the day! Perfect for fans of Encyclopedia Brown, Cam Jansen and Nate the Great.It's the Fourth of July! There are fireworks, parades, pies, games... and a jinx? When everything at the fair starts going wrong, detectives-in-training Milo and Jazz must find out -- is it really a jinx? Or is it sabotage? This ideal series for beginning readers making the transition to chapter books has incredible Super Sleuthing activities in each book, including hidden pictures, puzzles, mini-mysteries, and quizzes—plus free online activities.
£8.21
Astra Publishing House Alexander Anteater's Amazing Act
Get to know Alpha Betty’s class in the award-winning, 26-book alphabet series ANIMAL ANTICS A TO Z! From Alexander Anteater to Zachary Zebra, it’s one adventure after another. Zip along with these zany characters as they find new friends, test their talents, and have a rip-roaring good time! Alexander wants to have an amazing act for the talent show. He can already stand on his hands—but can his pals help make his act even more fantastic? This series is a perfect read-aloud choice to help kids discover the joy of letter sounds and give them the phonics building blocks they need for reading success. With delightful illustrations by Paddington Bear illustrator R.W. Alley, ANIMAL ANTICS A TO Z is an excellent resource for parents and educators alike. Activities in each book plus free activities online add to the fun.
£8.85
Astra Publishing House The Case of the Poisoned Pig (Book 2)
The Milo & Jazz Mysteries stars two kid detectives-in-training who use STEM problem-solving skills as they race to unravel cases and save the day! Perfect for fans of Encyclopedia Brown, Cam Jansen and Nate the Great. Who would want to harm an adorable pet piglet? Milo and Jazz have to find out the identity of the mysterious pig poisoner. And there’s no time to lose! This ideal series for beginning readers making the transition to chapter books has incredible Super Sleuthing activities in each book, including hidden pictures, puzzles, mini-mysteries, and quizzes—plus free online activities.
£8.21
Astra Publishing House Been to Yesterdays: Poems of a Life
Growing up in the 1950s, young Lee Bennett Hopkins faced the painful events of his parents' divorce, an unstable homelife, and a hand-to-mouth existence. Through it all, he clung to the memory of his beloved grandmother and his hope of becoming a writer. In these emotionally charged autobiographical poems, the author captures a boy's feelings, experiences, and aspirations in the tumultuous period of his life.
£9.50
Astra Publishing House Wanda's Roses
When Wanda discovers a thornbush growing in an empty lot, she's quite sure it's a rosebush ready to bloom. So she clears away the trash, checks on it every day, and brings water from the butcher shop across the street. But no roses appear. Wanda's neighbors and friends are all doubtful, but when she invites them to a tea party in her "rose garden" one day in June, they're in for a big surprise. Pat Brisson's warm-hearted story and Maryann Cocca-Leffler's vibrant illustrations make this book about a child's simple faith one that children will long remember.
£9.56
Astra Publishing House I Never Said I Wasn't Difficult
In these four collections of verse (The Dog Ate My Homework, I Never Said I Wasn't Difficult, Am I Naturally This Crazy? and Which Way to the Dragon!), Sara Holbrook deals honestly with issues facing adolescents: school, divorce, anger, violence, love, friendship, and self-esteem. Through her straight-talk style, Holbrook captures the joys, pains, and attitudes that preteens and teenagers feel and provides a message of understanding that readers will appreciate.
£8.20
Astra Publishing House Baseball, Snakes, and Summer Squash: Poems About Growing Up
This unsentimental and ambitious collection of poems by Donald Graves chronicles the American childhood of a boy as he moves with his family to a house in the country, and the changes the boy experiences in that year. From formidable lessons learned from a bully, and facing parents after breaking curfew with his brother, to math woes and misadventures with his independent Scottish terrier, Rags, the poet's convincing voice gives the reader a generous, spirited perspective of growing up. Black-and-white illustrations add an appealing visual element to this coming-of-age collection.
£9.37
Astra Publishing House Shadow Speaker: The Desert Magician's Duology: Book One
Amazon Editor's Pick, Best SFF September 2023 • The Strand, Science Fiction Pick of the Month October 2023Deluxe, expanded edition of an out-of-print early novel from Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor, with a brand-new introduction from the author.Niger, West Africa, 2074 It is an era of tainted technology and mysterious mysticism. A great change has happened all over the planet, and the laws of physics aren’t what they used to be. Within all this, I introduce you to Ejii Ugabe, a child of the worst type of politician. Back when she was nine years old, she was there as her father met his end. Don’t waste your tears on him: this girl’s father would throw anyone under a bus to gain power. He was a cruel, cruel man, but even so, Ejii did not rejoice at his departure from the world. Children are still learning that some people don’t deserve their love. Now 15 years old and manifesting the abilities given to her by the strange Earth, Ejii decides to go after the killer of her father. Is it for revenge or something else? You will have to find out by reading this book. I am the Desert Magician, and this is a novel I have conjured for you, so I’m certainly not going to just tell you here.
£20.91
Astra Publishing House Nightwatch over Windscar
Set in the universe of Rory Thorne, the second book in this sci-fi series follows unlikely allies who must discover the secrets of ancient ruins. Iari is good at killing monsters. As a templar in the Aedis, a multi-species religious organization committed to protecting the Confederation, eliminating extra-dimensional horrors is her job. But after she helped stop separatists from sabotaging the entire Confederation, she discovered a new sort of monster: the rogue-arithmancer, political kind. Promoted and sent north to the tundra of Windscar, Iari leads a team of templars to investigate ancient, subterranean ruins, which local legend claims are haunted, and which have mysterious connections to the dangerous arithmancy used by the wichu separatists. Iari isn’t worried about ghosts. She’s worried about surviving separatists and a fresh attempt to upend the Confederation. Included in Iari’s team are Char, a decommissioned battle-mecha and newly-joined templar, and Gaer, ostensible ambassador and talented arithmancer. As they delve into the ruins, they find remnants of long-ago battles, bits of broken armor and mechas—which unexpectedly reanimate and attack. It seems there is still dangerous arithmancy in Windscar—but the source isn’t who Iari expected, and they’re far worse than the separatists....
£22.20
Astra Publishing House Seven Devils
This first book in a feminist space opera duology follows seven resistance fighters who will free the galaxy from the ruthless Tholosian Empire--or die trying.When Eris faked her death, she thought she had left her old life as the heir to the galaxy's most ruthless empire behind. But her recruitment by the Novantaen Resistance, an organization opposed to the empire's voracious expansion, throws her right back into the fray. Eris has been assigned a new mission: to infiltrate a spaceship ferrying deadly cargo and return the intelligence gathered to the Resistance. But her partner for the mission, mechanic and hotshot pilot Cloelia, bears an old grudge against Eris, making an already difficult infiltration even more complicated. When they find the ship, they discover more than they bargained for: three fugitives with firsthand knowledge of the corrupt empire's inner workings. Together, these women possess the knowledge and capabilities to bring the empire to its knees. But the clock is ticking: the new heir to the empire plans to disrupt a peace summit with the only remaining alien empire, ensuring the empire’s continued expansion. If they can find a way to stop him, they will save the galaxy. If they can't, millions may die.
£15.61
Astra Publishing House Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon
A Washington Post top 10 best science fiction and fantasy book of 2023"A heist caper with sex, violence, and superpowers popping off every technicolor page." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)"Defiantly ambitious...an action-packed thrill ride." —The Washington PostA mythic tale of disgruntled gods, revenge, and a heist across two worlds, perfect for fans of Nnedi Okorafor, Neil Gaiman, Marlon James, and Karen LordShigidi is a disgruntled and demotivated nightmare god in the Orisha spirit company, reluctantly answering prayers of his few remaining believers to maintain his existence long enough to find his next drink. When he meets Nneoma, a sort-of succubus with a long and secretive past, everything changes for him.Together, they attempt to break free of his obligations and the restrictions that have bound him to his godhood and navigate the parameters of their new relationship in the shadow of her past. But the elder gods that run the Orisha spirit company have other plans for Shigidi, and they are not all aligned—or good.From the boisterous streets of Lagos to the swanky rooftop bars of Singapore and the secret spaces of London, Shigidi and Nneoma will encounter old acquaintances, rival gods, strange creatures, and manipulative magicians as they are drawn into a web of revenge, spirit business, and a spectacular heist across two worlds that will change Shigidi’s understanding of himself forever and determine the fate of the Orisha spirit company.
£21.18
Astra Publishing House Braking Day
On a generation ship bound for a distant star, one engineer-in-training must discover the secrets at the heart of the voyage in this new sci-fi novel. It's been over a century since three generation ships escaped an Earth dominated by artificial intelligence in pursuit of a life on a distant planet orbiting Tau Ceti. Now, it’s nearly Braking Day, when the ships will begin their long-awaited descent to their new home. Born on the lower decks of the Archimedes, Ravi Macleod is an engineer-in-training, set to be the first of his family to become an officer in the stratified hierarchy aboard the ship. While on a routine inspection, Ravi sees the impossible: a young woman floating, helmetless, out in space. And he’s the only one who can see her. As his visions of the girl grow more frequent, Ravi is faced with a choice: secure his family’s place among the elite members of Archimedes’ crew or risk it all by pursuing the mystery of the floating girl. With the help of his cousin, Boz, and her illegally constructed AI, Ravi must investigate the source of these strange visions and uncovers the truth of the Archimedes’ departure from Earth before Braking Day arrives and changes everything about life as they know it.
£21.59
Astra Publishing House Outcasts of the Wildwood
This second novel of a historical fantasy series that reexamines the Robin Hood legend in medieval England.Nick, an orphan raised at Locksley Abbey has made friends with the Wildfolk: the Greenman, Robin Goodfellow, dryads, water sprites, and other paranormal creatures. He often hides in the nearly forgotten abbey crypt, where he found Elena, the goddess of sorcery, crossroads, and cemeteries. He carries her vessel and tries to learn from her wisdom. Robin Goodfellow lives with a curse. Half of each day he must spend as a hideous gnome with a bit of magic and near immortality. The other half of the day he can live as Robin Hood, archer of legend. At the time of his curse sixty years before, an insane magician trapped Robin’s love, Marian in a secret chamber that keeps her in perpetual sleep. The only way Robin can break the curse is to awaken Marian in his gnome form and have her recognize his true face. But the magic is breaking down. Marian will die if Robin doesn’t break the curse soon. He needs Nick’s help, his affinity for dark underground places, and Elena’s whispers to find Marian’s secret chamber and decipher the clues to breaking the curse.
£14.54
Astra Publishing House The Forever Sea
Now in paperback, the first book in a new environmental epic fantasy series set in a world where ships kept afloat by magic sail an endless grass sea.On the never-ending, miles-high expanse of prairie grasses known as the Forever Sea, Kindred Greyreach, hearthfire keeper and sailor aboard harvesting vessel The Errant, is just beginning to fit in with the crew of her new ship when she receives devastating news. Her grandmother—The Marchess, legendary captain and hearthfire keeper—has stepped from her vessel and disappeared into the sea.But the note she leaves Kindred suggests this was not an act of suicide. Something waits in the depths, and the Marchess has set out to find it.To follow in her grandmother’s footsteps, Kindred must embroil herself in conflicts bigger than she could imagine: a water war simmering below the surface of two cultures; the politics of a mythic pirate city floating beyond the edges of safe seas; battles against beasts of the deep, driven to the brink of madness; and the elusive promise of a world below the waves. Kindred finds that she will sacrifice almost everything—ship, crew, and a life sailing in the sun—to discover the truth of the darkness that waits below the Forever Sea.
£16.00
Astra Publishing House Mazes of Power
Now in trade paperback, this debut work of sociological science fiction follows a deadly battle for succession, where brother is pitted against brother in a singular chance to win power and influence for their family.The cavern city of Pelismara has stood for a thousand years. The Great Families of the nobility cling to the myths of their golden age while the city's technology wanes.When a fever strikes, and the Eminence dies, seventeen-year-old Tagaret is pushed to represent his Family in the competition for Heir to the Throne. To win would give him the power to rescue his mother from his abusive father, and marry the girl he loves. But the struggle for power distorts everything in this highly stratified society, and the fever is still loose among the inbred, susceptible nobles. Tagaret's sociopathic younger brother, Nekantor, is obsessed with their family's success. Nekantor is willing to exploit Tagaret, his mother, and her new servant Aloran to defeat their opponents.Can he be stopped? Should he be stopped? And will they recognize themselves after the struggle has changed them?
£14.96
Astra Publishing House Who Fears Death
Now optioned as a TV series for HBO, with executive producer George R. R. Martin!An award-winning literary author enters the world of magical realism with her World Fantasy Award-winning novel of a remarkable woman in post-apocalyptic Africa. In a post-apocalyptic Africa, the world has changed in many ways; yet in one region genocide between tribes still bloodies the land. A woman who has survived the annihilation of her village and a terrible rape by an enemy general wanders into the desert, hoping to die. Instead, she gives birth to an angry baby girl with hair and skin the color of sand. Gripped by the certainty that her daughter is different—special—she names her Onyesonwu, which means "Who fears death?" in an ancient language. It doesn't take long for Onye to understand that she is physically and socially marked by the circumstances of her conception. She is Ewu—a child of rape who is expected to live a life of violence, a half-breed rejected by her community. But Onye is not the average Ewu. Even as a child, she manifests the beginnings of a remarkable and unique magic. As she grows, so do her abilities, and during an inadvertent visit to the spirit realm, she learns something terrifying: someone powerful is trying to kill her.Desperate to elude her would-be murderer and to understand her own nature, she embarks on a journey in which she grapples with nature, tradition, history, true love, and the spiritual mysteries of her culture, and ultimately learns why she was given the name she bears: Who Fears Death.
£15.52
Astra Publishing House The New Improved Sorceress
The second book in this contemporary fantasy series returns to the life of Tessa Andrews as she balances the magical and mundane worlds.Tessa didn't believe in magic, but magic believed in her, and that started a fight for her life.An ancient artifact known as a maelstrom stone has embedded itself in her left palm. It thrives on chaos, which describes her new life perfectly. She battles to find a balance between the ordinary world and the magical one, all while freeing her father from his ghostly state, helping a phoenix wizard restore his rejuvenation ritual, and retrieving the stolen Eye of Nimora for the Broadstone clan. Tessa must also help her mother navigate the rocky road of academia and single motherhood finances, fall in love herself, and steer her college teammates to a divisional championship. She needs friends, both ordinary and magical, by her side.Then a strange and forbidding book of the Dark Arts strikes her with actual power...and Tessa realizes more than ever that there is no I in team--unless it's the one in new, improved sorceress.
£9.29
Astra Publishing House Hella
A master of science fiction introduces a world where everything is large and the problems of survival even larger in this exciting new novel.Hella is a planet where everything is oversized—especially the ambitions of the colonists. The trees are mile-high, the dinosaur herds are huge, and the weather is extreme—so extreme, the colonists have to migrate twice a year to escape the blistering heat of summer and the atmosphere-freezing cold of winter. Kyle is a neuro-atypical young man, emotionally challenged, but with an implant that gives him real-time access to the colony's computer network, making him a very misunderstood savant. When an overburdened starship arrives, he becomes the link between the established colonists and the refugees from a ravaged Earth. The Hella colony is barely self-sufficient. Can it stand the strain of a thousand new arrivals, bringing with them the same kinds of problems they thought they were fleeing? Despite the dangers to himself and his family, Kyle is in the middle of everything—in possession of the most dangerous secret of all. Will he be caught in a growing political conspiracy? Will his reawakened emotions overwhelm his rationality? Or will he be able to use his unique ability to prevent disaster?
£15.00
Astra Publishing House Empire of Grass
Set in Williams' New York Times bestselling fantasy world, the second book of The Last King of Osten Ard returns to the trials of King Simon and Queen Miriamele as threats to their kingdom loom...The kingdoms of Osten Ard have been at peace for decades, but now, the threat of a new war grows to nightmarish proportions.Simon and Miriamele, royal husband and wife, face danger from every side. Their allies in Hernystir have made a pact with the dreadful Queen of the Norns to allow her armies to cross into mortal lands. The ancient, powerful nation of Nabban is on the verge of bloody civil war, and the fierce nomads of the Thrithings grasslands have begun to mobilize, united by superstitious fervor and their age-old hatred of the city-dwellers. But as the countries and peoples of the High Ward bicker among themselves, battle, bloodshed, and dark magics threaten to pull civilizations to pieces. And over it all looms the mystery of the Witchwood Crown, the deadly puzzle that Simon, Miriamele, and their allies must solve if they wish to survive.But as the kingdoms of Osten Ard are torn apart by fear and greed, a few individuals will fight for their own lives and destinies—not yet aware that the survival of everything depends on them.
£21.72
Astra Publishing House Alliance Rising
SFWA Grand Master C. J. Cherryh and Jane S. Fancher return to the Hugo-award winning Alliance-Union Universe with a thrilling entry in her far-reaching sci-fi saga.For years, the stations of the Hinder Stars, those old stations closest to Sol, have lagged behind the great megastations of the Beyond, like Pell and Cyteen. But new opportunities and fears arise when Alpha station, the oldest of them all, receives news of a huge incoming faster-than-light ship with no identification. The denizens of Alpha wait anxiously for news about the outsiders, each with their own suspicions about the ship and its motivations. Ross and Fallan, crew members of the Galway, believe the unidentified ship belongs to Pell and has come to investigate another massive ship docked at Alpha, The Rights of Man. Though Rights is under the command of the Earth Company, it is not quite perfected—and its true purpose is shrouded in mystery. James Robert Neihart, the captain of the strange ship—finally identified as one of the two largest ships of the Beyond, the Merchanter vessel Finity's End—has heard whispers of The Rights of Man and wonders at its design and purpose, especially as Sol has struggled to rival the progress of the Farther Stars. Now docked at Alpha, he must convince the crews that there is more to The Rights of Man than meets the eye. Because the reasons behind the creation of The Rights of Man, and its true plans, could change everything—not just for Sol, but for the Hinder Stars and the Beyond itself.
£15.47
Astra Publishing House The Dream Gatherer
Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the New York Times bestselling Green Rider series, this short volume introduces readers to new sides of Sacoridia in two new short stories and a novella.The book includes illustrations and backstory on the creation of Green Rider by the author, and a special introduction by award-winning science fiction and fantasy author, Julie E. Czerneda.In The Dream Gatherer, Kristen Britain presents a novella and two short stories set in the universe of her best selling Green Rider series in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the publication of her first novel, Green Rider.The Dream GathererDreams can be dangerous. A visit with the eccentric Berry sisters turns dangerous when an arcane device is discovered in their house that can summon dreamers through their dreams, and one of them is a nightmare.WishwindFinding peace during the Long War. Raised in an orphan camp, Green Rider Danalong has known only war and strife, until a shipwreck leaves him stranded on a mysterious island.Linked, on the Lake of SoulsA story of friendship within a story of friendship. In the sixth volume of the Green Rider series, Firebrand, a wounded Karigan G'ladheon asks her friend Estral to tell her a story to take her mind off her pain. This is that story.
£11.95
Astra Publishing House Unreconciled
The fourth book in the thrilling Donovan sci-fi series returns to a treacherous alien planet where corporate threats and dangerous creatures imperil the lives of the colonists.Where does one put a messianic cult of practicing cannibals? That becomes the question when Ashanti appears in Donovan's skies. She was designed for no more than four years in space. It's taken ten. The crew has sealed the transportees onto a single deck--and over the years, the few survivors down there have become monsters. Led by the messiah, Batuhan, they call themselves the Unreconciled.Supervisor Kalico Aguila settles them at remote Tyson Station. With the discovery of a wasting disease among the Unreconciled, it's up to Kalico, Dya Simonov, and Mark Talbot to try and deal with the epidemic. Only Batuhan has plans of his own--and Kalico and her people are to be the main course. Talina Perez has brokered an uneasy truce with the quetzal molecules that float in her blood. Now, she, young Kylee Simonov, a quetzal named Flute, and a clueless nobleman named Taglioni rush to save Kalico's vanished party. But as always, Donovan is playing its own deadly game. Lurking in the forest outside Tyson Base is an old and previously unknown terror that even quetzals fear. And it has already begun to hunt.
£21.83
Astra Publishing House Unreconciled
Now in paperback, the fourth book in the thrilling Donovan sci-fi series returns to a treacherous alien planet where corporate threats and dangerous creatures imperil the lives of the colonists.Where does one put a messianic cult of practicing cannibals? That becomes the question when Ashanti appears in Donovan's skies. She was designed for no more than four years in space. It's taken ten. The crew has sealed the transportees onto a single deck--and over the years, the few survivors down there have become monsters. Led by the messiah, Batuhan, they call themselves the Unreconciled.Supervisor Kalico Aguila settles them at remote Tyson Station. With the discovery of a wasting disease among the Unreconciled, it's up to Kalico, Dya Simonov, and Mark Talbot to try and deal with the epidemic. Only Batuhan has plans of his own--and Kalico and her people are to be the main course. Talina Perez has brokered an uneasy truce with the quetzal molecules that float in her blood. Now, she, young Kylee Simonov, a quetzal named Flute, and a clueless nobleman named Taglioni rush to save Kalico's vanished party. But as always, Donovan is playing its own deadly game. Lurking in the forest outside Tyson Base is an old and previously unknown terror that even quetzals fear. And it has already begun to hunt.
£10.02
Astra Publishing House Mirage
The second book in the Web Shifter's Library series returns to the adventures of Esen, a shapeshifting alien who must navigate the perils of a hostile universe.Relationships get complicated when you don’t know who—or what—you really are. Esen must find a way to rescue a hapless group of chimeras, beings who are a new and unique blend of species she knows, when she can’t become one herself. When Evan Gooseberry tries to help, he is shattered to learn he himself isn’t entirely Human and begins to suspect his new friend Esen isn’t what she seems.Complicating matters, a mysterious contagion has killed the crew of the ship that brought the chimeras—and Evan—to Botharis. Everyone’s been quarantined inside the All Species’ Library of Linguistics and Culture, including over a hundred disgruntled alien scholars. The risks climb as Skalet and Lionel continue their quest to solve the disappearance of Paul’s mother’s ship, the Sidereal Pathfinder, only to find themselves caught in a tangle of loyalties as Skalet is betrayed by her own Kraal affiliates, who infiltrate the Library.All of which would be quite enough for one Web-being’s day, but Paul Ragem hopes to rekindle the romance of his first love. A shame Esen hasn’t told him who’s hiding in their greenhouse.
£21.28
Astra Publishing House The Scavenger Door
From a Hugo Award-winning author comes the third book in this action-packed sci-fi caper, starring Fergus Ferguson, interstellar repo man and professional finder.Fergus is back on Earth at last, trying to figure out how to live a normal life. However, it seems the universe has other plans for him. When his cousin sends him off to help out a friend, Fergus accidently stumbles across a piece of an ancient alien artifact that some very powerful people seem to think means the entire solar system is in danger. And since he's the one who found it, they’re certain it’s also his problem to deal with. With the help of his newfound sister, friends both old and new, and some enemies, too, Fergus needs to find the rest of the artifact and destroy the pieces before anyone can reassemble the original and open a multidimensional door between Earth and a vast, implacable, alien swarm. Problem is, the pieces could be anywhere on Earth, and he’s not the only one out searching.
£21.62
Astra Publishing House Finder
From Hugo Award-winning debut author Suzanne Palmer comes an action-packed sci-fi caper starring Fergus Ferguson, interstellar repo man and professional finder Fergus Ferguson has been called a lot of names: thief, con artist, repo man. He prefers the term finder. His latest job should be simple. Find the spacecraft Venetia's Sword and steal it back from Arum Gilger, ex-nobleman turned power-hungry trade boss. He’ll slip in, decode the ship’s compromised AI security, and get out of town, Sword in hand. Fergus locates both Gilger and the ship in the farthest corner of human-inhabited space, a backwater deep space colony called Cernee. But Fergus’ arrival at the colony is anything but simple. A cable car explosion launches Cernee into civil war, and Fergus must ally with Gilger’s enemies to navigate a field of space mines and a small army of hostile mercenaries. What was supposed to be a routine job evolves into negotiating a power struggle between factions. Even worse, Fergus has become increasingly—and inconveniently—invested in the lives of the locals. It doesn’t help that a dangerous alien species Fergus thought mythical prove unsettlingly real, and their ominous triangle ships keep following him around. Foolhardy. Eccentric. Reckless. Whatever he’s called, Fergus will need all the help he can get to take back the Sword and maybe save Cernee from destruction in the process.
£20.71