Search results for ""Author John Scalzi""

Locus and Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi brings us a turbo-charged tale of a family business with a difference - as Charlie discovers when he inherits it. This one comes with a hidden headquarters, minions, talking cats and James Bond-like supervillain rivals.'Starter Villain establishes Scalzi as SF's leading humourist' - SFXWarning: supervillain in training. Risk of world domination.Inheriting his late uncle’s business proves complicated. It’s also way more dangerous than Charlie could ever have imagined. Because his uncle had kept his supervillain status a secret – until now.Divorced and emotionally dependent on his cat, Charlie wasn’t loving life. Although they weren’t close, news of his Uncle Jake's death didn’t help. And that was before Jake’s rivals (seriously vengeful ones) ambushed his funeral. Now Charlie must decide if he should stay stuck in his rut, or step up to take on the business, the enemies, the minions, the hidden volcano lair . . .Even harder to get used to are the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats – and the fact that in the organization’s hierarchy, they’re management. If Charlie does say yes, this lifeline could become a death wish. Because there’s much more to being an Evil Mastermind than he suspected. Yet could this also, finally, be his chance to shine?Praise for John Scalzi:‘Hugely enjoyable, intelligent and good-humoured fun’ - The Guardian‘Sheer geeky pleasure from start to finish’ - Financial Times‘An escapist delight’ - The Times

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First-Person Singularities, stories by science fiction Grand Master Robert Silverberg, features eighteen tales written over the course of his forty-year career, all told in the first-person singular. Inspired by W. Somerset Maugham’s Six Stories Written in the First Person Singular, a fiercely realist collection from the 1930s, Silverberg takes on the challenge, offering up his own unique sci-fi twist and “running the gambit of singularity.” Every story in First-Person Singularities offers a one-of-a-kind narrator: a dolphin feeling the pangs of love for a human being; a computer eager to convince us of its sanity; a Greek god who has surreptitiously survived into modern times; an alien visitor living in disguise in a New York City hotel. Even a pudgy, timid Henry James gets the Silverberg treatment as the witness/narrator of H.G. Wells’s The War of the Worlds! Each story features a special introduction by Silverberg himself, providing the inside scoop on his experience writing for and publishing with the greatest science fiction magazines of the past and present. First-Person Singularities includes an introduction by Hugo-award winning sci-fi author John Scalzi (Redshirts). Robert Silverberg is one of the giants of the sci-fi genre, with four Hugo Awards and six Nebula Awards to his name. He was inducted into the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1999 and named a Grand Master by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America in 2005.

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Locus and Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi brings us a turbo-charged tale of a family business with a difference - as Charlie discovers when he inherits it. This one comes with a hidden headquarters, minions, talking cats and James Bond-like supervillain rivals.'Starter Villain establishes Scalzi as SF's leading humourist' - SFXWarning: supervillain in training. Risk of world domination.Inheriting his late uncle’s business proves complicated. It’s also way more dangerous than Charlie could ever have imagined. Because his uncle had kept his supervillain status a secret – until now.Divorced and emotionally dependent on his cat, Charlie wasn’t loving life. Although they weren’t close, news of his Uncle Jake's death didn’t help. And that was before Jake’s rivals (seriously vengeful ones) ambushed his funeral. Now Charlie must decide if he should stay stuck in his rut, or step up to take on the business, the enemies, the minions, the hidden volcano lair . . .Even harder to get used to are the sentient, language-using, computer-savvy cats – and the fact that in the organization’s hierarchy, they’re management. If Charlie does say yes, this lifeline could become a death wish. Because there’s much more to being an Evil Mastermind than he suspected. Yet could this also, finally, be his chance to shine?Praise for John Scalzi:‘Hugely enjoyable, intelligent and good-humoured fun’ - The Guardian‘Sheer geeky pleasure from start to finish’ - Financial Times‘An escapist delight’ - The Times

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From New York Times bestseller and Hugo Award-winner John Scalzi, The Android’s Dream is a wild-and-woolly caper novel of interstellar diplomacy.‘The Android’s Dream is just the right gene-splicing of fast action and furious comedy SF has been needing for ages’ – SFF180When a human kills an alien during diplomatic negotiations, the fall-out is astronomical. To prevent interstellar war, humanity must deliver an extremely rare sheep for the aliens’ coronation ceremony – or face enslavement. So Earth’s government turns to Harry Creek: ex-cop, war hero and hacker extraordinaire.It should be a straightforward mission, but there are others who covet the priceless animal. Ruthless mercenaries, a religious cult, and alien races eager to spark revolution. Harry’s mission will take him across the galaxy, as he tries to pull off the grand diplomatic coup of the century. There’ll only be one chance to save the life of the sheep – and ensure the future of humanity.Praise for John Scalzi:‘John Scalzi is the most entertaining, accessible writer working in SF today’ – Joe Hill‘Scalzi is one of the slickest writers that SF has ever produced’ – Wall Street Journal

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The universe is a hostile place in John Scalzi's The End of All Things the sixth in The Old Man's War series.Our fate is in their hands . . . The Colonial Union's Defence Force was formed to save humanity when aggressive alien species targeted our worlds. Now Lieutenant Harry Wilson has an urgent new mission, as a hostile universe becomes ever more dangerous. He must investigate a sinister group, which lurks in the darkness of space playing different factions against one another. They'll target both humans and aliens, and their motives are unfathomable.The Defence Force itself is weakening as its soldiers fall – without recruits to replace them. Relations with Earth have broken down and it will send no more troops, even as human colonies become increasingly vulnerable to alien attack.Lieutenant Wilson and Colonial Union diplomats must race to keep the peace, seek reconciliation with an enraged Earth, and maintain humanity's unity at all costs. If they don't, it will mean oblivion, extinction and the end of all things.

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Fifteen years from now, a new virus sweeps the globe. 95% of those afflicted experience nothing worse than fever and headaches. 4% suffer acute meningitis, creating the largest medical crisis in history. And 1% find themselves 'locked in' - fully awake and aware, but unable to move or respond to stimulus.1% doesn't seem like a lot. But in the US that's 1.7 million people 'locked in' ... including the President's wife and daughter.Spurred by grief and the sheer magnitude of the suffering, America undertakes a massive scientific initiative. Nothing can fully restore the locked in. But then two new technologies emerge. One is a virtual-reality environment, 'The Agora', where the locked-in can interact with other humans, whether locked-in ornot. The other is the discovery that a few rare individuals have brains that are receptive to being controlled by others, allowing those who are locked in to occasionally 'ride' these people and use their bodies as if they were their own.This skill is quickly regulated, licensed, bonded, and controlled. Nothing can go wrong. Certainly nobody would be tempted to misuse it, for murder, for political power, or worse ...

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La Interdependencia, el imperio interestelar de la humanidad, está al borde de la desintegración. El conducto extradimensional que permite viajar entre los astros está desapareciendo, lo que dejaría desamparados sistemas enteros y civilizaciones humanas.La emperox Grayland II de la Interdependencia está preparada para tomar medidas desesperadas que contribuyan a garantizar la supervivencia de miles de millones de personas. Pero a su alrededor hay quienes consideran que la desaparición del Flujo es una leyenda? o por lo menos una oportunidad para hacerse con el poder.Mientras Grayland se prepara para el desastre, otros lo hacen para una guerra civil. Una guerra que se desarrollará tanto en los salones del poder, los mercados donde se llevan a cabo los negocios y los altares de adoración como entre naves espaciales y en campos de batalla.La emperox y sus aliados son personas inteligentes y con recursos, pero lo mismo puede decirse de sus enemigos. La solución no será sencilla? y

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John Scalzi's Head On, is a chilling near-future SF with the thrills of a gritty cop procedural. Head On brings Scalzi's trademark snappy dialogue and technological speculation to the future world of sports.To some left with nothing, winning becomes everything . . . In a post-virus world, a daring sport is taking the US by storm. It’s frenetic, violent and involves teams attacking one another with swords and hammers. The aim: to obtain your opponent’s head and carry it through the goalposts. Impossible? Not if the players have Haden’s Syndrome. Unable to move, Haden’s sufferers use robot bodies, which they operate mentally. So in this sport anything goes, no one gets hurt – and crowds and competitors love it. Until a star athlete drops dead on the playing field. But is it an accident? FBI agents Chris Shane and Leslie Vann are determined to find out. In this game, fortunes can be made – or lost. And both players and owners will do whatever it takes to win, on and off the field.

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Shortlisted for the 2023 Hugo Award for Best NovelJurassic Park meets Parks & Recreation in The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi, a thrilling, fast-paced adventure set on an alternate Earth – perfect for fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky and Michel Crichton.‘John Scalzi is the most entertaining, accessible writer working in SF today’ – Joe Hill, author of The FiremanA Financial Times Book of the YearThey're big, they're bad and they're about to become extinct . . .Jamie’s dream was to hit the big time at a New York tech start-up. Jamie’s reality was a humiliating lay-off, then a low-wage job as a takeaway delivery driver. During a pandemic too. Things look beyond grim, until a chance delivery to an old acquaintance. Tom has an urgent vacancy on his team: the pay is great and Jamie has debts – it’s a no-brainer choice. Yet, once again, reality fails to match expectations. Only this time it could be fatal.It seems Tom’s ‘animal rights organization’ is way more than it appears. The animals aren’t even on Earth – or not our Earth, anyway. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures roam a tropical, human-free world. And although Kaiju are their universe’s largest and most dangerous animal, they need support to survive.Tom’s ‘Kaiju Preservation Society’ wants to help. However, others want to profit. Unless they’re stopped, the walls between our worlds could fall – and the consequences would be devastating.

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John Scalzi is one of the most popular and acclaimed SF authors of his generation. His debut, Old Man's War, won him science fiction's John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His New York Times bestsellers include The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation, Lock In, Redshirts, which won 2013's Hugo Award for Best Novel, The Last Emperox and The Kaiju Preservation Society. Material from his widely read blog Whatever has also earned him two other Hugo Awards. He lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter.

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From New York Times bestseller and Hugo Award-winner John Scalzi, Agent to the Stars is a brilliantly witty first-contact story unlike any other.Showbiz is about to go interstellarAs an ambitious young agent, Thomas Stein knows all about the art of the deal, even if his actors aren’t quite A-list material. But he’s about to receive some out-of-this-world clients – literally. The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to talk interstellar peace. One problem: they’re also hideous, and smell like rotting fish.For Stein, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become the hottest name in Hollywood. Or on the planet. Yet it’s one thing to land a client’s blockbuster film role – and quite another to negotiate for an entire alien race. He’ll need every ounce of his charm, wit and wiles. But even with these considerable talents, can he really give the Yherajk the makeover they need to shine on the world’s stage?Praise for John Scalzi:‘John Scalzi is the most entertaining, accessible writer working in SF today’ – Joe Hill‘Scalzi is one of the slickest writers that SF has ever produced’ – Wall Street Journal

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The universe is a dangerous place in John Scalzi's Old Man's War, the first in The Old Man's War series.At seventy-five years old, John Perry is after a fresh start – so, naturally, he joins the army. Earth's military machine can transform elderly recruits, restoring their lost youth. But in return, its Colonial Defence Force demands two years of hazardous service in space. This is how Perry finds himself in a new body, crafted from his original DNA. A genetically enhanced and upgraded new body, ready for battle.But upgrades alone won't keep Perry safe. He'll be fighting for his life on the front line as he defends humanity's colonies from hostile aliens. He'll pay the price for his choices, and he'll discover the universe is even more dangerous than he imagined.Continue the gripping space war series with The Ghost Brigades.

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From New York Times bestseller and Hugo Award-winner John Scalzi, comes Fuzzy Nation, an extraordinary retelling of the SF classic Little Fuzzy.They're small. They're fuzzy. They'll change his life.On the planet Zarathustra, Jack Holloway is about to strike it rich. A contractor for intergalactic behemoth ZaraCorp, he’s just discovered a mining seam worth billions. It would make the corporation a fortune, and set Jack up for life. Everyone wins – then he discovers the Fuzzies.Small, intelligent and cat-like, the Fuzzies are the cutest creatures this side of the galaxy. They’ve set up home in Jack’s cabin, and have become best friends with his dog. They’re also standing in the way of ZaraCorp’s profits. For the planet’s resources can only be exploited if it’s free of native sentients. ZaraCorp’s solution: to eliminate the Fuzzies for good. And they’ll permanently silence anyone who interferes – including Jack.Praise for John Scalzi:‘John Scalzi is the most entertaining, accessible writer working in SF today’ – Joe Hill‘Scalzi is one of the slickest writers that SF has ever produced’ – Wall Street Journal

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The Collapsing Empire is an exciting space opera from John Scalzi, the first in the award-winning Interdependency series.Does the biggest threat lie within?In the far future, humanity has left Earth to create a glorious empire. Now this interstellar network of worlds faces disaster – but can three individuals save their people?The empire's outposts are utterly dependent on each other for resources, a safeguard against war, and a way its rulers can exert control. This relies on extra-dimensional pathways between the stars, connecting worlds. But 'The Flow' is changing course, which could plunge every colony into fatal isolation.A scientist will risk his life to inform the empire's ruler. A scion of a Merchant House stumbles upon conspirators seeking power. And the new Empress of the Interdependency must battle lies, rebellion and treason. Yet as they work to save a civilization on the brink of collapse, others have very different plans . . .Continue the space adventure trilogy with The Consuming Fire.'Rousing storytelling and satisfying intrigue . . . an engaging, well-crafted sci-fi drama.' - SFX

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Hard-core military science fiction at its very best, John Scalzi's The Last Colony is the third in The Old Man's War series. They must save themselves – or die trying.John Perry was living peacefully on one of humanity's colonies – until he and his wife were offered an opportunity these ex-supersoldiers couldn't resist. To come out of retirement and lead a new frontier world.However, once on the planet, they discover they've been betrayed. For this colony is a pawn in an interstellar game of war and diplomacy. Humanity's Colonial Union has pitched itself against a new, seemingly unstoppable alien alliance, dedicated to ending all human colonization.As this contest rages above, Perry struggles to keep his terrified colonists alive on the surface below – despite dangerous interstellar politics, violence and treachery. And the planet has yet to reveal its own fatal secrets.Continue the gripping space war series with Zoe's Tale.

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La desaparición del Flujo, la vía interestelar que une los planetas de la Interdependencia, se ha acelerado. Sistemas estelares enteros, y miles de millones de personas, están quedando aislados del resto de la civilización humana. La ciencia había predicho esta desaparición? aun así, a pesar de que las pruebas son obvias e irrebatibles, son muchos los que en estos momentos finales de uno de los mayores imperios que ha conocido la humanidad todavía intentan restarle importancia, retrasar la búsqueda de una solución y beneficiarse del problema.La emperox Grayland II por fin ha logrado arrebatar las riendas de su imperio a sus oponentes y a todos los que niegan la realidad del Flujo. Pero ese control es frágil, y mientras Grayland lucha para salvar de un aislamiento fatal al mayor número posible de sus súbditos, las fuerzas que se oponen a ella emplean todos sus recursos para asestar un último y desesperado golpe con el fin de derrocarla. Grayland y su menguante lista de aliados tienen

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La física rige nuestro universo. Es imposible viajar a una velocidad mayor que la de la luz Hasta que se produce el descubrimiento del Flujo, un campo extradimensional que se encuentra en ciertos puntos del espacio-tiempo y que puede transportarnos a planetas de otros sistemas solares. A través del Flujo, la humanidad se expande a nuevos planetas. La Tierra cae en el olvido y se erige un nuevo imperio.

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Following the events of The Last Colony, John Scalzi tells the story of the fight to maintain the unity of the human race. The people of Earth now know that the human Colonial Union has kept them ignorant of the dangerous universe around them. For generations the CU had defended humanity against hostile aliens, deliberately keeping Earth an ignorant backwater and a source of military recruits. Now the CU's secrets are known to all. Other alien races have come on the scene and formed a new alliance--an alliance against the Colonial Union. And they've invited the people of Earth to join them. For a shaken and betrayed Earth, the choice isn't obvious or easy. Against such possibilities, managing the survival of the Colonial Union won't be easy, either. It will take diplomatic finesse, political cunning...and a brilliant "B Team", centered on the resourceful Lieutenant Harry Wilson, that can be deployed to deal with the unpredictable and unexpected things the universe throws at you when you're struggling to preserve the unity of the human race.

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The Last Emperox is the explosive conclusion to John Scalzi’s Interdependency series.Can they escape the end of an empire?Entire star systems, and billions of people, are about to be stranded. The pathways that link the stars are collapsing faster than anyone expected, accelerating the fall of civilization. But though the evidence is insurmountable, many are in denial. And some even attempt to profit from the final days of this golden age.Emperox Grayland II has wrested control of the empire from her enemies. But even as she works to save her people, others seek power. And they will make a final, desperate push to topple her from her throne. Grayland and her depleted allies must use every tool at their disposal to save themselves and humanity – yet it still may not be enough.Will Grayland become the saviour of her civilization . . . or the last emperox to wear the crown?

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The Consuming Fire by John Scalzi is the dazzling follow-up to The Collapsing Empire, the second in the Interdependency series – a space opera in a universe on the brink of destruction.The Interdependency, humanity’s interstellar empire, is on the verge of collapse. The Flow, the extra-dimensional pathway between the stars, is disappearing, leaving planets stranded. Billions of lives will be lost – unless desperate measures can be taken. Emperox Grayland II, the leader of the Interdependency, is ready to take those measures. But it’s not that easy. There are those who believe the collapse of the Flow is a myth – or an opportunity for them to ascend to power. While Grayland prepares for disaster, others prepare for civil war. A war that will take place in the halls of power, by the altars of worship and amongst the titans of industry as much as between spaceships. Nothing about this power struggle will be simple or easy . . . and all of human civilization is at stake.Continue the space adventure trilogy with The Last Emperox.

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The military science fiction sequel to his extraordinary Old Man's War, John Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades is the second in The Old Man's War series. Who can you trust, if you can't trust yourself?Three hostile alien races have united against humanity, determined to halt our expansion into space. The mastermind behind this lethal alliance is a traitor – Charles Boutin. He was a Colonial Defence Force scientist, with access to their biggest military secrets. Now the CDF's only hope is to discover Boutin's plan. Trouble is, Boutin's dead.As a super-soldier created from Boutin's own DNA, Jared Dirac may have answers. However, when Dirac fails to access the scientist's memories, he's transferred to the Ghost Brigades for training. These elite troops are also cloned from the dead, so he might fit in. But will Dirac's memory return as the enemy plots the fate of humankind? And whose side is Dirac really on?'A mix of Starship Troopers and Universal Soldier, Ghost evokes awakening, betrayal, and combat in the best military sci-fi tradition.' – Entertainment WeeklyContinue the gripping space war series with The Last Colony.

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Hard-core, fast paced science fiction, John Scalzi's Zoe's Tale is the fourth in The Old Man's War series. She won't go down without a fight.It's not every day you up sticks and move to another world. But then, Zoë Boutin-Perry's life has never been ordinary. She's the adopted teenage daughter of two former super-soldiers. She's also a holy icon to a race of alien warriors who track her every move. So she's used to the quirks of being a human in space.However, this time something's different. Betrayed by the authorities, Zoë – along with her parents and fellow colonists - finds herself stranded on a deadly pioneer planet. The Colonial Union has also set them up as a target for hostile alien action. Zoë must become a player (and a pawn) in an interstellar battle, which will determine the fate of humanity. Her father's side of this story was told in The Last Colony, but Zoe's Tale reveals a whole new dimension. It's a story you may think you know, but you don't really know it at all.Continue the gripping space war series with The Human Division.'John Scalzi is the most entertaining, accessible writer working in SF today' – Joe Hill, author of The Fireman

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Hard-core science fiction at its very best, John Scalzi's The Human Division is the fifth in The Old Man's War series. Lieutenant Harry Wilson has an impossible mission. He must help preserve the union of humanity's colonies, in the wake of a terrible revelation. For years the Colonial Union has protected its citizens from the dangerous universe around them. But the people of Earth now know the ugly truth. The Union deliberately kept Earth as an ignorant backwater – and as a source of recruits for its war against hostile aliens. Now, other alien races have formed a new alliance against the Union. And they've invited the incensed people of Earth to join them. Managing the Colonial Union's survival will take all the political cunning and finesse its diplomats can muster. And Harry and his team will be deployed to deal with the unexpected – for failure is unthinkable.Continue the gripping space war series with The End of All Things.

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'I can honestly say I can't think of another book that ever made me laugh this much. Ever' Patrick Rothfuss, New York Times bestselling author of The Name of the WindEnsign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It's a prestige posting, and Andrew is even more delighted when he's assigned to the ship's Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn't be better ... although there are a few strange things going on:(1) every Away Mission involves a lethal confrontation with alien forces(2) the ship's captain, the chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these encounters(3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed. Suddenly it's less surprising how much energy is expended below decks on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned an Away Mission. Andrew's fate may have been sealed ... until he stumbles on a piece of information that changes everything ... and offers him and his fellow redshirts a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives ...Readers are crying with laughter at Redshirts:'One of the best Star Trek novels without really being about Star Trek . . . a fine masterpiece of crafty reading' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'It's never a good thing to wear a red shirt in sci-fi . . . I am very impressed with how creative, funny and moving it is all at the same time. It pokes fun at cheesy sci-fi television while honouring it at the same time' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'It begins as a pretty funny, genre-aware, semi-parody of old school Star Trek . . . Slowly though, the flavour transitions into a more serious, meta-narrative quest' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Satirical without being mean or mocking, and it is extremely, laugh out loud funny. But rather than taking the easy way out, Mr Scalzi slowly takes the story in a very meta direction, but in doing so turns the story into something real and thought-provoking' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I fell in love with all of the characters, their plight, and the plot, all equally . . . What fantastic fun this book was!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'The story veers in unexpected directions and becomes about fate and creativity and love and the dialogue a creator has with their creations. It was so unexpected and brilliant. This really was a laugh and cry read for me. I loved it' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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