Tags:fiction

City of Spells (sequel to Into the Crooked Place)

City of Spells (sequel to Into the Crooked Place)

From the author of TO KILL A KINGDOM and INTO THE CROOKED PLACE comes the second in a spectacular fantasy duology, in a world thriving with black magic.Threats are like promises. Don't make ones you can't keep. With Wesley as their prisoner, Dante Ashwood and Zekia tear through the streets of Uskhanya, conquering cities at a time with their army of Crafters and enthralled citizens. As Wesley realises the truth of his power and Zekia tries to lure him to darkness, he must fight against the deadly magic that invades his mind and find a way back to his friends before it's too late.Meanwhile, as the cities fall, Tavia, Saxony and Karam prepare for a fight unlike any other. With tensions running high and battles at every turn, they must unite an army of Crafters, crooks and even politicians if they truly want to take down Ashwood once and for all.But things are never simple: with dark magic circling and old secrets clawing from the grave, the unlikely friends have to decide just how far they'll go to do what's right and if they're willing to sacrifice everything to win - including each other.

The Night Hunt

The Night Hunt

THE NEW DARK FANTASY ROMANCE NOVEL FROM ALEXANDRA CHRISTO, AUTHOR OF TIKTOK SENSATION, TO KILL A KINGDOM.Enter a world of gods, mortals and monsters . . .Atia is an immortal trickster who feeds on fear. As the last of her kind, she thinks herself safe from the wrath of the unpredictable Gods.Silas is a Herald, carrying messages and ferrying the dead as punishment from the Gods for a past crime he can't remember.Atia would never dream of working with a servant of the gods, but when she breaks a sacred law, Silas offers her a deal: he'll help her avenge her family and take on the Gods. In return, she must help him break the curse that binds him and restore his humanity. All they need to do is kill three powerful creatures: a vampire, a banshee and one of the very Gods who destroyed both their lives. Only together can they finally rewrite their destinies.Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas, Tricia Levenseller and Leigh Bardugo, this is a thrilling fast-paced fantasy with breath-taking romance.

Princess of Souls

Princess of Souls

From Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom, comes Princess of Souls, a Rapunzel-inspired YA fantasy romance about a teen witch groomed to steal souls for an immortal king and the reckless, rebellious boy to whom her fate is tied. For sixteen years, Selestra has been trapped in her tower on the Floating Mountain, preparing to take her mother’s place as the King's Witch, who foretells deaths in the Festival of Predictions. Outrunning your fate earns a wish and the chance to steal the King’s immortality. But die and your soul is forfeit. And though thousands have tried, nobody has ever beaten death.A soldier in the King's army, Nox is an unlikely candidate for the Festival, but, driven by revenge, he is determined to steal the King’s immortality and kill the entirety of his court, starting with Selestra.Yet when Selestra touches Nox in her very first prediction, their fates become entwined, and death seeks to take both their souls. Only by working together can they survive long enough to escape the dark fate and the immortal King that now hunts them.

The Night Hunt

The Night Hunt

From Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom, comes The Night Hunt, a dark fantasy romance about a monstrous girl who feeds on fear and the Gods-cursed boy who falls in love with her.Atia is a monster who feeds on fear. As the last of her kind, she hides in the shadows of the world to escape the wrath of the unpredictable Gods. Silas is a Herald, carrying messages and ferrying the dead as punishment for a past he can’t remember. Stripped of his true name, he yearns to recover his identity.Atia would never dream of allying with someone like him, but when she breaks a sacred law and the Gods send monsters to hunt her, Silas offers an irresistible deal: he’ll help avenge her family and take on the Gods who now hunt her, if she helps him break his curse and restore his humanity. All they need to do is kill three powerful creatures: a vampire, a banshee, and one of the very Gods who destroyed both their lives. Only together can they finally rewrite their destinies.

City of Spells

City of Spells

City of Spells, the follow-up to Alexandra Christo's gritty YA fantasy, Into the Crooked Place, finds the world on the brink of war and four unlikely allies facing sacrifices they had never imagined.After the loss of Wesley and the horrifying reveal that Zekia is helping the Kingpin of her own free will, Tavia, Saxony, and Karam flee to Saxony's home to rebuild their rebellion. Meanwhile, trapped in the Kingpin's darkness, Wesley must fight against the deadly magic that invades his mind and find a way back to his friends before it's too late.As the Kingpin's dark magic spreads and his army conquers Creije, these four unlikely friends have to decide just how far they’ll go—and how much they are willing to sacrifice—to win. Praise for Into the Crooked Place:"With its gangland details, creative magical caste system and surprisingly brutal characters, Into the Crooked Place is very much its own thing. And that thing will likely be a story you can’t put down." —Culturess

Penguin Readers Level 7: Originals (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers Level 7: Originals (ELT Graded Reader)

Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series. Please note that the eBook edition does NOT include access to the audio edition and digital book. Written for learners of English as a foreign language, each title includes carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises.Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content.The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary.Originals, a Level 7 Reader, is B2 in the CEFR framework. The longer text is made up of sentences with up to four clauses, introducing future perfect simple, mixed conditionals, past perfect continuous, mixed conditionals, more complex passive forms and modals for deduction in the past.Being an original thinker can change the world. Learn how to recognise a great idea, to speak up for yourself, to choose the right time to act, and to manage fear and doubt by standing out from the crowd.Visit the Penguin Readers websiteRegister to access online resources including tests, worksheets and answer keys. Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock a digital book and audio edition (not available with the eBook).

Leif and the Fall

Leif and the Fall

Persistence and creativity can lead to amazing things, as Leif the leaf discovers in this lovely storybook from Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Originals.Leif is a leaf. A worried leaf. It is autumn, and Leif is afraid to fall. "All leaves fall in the fall," say the other leaves. But Leif is determined to find a different way down, and with his friend Laurel, he uses the resources around him to create a net, a kite, a parachute in hopes of softening his landing. The clock is ticking, the wind is blowing. What will happen when a gust of wind pulls Leif from his branch?In a culture that prizes achievement, kids are often afraid to fail--failing to realize that some of the very ideas that don't work are steps along the path to ones that will.

The Gift Inside the Box

The Gift Inside the Box

Adam Grant, the bestselling author of Give and Take, teams with his wife, Allison, to share the lighthearted tale of a gift in search of a giver--a classic in the making and the perfect conversation starter about thoughtfulness.This delightful book--one of Amazon's 2019 Holiday Gift Picks and Most Anticipated Books--is designed to start conversations with kids about generosity. In the tradition of Goodnight Gorilla, the words are intentionally spare. The book is meant to be read interactively, with adults posing questions so kids can guess what's happening (and why). Praised by both parents and teachers for sparking imagination and eliciting discussion, the story can be interpreted differently in every family, by every child, and reinterpreted many times over. Give the gift of this clever, earnest book about generosity--a new and nourishing fable for every child's library (and one that includes a delightfully innovative cover approach that requires the reader to unfasten the Velcroed cover for a fun unboxing effect!). It's a gift that keeps on giving."Truly phenomenal . . . Kristen [Bell]'s favorite book we've read to the kids in a year." --Dax Shepard of the podcast "Armchair Expert"

Devoted in Death

Devoted in Death

It's a new year in New York city, and two star-crossed lovers have just discovered an insatiable appetite...for murder.Lieutenant Eve Dallas has witnessed some grisly crimes in her career and she knows just how dark things can get on the streets. But when a much-loved musician is found dead, Eve soon realises that his murder is part of a horrifying killing spree, stretching right across the country.Now the killers have reached New York, and they've found themselves another victim. Eve knows she only has a couple of days to save a young girl's life, and to stop the killers before their sadistic games escalate. Eve's husband Roarke is ready to put his brains and his considerable resources behind the search. But even as the couple works closely together, time is running out...

Chaos in Death/Possession in Death

Chaos in Death/Possession in Death

Two exclusive J.D. Robb short stories.Possession in DeathAfter a Russian woman whispers her dying words to Eve Dallas, strange things begin to happen. Unable to concentrate on anything, Eve realises that in order to reclaim her mind, she must find the woman's great-granddaughter - one of a string of young missing girls, forgotten by all.Set between Indulgence in Death and Treachery in Death.Chaos in DeathWhen eye-witness testimony paints the killer as a green skinned monster, with swollen red eyes and goblin ears, even Eve Dallas is shaken. But as she gets closer, the trail suggests something even more disturbing - someone is playing at science . . .Set between New York to Dallas and Celebrity in Death.

Taken in Death

Taken in Death

'The evil witch killed Darcia. Henry knew it because he'd seen Darcia on the floor, and all the blood. Everything felt funny and sleepy and wrong. He knew he was under a spell. The evil witch's magic spell.'When twins Henry and Gala are kidnapped and their nanny killed, Lieutenant Eve Dallas steps in to take control. But video footage shows what appears to be their mother arriving and leaving with the obviously drugged seven-year-olds. Something is wrong, and Eve, her husband Roarke and her brilliant team are ready to work round the clock to get the children back alive...Set between Thankless in Death and Concealed in Death.

Survivor In Death

Survivor In Death

Murder was always an insult. But the murder, bloody and brutal, of an entire family in their own home, was a different form of evil.Nixie Swisher crept down the stairs for a drink - and saved her own life. When Lieutenant Eve Dallas is called to the house minutes later, she finds the whole family murdered in their beds. But the killers made a mistake: they left a survivor.Nixie saw everything. And unfortunately for her, these elite killers soon realise they need to finish the job. So Eve and her billionaire husband Roarke give everything they can to keep Nixie safe in their own home.And then a terrifying climax reveals there may be more to Nixie than meets the eye . . .