Tags:historical
Portrait of an Unknown Woman
In a spellbinding new masterpiece by #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva, Gabriel Allon undertakes a high-stakes search for the greatest art forger who ever livedLegendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon has at long last severed ties with Israeli intelligence and settled quietly in Venice, the only place where he has ever truly known peace. His beautiful wife, Chiara, has taken over the day-to-day management of the Tiepolo Restoration Company, and their two young children are discreetly enrolled in a neighborhood scuola elementare. For his part, Gabriel spends his days wandering the streets and canals of the watery city, bidding farewell to the demons of his tragic, violent past.But when the eccentric London art dealer Julian Isherwood asks Gabriel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the rediscovery and lucrative sale of a centuries-old painting, he is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse where nothing is as it seems.Gabriel soon discovers that the work in question, a portrait of an unidentified woman attributed to Sir Anthony van Dyck, is almost certainly a fiendishly clever fake. To find the mysterious figure who painted it—and uncover a multibillion-dollar fraud at the pinnacle of the art world—Gabriel conceives one of the most elaborate deceptions of his career. If it is to succeed, he must become the very mirror image of the man he seeks: the greatest art forger the world has ever known.Stylish, sophisticated, and ingeniously plotted, Portrait of an Unknown Woman is a wildly entertaining journey through the dark side of the art world—a place where unscrupulous dealers routinely deceive their customers and deep-pocketed investors treat great paintings as though they were just another asset class to be bought and sold at a profit. From its elegant opening to the shocking twists of its climax, the novel is a tour de force of storytelling and one of the finest pieces of heist fiction ever written. And it is still more proof that, when it comes to international intrigue and suspense, Daniel Silva has no equal.
The Iron Vow (The Iron Fey: Evenfall, Book 3)
The extraordinary finale to Julie Kagawa's New York Times and internationally bestselling Iron Fey series is here ... and the fate of the Nevernever and all the world hangs in the balance. Join Meghan, Ash, Puck, Grimalkin, and the entire Iron Fey cast for this final epic journey into worlds where imagination knows no boundaries... After leaping through the portal to Evenfall, Meghan and her companions find themselves in a terrifying new world where Nightmares roam and glamour is nearly nonexistent. As their magic wanes and the creatures of Evenfall rise against them, the race to find the Nightmare King grows ever more desperate. But what they discover will shake everything they thought they knew to the core. The Nightmare King stirs. A world hangs in the balance. And as twilight descends upon all the realms of Faery, Meghan and her allies must make one more impossible choice.
Dawn Of Eden
Venture into Julie Kagawa’s dark and twisted world... A Blood of Eden short story. Before The Immortal Rules, there was Red Lung; a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path.For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden – as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering.What’s worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she’s beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems...Praise for Kagawa’s prequel:‘This book drew me in right away.’‘One of the best short stories/prequels I've had the pleasure of reading in a long while.’‘This was perfect. I am in awe of the whole Blood of Eden series!’*** Dare you read on...? Blood of Eden series Book #1 The Immortal RulesBook #2 The Eternity CureBook #3 The Forever Song
The Warm Hands of Ghosts
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist, from the author of The Bear and the Nightingale.“A wonderful clash of fire and ice—a book you won’t want to let go of.”—Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander“Spectacular—a tour de force, wonderful and deep and haunting.”—Naomi Novik, author of A Deadly EducationONE OF BOOKPAGE’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEARJanuary 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else? November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear. As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.
The Girl in The Tower
For a young woman in medieval Russia, the choices are stark: marriage or life in a convent. Vasya will choose a third way: magic. . . The court of the Grand Prince of Moscow is plagued by power struggles and rumours of unrest. Meanwhile bandits roam the countryside, burning the villages and kidnapping its daughters. Setting out to defeat the raiders, the Prince and his trusted companion come across a young man riding a magnificent horse.Only Sasha, a priest with a warrior's training, recognises this 'boy' as his younger sister, thought to be dead or a witch by her village. But when Vasya proves herself in battle, riding with remarkable skill and inexplicable power, Sasha realises he must keep her secret as she may be the only way to save the city from threats both human and fantastical. . .A spellbinding fairytale full of magic and wonder, perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials.*Make sure you've read all the books in the Winternight Trilogy*1. The Bear and the Nightingale2. The Girl in the Tower3. The Winter of the Witch
The Winter of the Witch
A magical and captivating coming of age novel set in medieval Russia - perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus and Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials.One girl can make a difference...Moscow is in flames, leaving its people searching for answers – and someone to blame. Vasilisa, a girl with extraordinary gifts, must flee for her life, pursued by those who blame their misfortune on her magic.Then a vengeful demon returns, stronger than ever. Determined to engulf the world in chaos, he finds allies among men and spirits. Mankind and magical creatures alike find their fates resting on Vasya's shoulders. But she may not be able to save them all.'heart-stoppingly good...beautifully written, this adventure shimmers and shines with magic of all kinds. Unmissable.' Sunday Express'If you're a lover of fairytales you are in for an absolute treat. It's truly magical' The Pool'Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy isn’t just good—it’s hug-to-your-chest, straight-to-the-favourites-shelf, reread-immediately good, and each book just gets better. 'Laini Taylor
The Warm Hands of Ghosts
Discover the Sunday Times bestselling supernatural historical fantasy from the author of The Bear and the Nightingale, a spellbinding, sweeping novel set in the trenches of WW1.WATERSTONES SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY BOOK OF THE MONTH‘Darkly beautiful and deeply humane.' Ava Reid, bestselling author of A Study in Drowning‘One of the best historical fantasies I've ever read’ Emma Törzs, bestselling author of Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe'Wonderful storytelling. Inventive, haunting and deeply moving.' Sarah Winman, bestselling author of Still LifeAmid the falling shells of Flanders Field, magic and mystery fills the air...January 1918: Laura Iven, a Canadian nurse, returns home from the war, only to receive devastating news - her brother Freddie is dead. But something doesn’t quite make sense.Determined to uncover the truth, Laura heads back to Belgium, volunteering at a private hospital. There, she encounters the eerie whispers of ghosts moving among those still living and a strange inn-keeper whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could this have happened to Freddie - but if so, where is he?November 1917: Freddie Iven wakes after an explosion to find himself trapped with a wounded German soldier. Against all the odds, they form a bond and claw their way to an escape.But in the chaos of No Man's Land, neither know where to turn to avoid persecution. Amidst the atrocity, they encounter a fiddler with the power to make their hellscape vanish - but at what price?With the power to both warm and break your heart, The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a breathtaking and spellbinding tale of love, survival, and the supernatural.Praise for The Warm Hands of Ghosts'Well-researched and beautifully written, this is a compelling, memorable novel.’ The Guardian'A spectacular tour de force ... I love this book so much and want everyone to read it!' Naomi Novik, bestselling author of A Deadly Education'A wonderful clash of fire and ice ... A book you won't want to let go of.' Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the Outlander series'An exquisite, brilliant gem of a story.’ Conn Iggulden, bestselling author of Nero'Arden is at the very height of her powers with this rich, heart-breaking and life-affirming supernatural journey through the darkest hours of WWI. I've never read anything like it.' Laura Steven, author of Our Infinite Fates'Visionary, imaginative and brilliantly written.' Anthony Horowitz, bestselling author of The Power of Five‘Mixing historical fiction with the paranormal, this haunting, atmospheric tale of separated siblings is a real gem of a book.’ Heat Magazine‘A gripping tale of loss, mystery, ghosts and queer romance.’ BBC Culture OnlineSunday Times bestseller, March 2024
Swift as Desire
As the millions of fans of Like Water for Chocolate know, Laura Esquivel is a romanticist whose novels explore the power of love and the truths of the human heart. She returns to those themes in Swift as Desire, the story of a loving and passionate man who has the gift of bringing happiness to everyone except his own wife.The hero of this novel is Júbilo Chi, a telegraph operator who is born with the ability to “hear” people’s true feelings and respond to their most intimate, unspoken desires. His life changes forever the day he falls deeply and irrevocably in love with Lucha, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy family. She believes money is necessary to insure happiness, while for Júbilo, who is poor, love and desire are more important than possessions. But their passion for each other enables them to build a happy life together -- until their idyll is shattered by a terrible event that drives them bitterly apart. Only years later, as Júbilo lies dying, is his daughter able to unravel the mystery behind her parents’ long estrangement and bring about a surprising reconciliation.
Malinche
From the bestselling author of Like Water for Chocolate, an extraordinary retelling of the passionate and tragic love affair during the conquest of the Aztecs between the conquistador Cortés and his interpreter, Malinalli.A brilliant and multilingual woman, Malinalli has been reviled throughout Mexican history for the betrayal of her people—but her role was actually much more complex. When a young Malinalli's tribe was conquered and enslaved by the Aztec warriors, her grandmother imparted to her that their founding forefather god, Quetzalcoatl, had abandoned them—but he was destined to return with the rising sun and save her tribe from captivity. When the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés first arrives, she—like many—believes he is the reincarnated forefather god of her tribe, here to free them. With her talent for linguistics, Malinalli became an indespensable guide and translator for Cortés. In the hopes of freeing her people—and wanting to please this supposed god—she welcomes Cortés and assumes her new role as an interpreter for the Spanish. Throughout their travels and various conquests, Cortés and Malinalli gradually fall passionately in love. But it's not long before Malinalli realizes that Cortés's thirst for conquest is all too human, and that he is willing to destroy anyone, even his own men, and even their own love.
No Longer Human
The poignant and fascinating story of a young man who is caught between the breakup of the traditions of a northern Japanese aristocratic family and the impact of Western ideas. Mine has been a life of much shame. I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live the life of a human being. Portraying himself as a failure, the protagonist of Osamu Dazai’s No Longer Human narrates a seemingly normal life even while he feels himself incapable of understanding human beings. His attempts to reconcile himself to the world around him begin in early childhood, continue through high school, where he becomes a “clown” to mask his alienation, and eventually lead to a failed suicide attempt as an adult. Without sentimentality, he records the casual cruelties of life and its fleeting moments of human connection and tenderness. Still one of the ten bestselling books in Japan, No Longer Human is an important and unforgettable modern classic: “The struggle of the individual to fit into a normalizing society remains just as relevant today as it was at the time of writing.” (The Japan Times)
The Setting Sun
This powerful novel of a nation in social and moral crisis was first published by New Directions in 1956. Set in the early postwar years, it probes the destructive effects of war and the transition from a feudal Japan to an industrial society. Ozamu Dazai died, a suicide, in 1948. But the influence of his book has made "people of the setting sun" a permanent part of the Japanese language, and his heroine, Kazuko, a young aristocrat who deliberately abandons her class, a symbol of the anomie which pervades so much of the modern world.
A Matter of Honour
'If there were a Nobel Prize for storytelling, Archer would win' - The Daily TelegraphThe opening of a letter leads to a desperate chase across Europe in A Matter of Honour by Jeffrey Archer, one of the world’s bestselling novelists.Adam Scott listens to the reading of his father’s will, aware that the contents can only be meagre. The Colonel, after all, had nothing to leave – except a letter he had never opened himself, a letter that could only bring further disgrace to the family name.Against his mother’s advice, Adam opens the letter. Immediately, he realizes that his life can never be the same again. The contents leave him with no choice but to follow a course of action – one his father would have described as a matter of honour . . .*****Praise for Jeffrey Archer: 'Probably the greatest storyteller of our age' – Mail on Sunday'Archer has a gift for plot that can only be described as genius' – The Daily Telegraph'Stylish, witty and constantly entertaining' – The Times