Cold. Ruthless. Deadly. The myth of Lady Macbeth looms large. But behind the villainous portrait stands a real woman. This is her story . . . Scotland, 1020 AD. King Malcolm II lies on his deathbed, and the most powerful families make a violent claim for the Scottish throne . . . On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, a flushed and nervous Cora MacDuff waits to marry her sweetheart, Macbeth. But her dreams are stolen from her, and the night she was hoping for turns into a brutal slaughter. In order to reclaim the life she was promised, Cora must learn to use every weapon at her disposal - even those she loves . . . The beginning of a brand new Historical fiction series by the bestselling author of the Queens of Conquest series, her new trilogy unearths the real women behind Shakespeare's most infamous queens . . . If you love Elizabeth Chadwick and Anne O'Brien you will adore Joanna Courtney What readers are saying about Joanna Courtney: 'I was hooked from the very first page and didn't want to put it down. Joanna Courtney is a new talent in the world of historical fiction and one that I would highly recommend. I look forward to reading more by this fantastic author' Bookbabblers 'A strong sense of atmosphere and place and time. I really got into the story, in fact I was so gripped by it at one point that I missed my bus. It was a really good, exciting, read. I cannot wait to read the next two books.' Michelle Birkby, author of The House at Baker Street 'Amazing' (Miranda Dickinson) 'Courtney's novel breathes new life into this complex character,...A thrilling introduction to Courtney's new trilogy on Shakespearean queens.' - The Lady 'A glorious, rich, epic story of love, friendship and sacrifice which will sweep you up and transport you to another time. I absolutely loved this and can't wait for the next book in the series' (Rachael Lucas, author of Sealed With A Kiss and Coming Up Roses) 'An absorbing and emotional debut novel' (Candis magazine) 'A thrilling and atmospheric read with strong female characters' (MyWeekly) 'A beautifully written multi layered tale with a tremendously authentic sense of place and time . . . an epic feel . . . highly recommended' (LizLovesBooks) 'The story reaches a heart-rending climax. A must read. I loved it' (Freda Lightfoot, author of The Amber Keeper) 'With lovely writing and a terrific sense of narrative drive, Joanna Courtney portrays an era of change through a story about a long forgotten Queen. In The Chosen Queen, Edyth is a heroine who inhabits a convincingly re-created historical world, peopled with personalities whose lives leap from the page. Superb! (Carol McGrath, author of The Daughters of Hastings trilogy) An outstanding opening to this new series set to rival historical fiction heavyweights like Philippa Gregory and Susanna Dunn (Lisareadsbooks)

Perfect for fans of Naomi Novik, Robin Hobb and Sarah J. Maas She has no name and no history, but she has a power greater than the Empire has ever known. Thanks to her special gift Judah has enjoyed a privileged life, being raised alongside Gavin, the son and heir to Lord Elban's vast empire. But as they grow Judah comes to realise that while Gavin is being groomed for his future role, she has no true position, and no hope of ever travelling beyond the castle walls. Lord Elban has plans for Judah - for all of them - but to him, she's nothing but a pawn. And he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. But he's not the only one with plans. Outside the castle wall - in the starving, desperate city - is a healer with his own secret power and his own plans for the empire . . . and Judah. The girl who started life with no name and no history will soon uncover more to her story than she ever imagined. An epic tale of greed and ambition, cruelty and love, this deeply immersive novel is about bowing to traditions and burning them down. ___________ What people are saying about The Unwilling: 'Fantasy at its most sublime' ERIN MORGENSTERN 'An epic fantasy novel with ingenious, thrilling twists and turns' KELLY LINK 'Brilliantly executed. The Unwilling is about sharing joy, and sensing fear and cruelty, and caring beyond ourselves' VANITY FAIR 'Suspenseful: magical, wonderfully written and never predictable . . . An essential addition to the all epic fantasy collections' BOOKLIST

The second in a dystopian thriller series, where modern-day recruits compete in an ancient fight to the death in the streets of Edinburgh. New Season. New Rules. Same deadly game... The Pantheon Games are the biggest underground event in the world, followed by millions online. New recruits must leave behind their twenty-first century lives and vie for dominance in a gruelling battle to the death armed only with ancient weapons - and their wits. Last season's new recruits Tyler and Lana have lived to fight another day, but now they face a series of even more lethal clashes before the Grand Battle that will bring the Season to a close. It's survival of the fittest in the most brutal fashion imaginable. As they race toward the bloody end, Lana must finally face the demons of her past, and Tyler will have to fight with the mother of all targets on his back... Squid Game meets The Hunger Games in this fast-paced, action-packed thriller series. Praise for the Pantheon series: 'The moment you ask yourself if it could just be true, the story has you.' Anthony Riches 'Gripping and original - a terrific read!' Joe Heap 'The Wolf Mile is a thrilling ride and a heck of a debut. C.F. Barrington knocks it out of the park.' Matthew Harffy 'So gripping that I sometimes find myself holding my breath while I'm reading!' Ruth Hogan 'A brilliant eccentric concept which hits you like a fever dream.' Giles Kristian

A ship adrift, all hands dead. A lighthouse keeper murdered in the night. The Crown needs man to find the truth. Doctor Mungo Lyon, his reputation tarnished by the Burke & Hare scandal, and forbidden to practise as a surgeon, is the wrong man. That's exactly why the Crown chose him.

The year is 1807, and Richard Sharpe is back in England, where his career seems to have come to a dead end, despite his heroics in Britain's recent victory at Trafalgar. Loveless, destitute, and relegated to the menial tasks of quartermaster, Sharpe roams the streets of London, pondering a bleak future away from the army.

Then, out of the blue, an old friend invites him to undertake a secret mission--the delivery of a bribe--to the Danish capital, Copenhagen. Denmark is officially neutral, but Napoleon is threatening an invasion in order to capture the powerful Danish fleet, which would replace the ships France lost in its disastrous defeat at Trafalgar. The British, fearing such enhancement of French power, threaten their own preemptive invasion, and Sharpe, whose errand seemed so simple, is trapped in a web of treachery that will end only when the city, which thought itself safe, is subjected to a brutal and merciless bombardment.

'FAST-PACED, DETAILED AND BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN [FOR] FANS OF BERNARD CORNWELL, GEORGE R.R. MARTIN AND THEODORE BRUN' HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY. Not everyone will survive, but who will conquer all in Odin's game? AD 916. In the Orkney Isles, a young woman flees her home to save the life of her unborn child. Eighteen years later, a witch foretells that evil from her past is reaching out again to threaten her son. Outlawed from his home in Iceland, Einar Unnsson is thrown on the mercy of his Uncle, the infamous Jarl Thorfinn 'Skull Cleaver' of Orkney. He joins forces with a Norse-Irish princess and a company of wolfskin-clad warriors to become a player in a deadly game for control of the Irish sea, where warriors are the pawns of kings and Jarls and the powerful are themselves mere game pieces on the tafl board of the Gods. Together they embark on a quest where Einar must fight unimaginable foes, forge new friendships, and discover what it truly means to be a warrior. As the clouds of war gather, betrayal follows betrayal and Einar realises the only person he can really trust is himself. Praise for Tim Hodkinson: 'An excellently written page-turner, with a feel for the period which invites you into the era and keeps you there' Historical Writers Association. 'A gripping action adventure like the sagas of old; and once finished, you just want to go back and read it all over again' Melisende's Library.

Dorothy isn't the happiest of girls. Kansas is pretty damn boring, her aunt and uncle are hicks, and it seems she doesn't much belong. But when her shed gets picked up by a cyclone and dropped in Oz, things begin to get interesting. There's this broad called Glinda who's taken more than a bit of a liking to her, and perverted munchkins who run a tabloid newspaper full of green celebrity snatch. There's also Ozma, who runs Oz's only transgender helpline-and who is toe-curlingly hot by the way. Between silver shoes and matching purses, politics and dildos, lesbian witches and wizards with gambling debts, Dorothy must find her way home (wherever that might be)-and figure out who really makes her heels click.

AD 633. Beobrand is a young man with a shadowy past. As an outsider in the kingdom of Bernicia, he is compelled to join his brother, Octa, as a warrior in the household of King Edwin. He must learn to fight with sword and shield to defend the war-ravaged kingdoms of Northumbria. In a period of great upheaval for Dark Age Britain, all he finds is death and war. Men and women strive to seize control of their destinies in a time of despair, and the land is rife with danger as warlords vie for supremacy and dominion. Amongst the blood and the betrayals, Beobrand learns of his brother's near-certain murder. Inexperienced but ruthless, Beobrand must form his own allegiances and learn to fight as a warrior with sword and shield. Driven by a desire for vengeance and a relentless pursuit of his enemies, he faces challenges which transform him from a boy to a man who stands strong in the clamour and gore of the shieldwall. As he closes in on his kin's slayer, can Beobrand mete out the retribution he craves without sacrificing his honour... or even his soul?

A ghost ship full of long-lost gold beckons, and Biggles gets an icy reception...Biggles, Algie, Bertie and Ginger are visited by Grimes, an old pal from the war, whose father, a Merchant Navy captain known as Jumbo, is in a spot of bother. He was recently tricked into skippering a crew of seal poachers to an islet off Antarctica. While there, they spotted an old ship - still rigged for sail - trapped in the pack ice. After an investigation of the ship, Jumbo overheard the words 'starry' and 'crown' from the jubilant crew. An avid fan of an unsolved mysteries, Biggles immediately recognises the importance of these words. Jumbo and his crew had stumbled upon the long-lost schooner Starry Crown, which went missing seventy years prior with a ton of Australian gold ingots aboard. There have been several sightings and ill-fated recovery expeditions since, but no one has ever retrieved the gold. Grimes reckons that they might be able to beat the poachers to the treasure if they were to go by air, and wonders if Biggles is interested in an adventure. After making a few enquiries, Biggles agrees to the expedition, but there is more than gold in the Starry Crown, and no help for miles across Antarctica's vast silence... Wrap up warm for a classic Biggles adventure to the frozen continent of Antarctica.

Discover Rosie Clarke's bestselling Blackberry Farm series! A story of life and survival during the war which is heart-rending and bitter-sweet, bringing you laughter and tears. Cambridgeshire - 1941 As the war rages on in Europe, it brings untold heartache to the Talbot family at Blackberry Farm. First Tom is missing in action and then his brother John. leaving the family distraught with worry. Faith finds herself in trouble and turns to Lizzie for support as fear and grief bring them closer together. But tragedy is never too far away and when it strikes, it may not be those who fight that suffer the most. Will Pam's prayers be answered and will both her sons return home? And can the family at Blackberry Farm unite to overcome their heartache and find hope for the future?

Richard Sharpe returns to England to save the regiment. Major Sharpe's men are in mortal danger - not from the French, but from the bureaucrats of Whitehall. Unless reinforcements can be brought from England, the regiment will be disbanded. Determined not to see his regiment die, Sharpe returns to England and uncovers a nest of high-ranking traitors, any of whom could utterly destroy his career with a word. Sharpe is forced into the most desperate gamble of his life - and not even the influence of the Prince Regent may be enough to save him. Soldier, hero, rogue - Sharpe is the man you always want on your side. Born in poverty, he joined the army to escape jail and climbed the ranks by sheer brutal courage. He knows no other family than the regiment of the 95th Rifles whose green jacket he proudly wears.

The case of the pirate U-boat!Air Commodore Raymond has a thrilling new case for Biggles, Ginger, Algy and Bertie, now the Scotland Yard Air Squad. Instead of surrendering at the end of the war, commander Von Schonbeck of submarine U-517 escaped to the south Indian ocean. From his base on an uncharted island, he has been waging his own personal war, very profitably. Among other booty, he is known to have acquired a sizeable quantity of gold. But there's very little to go on: the submarine sinks all the ships it preys upon, leaving no survivors. And Biggles & Co. have a hunting ground of a million square miles of air and ocean... Will they find the renegade submarine, or will it continue to prowl the depths? Has Biggles met his match in the hunt for the dastardly von Schonbeck?

A young man's life depends on the verdict of a jury made up of vengeful, blood thirsty residents of a small town. Is circumstantial evidence, and an unbelievable series of events, enough for them to him convict and sentence him to hang? Is his best friend, the man he is actually accused of killing, really dead?

The third adventure in the visceral female gladiator trilogy that began with" Gladiatrix--"Lysandra is back, and she's going to war In the dirt of the Flavian Amphitheatre, known to history as the Coliseum, lies the bloodied body of Spartan priestess Lysandra--cut down by Rome's adored Gladiatrix Prima, the beautiful and deadly Illeana, the Midnight Falcon. At the edge of the underworld, the goddess Athene offers Lysandra's spirit a stark choice: reside eternally amid the fields of Elysium, or return to a life that is full of pain and sorrow--but will secure Lysandra a glorious place in legend for generations to come. Meanwhile, the legions prepare to embark for the Dacian frontier as the Emperor Domitian seeks revenge for Rome's worst defeat for almost a century. With them is the former tribune Gaius Minervius Valerian, anxious to wipe away the disgrace of being the sole survivor of his own command, annihilated by a swarm of savage warrior horsewomen. And now it seems that Lysandra's destiny also lies to the east, as well as the prospect of a final and bloody reckoning with an old and hated adversary.

The third Joe Wilderness spy thriller from a master of the genre, moving from icy Finland to tumultuous Cold War Prague, Hammer to Fall is a tale of vodka smuggling and a legendary female Red Army general who is playing a dangerous game It's London, the swinging sixties, and by all rights MI6 spy Joe Wilderness should be having as good a time as James Bond. But alas, his postings are more grim than glamorous. Luckily, Wilderness has a knack for doing well for himself even in the most unpromising postings, though this has gotten him into hot water in the past. A coffee-smuggling gig in divided Berlin was a steady money-maker but things went pear-shaped when he had to smuggle a spy back to the KGB instead. In the wake of what became an embarrassing disaster for MI6, Wilderness is reprimanded with a posting to remote northern Finland, under the guise of a cultural exchange program to promote Britain abroad. Bored by his work, with nothing to spy on, Wilderness finds another way to make money, this time by smuggling vodka across the rather porous border into the USSR. He strikes a deal with his old KGB pal Kostya, who explains to him there is, no joke, a vodka shortage in the Soviet Union, following a grain famine caused by Khrushchev's new agricultural policies. But there is something fishy about why Kostya has suddenly turned up in Finland--and MI6 intelligence from London points to a connection to the mining of cobalt in the region, a critical component in the casing of the atomic bomb. Wilderness's posting is getting more interesting by the minute, but more dangerous too. Moving from the no-man's-land of Cold War Finland to the wild days of the Prague Spring, and populated by old friends (including Inspector Troy) and old enemies alike, Hammer to Fall is a gripping tale of deception and skullduggery, of art and politics, a page-turning story of the always riveting life of the British spy.

An action-packed thriller set during one of the most turbulent periods of global history, vividly brought to life by master of adventure, Wilbur Smith. 'A master storyteller' - Sunday Times 'Wilbur Smith is one of those benchmarks against whom others are compared' - The Times 'No one does adventure quite like Smith' - Daily Mirror A race to save a country . . . When American engineer Jake Barton teams up with English gentleman and hustler Gareth Swales to sell five battered old Bentleys in 1930s East Africa, neither of them could have imagined that they'd soon be attempting to smuggle the vehicles into Ethiopia in return for a huge reward. But Ethiopia is in the midst of war against Italy. To achieve their goal they'll have to manoeuvre past several extremely hostile European forces and an international blockade. Keeping them company as part of their mission is the beautiful, strong-willed Vicky Camberwell, a journalist who has been sent with them to report on the brutal violence of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. As their daring mission becomes more dangerous the three adventurers are about to discover that some battles may be more than they can handle . . .