Sonny, a college student from Mississippi, discovers ancient journals while working on a dig in Scotland. Hidden for hundreds of years, these journals detail the adventures of Tom Cook, Jack's Dad. Tom is sold to a merchant ship that will become the first to sail around the Cape of Good Hope from Europe to the Pacific. In South Africa, Tom helps the native Bushmen survive when threatened by starvation and a hungry lion.

In Java, he saves a friendly tribe from vicious savages, and in New Zealand he encounters wonders he has never imagined, as well as a little magic. Tom and his mates on the ship gain wealth and prestige on their visit to Kowloon (Hong Kong), and he and his best friend Sean save their ship "Destiny" in Zanzibar. Their return to Scotland results in the biggest surprise, when Tom learns that his son Jack has become famous. As the journals are discovered and translated, Sonny falls in love amid burglaries and plots to suppress the discoveries and steal a fortune in gold and silver that has been hidden for centuries.

'A deft and clever retelling full of intrigue, rage and pathos' JENNIFER SAINT, author of Ariadne 'An intelligent, highly crafted and necessary book' CLAIRE NORTH, author of Ithaca 'Urgent and furious' ROSIE ANDREWS, author of The Leviathan ___________________ In Athens, crowds flock to witness the most shocking trial of the ancient world. The royal family is mired in scandal. Phaedra, young bride of King Theseus, has accused her stepson, Hippolytus of rape. He's a prince, a talented horseman, a promising noble with his whole life ahead of him. She's a young and neglected wife, the youngest in a long line of Cretan women with less than savoury reputations. The men of Athens must determine the truth. Who is guilty, and who is innocent? But the women know truth is a slippery thing. After all, this is the age of heroes and the age of monsters. There are two sides to every story, and theirs has gone unheard. Until now. ___________________ 'Audacious and spirited' SARAH BURTON, author of The Strange Adventures of H 'A timely and labyrinthian retelling of the trial of Phaedra: breaking down the old walls and illuminating the true monsters.' CARI THOMAS author of Threadneedle 'The Heroines subverts the most enduring myth of all. That women are to blame.' JOANNE BURN, author of The Hemlock Cure 'A mesmerizing read' ELIZABETH LEE, author of Cunning Women 'Fiercely compelling' CAROLINE LEA, author of The Glass Woman 'A stunning debut . . . vibrant characters, dark twists, a shimmering brilliant read.' CARLY REAGON, author of The Toll House 'Beautifully told and utterly gripping . . . The Heroines compellingly asks us to consider how our understanding is influenced by who is telling the story, and why.' CAILEAN STEED, author of Home

"From that night my nature seemed to have become halved -- and there were two men within me, neither of whom knew the other. At one moment I believed myself a priest who dreamed nightly that he was a gentleman -- at another, that I was a gentleman who dreamed he was a priest. I could no longer distinguish the dream from the reality, nor could I discover where the reality began or where ended the dream!"By day he was a priest of the Lord, occupied with prayer and sacred things . . . by night, a young nobleman, a fine connoisseur of women, dogs, and horses -- gambling, drinking, and blaspheming!Theophile Gautier (1811-1872), one of the French masters of the Romantic novel, wrote one of the early masterpieces of vampire fiction, in the sensuous "Clarimonde, " or "La Morte Amoureuse."""Never gaze upon a woman! Walk abroad with eyes ever fixed upon the ground," says the priest, "for however chaste and watchful one may be, the error of a single moment is enough to make one lose eternity!""

According to the coal company, young activist and mother Henrietta Owens is a "social terrorist in a hijacked plane" hurtling toward them with a vengeance. Jack Dalton's world faces imminent implosion. His boss screams, Kill her But there's just one problem: every word she says is true . . . and people know it Henrietta, with her baby in her arms, shakes the nation awake with some tough-loving truth about coal, climate change, and the future of humanity. Corporate lawyer Jack Dalton's morality and career collide as a showdown with Henrietta becomes inevitable. The stakes are high: life, death, the extinction of humanity. Jack's wife crosses the line of loyalty, his daughter lectures him on heroism, the Appalachians foment a revolution, and the ghost of John Henry shows up to haunt him. The climate change countdown is ticking. Political pressures heat up. The sleeping giant of the common man awakens with a roar. One question hammers in Jack's ears: what are you going to do? Steam Drills, Treadmills and Shooting Stars sings the anthem of our times, celebrating the everyday hero, and rallying us all to meet adversity with gusto. The novel is alive with robust characters that appeal to environmentalists, soccer moms, students, seniors, and literature lovers alike. The story grabs the social issues of our times by the collar and shakes them hard, but at the same time, the rich metaphor and poetic writing create a soaring tribute to the beauty of the human spirit. This unforgettable book seizes you at the first page and sends you flying out the other side, refreshed, rejuvenated and empowered to change. Have a good read.

Sumptuous slipcased edition of Tolkien's classic epic tale of adventure, fully illustrated in colour for the first time by the author himself. This deluxe volume is quarterbound in leather and includes many special features unique to this edition. Since it was first published in 1954, The Lord of the Rings has been a book people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, its sweeping fantasy and epic adventure has touched the hearts of young and old alike. Over 100 million copies of its many editions have been sold around the world, and occasional collectors' editions become prized and valuable items of publishing. This one-volume deluxe slipcased edition contains the complete text, fully corrected and reset, which is printed in red and black and features, for the very first time, thirty colour illustrations, maps and sketches drawn by Tolkien himself as he composed this epic work. These include the pages from the Book of Mazarbul, marvellous facsimiles created by Tolkien to accompany the famous 'Bridge of Khazad-dum' chapter. Also appearing are two poster-size, fold-out maps revealing all the detail of Middle-earth. This very special deluxe edition is quarterbound in cloth and red leather, with raised ribs on the spine and stamped in two foils. The pages are edged in gold and contained within are special features unique to this edition.

THE MIRACLES OF ANTICHRIST was written following a trip of Selma Lagerlof's to Sicily. While there, she heard -- and was inspired by -- a Sicilian legend: "When Antichrist comes, he shall seem as Christ. There shall be great want, and Antichrist shall go from land to land and give bread to the poor. And he shall find many followers." Selma Lagerlof was the first woman and the first Swedish author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1909. She was considered one of Sweden's most beloved authors; the Swedish Academy declared that their recognition of her was "for reason of the noble idealism, the wealth of imagination, the soulful quality of style, which characterize her works."

Enter the Enchanting stories of The Land of Learika. Long ago... These are not stories of once upon a time or of fairy tales you hear so often of. These are the true account that have been passed down for many years. These stories could never start with once upon a time but they could carry you away and take you to a place, before people were people and places were places. These are the stories of Learika a magical world that entangles you with it and keeps you wanting more.

A GUARDIAN BEST BOOK OF THE 21ST CENTURY 'Chilling, powerful, audacious' The Times 'Magnificent. You are in the hands of a writer at the height of her powers' Evening Standard There was a woman at the heart of the Trojan War whose voice has been silent - until now. Discover the greatest Greek myth of all - retold by the witness that history forgot . . . Briseis was a queen until her city was destroyed. Now she is a slave to the man who butchered her husband and brothers. Trapped in a world defined by men, can she survive to become the author of her own story? THE PERFECT GIFT FOR FANS OF MADELINE MILLER'S CIRCE AND THE SONG OF ACHILLES! *Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction and the Costa Novel Award* Pat Barker continues her extraordinary retelling of one of our greatest myths in The Women of Troy.

"You must go to the Lost Child! You must rescue my son and bring him back to me!"

A strange and unfathomable demand, uttered by an enigmatic Frenchman on the eve of Christmas, 1852 will cause Captain Tor Petersen and the crew of the "Ellyan" to embark upon a long and perilous voyage--a journey that will take them from the placid waters of the Caribbean and plunge them deep into the lawless jungles of French Guiana. There they will confront marauding natives, soldiers and escaped slaves, even death itself. At the end of their quest lies a fortune in gold and the realization of their dreams; and perhaps for Tor himself, something he has long sought but never found...a thing more precious than any glittering metal.

"The Lost Child" is a tale of romance and high adventure, based on a legend of the Caribbean, one that that may indeed have its roots buried in truth. The story is set in a historic time period underscored by periods of conflict and transformation, including moments that will force each of the "Ellyan's" crew to confront deep and abiding changes in themselves--a challenge not so far different from our own era.

The classic folk tales of Scotland were passed down from storyteller to storyteller, and from the first sentence they held the attention of the listeners and readers as though a spell had been cast over them, transporting them to a magical realm where mermaids and men, selkies and sailors, ogres and princesses all mingle and are miraculously transformed. First published in 1956, the Montgomeries, distinguished folklorists, gathered these captivating stories from all parts of Scotland. This collection became a classic of the storytelling tradition retold in a simple, dramatic style, appealing to adult and child alike. Now published by Birlinn Limited in a handsome gift edition and illustrated with Norah Montgomerie's own original drawings, it is a book to be treasured for years as the key to an enchanted, timeless world.

This volume isn't just a collection of wonderful stories, like so many others of Hawthorne's; it's a collection of true stories -- things that happened between 1620 and 1803, as seen by a chair supposedly owned by principals in each of the tales. It's Hawthorne -- delightful, insightful, wise Nathaniel Hawthorne -- writing the tales that made our nation come into being. Not to be missed by anyone, young or old.