Long ago, a wealthy man stole an angel and hid her in a chapel, where she remains imprisoned to this day. That's the legend, anyway. A clerical student who's racked up gambling debts to a local gangster is given an ultimatum - deliver the angel his grandfather kidnapped, or forfeit various body parts in payment. And so begins a whirlwind theological paradox - with the student at its center - in which the stakes are the necessity of God, the existence of destiny - and the nature of angels.

An enthralling collection of new and classic tales of the fearsome Djinn, from bestselling, award-winning and breakthrough international writers. Imagine a world filled with fierce, fiery beings, hiding in our shadows, in our dreams, under our skins. Eavesdropping and exploring; tormenting us, saving our souls. They are monsters, saviours, victims, childhood friends. And they are everywhere. On street corners, behind the wheel of a taxi, in the chorus, between the pages of books. Every language has a word for them. Every culture knows their traditions. Every religion, every history has them hiding in their dark places. There is no part of the world that does not know them. They are the Djinn. With stories from Neil Gaiman, Nnedi Okorafor, Amal El-Mohtar, Catherine Faris King, Claire North, E.J. Swift, Hermes (trans. Robin Moger), Jamal Mahjoub, James Smythe, J.Y. Yang, Kamila Shamsie, Kirsty Logan, K.J. Parker, Kuzhali Manickavel, Maria Dahvana Headley, Monica Byrne, Saad Hossain, Sami Shah, Sophia Al-Maria and Usman Malik.

R. S. SHALLENBERGER Cornell University, New York State Agricultural Research Station, New York, USA Among the material to be discussed in this first section of the 'Enzymes and Food Processing Symposium' is subject matter that can be viewed as a marriage between enzyme technology and sugar stereochemistry. In order to bring the significance of the material to be presented into proper perspective, I would like you to pretend, for a moment, that you are a researcher making a proposal on this subject to a Research Granting Agency in order to obtain financial support for your ideas. However, the year is 1880. Under the 'objectives' section of your proposal, you state that you intend to attach the intangible vital force or spirit-that is, the catalyst unique to the chemistry of living organisms-to an inert substrate such as sand. Thereafter you will pass a solution of right handed glucose (also known as starch sugar) past the 'vital force' and in the process convert it to left-handed glucose (also known as fruit sugar). The peer review committee would probably reject the proposal as sheer nonsense because the statements made were not only contrary to their experience, but also contrary to what they had been taught. Perhaps a few select people would have some feeling for what you were talking about, but commiseration would be the only form of support that they could offer.

The Control and Standardisation of National Food Quality. There must be very many different opinions as to what this title means. To some people it will mean the control by legislation of additive and contaminant levels in food, to others it may mean the laying down of compositional standards for different food commodities, yet again some may consider that it covers the nutritional quality of the food and the maintenance of an adequate satisfactory diet for the population of the country. I think certainly that it could be all of these things and a glance at the variety of titles of papers which other speakers will be giving later in this symposium illustrates the very wide area which is covered by food quality in its many aspects. I will try only to present to you some of those aspects which are the concern of government in the control of food quality. I will not concern myself with those aspects which are the concern only of the manufacturer and his customer, and here I am thinking of flavour, appearance and physical state, such as whether canned, fresh or frozen. These aspects, which affect the type of products to be marketed, and also the aspects of quality control which set out to maintain the standard that the manufacturer has set himself, are I think outside my province.

'Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun' - SFX 'Parker's settings and characterisations never miss a beat' - Publishers Weekly K. J. Parker's new novel is the remarkable tale of the siege of a walled city, and the even more remarkable man who had to defend it. A siege is approaching, and the city has little time to prepare. The people have no food and no weapons, and the enemy has sworn to slaughter them all. To save the city will take a miracle, but what it has is Orhan. A colonel of engineers, Orhan has far more experience with bridge-building than battles, is a cheat and a liar, and has a serious problem with authority. He is, in other words, perfect for the job. Sixteen Ways To Defend a Walled City is the story of Orhan, son of Siyyah Doctus Felix Praeclarissimus, and his history of the Great Siege, written down so that the deeds and sufferings of great men may never be forgotten. *** Other books by K.J. Parker: Fencer Trilogy The Colours in the Steel The Belly of the Bow The Proof House Scavenger Trilogy Shadow Pattern Memory Engineer Trilogy Devices and Desires Evil for Evil The Escapement Two of Swords The Two of Swords: Part 1 The Two of Swords: Part 2 The Two of Swords: Part 3 Novels The Company The Folding Knife The Hammer Sharps

FROM ONE OF THE MOST ORIGINAL VOICES IN FANTASY COMES A HEROIC TALE OF HONOR, FRIENDSHIP, AND BATTLEFIELD SALVAGE. It's important to look after your crew when you're in the battlefield salvage business. It's stressful work at the best of times, and although your employees are unlikely to be happy it makes sense to keep them alive. So when Saevus Corax finds himself having to capture a castle to stop his men from being killed, he has no choice but to give it a try. Needless to say, the conventional rules of siegecraft are unlikely to be followed.

There's no formal training for battlefield salvage. You just have to pick things up as you go along. Swords, armour, arrows - and the bodies, of course. Over the years, Saevus Corax has picked up a lot of things. Some of them have made him decent money, others have brought nothing but trouble. But it's a living, and somebody has to deal with the dead. Something else that Saevus has buried is his past. Unfortunately, he didn't quite succeed. The first novel in a new epic fantasy trilogy from World Fantasy Award-winner K. J. Parker. For more from K. J. Parker, check out: The Siege Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It A Practical Guide to Conquering the World The Two of Swords The Two of Swords: Volume One The Two of Swords Volume Two The Two of Swords: Volume Three The Fencer Trilogy Colours in the Steel The Belly of the Bow The Proof House The Scavenger Trilogy Shadow Pattern Memory Engineer Trilogy Devices and Desires Evil for Evil The Escapement The Company The Folding Knife The Hammer Sharps

Science fiction and fantasy has never been more diverse or vibrant, and 2014 has provided a bountiful crop of extraordinary stories. These stories are about the future, worlds beyond our own, the realms of our imaginations and dreams but, more importantly, they are the stories of ourselves. Featuring best-selling writers and emerging talents, here are some of the most exciting genre writers working today. Multi-award winning editor Jonathan Strahan once again brings you the best stories from the past year. Within you will find twenty-eight amazing tales from authors across the globe, displaying why science fiction and fantasy are genres increasingly relevant to our turbulent world. Featuring Kelly Link * Holly Black * Ken Liu * Usman T. Malik * Lauren Beukes * Paolo Bacigalupi * Joe Abercrombie * Genevieve Valentine * Nicola Griffith * Caitlin R. Kiernan * Greg Egan * K. J. Parker * Rachel Swirsky * Alice Sola Kim * Garth Nix * Karl Schroeder * Ellen Klages * Kai Ashante Wilson * Michael Swanwick * Eleanor Arnason * James Patrick Kelly * Ian Mcdonald * Amal El-Mohtar * Tim Maughan * Elizabeth Bear * Theodora Goss * Peter Watts

Science fiction and fantasy has never been more diverse or vibrant, and 2014 has provided a bountiful crop of extraordinary stories. These stories are about the future, worlds beyond our own, the realms of our imaginations and dreams but, more importantly, they are the stories of ourselves. Featuring best-selling writers and emerging talents, here are some of the most exciting genre writers working today. Multi-award winning editor Jonathan Strahan once again brings you the best stories from the past year. Within you will find twenty-eight amazing tales from authors across the globe, displaying why science fiction and fantasy are genres increasingly relevant to our turbulent world. Featuring Kelly Link * Holly Black * Ken Liu * Usman T. Malik * Lauren Beukes * Paolo Bacigalupi * Joe Abercrombie * Genevieve Valentine * Nicola Griffith * Caitlin R. Kiernan * Greg Egan * K. J. Parker * Rachel Swirsky * Alice Sola Kim * Garth Nix * Karl Schroeder * Ellen Klages * Kai Ashante Wilson * Michael Swanwick * Eleanor Arnason * James Patrick Kelly * Ian Mcdonald * Amal El-Mohtar * Tim Maughan * Elizabeth Bear * Theodora Goss * Peter Watts

A new stand-alone novel from the acclaimed author of The Company and The Folding Knife. Gignomai is the youngest brother in the current generation of met'Oc, a once-noble family exiled on an island for their role in a vaguely remembered civil war. On this island, a colony was founded seventy years ago. The plan was originally for the colonists to mine silver, but there turned out not to be any. Now, an uneasy peace exists on the island, between the colonists and the met'Oc. The met'Oc are tolerated, in spite of occasional cattle stealing raids, since they alone possess the weapons considered necessary protection against the island's savages. Gignomai is about to discover exactly what it is expected of him, and what it means to defy his family. He is the hammer who will provide the spark that will ignite a brutal and bloody war.

A new stand-alone novel from the acclaimed author of the Engineer Trilogy and The Company. Basso the Magnificent. Basso the Great. Basso the Wise. The First Citizen of the Vesani Republic is an extraordinary man. He is ruthless, cunning, and above all, lucky. He brings wealth, power and prestige to his people. But with power comes unwanted attention, and Basso must defend his nation and himself from threats foreign and domestic. In a lifetime of crucial decisions, he's only ever made one mistake. One mistake, though, can be enough.

'They didn't see the house until they were practically on top of it. A single building emerging fromthe dark. It didn't look welcoming. But the front door was open. The door was wide open.' Irongrove Lodge - a building with history; the very bricks and grounds imbued with the stories of those who have walked these corridors, lived in these rooms. These are the tales of an extraordinary house, a place that straddles our world and whatever lies beyond; a place that some are desperate to discover, and others to flee. At one time an asylum, at another a care home, sometimes simply a home. The residents of Irongrove Lodge will learn that this house will change them, that the stories told here never go away. Of all who enter, only some will leave. Multi-award-winning editor Jonathan Oliver has brought together five extraordinary writers to open the doors, revealing ghosts both past and present in a collection as intriguing as it is terrifying. Along with a linking narrative, this collection features five novellas by Nina Allan, Tade Thompson, K. J. Parker, Robert Shearman and Sarah Lotz.

This is the story of how the City was saved, by Notker the professional liar, written down because eventually the truth always seeps through. The City may be under siege, but everyone still has to make a living. Take Notker, the acclaimed playwright, actor and impresario. Nobody works harder, even when he's not working. Thankfully, it turns out that people appreciate an evening at the theatre even when there are large rocks falling out of the sky. But Notker is a man of many talents, and all the world is, apparently, a stage. It seems that the Empire needs him - or someone who looks a lot like him - for a role that will call for the performance of a lifetime. At least it will guarantee fame, fortune and immortality. If it doesn't kill him first. This is the story of Notker, an occasionally good man and a terrible liar. With razor-sharp prose and ferocious wit, K.J. Parker has created one of fantasy's greatest heroes, and he might even get away with it.

'There's a mordant wit to the workings of Parker's mind' - Time Out Parker's acerbic wit and knowledge of human nature are a delight to read as he explores the way conflict is guided, in equal measure, by the brilliance and unerring foolishness of humanity . . . . Thoroughly engaging.' - RT Books Reviews A soldier with a gift for archery. A woman who kills without care. Two brothers, both unbeatable generals, now fighting for opposing armies. No one in the vast and once glorious United Empire remains untouched by the rift between East and West, and the war has been fought for as long as anyone can remember. Some still survive who know how it was started, but no one knows how it will end. Except, perhaps, the Two of Swords. The second volume of a sweeping and ingeniously plotted epic fantasy from the World Fantasy Award-winning author K. J. Parker and his most ambitious work to date. This is a story of a war on a grand scale, told through the eyes of soldiers, politicians, victims and heroes. Books by K.J. Parker: Fencer Trilogy The Colours in the Steel The Belly of the Bow The Proof House Scavenger Trilogy Shadow Pattern Memory Engineer Trilogy Devices and Desires Evil for Evil The Escapement Saloninus Blue and Gold The Devil You Know Two of Swords The Two of Swords: Part 1 The Two of Swords: Part 2 The Two of Swords: Part 3 Novels The Company The Folding Knife The Hammer Sharps Savages Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City My Beautiful Life

World Fantasy Award-winning fantasy author K. J. Parker delivers his most ambitious work yet - the story of a war on a grand scale, told through the eyes of soldiers, politicians, victims and heroes. A soldier with a gift for archery. A woman who kills without care. Two brothers, both unbeatable generals, now fighting for opposing armies. No one in the vast and once glorious United Empire remains untouched by the rift between East and West, and the war has been fought for as long as anyone can remember. Some still survive who know how it was started, but no one knows how it will end. Except, perhaps, the Two of Swords.

FROM ONE OF THE MOST ORIGINAL VOICES IN FANTASY COMES A HEART-WARMING TALE OF PEACE, LOVE, AND BATTLEFIELD SALVAGE. If you're going to get ahead in the battlefield salvage business, you have to regard death as a means to an end. In other words, when the blood flows, so will the cash. Unfortunately, even though war is on the way, Saevus Corax has had enough. There are two things he has to do before he can enjoy his retirement: get away with one last score, and get away with murder. For someone who, ironically, tends to make a mess wherever he goes, leaving his affairs in order is going to be Saevus Corax's biggest challenge yet. The finale in the trilogy that began with Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead.

K.J. Parker's new novel is a perfectly executed tale of intrigue and deception.
For the first time in nearly forty years, an uneasy truce has been called between two neighbouring kingdoms. The war has been long and brutal, fought over the usual things: resources, land, money...
Now, there is a chance for peace. Diplomatic talks have begun and with them, the games. Two teams of fencers represent their nations at this pivotal moment.
When the future of the world lies balanced on the point of a rapier, one misstep could mean ruin for all. Human nature being what it is, does peace really have a chance?