THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES TOP FIVE BESTSELLER Waterstone's Best Books of 2020 pick 'Moves at a cracking pace and, with neat plot twists and cliffhangers, is page-turning fun' Guardian 'A witty, fast-paced feminist space opera' Booklist Seven resistance fighters will free the galaxy from the ruthless Empire - or die trying. When Eris faked her death, she thought she had left her old life as the heir to the galaxy's most ruthless empire behind. But her recruitment by the Novantaen Resistance, an organization opposed to the empire's voracious expansion, throws her right back into the fray. Eris has been assigned a new mission: to infiltrate a spaceship ferrying deadly cargo and return the intelligence gathered to the Resistance. But her partner for the mission, mechanic and hotshot pilot Cloelia, bears an old grudge against Eris, making an already difficult infiltration even more complicated. When they find the ship, they discover more than they bargained for: three fugitives with firsthand knowledge of the corrupt empire's inner workings. Together, these women possess the knowledge and capabilities to bring the empire to its knees. But the clock is ticking: the new heir to the empire plans to disrupt a peace summit with the only remaining alien empire, ensuring the empire's continued expansion. If they can find a way to stop him, they will save the galaxy. If they can't, millions may die. 'Revels in the frenetic energy of its girl-power infused, space operatic premise' Publishers Weekly 'More gripping than The Expanse' Charles Stross

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Seven Devils 'A gripping, fast-paced high tech thriller' - Guardian She can uncover the truth, if she defeats her demons Ex-neuroscientist Carina struggles with a drug problem, her conscience, and urges to kill. She satisfies her cravings in dreams, fuelled by the addictive drug 'Zeal'. Now she's heading for self-destruction - until she has a vision of a dead girl. Sudice Inc. damaged Carina when she worked on their sinister brain-mapping project, causing her violent compulsions. And this girl was a similar experiment. When Carina realizes the vision was planted by her old colleague Mark, desperate for help to expose the company, she knows he's probably dead. Her only hope is to unmask her nemesis - or she's next. To unlock the secrets Mark hid in her mind, she'll need a group of specialist hackers. Dax is one of them, a doctor who can help Carina fight her addictions. If she holds on to her humanity, they might even have a future together. But first she must destroy her adversary - before it changes us and our society, forever. Laura Lam's Shattered Minds stars a female 'Dexter' with a drug problem and a conscience, in a terrifying near-future where technology rules our lives and haunts our dreams. 'A taut page-turner chock-full of thrills' - Speculative Herald

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Seven Devils 'A fantastical, richly drawn, poignant take on a classic coming-of-age story' - Leigh Bardugo In a land of lost wonders, the past is stirring once more . . . Gene's life resembles a debutante's dream. Yet she hides a secret that would see her shunned by the nobility. Gene is both male and female. Then she displays unwanted magical abilities - last seen in mysterious beings from an almost-forgotten age. Matters escalate further when her parents plan a devastating betrayal, so she flees home, dressed as a boy. The city beyond contains glowing glass relics from a lost civilization. They call to her, but she wants freedom not mysteries. So, reinvented as 'Micah Grey', Gene joins the circus. As an aerialist, she discovers the joy of flight - but the circus has a dark side. She's also plagued by visions foretelling danger. A storm is howling in from the past, but will she heed its roar? 'A lyrical, stunningly written debut novel' - Amy Alward

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES TOP FIVE BESTSELLER 'Moves at a cracking pace and, with neat plot twists and cliffhangers, is page-turning fun' Guardian Seven resistance fighters will free the galaxy from the ruthless Empire - or die trying. After Eris faked her death, she thought she had left her old life as Princess Discordia - heir to the galaxy's most ruthless empire - behind. But joining the Novantaen Resistance, an organisation opposed to the Empire's voracious expansion, throws her right back into the fray. Resistance fighter pilot Clo has been given a mission: infiltrate an Empire spaceship ferrying deadly cargo to gain vital intelligence. A task made all the more difficult when she's forced to partner with an old enemy - Princess Discordia herself, Eris. They discover more than they bargained for on the ship: fugitives with first-hand knowledge of the Empire's inner workings. With this information, these women might just bring the Empire to its knees. But the clock is ticking: Eris's brother Damocles, new heir to the throne, plans to disrupt a peace summit with the only remaining free alien people, ensuring the Empire's total domination. Unless this band of unlikely rebels stops him, millions will die . . .

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SEVEN DEVILS 'GOLDILOCKS GRABS YOUR ATTENTION AND DOESN'T LET GO - A THOUGHT-PROVOKING, IMAGINATIVE CALL-TO-ARMS' Katie Khan, author of Hold Back the Stars 'BOLD, FEMINIST SCI-FI FROM A SINGULAR, VISIONARY TALENT' Waterstones Online This is The Martian by way of The Handmaid's Tale - a bold and thought-provoking new high-concept thriller Despite increasing restrictions on the freedoms of women on Earth, Valerie Black is spearheading the first all-female mission to a planet in the Goldilocks Zone, where conditions are just right for human habitation. It's humanity's last hope for survival, and Naomi, Valerie's surrogate daughter and the ship's botanist, has been waiting her whole life for an opportunity like this - to step out of Valerie's shadow and really make a difference. But when things start going wrong on the ship, Naomi starts to suspect that someone on board is concealing a terrible secret - and realises time for life on Earth may be running out faster than they feared . . . FIND OUT WHY READERS CAN'T PUT GOLDILOCKS DOWN... 'Through the novel's fascinating premise Lam gives us plenty of food for thought about gender dynamics in our own world... Eerily prescient' USA TODAY 'Looking for a thrilling ecofeminist sci-fi space opera to keep you glued to your seat during this pandemic? You've found it' MS. MAGAZINE 'INTERSTELLAR'S brain with THE HANDMAID'S TALE's heart' Chuck Wendig, author of WANDERERS 'A perfect balance of beauty, thrills and hope' Nick Clark Windo, author of THE FEED

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Seven Devils 'Dark, smart, fast-paced & sexy' - Samantha Shannon To save her twin, she must take her identity. One night Tila stumbles home, terrified and covered in blood. She's then arrested for murder, the first by a civilian in decades. The San Francisco police suspect that the drug Verve is involved, and offer her sister Taema a chilling deal to save her sister's life. Posing as Tila, she must infiltrate the crime syndicate running the drug to help bring it down. However, Taema's inquiries raise dangerous questions. The sisters were raised by a cult which banned modern medicine. Yet as conjoined twins, they needed surgery to replace their failing heart, so had to escape. Now Tila discovers disturbing links between the twins' past and their present. Once unable to keep secrets, the twins now learn the true cost of lies in False Hearts by Laura Lam. 'A fast-paced thriller with tons of heart and soul' - Sarah Lotz

To save her twin, she must take her identity One night Tila stumbles home, terrified and covered in blood. She's then arrested for murder, the first by a civilian in decades. The San Francisco police suspect involvement with Verve, a powerful drug, and offer her twin sister Taema a chilling deal. Taema must assume Tila's identity and gather information to bring down the drug syndicate. The police may then let her sister live. However, Taema's investigation raises ghosts from the twins' past. The sisters were raised by a cult, which banned modern medicine - yet as conjoined twins, they needed life-saving surgery to replace their failing heart. And with help from co-conspirators, they escaped. Taema now discovers that Tila had found links between the cult and the city's criminal underworld. The twins were once unable to keep secrets, but will learn the true cost of lies.