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A Galaxy of Things: The Power of Puppets and Masks in Star Wars and Beyond
by Colette SearlsA Galaxy of Things explores the ways in which all puppets, masks, makeup-prosthetic figures are "material characters," using iconic Star Wars characters like Yoda and R2-D2 to illustrate what makes them so compelling. As an epic franchise, Star Wars has been defined by creatures, droids, and masked figures since the original 1977 movie. Author Colette Searls, a theatre director and expert in puppetry studies, uncovers how non-humans like Chewbacca, semi-humans like Darth Maul, and even concealed humans like Boba Fett tell meaningful stories that conventional human characters cannot. Searls defines three powers that puppets, masked figures, and other material characters wield—distance, distillation, and duality—and analyzes Star Wars’ most iconic robots and aliens to demonstrate how they work across nearly a half-century of live-action films. Yoda and "Baby Yoda"—two of popular culture’s greatest puppets—use these qualities to transform their human companions. Similarly, Darth Vader’s mask functions as a performing object driving mystery and suspense across three film trilogies. The power of material characters has also been wielded in problematic ways, such as stereotypes in the representation of service droids and controversial creatures like Jar Jar Binks. Bringing readers forward into the first Star Wars live-action streaming series, the book also explores how the early 2020s stories centered material characters in particularly meaningful, often redemptive ways. A Galaxy of Things is an accessible guide to puppets, masks, and other material characters for students and scholars of theatre, film, puppetry, and popular culture studies. It also offers useful perspectives on non-human representation for researchers in object-oriented ontology, posthumanism, ethnic studies, and material culture.
The Mirror Thief
by Martin SeayOne of the most audacious and confident debuts in years, The Mirror Thief is a masterful puzzle: a genre-hopping novel that combines a layered, rewarding mystery with serious literary ambition. Set in three cities in three eras, The Mirror Thief calls to mind David Mitchell and Umberto Eco in its serendipitous mix of entertainment and literary merit.
Ash Princess (The Ash Princess Trilogy #1)
by Laura SebastianFrom author Laura Sebastian comes Ash Princess, a nail-biting YA fantasy debut full of daring and vengeance.Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed Ash Princess. When the Kaiser forces her to execute her last hope of rescue, Theo can't ignore her feelings and memories any longer. She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot to seduce and murder the Kaiser's warrior son with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels. But Theo doesn't expect to develop feelings for the Prinz. Forced to make impossible choices and unable to trust even those who are on her side, Theo will have to decide how far she's willing to go to save her people and how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice to become Queen.
Castles in their Bones
by Laura SebastianBorn to rule. Raised to deceive.The plot: overthrow a kingdom. The goal: world domination. The plan: marriage.Empress Margaraux has had plans for her daughters since the day they were born. Princesses Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz will be queens. And now, age sixteen, they each must leave their homeland and marry their princes. Beautiful, smart, and demure, the triplets appear to be the perfect brides - because Margaraux knows there is one common truth: everyone underestimates a girl. Which is a grave mistake. Sophronia, Daphne, and Beatriz are no innocents. They have been trained since birth in the arts of deception, seduction, and violence with a singular goal - to bring down monarchies - and their marriages are merely the first stage of their mother's grand vision: to one day reign over the entire continent of Vestria. The princesses have spent their lives preparing, and now they are ready, each with her own secret skill, and each with a single wish, pulled from the stars. Only, the stars have their own plans - and their mother hasn't told them all of hers. Life abroad is a test. Will their loyalties stay true? Or will they learn that they can't trust anyone - not even each other?Laura Sebastian stuns in this new trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of Ash Princess. A spellbinding story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown.
Ember Queen (The Ash Princess Trilogy #3)
by Laura SebastianThe Ash Princess is dead. Long live the Queen. Princess Theodosia was a prisoner in her own country for a decade, made to wear a crown of ash. But there was fire in her blood and she escaped, gathering a misfit army of rebels behind her. Now they have a new and terrifying enemy – the Kaiserin. Possessed of magic no one understands, she is determined to burn down anything and anyone in her way. As the Kaiserin's power grows stronger and her beloved Prinz Søren is taken hostage, Theo is forced to make a terrible choice – will she overcome her heart to liberate her enslaved people and finally reclaim her rightful place as Queen?Ember Queen is the explosive final part of Laura Sebastian's New York Times bestselling Ash Princess trilogy.
Lady Smoke (The Ash Princess Trilogy #2)
by Laura SebastianA tale of love, revenge, power and betrayal, Lady Smoke is Laura Sebastian's epic fantasy sequel to the New York Times-bestselling Ash Princess.After escaping from imprisonment under the brutal Kaiser, Theodosia is on the run, plotting to take revenge and reclaim her rightful place as queen of the enslaved Astreans.Thousands of miles away from her people and her throne, Theo and her friends must work to gather an army. And the only way is to auction herself as a bride – to the kingdom who will pay the most. Freedom always comes at a price and with the Kaiser closing in, she must rely on her wits to identify who she can really trust.
Stardust in their Veins: Following the dramatic and deadly events of Castles in Their Bones
by Laura SebastianImmerse yourself in the second book the Castles in their Bones series from the New York Times bestselling author of the Ash Princess series.'A page-turner that brilliantly blends magic, romance, and adventure' BooklistSeduction. Conquest. The Crown.Princesses Daphne, Beatriz, and Sophronia have trained their entire lives for one purpose: to bring down nations. Their mother, Empress Margaraux of Bessemia, is determined to rule the continent of Vesteria, and her daughters are her weapons. Promised for marriage since birth, they are her ticket across enemy lines. And also her decoys.Still, not even Empress Margaraux can control the stars. Sent to their new kingdoms, orders in hand, the princesses have found their own paths, changing the course of their mother's plans entirely - and tragically. Sophronia chose love, and for that, she lost her life. Daphne and Beatriz can hardly believe their sister is dead, but both are determined to avenge her. And now, separated by a continent - and their mother's lies - they see more clearly with every passing day that they might not be working toward the same end.The stars whisper of death, but Daphne and Beatriz are just beginning to understand the true power coursing through their veins. And their mother will do anything to keep them under her thumb - even if it means killing them all.PRAISE FOR LAURA SEBASTIAN'Sebastian weaves the story together with a firm handle on pacing and worldbuilding, placing twists and turns throughout as characters leave their assigned countries' School Library Journal, on Stardust in their Veins'...the worldbuilding is rich, clearly defined, and easy to follow' Kirkus Reviews, on Stardust in their Veins'Made for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Sabaa Tahir' Bustle, on Ash Princess
Women of Horror and Speculative Fiction in Their Own Words: Conversations with Authors and Editors
by Sébastien Doubinsky and Christina KkonaWhat makes science fiction genres better than others at challenging social conventions, especially gender? Are speculative works structured differently when addressed to traditionally under-portrayed individuals or communities?This collection of interviews elicits truly honest and thought-provoking responses that focus on the biographical dimension in speculative fiction, questions of intersectionality, genre (re)definitions and the politicization of fiction. It gives voice to women of different races, nations, classes and sexual orientations who write and edit speculative fiction – such as Ellen Datlow, Kathe Koja, Angela Mi Young Hur, Eugen Bacon, and Cat Rambo. The interviews clarify how the junction of genre and gender is a key element to understanding this literary field, while simultaneously contextualizing and theorizing the interview itself, as a literary genre and a research tool.
The Comet Seekers
by Helen SedgwickTwo lives. One night sky. Róisín and François first meet in the snowy white expanse of Antarctica, searching for a comet overhead. While Róisín grew up in a tiny village in Ireland, ablaze with a passion for science and the skies, François was raised by his restless young mother, who dreamt of new worlds but was unable to turn her back on her past. As we loop back through their lives we see their paths cross as they come closer and closer to this moment, brought together by the infinite possibilities of the night sky.
100 Tales from the Tokyo Ghost Café
by Julian SedgwickAbducted by spirits from his village, lost boy Akira must make the long journey in north Japan to find his family and save his young sister, before time runs out. Voyaging deeper and deeper into a Japan ‘between the worlds’, Akira and his companions encounter a host of yokai monsters and famous ghosts, discovering a sometimes comical and sometimes terrifying world of interlinked and ghostly short stories along the way.
Return to the City of Ghosts: Book 3 (Ghosts of Shanghai)
by Julian Sedgwick'The thing about ghosts is sometimes we create our own. And sometimes they find us, no matter what we do.' The thrilling conclusion to the Ghosts of Shanghai by the award-winning author of the Mysterium trilogy, for fans of Philip Pullman, Susan Hill and Robin Stevens.Ruby is on a mission to rescue the boy she loves: Charlie has been swept away in the powerful waters of the River Yangtze. But the world she loves is now broken by danger and fear, and Ruby is lost and surrounded by ghosts. Can Ruby trust herself, and those around her, to find Charlie and return to Shanghai? Or has she ventured too deep into the realm of spirits?On an amazing journey down the Yangtze, crossing from one world to the other, Ruby must follow the 'red thread of destiny' to find Charlie and home, before she loses herself . . .
Shadow of the Yangtze: Book 2 (Ghosts of Shanghai)
by Julian SedgwickJ G Ballard's Empire of the Sun meets Susan Hill's The Woman in Black in a compelling teen thriller ...Ruby - a Western girl who feels more Chinese than English - and her friend Charlie must follow the Yangtze hundreds of miles upriver, travelling by Chinese junk and rogue steamer, through bandit and ghost haunted countryside - doggedly tracking Moonface as he spirits Charlie's sister Fei off to his home village. Everything is in flux around them: civil war pulsing, with Nationalists, Communists and warlord bandits struggling for control. The river rises and falls, villages spring up and are gone again. Ruby and Charlie brave a shipwreck and a gunbattle and then take a perilous cliff path to Moonface's lair.
The Book of Dead Days (Book Of Dead Days Ser. #Bk. 1)
by Marcus SedgwickFive days of glorious gothic alchemy and evil . . . An atmospheric, page-turning and powerful novel of sorcery and desperate magic by award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick. Shortlisted for the Guardian Children's Fiction prize and the Edgar Allan Poe Award.The days between 27 December and New Year's Eve are dead days - days when spirits roam and magic shifts restlessly just beneath the surface of our everyday lives.There is a man, Valerian, whose time is running out. He must pay the price for the pact he made with evil so many years ago. His servant is Boy, a child with no name and no past - a child he treats with contempt, but who serves his master well and finds solace in the company of his only friend, Willow. Unknown to any of them, it is Boy who holds the key to their destiny.Set in dark, threatening cities and the frozen countryside in a distant time, THE BOOK OF DEAD DAYS conjures a spell-binding story as Valerian, Boy and Willow battle to stop time and cling to life.
Creepy Caves: Book 6 (Elf Girl and Raven Boy #6)
by Marcus SedgwickEep ... The final adventure awaits!Nothing can stand in the way of Elf Girl and Raven Boy saving the world... Well, almost nothing. Just a sea monster, a dragon, and rivers of molten lava. Not to mention some seriously Creepy Caves. Defeating the Goblin King might be harder than they thought. The sixth laugh-out-loud adventure from BLUE PETER BOOK AWARD-shortlisted Marcus Sedgwick and Pete Williamson.
Cudweed's Time Machine (Early Reader)
by Marcus SedgwickEarly Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing and reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey.Cudweed comes face to face with Roman soldiers, dinosaurs and Vikings in this funny, quirky story, perfect for beginner readers, from the bestselling Raven Mysteries team, Marcus Sedgwick and Pete Williamson.
The Dead Days Omnibus
by Marcus SedgwickThe bestselling THE BOOK OF DEAD DAYS and THE DARK FLIGHT DOWN in a single volume.The days between 27 December and New Year's Eve are dead days, when spirits roam and magic shifts restlessly just beneath the surface of our everyday lives.There is a man, Valerian, whose time is running out, who must pay the price for the pact he made with evil so many years ago. His servant is Boy, a child with no name and no past; a child he treats with contempt, but who serves his master well and finds solace in the company of his only friend, Willow. Unknown to any of them it is Boy who holds the key to their destiny.THE BOOK OF DEAD DAYS and THE DARK FLIGHT DOWN are mesmerising stories of sorcery and desperate magic spanning dark cities, deadly courtrooms, and the threatening, frozen countryside. The truth about Valerian's past, Boy's identity and many other shattering secrets are laid bare as the Book of Dead Days is opened.
Doctor Who: Third Doctor (Doctor Who: 50th Anniversary Short Stories #2)
by Marcus SedgwickEleven Doctors, eleven months, eleven stories: a year-long celebration of Doctor Who! The most exciting names in children's fiction each create their own unique adventure about the time-travelling Time Lord.The Third Doctor and Jo Grant are trying to track down the magical spear of Odin when they find themselves caught up in a vicious battle between two Viking tribes. But one of the Vikings is even more dangerous than he appears to be. Can the Doctor stop the spear getting into the wrong hands before it's too late?
Dread Desert: Book 4 (Elf Girl and Raven Boy #4)
by Marcus SedgwickElf Girl and Raven Boy get hot and bothered in the desert as they come a few steps (with sand in their shoes) closer to finding the Singing Sword and the Tears of the Moon. They bump into a grumpy camel, a grumpier genie, Sultanas, Sandpeople and scorpions as they try to save the world from the Goblin King.
Flood and Fang: Book 1 (Raven Mysteries #1)
by Marcus SedgwickMeet the wonderfully weird Otherhand family and their faithful guardian, Edgar the raven, and discover the dark secrets of Castle Otherhand.Edgar is alarmed when he sees a nasty looking black tail slinking under the castle walls. But his warnings to the inhabitants of the castle go unheeded: Lord Valevine Otherhand is too busy trying to invent the unthinkable and discover the unknowable; his wife, Minty, is too absorbed in her latest obsession - baking; and ten-year-old Cudweed is running riot with his infernal pet monkey. Only Solstice, the black-haired, poetry-writing Otherhand daughter, seems to pay any attention. As the lower storeys of the castle begin mysteriously to flood, and kitchen maids continue to go missing, the family come ever closer to the owner of the black tail...Dedicated website on Raven Mysteries: www.ravenmysteries.co.uk
Floodland (Middle Grade Cassette Librariestm Ser.)
by Marcus SedgwickWinner of the Branford Boase Award 2001, Marcus Sedgwick's powerful debut novel about surviving in a sinking world marks the beginning of the author's multi-award-winning career. Imagine that a few years from now England is covered by water, and Norwich is an island. Zoe, left behind in the confusion when her parents escaped, survives there as best she can. Alone and desperate among marauding gangs, she manages to dig a derelict boat out of the mud and gets away to Eels Island. But Eels Island, whose raggle-taggle inhabitants are dominated by the strange boy Dooby, is full of danger too.The belief that she will one day find her parents spurs Zoe on to a dramatic escape in a story of courage and determination that is handled with warmth and humanity.
The Foreshadowing
by Marcus SedgwickSasha can see the future. But can she use her power to save her brothers and change their destiny? A stunning World War One anniversary edition of the mesmerising novel from award-winning author, Marcus Sedgwick. It is 1915, WWI. Seventeen-year-old Sasha Fox is the privileged only daughter of a respected doctor living in the wealthy seaside town of Brighton. But her brothers, Edgar and Tom, have gone to war and Sasha has a terrible gift: she can see the future. Her premonitions show untold horrors on the battlefields of the Somme, and the fate that awaits Edgar and Tom. But Sasha is trapped by power - no one will believe her. Even her family have lost faith in her, and she is determined to win them back, whatever the price. And it is a high one. Seeing the future is a fate too awful to contemplate - for who wants to see the end of their own story?A beautifully written story of a child in jeopardy, set in a world full of threat - but with a heroine determined to try to change the path of Fate.
Fright Forest: Book 1 (Elf Girl and Raven Boy #1)
by Marcus SedgwickEep . . . the adventure begins!Raven Boy has short black spiky hair, amazing night vision and can talk to animals. Elf Girl is light of foot, sharp of mind and . . . elfish all over. She hadn't expected to meet Raven Boy; it's not that often someone falls out of the trees and squashes your home flat like Raven Boy did. Before they know it they are plunged into some very strange, creepy, altogether spooky and hilarious adventures as they save their world from trolls, ogres, witches and things that slither and slide in the fiendish forest.From the creators of the Blue Peter award-winning Funniest Book with Pictures RAVEN MYSTERIES team, this is the first in a humourous and magical adventure series, RAVEN BOY AND ELF GIRL, perfect for readers of 8+.
Ghosts and Gadgets: Book 2 (Raven Mysteries #2)
by Marcus SedgwickJoin the wonderfully weird Otherhand family and their faithful guardian, Edgar the raven, and discover the dark secrets of Castle Otherhand.The rumblings and wailings from the Lost South Wing can no longer be ignored, as one by one, members of the castle are being found frozen, 'scared to death'. With mother, Minty, obsessing over her latest fad - sewing - and father, Valevine, busy experimenting with a machine to discover the Lost Otherhand treasure, it's up to aspiring ghost-hunters Solstice and Cudweed to solve the mystery. But as usual, things don't go quite as planned... It's just as well Edgar is there to save the day!Second in a brand new six book series of tales of mystery (with a touch of goth-froth) for 9 year olds from bestselling author, Marcus Sedgwick. With quirky black and white line illustrations from new talent, Pete Williamson.Dedicated website on Raven Mysteries: www.ravenmysteries.co.uk
The Ghosts of Heaven: The Spiral Edition
by Marcus SedgwickShortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2016, this mesmerising and mysterious novel by Printz Award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick is written in four cleverly interlinked parts and can be read in 24 different ways. Spanning thousands of years, The Ghosts of Heaven can tell us a secret as old as time, about survival, discovery, and the effect of the spiral - a symbol that has no end - on all our lives. It's there when a girl walks through the forest, the moist green air clinging to her skin. There centuries later in a pleasant green dale, hiding the treacherous waters of Golden Beck that take Anna, who they call a witch. There on the other side of the world, where a mad poet watches the waves and knows the horrors they hide, and far into the future as Keir Bowman realises his destiny. Each takes their next step in life. None will ever go back to the same place. The spiral has existed as long as time has existed. Follow the ways of infinity to discover its meaning.
The Ghosts of Heaven: The Spiral Edition
by Marcus SedgwickA cleverly interlinked novel in four parts which can be read in twenty-four different ways. This special ebook edition will choose which quarter you read next, creating one of twenty-four possible reading experiences. These are the ways of infinity... Song, Whisper, Hell, Witch. Where will the spiral lead you?Tweet us @fiercefiction. The spiral has existed as long as time has existed. It's there when a girl walks through the forest, the moist green air clinging to her skin. There centuries later in a pleasant green dale, hiding the treacherous waters of Golden Beck that take Anna, who they call a witch. There on the other side of the world, where a mad poet watches the waves and knows the horrors they hide, and far into the future as Keir Bowman realises his destiny. Each takes their next step in life. None will ever go back to the same place. And so their journeys begin...