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Xeelee: Vengeance
by Stephen BaxterHalf a million years in the future, on a dead, war-ravaged world at the centre of the Galaxy, there is a mile-high statue of Michael Poole.Poole, born on Earth in the fourth millennium, was one of mankind's most influential heroes. He was not a warrior, not an emperor. He was an engineer, a builder of wormhole transit systems. But Poole's work would ultimately lead to a vast and destructive conflict, a million-year war between humanity and the enigmatic, powerful aliens known as the Xeelee. The Xeelee won, but at a huge cost. And, defeated in a greater war, the Xeelee eventually fled the universe. Most of them.A handful were left behind, equipped with time travel capabilities, their task to tidy up: to reorder history more to the Xeelee's liking. That million-year war with humankind was one blemish. It had to be erased. And in order to do that, a lone Xeelee was sent back in time to remove Michael Poole from history . . .
Xeno: Science Fiction
by D. F. JonesAlien horror becomes a living nightmare as the Xenos, meaning "strangers", inflict mayhem on earth. International distress alerts are sent out when planes first seem to disappear, disturbing concepts of space and time and leaving a trail of death and disillusionment. This bizarre series of "cosmic skyjackings" is shrouded in secrecy by a baffled and frightened military. Intense surveillance fails to reveal the cause of a seemingly hostile yet invisible enemy. Aircraft continue to disappear, plucked out of the sky without warning, only to reappear months later, thousands of miles off course. National and global security is under threat and the ICARUS committee is formed to investigate. Military officials, the government and the FBI work alongside physician Mark Freedman and Soviet scientists to uncover the supernatural mystery that lies behind these unexplainable events. Earth has been found by a horde of creatures that not even the wildest imagination could invent - sinister parasitic creatures that took to their human hosts with deadly speed and bloodthirsty precision. The terror that unfolds has terrifying consequences for all involved, and the invasion reveals something much more frightening and final than ever suspected.
Xenocide: Book 3 of the Ender Saga (Ender Saga #3)
by Orson Scott CardEnder and Valentine Wiggin: brother and sister whose lives have shaped history. Valentine is 'Demosthenes', whose subversive, incendiary writings fight the monstrous power of Starways Congress, masters of the Hundred Worlds. And Ender...As a child, Ender commanded a warfleet that wiped out a planet. The triumph of his life could be his fight to stop it happening again. It might be his tragedy that he cannot. Congress has sent a warfleet to Lusitania, home to Ender, his family, two alien species and the deadliest virus ever known. The warfleet carries an order to destroy. To commit xenocide.
Xenos Rampant: Science Fiction Wargame Battles
by Daniel Mersey Richard CowenScience Fiction wargame rules for large skirmishes, based on the popular Rampant system.Xenos Rampant is a setting agnostic, large skirmish, miniature wargame for fighting science fiction battles using 28mm figures. Developed from the popular Lion Rampant ruleset, the core mechanics featured within will be instantly recognisable to those familiar with the other Rampant systems, while still being accessible to new players. Xenos Rampant contains all the rules, army lists, and scenarios required to fight science fiction battles as well as a whole host of subgenres including: post-apocalyptic, weird war, near future. So, whatever your science fiction preference, the rules can cover it – just let your imagination run rampant.
Xenos Rampant: Science Fiction Wargame Battles
by Daniel Mersey Richard CowenScience Fiction wargame rules for large skirmishes, based on the popular Rampant system.Xenos Rampant is a setting agnostic, large skirmish, miniature wargame for fighting science fiction battles using 28mm figures. Developed from the popular Lion Rampant ruleset, the core mechanics featured within will be instantly recognisable to those familiar with the other Rampant systems, while still being accessible to new players. Xenos Rampant contains all the rules, army lists, and scenarios required to fight science fiction battles as well as a whole host of subgenres including: post-apocalyptic, weird war, near future. So, whatever your science fiction preference, the rules can cover it – just let your imagination run rampant.
Xerik the Bone Cruncher: Series 15 Book 2 (Beast Quest)
by Adam BladeBattle fearsome beasts and fight evil with Tom and Elenna in the bestselling adventure series for boys and girls aged 7 and up.Tom's Quest to retrieve the missing royal treasures of Tangala leads him into greater danger. Can he defeat the fearsome Xerik, a monstrous Beast lurking in the swamps of Pania?There are FOUR thrilling adventures to collect in the Beast Quest: Velmal's Revenge series: Wardok the Sky Terror; Xerik the Bone Cruncher; Plexor the Raging Reptile; Quagos the Armoured Beetle.If you like Beast Quest, check out Adam Blade's other series: Team Hero, Sea Quest and Beast Quest: New Blood!
Xerkan the Shape Stealer: Series 23 Book 4 (Beast Quest #118)
by Adam BladeBattle fearsome beasts and fight evil with Tom and Elenna in the bestselling adventure series for boys and girls aged 7 and up.Back in Avantia from their exile in the Wildlands, Tom and Elenna face their deadliest enemy yet. Can they fight the ghoulish Beast Xerkan - and reveal the truth about the mysterious Prince Angelo before the kingdom of Avantia is changed for ever?There are FOUR thrilling adventures to collect in The Shattered Kingdom series - don't miss out! Querzol the Swamp Monster; Krotax the Tusked Destroyer; Torka the Sky Snatcher; Xerkan the Shape Stealer.If you like Beast Quest, check out Adam Blade's other series: Team Hero, Sea Quest and Beast Quest: New Blood!
The Xothic Cycle
by Lin CarterThe late Lin Carter was a prolific writer and anthologist of horror and fantasy with over eighty titles to his credit. His tales of Mythos horror are loving tributes to H. P. Lovecraft's 'revision' tales and to August Derleth's stories of Hastur and the R'lyeh Text. This collection of Carter's Mythos tales includes all five Xothic Legend Cycle stories:- The Dweller in the Tomb- Out of the Ages- The Horror in the Gallery- The Thing in the Pit- The Winfield HeritanceFilled with mind-bending, soul-warping terror, Carter taps into the eldritch horrors that Lovecraft brought into the world...
Xstabeth: A Guardian Book of the Day
by David KeenanPre-order XSTABETH in paperback, ebook or audio before 1 November to access the exclusive digital prequel, THE TOWERS THE FIELDS THE TRANSMITTERS. Full details: bit.ly/XstabethPreOrder 'This book spoke, it said "read me" from the very first sentence as if it were alive, it gave me visceral joy' Kim Gordon'Reading [Xstabeth] feels like being cut open to the accompanying sound of ecstatic music' Edna O'Brien'Prepare for more of that inimitable Keenan narrative voodoo brilliance' Wendy ErskineIn St Petersburg, Russia, Aneliya is torn between the love of her father and her father's best friend. Her father dreams of becoming a great musician but suffers with a naivete that means he will never be taken seriously. Her father's best friend has a penchant for vodka, strip clubs and moral philosophy.When an angelic presence named Xstabeth enters their lives - a presence who simultaneously fulfils and disappears those she touches - Aneliya and her father's world is transformed. Moving from Russia to St Andrews, Scotland, Xstabeth tackles the metaphysics of golf, the mindset of classic Russian novels and the power of art and music to re-wire reality. Charged with a consuming intensity and a torrential rhythm that pulses with music, it is an offering of transcendence and a love letter to the books of Chandler, Nabokov and Dostoevsky, by a writer who is rewriting the rulebook of contemporary fiction.
XX
by Angela ChadwickGUARDIAN BEST BOOKS OF 2018 'One of the feminist novels of 2018' Stylist'Handmaid's Tale-shaped hole in your life? (Read) XX' The Times'Fantastic - completely topical, utterly believable, and that rare thing: an issue-driven book that feels like a story, not an issue' Julie Cohen'Pulled on my heartstrings . . . could not recommend more' Bookbag'A pacy dystopian thriller' Red Magazine'Topical, probing and quietly intense - XX is a phenomenal debut' Skinny'Fantastic' Storgy'Powerful exploration . . . Beautifully paced' Mancunion'Emotionally compelling' - Lauren Wilkinson on her Year in Reading for Millions***HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR A CHILD OF YOUR OWN? When Rosie and Jules discover a ground-breaking clinical trial that enables two women to have a female baby, they jump at the chance to make history.Fear-mongering politicians and right-wing movements are quick to latch on to the controversies surrounding Ovum-to-Ovum (o-o) technology and stoke the fears of the public. What will happen to the numbers of little boys born? Is there a sinister conspiracy to eradicate men at play?In this toxic political climate, Jules and Rosie try to hide their baby from scrutiny. But when the news of Rosie's pregnancy is leaked to the media, their relationship is put under a microscope and they're forced to question the loyalty of those closest to them, and battle against a tirade of hate that threatens to split them apart...***What readers are saying: 'Well written, perfectly paced and so timely,. Through excellent character development, Chadwick manages to explore the social, ethical and political questions raised, while still telling what is at its core a beautifully human story.''I could not put this down, even when my heart was aching and my pulse was raging.''This is politically and ethically engaging, as well as a very personal read. It shows a world that is only a few years away, and it left me with a lot of thoughts about gender and science. Excellent.'"The whole plot was set out so effectively that it made me feel like this was something that could be being developed somewhere in the world right now or it's in the near distant future!
Yasmin the Night Owl Fairy: The Twilight Fairies Book 5 (Rainbow Magic)
by Daisy MeadowsYasmin the Night Owl Fairy has lost her magical sleep dust - which means nobody knows when to be asleep or when to be awake! Can Kirsty and Rachel catch the thieves before they become too sleepy...?
The Yawnicorn
by Emily HamiltonA magical picture book featuring a very special unicorn, specially designed to help children settle down for bedtime.Do you ever have trouble dropping off to sleep? Is your head all busy? Does your duvet feel itchy? Well, don't worry, because the Yawnicorn is here to help!Yawnicorn knows when you can't get to sleep, and he's about to sweep you away on a magical nighttime adventure through rainforests, oceans and across the starry skies before bringing you home, nicely worn out and ready to fall into a happy, deep slumber. This magical, soothing and reassuring story is perfect for anyone who has ever felt anxious or found it hard to get to sleep - perfect for bedtime, night after night. Get ready to join the Yawnicorn on an adventure you'll never forget! From the much-loved illustrator of The World Made a Rainbow.
The Yawnicorn
by Emily HamiltonMagic is waiting in this rhythmic, calming tale that is the perfect bedtime story for when little ones struggle to fall asleep!You're tucked into bed, ready for sleep. But . . . your head is all busy. and your legs are all twitchy. And this blanket is so itchy!It's time to call on the Yawnicorn! Tuck in for an enchanting nighttime adventure flying over oceans, marching through jungles, and soaring across glittering galaxies until you find your perfect dreamland. With the Yawnicorn's help, young readers are destined for a night of magical wonder and sweet dreams.Join the Yawnicorn on a bedtime adventure you'll never forget!
The Yawnicorn
by Emily HamiltonMagic is waiting in this rhythmic, calming tale that is the perfect bedtime story for when little ones struggle to fall asleep!You're tucked into bed, ready for sleep. But . . . your head is all busy. and your legs are all twitchy. And this blanket is so itchy!It's time to call on the Yawnicorn! Tuck in for an enchanting nighttime adventure flying over oceans, marching through jungles, and soaring across glittering galaxies until you find your perfect dreamland. With the Yawnicorn's help, young readers are destined for a night of magical wonder and sweet dreams.Join the Yawnicorn on a bedtime adventure you'll never forget!
Ye Gods!: Contains Expecting Someone Taller And Ye Gods!
by Tom HoltA suburban house, a child called Jason who strangles large snakes whilst still in his cot, the Olympian gods and a Girl Next Door are the ingredients of this fantasy by Tom Holt, author of Flying Dutch and Expecting Someone Taller.Being a hero bothers Jason. It's easy to get maladjusted when your mum's a suburban housewife and your dad's the Supreme Being. It can be a drag slaying fabulous monsters and retrieving golden fleeces from dragons, and then having to tidy your room before your mum'll let you watch Star Trek .
The Year of Our War (Gollancz S. F. Ser.)
by Steph SwainstonThe most exciting, original and important new fantasy novel to be published since China Miéville's PERDIDO STREET STATION. A breathtakingly skilful debut.A superb work of literary fantasy. In a truly original imagined world of breathtaking, sometimes surreal beauty, fifty utterly alien but disarmingly human immortals lead mankind in a centuries-long war.Jant is the Messenger, one of the Circle, a cadre of fifty immortals who serve the Emperor. He is the only immortal - indeed the only man alive - who can fly.The Emperor must protect mankind from the hordes of giant Insects who have plagued the land for centuries, eating everything and everyone in their path. But he must also contend with the rivalries and petty squabblings of his chosen immortals. These will will soon spill over into civil war.Steph Swainston has written an astonishingly original literary fantasy. She writes beautifully. Her novel places her in a tradition of writing typified by Mervyn Peake, M. John Harrison and China Miéville. This is a breathtaking debut novel of the finest quality.
Year of the Griffin (Gollancz S. F. Ser. #2)
by Diana Wynne JonesA hilarious fantasy sequel to The Dark Lord of Derkholm, set at the University after the ‘fantasy world’ tours have stopped, and centred around 6 students (one a Griffin) and the bumbling new University Head Wizard. From the ‘Godmother of Fantasy’, Diana Wynne Jones.
The Year of the Ladybird
by Graham JoyceA ghost story with a difference from the WORLD FANTASY and multiple BRITISH FANTASY AWARD-winning author of SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALEIt is the summer of 1976, the hottest since records began and a young man leaves behind his student days and learns how to grow up. A first job in a holiday camp beckons. But with political and racial tensions simmering under the cloudless summer skies there is not much fun to be had.And soon there is a terrible price to be paid for his new found freedom and independence. A price that will come back to haunt him, even in the bright sunlight of summer.As with SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE, Graham Joyce has crafted a deceptively simple tale of great power. With beautiful prose, wonderful characters and a perfect evocation of time and place this is a novel that transcends the boundaries between the everyday and the supernatural while celebrating the power of both.
Year of the Reaper
by Makiia LucierThe past never forgets . . .'I love the magic Lucier weaves through this dark yet hopeful tale. I devoured it in one sitting!' Kristin Cashore, author of the New York Times bestselling Graceling Realm booksThree years ago, Lord Cassia disappeared in the midst of war, on a mission entrusted to him by the king. Since then, a devastating plague has swept the land, leaving countless dead and the kingdom forever altered.Having survived a rotting prison cell and a merciless illness, Cas, now eighteen, wants only to return to his home in the mountains and forget past horrors. But home is not what he remembers. His castle has become a refuge for the royal court. And they have brought their enemies with them.When an assassin targets those closest to the queen, Cas is drawn into a search for a killer... one that leads him to form an unexpected bond with a brilliant young historian named Lena. Cas and Lena soon realize that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. They must look to the past, following the trail of a terrible secret - one that could threaten the kingdom's newfound peace and plunge it back into war.'A beautifully crafted novel containing everything I love in an epic fantasy: complex characters and relationships, excellent worldbuilding, and a compelling story full of twists and turns. The central characters, with their strengths and flaws, feel entirely real' Juliet Marillier, author of the Blackthorn & Grim and Warrior Bards series
The Year of the Witching
by Alexis HendersonThe Handmaid's Tale meets The Village in this stunning feminist debut . . .Shortlisted for the GoodReads Choice Awards 2020 for Best Debut Novel and Best Horror Novel . . .'A magnificent, raw slice of folk horror, dark with threat and clenched with suspense . . . a brilliant debut to chill the brightest summer day' DAILY MAIL'Thrillingly brisk and bracing . . . it takes the best tropes of horror and witchcraft and gives them a refreshingly feminist twist.' S.A. CHAKRABORTY, author of The City of BrassBorn on the fringes of Bethel, Immanuelle does her best to obey the Church and follow Holy Protocol. For it was in Bethel that the first Prophet pursued and killed four powerful witches, and so cleansed the land.And then a chance encounter lures her into the Darkwood that surrounds Bethel.It is a forbidden place, haunted by the spirits of the witches who bestow an extraordinary gift on Immanuelle. The diary of her dead mother . . .Fascinated by and fearful of the secrets the diary reveals, Immanuelle begins to understand why her mother once consorted with witches. And as the truth about the Prophets, the Church and their history is revealed, so Immanuelle understands what must be done. For the real threat to Bethel is its own darkness.Bethel must change. And that change will begin with her . . .And readers have been bewitched:'I absolutely could not put it down' ***** 'Hecking scary and tense, it gave me goosebumps more than once' *****'Absolutely stunning read' *****'A truly OUTSTANDING read! I am so glad I picked up this book' *****
Year One: Chronicles Of The One, Book 1 (Chronicles of The One #1)
by Nora Roberts'A match for end-of-the-world classics like Stephen King's The Stand' - New York Times Review of Books As this world ends, a new one begins. From number one New York Times bestseller Nora Roberts - an epic, apocalyptic tale of good and evil, love and loss.With one drop of blood, the old world is gone for ever. And in its place, something extraordinary begins...They call it The Doom - a deadly pandemic that starts on a cold New Year's Eve in the Scottish countryside. There's something mysterious about the virus and the way it spreads. As billions fall sick and die, some survivors find themselves invested with strange, unexpected abilities. Lana, a New York chef, has the power to move things and people with her will. Fred can summon light in the darkness. Jonah, a paramedic, sees snatches of the future in those he touches. Katie gives birth to twins, and suspects that she has brought fresh magic into the world, along with new life. But The Doom affects people differently. Along with the light, a dark and terrifying magic will also rise. As the remaining authorities round up the immune and the 'Uncannies' for testing, Lana, Katie and others flee New York in search of a safe haven. The old world is over, and Year One has begun.'Nora Roberts weaves a powerful story of a deadly plague in this gripping, movie-like narrative' - Good Housekeeping'A deadly pandemic known as The Doom kicks off in the Scottish countryside. Who doesn't want to read this?' - Emerald Street
A Year With Aslan: Words Of Wisdom And Reflection From The Chronicles Of Narnia
by C. S. LewisThis long-awaited daily reader brings 365 selections from The Chronicles of Narnia to provide daily inspiration, solace and guidance, as well as a memorable reminder of the power of C.S. Lewis’s enchanting stories and insightful themes.
A Year with C. S. Lewis: 365 Daily Readings From His Classic Works
by C. S. LewisThis ebook comprises an inspirational readings for each day of the year, demonstrating why C.S. Lewis remains one of the world’s best-loved writers.
A Year without Autumn
by Liz KesslerIf you could see into the future - would you look?Jenni Green doesn't have a choice. On her way to visit her best friend, Autumn, Jenni suddenly finds she's been transported exactly one year forward in time.Now she discovers that in the year that's gone by, tragedy has struck and her friendship with Autumn will never be the same again. But what caused the tragedy? How did Jenni skip a year? And can she find her way back to the past to try to change what lies ahead?With humour - and her customary light touch - the author of the EMILYWINDSNAP books plays a fascinating game with time, and explores thechanges that take place in friendships and families in the aftermath of adisaster.
Yellow Blue Tibia: A Novel
by Adam RobertsRussia, 1946, the Nazis recently defeated. Stalin gathers half a dozen of the top Soviet science fiction authors in a dacha in the countryside somewhere. Convinced that the defeat of America is only a few years away, and equally convinced that the Soviet Union needs a massive external threat to hold it together, to give it purpose and direction, he tells the writers: 'I want you to concoct a story about aliens poised to invade earth ... I want it to be massively detailed, and completely believable. If you need props and evidence to back it up, then we can create them. But when America is defeated, your story must be so convincing that the whole population of Soviet Russia believes in it - the population of the whole world!' The little group of writers gets down to the task and spends months working on it. But then new orders come from Moscow: they are told to drop the project; Stalin has changed his mind; forget everything about it. So they do. They get on with their lives in their various ways; some of them survive the remainder of Stalin's rule, the changes of the 50s and 60s. And then, in the aftermath of Chernobyl, the survivors gather again, because something strange has started to happen. The story they invented in 1946 is starting to come true ...A typically mind-blowing SF novel from one of the genre's literary stars.