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The Root: A Novel of The Wrath & Athenaeum
by Na'Amen TilahunA dark, gritty urban fantasy debut set in modern-day San Francisco, filled with gods, sinister government agencies, and worlds of dark magic hidden just below the surface. When a secret government agency trying to enslave you isn't the biggest problem you're facing, you're in trouble. Erik, a former teen star living in San Francisco, thought his life was complicated; having his ex-boyfriend in jail because of the scandal that destroyed his career seemed overwhelming. Then Erik learned he was Blooded: descended from the Gods. Struggling with a power he doesn't understand and can barely control, Erik discovers that a secret government agency is selling off Blooded like lab rats to a rival branch of preternatural beings in 'Zebub--San Francisco's mirror city in an alternate dimension. Lil, a timid apprentice in 'Zebub, is searching for answers to her parents' sudden and mysterious deaths. Surrounded by those who wish her harm and view her as a lesser being, Lil delves into a forgotten history that those in power will go to dangerous lengths to keep buried. What neither Erik nor Lil realize is that a darkness is coming, something none have faced in living memory. It eats. It hunts. And it knows them. In The Root, the dark and surging urban fantasy debut from Na'amen Tilahun, two worlds must come together if even a remnant of one is to survive.
The Rope Trick
by Lloyd AlexanderIt's magic! The great American storyteller Lloyd Alexander conjures an engrossing tale of a bewitching magician. Lidi is not only beautiful, she has the talent to perform the greatest magic feat imaginable--the rope trick. But she must find the one master who can teach her how. On her quest to find master magician Ferramondo, she meets some traveling companions who all help on the journey: a child with true supernatural powers, a handsome outlaw with a price on his head, a successful entrepreneur who wants her in his troupe. But when the child is kidnapped, Lidi must abandon the search and summon her own powers to save the girl. The thrilling conclusion is Alexander at the top of his form in a remarkable fantasy that is both light and dark, funny and serious, believable and mystical. As always with an Alexander novel, the real magician is the storyteller himself.
The Routledge Companion to Folk Horror (Routledge Literature Companions)
by Robert Edgar and Wayne JohnsonThe Routledge Companion to Folk Horror offers a comprehensive guide to this popular genre. It explores its origins, canonical texts and thinkers, the crucial underlying themes of nostalgia and hauntology, and identifies new trends in the field. Divided into five parts, the first focuses on the history of Folk Horror from medieval texts to the present day. It considers the first wave of contemporary Folk Horror through the films of the ‘unholy trinity’, as well as discussing the influence of ancient gods and early Folk Horror. Part 2 looks at the spaces, landscapes, and cultural relics, which form a central focus for Folk Horror. In Part 3, the contributors examine the rich history of the use of folklore in children’s fiction. The next part discusses recent examples of Folk Horror-infused music and image. Chapters consider the relationship between different genres of music to Folk Horror (such as folk music, black metal, and new wave), sound and performance, comic books, and the Dark Web. Often regarded as British in origin, the final part analyses texts which break this link, as the contributors reveal the larger realms of regional, national, international, and transnational Folk Horror. Featuring 40 contributions, this authoritative collection brings together leading voices in the field. It is an invaluable resource for students and scholars interested in this vibrant genre and its enduring influence on literature, film, music, and culture.
The Routledge Handbook to the Ghost Story (Routledge Literature Handbooks)
by Luke Thurston Scott BrewsterThe Handbook to the Ghost Story sets out to survey and significantly extend a new field of criticism which has been taking shape over recent years, centring on the ghost story and bringing together a vast range of interpretive methods and theoretical perspectives. The main task of the volume is to properly situate the genre within historical and contemporary literary cultures across the globe, and to explore its significance within wider literary contexts as well as those of the supernatural. The Handbook offers the most significant contribution to this new critical field to date, assembling some of its leading scholars to examine the key contexts and issues required for understanding the emergence and development of the ghost story.
The Ruby Circle
by Richelle MeadThe epic conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series is finally here...Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets--and human lives.After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.
The Ruby Circle
by Richelle MeadThe epic conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series is finally here...Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets--and human lives.After their secret romance is exposed, Sydney and Adrian find themselves facing the wrath of both the Alchemists and the Moroi in this electrifying conclusion to Richelle Mead's New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series. When the life of someone they both love is put on the line, Sydney risks everything to hunt down a deadly former nemesis. Meanwhile, Adrian becomes enmeshed in a puzzle that could hold the key to a shocking secret about spirit magic, a secret that could shake the entire Moroi world.
The Ruins
by Scott SmithWhile partying on holiday in Cancun two young American couples befriend a German tourist named Mathias, and three friendly Greeks. Mathias had been travelling with his brother, Heinrich, who's disappeared off to the Mayan ruins with a woman working on an archaeological dig. Mathias is worried for his brother and, using a hand-drawn map Heinrich had left behind, sets off in pursuit. The Americans and one of the Greeks join him in his adventure to the interior. After an exhausting journey, the six reach a Mayan village. But there they receive a frightening reception and turn around, despairing of ever finding Henrich and the ruins. Following a camouflaged trail out of the village, the group come to a hillside covered in bright red flowers. As they pause at the base of this hill, transfixed by the beauty of the vision, a horseman approaches behind them. It's one of the Mayans; he's got a gun and, in his own language, orders them away from the hill. In the midst of the confrontation, one of the group steps backward, into the flowering vine. The Mayan falls silent then orders all six up the hill. As they follow the trail across the hilltop and down the slope they see yet another group of Mayans waiting for them, weapons out-and a mound, covered with the flowering vine. They examine it and find Henrich's corpse, shot full of arrows. They are mystified. And the Mayans won't let them leave. Trapped, the group try to figure out a way to survive until someone comes to find them, imagining they've been made irrational by thirst and hunger. But as they move through their first twenty-four hours, another, far more terrifying foe reveals itself . . . Eerie, terrifying, unputdownable The Ruins is suspense storytelling at its best.
The Ruins: A Novel
by Phoebe WynneA suspenseful, contemporary Gothic coming-of-age tale with shades of Patricia Highsmith and Atonement, pitched against the sun-soaked backdrop of the French Riviera.The most dazzling summer casts the darkest shadows.Welcome to the Chateau des Sètes, a jewel of the Cote d’Azur, where long summer days bring ease, glamour, and decadence to the holidaymakers who can afford it.Ruby Ashby adores her parents’ house in France, but this August, everything feels different. Unexpected guests have descended upon the chateau––friends of her parents, and their daughters—and they are keen to enjoy the hot, extravagant summer holiday to its fullest potential. Far from England, safe in their wealth and privilege, the adults revel in bad behavior without consequence, while the girls are treated as playthings or abandoned to their own devices. But despite languid days spent poolside and long nights spent drinking, a simmering tension is growing between the families, and the sanctuary that Ruby cherishes soon starts to feel like a gilded cage.Over two decades later the chateau is for sale, its days of splendor and luxury long gone, leaving behind a terrible history and an ugly legacy. A young widow has returned to France, wanting to purchase the chateau, despite her shocking memories of what transpired that fateful summer. But there is another person who is equally haunted by the chateau, and who also seeks to reclaim it. Who will set the chateau free––and who will become yet another of its victims?With riveting psychological complexity, The Ruins captures the tangled legacy of abuse, the glittering allure of the Mediterranean––and the dark shadows that wait beneath the surface of both.
The Rule of Three: A Novel
by Sam RipleyThe Whisper Man meets the paranoia of The Blair Witch Project in this terrifying suspense novel from &“an exciting new voice in the field of chilling thrillers&” (Alex North, New York Times bestselling author).That&’s the one. That&’s the girl who&’s going to die. I didn&’t believe in the Rule of Three. Not at first. It was just one of those urban myths you hear about all the time. A story my boyfriend told me about a girl cursed by the number three. A girl whose parents had killed themselves after her sibling had died in an accident. Which meant that she was doomed to die too. Bad things always happen in threes, they say, and they are right. Because it&’s happening again. But this time the curse is coming for me. And worst of all? It&’s coming for you, too.
The Rule of Three: The chilling suspense thriller of 2023
by Sam Ripley&‘The Rule of Three absolutely blew me away. An incredibly intense and original creepy page-turner that made me keep turning the pages in a desperate need to finish it and find out the answers! Utterly paranoia-inducing and brilliant. I loved it. It came for me and now it will come for you!' SARAH PINBOROUGH 'Ingenious, creepy and compelling. Sam Ripley is an exciting new voice in the field of chilling thrillers' ALEX NORTH The Whisper Man meets The Chalk Man with the paranoia of The Blair Witch Project in this chilling suspense thriller. That&’s the one.That&’s the girl who&’s going to die. I didn&’t believe in the Rule of Three. Not at first. It was just one of those urban myths you hear about all the time. A story my boyfriend told me about a girl cursed by the number three. A girl whose parents had killed themselves after her sibling had died in an accident. Which meant that she was doomed to die too because that&’s the Rule of Three. Bad things always happen in threes, they say, and they are right. Because it&’s happening again. But this time the curse is coming for me. And worst of all?It&’s coming for you, too. 'How rare it is to devour a new thriller with a truly new premise told in a truly new way. In The Rule of Three, Sam Ripley has achieved the near impossible, blending innovative storytelling with fresh, surprising characters fighting for their lives against the very narrative we are racing to read and keep up with. This twisty, dark delight plumbs our all-too-human paranoias and proclivities, upending our expectations of what a thriller can be' GREGG HURWITZ 'The Rule of three is an excellent, twisty thriller that keeps you glued to the page right the way through. Definitely my kind of book!' SIMON KERNICK &‘The Rule of Three is a completely original, nuanced, one-sitting read that blew me away. Whip-smart dialogue, characters that haunt your dreams and a plot you might just die for. I loved it&’ CHRIS WHITAKER 'With The Rule of Three, Sam Ripley has delivered a perfectly crafted nightmare. Taut, deliciously sinister, witty and original. I couldn&’t get enough of all the creepy twists and turns' CAZ FREAR &‘The Rule of Three is a sinister tale that deftly blends paranoia, conspiracy and a rash of mysterious deaths to create a dizzying and gripping thriller. The story sucked me in from page one and I was caught up in this just-one-more-chapter read until I raced to the conclusion – making sure to read in a well-lit room at all times!&’ ROD REYNOLDS 'Ingenious and compelling in equal measure' KEVIN WIGNALL 'A thrilling concept told in a gripping, unique voice' CLAIRE MCGOWAN
The Rule of Won
by Stefan PetruchaCaleb Dunne, the quintessential slacker, is pressured by his girlfriend to join a high school club based on "The Rule of Won", which promises to fulfill members' every "crave". but when nonbelievers start being ostracized and even hurt, Caleb must act.
The Rules of Magic: A Novel (The Practical Magic Series #1)
by Alice Hoffman<P>From beloved author Alice Hoffman comes the spellbinding prequel to her bestseller, Practical Magic. <P>Find your magic. For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man. <P>Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk. <P>From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. <P>Back in New York City each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse. The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy. <P>Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is a story about the power of love reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
The Rules of War (Gods of War #5)
by Xenia MelzerThe final war is on the horizon.Years ago Renaldo would have said all is fair in love and war. Now he’s sure nothing is. His husband, Casto, has left him, and without his touchstone, Renaldo cannot control his powers.The loss could not come at a worse time. The Good Mother and her followers are stretching out in a power grab, dividing the forces of the Gods of War and putting their victory in jeopardy.<br style="color: #3c4043; font-family: Roboto, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: 0.2px; orphans: 2; text-ali
The Runaway (Fear Street #43)
by R. L. StineRunaway Felicia settled on Shadyside because nobody there would know about her dark powers. For once, she could be a normal girl. But someone found out about the awful things her powers made her do. Felicia doesn't want to run away again. But if she stays, she might lose control. And then people would start to die.
The Runaway Governess: A Christmas Historical Romance Novel (The Governess Tales #3)
by Liz TynerIn the arms of Prince Charming... When Isabel Morton's desire to sing leads her from a prospective governess post to a disreputable and dangerous establishment in London, she's rescued by dashing William Balfour. But when her savior is accused of being a party to her misfortune, it's Isabel's turn to save William...by becoming his bride! Brought together by fate and now bound by a vow, it's time for these two strangers to explore the unexpected passion of their new marriage-and find a way to live happily ever after as husband and wife!
The Runaway: Fear Street #41 (Fear Street #41)
by R. L. StineHoping to start her life over at Shadyside, where nobody knows about her secret dark powers, runaway Felicia becomes terrified that she will lose control of herself again when someone discovers the truth about her.
The Runes Of The Earth: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
by Stephen DonaldsonThe return of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever!In 1977, with the publication of THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER, Stephen Donaldson created a true phenomenon: an epic fantasy instant bestseller that has now sold millions and millions of copies across the world.Thomas Covenant is mysteriously struck down by a disease believed eradicated; abandoned by his wife and young son, he becomes a pariah. Alone, despairing, Covenant falls - and is drawn into a mysterious new world where gentle people work magic and the earth itself brings healing. He is welcomed as the reincarnation of a legendary saviour, but Covenant is convinced he's having delusions. At the end of the sixth book, as Covenant battles to save the world, he is killed - in both worlds - as Dr Linden Avery, his horrified companion, looks on.Now comes the book every fantasy reader has been waiting for. It's ten years later and Linden Avery thought she would never see the Land, or Covenant, her beloved, again. But Lord Foul has stolen her adopted son, and is unmaking the very laws of nature.And though she believes Covenant dead, he keeps sending Linden messages: 'Find me', 'You're the only one who can do this' and 'Remember that I'm dead'. The Land is in turmoil, and Lord Foul has plans for them all ...
The Runes Of The Earth: The Last Chronicles of Thomas Covenant
by Stephen DonaldsonIn 1977, with the publication of THE CHRONICLES OF THOMAS COVENANT THE UNBELIEVER, Stephen Donaldson created a true phenomenon: an epic fantasy instant bestseller that has now sold millions and millions of copies across the world.Thomas Covenant is mysteriously struck down by a disease believed eradicated; abandoned by his wife and young son, he becomes a pariah. Alone, despairing, Covenant falls - and is drawn into a mysterious new world where gentle people work magic and the earth itself brings healing. He is welcomed as the reincarnation of a legendary saviour, but Covenant is convinced he's having delusions. At the end of the sixth book, as Covenant battles to save the world, he is killed - in both worlds - as Dr Linden Avery, his horrified companion, looks on.Now comes the book every fantasy reader has been waiting for. Its ten years later and Linden Avery thought she would never see the Land, or Covenant, her beloved, again. But Lord Foul has stolen her adopted son and is unmaking the very laws of nature.And though she believes Covenant dead, he keeps sending Linden messages: 'Find me’. The Land is in turmoil and Lord Foul has plans for them all…(p) 2005 Orion Publishing Group
The Runestaff: The Runestaff (Gateway Essentials #450)
by Michael MoorcockThe Dark Empire of Granbretan has humiliated and mutilated Dorian Hawkmoon, but it cannot rob him of his two consuming passions: his love for Yisselda of Brass and his hatred of her ruthless suitor Meliadus.But before he can defy the Dark Empire and win the beauteous Yisselda, he must seek the Runestaff, a quest that will send him into barbaric wonder and perverse evil ... and only if he succeeds will he avert the doom of all the world...
The Rural Gothic in American Popular Culture
by Bernice M. MurphyThe Rural Gothic in American Popular Culture argues that complex and often negative initial responses of early European settlers continue to influence American horror and gothic narratives to this day. The book undertakes a detailed analysis of key literary and filmic texts situated within consideration of specific contexts.
The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose #3)
by Charlaine Harris#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris is at her best in this alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this third installment of the Gunnie Rose series.Picking up right where A Longer Fall left off, this thrilling third installment follows Lizbeth Rose as she takes on one of her most dangerous missions yet: rescuing her estranged partner, Prince Eli, from the Holy Russian Empire. Once in San Diego, Lizbeth is going to have to rely upon her sister Felicia, and her growing Grigori powers to navigate her way through this strange new world of royalty and deception in order to get Eli freed from jail where he&’s being held for murder. Russian Cage continues to ramp up the momentum with more of everything Harris&’ readers adore her for with romance, intrigue, and a deep dive into the mysterious Holy Russian Empire.
The Russian Intelligence
by Michael MoorcockMeet secret agent, Jerry Cornell: the polar opposite if a super sleuth.Jerry is always careful to choose a case that will solve itself so he can spend most of his agency's time in bed with a beautiful woman. But his luck runs out when he accidentally takes on the the assignment code-named 'Devil Rider'.The Russian Intelligence is the hilarious sequel to The Chinese Agent.
The Sable Moon (The Book of Isle #3)
by Nancy SpringerA headstrong young prince, enslaved far from home, must rescue his imperiled kingdom and those he loves from an ancient dark sorcery in Nancy Springer&’s magnificent third entry in the Book of Isle The life of young Prince Trevyn of Isle changes forever on the day a mysterious boy named Gwern is welcomed without question into the family&’s castle. Stubborn and resentful of the unwanted intrusion, the errant teenage prince abandons his home and soon finds himself both in love and in jeopardy. Enraptured by the village girl Meg, he incurs the wrath of Wael, a powerful warlock, by saving the lady of his heart and her people from certain destruction. But young Trevyn&’s trials have only just begun. Lured across the seas by his vengeful foe, he is captured and enslaved, and must somehow find his way to freedom. For the unprotected Isle is now at Wael&’s mercy, and love will surely die if the boy-prince cannot return to the realm as its champion. A classic epic fantasy in the grand tradition of J. R. R. Tolkien, set in an ancient island sanctuary of gods and ghosts and magic, Nancy Springer&’s captivating Book of Isle saga is brimming with adventure, romance, evil, mythic quests, legendary history, and ingeniously imagined locales.
The Sable Moon (The Book of Isle #3)
by Nancy SpringerA headstrong young prince, enslaved far from home, must rescue his imperiled kingdom and those he loves from an ancient dark sorcery in Nancy Springer&’s magnificent third entry in the Book of Isle The life of young Prince Trevyn of Isle changes forever on the day a mysterious boy named Gwern is welcomed without question into the family&’s castle. Stubborn and resentful of the unwanted intrusion, the errant teenage prince abandons his home and soon finds himself both in love and in jeopardy. Enraptured by the village girl Meg, he incurs the wrath of Wael, a powerful warlock, by saving the lady of his heart and her people from certain destruction. But young Trevyn&’s trials have only just begun. Lured across the seas by his vengeful foe, he is captured and enslaved, and must somehow find his way to freedom. For the unprotected Isle is now at Wael&’s mercy, and love will surely die if the boy-prince cannot return to the realm as its champion. A classic epic fantasy in the grand tradition of J. R. R. Tolkien, set in an ancient island sanctuary of gods and ghosts and magic, Nancy Springer&’s captivating Book of Isle saga is brimming with adventure, romance, evil, mythic quests, legendary history, and ingeniously imagined locales.
The Sacred Hunt Duology (Sacred Hunt)
by Michelle WestFor the first time in one volume, the two novels that began the epic tale of the Essalieyanese empire.<P><P> Hunter's Oath<P> When the covenant was made with the Hunter God, all who dwelt in Breodanir swore to abide by it. The Hunter Lords--and the hunting dogs to which their minds were attuned--would seek out game in the God's woods to provide food for their people, and the Hunter God would ensure that the Hunters, the land, and the people prospered.<P> But in payment, once a year the Sacred Hunt must be called, the God's own Hunt in which the prey became one of the Lords, or his huntbrother--the companion chosen from the common folk to remind each Lord of his own ties to humanity. It was the Oath pledged in blood by Gilliam of Elseth and the orphan boy Stephen--and the fulfillment of that Oath would lead them to the kind of destiny from which legends were made....<P> Hunter's Death<P> Averalaan, that most ancient of cities, had long been the home of magics both dark and bright. For the site where this most civilized city of mortals new stood had once been a dread place indeed, a citadel of evil ruled by the Lord of Hell. Only through the greatest of sacrifices had he been cast back into his own dimension. But now, trouble was once again stirring in the hidden byways of Averalaan.<P> Blessed or cursed by their Hunter God and gifted with his most unique creation, the Hunter Lord Gilliam and his huntbrother Stephen were about to do the unthinkable. Guided by the seer Yvaine, they would journey beyond the borders of their kingdom, something no Hunter Lord had ever done. For only in Averalaan could they find their true destiny, even if it meant facing the Dark Lord himself....