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Wandel des Herzens (Wandel des Herzens #1)
by Mary Calmes NicolettaBuch 1 in der Serie - Change of Heart-SerieAls junger Mann, der schwul ist und noch dazu ein Werpanther, wünscht sich Jin Rayne nichts sehnlicher als ein normales Leben. Er ist seiner Vergangenheit entflohen und möchte einfach neu anfangen. Aber Jins altes Leben will ihn nicht loslassen. Als seine Reisen ihn in eine neue Stadt führen, begegnet er dem Anführer eines örtlichen Werkatzen-Stammes. Logan Church ist ein Schock und ein Rätsel für ihn und Jin ist voller Sorge, dass Logan der Gefährte ist den er so sehr fürchtet, aber auch die Liebe seines Lebens. Jin möchte mit den Traditionen nichts mehr zu tun haben und die Verbindung mit einem Gefährten würde ihn unwiderruflich daran fesseln. Aber Jin ist genau der Gefährte den Logan an seiner Seite braucht um seinen Stamm erfolgreich zu führen, und deshalb wird er Jin nicht einfach gehen lassen. Jin wird Zeit und Vertrauen brauchen um die Freude zu entdecken die darin liegt zu Logan zu gehören, und seine Liebe ohne Einschränkungen zu erwidern.
The Wanderer in Unknown Realms
by John Connolly“Books alter men, and men, in their turn, alter worlds.” Soter is a man who has been haunted by World War I. But when he’s sent to investigate the disappearance of Lionel Maudling, the owner of a grand country house whose heir may be accused for his death, he encounters a home that will lead him to nightmares he could have never imagined. Maudling’s estate houses countless books of every sort—histories, dramas, scientific treatises. But none seems to offer Soter any hint to Maudling’s whereabouts, until he’s led to an arcane London bookseller where the reclusive scholar made his last purchase. What Soter finds at the end of a twisted maze of clues is a book like no other, with a legacy that will put everything he knows in danger… An inventive horror novella from internationally bestselling author John Connolly, this is a story of madness, of obsession, and of books’ power to change the world.
Wanderers
by Kate OrmandA Unique Twist on Shape-Shifters with Fast-Paced Action, Thrilling Adventure, Mystery, and a Bit of Romance Flo lives an eccentric life--she travels with a popular circus in which the main acts star orphaned children with secret shape-shifting abilities. Once Flo turns sixteen, she must perform, but she’s not ready. While practicing jumping a flaming hurdle in a clearing beside the circus, she spots a dark figure in the trees and fears he saw her shift. The news sends the circus into a panic. In Flo’s world, shifters are unknown to humans with the exception of a secret organization--the EOS, referred to as "hunters. ” Hunters capture and kill. They send some shifters to labs for observation and testing--testing they don’t often survive--and deem others useless, a danger to society, and eliminate them. To avoid discovery, shifters travel in packs, constantly moving and keeping themselves hidden. Up until now, the circus was the perfect disguise. Believing she has brought attention to the group, Flo feels dread and anxiety, causing her to make a mistake in front of the audience during her performance--a mistake that triggers a violent attack from the hunters. Flo manages to flee the torched circus grounds with Jett, the bear shifter who loves her; the annoying elephant triplets; and a bratty tiger named Pru. Together they begin a new journey, alone in a world they don’t understand and don’t know how to navigate. On the run, they unravel secrets and lies that surround the circus and their lives--secrets and lies that all point to the unthinkable: Have they been betrayed by the people they trusted most?
Wanted: Wild Thing (Midnight Liaisons Ser. #4)
by Jessica SimsThe final book in a romance series set in a "fun, sexy world" (USA TODAY), where paranormals seek love through a dating service called Midnight Liaisons.Ryder is hiding a dark secret from her coworkers at Midnight Liaisons. Every time she's sexually attracted to a man, her dragon side breaks through. Not exactly man-bait! But she needs to lose her virginity before her twenty-fifth birthday, or she'll become a dragon forever. Her solution? Big, hunky Hugh, the appointed guardian of her chastity. He's clearly hot for her, but he has powerful reasons to resist Ryder. Can temptation--and love--possibly find a way?
The Wanting: The Wanting And Letters From The Dead
by Campbell ArmstrongIn master of the macabre Campbell Armstrong's chilling novel, a dark force feeds on children in the sprawling California woods, Max and Louise Untermeyer are looking forward to spending time with their twelve-year-old son, Denny, at their vacation house in a magnificent California pine forest. Their only neighbors are an old hippie and a kindly yet reclusive elderly couple. But something is bothering Louise. Her son is changing. Some sort of evil darkness has infected him and is distorting his personality, draining away his innocence with every passing moment. If Louise and her family are to escape from this horrific nightmare, she and her husband must not only rescue their son and save his life, but save their own, as well.
Wanton Desire's Reign
by Jolanta GębkaThe action of this book takes place in the years 2073-1973. Important to places and financial situations from this. The action takes place in time, in the past, present and future, which may meet my heroes in the years 2073-1973.
The War Amongst The Angels
by Michael MoorcockThe lyrical genius of Michael Moorcock defies categorization; his creations soar to grand and golden places hitherto unimagined and unimaginable. In this, his most heartfelt and astonishing work to date, he carries the reader across mystical thresholds viewed from afar in the brilliant Blood and Fabulous Harbors, and reveals the mighty destinies, exemplary loves, and the true and secret histories of his most beloved and intriguing characters. It is a tale of the incomparable Rose von Bek, who discovers the myriad possibilities that life has to offer in the special, infinitely wondrous places known as the Second Ether - where time has no bounds and existence is a river of endless reinvention. Here, also, is the love of her life - the volatile and enigmatic Sam Oakenburst - and the story of the ill-fated passion of the exotic Colinda Dovero and the swashbuckling gambler Jack Karaquazian. These four together - along with their exceptional companions, including Rose's mad uncle, Michael, late of Texas - will become allies in what some call the great War in Heaven, fighting shoulder-to-shoulder against the agents of evil and stagnation, in a battle whose outcome will determine the very nature of reality itself.
The War Beneath
by S.R. HughesIn this paranormal thriller set in coastal Maine, a reluctant medium and a mystical drug dealer team up against an apocalyptic conspiracy.Paul had been a forensic psychologist before his daughter’s death sent him on the downward spiral of addiction—and brought an unwelcome ability to hear the voices of the dead. He fled New York for a houseboat in Oceanrest, Maine. Since then, he’s been trying to shake off his past and silence the spirits with a regular supply of magical downers.Paul’s dealer Deirdre lives on the outskirts of Oceanrest, where she tends to a hydroponic farm of mystic flora and esoteric plant life. She’s built a good business as a not-quite-legal apothecary. But when someone robs her stash, Deirdre and Paul are equally desperate to find it.Soon they find themselves under attack from criminals and cultists, on the run from Quebecois mobsters, Aryan Nationalists, and a group of young men who seem dedicated to destruction on an apocalyptic scale.
War for the Oaks: A Novel
by Emma BullThe fantasy classic from the author of Bone Dance. &“The author&’s prose portrayal of Faerie infringing on the real world remains an imaginative triumph.&” —Publishers Weekly Acclaimed by critics and readers on its first publication in 1987, winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel, Emma Bull&’s War for the Oaks is one of the novels that has defined modern urban fantasy. Eddi McCandry sings rock and roll. But her boyfriend just dumped her, her band just broke up, and life could hardly be worse. Then, walking home through downtown Minneapolis on a dark night, she finds herself drafted into an invisible war between the faerie folk. Now, more than her own survival is at risk—and her own preferences, musical and personal, are very much beside the point. By turns tough and lyrical, fabulous and down-to-earth, War for the Oaks is a fantasy novel that&’s as much about this world as about the other one. It&’s about real love and loyalty, about real music and musicians, about false glamour and true art. It will change the way you hear and see your own daily life. At the Publisher&’s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. &“One of the most engaging fantasies I&’ve read in a long time.&” —Minneapolis Star-Tribune &“Knifes through the fantasy genre like a sharp blade of wind.&” —Charles de Lint, World Fantasy Award-winning author
War God: War God Trilogy Book One
by Graham HancockA young girl called Tozi stands at the bottom of a pyramid, waiting to be led to the top where her heart will be cut out...Pepillo, a Spanish orphan who serves a sadistic Dominican friar, is aboard the Spanish fleet as it sails towards Mexico...This is the epic story of the clash of two empires, two armies and two gods of war. Five hundred desperate adventurers are about to pit themselves against the most brutal armies of the ancient Americas, armies hundreds of thousands strong. This is a war of gods and men. Dark powers that work behind the scenes of history show their hand as the prophecy of the return of Quetzalcoatl is fulfilled with the arrival of Cortes. The Aztec ruler Moctezuma fights to maintain the demands of the war god Huitzilopochtli for human sacrifice. The Spanish Inquisition is planning an even greater blood-letting. Caught up in the headlong collision between two gods of war are Tozi, Pepillo and the beautiful sex slave Malinal whose hatred of Moctezuma runs so deep she will sell out her own land and people to destroy him.
War God: War God Trilogy Book One (War God #1)
by Graham HancockA young girl called Tozi stands at the bottom of a pyramid, waiting to be led to the top where her heart will be cut out...Pepillo, a Spanish orphan who serves a sadistic Dominican friar, is aboard the Spanish fleet as it sails towards Mexico...This is the epic story of the clash of two empires, two armies and two gods of war. Five hundred desperate adventurers are about to pit themselves against the most brutal armies of the ancient Americas, armies hundreds of thousands strong. This is a war of gods and men. Dark powers that work behind the scenes of history show their hand as the prophecy of the return of Quetzalcoatl is fulfilled with the arrival of Cortes. The Aztec ruler Moctezuma fights to maintain the demands of the war god Huitzilopochtli for human sacrifice. The Spanish Inquisition is planning an even greater blood-letting. Caught up in the headlong collision between two gods of war are Tozi, Pepillo and the beautiful sex slave Malinal whose hatred of Moctezuma runs so deep she will sell out her own land and people to destroy him.
War in Heaven: A Novel
by Charles Williams Jonathan RyanThe discovery of an ancient holy relic in an English country church ignites the ultimate battle of good and evil in this deeply thoughtful metaphysical thriller An unidentified body lies lifeless in the offices of a British publishing house. Soon after it is discovered, an urgent request from an author arrives by post, pleading for the deletion of an important paragraph from an upcoming publication. These unlikely incidents mark the beginning of a secret war waged in the English countryside but threatening to engulf all of humankind. On the side of the godly, an archdeacon, an eccentric duke, a book editor, and a young boy must confront the dark magic of relentless satanic forces--for behind the facade of a common pharmacy, sinister plans are being laid for the negation of everything. The most horrible of conspiracies, its success hangs on the acquisition of an object of enormous supernatural power recently discovered in a small parish church: the Holy Grail. Preceding The Da Vinci Code and the Left Behind novels by half a century, War in Heaven is the first novel written by Charles Williams, an esteemed member of the famed Oxford literary society known as the Inklings, which included such notables as C. S. Lewis, Owen Barfield, and J. R. R. Tolkien. This is a provocative, page-turning tale of faith, morality, and magic--an amalgam of thriller, fantasy, metaphysics, and theology that engages and entertains. This ebook includes a new introduction by Jonathan Ryan.
The War of the Worlds, Plus Blood, Guts and Zombies
by Eric Brown H. G. WellsA thrilling literary mash-up that blends a mounting zombie invasion into mankind's struggle for survival against an apocalyptic alien threat.
War of Wings
by Tanner McElroyWritten from the two opposing perspectives of Gabriel and Lucifer, War of Wings follows their paths and love stories as they face a violent war that leads to the fall of one-third of the angels from Heaven. Gabriel, the archangel, loves life, but there is one thing in Heaven that he cannot tolerate: perfection. Lucifer, God’s highest cherubim angel and “perfect image of beauty,” stands alone in the hierarchy leading praise, worship, music, and laughter in the hope that one day he will be promoted to God’s equal. War of Wings is a fast-paced journey of two battling angels yearning for change. Their destinies emerge from triumph, failure, love, and heartbreak, as they discover that even in Heaven decisions always have consequences.
The War Within: The Great God's War Book Two (The Great God's War #2)
by Stephen R. DonaldsonStephen R. Donaldson, the New York Times bestselling author of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, returns to the world of his Great God’s War fantasy epic as two kingdoms— united by force—prepare to be challenged by a merciless enemy…It has been twenty years since Prince Bifalt of Belleger discovered the Last Repository and the sorcerous knowledge hidden there. At the behest of the repository's magisters, and in return for the restoration of sorcery to both kingdoms, the realms of Belleger and Amika ceased generations of war. Their alliance was sealed with the marriage of Bifalt to Estie, the crown princess of Amika. But the peace--and their marriage--has been uneasy.Now the terrible war that King Bifalt and Queen Estie feared is coming. An ancient enemy has discovered the location of the Last Repository, and a mighty horde of dark forces is massing to attack the library and take the magical knowledge it guards. That horde will slaughter every man, woman, and child in its path, destroying both Belleger and Amika along the way. With their alliance undermined by lingering hostility and conspiracies threatening, it will take all of the monarchs' strength and will to inspire their kingdoms to become one to defend their land, or all is lost....
The Ward (Downside #2)
by S. L. GreyThe second thought-provoking, stunningly written tale of horror from S. L. GreyLisa is a plastic surgery addict with severe self-esteem issues. The only hospital that will let her go under the knife is New Hope: a grimy, grey-walled facility dubbed "No Hope" by its patients. Farrell is a celebrity photographer. His last memory is a fight with his fashion-model girlfriend and now he's woken up in No Hope, alone. Needle marks criss-cross his arms, a sinister nurse keeps tampering with his drip, and he's woken up blind. Panicked and disorientated, Farrell persuades Lisa to help him escape, but the hospital's dimly lit corridors only take them deeper underground, into a twisted mirror world staffed by dead-eyed nurses and doped-up orderlies. Down in the Modification Ward, Lisa can finally have the face she wants—but at a price that will haunt them both forever.
The Warded Man (The Demon Cycle #1)
by Peter V. BrettAs darkness falls each night, demons surface from the ground. They possess supernatural strength and burn with a hatred of humanity. Three young survivors of vicious demon attacks dare to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past.
The Warden
by Madeleine RouxIn this thrilling and creepy digital original story set in the world of Madeleine Roux's New York Times bestselling novel Asylum, a young nurse starts work at the Brookline asylum--and quickly discovers that there's more to its sinister warden than meets the eye.<P><P>When Jocelyn and her best friend, Madge, arrive at the gates of Brookline sanatorium--fresh out of nursing school--they are eager and excited to start their new careers. But from their very first meeting with Brookline's austere warden, they can tell their new boss will be . . . difficult. Then Jocelyn wakes up in her room one night to the sound of screaming, and she starts to wonder if the treatments in this asylum are entirely humane. But the warden has his eye on Jocelyn--and the treatment of patients should be the least of her concerns.With page-turning chills and a shocking final twist, The Warden is a short and terrifying installment in the Asylum series that can stand on its own for new readers or provide a missing piece of the puzzle for series fans.Epic Reads Impulse is a digital imprint focused on young adult short stories and novellas, with new releases the first Tuesday of each month.
The Warden of the Castle
by Claudio HernándezThe Warden of the Castle opens the gate of his fortress to scare us with his stories, each of them more horrific. His strange guests and us will spend the night sheltered from a neverending snowstorm and listening to his horror tales. The deep voice of the warden resonates with the name of the stories in a room lit by only the dying light of two torches and a fireplace in front of a red carpet. The guests are Edgar Allan Poe, H.P.Lovecraft, Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley or James Warren amongst others. The howling wolf stops, signaling the time to say goodbye. These are the stories that appear in this anthology: The Sheet, The Undertaker, The A+ Girl, Rotten Apples, In the Mouth of the Worm, The Bogeyman Is Under the Sheets, Everything You Have Lost, Time to Say Good-Bye, The Girl I Love, The Curious Case of Mr. Carl Farmer, Sometimes They Sleep, They Are Amongst Us, Fletcher's Death, Horns - An Extraordinary Case, Pets Always Come Back, Catalepsy, The Fifth Guest, The Apocalypse We Knew, The Photocopier, The Shortcut on the Goat's Slope, Children That Disappear, Hold on While You Breath.
The Warlock Effect: A highly entertaining, twisty adventure filled with magic, illusions and Cold War espionage
by Jeremy Dyson Andy NymanTHE SUNDAY TIMES THRILLER OF THE MONTHA THE TIMES BEST THRILLER FOR APRIL'Sheer delight' THE SUNDAY TIMES'A serpentine thriller' SPECTATOR'A pure delight' NEIL GAIMAN'All the hallmarks of a modern classic' ADAM KAY'Two great masters join forces to explosive effect' RICHARD OSMAN'Huge fun - gripping and very clever. I didn't want it to end' PETER JAMES'A beautiful magic trick in itself - wonderful' DERREN BROWN'I absolutely loved every twist, every turn, every blockbusting cliffhanger' STEVEN MOFFATMeet Louis Warlock.Man about town, denizen of Soho's nightclubs and cabaret bars - and the most skilled magician of his time . . .As a boy, Ludvik Weinschenk fled Nazi Germany to England with a pack of playing cards and three tricks to his name. Twelve years later, in 1950s London, having risen through the ranks of concert parties, night clubs and variety theatres, Ludvik - or Louis Warlock as he is now known - is the most famous magician in Britain. But after his talent for deception attracts the attention of the British secret service, Louis is thrown into the perilous world of espionage and finds himself sent across Europe with a dangerous mission to fulfil. When he comes face to face with a nemesis whose cunning rivals his own, Louis will need to use every trick in the book - or risk the most terrible consequences, both for the country and for himself.A highly entertaining, fiendishly clever thriller, The Warlock Effect offers a twist-filled, rollicking adventure - and a glimpse into the phenomenal mind of an extraordinary magician.MORE PRAISE FOR THE WARLOCK EFFECT:'A delicious confection from a pair of devilishly clever minds' STEVE PEMBERTON'A superb story of espionage and human endurance which casts its own vivid spell. In the stage magician Louis Warlock, Nyman and Dyson have created one of fiction's most complex and beguiling heroes' JAY RAYNER'Intriguing and completely original, this Cold War spy novel is just what every bookshelf needs' W.C. RYAN'The period atmosphere and the Cold War detail feel like a Le Carré but it's the characters you really care about. Exactly like some of the magic it describes, the odd sleight of hand or false deception wrapped around a terrific mystery.' IAN MOORE'Edge-of-your-seat stuff . . . Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure, The Warlock Effect is a fiendish mix of history, humour and horror' SJ BENNETT'A thrilling and ingenious work of wonder. Twisting, evocative and hugely entertaining, The Warlock Effect delivers on every level' CHRIS WHITAKER'Spellbinding. Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman skillfully depict a shadowy world of magic and espionage in this gripping tale that is entertaining, heartfelt and as twisty as any artful stage magician's signature trick.' ADAM HAMDY'An adventure told with skill and wit and quite a lot up its sleeve. Sharp and scary and full of twists and turns.' DAVID QUANTICK
The Warlock Effect: A highly entertaining, twisty adventure filled with magic, illusions and Cold War espionage
by Jeremy Dyson Andy NymanFrom Jeremy Dyson & Andy Nyman, creators of the international smash-hit play and film Ghost Stories, comes a new novel: The Warlock Effect.'All the hallmarks of a modern classic' ADAM KAY'Two great masters join forces to explosive effect' RICHARD OSMAN'Huge fun - gripping and very clever. I didn't want it to end' PETER JAMES'A beautiful magic trick in itself - wonderful' DERREN BROWN'I absolutely loved every twist, every turn, every blockbusting cliffhanger' STEVEN MOFFATMeet Louis Warlock.Man about town, denizen of Soho's nightclubs and cabaret bars - and the most skilled magician of his time . . .As a boy, Ludvik Weinschenk fled Nazi Germany to England with a pack of playing cards and three tricks to his name. Twelve years later, in 1950s London, having risen through the ranks of concert parties, night clubs and variety theatres, Ludvik - or Louis Warlock as he is now known - is the most famous magician in Britain. But after his talent for deception attracts the attention of the British secret service, Louis is thrown into the perilous world of espionage and finds himself sent across Europe with a dangerous mission to fulfil. When he comes face to face with a nemesis whose cunning rivals his own, Louis will need to use every trick in the book - or risk the most terrible consequences, both for the country and for himself.A highly entertaining, fiendishly clever thriller, The Warlock Effect offers a twist-filled, rollicking adventure - and a glimpse into the phenomenal mind of an extraordinary magician.MORE PRAISE FOR THE WARLOCK EFFECT:'A delicious confection from a pair of devilishly clever minds' STEVE PEMBERTON'A superb story of espionage and human endurance which casts its own vivid spell. In the stage magician Louis Warlock, Nyman and Dyson have created one of fiction's most complex and beguiling heroes' JAY RAYNER'The period atmosphere and the Cold War detail feel like a Le Carré but it's the characters you really care about. Exactly like some of the magic it describes, the odd sleight of hand or false deception wrapped around a terrific mystery.' IAN MOORE'Edge-of-your-seat stuff . . . Heartbreaking and uplifting in equal measure, The Warlock Effect is a fiendish mix of history, humour and horror' SJ BENNETT'A thrilling and ingenious work of wonder. Twisting, evocative and hugely entertaining, The Warlock Effect delivers on every level' CHRIS WHITAKER'Spellbinding. Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman skillfully depict a shadowy world of magic and espionage in this gripping tale that is entertaining, heartfelt and as twisty as any artful stage magician's signature trick.' ADAM HAMDY(P) 2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Warlord of the Air
by Michael MoorcockIt is 1973, and the stately airships of the Great Powers hold benign sway over a peaceful world. The balance of power is maintained by the British Empire - a most equitable and just Empire, ruled by the beloved King Edward VIII. A new world order, with peace and prosperity for all under the law. Yet, moved by the politics of envy and perverse utopianism, not all of the Empire's citizens support the marvelous equilibrium.Flung from the North East Frontier of 1902 into this world of the future, Captain Oswald Bastable is forced to question his most cherished ideals, discovering to his horror that he has become a nomad of the time streams, eternally doomed to travel the wayward currents of a chaotic multiverse.The first in the trilogy, The Warlord of the Air sees Bastable fall in with the anarchists of this imperial society and set in train a course of events more devastating than he could ever have imagined.
The Warlord's Legacy
by Ari MarmellThe war is over; Audriss the Serpent and his plans for tyranny have been put to an end. But for a man like Corvis Rebaine - whose past is full of horror and atrocities - there is no rest; especially not when word begins to spread that he's going around killing key members of the ruling aristocracy and the merchant Guilds ... because it's not actually Corvis doing it. If he's going to clear his name, and find out who's using it for their own nefarious purposes, then he will have to enter the murky world of politics and assassination once again. And he's not going to be very pleased about it ...
The Warlord's Legacy (Corvis Rebaine #2)
by Ari MarmellIf death is the only true peace, then there can be only one true peacemaker…the Terror.In the land of Imphallion, one legend is remembered with horror—the Terror of the East. Twice his shadow has fallen across the land. First to conquer it. Then to save it. Both times he brought blood and death as his companions. And both times, he faded into bleak memory…Years later, memories are all Corvis Rebaine has left. The most painful of which is the memory of his beloved wife and children fleeing from him in horror after they learned of his terrible legacy. War has cost him more than his life, and he wants no more of it. But what Rebaine no longer matters. Because the Terror has returned.A merciless killer seemingly clad in the Terror’s old battle dress and wielding his demon-forged axe is sweeping across the land, slaughtering all in his path. And worse, an old enemy has returned to claim revenge, aided by a woman whose very soul is consumed with rage and hatred towards Rebaine—his own daughter.Now Rebaine must again wear the dreaded dark armor if he is going to save Imphallion as well as all he holds dear. But after so much war, so much blood, and so much pain, can he summon the strength to truly become the Terror once more?“The sequel to The Conqueror’s Shadow fills a vital niche in the fantasy adventurer genre, one occupied by the heroes of Michael Moorcock’s Elric Melniboné novels and C.S. Friedman’s Coldfire Trilogy.”—Library Journal“All a reader could ever ask for in a bloody, hack and slash sword and sorcery.”—Grasping for the Wind“Another thoroughly entertaining offering from Ari Marmell and one that any fantasy fan will have a lot of fun with.”—Graeme’s Fantasy Book ReviewThe text of this edition is unchanged from that of the Del Rey edition.
The Warlow Experiment: A Novel
by Alix NathanAn utterly transporting and original historical novel about an eighteenth-century experiment in personal isolation that yields unexpected--and deeply, shatteringly human--results."The best kind of historical fiction. Alix Nathan is an original, with a virtuoso touch." --Hilary Mantel Herbert Powyss lives in an estate in the Welsh Marches, with enough time and income to pursue a gentleman's fashionable investigations and experiments in botany. But he longs to make his mark in the field of science--something consequential enough to present to the Royal Society in London. He hits on a radical experiment in isolation: For seven years a subject will inhabit three rooms in the basement of the manor house, fitted out with rugs, books, paintings, and even a chamber organ. Meals will arrive thrice daily via a dumbwaiter. The solitude will be totally unrelieved by any social contact whatsoever; the subject will keep a diary of his daily thoughts and actions. The pay: fifty pounds per annum, for life. Only one man is desperate to apply for the job: John Warlow, a semi-literate laborer with a wife and six children to provide for. The experiment, a classic Enlightenment exercise gone more than a little mad, will have unforeseen consequences for all included.