- Table View
- List View
The Sixteen Satires
by JuvenalPerhaps more than any other writer, Juvenal (c. AD 55-138) captures the splendour, the squalor and the sheer energy of everyday Roman life. In The Sixteen Satires he evokes a fascinating world of whores, fortune-tellers, boozy politicians, slick lawyers, shameless sycophants, ageing flirts and downtrodden teachers. A member of the traditional land-owning class that was rapidly seeing power slip into the hands of outsiders, Juvenal also creates savage portraits of decadent aristocrats - male and female - seeking excitement among the lower orders of actors and gladiators, and of the jumped-up sons of newly-rich former slaves. Constantly comparing the corruption of his own generation with its stern and upright forebears, Juvenal's powers of irony and invective make his work a stunningly satirical and bitter denunciation of the degeneracy of Roman society
The Sixth Precept
by Larry IvkovichIn 16th century medieval Japan, Yoshima Mitsu, who is gifted with psychic powers, uses her prescient abilities to send her young attendant, Shioko, into the future. There, Mitsu believes Shioko will be safe from the purges of the maniacal warlord Omori Kadanamora, his warrior monks and his half-human, half-bestial Shadow-Trackers.In present-day Pittsburgh, police Lieutenant Kim Yoshima is attacked by a creature out of someone's twisted nightmare. In the aftermath of that terrifying struggle, Kim finds a young Japanese girl named Shioko, lost, confused and calling Kim "Mitsu" and her monstrous attacker a "Shadow-Tracker."Wayne Brewster dreams of the costumed hero, ArcNight. But more than that, he feels bizarrely connected to the fictional crime fighter as if ArcNight and his comic book world are real. And in all of his dreams, Brewster sees one constant, one face repeated over and over–the face of Kim Yoshima.Empowered by a mysterious book, The Five Precepts to Enlightenment, Kim realizes her destiny is in the past. Using her own burgeoning esper powers, Kim, accompanied by Shioko and Brewster, travel by means of a temporal rift to feudal Japan. There they must assume different personas to fight Omori and creatures of Japan's mythological world to fulfill ancient prophesy and modern historical fact. If they fail, history will be altered and the world will change forever.
The Sixth Winter
by John Gribbin Douglas OrgillFrank Rhind was lucky. He saw the Ice Dancer and lived. The town of Hays died. And still they didn't believe Dr. William Stovin's warnings. For very many years climatologists had been predicting a change in the world's climate but they always believed that the process would take centuries. Now there was a reason to believe differently. Stovin had staked his career and credibility on trying to persuade the U.S. National Science Council to act, but 15,000 years of warmth had lulled mankind into thinking that climatic history was over. Already it was too late. The new Ice Age had begun.One by one the great northern cities - Chicago, Oslo, Montreal, Moscow, Leningrad - came under siege. Some fell and were evacuated, sending their young, old and sick to crowded areas further south. Crops and animals were destroyed. Governments drew lines of catastrophe across their national maps. Doomsday prophets were in full cry. Technological man was overwhelmed. The world had changed.Some time in the year future the next Ice Age will be triggered off. It could happen in a thousand years' time, or in a century from now. Or it could, quite literally, happen next winter. This book is fiction only because the events described have not yet happened. But it is not science fiction because all the science in the book is fact. When the year arrives that we see the sixth winter resembling 1792 within the space of a decade or so, then the Ice Age will be with us in a matter of weeks - and it will develop very much as described here.
The Sixth Winter (Gateway Essentials #342)
by Douglas Orgill Dr John GribbinFrank Rhind was lucky. He saw the Ice Dancer and lived. The town of Hays died. And still they didn't believe Dr. William Stovin's warnings. For very many years climatologists had been predicting a change in the world's climate but they always believed that the process would take centuries. Now there was a reason to believe differently. Stovin had staked his career and credibility on trying to persuade the U.S. National Science Council to act, but 15,000 years of warmth had lulled mankind into thinking that climatic history was over. Already it was too late. The new Ice Age had begun.One by one the great northern cities - Chicago, Oslo, Montreal, Moscow, Leningrad - came under siege. Some fell and were evacuated, sending their young, old and sick to crowded areas further south. Crops and animals were destroyed. Governments drew lines of catastrophe across their national maps. Doomsday prophets were in full cry. Technological man was overwhelmed. The world had changed.Some time in the year future the next Ice Age will be triggered off. It could happen in a thousand years' time, or in a century from now. Or it could, quite literally, happen next winter. This book is fiction only because the events described have not yet happened. But it is not science fiction because all the science in the book is fact. When the year arrives that we see the sixth winter resembling 1792 within the space of a decade or so, then the Ice Age will be with us in a matter of weeks - and it will develop very much as described here.
The Size of the World: A Novel
by Joan SilberLove and family loyalty meet up with the allure of far-off vistas in elegant new fiction by an acclaimed novelist. A richly imagined novel—set in wartime Vietnam, Thailand, Mexico, Sicily, and contemporary America—about men and women whose jolting encounters with the unfamiliar force them to realize how many "riffs there are to being human." Travelers, colonials, immigrants, and returned ex-pats meet or pass one another in narratives spanning lifetimes.In the book's opening, an engineer in Vietnam is shaken to discover why his company's planes are getting lost. A modern marriage between a Thai Muslim and an American woman leads to a terrible family fight. In 1920s Siam a young woman experiences the colonial stance of her tin-prospecting brother. The last section returns the brother to the States, older now but ever in love with Asian women.Love, loss, yearning, self-delusion, and forgiveness are here in ways fresh and surprising. And in the tradition of E. M. Forster, seeing the size of the world changes the meaning of home-sickness for all the characters.
The Skaar Invasion (The Fall of Shannara #2)
by Terry BrooksFollowing The Black Elfstone, The Skaar Invasion is the second book of the epic four-part conclusion to the Shannara series from one of the acknowledged masters of the fantasy genre. The Four Lands are under siege. Wielding a magical ability virtually impossible to combat, mysterious invaders defeat the most fearsome Troll armies, then focus their savagery on the Druid order—and all hope seems lost.Eventually the invaders reveal a more human face, but understanding their motives in no way mitigates the brutality of their actions. Dar Leah, once the High Druid’s Blade, has crossed paths—and swords—with their ruthless leader before. So he knows that if any hope exists, it rests in the hands of the Druid Drisker Arc, now trapped inside vanished Paranor.As Drisker races to find the ancient knowledge that could free him, Dar goes in search of Tarsha Kaynin, the young woman blessed with the powerful gift of the wishsong, whose magic could draw Drisker back into the world of the living. But little do they know that what appeared to be a formidable invading force may only be the forerunner of a much larger army—one intent on nothing less than total conquest.
The Skaar Invasion: Book Two of the Fall of Shannara (Fall of Shannara)
by Terry Brooks'TERRY'S PLACE IS AT THE HEAD OF THE FANTASY WORLD' Philip PullmanFollowing The Black Elfstone comes the second book in The Fall of Shannara - the epic four-part conclusion to the Shannara series from one of the all-time masters of the fantasy genre.Tensions in the Four Lands are high. The mysterious force that laid waste to Paranor has revealed a more human face. While some gain a new understanding of the invaders and what they are after, others continue their existing quests even as the peril rises. For what looked to be a formidable invading force proves only the forerunner of a much vaster army - one that is now marching against the Four Lands in all its fury.'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks
The Skaar Invasion: Book Two of the Fall of Shannara (Fall of Shannara)
by Terry Brooks'TERRY'S PLACE IS AT THE HEAD OF THE FANTASY WORLD' Philip PullmanFollowing The Black Elfstone comes the second book in The Fall of Shannara - the epic four-part conclusion to the Shannara series from one of the all-time masters of the fantasy genre.Tensions in the Four Lands are high. The mysterious force that laid waste to Paranor has revealed a more human face. While some gain a new understanding of the invaders and what they are after, others continue their existing quests even as the peril rises. For what looked to be a formidable invading force proves only the forerunner of a much vaster army - one that is now marching against the Four Lands in all its fury.'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks
The Skein Of Lament: Book Two of the Braided Path
by Chris WoodingThe second book in the acclaimed new fantasy trilogy The grip of the Weavers on Saramyr's rulers has grown ever tighter. And all the while the blight that they have brought to the land grips ever more harshly. This cannot last and, sure enough, the land is slipping into civil war.In the growing chaos Kaiku and the orphaned heir-Empress must fight for their destiny and their survival as Saramyr succumbs to the twisting of the Weave and the unknowable ambitions of the secretive Weavers.Chris Wooding has created a vivid and turbulent world with an authentic oriental air and its own rich and ancient history. Across this world plays an action packed plot of politics, violence and betrayal. This is an extraordinary fantasy for the 21st century.
The Skein Of Lament: Book Two of the Braided Path
by Chris WoodingThe second book in the acclaimed new fantasy trilogy The grip of the Weavers on Saramyr's rulers has grown ever tighter. And all the while the blight that they have brought to the land grips ever more harshly. This cannot last and, sure enough, the land is slipping into civil war.In the growing chaos Kaiku and the orphaned heir-Empress must fight for their destiny and their survival as Saramyr succumbs to the twisting of the Weave and the unknowable ambitions of the secretive Weavers.Chris Wooding has created a vivid and turbulent world with an authentic oriental air and its own rich and ancient history. Across this world plays an action packed plot of politics, violence and betrayal. This is an extraordinary fantasy for the 21st century.
The Skein of Lament (The Braided Path #2)
by Chris WoodingThe Weavers' grip on Saramyr's rulers has grown ever more powerful, and all the while, the blight they have brought grows harsher. The land is slipping into civil war.
The Skeleth
by Matthew JobinDiscover for yourself why reviewers are comparing The Nethergrim to Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Ranger's Apprentice! The next great epic fantasy is here . . .For the lords of the north, land is power. The Nethergrim, now awoken and free to wreak its evil upon the world, offers the promise of victory to those ruthless enough to accept its foul bargain. One ambitious lord, eager for the chance to conquer and rule, succumbs to temptation and helps to free the Skeleth--eerie, otherworldly beings said to be unstoppable in battle. The Skeleth merge with the bodies of their victims, ruling their minds and turning them into remorseless killers. Worse yet, to kill the man inside the Skeleth only frees it to seize a new host, starting a cycle of violence that has no end. Such chilling tales are not enough to stop young Edmund, innkeeper's son and would-be wizard, from seeking for a way to turn back the oncoming tide of destruction. Along with his best friends--Katherine the trainer of war-horses and Tom the runaway slave--Edmund searches for a magical weakness in the Skeleth, something that might allow him to break their never-ending curse. The three friends join with the legendary hero Tristan in a battle of courage, wisdom, wits, and sacrifice to stop the Skeleth from ravaging their homeland and all they hold dear. This adventurous tale that marries earthly greed to otherworldly evil is perfect for fans who enjoy the epic worlds of John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice, Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time, J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones. Discover for yourself why so many are making the comparisons!Praise for The Skeleth"[A] solid contender for the teen answer to Game of Thrones."--Kirkus Reviews"With this sequel, Jobin has expanded this fantasy adventure into a series of epic proportions. . . [T]he kind of series that hooks both new and veteran readers."--Booklist"The book ends on a cliff-hanger that will have readers anticipating the next volume. Fans of the first title will enjoy this new adventure; purchase this growing series where middle school YA readers are ravenous for epic fantasy."--School Library JournalFrom the Hardcover edition.
The Skeleton Horse: An Unofficial Minecrafters Novel, Book 3 (Unofficial Animal Warriors of the Overwo #3)
by Maya GraceThe Final Book in an Exciting Series of Adventures for Minecrafters!The day and night cycle has stopped! Ella knows what that means—hostile mobs will spawn uncontrollably across the Overworld, just as they did during the Uprising. Just as they did the last time her mother was seen alive.In a desperate race against time, Ella and her cousins venture out into the night to try to set things right. But when lightning strikes and skeleton horsemen appear, Rowan is hurt! Without fierce Rowan by her side, Ella will have to face one of her greatest fears—or face the fate that befell her own mother.THE UNOFFICIAL ANIMAL WARRIORS OF THE OVERWORLD SERIES is an all-new Minecrafter story in which cousins Rowan, Jack, and Ella don’t know a thing about their mysterious past—or the powerful gift they’ve inherited. But something is calling to them from the Overworld outside the walls of their grandmother’s twisty mansion. Some things are calling—wolves, ocelots, and other animals that need help fighting the rise of hostile mobs.As the cousins find the courage to venture out, they discover that they can communicate with those animals. Every adventure adds a piece to the puzzle of their past. Soon, the cousins will learn not only what happened to their parents, but also of the danger facing them all. They’ll need to call on their special gifts—and their animal friends—to fight back.
The Skeleton Secret: An Unofficial Minecrafters Mysteries Series, Book Three (Unofficial Minecraft Mysteries #3)
by Winter MorganEdison is eager to take a break from the mysteries that have plagued him to focus on the upcoming alchemist competition, but preparation is interrupted when skeletons invade his hometown. After a week of constant attacks, the Mayor calls a meeting to investigate. Local farmer Carlo captivates the group with the story of a secret Skeleton spawner and a master villain who is behind the attacks, but vanishes before the townsfolk can learn more. With no other options, the town votes that Edison and Billy solve the mystery of the invasion. Since it’s so close to home, Edison thinks he’ll still have time to prepare for the alchemy competition. But as the investigation takes them farther and farther away, Edison realizes that juggling alchemy and his newfound detective work might be harder than he thought. Join Edison and Billy as they work to save their hometown from skeletons in the third installment of the Unofficial Minecraft Mystery series!
The Skeleton Warrior: Series 1 Book 4
by Adam BladeX-Men meets Beast Quest at the school for superheroes! An epic new adventure series from bestselling author Adam Blade!Students of Hero Academy: get ready! The Noxxian invasion is about to begin! And with your fellow classmate Danny a captive in the underground land of Noxx, it's time to take the fight to General Gore himself ...
The Skeleton Warrior: Series 1 Book 4 (Team Hero #4)
by Adam BladeX-Men meets Beast Quest at the school for superheroes! An epic new adventure series from bestselling author Adam Blade!Students of Hero Academy: get ready! The Noxxian invasion is about to begin! And with your fellow classmate Danny a captive in the underground land of Noxx, it's time to take the fight to General Gore himself ...
The Skellig Collection: 3 David Almond novels in 1
by David AlmondA beautiful audiobook collection of 3 novels by classic children's author David Almond. This collection includes Skellig, the haunting novel that launched David Almond as one of the best children's writers of today. Winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread children's book of the Year Award.Skellig When a move to a new house coincides with his baby sister's illness, Michael's world seems suddenly lonely and uncertain. Then, one Sunday afternoon, he stumbles into the old, ramshackle garage of his new home and finds something magical. A strange creature - part owl, part angel, a being who needs Michael's help if he is to survive. With his new friend Mina, Michael nourishes Skellig back to health, while his baby sister languishes in the hospital. But Skellig is far more than he at first appears, and as he helps Michael breathe life into his tiny sister, Michael's world changes forever.... Skellig won the Carnegie Medal and the Whitbread Children's Book Award and is now a major Sky1 feature film, starring Tim Roth and John Simm. David Almond is also winner of the 2010 Hans Christian Andersen award.My Name Is MinaThere's an empty notebook lying on the table in the moonlight. It's been there for an age. I keep on saying that I'll write a journal. So I'll start right here, right now. I open the book and write the very first words: My name is Mina and I love the night. Then what shall I write? I can't just write that this happened then this happened then this happened to boring infinitum. I'll let my journal grow just like the mind does, just like a tree or a beast does, just like life does. Why should a book tell a tale in a dull straight line?' And so Mina writes and writes in her notebook, and here is her journal, Mina's life in Mina's own words: her stories and dreams, experiences and thoughts, her scribbling and nonsense, poems and songs. Her vivid account of her vivid life. In this stunning book, David Almond revisits Mina before she has met Michael, before she has met Skellig.Heaven EyesIn this standalone novel, Erin, January, and Mouse live in a children's home, Whitegates. They often dream of escape, and frequently journey into the outside world. Running away is something they know all about. But this time January builds a raft, and the three of them head precariously down river. Towards the Black Middens. This time they might never come back. When they stumble across a disused factory and its strange inhabitants - Grampa and Heaven Eyes - they wonder if they'll even have the choice. Heaven Eyes is the girl who should have drowned at sea. The mysterious girl desperately searching for her family, hoping that these three might be the family she has lost. She has a secret history only Grampa knows. And does he trust these three invaders enough to tell them? Erin feels a sisterly responsibility for Heaven Eyes, Mouse longs to belong anywhere and anyhow, but January thinks Grampa's a murderer. Whatever happens, all three have a part to play...(P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton Limited
The Skewed Throne (The Throne of Amenkor, Book #1)
by Joshua PalmatierThe first novel in a highly original fantasy trilogy One young girl holds the fate of a city in her hands-If she fails, it spells her doom-and the end of her world. Twice in the history of the city of Amenkor, the White Fire had swept over the land. Over a thousand years ago it came from the east, covering the entire city, touching everyone, leaving them unburned--but bringing madness in its wake, a madness that only ended with the death of the ruling Mistress of the city. Five years ago the Fire came again, and Amenkor has been spiraling into ruin ever since. The city's only hope rests in the hands of a young girl, Varis, who has taught herself the art of survival and has been trained in the ways of the assassin. Venturing deep into the heart of Amenkor, Varis will face her harshest challenges and greatest opportunities. And it is here that she will either find her destiny--or meet her doom.
The Skewed Throne (Throne of Amenkor #1)
by Joshua PalmatierOne young girl holds the fate of a city in her hands-If she fails, it spells her doom-and the end of her world. Twice in the history of the city of Amenkor, the White Fire had swept over the land. Over a thousand years ago it came from the east, covering the entire city, touching everyone, leaving them unburned-but bringing madness in its wake, a madness that only ended with the death of the ruling Mistress of the city. Five years ago the Fire came again, and Amenkor has been spiraling into ruin ever since. The city's only hope rests in the hands of a young girl, Varis, who has taught herself the art of survival and has been trained in the ways of the assassin. Venturing deep into the heart of Amenkor, Varis will face her harshest challenges and greatest opportunities. And it is here that she will either find her destiny-or meet her doom. .
The Skies of Pern
by Anne MccaffreyThanks to Anne McCaffrey, millions of readers have soared the skies on dragonback, shared the thoughts and dreams of the great dragons of Pern, and risked life and limb to safeguard the planet from the deadly threat of falling Thread. With the Dragonriders of Pern, McCaffrey has given us more than just an extraordinary masterwork of imagination. She has given us a whole world--and has taught us to fly. Now, in this triumphant return to Pern, Anne McCaffrey takes us on an adventure as surprising and unforgettable as any that has come before . . .It is a time of hope and regret, of endings and beginnings. The Red Star, that celestial curse whose eccentric orbit was responsible for Thread, has been shifted to a harmless orbit, and the current Threadfall will be the last. Technological marvels are changing the face of life on Pern. And the dragonriders, led by F'lessan, son of F'lar and Lessa and rider of bronze Golanth, and Tia, rider of green Zaranth, must forge a new place for themselves in a world that may no longer need them.But change is not easy for everyone. There are those who will stop at nothing-- not even violence--to keep Pern and its people pure. And now a brand-new danger looms from the skies . . . and threatens a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions. Once again, the world looks to the dragons and their riders to solve the crisis and save the world. But now, as the friendship of F'lessan and Tia begins to bloom into something more, unforeseen tragedy strikes: a tragedy destined to forever change the future--not just of the two young lovers, but of every human and dragon on Pern . . .
The Skin Map
by Stephen R. LawheadIt is the ultimate quest for the ultimate treasure. Chasing a map tattooed on human skin. Across an omniverse of intersecting realities. To unravel the future of the future. Kit Livingstone's great-grandfather appears to him in a deserted alley during a tumultuous storm. He reveals an unbelievable story: that the ley lines throughout Britain are not merely the stuff of legend or the weekend hobby of deluded cranks, but pathways to other worlds. To those who know how to use them, they grant the ability to travel the multi-layered universe of which we ordinarily inhabit only a tiny part. One explorer knew more than most. Braving every danger, he toured both time and space on voyages of heroic discovery. Ever on his guard and fearful of becoming lost in the cosmos, he developed an intricate code--a roadmap of symbols--that he tattooed onto his own body. This Skin Map has since been lost in time. Now the race is on to recover all the pieces and discover its secrets. But the Skin Map itself is not the ultimate goal. It is merely the beginning of a vast and marvelous quest for a prize beyond imagining. The Bright Empires series--from acclaimed author Stephen R. Lawhead--is a unique blend of epic treasure hunt, ancient history, alternate realities, cutting-edge physics, philosophy, and mystery. The result is a page-turning, adventure like no other. "Anything but ordinary . . . Dynamic settings are mixed with unpredictable adventures [and] parallel worlds." --BookPage
The Skin Map and The Bone House: A Bright Empires Collection (Bright Empires)
by Stephen R. LawheadEnjoy books 1 and 2 in Stephen Lawhead's Bright Empires series! The Skin Map Enter the ultimate treasure hunt--with a map made of skin, a playing field of alternate realities, and a prize that is the greatest mystery of all. Kit Livingstone's great-grandfather has re-appeared with an unbelievable story--the ley lines throughout Britain are not merely the stuff of legends but truly are pathways to other worlds. So few people know how to use them, though, that doing so is fraught with danger. But one explorer knew more than most. Because of his fear of being unable to find his way home, he developed an intricate code and tattooed his map onto his skin. But the map has since been lost and rival factions are in desperate competition to recover it. What none of them yet realize is that the skin map itself is not the prize at the end of this race . . . but merely the first goal of a vast and marvelous quest to regain Paradise. The Bone House Kit Livingstone met his great-grandfather Cosimo in a rainy alley in London where he discovered the truth about alternate realities. Now he's on the run--and on a quest--trying to understand the impossible mission he inherited from Cosimo: to restore a map that charts the hidden dimensions of the multiverse. Survival depends on staying one step ahead of the savage Burley Men. The key is the Skin Map--but where it leads and what it means, Kit has no idea. The pieces have been scattered throughout this universe and beyond. Those who know how to use the ley lines have left their own world behind to travel across time and space--down avenues of Egyptian sphinxes, to an Etruscan tufa tomb, into a Bohemian coffee shop, and across a Stone Age landscape where universes collide--in this, the second quest to unlock the mystery of The Bone House.
The Skin of Dreams
by Raymond QueneauIn this delightful, cinema-inspired daydream of a novel, an identity-shifting protagonist uses the everyday inspirations of his life to catapult himself into the realm of imagination, blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy.The Skin of Dreams is a novel of waking dreams. Even as he lives his life, Jacques L&’Aumône, its hero, daydreams a hundred other possible lives. A few lines on a page, a chance encounter, a remark overheard in passing, any of these are enough to kick things into gear and send him off outside of himself to become a boxer, a general, a bishop, or a lord. He lives alongside his life with diligence and steadfastness; and the passage from real to dream is so natural for him that he no longer knows precisely which him he is. Eventually he becomes an actor in Hollywood, and the basis of countless dreams for others. This Jacques L&’Aumône, like the characters who surround him, has the same sort of haunting and fluid consistency as someone that we might dream of in our beds at night. And reverie, here, is born through the tale&’s humor, which is as gentle as it is cruel, as well as by way of a writing technique that is itself drawn from one of Queneau&’s great loves, the cinema.
The Skinjacker Trilogy: Everlost; Everwild; Everfound (The Skinjacker Trilogy #2)
by Neal ShustermanNot every child who dies goes on to the afterlife. Some are caught halfway between life and death, in a sort of limbo known as Everlost: a shadow of the living world, filled with all the things and places that no longer exist. It’s a magical, yet dangerous place where bands of lost kids run wild and anyone who stands in the same place too long sinks to the center of the Earth. Allie and Nick don't survive the car crash, and end up in Everlost, where coins are more valuable than anyone knows, fortune cookies tell the truth, monsters are real, and the queen of lost souls lives in a once-beloved tower. Nick and Allie have to learn to survive in a world with different rules, and figure out who they can trust--and who they must oppose at all costs. At stake is nothing less than the fate of Everlost and the living world they have left behind. In this gripping trilogy, Neal Shusterman explores questions of life, death, and what just might lie in between.
The Skinner (A Spatterjay Novel #1)
by Neal AsherThe Skinner is the first book in Neal Asher's Spatterjay series set in a lethal waterworld. To the remote planet Spatterjay come three travellers with very different missions. Janer is directed there by the hornet Hive-mind; Erlin comes to find the sea captain who can teach her to live; and Keech - dead for seven hundred years - has unfinished business with a notorious criminal. Spatterjay is a watery world where the human population inhabits the safety of the Dome and only the quasi-immortal hoopers are safe outside amidst a fearful range of voracious life-forms. Somewhere out there is Spatterjay Hoop himself, and monitor Keech cannot rest until he can bring this legendary renegade to justice for atrocious crimes committed centuries ago during the Prador Wars. Keech does not realize that Hoop's body is running free on an island wilderness, while his living head is confined in a box on an Old Captain's ships. Nor does he know that the most brutal Prador of all is about to pay a visit, intent on wiping out all evidence of his wartime atrocities. Which means major hell is about to erupt in this chaotic waterscape.