Special Collections

Robot Overlords

Narrated by Rupert Degas, and with behind-the-scenes diaries narrated by the author and screenwriter Mark Stay. This audiobook also features exclusive sound-effects from the film and the short story, THE MEDIATOR PROTOTYPE.

To find his father, one boy must defy an empire….

Three years ago, Earth was conquered by a force of robots from a distant world. They have one rule: STAY IN YOUR HOMES. Step outside and you get one warning before you're vaporised by a massive robot Sentry, or a crawling Sniper, or a flying Drone. That's if the vast Cube doesn't incinerate you first.

But Sean Flynn is convinced that his father—an RAF pilot who fought in the war—is still alive. And when he and his gang figure out a way to break the robots' curfew, they begin an adventure that will pit them against the might of the ROBOT OVERLORDS.

This fast-paced, thrilling novelisation is based on the hit British film starring Sir Ben Kingsley (IRON MAN THREE), Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES) and Callan McAuliffe (THE GREAT GATSBY). A perfect companion to the movie, it expands on the story with additional action, characters, and a special peek behind the scenes.(p) 2015 Orion Publishing Group

Date Added: 05/09/2023

Darker By Four

'JAW-DROPPING' AXIE OHA girl who lost her magic. The boy who found it. And a city having one Hell of a time . . .Rui is an Exorcist-in-training with one goal in mind - honing her magic to avenge her mother's death. Yiran is the black sheep of an illustrious family. The world would be at his feet - had he been born with magic. But when an accident causes Rui's power to transfer to Yiran, everything turns upside down. Without her magic, Rui has no tool for vengeance. With it, Yiran finally feels like he belongs.As dangerous monsters overrun the city, Rui will do whatever it takes to regain her power. Even if that means making a deal with a shadowy stranger to track down a god who does not wish to be found . . . A sparkling urban fantasy with an achingly slow burn romance at its heart, Darker By Four is the perfect book for fans of Legendborn and The Mortal Instruments, as well as anyone looking to immerse themselves in a shadowy world brimming with magic.AUTHORS LOVE JUNE CL TAN'If you ever wanted a book that reads like a comfort anime that also isn't afraid to skewer you with angst and explosive fight sequences, then look no further' JOAN HE'A complete page-turner of a fantasy!' KAT CHO'A rich and vividly drawn world of revenants, exorcists, death gods and stolen magic' VANESSA LEN'Both ruthless and tender, this book leads you through a perilous world of death while grounding you in raw emotion' KYLIE LEE BAKER

Date Added: 05/06/2024

All About Romance

Roman Bright has always loved love stories. But being a non-binary teenager in a small northern town means their dating pool is limited and they haven't had their own sweeping romance ... yet.Roman Bright appears assured and confident, but in reality, school is a tricky space for them. Finding love - or even friends - when you're the only non-binary kid for miles around isn't easy.When anonymous postcards from 'Big Red' start showing up in Roman's locker and shortly afterwards entire walls of brightly coloured graffiti appear around the school signed by the same person, Roman is intrigued. Do they have a secret admirer? Roman thinks they know who is leaving these messages - their mega-crush and almost-boyfriend from last year, JJ. But when it becomes clear JJ isn't going to reveal themselves, Roman has to decide if they can be brave enough to make the first move.Will Roman finally get their happily ever after?A joyful happy-ever-after queer romance, perfect for fans of Simon James Green and Becky Albertalli.(P) 2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Date Added: 05/06/2024

Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. 'He never says please', she sighed, but she gathered up her things. When Brimstone called, she always came. In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she's a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in 'Elsewhere', she has never understood Brimstone's dark work - buying teeth from hunters and murderers - nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn't whole.Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought.(P)2011 Hachette Audio

Date Added: 03/30/2022

Contagion

Don't miss this startling first book in a breathtaking new trilogy from Teri Terry, queen of the YA psychological thriller and author of the bestselling Slated trilogy!URGENT!An epidemic is sweeping the country.You are among the infected. There is no cure; and you cannot be permitted to infectothers. You are now under quarantine. The 5% of the infected who survive are dangerous and will be taken into the custody of the army.Young runaway Callie survived the disease, but not the so-called treatment. Her brother Kai is still looking for her. And his new friend Shay may hold the keyto uncovering what truly happened. From the author of the international sensation Slated comes the first book in a powerful new story of survival and transformation; love and power.(P) Orchard Books 2017

Date Added: 03/30/2022

Fated

Don't miss this prequel to the multi award-winning SLATED trilogy by Teri Terry, queen of the teen thriller!I'm just one girl. What can I do?Sam's cosy life as daughter of the Deputy Prime Minister is about to end. These are turbulent times. Borders have closed and protests are turning violent. The government blames the country's youth, and is cracking down hard. Mobile phones are blocked, gatherings are banned and dissent is brutally crushed.Sam is torn between family loyalty and doing what is right. When she meets Ava and Lucas her mind is made up.One girl, one choice. She can make a difference: she must. Even if her life - and her heart - are on the line ...A red-hot thriller packed with secrets and revelations that shines a new light on the award-winning SLATED trilogy.

Date Added: 06/06/2022

Mind Games

Fans of the award-winning SLATED trilogy won't want to miss this gripping new psychological thriller from Teri Terry!In a future world, life is tightly controlled by the all-powerful PareCo. Standing out from the crowd is dangerous so misfit Luna hides her secrets carefully, not realising her own power. Unlike her friends and family, Luna has never been able to plug into Realtime, PareCo's virtual world, where almost everyone now lives their lives. So how do PareCo know about Luna, and why do they want her for their elite think tank?The truth is hidden in a web of shining silver secrets, and the corrupt authorities would do anything to keep it that way. Can Luna find a way to use her own hidden powers and bring the truth to light before it's too late?(P) Orchard Books 2017

Date Added: 04/25/2022

Without Warning and Only Sometimes

From the award-winning author of MY NAME IS LEON, THE TRICK TO TIME and SUPPORTING CAST comes a childhood memoir set to become a classic: stinging, warm-hearted, and true.

Kit de Waal grew up in a household of opposites and extremes. Her haphazard mother rarely cooked, forbade Christmas and birthdays, worked as a cleaner, nurse and childminder, sometimes all at once and believed the world would end in 1975.

Meanwhile, her father stuffed barrels full of goodies for his relatives in the Caribbean, cooked elaborate meals on a whim and splurged money they didn't have on cars, suits and shoes fit for a prince.

Both of her parents were waiting for paradise. It never came.

Caught between three worlds, Irish, Caribbean and British in 1960s Birmingham, Kit and her brothers and sisters knew all the words to the best songs, caught sticklebacks in jam jars and braved hunger and hellfire until they could all escape.

WITHOUT WARNING AND ONLY SOMETIMES is a story of an extraordinary childhood and how a girl who grew up in house where the Bible was the only book on offer went on to discover a love of reading that inspires her to this day. (P) 2022 Headline Publishing Group Ltd

Date Added: 05/09/2023

The Ember Blade

'The Ember Blade is hands down the best fantasy novel I've ever read' Grimdark MagazineA land under occupation. A legendary sword. A young man's journey to find his destiny.Aren has lived by the rules all his life. He's never questioned it; that's just the way things are. But then his father is executed for treason, and he and his best friend Cade are thrown into a prison mine, doomed to work until they drop. Unless they can somehow break free . . .But what lies beyond the prison walls is more terrifying still. Rescued by a man who hates him yet is oath-bound to protect him, pursued by inhuman forces, Aren slowly accepts that everything he knew about his world was a lie. The rules are not there to protect him, or his people, but to enslave them. A revolution is brewing, and Aren is being drawn into it, whether he likes it or not.The key to the revolution is the Ember Blade. The sword of kings, the Excalibur of his people. Only with the Ember Blade in hand can their people be inspired to rise up . . . but it's locked in an impenetrable vault in the most heavily guarded fortress in the land.All they have to do now is steal it . . .Read by Simon Bubb(p) Orion Publishing Group 2018

Date Added: 07/21/2022

People to Follow

Ten influencers. Ten secrets. One dead body. A pacy, addictive thriller perfect for fans of We Were Liars, The Inheritance Games and One Of Us Is Lying.'Agatha Christie meets TikTok . . . a wicked, juicy page-turner' - Alexa Donne, author of Brightly BurningThey're used to being followed. But not like this . . .Ten social media stars think they're about to join the cast of a hot new reality show.But the production crew never shows up, and the influencers find themselves stranded on a deserted Caribbean island with no contact with the outside world - except for messages from the mysterious 'Sponsor', who is threatening to expose their darkest secrets.When one of them winds up dead, things start to get more real than they bargained for . . .With the body count rising, the influencers must figure out who is trying to get them cancelled - like, literally - before their number one follower strikes again.

Date Added: 05/06/2024

The Girl King

ALL HAIL THE GIRL KING.Your greatest enemy is closer than you think. Princess Lu is destined to become the first female emperor. Her sister Min is resigned to a life in her shadow. When their father declares their male cousin heir instead, his betrayal changes everything.Determined to reclaim her birthright, Lu goes on the run. Her path crosses with Nokhai, the last surviving wolf shapeshifter. Forced into an uneasy alliance, they're going to need an army to take back the throne. Back in court, Min discovers her hidden power. It's a forbidden, deadly magic that could allow Min to claim the throne for herself.But there can only be one emperor, and the sisters' greatest enemy could turn out to be each other . . . 'I expect this to be one of the most talked-about books of 2019' Samantha Shannon, #1 bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree

Date Added: 07/21/2022