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J.R.R. Tolkien's Utopianism and the Classics (Classical Receptions in Twentieth-Century Writing)
by Hamish WilliamsThis book opens up new perspectives on the English fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien, arguing that he was an influential thinker of utopianism in 20th-century fiction and that his scrutiny of utopias can be assessed through his dialogue with antiquity. Tolkien's engagement with the ancient world often reflects an interest in retrotopianism: his fictional places – cities, forests, homes – draw on a rich (post-)classical narrative imagination of similar spaces. Importantly for Tolkien, such narratives entail 'eutopian' thought experiments: the decline and fall of distinctly 'classical' communities provide an utopian blueprint for future political restorations; the home as oikos becomes a space where an ideal ethical reciprocity between host and guest can be sought; the 'ancient forest' is an ambiguous, unsettling site where characters can experience necessary forms of awakening. From these perspectives, tokens of Platonic moderation, Augustan restoration, Homeric xenophilia, and the Ovidian material sublime are evident in Tolkien's writing. Likewise, his retrotopianism also always entails a rewriting of ancient narratives in post-classical and modern terms. This study then explores how Tolkien's use of the classical past can help us to align classical and utopian studies, and thus to reflect on the ranges and limits of utopianism in classical literature and thought.
What Time is Love?: The hotly anticipated debut you'll fall head over heels for in 2022
by Holly Williams'Delightful, insightful and immersive' KATE EBERLEN 'Holly's beautiful prose smoulders, crackles and roars' DAISY BUCHANAN 'A stunning, skilful, cockle-warmer of a novel' LAUREN BRAVO1947. 1967. 1987.When Violet and Albert first meet, they are always twenty.Three decades.Over the years, Violet and Albert's lives collide again and again: beneath Oxford's spires, on the rolling hills around Abergavenny, in stately homes and in feminist squats. And as each decade ends, a new love story begins...Two people.Together, they are electric and the world is glittering with possibility. But against the shifting times of each era, Violet and Albert must overcome differences in class, gender, privilege and ambition. Each time their lives entwine, it will change everything.One moment is all it takes...As their eyes first meet, for a split-second it's as if the clocks have stopped. Nothing else matters. Yet whichever decade brings them together, Violet and Albert are soon forced to question: what if they met the right person at the wrong time?A sweeping, nostalgic and dazzlingly immersive love story, perfect for fans of The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett, Miss You by Kate Eberlen and Normal People by Sally Rooney.
The Bitter Twins (The Winnowing Flame Trilogy)
by Jen WilliamsFrom Jen Williams, highly-acclaimed author of the Copper Cat trilogy and three-time British Fantasy Award finalist, comes the second novel in the electrifying Winnowing Flame trilogy - the sequel to The Ninth Rain. Epic fantasy for fans of Robin Hobb and Adrian Tchaikovsky. 'An absolute joy to read... jam-packed with breath-taking inventiveness' James Oswald 'Incredible heroines... incredible fantasy... Escapism at its finest' Stylist The Ninth Rain has fallen. The Jure'lia are awake. Nothing can be the same again.Tormalin the Oathless and the fell-witch Noon have their work cut out rallying the first war-beasts to be born in Ebora for three centuries. But these are not the great winged warriors of old. Hatched too soon and with no memory of their past incarnations, these onetime defenders of Sarn can barely stop bickering, let alone face an ancient enemy who grow stronger each day.The key to uniting them, according to the scholar Vintage, may lie in a part of Sarn no one really believes exists - a distant island, mysteriously connected to the fate of two legendary Eborans who disappeared long ago.But finding it will mean a perilous journey in a time of war, while new monsters lie in wait for those left behind.Join the heroes of THE NINTH RAIN as they battle a terrible evil, the likes of which Sarn has never known.What readers are saying about THE BITTER TWINS:'The sequel to the brilliant Ninth Rain kicks it up a notch with more action, scarier monsters and a more expansive story''Be ready for some great reveals and twists that may break your heart, but that will overall leave you fist pumping the air''The world building continues to blow my mind
The Copper Promise (Copper Cat Trilogy)
by Jen WilliamsThe first in the exhilarating British Fantasy Award-nominated Copper Cat Trilogy. Epic fantasy for fans of Robin Hobb and Jay Kristoff's Nevernight series. 'A fast-paced and original new voice in heroic fantasy' Adrian Tchaikovsky , author of Children of Time There are some tall stories about the caverns beneath the Citadel - about magic and mages and monsters and gods.Wydrin of Crosshaven has heard them all, but she's spent long enough trawling caverns and taverns with her companion Sir Sebastian to learn that there's no money to be made in chasing rumours. But then a crippled nobleman with a dead man's name offers them a job: exploring the Citadel's darkest depths. It sounds like just another quest with gold and adventure ... if they're lucky, they might even have a tale of their own to tell once it's over.These reckless adventurers will soon learn that sometimes there is truth in rumour. Sometimes a story can save your life.
The Iron Ghost (Copper Cat Trilogy #2)
by Jen WilliamsThe second adventure in the exhilarating British Fantasy Award-nominated Copper Cat Trilogy. Epic fantasy for fans of Robin Hobb and Jay Kristoff's Nevernight series. 'A fast-paced and original new voice in heroic fantasy' Adrian Tchaikovsky , author of Children of Time Beware the dawning of a new mage...Wydrin of Crosshaven, Sir Sebastian and Lord Aaron Frith are experienced in the perils of stirring up the old gods. They are also familiar with defeating them, and the heroes of Baneswatch are now enjoying the perks of being very much in demand for their services. When a job comes up in the distant city of Skaldshollow, it looks like easy coin - retrieve a stolen item, admire the views, get paid. But in a place twisted and haunted by ancient magic, with the most infamous mage of them all, Joah Demonsworn, making a reappearance, our heroes soon find themselves threatened by enemies on all sides, old and new. And in the frozen mountains, the stones are walking...
The Ninth Rain: British Fantasy Award Winner 2018 (The Winnowing Flame Trilogy)
by Jen Williams**Winner of the British Fantasy Award 2018 for Best Fantasy Novel** The first in a blistering new trilogy from Jen Williams, acclaimed author of British Fantasy Award-nominated Copper Cat trilogy. Epic fantasy for fans of Robin Hobb and Jay Kristoff. 'Fantasy adventure at its very best' Starburst 'Williams excels at eldritch world-building' Guardian 'An original new voice in heroic fantasy' Adrian Tchaikovsky The great city of Ebora once glittered with gold. Now its streets are stalked by wolves. Tormalin the Oathless has no taste for sitting around waiting to die while the realm of his storied ancestors falls to pieces - talk about a guilt trip. Better to be amongst the living, where there are taverns full of women and wine.When eccentric explorer, Lady Vincenza 'Vintage' de Grazon, offers him employment, he sees an easy way out. Even when they are joined by a fugitive witch with a tendency to set things on fire, the prospect of facing down monsters and retrieving ancient artefacts is preferable to the abomination he left behind.But not everyone is willing to let the Eboran empire collapse, and the adventurers are quickly drawn into a tangled conspiracy of magic and war. For the Jure'lia are coming, and the Ninth Rain must fall...What readers are saying about THE NINTH RAIN:'A great read with heart and soul and epic beasties''Brilliantly creative fantasy' 'Great pacing, top-notch writing, quality characterisation, plenty of action!'
The Poison Song (The Winnowing Flame Trilogy #3)
by Jen WilliamsFrom British Fantasy Award-winning author, Jen Williams, comes the electrifying conclusion to the Winnowing Flame trilogy. Exhilarating epic fantasy for fans of Robin Hobb. 'One of the best fantasy novels of the year, if not the decade' James Oswald 'A fitting finale, triumphant and bittersweet in all the best ways' SciFiNow All is chaos. All is confusion. The Jure'lia are weak, but the war is far from over. Ebora was once a glorious city, defended by legendary warriors and celebrated in song. Now refugees from every corner of Sarn seek shelter within its crumbling walls, and the enemy that has poisoned their land won't lie dormant for long. The deep-rooted connection that Tormalin, Noon and the scholar Vintage share with their Eboran war-beasts has kept them alive so far. But with Tor distracted, and his sister Hestillion hell-bent on bringing ruthless order to the next Jure'lia attack, the people of Sarn need all the help they can get. Noon is no stranger to playing with fire and knows just where to recruit a new - and powerful - army. But even she underestimates the epic quest that is to come. It is a journey wrought with pain and sacrifice - a reckoning that will change the face of Sarn forever. Join forces with the heroes of the WINNOWING FLAME TRILOGY as they strive to silence the Jure'lia's poison song once and for all.What readers are saying about the WINNOWING FLAME trilogy:'Brilliantly creative fantasy''Great pacing, top-notch writing, quality characterisation, plenty of action!''More action, scarier monsters and a more expansive story''Be ready for some great reveals and twists that may break your heart, but that will overall leave you fist pumping the air''The world building continues to blow my mind'
The Silver Tide (Copper Cat Trilogy #3)
by Jen WilliamsThe final high-octane installment of the exhilarating British Fantasy Award-nominated Copper Cat Trilogy. Epic fantasy for fans of Robin Hobb and Jay Kristoff's Nevernight series. 'A fast-paced and original new voice in heroic fantasy' Adrian Tchaikovsky , author of Children of Time Tales of the Black Feather Three and their exploits abound far and wide, and Wydrin of Crosshaven, Lord Aaron Frith and Sir Sebastian have become sell swords in demand. Having foiled powerful mages and evil magic, they now face a challenge unlike any before - in the form of Wydrin's mother. Devinia the Red, notorious pirate and captain of the Poison Chalice, is intent on finding the fabled treasure hidden within the jungles of the cursed island of Euriale. She needs the skills of her daughter Wydrin and her companions to get there, and our heroes cannot resist the lure of coin and adventure. But no explorer has returned from the heart of the island, and it's not long before the Three find themselves in the clutches of peril. Deep within the island of the gods, there are remnants of forces best left undisturbed... 'Expect dead gods, mad magic, piracy on the high seas, peculiar turns and pure fantasy fun' Starburst magazine
Sorrow's Isle (Short Story)
by Jen WilliamsAn exclusive digital short story by dazzling epic-fantasy talent, Jen Williams, author of British Fantasy Award-nominated Copper Cat Trilogy. The three reckless adventurers of The Copper Promise return. Perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Jay Kristoff. Reckless adventurers Wydrin of Crosshaven and her companion, Sir Sebastian, never turn down a quest that bears the promise of coin.So it is that they find themselves mooring on the jagged rocks of the desolate Sorrow's Isle, in search of an oarsman's sister missing somewhere on its cursed shores.Now they must navigate amid the deathly tales that haunt the isle, or else be swallowed for ever into the depths of magic and danger that lie within...SORROW'S ISLE follows Wydrin of Crosshaven and Sir Sebastian on a quest that takes place before the events of their first full-length novel, THE COPPER PROMISE. *Contains a preview of Jen Williams second Copper Cat novel, THE IRON GHOST*
The Winnowing Flame Trilogy: The complete British Fantasy Award-winning series (The Winnowing Flame Trilogy)
by Jen WilliamsJoin the heroes of the THE WINNOWING FLAME TRILOGY as they battle a terrible and ancient evil, in the complete collection from the two-time British Fantasy Award-winning author Jen Williams. Perfect for fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky, Brandon Sanderson and Scott Lynch.'Diverse, different and intriguing . . . this is fantasy at its very best' STARBURST _______________ THE NINTH RAIN The great city of Ebora once glittered with gold. Now its streets are stalked by wolves. Tormalin the Oathless has no taste for sitting around waiting to die - and when eccentric explorer, Lady Vincenza 'Vintage' de Grazon, offers him employment, he sees an easy way out.Joined by a fugitive witch with a tendency to set things on fire, the adventurers are quickly drawn into a tangled conspiracy of magic and war. For the Jure'lia are coming, and the Ninth Rain must fall... THE BITTER TWINS The Ninth Rain has fallen. The Jure'lia are awake.Tormalin the Oathless and the fell-witch Noon must rally the first war-beasts to be born in Ebora for three centuries - hatched too soon and with no memory of their past incarnations, these winged creature are unprepared to face an ancient enemy who grow stronger each day.Vintage believes the key to uniting the war-beasts may lie on a distant and mysterious island. A perilous journey lies ahead, while new monsters lie in wait for those left behind. THE POISON SONG The war is far from over.In Ebora, all is chaos, all is confusion. The connection that Tormalin, Noon and Vintage share with their war-beasts has kept them alive so far, but with Tor's sister Hestillion hell-bent on bringing ruthless order to the next enemy attack - the people of Sarn will need all the help they can get.Noon knows just where to recruit a new - and powerful - army. But even she underestimates the epic quest that is to come: a reckoning that will change Sarn forever. _______________⭐ READERS LOVE THE WINNOWING FLAMES TRILOGY ⭐'One of my FAVOURITE epic fantasies. . . takes all the old favourite conventions and tropes, and changes them, for the better''Jen William's takes world building to a different level entirely''A fantastic unique world, wonderful characters, plenty of snark and humour, weird and wonderful monsters, and some brutal plot twists''One of my favourite fantasy series in years. I could not put my Kindle down''One of the best combinations of stunning world-building, epic storytelling and memorable characters I've ever read!''The kind of inventive, diverse, and emotional fantasy writing the genre really needs . . . so creative, so vibrant and refreshingly different''Quite simply one of the best fantasy novel trilogies I have read in a long time''The kind of fantasy that makes you feel really, really good. It gives you hope. It feeds your soul'
The Wanderer
by Josie WilliamsNothing can stand in the way of love, not even death. Fifteen-year-old Maggie is in foster care following the death of her mother and her grandmother's slip into dementia. When Ryder saves her life, she can't help but fall in love with him. The only problem is that he has been dead for five years... Unsentimental, passionate and immensely moving, The Wanderer takes a fresh look at first love and growing up.
The Happiness Machine: A Novel
by Katie Williams‘Philosophical, funny, cleverly structured, unpredictable’ Gabrielle Zevin If a machine could offer a prescription for happiness but you might not like the results would you take the test?
Bloodmind
by Liz WilliamsVali Hallsdottir has returned to her home world of Muspell to discover that her nation is in chaos, preparing to face invasion from the neighbouring country of Darkland. When her friend and mentor Idhunn is brutally murdered and her spine removed and stolen, Vali falls under suspicion and is held by the army of the Morrighanu, but released by a mysterious force. Having nowhere else to run, she travels across the northern ice field to the hostile glacier territory of Darkland, where she meets an old enemy, Thorn Eld, a member of the elite security force known as the vitki. Eld tells her that Darkland has spawned a rogue assassin, a female vitki killer known as Skinning Knife and despite their differences Vali and Eld decide to join forces and track down the vitki’s most lethal weapon. Together they are facing some dangerous questions about the nature of Skinning Knife herself, and her impact on their world . . .and they are not the only ones who are desperate to discover the assassin’s whereabouts . . . ‘Confirmation, if any were really needed, that Williams is one of the most original and distinctive voices in British SF’ SFX
Winterstrike: A Winterstrike Story (Newcon Press Novellas Set 3 Ser. #Vol. 3)
by Liz WilliamsWinterstrike spy Hestia Mar has been sent to Caud to recover details of an ancient weapon. During her stay in the Martian city, she encounters the ghost of a warrior, who turns out to be the encoded representation of the city’s bombed library. Hestia Mar manages to access the library’s data, but realizes too late what she has done: by downloading the information, she has virtually guaranteed the use of the weapon against Caud by her own government. Desperate to rescue the situation she makes her way back home across the dangers of the Crater Plain. Meanwhile, in Winterstrike itself, the festival of Ombre has been taking place upon the eve of war. Hestia's cousin Shorn –imprisoned by her family for accidentally consorting with a male – manages to escape. Her sister Essegui, pursuing her to the dangerous mountains of Mars, discovers a plot by creatures who hold the secrets of the Martian past, and its future. While Essegui battles forces back in Winterstrike, Hestia travels to Earth in an attempt to save her city . . . ‘Williams’s prose is unfussy and compelling . . . this is adventurous, thought-provoking science fiction’ The Times
The Velveteen Rabbit, or How Toys Become Real
by Margery WilliamsThe Velveteen Rabbit is a children's book written by Margery Williams Bianco and first published in 1922. It chronicles the story of a stuffed rabbit's desire to become real through the love of his owner. A stuffed rabbit sewn from velveteen is given as a Christmas present to a small boy. The boy plays with his other new presents and forgets the velveteen rabbit for a time. These presents are modern and mechanical, and they snub the old-fashioned velveteen rabbit. The wisest and oldest toy in the nursery, the Skin Horse, who was owned by the boy's uncle, tells the rabbit about toys magically becoming Real due to love from children. The rabbit is awed by this idea; however, his chances of achieving this wish are slight.
The Emperor's Knife: Tower and Knife Book I (Tower and Knife Trilogy #1)
by Mazarkis WilliamsOnly a forgotten prince and a girl from the grasslands can stop the Patttern Master in this 'compelling and wholly convincing fantasy' (Ben Aaronovitch, author of The Rivers of London). Written under a pseudonym by a Sunday Times bestselling author and a critically acclaimed writer, this 'riveting and intense novel' (Publishers Weekly) is perfect for fans of Mark Lawrence and Brandon Sanderson. There is a cancer at the heart of the mighty Cerani empire: a plague that first marks its victims, then covers their skin in geometric patterns until they die in agony - or are subsumed, their bodies now in thrall to the Pattern Master. Emperor Beyon's law is that any hint of the pattern means death, before they become another puppet for the sorcerer to use for his evil ends - to see the Cerani Empire reduced to dust and whispers.No one but his mother knows the emperor himself is infected, and so she looks to her only other living son, Prince Sarmin, locked in a tower since Beyon ascended the throne. A bride is chosen, a girl from the grasslands quite unused to the politics and intrigue of the imperial court - but she is strong-willed and determined, and she once saw a path in a pattern in the waving grasses: a path that might just save them all.
Knife-Sworn: Tower and Knife Book II (Tower and Knife Trilogy #2)
by Mazarkis WilliamsThere's a murderer loose in the Imperial Court: it could mean war in this 'twisty and enjoyable tale' (SFX) and 'wholly convincing fantasy world' says Ben Aaronovitch, bestselling author of Foxglove Summer.After years locked in a tower, Sarmin has come into his own: he has been crowned emperor, he has wed Mesema of the grasslands, and the Pattern Master is dead. Everything should be happy-ever-after.But war is threatening, Sarmin has no royal assassin and both Mesema and his mother have given birth to sons, throwing the succession into question. The last thing anyone needs is for the Yrkman peace envoy to be murdered in his bed.There are numerous possible killers, and it's up to Grada, Sarmin's trusted investigator, to follow the clues - no matter how close to the throne they lead her.Conspiracies, secret agendas and betrayals abound in this riveting sequel to The Emperor's Knife.
The Tower and Knife Trilogy: The Patternmaster is bent on destroying the mighty Cerani Empire – and all that stands in the way is a forgotten prince, a world-weary killer and a naïve young woman from the steppes (Tower And Knife Trilogy Ser. #1)
by Mazarkis WilliamsOnly a forgotten prince and a girl from the grasslands can stop the Pattern Master in this 'compelling' (Publishers Weekly starred) fantasy trilogy, perfect for fans of Mark Lawrence and Brandon Sanderson. This omnibus edition includes The Emperor's Knife, Knife-Sword and The Tower Broken.There is a cancer at the heart of the mighty Cerani empire: a plague that first marks its victims, then covers the skin in geometric patterns until they die in agony - or are subsumed, their bodies now in thrall to the Pattern Master, a sorcerer of immense power. Emperor Beyon's law is that any hint of the pattern means death, before they become another puppet for the Pattern Master to use for his own evil ends - for he will see the Cerani Empire reduced to dust and whispers.No one but his mother knows the emperor himself is infected. Now she looks to her only other living son, Prince Sarmin, locked in a tower since Beyon ascended the throne. A bride is chosen, a girl from the grasslands quite unused to the politics and intrigue of the imperial court - but she is strong-willed and determined, and she once saw a path in a pattern in the waving grasses: a path that might just save them all.'I highly recommend this series: tight storytelling, several interesting viewpoints, complex characters' SciFi Fan Letter
The Tower Broken: Tower and Knife Book III (Tower and Knife Trilogy #3)
by Mazarkis WilliamsThe final part of the 'twisty and enjoyable tale' (SFX) from Mazarkis Williams, the Sunday Times bestselling author and critically acclaimed American writer: a 'compelling and wholly convincing fantasy' Ben Aaronovitch, author of The Rivers of London, a 'riveting and intense novel which will keep fans of grim fantasy entirely enthralled' Publishers Weekly, perfect for fans of Mark Lawrence and Brandon Sanderson.The walls of Cerana are crumbling; Emperor Sarmin and his wife believed the Pattern Master dead, but what he started is spreading across the desert: a vast nothing that is swallowing everything in its path. The last mage has vanished, seeking a mysterious pattern-worker, the Mage's Tower, symbol of Cerani invincibility, is cracked, and the Yrkman armies have arrived with conquest in mind - but they will spare Sarmin's people if they will convert to the Mogryk faith.Time is running out for Sarmin and Mesema in this gripping climax to the Tower and Knife trilogy. . .
Crashland (Twinmaker #2)
by Sean WilliamsI am the real Clair Hill and I am telling you the truth. We saved the world from Improvement but that was only the beginning. The second enthralling book in the Twinmaker trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Sean Williams. Perfect for fans of GONE and Dr Who.
Hollowgirl (Twinmaker #3)
by Sean WilliamsSave friends first, then save the world. But the world can't wait forever. The mind-bending conclusion to the Twinmaker trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Sean Williams. Perfect for fans of GONE and Dr Who.
Twinmaker: Twinmaker (Twinmaker #1)
by Sean WilliamsYou are special. You are unique. And you have been selected. The method is simple. Improvement is certain. You can change anything. A near-future thriller from New York Times bestselling author Sean Williams, that fans of the GONE series and Doctor Who will love.
Star Wars: Remnant (Star Wars #73)
by Sean Williams Shane DixAs the bloodied and weary galaxy faces battle once more, the Jedi take on the formidable task of bringing the last of the Empire into the light-From the ashes of the New Republic, torn apart by the Yuuzhan Vong forces, the newly formed Galactic Alliance has risen, determined to bring peace to the entire galaxy. But first the Yuuzhan Vong must be contained once and for all. And so Luke Skywalker seeks a world long lost to legend: Zonama Sekot, a sentient planet believed to have repelled an invasion by the Yuuzhan Vong decades before. Deciphering the enigmatic secrets of Zonama Sekot just might turn the relentless tides of war-
Star Wars: The New Jedi Order - Force Heretic II Refugee (Star Wars #74)
by Sean Williams Shane DixThe second of a mass-market original trilogy charting the beginning of the galaxy's victory over the dreaded Yuuzhan Vong alien invaders. Under the leadership of Luke Skywalker and a combined Jedi-government council, the newly formed Galatic Federation of Free Alliances is doggedly fighting back--and winning. Luke is on a quest for a legend, in hope of bringing back the ultimate answer to the war. And a mysterious prophet has risen among the Yuuzhan Vong lower castes to turn Yuuzhan Vong culture on its ear. This adventure includes major storylines for favorite characters, both old and new.
Star Wars: Reunion (Star Wars #75)
by Sean Williams Shane DixThe Jedi move one step closerto saving the embattled galaxy-only to confronta formidable wallof resistance….The harrowing search forZonama Sekot if finallyover for Luke Skywalker, Jacen Solo, and others aboard the Jade Shado. But joy turns to alarm when the living planetsends a defiant message: it refuses to follow them back to a galaxy full of war, exploitation, and misery.While Luke works feverishly to persuade the elusiveplanet to reconsider, the Yuuzhan Vong launch a full-scale attack aimed at the heart of the new alliance. Sent to defend a major communicating base, Han and Leia find themselves hopelessly outnumbered.Reinforcements are just too far away to help before everything is destroyed. So the courageous pair mustnow fight an unrelenting battle against staggering odds.Whether they actually survive is another matter….