A Dark Descent

Called a "fierce and darkly magical thrill ride" by acclaimed author Ava Reid, NYT bestselling Kalyn Josephson delivers a spellbinding fantasy full of intrigue, romance, and pulse-pounding action, perfect for fans of The Shadows Between Us and The Scorpio Races. Every ten years, the citizens of Veradell gather for the Illinir, a treacherous horse race famous for its alluring prize money and high body count. Tough-as-nails Mikira Rusel, the last in a line of renowned horse breeders, is desperate to win this year's race at any cost. But to make it to the track, she'll need to gather new friends and escape the crosshairs of old foes . . . A beautiful rogue enchanter with a hidden past just beginning to come into her true power. A dashing and ambitious young lord in the midst of a fierce succession battle. A brilliant, prickly loner loyal only to his friends, and his loveable but mysterious pet cat. A ruthless aristocrat determined to protect his family's prestige -- and unrivaled power. Each one has their own vengeful secrets to protect and reasons to help -- or hinder -- Mikira's odds of winning the Illinir. And in a world as dangerous as this, who among them will be left standing at the finish line?

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AN NPR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR A CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR "Inescapably compelling." —VICTORIA SCHWAB, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie Larue "A masterful and monstrous retelling." —STEPHANIE GARBER, #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of Caraval and Legendary A stunning and dark reimagining of Frankenstein told from the point-of-view of Elizabeth Lavenza, who is taken in by the Frankenstein family. Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything—except a friend. Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable—and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable. But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness. **Ebook exclusive: the full text of Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN**

"Dark Descent makes the reader a vicarious participant in what is a very extreme sport."—Philadelphia Inquirer On May 29, 1914, the passenger liner Empress of Ireland was struck by the freighter Storstad and sank in fifteen minutes, taking more than 1,000 victims with her. It remains one of the largest losses of life ever in a maritime accident. At more than a hundred feet deep in the frigid Gulf of St. Lawrence, diving the Empress is like trying to navigate an unfamiliar sixty-story building lying on its side at a forty-five-degree angle, in pitch blackness with only a flashlight. In Dark Descent, Kevin McMurray takes us deep into the bowels of the lost ship, first to relive her tragic death and then to join the divers who have probed the wreck's secrets. It's an adventure from which some divers don't return. "Impressively researched. . . . For those who love the lure of the deep water and the mysteries of shipwrecks, this specialized history will be a pleasure."—Publishers Weekly "Kevin has a remarkable knack of adding life and realism. A great job."—R. W. Hamilton, Chairman of the Board, Divers Alert Network

For Each, There Could Be Only One: They came from the darkest places: secluded monasteries, the Carpathian mountains, galaxies under siege. They were men with the blackest pasts-warriors, vampire monks, leaders of armies-but whose passions burned like dying stars. They had one purpose: to find those women who fulfilled them, completed them, and made them rage with a fire both holy and profane. They sought soul mates whose touch consumed them with desire, yet whose kisses refreshed like the coolest rain. And each man knew that for him there was only one true love-and in finding her, he would find salvation.

Lions, and tigers, and bears, not quite! This “fast-paced series opener” (Kirkus Reviews) tells the origin story of the world’s most iconic Good Witch, Glinda, as she embarks on a brave adventure in Oz against the Wicked Witches. On her Declaration Day, a day meant for celebration and happiness, Glinda’s peaceful life in Oz is shattered when her mother is imprisoned for practicing forbidden Magic. As she is ripped from her home by a fearsome bounty hunter sent by Aphidina, the Witch of the South, Glinda soon uncovers a startling truth: the Oz she’s always known is not good and right—it’s a world governed by the wickedest of the wicked, overrun with tyranny, corruption, and dark power. And Glinda’s mother? She is actually a high-ranking member of a secret society whose mission is to overthrow the four Wicked Witches and set the stage for the return of the rightful ruler of Oz. With the help of a feisty, purple-haired girl named Locasta, Glinda sets across the unforgiving landscape to rescue her mother. They are soon joined by Ben, a revolutionary New Yorker, and a mysterious girl called Shade. Armed with their individual gifts, these unlikely heroes mount an epic attack on Aphidina to free Glinda’s mother…and save the future of Oz from the Wickeds before it’s too late.

After the defeat of one Wicked, the other Witches of Oz prepare for vengeance in this second book of the Ages of Oz series! Glinda and her friends have successfully vanquished Aphidina, the first of the four Wicked Witches. But her task is far from over. With the fate of all of Oz hanging in the balance, Glinda struggles to locate a mysterious teacher called Mythra, who is the only one who can guide her in reaching her mystic potential and becoming the powerful Sorceress she is destined to be. While Glinda searches far and wide for her mentor, the fiery-spirited Locasta finds herself undertaking an equally important search—for the Elemental Fairy of Lurl, and the means by which to destroy the second Witch, Marada, Wicked Warrior of the North. Surprising discoveries await both Glinda and Locasta. Great dangers threaten, formidable enemies lurk, and startling secrets abound. Glinda, Locasta, Ben, and Shade bravely continue their mission teaming up with some very welcome—and very unexpected—allies along the way. Together they prove that there is no hope for the future if one is not willing to learn from the past.