The Outcasts Of Time

December 1348. What if you had just six days to save your soul? With the country in the grip of the Black Death, brothers John and William fear that they will shortly die and suffer in the afterlife. But as the end draws near, they are given an unexpected choice: either to go home and spend their last six days in their familiar world, or to search for salvation across the forthcoming centuries, living each one of their remaining days ninety-nine years after the last. John and William choose the future and find themselves in 1447, ignorant of almost everything going on around them. The year 1546 brings no more comfort, and 1645 challenges them in further unexpected ways. It is not just that technology is changing; things they have taken for granted all their lives prove to be short-lived. As they find themselves in stranger and stranger times, the reader travels with them, seeing the world through their eyes as it shifts through disease, progress, enlightenment, and war. But their time is running out—can they do something to redeem themselves before the six days are up?

‘Beautifully written and superbly executed’ Times 'This clever and moving Faustian tale is packed with fascinating historical detail' Express 'A joyous romp around England’s dark past' Suzie Feay, Guardian From the author of the bestselling The Time Traveller's Guide to Restoration Britain, this is a stunningly high-concept historical novel that is both as daring as it is gripping, and perfect for fans of Conn Iggulden, SJ Parris and Kate Mosse. December 1348. With the country in the grip of the Black Death, brothers John and William fear that they will shortly die and go to Hell. But as the end draws near, they are given an unexpected choice: either to go home and spend their last six days in their familiar world, or to search for salvation across the forthcoming centuries – living each one of their remaining days ninety-nine years after the last. John and William choose the future and find themselves in 1447, ignorant of almost everything going on around them. The year 1546 brings no more comfort, and 1645 challenges them still further. It is not just that technology is changing: things they have taken for granted all their lives prove to be short-lived. As they find themselves in stranger and stranger times, the reader travels with them, seeing the world through their eyes as it shifts through disease, progress, enlightenment and war. But their time is running out – can they do something to redeem themselves before the six days are up? What readers are saying: ‘Wow, what a book! I absolutely adored this. This was ambitious but done to perfection’ Sara Marsden ‘The Outcasts of Time is a tour de force, rich in spellbinding detail. Haunting and atmospheric, there is warmth and humour alongside fear and torment; all human life is here. As perfect a novel as any I've ever read’ Ophelia’s Reads 'A fascinating trip through seven centuries of history ... The author has done well to traverse such a sweep of time ... it's a great read and I'd recommend it' Netgalley reviewer, 4 stars

A taut, thrilling adventure story about buried treasure, a manhunt, and a woman determined to make a new life for herself in the old west. It's the 19th century on the Gulf Coast, a time of opportunity and lawlessness. After escaping the Texas brothel where she'd been a virtual prisoner, Lucinda Carter heads for Middle Bayou to meet her lover, who has a plan to make them both rich, chasing rumors of a pirate's buried treasure. Meanwhile, Nate Cannon, a young Texas policeman with a pure heart and a strong sense of justice, is on the hunt for a ruthless killer named McGill who has claimed the lives of men, women, and even children across the frontier. Who -- if anyone -- will survive when their paths finally cross? As Lucinda and Nate's stories converge, guns are drawn, debts are paid, and Kathleen Kent delivers an unforgettable portrait of a woman who will stop at nothing to make a new life for herself.

From bestselling author and winner of the Blue Peter Best Story Book Award, Uki and the Outcasts is the first in a new trilogy set in the world of Podkin One-Ear.'EXCELLENT,' says the bard. 'It's probably a good idea for you to know about him.''Wait . . . him? Who's him?' said Rue.'Uki,' says the bard. 'Uki Patchwork. The Magpie Demon. Uki of the Two Furs.'From the Ice Wastes beyond the Cinder Wall emerges an unlikely hero. Rejected by his village and left to die, young Uki is given life and unique powers by a long-buried spirit from the time of the Ancients . . . and a life or death mission.Joined by two other outcasts - a trained assassin who refuses to kill people and a very short rabbit who rides the fastest jerboa on the plains - Uki must capture Valkus, the Spirit of War, before rabbitkind destroys itself in conflict.A thrilling new book set in the Five Realms of Podkin One-Ear.'Storytelling perfection.' Sophie Anderson'One of my sons very favourite authors.' Romesh Ranganathan'Superb.' Max Porter

E.L. Konigsburg revisits the town of Epiphany to tell the story of Margaret Rose Kane, Connor's older half-sister. It's about the summer when Margaret Rose turned twelve--the same year that Cabbage Patch dolls were popular, that Sally Ride became the first woman to go into space, that El Nino turned the world upside-down. Margaret Rose begins her summer with a miserable experience at camp, from which she's rescued by her beloved, eccentric uncles. Little does she know that her uncles, in turn, need rescuing themselves--from a tyrannical city council determined to tear down her uncles' life work--three spectacularly beautiful towers that her uncles have been building since before Margaret was a baby. A rousing book about intelligence, art, and the fierce preservation of individuality, from EL Konigsburg.

The only ones who can fix a broken world are those who have been broken by that world. A shadowy threat has emerged in a realm populated by serious wizards, pious elves, passionate humans, and hedonistic morphs. Several outcasts have been brought together-by fate or by design?-for what they believe to be an epic struggle against that shadowy threat. Yet if they are expecting a straightforward quest to slay some Dark Lord and bring peace to the world, the outcasts are disabused of that notion when a wise voice warns them, "It's not that kind of story." But what kind of story is it? Are these broken beings on an epic quest, or is someone guiding their mission under the aegis of a tired and traditional story? And is this "someone" benevolent or sinister? As the outcasts seek to mend their broken pasts, navigate the perils of love, and perhaps save the known world, we are left to wonder how much of the story is a lie and how much truth has been baked in to make the meal palatable. While "The Outcasts" pays homage to traditional fantasy archetypes, it also seeks to undermine most of them. In a story laced with ancient and medieval scenery, you will find yourself dizzy with the plot twists of this exciting debut fantasy novel. Book I, "The Lies of Autumn" introduces the half-Wizard Marcus and his dear friend Quintus, who find themselves unexpectedly in the company of enslaved Elf siblings Griffin and Gwendolyn, the disgraced Human soldier Octavia, and a Morph named Alexia who possesses abilities which have not been seen in 1,000 years or more. These disparate creatures must navigate love and jealousy, friendship and selfishness, as well as the unspeakable tragedies which haunt each one of their pasts in a quest to save an indifferent world. As Octavia notes, "It sounds like one of those epic tales of old, but it sure doesn't feel like one." Expect fantasy with a twist, as well as equal helpings of romance and action.

Frank Longford often said during his long life that he would like his epitaph to be 'the outcast's outcast'. It summed up a long career as a politician, writer and campaigner on social and prison policy. This biography reveals one of the twentieth century's most intriguing figures.

Join David and his friends and family for the next installment in the After Cilmeri series! Last we heard from David, he'd allowed George to abduct him at the behest of the CIA, for the stated purpose of forcing him to time travel between Earth Two and Avalon. Meanwhile, Lili and the refugees from Paris were floating down the River Seine, making for the English Channel. And King Philippe was blithely reconstituting his government, unaware that the battle of wills between him and David hadn't really ended the way he thought. And that, in fact, it hadn't even ended. David and his companions have pulled off the heist of the millennium. But as David encounters the unexpected in Avalon, and Lili and the refugees face danger at every bend in the river, they must face the hard truth that the best laid plans go awry at the moment of contact with the enemy. And no one ends up exactly where they intended, either in space ... or in time. Outcasts in Time follows immediately after the previous book in the series, Unbroken in Time.