The Ship Of Shadows

The sweeping, sparkling first book in a brand new series that will delight fans of The Wild Way Home and Frostheart. "A sumptuous delight of a book" - Sophie Kirtley, author of The Wild Way Home "A feast for the imagination . . . an enthralling adventure." - Abi Elphinstone, author of Sky Song "This swashbuckling tale has it all . . . I loved it." - Alex Bell, author of The Polar Bear Explorers' Club READERS LOVE THE SHIP OF SHADOWS: "With a strong protagonist and a likeable crew of characters, I couldn't stay away from the story for long, and now I CRAVE a follow-up." Gavin Hetherington, waterstones.com "Just order it . . . it's wonderful." Akshaykumar, amazon.in "Thrilling, exciting and intriguing and I can't wait for the next instalment!" Rhiannon, waterstones.com "What a fantastic spellbinding book . . . A truly fascinating tale and we cannot wait for the second book to be released!" Eva Sneep, amazon.co.uk "The real treasure in this gem of a book lies in the crew . . . I can't wait to join the crew again for the next instalment of this thrilling tale." Stephanie, amazon.co.uk "This book sparkles! Complete gorgeous escapism." Nicola Penfold, amazon.co.uk Aleja is a dreamer who longs for a life of magic and adventure. So when a mysterious ship arrives in her Spanish harbour city, crewed by a band of ruthless women, Aleja knows it's sailed right out of a legend. And it wants her. But life aboard the Ship of Shadows is more than even she bargained for. It will take all of Aleja's strength and skill to gain the trust of her fellow pirates - and discover what they are risking everything to find . . .

This is an adventure novel that revolves around Eric Venable. Excerpt: Were this to be the tale, simply, of how Eric Venable fell and rose again from the depths, much might be said of his voyage to Tientsin River. It would bear much dwelling upon; it would in itself make, from the Horatio-Algerian viewpoint, an excellent moral tale. But it would delete all about Shinski and Marie, and the Shirvan diamond, and the burlap, -wrapped parcel; it would have to touch upon, Mrs. Ivanoff's pistol with discretion; and of course, it could say little about the poet Gerin's company of sh, shadows, or the devil Boris Kryalpin, or the ending of the Kum Chao.

A young man plagued by the ability to see ghosts races to save the mythological land of Tara from a terrible fate in Erika Lewis's stunning debut, Game of Shadows. Thousands of years ago in Ireland, an ancient race fought a world-changing battle—and lost. Their land overrun, the Celtic gods and goddesses fled, while the mythical races and magical druids sailed to an uncharted continent, cloaked so mankind could never find it. This new homeland was named Tara. In modern day Los Angeles, Ethan Makkai struggles with an overprotective mother who never lets him out of her sight, and a terrifying secret: he can see ghosts. Desperate for a taste of freedom, he leaves his apartment by himself for the first time—only to find his life changed forever. After being attacked by dive-bombing birds, he races home to find the place trashed and his mother gone. With the help of a captain from Tara who has been secretly watching the Makkais for a long time, Ethan sets out to save his mother; a journey that leads him to the hidden lands, and straight into the arms of a vicious sorcerer who will stop at nothing until he controls Tara.With new-found allies including Christian, the cousin he never knew he had, and Lily, the sword-slinging healer who’d rather fight than mend bones, Ethan travels an arduous road—dodging imprisonment, battling beasts he thought only existed in nightmares, and accepting help from the beings he’s always sought to avoid: ghosts. This L.A. teen must garner strength from his gift and embrace his destiny if he’s going to save his mother, the fearless girl he’s fallen for, and all the people of Tara. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Orphaned, two sisters are left to find their own way. Sweet and proper, Karah's future seems secure at a glamorous Flower House. She could be pampered for the rest of her life. . . if she agrees to play their game. Nemienne, neither sweet nor proper, has fewer choices. Left with no alternative, she accepts a mysterious mage's offer of an apprenticeship. Agreeing means a home and survival, but can Nemienne trust the mage? With the arrival of a foreign bard into the quiet city, dangerous secrets are unearthed, and both sisters find themselves at the center of a plot that threatens not only to upset their newly found lives, but also to destroy their kingdom.

Science fiction-noveller.

Magus leaves circle by the doorway, goes to Postulant, and says, "Since there is no other brother here, I must be thy sponsor, as well as priest. I am about to give you a warning. If you are still of the same mind, answer it with these words: 'Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.'" Placing the point of the sword to the Postulant's breast, he says, "O thou who standeth on the threshold between the pleasant world of men and the domains of the Dread Lords of the Outer Spaces, hast thou the courage to make the Assay? For I tell thee verily, it were better to rush on my weapon and perish miserably than to make the attempt with fear in thy heart." Postulant: "I have two Passwords: Perfect Love and Perfect Trust." Magus drops the sword point, saying, "All who approach with perfect love and perfect trust are doubly welcome." Going around behind her, he blindfolds her, then putting his left arm around her waist and his right arm around her neck, he pulls her head back, says, "I give you the 3rd password, a Kiss to pass through this dread Door," and pushes her forward with his body, through the doorway and into the circle. Once inside, he releases her saying, "This is the way all are first brought into the circle." Magus closes the doorway by drawing the point of the sword across it three times, joining all three circles, saying, "Agla, Azoth, Adonai," then drawing three pentacles to seal it. Magus guides Postulant to south of altar, and whispers, "Now there is the Ordeal." Taking a short piece of cord from the altar, he ties it around her right ankle, saying, "Feet neither bound nor free." Taking a longer cord, he ties her hands together behind her back, then pulls them up, so that the arms form a triangle, and ties the cord around her neck, leaving the end dangling down in front as a Cable Tow. With the Cable Tow in his left hand and the sword in his right hand, the Magus leads her sunwise around the circle to the east, where he salutes with the sword and proclaims, "Take heed, O Lords of the Watchtowers of the East, (name), properly prepared, will be made a Priestess and a Witch." Magus leads her similarly to the south, west, and north, making the proclamation at each quarter. , clasping Postulant around the waist with his left arm, and holding the sword erect in his right hand, he makes her circumambulate three times around the circle with a half-running, half-dancing step. He halts her at the south of the altar, and strikes eleven knells on the bell.

Only in the world of the theater can Nat Field find an escape from the tragedies that have shadowed his young life. So he is thrilled when he is chosen to join an American drama troupe traveling to London to perform A Midsummer Night's Dream in a new replica of the famous Globe theater. Shortly after arriving in England, Nat goes to bed ill and awakens transported back in time four hundred years -- to another London, and another production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Amid the bustle and excitement of an Elizabethan theatrical production, Nat finds the warm, nurturing father figure missing from his life -- in none other than William Shakespeare himself. Does Nat have to remain trapped in the past forever, or give up the friendship he's so longed for in his own time?

"Here is a writer at the top of his game. The result is a brilliant techno-thriller, the kind a young Clancy would be proud to call his own." -- HOMER HICKAM, Bestselling author of 'Rocket Boys' A minor accident at a German nuclear power plant, a Biological Warfare attack on the British Embassy in Washington, DC, and a secret arms deal combine to drive a trusted NATO Ally into an illegal alliance with a rogue Middle Eastern state. With the world hovering on the brink of war, a handful of U.S. Navy warships must track down and destroy a wolfpack of state-of-the-art submarines. Their enemy is skilled in deception, and incredibly lethal. Out-gunned, out-maneuvered, and out-thought, the U.S. Navy crews must throw the rulebook out the window, and become every bit as devious and deadly as their enemy. If they fail, the consequences are unthinkable... "A timeless warrior epic. Jeff Edwards spins a stunning and irresistibly-believable tale of savage modern naval combat." -- JOE BUFF, Bestselling author of 'Seas of Crisis,' and 'Crush Depth' "...fast and lethal. I read it in one sitting." -- PAUL L. SANDBERG, Producer of 'The Bourne Supremacy,' and 'The Bourne Ultimatum' "... as close as you can get to naval surface combat without being shot at. Jeff Edwards has penned a fast, no-holds-barred thriller that never lets up. Highly recommended." -- JACK DuBRUL, Bestselling author of 'The Silent Sea,' and 'Havoc' (Originally published as 'Torpedo')