Mr Bliss, a man notable for his immensely tall hats and for the girabbit in his garden, takes
the whimsical decision to buy a motor car. But his first drive to visit friends quickly becomes
a catalogue of disasters…
J.R.R. Tolkien invented and illustrated the book of Mr Bliss’s adventures for his own children when
they were very young. The book was handwritten with lots of detailed and uproarious colour pictures.
This is a complete and highly imaginative tale of eccentricity. Some of the disasters that befall Mr
Bliss could be blamed on his style of driving, but even he could not anticipate being hijacked by three
bears. As for what happened next – the readers, whether young or old, will want to discover for
themselves.
Republished in hardback to match his Letters from Father Christmas and other illustrated Tolkien
editions, Mr Bliss is presented as a conventional illustrated storybook, and also with Tolkien's
handwritten pages in facsimile at the back, and is sure to delight Tolkien fans of all ages
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"Brilliantly inventive." —Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
"Gorgeously written and unforgettable." —Kamilah Cole, indie bestselling author of So Let Them Burn
Alchemy and ancient spirits come to life in this debut fantasy inspired by African diasporic folklore and the 1920s World Fair, wherein sixteen-year-old Kellan DuCuivre, an orphan from a reviled class, must compete for a coveted apprenticeship among the nation’s elite in order to save her adoptive father from a twisted fate.
Sixteen-year-old Kellan DuCuivre is the descendant of traitors. She never knew her family members or which one of them betrayed the isle of Nanseau. But like all Du orphaned after the war, Kellan is forbidden by law from practicing makecraft, the trade of carving magic into metal that was perfected by the Guild of Engineers and their maker apprentices. No one can know that Kellan has been using makecraft in secret and that, in the wake of a tragic miscarve, she’s been helping her adoptive father, Edgar, run his celebrated makeshop.
But Edgar’s condition is worsening, and his shop is on the brink of ruin. On the eve of the Eighty-Fourth Annual Makers’ Exposition in Nanseau’s sparkling city of Riz, Kellan is thrust into the Guild’s twisted web of political intrigue and ancient secrets when she strikes a dangerous deal with one of its members to save Edgar and his shop. Now Kellan must compete in a rigorous gauntlet against the nation’s elite for a coveted spot as a maker’s apprentice.
But danger lurks at every turn. And as Kellan falls into a budding relationship with the illegitimate son from one of Nanseau’s most revered families, she’s put into the limelight when something sinister begins targeting the Gauntlet’s competitors and wreaking havoc on Riz. Amid a crumbling city and a ticking clock, winning the Gauntlet won’t just be a test of survival—it will mean pulling back the veil of secrets behind the Guild and uncovering the shrouded legacies of Nanseau itself.
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An inter-connected romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas
The Summer Court princess has never failed to end the curse that ravages Faerie every hundred
years, until now. The responsibility has fallen on the Fall princess, Aribella, to stop the poison
destroying her realm: she must go to Ethereum to fetch the heart of one of its dark lords, or her
people will perish.
Everything unravels the moment she steps foot in Ethereum. Thrown into her target’s dungeon and in
fear for her life, Aribella can see no way to save herself, let alone her kingdom. The scarred Ethereum
lord who holds her is brutal, unforgiving, and only keeping her alive as long as she’s useful to him. Yet
she has a secret, harboured her entire life, and if she can use it to her advantage, there is a chance
she and her people might come through unscathed…
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The spellbinding conclusion to the international bestseller Forged by Blood delves
deeper into Nigerian mythology as the Oluso uprising comes to a head…and the
young woman caught in between comes to her breaking point.
The King is dead. The Oluso rebel. War is here.
With the end of Alistair Sorenson’s tyrannical reign, Dèmi has accepted Jonas’s proposal to rule as
his Queen with hopes to finally free her people, the magical Oluso. Yet social prejudice, corrupt
council members, and the continued distrust of the nonmagical Ajès throughout the kingdom prove
seemingly implacable obstacles. To make matters worse, Dèmi struggles to control her newly
awakened iron blood magic. As Ekwensi’s rebel army—led in part by Colin, her best friend and one-
time lover—become more triumphant in their mission, war seems inevitable.
Before long, a new evil appears that hunts Oluso and Ajè alike, promising desolation on a larger level
than ever before. When the failed assassination puts the life of Dèmi’s loved one in danger as well as
the future of the Oluso into question, Dèmi embarks on a treacherous journey to find an ancestral
spirit whose aid could tip the scales in her favor. Whether her new powers will destroy the kingdom or
heal the blood-soaked rifts that have pulled it apart, she does not know.
Beyond the battles of swords and magic, there is the battle for Dèmi’s heart. Jonas—the former
enemy prince—has divided loyalties despite his love for Dèmi. And Ekwensi and Colin have every
intention of winning her to their side, while a past pledge hangs over Dèmi’s head. Dèmi is caught
between the kingdom, her people, and the spirits, and must decide what sacrifices she is willing to
make for peace, and whether she can outrun the greatest danger that constantly puts her in peril—her
own heart. Only one thing is for certain…
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A collection of the year’s best science fiction and fantasy short fiction selected by New York Times bestselling author of the Silo series Hugh Howey and series editor John Joseph Adams.
“These are dangerous stories. The kind that warp reality and threaten to change the world” warns guest editor Hugh Howey in his introduction. The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy 2024 promises a treasure trove of audacious characters, daring worldbuilding, and twisted realties. A sibling duo of supernatural hitmen. A traveling spellbreaker and his trusty alligator mount. Superheroes registering for work. Sentient spaceships with an AI-human interface grow up together with their human pilots. From a Korean folk-tale retelling about the goddess of shamans, to a car, resurrected from obsolescence via automancy, for a road trip from California to Maine, these are stories that, for Howey, “challenged my worldview, that made me exercise new mental muscles, and that brought me to tears.”
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Delve into Middle-earth, decipher the Dwarves’ alphabet and more, with this indispensable and comprehensive guide to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.
This wide-ranging encyclopedia covers all the characters, places and objects included in the seminal book that first introduced the world of Middle-earth, highlighting the legendary sources from which Tolkien took inspiration.
With rich illustrations of action scenes and characters, this encyclopedia has in-depth entries on such subjects as:
1. The Arkenstone
2. Azog and Bolg
3. Dragons
4. Elvish
5. Faërie
6. Girion
7. Lake-town
8. Pipes and pipe-weed
9. The Quest of Erebor
10. Wasterlands
The prequel to The Lord of the Rings (1954), The Hobbit (1937) is an extraordinarily rich work that first introduced us to the world of Middle-earth and sets up the fantasy world that would be built upon at greater length in Tolkien’s later books. Peter Jackson's trilogy of films based on this single work has helped to create a whole new generation of Tolkien fans.
This is the quintessential read for any Tolkien fan, young or old. It also acts as a base reference for those who have newly stepped into Tolkien’s world. With a Middle-earth-age period style, this visually appealing guide can be leafed through by topic or read cover to cover.
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A commemorative 75th anniversary edition of Tolkien’s classic book, including a revised
introduction, a map, a copy of Tolkien’s unpublished short story which he expanded for
publication, his notes for an aborted sequel, and the original first edition illustrations by
Pauline Baynes.
Farmer Giles of Ham did not look like a hero. He was fat and red-bearded and enjoyed a slow,
comfortable life.
Then one day a rather deaf and short-sighted giant blundered on to his land. More by luck than skill,
Farmer Giles managed to scare him away. The people of the village cheered: Farmer Giles was a
hero.
His reputation spread far and wide across the kingdom. So it was natural that when the dragon
Chrysophylax visited the area it was Farmer Giles who was expected to do battle with it!
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Journey from fantasy mountains to super-cities, through piratical seas and across
space without missing any must-see sights – or putting a foot wrong with the locals!
Whether you’re Lord of the shoestring-budget or Luxe Skywalker – Notes from Small
Planets is your pastiche passport through the best worlds of Science Fiction &
Fantasy
Your ultimate travel guide to all the must-see locations in the worlds of Science Fiction and Fantasy.
The perfect gift for self-professed geeks and fans of all things genre – from classic genre readers to
new young disciples of nerdery. From misty mountains to wizarding schools, from the homes of
superheroes to lairs of infamous villains – visit your favourite worlds and discover new ones – all
without ever missing a single landmark or traditional dish. What’s orc for ‘bon voyage’?
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One new owner. One hot barista. And one seriously weird coffee shop…
Adele is down on her luck. She’s just failed her last musical theatre, and it now looks like the bright
lights of Broadway are behind her for good. So, when the opportunity comes up to take over a
Brooklyn coffee shop, finally it feels like at last things are going her way.
The only issue is the coffee shop comes with strings attached in the form of one very grumpy (but
roasting hot) barista, Ben. He’s worked there for years and he’s not about to move on just because
there’s a new owner in town.
But soon it’s not only Ben who’s smouldering, because strange things are happening with the old
coffee roasting machine in the basement, with roaring flames and weird noises that seem to come
from nowhere. She’d ask Ben for help, but he never seems to be around when there’s a problem to
fix. And to add to it all, now some of the regular customers are nowhere to be seen…
Trouble is brewing for Adele and, before she knows it, she’s in a whole latte trouble.
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