Showing results by narrator "Stewart Crank" in All Categories

Lonnie Skyeborne is a liar and proud of it. From the moment she was born, her mother sensed there was something extraordinary about her daughter and taught her to never reveal the truth of who she is. But now, Lonnie is alone and trapped in her own web of lies. She is the queen in name only, and afraid to trust anyone, even the princes who claim to be her allies. She still has four deadly hunts to complete before she can escape her bargains with the Everlast family, and meanwhile war is looming in the country of Elsewhere.

When her gangster boyfriend, Tim, is sent down, Susie Jones’ life is thrown into turmoil. Left to run his criminal empire, Susie finds solace in new acquaintances made in Strangeways Visitors’ Centre...with unforeseen consequences.

Some children dream of running away to join the Night Market. I did so to escape a nightmare. Still, being forced into an overheated tent to read fortunes until sunrise has its trials—naturally. But when he visits me, I suffer for entirely different reasons. Stars above, Rhylen Lonan is the most beautiful faerie I've ever known. A Raven shifter with long black hair, dark purple eyes, and magic that stirs my own. Each Night Market, in exchange for a generous slice of cake and a delicious morsel of gossip, I read him three cards.

My name is Pamela, and I am a witch. I will protect Rylee’s pack, my family, at all costs. They are my greatest treasure, one I never dreamed to have. And I will defend them–even to the damning of my soul. The demons have been beaten back, but I can feel darkness lurking just beyond my sight. Darkness that is coming for those I love. To protect them, I will chance everything on a stranger.

Now Then is a biographical mosaic of Yorkshire. Rick Broadbent, an award-wining author and exiled Yorkshireman, goes in search of the soul of England's biggest county and produces an all-encompassing portrait of a place that has been victimised and stereotyped since the days of Williams the Conqueror. Incorporating social history, memoir, reportage and author interviews, Now Then paints a picture of what it means to be from Yorkshire - both now and back then.

James Joyce is one of the greatest writers in English. His first book, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, laid down the template for the coming-of-age novel, while his collection of short stories, Dubliners, is of perennial interest.

A Short History of England (1917) is Chesterton’s commentary on the philosophical, social, and religious history of England. The book focuses on those highlights that have shaped the nation, and is presented in the author’s customary wit. Having displayed strong Roman Catholic leanings at this time of his life, the author equates Anglicanism with atheism, but does commend the upliftment achieved by the Wesleyans. Chesterton views the story of England as the story of robber barons who became an aristocracy and who concealed their rise to power and hegemony through Parliament.

The Prince is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. The Prince is sometimes claimed to be one of the first works of modern philosophy, especially modern political philosophy, in which the "effectual" truth is taken to be more important than any abstract ideal. It is also notable for being in direct conflict with the dominant Catholic and scholastic doctrines of the time, particularly those concerning politics and ethics.

Daisy meets Adam on their first day of university. Immediately, they become friends. But when tongues wag and their relationship is questioned, Adam shares his secret with Daisy, who promises to stand by him. When their grandmother dies, Adam’s older brother Ryan returns from abroad, and Daisy quickly falls for him. After a troubled upbringing at the hands of a drunken mother and jailbird father, Adam and Ryan have only each other. In adulthood, their bond holds firm, glued together by Daisy with whom they are now both in love.

Structured Chaos is Victor Saunders’ follow-up to Elusive Summits (winner of the Boardman Tasker Prize in 1990), No Place to Fall and Himalaya: The Tribulations of Vic & Mick. He reflects on his early childhood in Malaya and his first experiences of climbing as a student, and describes his progression from scaling canal-side walls in Camden to expeditions in the Himalaya and Karakoram.

After nine years of servitude to the enemy, Toran Binn is eager to come home - only for poverty to pummel him in the gut. Before he can recall why he escaped home in the first place, royalty is murdered. Toran must find the true killer by the end of summer or watch his best friend’s execution.

Cymin's final tournament representing the East Deity for Lux Temple promises to be thrilling and bittersweet. After it's done, all his skill and power must feed a Storm Tower to protect the world from fei'lux storms. But before his conscription, he intends to put on a dazzling show and enjoy his last glorious outing. The streets are thronged with cheering crowds, and the grand procession shimmers with spells. Film stars and government ministers claim the best seats in the stands.

All Adrian wanted was a new pair of eyes. Not cybernetic arms, an eldritch-infected brain, and a vengeful mad scientist hot on his trail… Adrian knows he should be thankful. He's got his new eyes and some decent runner training. He escaped from the insane doctor who forcibly swapped his arms for cyber-eldritch limbs, and he did it with the help of the doctor's own daughter. Now he just wants to lie low and live out the rest of his eldritch-human life in peace. But in Adrian's world, peace is not an option.

Fourteen-year-old Jaime Pappas expects to live the remainder of his life on the chilly Alps of the Air Kingdom. But he doesn't expect the king's men to arrive to his farmstead - or burn his brother for treason. Forced to run, Jaime's world upends when he discovers a chilling prophecy that will call him to exchange his farmer’s cowl for a crown.

It’s Prince Alexander’s turn to host the ceremony for the summer solstice, in preparation for him to become King of Orchantia. Not ready for all the responsibilities, Alexander and his best friend Xana, go on one last adventure. Unaware of what the Trolls are planning. As the Trolls make their move, Alexander’s adventure becomes a race to save Orchantia.

1989 heralded a unique prospect for an enduring global peace, as harsh ideological divisions and conflicts began to be resolved. Now, three decades on, that peace has been lost. With war in Ukraine and increasing tensions between China, Russia, and the West, great power politics once again dominates the world stage. But could it have been different? Richard Sakwa shows how the years before the first mass invasion of Ukraine represented a hiatus in conflict rather than a lasting accord—and how, since then, we have been in a 'Second Cold War'.

It was Daisy's birthday, and Adam had the perfect gift for his fiancée. A dozen red roses? Jewellery? A weekend in Paris? Nope.... A set of bathroom scales. Sadly, Adam's poor judgement goes way beyond god-awful gifts. He's been cursed by a lack of common sense. Now, he's about to make the worst decision of his life and stands to lose the love of his life. Enter Mungo Thunk: an odd little man who claims he can fix Adam's thinking once and for all. Can Adam really trust the mysterious stranger's bizarre brand of therapy, or will he come to rue the day he met Mungo Thunk?

An inside look at the early lives of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, This Boy is a perfect book for any young reader embracing their inner Beatlemania. Meant for younger readers, This Boy is a gripping biography of two musical legends. Beginning with their births during World War II England and...

It’s been two years since Lorna Cheyne went to prison, and tension is building in the Armour Group. While they debate if Lorna is one of them or not, DI Alex Lillico finds himself in the minority view. So, he’s happy to be shipped off to Galloway, where a collapsed sea cliff has revealed not one, but two dark mysteries in the belly of a forgotten cave. One of these challenges is urgent police work while the other tilts at an old Scottish myth that even Gill McArdle will struggle to explain.

Surprise! I'm a prince. As the heir to the throne of a small country, I was shocked when my younger sister decided to leave her royal life behind and move to America. Like any good big brother would, I started digging to see what she was up to. Somewhere along the way, I found myself chatting with the woman of my dreams on a new dating app. She's smart. She's funny. And she's about to get out of the Marines after serving for eight years. The only problem is, she doesn't know I'm a prince. Now I've come to America to tell her. Hopefully she doesn't freak out.