In this seventh and last book of THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, the mysteries of the House, the Architect, the Trustees, the Keys and the Will are revealed, and the fate of Arthur, our Earth, and the entire Universe is finally decided.
Arthur has wrested the Sixth Key from Superior Saturday, but has fallen from the Incomparable Gardens; fallen not to the Upper House but to somewhere completely unexpected. Alone in enemy territory, as his mind and body are further transformed by the power of the Keys, Arthur must struggle with himself as much as with his many enemies.
Meanwhile, Arthur's friend Suzy Blue plots an escape from her prison in Saturday's tower, as battle rages above and below. Saturday's elite force is pressing on into the Incomparable Gardens, while her massed sorcerers fight a desperate rear-guard action against the Piper and his Newnith army.
On earth, Leaf has to cope with the aftermath of a nuclear strike. Responsible for all the Sleepers in Friday's private hospital, she needs all the help she can get, particularly as Leaf herself has become a target for intruders from the House.
And the tide of Nothing continues to rise, destroying everything in its path . . .
The brand new and final novel from the magical pen of ‘the Godmother of Fantasy’, Diana Wynne Jones; co-authored with her sister Ursula Jones.
How are you supposed to turn into a Wise Woman if your powers just won’t show up? Aileen is convinced she’ll never become as magical as her Aunt Beck.
Then one day her aunt is set a seemingly impossible mission. She must go to the island of Logra and rescue the kidnapped High Prince from the enemy, and Aileen must go with her. They set off along with Ivar, Aileen’s spoilt cousin, and Ogo his clophopping servant, recruiting on their way a huge and elusive cat, a monk with an uncannily wise parrot, and a boy inventor who keeps a pet lizard up his sleeve. But this is no band of mighty warriors, and the evil Lograns and their wizards have blocked their way with an invisible barrier in the sea. Aileen doubts that even with all the magic in the Islands of Chaldea, including Aunt Beck’s, they will be able to penetrate it.
But Aileen is about to discover that she could be more important to the mission than she realises. Perhaps it is her, above all, who is being drawn to Logra, and for a very special purpose…
Doctor Illuminatus begins with brother and sister, Pip and Tim, moving into an ancient manor house where they hear strange tapping noises at night. When they tap back - a panel in the wall opens and out comes a strange boy dressed like a 50s schoolboy. His name is Sebastian, and he is the alchemist's son. Sebastian is kept in a state of suspended animation and wakes up down the centuries to continue the struggle against the evil alchemist, de Loudeac. De Loudeac betrayed Sebastian's father to death by burning, and his continuing aim is to create an homunculus - a kind of mannikin android, who will be his puppet in evil. Pip and Tim join with Sebastian to stop de Loudeac and are drawn into a nail-biting battle of alchemists.
The Quirks are a rather special family with rather magical powers and, sometimes, when the Quirks are involved, things don’t quite go to plan!
Just as the Quirks are settling in to Normal, the circus comes to town! At school, Molly, Penelope and Finn are all learning how to juggle, tightrope walk and fly the trapeze! Meanwhile, at home they are putting similar skills to good use . . . It takes fancy footwork to keep their nosy neighbour, Mrs DeVille, from snooping around and uncovering the Quirk family secrets – not to mention their family’s pet monster, Nibblet! One thing’s for sure: life in Normal is a high-flying adventure!
'City of Masks is a poignant, touching and exciting novel, difficult to put down. This is one of the best time-slip stories that I have read in recent years. Without doubt a masterwork of contemporary children's literature.' - Edgardo Zaghini, Children's Literature Officer, Booktrust. This is a fantastic first novel in a trilogy. Set in a parallel world, in an Italy that in this world is called Talia and in a Venice that in this world is called Bellezza, the narrative follows Lucien, who in this world is ill with cancer. Given a marbled notebook to help him communicate when his throat hurts too much to speak, this notebook is the means that transports Lucien to this magical, dangerous new world. This is a world which is set in the C16, and thrills to the delight of political intrigue, including assassination attempts both foiled and successful. The parallel Venice is astonishingly evoked, with the silks and velvets, the sensuousness of the food and the elegance of the city and its waterways all beautifully and powerfully described. The world of Talia is unforgettably and convincingly real.
In Fairyland, everything isn't always perfect. Even for fairies who are very good friends. When Little Fairy decides that she doesn't like her hair, Big Fairy decides to help. And that's when trouble starts...Sue Heap's funny story about two fiesty, fairy friends will cast a wide spell and enchant readers everywhere.
What do you get when you mix a sci-fi nerd, a cartoonist, a social outcast, and the most popular girl in school with a mysterious bus crash? Some very specific—and mighty odd—superpowers. Martina can change her eye color; Nick can teleport four inches to the left; Farshad can develop super strength, but only in his thumbs; and Cookie can read minds, when those minds are thinking about directions.
Starring a diverse group of kids, this series’ multiple narrators make for a quirky, contemporary read that tackles identity and stereotypes. Praised widely, Ignatow’s characters have been called “very real” by the New York Times and “completely convincing” by the New Yorker.
Tiffany Aching is going 'into service': to be a lady, no less, a maid in a big house. At least, this is what she tells her parents.
Really, Tiffany is going away to learn magic.
But making friends with fellow witches is always difficult when an invisible-being-that-cannot-be-killed takes over your body - stealing money, and threatening violence.
Tiffany must use all her witchy cunning to reclaim what's hers. Luckily, she has a bit of help. What's tiny, Scottish and blue all over? A Nac Mac Feegle of course - the rudest type of fairy, and handy to have in a tight spot . . .
'Oodles of dry wit, imagination and shrewdly observed characters'
Independent on Sunday
A brilliant, intricate and magical novel from the Godmother of British fantasy.
When Andrew Hope's magician grandfather dies, he leaves his house and field-of-care to his grandson who spent much of his childhood at the house. Andrew has forgotten much of this, but he remembers the very strong-minded staff and the fact that his grandfather used to put the inedibly large vegetables on the roof of the shed, where they'd have vanished in the morning. He also remembers the very colourful stained glass window in the kitchen door, which he knows it is important to protect.
Into this mix comes young Aidan Cain, who turns up from the orphanage asking for safety. Exactly who he is and why he's there is unclear, but a strong connection between the two becomes apparent.
There is a mystery to be solved, and nothing is as it appears to be. But nobody can solve the mystery, until they find out exactly what it is!
