Marie is a ‘fallen lady’ of the London ton, living her life such as it is, in a high class brothel. When an older man she identifies as a vampire saves her from the clutches of an abusive gentleman, she hopes to repay his kindness with the only currency she has. Views: 35
It's competition time at Hyperspace High as the students build robots to compete in the annual Robot Warriors contest. John and Kaal are in with a chance of winning, but will competition get in the way of friendship? Views: 35
Sis Goose is a beloved member of Luli's family, despite the fact that she was born a slave. But the family is harboring a terrible secret. And when Union soldiers arrive on their Texas plantation to announce that slaves have been declared free for nearly two years, Sis Goose is horrified to learn that the people she called family have lied to her for so long. She runs away—but her newly found freedom has tragic consequences. Includes an author's note. Views: 35
Bahzell Bahnakson of the Horse Stealer hradani never wanted to be a champion of the War God. Unfortunately, Tomanāk had insisted. Even more unfortunately, Bahzell's own sense of responsibility hadn't let him say, "No."Which was how he found himself in the Empire of the Axe, where even people who didn't actively hate hradani regarded them with suspicion and fear. Of course, that was only the start of his problems. Next, there was the Order of Tomanāk, many of whom were horrified by the notion that their deity had chosen a hradani as a champion . . . and intended to do something about it. And assuming he survived that, he had to go home-across three hundred leagues of bitter winter snow-to face a Dark God who threatened to destroy all hradani. Throw in the odd demon and brigand ambush, and add a powerful neighboring kingdom with no intention of letting Bahzell (or anyone else) save his people, and you have the makings of a really bad day.But one thing Bahzell has learned: a champion of Tomanāk does what needs doing. And the people in his way had better move. Views: 35
Mary Grace Castilla is a diehard shopaholic with big problems. Someone has been trying to kill her and she hasn’t got a clue. A mostly all around good girl, she tithes to the church on time, she never shops in the eight items or less line with more than eight items, and she never mixes silk with cotton or misses a sale for more than 50% off. God help the malls until she discovers whodunit. Views: 35
Michel Faber's first collection of short stories reveals an extraordinarily vivid imagination, a deep love of language and an adventurous versatility. Playful, yet profoundly moving, wickedly satirical yet humane, these tales never fail to strike unexpected chords. Views: 35
ORIEL I am an angeling of the light, born to love and protect... Humans have breached the barrier between the mortal and immortal realms, threatening war between them, yet I'm sent to Guard one of the scientists helping to push their technology forward. An angeling's place is not to question the angels, but I fear this might bring the End of Times. Not to mention that other Guardians have already fallen from the sin of Lust, and my charge is as beautiful as any in angelkind. But it's her soul that draws me inexorably closer... for she's broken, and it's the kind of wound I was born to fix. ELIZABETH I've dropped everything do to secret science on an amazing project... I was only sixteen when cancer stole my father. A few months later, my mom was taken by a car crash. I vowed to fulfill their dreams for me—to do great science like my father—and I've spent the last... Views: 35
Two years after the events of Little Sister,
Fujiwara no Mitsuko finds herself cursed by ghosts and bad luck. The furious
spirit of a dead king demands she keep a forgotten promise, and he gives her a
series of impossible tasks to complete. If she fails, the spirit will punish her
by handing her over to the Lord of the Dead.
Desperate, Mitsuko again turns to the mischievous
shape-shifter Goranu for help. By his side, she journeys through a landscape of
Japanese myths and legends made real, and through his lessons in the Way of the
Tengu, she gradually learns to think for herself.
But it turns out the ghost's demands are the least of
Mitsuko's problems. In return for his help, Goranu makes a demand of his own.
And Mitsuko promises to fulfill his wish, even though to do so may mean Goranu's
death.
***
From School Library Journal
Fifteen-year-old Fujiwara no Mitsuko, the fourth daughter
of a powerful noble family, is about to be betrothed to an 11-year-old prince
whether she likes it or not. In 12th-century Heian Japan, Mitsuko is not free to
follow her heart, either to pursue the study of Buddhism or her growing
relationship with Goranu, a shape-shifting tengu who has come to her aid in time
of need. Even as political forces are directing Mitsuko's future, supernatural
forces affect her present life when an evil ghost demands retribution for an
unkept promise. Although this novel is a sequel to Dalkey's Little Sister
(Harcourt, 1996) and refers back to events in that story, it stands on its own
as an interesting fantasy and an even more interesting glimpse into a long ago
and far away time and place. It is embellished with characters and customs from
Japanese history and folklore, from the Shinto and Buddhist religions, and from
the lifestyles and events of the period. Haiku-like verses introduce each
chapter and are interspersed appropriately in the text as well. Readers nurtured
on folklore and fairy tales from around the world will enjoy this well-told
tale, while romantics will appreciate the affection growing between Mitsuko and
Goranu. The book ends with the possibility of several different futures for
Mitsuko, and with definite room for yet another sequel.
***
From Kirkus Reviews
Pulled in different directions by her heart and by family
duty, a daughter of the noble Fujiwara clan also has an angry ghost to appease
in this busy sequel to Little Sister (1996). Two years after Mitsuko
entered the land of the dead in search of her sister's soul, ominous dreams
remind her of her vow to repair a small shrine in which she once took refuge. At
the same time, her father announces that Mitsuko is to marry an 11-year-old
prince. She once again calls on Goranu, the mischievous, immortal shape-changer
who fell in love with her. Exchanging insults and tart retorts, the two grow
closer as Mitsuko faces a dragon, the shrine's vengeful kami (spirit), and a
host of other supernatural beings. Under Goranu's tutelage, Mitsuko learns how
to use her wits, and by the end has overcome the treacherous kami, helped
engineer the prince's marriage to her sister, and even met Lord Emma-O in the
Court of the Dead. More than most sequels, this story relies on knowledge of its
predecessor. Dalkey supplies a glossary and historical postscript, but readers
unfamiliar with the first book will miss nuances in characters and
relationships, and have only a sketchy picture of the 12th-century locales and
social patterns. Together, however, the two novels combine a courageous
teenager's well-articulated escape from the limits and preconceptions forced on
her by a rigid, highly structured upbringing with a colorful, not altogether
earnest, series of encounters with powerful beings from Buddhist and Shinto
lore. Views: 35
Sierra Bell has longer to become the new personal assistant in her office. As a temporary agent, she's spend the majority of her short career pining for the attention of her boss, Mr. Douglas. As his taste for fresh faces brings forth opportunity for Sierra, she cannot resist laying her career and possibly her reputation on the line in an attempt to seduce the man she desires. Views: 35
