Brought to life by a captivating multi-cast narration, with spellbinding performances from the award-winning Julia Whelan, Katie Leung (Harry Potter) and Marisa Calin. From V. E. Schwab, the No. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: a new genre-defying, unforgettable novel to sink your teeth into . . . This is a story about hunger. 1532. Santo Domingo de la Calzada. A young girl grows up wild and wily—her beauty is only outmatched by her dreams of escape. But María knows she can only ever be a prize, or a pawn, in the games played by men. When an alluring stranger offers an alternate path, María makes a desperate choice. She vows to have no regrets. This is a story about love. 1827. London. A young woman lives an idyllic but cloistered life on her family’s estate, until a moment of forbidden intimacy sees her shipped off to London. Charlotte’s tender heart and seemingly impossible wishes are swept away by an invitation from a beautiful widow—but the price of freedom is higher than she could have imagined. This is a story about rage. 2019. Boston. College was supposed to be her chance to be someone new. That’s why Alice moved halfway across the world, leaving her old life behind. But after an out-of-character one-night stand leaves her questioning her past, her present, and her future, Alice throws herself into the hunt for answers . . . and revenge. This is a story about life— how it ends, and how it starts. V. E. Schwab's The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 05/10/2020

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

This newly discovered story by literary legend Sylvia Plath stands on its own and is remarkable for its symbolic, allegorical approach to a young woman’s rebellion against convention and forceful taking control of her own life. Written while Sylvia Plath was a student at Smith College in 1952, Mary Ventura and The Ninth Kingdom tells the story of a young woman’s fateful train journey. Lips the color of blood, the sun an unprecedented orange, train wheels that sound like “guilt, and guilt, and guilt”: these are just some of the things Mary Ventura begins to notice on her journey to the ninth kingdom. “But what is the ninth kingdom?” she asks a kind-seeming lady in her carriage. “It is the kingdom of the frozen will,” comes the reply. “There is no going back.” Sylvia Plath’s strange, dark tale of female agency and independence, written not long after she herself left home, grapples with mortality in motion.

Mary Ventura and The Ninth Kingdom

The heart-rending conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology that began when a heartless hunter met a rebel witch… ‘Enchanting and deeply romantic’ REBECCA ROSSA witch. A witch hunter. A love so deadly it could set the world on fire… Rune Winters is on the run from the republic who condemned her and the boy who betrayed her. Her friends, her home, and the life she knew are lost. An ocean away, her only ally is the unlikeliest one: Cressida Roseblood, the deposed witch queen intent on taking back what she thinks hers – the crown, the country, and Gideon Sharpe with it. Gideon will not allow the terrors of his past to rise again, even if this means hunting down every last witch. But there is only one witch who holds the key to Cressida’s return…and Gideon’s heart. And he will stop at nothing to find her. Rune Winters will meet her end. Even if it ends him too. *The Crimson Moth is published as Heartless Hunter in North America.*

The Crimson Moth

The Rebel Witch

2020 THRILLER/SUSPENSE AUDIE AWARD WINNER! From #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephen King whose “storytelling transcends genre” (Newsday) comes “another winner: creepy and touching and horrifyingly believable” (The Boston Globe) about a group of kids confronting evil. In the middle of the night, in a house on a quiet street in suburban Minneapolis, intruders silently murder Luke Ellis’s parents and load him into a black SUV. The operation takes less than two minutes. Luke will wake up at The Institute, in a room that looks just like his own, except there’s no window. And outside his door are other doors, behind which are other kids with special talents—telekinesis and telepathy—who got to this place the same way Luke did: Kalisha, Nick, George, Iris, and ten-year-old Avery Dixon. They are all in Front Half. Others, Luke learns, graduated to Back Half, “like the roach motel,” Kalisha says. “You check in, but you don’t check out.” In this most sinister of institutions, the director, Mrs. Sigsby, and her staff are ruthlessly dedicated to extracting from these children the force of their extranormal gifts. There are no scruples here. If you go along, you get tokens for the vending machines. If you don’t, punishment is brutal. As each new victim disappears to Back Half, Luke becomes more and more desperate to get out and get help. But no one has ever escaped from the Institute. As psychically terrifying as Firestarter, and with the spectacular kid power of It, The Institute is “first-rate entertainment that has something important to say. We all need to listen” (The Washington Post).

The Institute

“An impressive work of mythic magnitude that may turn out to be Stephen King’s greatest literary achievement” (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution), The Gunslinger is the first volume in the epic Dark Tower Series. A #1 national bestseller, The Gunslinger introduces readers to one of Stephen King’s most powerful creations, Roland of Gilead: The Last Gunslinger. He is a haunting figure, a loner on a spellbinding journey into good and evil. In his desolate world, which mirrors our own in frightening ways, Roland tracks The Man in Black, encounters an enticing woman named Alice, and begins a friendship with the boy from New York named Jake. Inspired in part by the Robert Browning narrative poem, “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came,” The Gunslinger is “a compelling whirlpool of a story that draws one irretrievable to its center” (Milwaukee Sentinel). It is “brilliant and fresh…and will leave you panting for more” (Booklist).

The Dark Tower

Dark Tower I

Audrey Rose Wadsworth e Thomas Cresswell sono giunti in America, una terra audace, sfrontata, brulicante di vita. Ma, proprio come la loro Londra adorata, anche la città di Chicago nasconde oscuri segreti. Quando i due si recano alla spettacolare fiera mondiale, scoprono una verità sconcertante: l'evento epocale è minacciato da denunce di persone scomparse e omicidi irrisolti. Audrey Rose e Thomas iniziano a indagare, per trovarsi faccia a faccia con un assassino come non ne hanno mai incontrati prima. Scoprire chi sia è una cosa, ben altra faccenda è catturarlo, soprattutto all'interno del famigerato Castello della Morte che ha costruito lui stesso, un covo di torture labirintico e terrificante. Riuscirà Audrey Rose, insieme al suo grande amore, a porre la parola "fine" anche a questo caso? O soccomberà, preda del più subdolo avversario che abbia mai incontrato?

A caccia del Diavolo

Jesper non smetteva un attimo di tamburellare le dita sulle cosce. «Qualcuno ha per caso notato che l'intera città ci cerca, ce l'ha con noi o vuole farci fuori?» «E allora?» disse Kaz. «Be', di solito è solo metà della città.» Kaz Brekker e la sua banda di disperati hanno appena portato a termine una missione dalla quale sembrava impossibile tornare sani e salvi. Ne avevano dubitato persino loro, a dirla proprio tutta. Ma rientrati a Ketterdam, non hanno il tempo di annoiarsi nemmeno un istante perché sono costretti a rimettere di nuovo tutto in discussione, e a giocarsi ogni cosa, vita compresa. Questa volta, però, traditi e indeboliti, dovranno prendere parte a una vera e propria guerra per le buie e tortuose strade della città contro un nemico potente, insidioso e dalle tante facce. A Ketterdam, infatti, si sono radunate vecchie e nuove conoscenze di Kaz e dei suoi, pronte a sfidare l'abilità di Manisporche e la lealtà dei compagni. Ma se i sei fuorilegge hanno una certezza è questa: dopo tutte le fughe rocambolesche, gli scampati pericoli, le sofferenze e le inevitabili batoste che hanno dovuto affrontare insieme, troveranno comunque il modo di rimanere in piedi. E forse di vincerla, in qualche modo, questa guerra, grazie alle rivoltelle di Jesper, al cervellone di Kaz, alla verve di Nina, all'abilità di Inej, al genio di Wylan e alla forza di Matthias. Una guerra che per loro significa una possibilità di vendetta e redenzione e che sarà decisiva per il destino del mondo Grisha.

Sei di corvi

GrishaVerse - Il regno corrotto

In fondo a una strada sterrata, mezzo dimenticata nel cuore del Kansas, sorge la casa delle sorelle Finch. Per molti anni è rimasta vuota, abbandonata, soffocata dalle erbacce. Adesso la porta sta per essere riaperta. Ma qualcosa, o qualcuno, aspetta nel profondo delle sue ombre, e non vede l'ora di incontrare i suoi nuovi ospiti. Quando Sam McGarver, autore di best seller horror, viene invitato a trascorrere la notte di Halloween in una delle case infestate dai fantasmi più famosa del mondo, accetta con riluttanza. Se non altro, non sarà solo: con lui ci saranno altri tre acclamati maestri del macabro, scrittori che come lui hanno contribuito a tracciare la mappa moderna di quel genere letterario. Ma quella che inizia come una trovata pubblicitaria si trasformerà in una vera e propria lotta per la sopravvivenza. L'entità che hanno risvegliato li segue, li tormenta, li minaccia, fino a farli diventare parte della sanguinosa eredità di Kill Creek.

Kill Creek

Un messaggero proveniente dalla Pianura Polverosa si presenta al castello della regina Myosotis con una terribile notizia: la Terra degli Elfi è in grande pericolo, un nemico lontano è giunto ai confini del regno con il suo esercito per ridurre tutti in schiavitù! Anche Bellis, la figlia della regina, è costretta a rifugiarsi insieme a tutti gli altri Elfi nelle foreste vicino per scappare dalla malvagità dell’invasore. È lì che conosce Humulus, un altro giovane Elfo, con cui stringe subito un forte legame. Quando tutto sembrerà andare per il peggio, saranno proprio Bellis e Humulus a fare una scoperta che potrebbe risollevare le sorti degli Elfi. "I guerrieri corazzati" è il primo di quattro libri che compongono la saga de "Il destino degli Elfi". Ecco la lista completa: "I guerrieri corazzati", "Il cuore di pietra", "Le tombe dimenticate", "Il flauto incantato". Peter Gotthardt è un autore danese nato a Copenhagen nel 1946. Scrittore molto prolifico, nella sua vita ha scritto decine e decine di libri per l’infanzia, molto spesso ambientati nel fantastico reame degli Elfi. Tradotto in molte lingue, l’autore si è imposto come uno degli scrittori per bambini di maggiore successo.

Il destino degli Elfi

Il destino degli Elfi 1: I guerrieri corazzati

Il primo romanzo della saga di The Raven Cycle. Agli studenti della Aglionby Academy, conosciuti come Ragazzi Corvo, non manca nulla: soldi, bellezza, macchine costose. Gansey, però, è in cerca di qualcosa di più: Owen Glendower, un antico re gallese che, secondo le leggende, giace addormentato sotto una montagna. Nella sua ricerca è affiancato da Adam, che frequenta la scuola con una borsa di studio ed è pieno di risentimento verso l'ambiente privilegiato che lo circonda; da Ronan, un'anima selvaggia divisa tra rabbia e disperazione; e da Noah, tanto attento a cogliere i dettagli quanto taciturno. Blue appartiene a una famiglia di veggenti, ma finora non ha mostrato di avere alcun dono; non crede di poter vedere gli spiriti delle persone destinate a morire, eppure, la notte della vigilia di San Marco, le appare quello di Gansey. Quando lo incontrerà in carne e ossa, ne resterà inspiegabilmente affascinata, e la sua vita finirà per intrecciarsi con il sinistro e strano mondo dei Ragazzi Corvo. Il presente audiolibro è tratto dal volume curato da Alessia Merlo e Rossella Pinto, che comprende i romanzi The Raven Boys, The Dream Thieves, Blue Lily, Lily Blue e The Raven King.

The Raven Cycle

The Raven Cycle. The Raven Boys

Pura e semplice descrizione della lotteria che si svolge nell’atmosfera pastorale, quasi idilliaca, di un villaggio del New England in un luminoso mattino di giugno – come ogni anno da tempo immemore. Eppure, giunto al termine di questo racconto, l’ascoltatore scoprirà da sé, cosa renda questo racconto un vero e proprio classico della letteratura del terrore.

La lotteria

Fin dove sei disposta a spingertiper un finale da fiaba? Evangeline Volpe ha sempre creduto nell'amore e nel lieto fine Fino al giorno in cui scopre che quello che credeva essere il ragazzo della sua vita sta per sposare un'altra.Nel disperato tentativo di impedire le nozze, Evangeline stringe un patto con il Fatidico Principe di Cuori, affascinante quanto malvagio. In cambio del suo aiuto, il Fato chiede a Evangeline tre baci, che dovrà dare quando e a chi deciderà lui.Ma già al primo dei tre baci promessi, Evangeline impara a sue spese che mettersi in affari con un immortale può rivelarsi un gioco molto pericoloso, e che ciò che il Principe di Cuori vuole da lei è più di quanto si è fatto promettere. I piani che ha fatto per Evangeline potrebbero portare al più straordinario dei lieto fine o alla più spettacolare delle tragedie

C'era una volta un cuore spezzato

Nella misteriosa città di Camorr un orfano ha vita dura, e spesso breve. Ma il giovane Locke Lamora riesce a eludere la morte e a non farsi catturare come schiavo, fino a diventare un furfante provetto sotto la tutela del Forgialadri, un talentuoso artista della truffa. A capo della banda di fratelli dalle dita leste, noti come Bastardi Galantuomini, Locke diventa presto celebre, e si fa beffe persino del più temuto re della malavita. Ma tra le ombre si annida qualcuno di ancora più ambizioso e micidiale. Di fronte a un sanguinoso colpo di stato che minaccia di distruggere qualunque persona o cosa che abbia un senso nella sua esistenza, Locke giura di sconfiggere il nemico al suo stesso gioco crudele. Costi quel che costi.

Gli inganni di Locke Lamora

Montag fa il pompiere in un mondo in cui ai pompieri non è richiesto di spegnere gli incendi, ma di accenderli: armati di lanciafiamme, fanno irruzione nelle case dei sovversivi che conservano libri e li bruciano. Così vuole la legge. Montag però non è felice della sua esistenza alienata, fra giganteschi schermi televisivi, una moglie che gli è indifferente e un lavoro di routine. Finché, dall'incontro con una ragazza sconosciuta, inizia per lui la scoperta di un sentimento e di una vita diversa, un mondo di luce non ancora offuscato dalle tenebre della imperante società tecnologica.

Fahrenheit 451

Questo racconto dalle atmosfere oniriche e fiabesche, ambientato in terra d'Irlanda. L'azione si svolge in un'unica notte fatale, la notte di Halloween, vigilia di Ognissanti, quando l'incontro con una donna misteriosa darà al protagonista una lezione impossibile da dimenticare: il tempo non fluisce in un'unica direzione, ma è una forza arcana dal moto circolare, senza inizio né fine. Due amici si incontrano dopo il soggiorno di uno dei due all’estero. Il banjo portato in dono sembra molto antico e la storia che racconta è strana ed appassionante. Julian Hawthorne, figlio del celebre scrittore Nathaniel Hawthorne, naque a Boston nel 1846. La famiglia si sposto a Liverpool, in Inghilterra, dove il padre era il console Americano, quando Julian aveva 7 anni. Il suo romanzo "A fool of Nature" – scritto usando lo pseudonimo Judit Hollinshed – vinse un premio di 10.000 dollari offerto dal New York Herald, che poi lo assunse come giornalista investigativo e lo mando in India a scrivere della carestia che stava devastando il paese. Nel 1913 fu condannato ad un anno di carcere per il suo coinvolgimento in una truffa per vendere azioni di miniere d’oro fasulle.

World Classics

Il mistero di Ken

Sortilegi e malefici erano proibiti già nell’antica Roma, così come nei comuni medioevali. Ma è solo nel 1300 che si diffonde l’idea che le streghe siano una minaccia per il mondo: oscure presenze che agiscono per conto del demonio, e che devono quindi essere stanate e uccise. Una strage che durò oltre quattro secoli, attraversando tutta l’Europa. Nel 1326 la Chiesa dichiarò la stregoneria simile all’eresia: entrambe le pratiche dovevano perciò essere debellate. Circa un secolo dopo, nel 1487, due frati domenicani pubblicarono Il martello delle streghe, un vero e proprio manuale dedicato alla stregoneria: la fortuna del testo fu enorme, scatenando processi in tutta Europa. Avere del latte o del burro andato a male in casa. Avere un neo o una voglia particolare. E ancora, essere mendicanti, adultere o poco socievoli. Bastava uno di questi elementi per subire un processo per stregoneria. Padre Geremia, uomo colto e dalla mente brillante, è reclutato molto giovane nella Santa Inquisizione e grazie alle sue capacità in pochi anni diventa un inquisitore potente e stimato. Nel suo animo però si agitano molte riserve: dubbi sull’uso della tortura negli interrogatori, dubbi sulla veridicità dei racconti diabolici delle donnette di paese che spesso paiono più una maldicenza che una vera e propria prova d’accusa. Tali dubbi diventano assillanti in occasione di un processo, apparentemente simile a tanti altri. Costretto a fare un viaggio sotterraneo nel mondo del Piccolo Popolo, saggerà sulla propria pelle ciò che riserva alle presunte streghe, ritrovandosi costretto ad accettare una diversa visione della realtà. Dopo l’incontro con la diafana ed eterea Erika, infatti, non sarà più lo stesso, e dovrà compiere alcune scelte drammatiche che metteranno in dubbio prima la sua carriera e poi la sua stessa sopravvivenza. Un emozionante, catartico romanzo breve.

Gli incubi dell'inquisitore

Grass for His Pillow is the second novel in Lian Hearn's astonishingly beautiful series inspired by feudal Japan, Tales of the Otori. In the ancient Oriental lands of the Otori, amidst a time of violent war, famine and treacherous alliances, the fate of the young lovers Otori Takeo and Shirakawa Kaede hangs in the balance . . . Takeo, heir to the great Otori clan, has pledged his life to the secret Tribe. His supernatural skills of virtual invisibility and acute hearing make him their most deadly assassin. But he must deny the solemn oath of vengeance he made, his adopted birthright of wealth, land and power – and his love for Kaede. If he does not devote himself entirely to the brutal ways of the Tribe, they will kill him. Whichever path he chooses, it will lead to hardship and sacrifice in the bitter winter of the high mountains, and test him to the limits of his being. Kaede, heiress to vast lands, is now the valuable pawn of ruthless warlords. She must use her intelligence, beauty and cunning to assert her place in a world of all-powerful men – who must never suspect the dangerous secret she hides.

Tales of the Otori

Grass for His Pillow

Inspired by Oscar Wilde's classic story of hedonism and corruption, The Confessions of Dorian Gray imagines a world where Dorian Gray was real, and his friendship with Oscar Wilde once spawned the notorious novel. 1. The Enigma of Dorian Gray by Roy Gill Salford, 1968. Dorian returns to one of his former universities, having been summoned by his old friend, Adam Notting. Instead, he is greeted by BEAUTY: the product of Notting's research into artificial intelligence. But is BEAUTY all it seems to be? And what of the BEAST...? 2. Freya by Sam Stone Scandinavia, 1974. After rescuing a young woman from the middle of a desolate forest, Dorian realises they're not alone. There's something else in the woodland with them - something follow them - and it won't give up until it's finally tracked them down. 3. Human Remains by James Goss London, 1998. To alleviate a typical bout of boredom, Dorian decides to have his appendix removed - again - and checks himself into a very nice private hospital. However, upon his recovery, he sees a hideous creature stalking the wards. Is it just a side-effect of the drugs, his mind playing tricks... or is there something more sinister going on at Melrose Hospital? 4. His Dying Breath by George Mann London, 1929. The Bright Young Things of the city are living life to the full, when a series of unusual murders strikes the capital. It isn't long before Dorian finds himself singled out as a suspect and has to clear his name. But how to prove your innocence when the killer might not even be human...? 5. Banshee by Xanna Eve Chown County Meath, 1900. After one Dorian's friends acquires a house on the Emerald Isle, Dorian travels with him to Ireland to inspect the estate. There, they find a house in disrepair... and a supernatural tenant desperate to vacate the premises. 6. The Abysmal Sea by David Llewellyn Greece, 1974. In a last-bid attempt to save their flagging relationship, Dorian Gray and Alyssa Symes embark on a simple sailing holiday in the Aegean. But the deep, still waters hide a terrible danger, and they may end up losing more than just each other... 7. Inner Darkness by Mark B. Oliver Iceland, 2009. When a mission to finally see the Northern Lights turns sour, Dorian finds himself stranded in the middle of nowhere. It is only after the kindness of one of the locals that he is rescued, and learns that there may be more to the local legends than meets the eye. 8. The Living Image by Matt Fitton England, 1949. A chance encounter on a train propels Dorian into the lives of Mr and Mrs Moore. To him, their lives are ordinary, mundane: the kind of lives he's always striven to rise above. However, the grass is always greener... The collection also includes additional material and behind-the-scenes interviews.

The Confessions of Dorian Gray - The complete series four (Unabridged)

Both a haunting coming-of-age story set in North Texas against the backdrop of a deadly tornado, and a character-driven, deeply-affecting supernatural thriller. In 1979, a massive tornado devastates the city of Wichita Falls, Texas, leaving scores dead, thousands homeless, and nine-year-old Todd Willis in a coma, fighting for his life. Four years later, Todd awakens to a world that looks the same but feels different in a way he can't quite grasp. For Todd, it's a struggle to separate fact from fiction as he battles lingering hallucinations from his long sleep. The new friends Todd makes in 1983 are fascinated with his experience and become mesmerized by his strange relationship with the world. Together the five boys come of age during a dark, fiery summer where they find first love, betrayal, and a secret so terrible they agree to never speak of it again. But darkness returns to Wichita Falls twenty-five years later, and the boys--now men--are forced to reunite and confront the wounds from their past. When their memories of that childhood summer refuse to align with reality, the friends embark upon a search for truth that will threaten their lives, and transform their understanding of each other--and the world itself--forever.

The Boys of Summer

William Collins Books and Decca Records are proud to present ARGO Classics, a historic catalogue of classic fiction read by some of the world’s most renowned voices. Originally released as vinyl records, these expertly abridged and remastered stories are now available to download for the first time. This curated collection of M. R. James’ supernatural stories is read by critically acclaimed star of stage and screen, Sir Michael Hordern. This collection includes M. R. James’ most beloved stories, including The Haunted Doll’s House; The Ash Tree; Lost Hearts; Casting the Runes; The Haunted Doll’s House; The Ash Tree; Lost Hearts; Casting the Runes; Number 13; Count Magnus; Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book; The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral; and Lost Hearts; alongside other spine-tingling tales.

Argo Classics

The M. R. James Collection

Do you want to listen to Frankenstein? If so then keep reading… Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus was written by the English author Mary Shelley. It recounts the tale of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist who creates a grotesque, living creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. The first edition was published anonymously in 1818 when Shelley was only 20 years old. Her name finally appeared in the second edition, published in France in 1823. She was supposedly influenced by knowledge of alchemist experiments carried out by Johann Dippel in the Frankenstein Castle in Germany. What are you waiting for, Frankenstein is one click away, start listening NOW!

Frankenstein

"The Call of Cthulhu" is a short story by American writer H. P. Lovecraft. Written in the summer of 1926, it was first published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales, in February 1928. The story's narrator, Francis Wayland Thurston, recounts his discovery of various notes left behind by his great uncle, George Gammell Angell, a prominent Professor of Semitic languages at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, who died during the winter of 1926 after being "jostled by a nautical-looking negro".

The Call of Cthulhu (Unabridged)

Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, featuring as its primary antagonist the vampire Count Dracula. Dracula has been attributed to many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, the gothic novel and invasion literature. Structurally it is an epistolary novel, that is, told as a series of diary entries and letters. Literary critics have examined many themes in the novel, such as the role of women in Victorian culture, conventional and conservative sexuality, immigration, colonialism, postcolonialism and folklore. Although Stoker did not invent the vampire, the novel's influence on the popularity of vampires has been singularly responsible for many theatrical and film interpretations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.

Dracula

Rosie Garland’s extraordinary tale is a story of superstition and devotion in the time of the Black Death and will bewitch both new readers and fans of her much-loved debut, The Palace of Curiosities. Devon, 1349. In Brauntone, where seagulls screech across the fields and the wind has a mind to change, Father Thomas arrives as the new priest. Determined to impress his congregation, he quells fears of the coming pestilence with promises of protection. For Anne, the priest’s arrival is an opportunity that at sixteen, she feels all too ready for. Convinced a grand fate awaits, she moves in as Thomas’s housekeeper, though hopeful of something more. But his home is a place without love or kindness. So when a strange, mute Maid is discovered, washed up in the marshes, and taken in, Anne is grateful for the company. Their friendship is to give Anne the chance of a happiness she thought she’d never know. But soon the plague strikes Brauntone, spreading panic. And as the villagers’ fear turns to anger, Thomas must sacrifice everything to restore their faith in him.

Vixen

Here are the moments that our fairy tales forgot or deliberately concealed, reimagined by one of the most gifted storytellers of his generation, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Hours. Rarely have our bedtime stories been this dark, this perverse, or this true. The Beast stands ahead of you in line at the convenience store, buying smokes and a Slim Jim, his devouring smile aimed at the cashier. A malformed little man with a knack for minor acts of wizardry goes to disastrous lengths to procure a child. A loutish and lazy Jack prefers living in his mother's basement to getting a job, until the day he trades a cow for a handful of magic beans. In A Wild Swan and Other Tales, the people and the talismans of lands far, far away – the mythic figures of our childhoods and the source of so much of our wonder – are transformed by Michael Cunningham into stories of sublime revelation.

A Wild Swan

The Metamorphosis (German: Die Verwandlung) is a novella written by Franz Kafka which was first published in 1915. One of Kafka's best-known works, The Metamorphosis tells the story of salesman Gregor Samsa who wakes one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a huge insect and subsequently struggling to adjust to this new condition...

Metamorphosis (Illustrated)

Originally appearing in serial format just before the turn of the twentieth century, The Turn of the Screw is considered a classic of Gothic fiction. Critically acclaimed for its ability to create a sense of confusion and an atmosphere of suspense in the reader, the story focuses on a governess caring for two children at a remote country estate who becomes convinced that the grounds are haunted. With so many works since drawing on the themes explored by Henry James in this novella, this is an absolute must-read for any fan of the paranormal.

The Turn of the Screw

Time and again called one of Poe’s most brutal horror short stories, "Berenice" employs themes similar to Poe’s previous works: death of a beautiful woman, premature burial, and mental disorder. Though some autobiographical elements can be felt, the story still remains one of horror and obsession. The dark and brooding atmosphere, together with the almost-maniacal obsession of the main character with his cousin, creates a story that is definitely not for the faint-hearted! Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, author, and literary critic. Most famous for his poetry, short stories, and tales of the supernatural, mysterious, and macabre, he is also regarded as the inventor of the detective genre and a contributor to the emergence of science fiction, dark romanticism, and weird fiction. His most famous works include "The Raven" (1945), "The Black Cat" (1943), and "The Gold-Bug" (1843).

Horror Classics

Berenice

Embarking upon a journey to discover the limits of one’s sanity and guilty conscience, "The Black Cat" is a perfect example of how no bad deed goes unpunished. Obsessively dark and violent, the story draws a psychological portrait of Poe’s own miserable life spent in depression and alcoholism. Together with the superstitious symbolism of the black cat, Poe’s narrative teems with guilt, violence, and dark portents. Similar to "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado", the story shows to what extent can man’s barbarity and viciousness go, and how dire the consequences for his sanity can be. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, author, and literary critic. Most famous for his poetry, short stories, and tales of the supernatural, mysterious, and macabre, he is also regarded as the inventor of the detective genre and a contributor to the emergence of science fiction, dark romanticism, and weird fiction. His most famous works include "The Raven" (1945), "The Black Cat" (1943), and "The Gold-Bug" (1843).

The Black Cat

The best of M R James' ghost stories. Includes the classics "The Mezzotint", "Whistle and I'll Come for You My Lad", "Lost Hearts", "The Tractate Middoth", and "The Casting of the Runes". Narrated by Michael Ward

Ghost Stories of an Antiquary

Dracula is an 1897 Gothic horror novel by Irish author Bram Stoker, famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula. The novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England so that he may find new blood and spread the undead curse, and of the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing. Dracula has been assigned to many literary genres including vampire literature, horror fiction, the gothic novel, and invasion literature.

All Danika Frost wanted was to lead a normal life and go to college. It’s too bad destiny had other plans. After her mother is brutally attacked, Dani inherits the family business: protecting the world from things that go bump in the night. With the help of the Ink, ancient spirits who live in her skin as tattoos, Dani must hunt down demons and the necromancers who raise them. Alone in the dark city streets of Blackthorn, Dani meets a young girl named Cassie. Her sister is missing, and Dani recognizes the tell-tale signs of demonic possession. Now, it's up to Dani to track down Cassie's missing sister before the monster inside hurts someone. The trouble is, Dani needs the help of an enigmatic and sexy stranger who may or may not be a necromancer...

Danika Frost

Chosen

“Peter Pan and Wendy” is the most famous work of J. M. Barrie, which was published in the form of play in 1904 and then of fiction in 1911. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a boy fairy with the ability to fly and his adventures on the Neverland (Finding Neverland), along with her friend Wendy and her brothers, the Lost Boys and the fairy Tinkerbell, the Indian Princess Tiger Lily and finally the pirata Capitan hook (James Hook). Although the character of Peter Pan had already appeared earlier in 1902 white bird's tale, the story is told here is substantially different and also concerns a different Peter Pan, preadolescent and that he can fly. Peter eavesdropping, through the open window, fairy tales that Mrs. Mary Darling tells the children to put them to sleep; one night, however, Peter, as they attempt to escape without being noticed, he loses his shadow.Come home Darling to retrieve it, it fails to prevent the awakening of the eldest daughter, Wendy: the little girl helps so Peter to re-attach screens the shadow ...

Peter And Wendy

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, is a novel written by English author Mary Shelley about eccentric scientist Victor Frankenstein, who creates a grotesque creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Frankenstein is infused with elements of the Gothic novel and the Romantic movement and is also considered to be one of the earliest examples of science fiction. Frankenstein, a Swiss student at the university of Ingolstadt, is led by a peculiar enthusiasm to study the structure of the human frame, and to attempt to follow to its recondite sources the stream of animated being.' In examining the causes of life, he informs us, antithetically, that he had first recourse to death. -- He became acquainted with anatomy; but that was not all; he traced through vaults and charnel houses the decay and corruption of the human body, and whilst engaged in this agreeable pursuit, examining and analyzing the minutiae of mortality, and the phenomena of the change from life to death and from death to life, a sudden light broke in upon him ...

Frankenstein - The Modern Prometheus

This collection contains an active table of contents (HTML), which makes reading easier to make it more enjoyable. The Stories included are: -The Nameless City -The Festival -The Colour Out of Space -The Call of Cthulhu -The Dunwich Horror -The Whisperer in Darkness -The Dreams in the Witch House -The Haunter of the Dark -The Shadow Over Innsmouth -Discarded Draft of "The Shadow Over Innsmouth" -The Shadow Out of Time -At the Mountains of Madness -The Case of Charles Dexter Ward -Azathoth -Beyond the Wall of Sleep -Celephaïs -Cool Air -Dagon -Ex Oblivione -Facts Concerning the Late Arthur Jermyn and His Family -From Beyond -He -Herbert West-Reanimator -Hypnos -In the Vault -Memory -Nyarlathotep -Pickman's Model -The Book -The Cats of Ulthar -The Descendant -The Doom That Came to Sarnath -The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath -The Evil Clergyman -The Horror at Red Hook -The Hound -The Lurking Fear -The Moon-Bog -The Music of Erich Zann -The Other Gods -The Outsider -The Picture in the House -The Quest of Iranon -The Rats in the Walls -The Shunned House -The Silver Key -The Statement of Randolph Carter -The Strange High House in the Mist -The Street -The Temple -The Terrible Old Man -The Thing on the Doorstep -The Tomb -The Transition of Juan Romero -The Tree -The Unnamable -The White Ship -What the Moon Brings -Polaris -The Very Old Folk -Ibid -Old Bugs -Sweet Ermengarde, or, The Heart of a Country Girl -A Reminiscence of Dr. Samuel Johnson -The History of the Necronomicon

The Complete Collection of H. P. Lovecraft

At a critical moment, Naofumi and the others are saved by a young girl. Ost's sacrifice is enough to save them from their battle to the death with Kyo, but Kyo's able to escape to another world. Naofumi attempts to follow him, but he awakens to find himself in prison! His friends are scattered and he finds himself back at level one. How will Naofumi survive the new challenges that await him?

The Rising of the Shield Hero Volume 08

Ramulas' peaceful world as a farmer is shattered when he is pulled into the midst of a magical civil war between worlds. With the appearance of a mysterious young woman, Ramulas starts to unravel some of the mysteries of his forgotten childhood and secret ability to communicate with animals. He starts to fear for the safety of his family when his daughters reveal that they, too, have unexplained abilities, and the intrigue only deepens when he discovers that the very existence of their world is under threat and that he may be the key to averting impending doom.

The Beginning of the End

The ghost story holds a special place in Ireland. It provided the raw material for evenings of storytelling that were a common feature of country life up to the 1950s (and frequently beyond). Unexplained psychic phenomena fascinate people from all walks of life. Many are afraid, ashamed and embarrassed to come forward for fear of not being taken seriously. Of course, we can't prove that ghosts exist, we are in a different realm of consciousness when we talk about ghosts. But however strange or unusual the feelings that people experience, the experiences themselves are nonetheless real.

Irish Ghost Stories

An old-fashioned ghost story with a twist and a chuckle, "The legend of Countess Bertha" shows us the more playful side of Alexandre Dumas.

The Legend of Countess Bertha

Khoma Brut had no idea the trouble he would be in when he asked for shelter at a lonely hut belonging to an old woman. Enjoy this quirky and spooky tale by Nikolai Gogol.

Viy (Moonlit Tales of the Macabre - Small Bites Book 16)

Late one summer night, Elizabeth Sanderson receives the devastating news that every mother fears: her 13-year-old son, Tommy, has vanished in the woods of a local park. Riddled with worry, pain, and guilt, Elizabeth is wholly unprepared for the strange series of events that follow. As the search grows more desperate, and the implications of what happened become more haunting and sinister, no one is prepared for the shocking truth about that night.

Disappearance at Devil's Rock

No rest for the weary, right? Alex has barely strapped on her magical training wheels when a gorgon slithers into town! Medusa isn’t just seeking asylum, either. She expects Alex’s help in breaking her own family’s infamous curse. Old hatred runs deep in creatures with such long memories, and keeping the entire town from going after Medusa with their own torches and pitchforks may prove impossible. Thankfully, Alex has a couple of hotter than-sin distractions to help her. Erm, help her learn to control the wilder aspects of her magic, that is. Unfortunately, her ex-husband’s prolonged recovery--under her roof—doesn’t exactly put Alex in the mood for romance, and she can forget fostering calm feelings of control. Handing Mike over to Medusa may be Alex’s biggest temptation yet. And with her barely contained magic on the fritz, Alex may not be the best witch to help remove Medusa’s curse, anyway. Especially since she can’t seem to do anything about her own. But when a high-ranking demon tries to use Alex’s family to force her own curse into action, those magical training wheels have to come off. Time for Alex to pull up her mom-jeans and kick some demon ass.

Magic at Midnight

Midlife Magic & Medusa

Silence A Fable by Edgar Allan Poe Audiobook Demon recounts the story of how he tormented a man in the Congo. The man was seated on a rock on the edge of a churning river. The river was bordered by water lillies and surrounded by a forest of poisonous flowers. The man trembled in fear but did not run from the world he saw. Demon then cast a spell that turned the world into a violent one. The winds raged. The Earth shook, but the man remained still trembling. The Demon then cast a spell of silence. The Earth ceased to move. The wind stopped as did the water. There was complete silence. The man stood and strained to hear something. The man was then overcome with terror and “fled afar off, in haste.” Edgar Allan Poe The name Poe brings to mind images of murderers and madmen, premature burials, and mysterious women who return from the dead. His works have been in print since 1827 and include such literary classics as The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Fall of the House of Usher. This versatile writer’s oeuvre includes short stories, poetry, a novel, a textbook, a book of scientific theory, and hundreds of essays and book reviews. He is widely acknowledged as the inventor of the modern detective story and an innovator in the science fiction genre, but he made his living as America’s first great literary critic and theoretician. Poe’s reputation today rests primarily on his tales of terror as well as on his haunting lyric poetry. Just as the bizarre characters in Poe’s stories have captured the public imagination so too has Poe himself. He is seen as a morbid, mysterious figure lurking in the shadows of moonlit cemeteries or crumbling castles. This is the Poe of legend. But much of what we know about Poe is wrong, the product of a biography written by one of his enemies in an attempt to defame the author’s name.

Silence: A Fable

"Fascinating... Witty and Sage." Library Journal. In the polluted River Thames, a monster is born. Formed of filth and grime, Derek Leech emerges from the murky depths, destined to found a global media empire. In 1978, three school friends with high aspirations—Michael, Mark and Mickey—are offered a deal by the mysterious magnate. If they agree, their future wealth will be ensured, but they must offer Leech a sacrifice in return, a conspiracy of lifelong pain against their absent friend, Neil. Accepting the terms, the men prosper over the next fifteen years. But as the era of excess comes to an end, the trio must pay the price for their success, and they soon discover that fame and fortune is a fate worse than death. A brand-new edition of the critically acclaimed novel, featuring five short stories by the award-winning author. "Newman's sprinting intensity... puts him into the first rank of current horror novelists." Booklist "Fans of 'Deal with the Devil' stories ought to be delighted with this novel... which brings a new twist or two to the genre." Publishers Weekly

The Quorum

Shortlisted for the World Fantasy Award Shortlisted for the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel 1718: Puppeteer John Chandagnac has set sail for Jamaica to recover his stolen inheritance, when his ship is seized by pirates. Offered the choice to join the crew, or be killed where he stands, he decides that a pirate's life is better than none at all. Now known as Jack Shandy, this apprentice buccaneer soon learns to handle a mainsail and wield a cutlass - only to discover he is now a subject of a Caribbean pirate empire ruled by one Edward Thatch, better known as Blackbeard. A practitioner of voodoo, Blackbeard is building an army of the living and the dead, to voyage together to search for the ultimate prize: the legendary Fountain of Youth.

On Stranger Tides

Six years after her perilous exploits in Eriga, Isabella embarks on her most ambitious expedition yet: a two-year trip around the world to study all manner of dragons in every place they might be found, from feathered serpents in the ruins of a fallen civilization to the mighty sea serpents of the tropics. Facing storms, shipwrecks, and warfare, she makes a discovery that offers a revolutionary new insight into the ancient history of dragons.

Voyage of the Basilisk: A Memoir by Lady Trent

After their battle with Glass, Naofumi and the other heroes have a meeting with the queen and Naofumi is shocked to learn about the seven star heroes. Still reeling from this revelation, more drama unfolds on the islands before Naofumi and his party can return to Melromarc. He meets Rishia, who is betrayed by Itsuki and his party members. Naofumi sympathizes with her and invites her to join his party. Eventually, Naofumi discovers that she has a talent for magic, but before they can develop her powers, they are needed elsewhere. A massive monster bearing the appearance of a giant tortoise must be defeated. The monster is so powerful that even the mightiest adventurers cannot defeat him–so what hope is there for Naofumi?

The Rising of the Shield Hero Volume 06

Mayor Parish is determined Silverlake should win the prestigious Best Fall Getaway award for Witch Reader's Magazine—especially since the town is already a top contender. But when the journalist covering Silverlake writes a scathing review and is found dead, things go from fall festive to fatal misfortune. The Mystic Inn guest had his fair share of critics, but the killer couldn't possibly be someone living in Silverlake, could they? Angelica and her friends are racing to find out. They love their enchanting town, and they're not about to let one bad pumpkin poison the patch. Will they be able to unmask the killer and clear Silverlake's name, or will the town's reputation be forever tarnished?

Mystic Inn Mystery

Potions, Poison, and Pumpkin Spice

FROM AWARD-WINNING PARANORMAL ROMANCE AUTHOR JANUARY BAIN The Sin City Wolf series Howl Never get between a wolf and his mate. Hunt To be chosen is everything. Honor Never run from a wolf! Hellfire Forbidden love. The Houses of Luceres and Ribelle, ancient enemies since the founding of Rome, fight tooth and nail for their own Forever Mate in Sin City, USA. The warring factions are not above ignoring any agreed upon rules and kidnapping their chosen, if circumstances warrant it. For the ancient myth of the twin wolves of Rome turns out to be true, as modern bloodlines informs the descendants of who can bed who. Civilization is still at the thinnest veneer for these Alpha wolves, and all bets are off as to who wins the day, especially during any full moon event.

Sin City Wolf

Perhaps fitting for a horror short story, the devil is in the details in Poe’s "The Oval Portrait" (1842). A benighted traveller finds shelter in an abandoned mansion in the Apennine Mountains of Italy. Inside he gets absorbed by a stunning painting and decides to delve into its origins with the help from a book he finds on a pillow. The story revolves around the complex and often tragic relationship between life and art. As per usual Poe can’t help himself to play with layers, and most of the story is told as an embedded narrative. The intense emotional and psychological depths of the narrator’s infatuation with the portrait and the enticing volume that helps to shed a light on the painting make this short story another fascinating and haunting and Poesque tale which succinctly glorifies the immortality of art. Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American poet, author, and literary critic. Most famous for his poetry, short stories, and tales of the supernatural, mysterious, and macabre, he is also regarded as the inventor of the detective genre and a contributor to the emergence of science fiction, dark romanticism, and weird fiction. His most famous works include "The Raven" (1945), "The Black Cat" (1943), and "The Gold-Bug" (1843).

The Oval Portrait

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