The old gods are growing restless... Mercenary Casia Greythorne cares about two things: completing her latest job and earning enough coin for the expensive medicine that's keeping her mentor alive. So when the king commands her to investigate a strange plague devastating the empire, she can't resist the massive reward he offers - even if it does mean working with the arrogant and infuriating Captain Elander. But as the death toll rises and strange monsters wreak havoc across the realms, Cas and Elander find themselves up against meddling gods and very old magic. Because an ancient evil is stirring in the shadows. And their empire will not survive its full unleashing. The first book in the thrilling Shadows & Crowns series - perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas' Throne of Glass and Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows! _______ 'Absolutely INCREDIBLE' 5* reader review 'NEW FANTASY OBSESSION.' 5* reader review

Caroline Oresteia is destined for the river. Her father is a wherryman, as was her grandmother. All Caro needs is for the river god to whisper her name, and her fate is sealed. But at seventeen, Caro may be too late. So when pirates burn ships and her father is arrested, Caro volunteers to transport mysterious cargo in exchange for his release. Secretly, Caro hopes that by piloting her own wherry, the river god will finally speak her name. But when the cargo becomes more than Caro expected, she finds herself caught in a web of politics and lies. With much more than her father's life at stake, Caro must choose between the future she knows, and the one she could have never imagined.

Mercenary. Survivor. Queen. Casia Greythorne's world has shattered. Reeling from a devastating loss and the revelation of an identity she's not sure she wants, she also must master the strange magic awakening within her. But now she must lead her friends through cursed lands and the dwellings of gods, away from the crumbling empire and the king-emperor who clutches the crown with ever-bloodier hands. Knowing the true threat may be someone she came dangerously close to falling for... Elander Revenmar thought he knew who he was. He had a mission, a god he was content to serve. Then came a woman he should have stayed away from; whose life he never should have saved. Because salvation comes with a cost. And some debts must be paid in blood.

A Washington Post Notable Book One of the Best Books of the Year: NPR, The Economist, Financial Times Shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award Finalist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction Here is the story of the Iliad as we’ve never heard it before: in the words of Briseis, Trojan queen and captive of Achilles. Given only a few words in Homer’s epic and largely erased by history, she is nonetheless a pivotal figure in the Trojan War. In these pages she comes fully to life: wry, watchful, forging connections among her fellow female prisoners even as she is caught between Greece’s two most powerful warriors. Her story pulls back the veil on the thousands of women who lived behind the scenes of the Greek army camp—concubines, nurses, prostitutes, the women who lay out the dead—as gods and mortals spar, and as a legendary war hurtles toward its inevitable conclusion. Brilliantly written, filled with moments of terror and beauty, The Silence of the Girls gives voice to an extraordinary woman—and makes an ancient story new again.

Mermaids have three purposes in life: to breed, to protect their environment and to keep the knowledge of their existence limited to pages in fairytale books. Ivyanne Court is the personification of a mermaid princess and yet she hasn't known a day's happiness since she came of age and was forced to abandon the human boy she loved, Lincoln Grey. Ivyanne has always known that she was to marry one of The Marked Ones; sons of a carefully cultivated bloodline created for the sole purpose of breeding with the royal family, but when Ivyanne returns to the Seaview Resort to live and work as a human while she chooses a merman mate, she is startled to learn that her human,Lincoln, has never left the Seaview. In fact, he is now the owner, and he has been waiting a decade for her return- to tempt the most untouchable girl in the world.But he's not the only one who won't take forbidden as an answer, and so Ivyanne's peaceful escape from palace life is about to become a wonderful nightmare of oceanic proportions!

A girl disguises herself as a boy to train as a knight in this first book in Tamora Pierce’s Margaret A. Edwards Award–winning young adult series—now with a new look! From now on, I’m Alan of Trebond, the younger twin. I’ll be a knight. In a time when girls are forbidden to be warriors, Alanna of Trebond wants nothing more than to be a knight of the realm of Tortall. So she finds a way to switch places with her twin brother, Thom, and, disguised as a boy, begins her training as a page at the palace of King Roald. But the road to knighthood, as she discovers, is not an easy one. Alanna must master weapons, combat, and magic, as well as polite behavior, her temper, and even her own heart. So begin Alanna’s adventures—filled with swords and sorcery, adventure and intrigue, good and evil—that will lead to the fulfillment of her dreams and make her a legend in the land.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A celebration of American history through the music that helped to shape a nation, by Pulitzer Prize winner Jon Meacham and music superstar Tim McGraw “Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw form an irresistible duo—connecting us to music as an unsung force in our nation's history.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin Through all the years of strife and triumph, America has been shaped not just by our elected leaders and our formal politics but also by our music—by the lyrics, performers, and instrumentals that have helped to carry us through the dark days and to celebrate the bright ones. From “The Star-Spangled Banner” to “Born in the U.S.A.,” Jon Meacham and Tim McGraw take readers on a moving and insightful journey through eras in American history and the songs and performers that inspired us. Meacham chronicles our history, exploring the stories behind the songs, and Tim McGraw reflects on them as an artist and performer. Their perspectives combine to create a unique view of the role music has played in uniting and shaping a nation. Beginning with the battle hymns of the revolution, and taking us through songs from the defining events of the Civil War, the fight for women’s suffrage, the two world wars, the Great Depression, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and into the twenty-first century, Meacham and McGraw explore the songs that defined generations, and the cultural and political climates that produced them. Readers will discover the power of music in the lives of figures such as Harriet Tubman, Franklin Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Martin Luther King, Jr., and will learn more about some of our most beloved musicians and performers, including Marian Anderson, Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Duke Ellington, Carole King, Bruce Springsteen, and more. Songs of America explores both famous songs and lesser-known ones, expanding our understanding of the scope of American music and lending deeper meaning to the historical context of such songs as “My Country, ’Tis of Thee,” “God Bless America,” “Over There,” “We Shall Overcome,” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.” As Quincy Jones says, Meacham and McGraw have “convened a concert in Songs of America,” one that reminds us of who we are, where we’ve been, and what we, at our best, can be.

View more details of this book at www.walkerbooks.com.au.

War is building. Blood is spilling. And the gods are not pleased. Casia has survived her brother's attempts to crush her but the battle is just beginning. Bitter, wounded and carrying the curse of a dark upper-god, she journeys north to the elven court in search of allies. The Court of Moreth holds knowledge, secrets - and power. The kind of power that could shift everything in her favour. But only if she can survive it. Elander is losing his court, powers and divinity. But he's determined to stand behind Casia and bring his ancient, changeable allies to her side. He lost her once. He won't do it again. His devotion to her may be what destroys him. And when that destruction comes, it could change their entire world.

Heaven Wants Me Dead. Hell Wants Me As Their Weapon. And I'm in Bed With A Devil. I was just your average seventeen-year-old girl, until I was Marked. Some may sell their souls; mine was taken. Not only are angelic hunters out to kill me, but Hell's deadliest Mage--the devilishly charming Crown Prince of Lust--is just as desperate to get his hands on me...again. No, he doesn't want me dead. This seductive trickster only has one thing on his mind: making me his new blushing bride. He can call me his "mate" all he wants. I'm not about ready to sign my soul away into eternal damnation, no matter how gorgeous he may be. But after two months on the run, I realize I can't escape the ugly truth. If I wish to fight another day, I may just have to make a deal with the worst kind of devil. The kind that loves me. I thought I knew what rock bottom was, but this is only the beginning. As the great poet once said, "Hell is empty and all the devils are here."