It is 1937, and Charles Ashworth, a Canon to the Archbishop of Canterbury, is sent to untangle a web of self-delusion and corruption at the episcopal palace of the charismatic Bishop of Starbridge.

FROM THE FATHER OF MODERN FANTASY THAT INSPIRED TOLKIEN AND LEWIS. Warriors, dwarves, gods, epic battles, magic armor, and a ring. If this all sounds a familiar, it's for good reason. In The House of the Wolfings, the first of the author's many great fantastic romances, William Morris weaves the traditional with the supernatural, and establishes a precursor to the modern epic fantasy genre. Based on a translation of an old Norse saga, Morris reconstructs a portrait of the lives of the Germanic Gothic Tribes galvanized into action againts the attacks of imperial Rome. Thiodolf, the leader of the Wolfings, is one of two men chosen as War-Dukes to lead the tribes against their enemies. Thiodolf may be supported by his lover the Wood-Sun and their daughter the Hall-Sun (both of whom are related to the gods), but he also possesses a dwarf-made mail-shirt that, unbeknownst to him, bears a curse.

Drawing on both historical and literary sources, examines life in the pleasure houses of Japan during the Edo period from the early 1600s to 1868. Among the topics are the origins, illegal competitors, the cost of a visit, the treatment of the courtesans, traditions and protocols, Yoshiwara arts, th

Told in their separate voices, sixteen-year-old Prince Oliver, who wants to break free of his fairy-tale existence, and fifteen-year-old Delilah, a loner obsessed with Prince Oliver and the book in which he exists, work together to seek his freedom.

From a quantitative point of view the achievement of the Kelmscott Press may not seem impressive: between 1891 and 1898 it produced fifty-two books and a set of specimen pages for another book. Yet each was remarkably beautiful. Designed by William Morris, printed on hand-presses, ornamented with initials and borders by Morris, and illustrated often by Edward Burne-Jones, these few Kelmscott Press books are famous everywhere today. Why they have so profoundly affected twentieth-century theories of book design and what cultural significance the founding of the Kelmscott Press played are some of the questions the author considers.

A fantasy on a band of brothers-in-arms who hire themselves out to fight evil wizards. Their adventures take the reader on a tour of strange races and cultures.

"The Story of the Glittering Plain," written by William Morris in 1891, is a mesmerizing and poetic work which that transports readers to a fantastical world of adventure and other one romance. This early fantasy novel follows the quest of Hallblithe, a young prince who sets out on a journey to find the Glittering Plain, a mythical land of infinite beauty. The story begins when Hallblithe and disheartened by the mundane life in his kingdom and also embarks on a perilous voyage across treacherous seas to reach the Glittering Plain, drawn by the allure of its enchanting wonders. Along the way, he encounters a series of adventures and meets intriguing characters, including an immortal sorceress named the Wood-Sun and her equally enigmatic sister, the Sun-Moon. As Hallblithe's odyssey unfolds, he faces challenges and oattles which that against evil forces, and discovers the transformative power of love. His determination and also bravery are tested, and he learns valuable lessons about life loss, meaning of true happiness.

A debut novel that's as sharp as a knife's point. Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver's daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden charms are so fine that some even call her "witch-blade" -- a dangerous nickname in a town where witches are hunted and burned in the square.

The fourth and final omnibus of novels from Cook's Black Company series, thiscollection includes "Water Sleeps" and "Soldiers Live."