In the freezing cellars of the palace, musicians play unseen for the haunted, cash-strapped Christian IV of Denmark. Meanwhile, his beautiful but petulant consort, Kirsten, plays out wild fantasies with her lover. In a stately home in Ireland, Countess O'Fingal mourns her husband's insane pursuit of a tune heard in a dream. She calls for the lutenist Peter Claire to help cure him but Claire leaves to join Christian's chamber orchestra, where he falls...

From one of England's most celebrated writers, a funny and superbly observed novella about the Queen of England and the subversive power of reading
When her corgis stray into a mobile library parked near Buckingham Palace, the Queen feels duty-bound to borrow a book. Discovering the joy of reading widely (from J. R. Ackerley, Jean Genet, and Ivy Compton-Burnett to the classics) and intelligently, she finds that her view of the world changes

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"A young elemental mage named Iaolanthe Seabourne discovers her shocking power and destiny when she is thrown together with a deposed prince to lead a rebellion against a tyrant"--

An Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar's throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities. Tarisai is determined to survive, but months into her shaky reign as empress she is haunted by child spirits, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire. She fears the pressure...

Having paid dearly for ignoring Elua's edict to love as thou wilt, Imriel and Sidonie have finally come forward to publicly confess their love for each other--only to watch the news ignite turmoil throughout the land. Those who are old enough cannot forget the misdeeds of Imriel's mother, Melisande, whose self-serving lies plunged their country into war. In order to quell the uprising, Queen Ysandre hands down a decree: she will not divide the lovers,...

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to...

Ascendant King Jaron believes that his kingdom, Carthya, is at peace. Sailing home from a trade mission with his betrothed, Imogen, their ship is attacked by Prozarians. Along with several of his friends, Jaron is taken prisoner. The Prozarian captain seems to believe Jaron had something to do with his parents' deaths. They also know a great deal about Jaron's long-missing older brother, Darius, the rightful heir to Carthya-- who may be alive after...

When Bane, the monstrous tyrant who bestrides the entire mage world, demands that Titus hand over Iolanthe or watch as his entire realm is destroyed in a deadly rampage, Iolanthe and Titus decide to infiltrate Bane's crypt, the most ferociously guarded fortress in Atlantis.