'Captivating' Naomi Novik
'A brilliant writer with an intriguing imagination' Santa Montefiore
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Anne of Brittany was a child when her land was invaded, her castle besieged, and her royal father driven to his death.

Now Brittany is occupied by her enemies, her treasury empty, and only one thing is lacking to complete her realm’s subjugation: she is required, on pain of the sword, to marry the King of France.

But Anne cannot. She has promised her dead father that Brittany would never be conquered.

Defiantly, she betroths herself in secret to France’s greatest enemy. But in a world where courts may spy on each other by magic, there is only one way to solemnize this illicit union.

Under the guise of a hunting party, Anne takes her court deep into a deep forest, a strange place dogged with rumours of ancient enchantments; a place where diviners cannot see. She tells the French that she had gone there to hunt unicorns.

It’s a ruse, a lie, a feint.

But when, against all expectations, a unicorn does appear and a wounded stranger stumbles from the trees and falls at her feet, Anne is plunged into a world of enchantment where a doomed sovereign might find the power to change the destiny of her nation – or be lost in the mist for ever.

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Readers are loving The Unicorn Hunters:

‘One of my most anticipated books of 2026 and it DID NOT DISAPPOINT!’ 5-star reader review

‘Absolutely enchanting‘ 5-star reader review

‘A magnificent fairy tale, and I loved it with all my heart!!!!’ 5-star reader review

‘Truly unforgettable‘ 5-star reader review

‘Absolutely dazzling in plot and character and prose‘ 5-star reader review

‘This alchemy of history, fairy tale, romance, and setting that just blows me away‘ 5-star reader review

‘I was completely consumed‘ 5-star reader review

‘Full-body immersion into a world of danger, enchantment, heartbreak, and fierce, breathtaking courage’ 5-star reader review

Simple enough – until your school trip turns into a waking nightmare.

After rescuing a book from the river, eleven-year-old Ollie discovers an unsettling ghost story about the sinister Smiling Man, a fiendish trickster who’ll grant any wish – for a price. Creepy, but it’s just a story ?

But when Ollie finds graves bearing the characters’ names on a school trip to a farm, that story begins to feel terrifyingly real. And then the bus breaks down on the way home. And darkness starts to fall. And the scarecrows are watching. But it’s the bus driver who sends Ollie and her friends, Coco and Brian, scrambling into the woods: ‘Best get moving,’ he said, ominously. ‘At nightfall they’ll come for the rest of you.’

As they work to unravel a hundred-year-old mystery and save their classmates from the Smiling Man, they’ll need quick thinking and even quicker feet if they’re going to survive.

Full of slow-burning tension, gorgeously atmospheric writing and fantastically realised characters, this is quality-commercial fiction at its best: brilliant storytelling that feels accessible both in execution and packaging.

January 1918. Laura Iven has been discharged from her nurse duties and sent back to Halifax, Canada. Now home, she receives word of her brother’s death on the fields of Passchendaele. Believing he is still alive, and determined to find him, Laura returns to France as a volunteer for a hospital near the front line of battle.

She soon hears whispers of ghosts, and a man known to many as the fiddler whose music allows soldiers to forget the traumas of war. Could her brother’s disappearance have anything to do with him?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped underground with an enemy soldier. Against all odds, the two men manage to dig themselves out and, having saved each other’s lives, form an intense bond of friendship.

Now classified as deserters, they are confined to the hellscape of No Man’s Land. And then they meet a man – a fiddler – who seems to have the power to make the murderous chaos surrounding them disappear. But at what price?
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‘A wonderful clash of fire and ice … A book you won’t want to let go of.’ Diana Gabaldon
‘A spectacular tour de force … I love this book so much and want everyone to read it!‘ Naomi Novik
‘Darkly beautiful and deeply humane … The Warm Hands of Ghosts will stir your heart, and settle into your bones.’ Ava Reid
‘Visionary, imaginative and brilliantly written.’ Anthony Horowitz
‘This exquisite novel took me over like a haunting … One of the best historical fantasies I’ve ever read’ Emma Törzs

‘A wonderful clash of fire and ice … A book you won’t want to let go of.’ Diana Gabaldon
‘A spectacular tour de force … I love this book so much and want everyone to read it!‘ Naomi Novik
‘Well-researched and beautifully written, this is a compelling, memorable novel.’ The Guardian
‘Darkly beautiful and deeply humane … The Warm Hands of Ghosts will stir your heart, and settle into your bones.’ Ava Reid
‘Visionary, imaginative and brilliantly written.’ Anthony Horowitz
‘This exquisite novel took me over like a haunting … One of the best historical fantasies I’ve ever read’ Emma Törzs
‘A historical fantasy that will touch the hearts of many readers’ Fantasy Hive
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World War One, and as shells fall in Flanders, a Canadian nurse searches for her brother believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise in this gripping and powerful historical novel from the bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.

January 1918. Laura Iven has been discharged from her duties as a nurse and sent back to Halifax, Canada, leaving behind a brother still fighting in the trenches of the First World War. Now home, she receives word of Freddie’s death in action along with his uniform -but something doesn’t quite make sense. Determined to find out more, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about ghosts moving among those still living and a strange inn-keeper whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could this have happened to Freddie – but if so, where is he?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped under an overturned pillbox with an enemy soldier, a German, each of them badly wounded. Against all odds, the two men form a bond and succeed in clawing their way out. But once in No Man’s Land, where can either of them turn where they won’t be shot as enemy soldiers or deserters? As the killing continues, they meet a man – a fiddler – who seems to have the power to make the hellscape that surrounds them disappear. But at what price?

A novel of breath-taking scope and drama, of compulsive readability, of stunning historical research lightly worn, and of brilliantly drawn characters who will make you laugh and break your heart in a single line, The Warm Hands of Ghosts is a book that will speak to readers directly about the trauma of war and the power of those involved to love, endure and transcend it.
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More love for The Warm Hands of Ghosts . . .

‘Immersive and timeless, and an ode to the enduring power of memory.’ Vaishnavi Patel
‘A page-turner of the highest order … A haunting, fantastic read!’ Helene Wecker
‘I absolutely devoured it!’ Santa Montefiore
‘Wonderful storytelling. Inventive, haunting and deeply moving.’ Sarah Winman
‘An exquisite, brilliant gem of a story.’ Conn Iggulden
‘Simply stunning.’ Kate Quinn
‘Absolutely incredible; I had chills all through reading it.’ Shannon Chakraborty
‘A sweeping, fantastical tour-de-force of a novel.’ I Newspaper
‘Arden’s prose is full of emotion? an unforgettable, inspiring read.’ Historical Novel Society
‘Arden’s gripping historical fantasy will draw readers in and keep them engaged.’ Library Journal, starred review
‘Lyrically beautiful prose, a brave heroine and a story shot through with the darkness of war’ Daily Mail
‘Eerie and fanciful, yet gruesomely down-to-earth.’ The Spectator
‘Mixing historical fiction with the paranormal, this haunting, atmospheric tale of separated siblings is a real gem of a book.’ Heat Magazine
‘A gripping tale of loss, mystery, ghosts and queer romance.’ BBC Culture Online

One girl can make a difference…

Moscow is in flames, leaving its people searching for answers – and someone to blame. Vasilisa, a girl with extraordinary gifts, must flee for her life, pursued by those who blame their misfortune on her magic.

Then a vengeful demon returns, stronger than ever. Determined to engulf the world in chaos, he finds allies among men and spirits. Mankind and magical creatures alike find their fates resting on Vasya’s shoulders.

But she may not be able to save them all.

‘heart-stoppingly good…beautifully written, this adventure shimmers and shines with magic of all kinds. Unmissable.’ Sunday Express

‘If you’re a lover of fairytales you are in for an absolute treat. It’s truly magical’ The Pool

‘Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy isn’t just good-it’s hug-to-your-chest, straight-to-the-favourites-shelf, reread-immediately good, and each book just gets better. ‘Laini Taylor

The court of the Grand Prince of Moscow is plagued by power struggles and rumours of unrest. Meanwhile bandits roam the countryside, burning the villages and kidnapping its daughters. Setting out to defeat the raiders, the Prince and his trusted companion come across a young man riding a magnificent horse.

Only Sasha, a priest with a warrior’s training, recognises this ‘boy’ as his younger sister, thought to be dead or a witch by her village. But when Vasya proves herself in battle, riding with remarkable skill and inexplicable power, Sasha realises he must keep her secret as she may be the only way to save the city from threats both human and fantastical. . .

A spellbinding fairytale full of magic and wonder, perfect for fans of Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.

*Make sure you’ve read all the books in the Winternight Trilogy*
1. The Bear and the Nightingale
2. The Girl in the Tower
3. The Winter of the Witch

In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, an elderly servant tells stories of sorcery, folklore and the Winter King to the children of the family, tales of old magic frowned upon by the church.

But for the young, wild Vasya these are far more than just stories. She alone can see the house spirits that guard her home, and sense the growing forces of dark magic in the woods. . .

Atmospheric and enchanting, with an engrossing adventure at its core, The Bear and the Nightingale is perfect for readers of Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus, and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.
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Now with over 100 5* reviews, readers are spellbound by this magical story:

‘This book stayed with me, I didn’t want it to end’

‘A beautifully written story’

‘An entrancing story, which swept me up from the very first chapter’

‘Full of magic’
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Make sure you’ve read all the books in the acclaimed Winternight Trilogy

1. The Bear and the Nightingale
2. The Girl in the Tower
3. The Winter of the Witch