Owen, David – The Bell Bookshop

Alex Neptune, pirate hunter. 2

Emma — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Praise for Alex Neptune, Dragon Thief:
“I loved it! A rich and exciting story.” LD Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency
“A wonderfully pacy adventure full of imagination and jeopardy.” Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha & the Spirit Bird
“Hilarious – full of humour, friendship, and mythical adventure.” Sarah Driver, author of The Huntress trilogy

Join Alex Neptune, the boy with the power of the ocean in his hands, on his second adventure – perfect for fans of Percy Jackson and Dragon Realm!

Alex Neptune is struggling to get to grips with his new oceanic powers…so the last thing he needs is Haven Bay being attacked by pirates in a ship made of rubbish. The marauders are hunting for the missing egg of the elusive water dragon – and Alex is determined to reach it first to stop them stealing its power.

Along with friends Zoey and Anil – plus a clumsy seal, a lock-picking hermit crab and some seriously menacing otters – Alex sets out on a treasure hunt to a secret shipwreck where they must face three monstrous challenges.

Indiana Jones meets Pirates of the Caribbean in this ultimate treasure-hunting, puzzle-solving ocean adventure!

Riddle, Mystery, and Enigma

Emma — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Britain’s relationship with Russia is surprisingly under-explored. When the two formed a pragmatic alliance and fought together at Navarino in 1827, it was overwhelmingly the work of the British prime minister, George Canning. His death brought about a volte-face that would see the countries fighting on opposite sides in the Crimean War and jostling for power during the Great Game.It was not until the 1917 revolution that another statesman had a defining impact on relations between Britain and Russia. Winston Churchill opposed Bolshevism, yet he never stopped advocating diplomatic and military engagement with Russia. In the Second World War, he recognised earlier than most the necessity of allying with the Soviets against the menace of Nazi Germany – as well as the post-war threat to freedom posed by the Soviets themselves.Bringing us into the twenty-first century, Owen chronicles how both countries have responded to their geopolitical decline. Drawing on British imperial and Soviet history, he explains the unique nature of Putin’s autocracy and addresses Britain’s return to ‘blue water’ diplomacy.With Owen’s characteristic insight and expertise, Riddle, Mystery and Enigma depicts a relationship governed by principle as often as by suspicion, expediency, and outright necessity.

Alex Neptune, Dragon Thief

Emma — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

“I loved it! A rich and exciting story.” LD Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency

“A wonderfully pacy adventure full of imagination and jeopardy.” Jasbinder Bilan, author of Asha & the Spirit Bird

“Hilarious – full of humour, friendship, and mythical adventure.” Sarah Driver, author of The Huntress trilogy

Meet Alex Neptune, the boy with the power of the ocean in his hands – a brand-new hero for fans of Percy Jackson and Dragon Realm!

For as long as Alex Neptune can remember, the ocean has been trying to kill him. So he’s not too happy when a bunch of sea creatures drag him to the abandoned aquarium on the hill, where an imprisoned water dragon needs his help. But how can he say no to a magical myth?

Recruiting his tech-genius best friend Zoey, legend-lover Anil, a sharp-shooting octopus, four acrobatic otters and a thieving seagull, Alex plots a heist to break the dragon out. And suddenly discovers the power of the ocean at his fingertips…