'IT'S THRILLING, ROMANTIC, OFTEN TRAGIC, AND ALWAYS FUNNY' ALIX E. HARROW
'SIMPLY GLORIOUS!' GEORGIA SUMMERS
'FIENDISHLY CHARMING AND CLEVER' TASHA SURI

She might win the throne. She might destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with murder.

After twenty-four years on the throne, it is time for Bersun the Brusque, emperor of Orrun, to bring his reign to an end. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders will compete to replace him.

Trained at rival monasteries, each contender is inspired by a sacred animal – Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound. An eighth – the Dragon proxy – will be revealed only once the trials have begun. Eight exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists – the best of the best.

Then one of them is murdered.

It falls to the brilliant but idiosyncratic Neema Kraa to investigate. But as she hunts for a killer, darker forces are gathering.

If Neema succeeds, she could win the throne – whether she wants it or not. But if she fails, she will sentence herself to death – and set in motion a sequence of events that could doom the empire . . .

PRAISE FOR THE RAVEN SCHOLAR
'The Raven Scholar is an intricately plotted historical mystery steeped in gothic charm and intellectual intrigue' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Truly one of the best epic fantasy books I've read in a long time' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I have NEVER rooted a romance more' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This book is simply “Magnificent”' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Mature and sensible, but still idealistic, emotional, passion-driven [characters]' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

An impossible crime has occurred. A Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air – vanishing from a building whose entrances and exits are all sealed. To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial detective, Ana Dolabra, and her bemused assistant Dinos Kol.

Ana soon discovers they are investigating not a disappearance but a murder – and one of surpassing cunning, carried out by an opponent who can pass through warded doors like a ghost.

Din has seen his superior solve impossible cases before. But as the death toll grows and their quarry predicts each of their moves with uncanny foresight, he fears she has at last met an enemy she can’t defeat . . .

READERS LOVE THE SHADOW OF THE LEVIATHAN SERIES

‘Dinios kol my disastrous bisexual son is back!! and hes sleep deprived!! he’s vomiting!!! he’s yearning!!! he’s slowly losing his marbles!! he’s in severe debt!! he’s in way over his head!!’ ?????

‘Robert Jackson Bennett does it again with A Drop of Corruption, the kind of fantasy-mystery that grips you from the first page and refuses to let go’ ?????

‘You can always count on RJB to write a stunningly original work of fantasy that’s precisely and cunningly crafted to leave its reader feeling bereft and abandoned and craving a sequel like an ember craves air. This was so good. 10/10. Would read again in a heartbeat’ ?????

‘It’s like knives out but if knives out was set in a fantasy world and benoit blanc was an old woman who had hired the most disaster bisexual to be her eyes and ears’ ?????

‘A murder investigation. No, a coming-of-age. No, a political fantasy. No, a murder investigation. No… well, I don’t want to spoil it. Let me just say that I found it rather delightful how my expectations were simultaneously met and thwarted’ ?????

‘Watson and Holmes but fantasy . . . if Watson is aware that Holmes is a complete crazy person and is a bit terrified of him (actually, her)’ ?????

AUTHORS LOVE THE SERIES

‘Original, imaginative, and suspenseful, The Tainted Cup superbly blends mystery and fantasy. I couldn’t put it down. Give me more of this world and these characters ASAP!’ Meg Gardiner

‘Part Sherlock Holmes murder mystery, part Through the Looking-Glass, The Tainted Cup is one of the wildest, most original stories I’ve ever had the privilege to explore. This is a book that has planted roots in my head for the rest of my life’ Wesley Chu

‘The Tainted Cup is a true fantasy mystery, with a leading duo who stand with Holmes and Watson among the greats. And Bennett sets it all in a squishy, fascinating, biopunk world I’m dying to find out more about. Bring on the next one!’ Django Wexler

‘A classic murder mystery set against dazzling world-building and sly social commentary. Robert Jackson Bennett doesn’t miss’ James L. Sutter

A RAGTAG CREW. A PERILOUS QUEST.

A pirate faces the gallows drop. A farmer is given a terrible ultimatum to save her daughter. An acolyte ascends to priestesshood, only to find that a blessing really can be a curse. These unlikely bedfellows band together with an inscrutable pickpocket and a talking ottercat in pursuit of the most hopeless of causes: to sail into the Maelstrom, a raging whirlpool from which no one has ever escaped, and find the mysterious treasure hidden within it.

The quest will test their fragile allegiance to its limits, but there is more at stake here than getting rich: the magic of the world is in peril, and the barrier between life and death has never been so thin. And in the Bastion, the seat of power in Paranish, the queen has an unquenchable thirst that threatens the world and everyone in it.

Can there be honour amongst thieves? Without it, they might never see another sunrise.

Lush and lyrical, Saltswept is a vibrant debut – the first book in an epic fantasy duology based on Southeast Asian mythology. Perfect for fans of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi, The Bone Ships, and Godkiller.

TROPES INCLUDED:
Magical world
Found family
High seas adventure
Swashbuckling heroes

JOIN THE AUTHORS WHO LOVE SALTSWEPT

‘A briny joyride of a fantasy, brimming with adventure, found family, and a rather marvellous ottercat.’ Lorraine Wilson

‘Richly layered and beautifully told, Saltswept is a story worth savoring.’ Julie Leong

‘A fast-paced fantasy debut threaded with unexpected imagery, lush world-building, and characters to root for.’ Angie Spoto

‘This breathtaking debut will sweep you away to the high seas and bring you home wrapped in the arms of a new found family.’ Annabel Campbell

After the sudden death of her boyfriend, Vera is content to fade into the background, washing sheets and cleaning bathrooms in a Glastonbury hotel. But when a mysterious guest reveals himself as Merlin and whisks her back to seventh-century Camelot, everything changes. He insists she’s not just Vera, she’s Guinevere, and only she can undo the curse draining the kingdom’s magic and save Camelot from the will of a power-hungry mage.

There’s just one problem: Vera remembers nothing of her past life. And with Camelot teetering on the edge of collapse, time is running out.

As Merlin works to restore her memories, Vera uncovers a tangled history of betrayal, power, and heartbreak. Why does King Arthur recoil at her presence? What truly happened the night the curse was cast? And why does every answer feel like it’s tearing her in two?

In a kingdom built on legend, Vera must decide who she is-before the past destroys the future.

This compelling and lushly written book is the first in an addictive new romantasy series, that offers a wholly original retelling of Guinevere and Arthur’s love story, perfect for fans of Outlander.

Readers have fallen in LOVE with The Once and Future Queen

‘Prepare to have Arthurian retellings ruined for you because THIS version is the one true Queen!’

‘OH MY GOSH…. I am going to need 5-7 business days to fully process the work of art that this Camelot retelling/time-travel/magical realism/romantasy epic ‘

‘WOW. JUST WOW. HOLY CRAP. I AM A WRECK RN. THIS WAS SO GOOD ‘

‘Actually sobbing right now because I finished this book and I’m so sad I’ll never get to read it for the first time again’

‘I am so enamored with this book. It is the King Arthur legend retelling I’ve been waiting for my whole life‘

‘THIS BOOK IS PERFECT‘

For three hundred years the wild island of Croi ´ has been subject to the Empire of the Answering. Clans have been subjugated, their language outlawed, their religion reduced to the whisper of fugitive priests.

Until Croi ´’s prayers are answered. The Gods return. Feral and majestic, they stride the land as colossi, throwing the Empire into chaos.

The dispossessed and the vengeful struggle for power. A ruthless priestess rallies the faithful, offering a simple choice – believe, or die – even as the empire’s Queen makes the first moves in a long and dangerous game.

But for all their machinations, one woman will decide the fate of them all . . . Sister Wake, unwilling saint of the Goddess of Death.

An action-packed, lush epic fantasy filled with rebellion, intrigue, horror, gigantic dangerous gods, and Celtic mythology, perfect for fans of James Islington, John Gwynne, and Joe Abercrombie.

AUTHORS LOVE THIS EPIC STORY

‘Quite simply dazzling’ SOPHIE WHITE

‘I absolutely loved its epic mix of weird horror and revolutionary intrigue’ GARETH HANRAHAN

‘A layered, epic world made all the more brutal by the return of gods terrifying and unknown’ DAVID DALGLISH

‘Two hundred-foot kaiju gods, necromancy, and anti-colonial rebellion – what more could you ask for?’ RYAN ROSE

‘A brilliant, rebellious scream’ R.S.A. GARCIA

‘An uprising of furious pride and eldritch horror, where neither gods nor heroes can be trusted’ HELEN CORCORAN

A forsworn traitor. A reluctant revolutionary.

After the devastating events of the arena, every soldier in Lumeria has been ordered to hunt Lyriana Batavia down.

With her allies scattered across the Empire and her soulmate Rhyan Hart now a soulless akadim, Lyr is more alone than she's ever been. With the exception of one shocking ally – Auriel, Rhyan's former incarnation.

Emperor Avery Kormac continues his cruel and unrelenting reign, and his named leader, Lord Tristan Grey finds himself in the compromising position of hunting his own – whilst keeping his own powers hidden. Alongside the growing threat of Moriel, his army begins hunting for a secret weapon, the answer to which may just lie with Lyr's former mate…

Lyr must decode the mystery of why Auriel has returned in order for them both to survive. But the closer they get, the more danger they face as a secret that's been locked away for centuries is revealed.

A secret that will alter the fate of the Empire forever.

THE BOOKSHOP MUST HAVE AN OWNER . . .

If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron’s bookshop is where you go. For those lucky enough to grace its doors, it’s a glimpse into a world of deadly bargains and powerful, magical books.

For Cassandra Fairfax, it’s a reminder of everything she lost, when Chiron kicked her out and all but shuttered the shop. Since then, she’s used her skills in less . . . ethical ways, trading stolen books and magical readings to wealthy playboys looking for power money can’t buy.

Then Chiron dies. And if Cassandra knows anything, it’s this: the bookshop must always have an owner.

To restore the shop, she’ll need the help of Lowell Sharpe, a rival bookseller who is everything Cassandra is not – and knows it, too.

But as she is plunged into a world of unscrupulous collectors, deadly ink magic and shady societies, a dark force threatens to unravel the bookshops entirely . . .

‘Rich, dark and romantic, The Bookshop Below is a must read for everyone who believes in the magic of books’ M. A. KUZNIAR

READERS LOVE THE BOOKSHOP BELOW

‘This book comes alive with believable characters, all with secrets and questionable pasts’ ?????

‘This book has everything I want in a slower paced fantasy’ ?????

‘Absolutely ate this book up. 10/10’ ?????

‘A murder mystery, magical bookshop and rivals to lovers this was the perfect start to Autumn’ ?????

‘Like curling up with a cup of tea in a bookstore that might also curse you’ ?????

‘A must read for every booklover!’ ?????

‘A book about bookshops – pure indulgent magic from start to finish’ ?????

IN THIS FAIRYTALE, MONSTERS WEAR CROWNS . . .

Never Ever After is a powerful and fierce reimagining of Cinderella, a breathtaking new fantasy romance influenced by Chinese fairytales from the acclaimed Sunday Times bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

Life in the Iron Mountains is harsh and unforgiving. After the death of her beloved uncle, Yining has only survived as a skilled thief and an even better liar. But when she acquires an enchanted ring that holds the key to a brighter future, it is stolen by her step-aunt, and Yining must venture into the imperial heart of the kingdom to seize it back.

Amid the grandeur of the palace, Yining catches the eye of the ruthless and ambitious prince, who tempts her with a world she’s never imagined. But nothing is as it seems, and soon she is trapped in a tangle of power, treachery, and greed – her only ally a cunning advisor from a rival court who keeps dangerous secrets of his own.

To break free, Yining must embark on a perilous quest to fight for a future that both frightens and calls to her, and choose who to trust when allies can be as deadly as enemies.

TROPES
Love triangle
Chinese folklore
Cinderella retelling
Morally grey

EARLY REVIEWS FOR NEVER EVER AFTER
‘Beautifully written and fast-paced, with great characters!’ ?????
‘Glittering and gorgeously done’ ?????
‘The ending had me on the edge of my seat’ ?????
‘So beautifully and artistically written’ ?????
‘It was absolutely immaculate’ ?????

In a tiny, miserable farm on the edge of the tiny, miserable village of East Grasby, Isabella Nagg is trying to get on with her equally tiny and miserable existence. Dividing her time between enduring her feckless husband, inadequately caring for the farm’s strange collection of animals, cooking up ‘scrunge’, and crooning over her treasured pot of basil, Isabella can’t help but think that there might be something more to life. So, while she’s initially aghast when Mr. Nagg comes home with a spell book purloined from the local wizard, she soon starts to think: what harm could a little magic do?

As Isabella embarks on a journey of self-discovery with a grouchy cat-like companion, Darkshire’s imagination runs wild, plunging readers into a delightfully deranged world full of enchantment, folklore, and an entrepreneurial villain running a magical Ponzi scheme.

Cosy, full of wit and Pratchett-ian footnotes, Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil is a book for those who can’t help but find magic even in the oddest and most baffling circumstances; a story about claiming a new life and finding oneself – and also goblins, capitalism, and sorcery.

NetGalley readers love Isabella Nagg and the Pot of Basil:

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‘Had me completely enthralled from start to finish’

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‘A really hilarious cozy fantasy’

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‘A delightful read . . . I found myself legitimately laughing aloud’

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‘I described this book to a friend today as “clever funny” . . . I will likely read this again in the future as I enjoyed it that much…which is pretty much the highest praise I can offer’