Step into the House of the Beast in this stunning dark fantasy debut from The Legend of Korra graphic novel illustrator Michelle Wong, about a young woman who strikes a deal with a mysterious and alluring god to seek revenge on her aristocratic family—featuring gorgeous black-and-white illustrations throughout by the author. Born out of wedlock and shunned by society, Alma learned to make her peace with solitude, so long as she had her mother by her side. When her mother becomes gravely ill, Alma discovers a clue about her estranged father and writes a message begging for help. Little does she know that she is a bastard of House Avera, one of the four noble families that serve the gods and are imbued with their powers—and her father is a vessel of the Dread Beast, the most frightening god of all, a harbinger of death. In a desperate exchange for her mother’s medicine, Alma agrees to sacrifice her left arm to the Beast in a ceremony that will bind her forever to the House and its deity. Regardless, her mother soon passes, leaving Alma trapped inside the Avera’s grand estate, despised by her relatives and nothing but a pawn in her father’s schemes. Now vengeance is the only thing that keeps Alma going. That, and the strange connection she has with her god—a monster who is constantly by her side, an eldritch being taking the form of a beautiful prince with starlit hair that only she can see. He tells Alma that she has been chosen to bring change upon their world, and with his help, Alma plots a perilous journey to destroy the House that stole everything from her. A gripping fantasy novel marked by divine rituals, intense combat, and twisted romance, House of the Beast is a tale of revenge, resilience, and the power of love to see us through the darkness. 

Curious Cats and Fantastical Felines gives an intriguing insight into the historical relationship between cats and humans by exploring the folklore, myths, and legends that relate to cats from around the globe. For thousands of years, cats and humankind have been inextricably intertwined. From the Ancient Egyptian Goddess Bastet to the cat demon Yokai of Japan, people have been fascinated, enthralled, and horrified in equal measure by everything feline-related. Throughout history, cats have been revered and reviled and everything in between. Worshipped as divine, blamed for plague and pestilence, or labeled as the demonic companions of witches—whether fair or foul, no other animal has attracted such consistent attention, a fact strongly illustrated by the vast number of myths, legends, sayings, superstitions, and tales that exist regarding these enigmatic creatures. Today, mankind is no less under the feline thrall, with cat memes, videos, and celebrity cat accounts numbering among the highest-ranking entertainment across the internet. Unknown to many, this cultural fascination has a deep and rich history than spans continents and millennia. Discover the roots of this age-old captivation with our feline counterparts and why they have been loved—or otherwise—by so many.

Ellie: I always knew the only person who would save me after crash landing on a primitive jungle planet was myself. Our corporate overlords won't be coming for us, and the alien I've been dreaming about might say a lot of pretty words about coming to find me, but he's not real. Definitely not. It's up to me to keep everyone fed, but it's slim pickings on the beach where we've landed. I'm afraid my strength - and my sanity - might start to fade before I can find our next meal. Anghar: I know my Ellie is the perfect mate for me from the moment she arrives in the dreamspace. She has a hunter's spirit, seeking to provide for her tribe though she does not know our lands and the creatures that live here well. But my linasha does not appreciate my presence in her dreams. I think she does not dare to hope that I will save her and her tribe. But I am coming for her, as fast as I am able. When I arrive, I will prove that I will be the best mate to her, that I can keep her safe and well fed, that I will worship her always. I just have to get to her before anything else does...

Newly translated and unabridged in English for the first time, Simone de Beauvoir’s masterwork is a powerful analysis of the Western notion of “woman,” and a groundbreaking exploration of inequality and otherness.  This long-awaited new edition reinstates significant portions of the original French text that were cut in the first English translation. Vital and groundbreaking, Beauvoir’s pioneering and impressive text remains as pertinent today as it was back then, and will continue to provoke and inspire generations of men and women to come.

Ellie: I always knew the only person who would save me after crash landing on a primitive jungle planet was myself. Our corporate overlords won't be coming for us, and the alien I've been dreaming about might say a lot of pretty words about coming to find me, but he's not real. Definitely not. It's up to me to keep everyone fed, but it's slim pickings on the beach where we've landed. I'm afraid my strength - and my sanity - might start to fade before I can find our next meal. Anghar: I know my Ellie is the perfect mate for me from the moment she arrives in the dreamspace. She has a hunter's spirit, seeking to provide for her tribe though she does not know our lands and the creatures that live here well. But my linasha does not appreciate my presence in her dreams. I think she does not dare to hope that I will save her and her tribe. But I am coming for her, as fast as I am able. When I arrive, I will prove that I will be the best mate to her, that I can keep her safe and well fed, that I will worship her always. I just have to get to her before anything else does...

A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone dystopian epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City. Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend must come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow—to walk out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her death. But when she’s offered a final mission, she can’t refuse, especially when she realizes who lies at the center of it all: Martim, her last—and worst—apprentice, who’s somehow made his way to the top. As she’s thrust into a world of corporate espionage and shadowy secrets, what she uncovers could forever change humanity’s existence among the stars. The Last Contract of Isako is epic science fiction like only Fonda Lee can write it—set in a world where money trumps loyalty, the elite have the power to extend life or end it, and one woman in the twilight of her calling must decide what’s ultimately worth living—or dying—for.

Liv: Being in a spaceship crash wasn’t on my agenda. I’m meant to be on Alpha Colony, hunting for clues to my sister’s disappearance. Instead, me and twelve other women are stranded on the outskirts of a jungle on a planet we know nothing about, where the flora and fauna are both out to get us. The only good thing about this place? Since landing here, I’ve been having some wild dreams about an alien who knows exactly how to please a girl. I figure it must be something in the water. I don’t figure that my alien friend is real and those dreams I’ve been having are mutual…

 Gregar: When my linasha appears in my dreamspace, hands bound and mouth full of naughty words, I know Lina has chosen well for me. Having her brings my tribe hope. My linasha and the other females are our chance at a future. But though she likes my hands on her body in the dreamspace, my linasha seems afraid of me in the waking world. She would rather take her chances with the dangers of the forest than be my mate. I will protect her with my life, but can I make her understand that she is mine?

Liv: Being in a spaceship crash wasn’t on my agenda. I’m meant to be on Alpha Colony, hunting for clues to my sister’s disappearance. Instead, me and twelve other women are stranded on the outskirts of a jungle on a planet we know nothing about, where the flora and fauna are both out to get us. The only good thing about this place? Since landing here, I’ve been having some wild dreams about an alien who knows exactly how to please a girl. I figure it must be something in the water. I don’t figure that my alien friend is real and those dreams I’ve been having are mutual…

 Gregar: When my linasha appears in my dreamspace, hands bound and mouth full of naughty words, I know Lina has chosen well for me. Having her brings my tribe hope. My linasha and the other females are our chance at a future. But though she likes my hands on her body in the dreamspace, my linasha seems afraid of me in the waking world. She would rather take her chances with the dangers of the forest than be my mate. I will protect her with my life, but can I make her understand that she is mine?