CG Drews, New York Times-bestselling author of Don't Let the Forest In and Hazelthorn, weaves a disturbing and intoxicating siren-call in Scorpion Deep, about a lonely boy who accidentally awakens an obsessive eldritch sea god.The only thing Jonathan Covey wants from the gloomy, moldering isle of Kelcarrow is to leave it. Summer is ending, and his friends are looking forward to college on the mainland, unaware that Jonathan was not accepted to join them. He'll be left behind with nothing but the ocean's haunts and a rising dread of being abandoned.In an act of wild desperation, Jonathan pays a tithe to Scorpion Deep, an eldritch sea god who many of the locals have dismissed as myth. He wants to forget the past, he wants to follow his friends, and most of all he wants to finally escape.To his shock and horror, the ritual works—Scorpion Deep awakens. And despite his terror, Jonathan can't help but feel drawn toward the ageless entity that seems just as mutually obsessed with him. As scales start growing down his spine and Scorpion Deep's adoration of him turns bloody, Jonathan realizes the only way to end the nightmare is to destroy the monster one way or another.But once a god has awoken, the only way to be free is to pay a price of blood.

Life in a small town takes a dark turn when mysterious footage begins appearing on VHS cassettes at the local Video Hut Jeremy works at the counter of Video Hut in Nevada, Iowa. It’s a small town—the first “a” in the name is pronounced ay—smack in the center of the state. This is the late 1990s, pre-DVD, and the Hollywood Video in Ames poses an existential threat to Video Hut. But there are regular customers, a predictable rush in the late afternoon. It’s good enough for Jeremy: It’s a job; it’s quiet and regular; he gets to watch movies; he likes the owner, Sarah Jane; it gets him out of the house, where he and his dad try to avoid missing Mom, who died six years ago in a car wreck. But when Stephanie Parsons, a local schoolteacher, comes in to return her copy of Targets, starring Boris Karloff—an old movie, one Jeremy himself had ordered for the store—she has an odd complaint: “There’s something on it,” she says, but doesn’t elaborate. Two days later, Lindsey Redinius brings back She’s All That, a new release, and complains that there’s something wrong with it: “There’s another movie on this tape.” So Jeremy takes a look. And indeed, in the middle of the movie the screen blinks dark for a moment and She’s All That is replaced by a black-and-white scene, shot in a barn, with only the faint sounds of someone breathing. Four minutes later, She’s All That is back. But there is something profoundly disturbing about that scene; Jeremy’s compelled to watch it three or four times. The scenes recorded onto Targets are similar, undoubtedly created by the same hand. Creepy. And the barn looks a lot like a barn just outside of town. Jeremy doesn’t want to be curious. In truth, it freaks him out, deeply. This has gone far enough, maybe too far already. But Stephanie is pushing, and once Sarah Jane takes a look and becomes obsessed, there’s no more ignoring the disturbing scenes on the videos. And all of a sudden, what had once been the placid, regular old Iowa fields and farmhouses now feels haunted and threatening, imbued with loss and instability and profound foreboding. For Jeremy, and all those around him, life will never be the same . . .

“This is a bad place. I don't think people are meant to live here.” Longtime residents of Harper's Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow's Point Lighthouse. Some say it's cursed. Others claim it's haunted. Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse's construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds. The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until tonight. Thomas Livingston is the acclaimed author of thirteen books about the supernatural and this evening he will enter the Widow's Point Lighthouse, searching for material for his next bestseller. He will be locked inside for the weekend with no way of contacting the outside world. And although no human has stepped foot inside the structure in nearly three decades, Livingston will not be alone. In this remarkable collaboration, father and son writing team, Richard and Billy Chizmar, combine forces to tell a chilling ghost story that will make you think twice about what is waiting for you in the dark. This novella is a much-expanded version of the short story of the same title.

Wispy Falls' town motto "You'll be safe here!" but that doesn't seem to be true. Because in Wispy Falls, monsters live in the woods, and children go missing, and the bodies are beginning to stack up.  A seventeen year-old vlogger known as Storymancer is determined to get to the bottom of what's wrong in Wispy Falls. A few years ago his six-year-old brother went missing in the woods and no one in town seemed to care enough to find him.  So now he's investigating why every household participates in something called the Bloodmoon Ritual, Why crpytid sightings are so common. And why everyone who goes into the woods, goes missing. If he can't fix what's wrong with the town, he just might be the next body in the woods. Told primarily through video transcripts, message boards, and radio shows, this Welcome to Nightvale inspired horror will chill you to your core.

Wispy Falls' town motto "You'll be safe here!" but that doesn't seem to be true. Because in Wispy Falls, monsters live in the woods, and children go missing, and the bodies are beginning to stack up.  A seventeen year-old vlogger known as Storymancer is determined to get to the bottom of what's wrong in Wispy Falls. A few years ago his six-year-old brother went missing in the woods and no one in town seemed to care enough to find him.  So now he's investigating why every household participates in something called the Bloodmoon Ritual, Why crpytid sightings are so common. And why everyone who goes into the woods, goes missing. If he can't fix what's wrong with the town, he just might be the next body in the woods. Told primarily through video transcripts, message boards, and radio shows, this Welcome to Nightvale inspired horror will chill you to your core.

Asakawa ist Journalist. Zuerst ist der Tod seiner jungen Nichte nur eine Familientragödie. Dann erfährt er, dass in derselben Nacht drei ihrer Bekannten ebenfalls an Herzstillstand gestorben sind, und seine Neugier ist geweckt. Seine Recherchen führen ihn zu einem Video, das die vier gesehen haben. Es handelt sich um eine mysteriöse Montage beklemmender Bilder, an deren Ende eine klare Aussage steht: Wenn der Betrachter nicht einen bestimmten Auftrag erfüllt, wird er eine Woche später sterben. Dummerweise ist ausgerechnet dieser Auftrag auf dem Band überspielt worden. Zuerst hält Asakawa das alles für kompletten Unsinn. Aber dann beschleicht ihn doch die Angst. Was ist, wenn das Video wirklich Menschen den Tod bringen kann? Zusammen mit einem Freund will er den Ursprung des Videos und damit den Auftrag ergründen. Aber je mehr sie in Erfahrung bringen, desto größer wird seine Panik. Denn der Fluch scheint real, und Asakawas Zeit verstreicht. Kurze Chronologie eines Erfolges: Aus dem Roman machte Regisseur Nakata Hideo einen Low-Budget-Horrorfilm, dessen phänomenale Einspielergebnisse in Japan mehrere Fortsetzungen zur Folge hatte. Jetzt gibt es wie so oft bei ausländischen Erfolgen das amerikanische Remake des ersten Films. Kôji Suzuki hat Elemente wie Psycho-Horror, Grenzwissenschaften und die gute alte Rache aus dem Jenseits genommen und daraus eine Mischung aus Detektivgeschichte, Thriller und urbanem Mythos geschaffen: Das Video, das den Tod bringt. Der kühle, distanzierte Stil des Autors ist anfangs etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig. Aber er sorgt für eine beklemmende Atmosphäre voller Spannung. Dazu kommen viele Ideen, die zwar auf den ersten Blick so konventionell erscheinen, dann aber erstaunlich bizarre Wendungen nehmen. Und das Ende ist eine echte und effektive Überraschung. Das ist leiser Horror, der sich hauptsächlich im Kopf des Lesers abspielt, und darum so gut funktioniert. --Andreas Decker

Asakawa ist Journalist. Zuerst ist der Tod seiner jungen Nichte nur eine Familientragödie. Dann erfährt er, dass in derselben Nacht drei ihrer Bekannten ebenfalls an Herzstillstand gestorben sind, und seine Neugier ist geweckt. Seine Recherchen führen ihn zu einem Video, das die vier gesehen haben. Es handelt sich um eine mysteriöse Montage beklemmender Bilder, an deren Ende eine klare Aussage steht: Wenn der Betrachter nicht einen bestimmten Auftrag erfüllt, wird er eine Woche später sterben. Dummerweise ist ausgerechnet dieser Auftrag auf dem Band überspielt worden. Zuerst hält Asakawa das alles für kompletten Unsinn. Aber dann beschleicht ihn doch die Angst. Was ist, wenn das Video wirklich Menschen den Tod bringen kann? Zusammen mit einem Freund will er den Ursprung des Videos und damit den Auftrag ergründen. Aber je mehr sie in Erfahrung bringen, desto größer wird seine Panik. Denn der Fluch scheint real, und Asakawas Zeit verstreicht. Kurze Chronologie eines Erfolges: Aus dem Roman machte Regisseur Nakata Hideo einen Low-Budget-Horrorfilm, dessen phänomenale Einspielergebnisse in Japan mehrere Fortsetzungen zur Folge hatte. Jetzt gibt es wie so oft bei ausländischen Erfolgen das amerikanische Remake des ersten Films. Kôji Suzuki hat Elemente wie Psycho-Horror, Grenzwissenschaften und die gute alte Rache aus dem Jenseits genommen und daraus eine Mischung aus Detektivgeschichte, Thriller und urbanem Mythos geschaffen: Das Video, das den Tod bringt. Der kühle, distanzierte Stil des Autors ist anfangs etwas gewöhnungsbedürftig. Aber er sorgt für eine beklemmende Atmosphäre voller Spannung. Dazu kommen viele Ideen, die zwar auf den ersten Blick so konventionell erscheinen, dann aber erstaunlich bizarre Wendungen nehmen. Und das Ende ist eine echte und effektive Überraschung. Das ist leiser Horror, der sich hauptsächlich im Kopf des Lesers abspielt, und darum so gut funktioniert. --Andreas Decker

Amidst the galaxy-wide war of the Great Crusade, the Emperor castigates the Word Bearers for their worship. Distraught at this judgement, Lorgar and his Legion seek another path while devastating world after world, venting their fury and fervour on the battlefield. Their search for a new purpose leads them to the edge of the material universe, where they meet ancient forces far more powerful than they could have imagined. Having set out to illuminate the Imperium, the corruption of Chaos takes hold and their path to damnation begins. Unbeknownst to the Word Bearers, their quest for truth contains the very roots of heresy…

Amidst the galaxy-wide war of the Great Crusade, the Emperor castigates the Word Bearers for their worship. Distraught at this judgement, Lorgar and his Legion seek another path while devastating world after world, venting their fury and fervour on the battlefield. Their search for a new purpose leads them to the edge of the material universe, where they meet ancient forces far more powerful than they could have imagined. Having set out to illuminate the Imperium, the corruption of Chaos takes hold and their path to damnation begins. Unbeknownst to the Word Bearers, their quest for truth contains the very roots of heresy…

After breaking a “curse” on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series! Having solved the curse of the late emperor, things are back to usual for Maomao at the Jade Palace. Yinghua brings her along to an evening social gathering being held in the inner court, then Jinshi requests her to accompany him on a hunting trip. There, Maomao finds herself getting involved in yet another new case...!

An Astra Militarum novel Commissar Severina Raine and the 11th Antari Rifles fight to subdue the spreading threat of Chaos burning across the Bale Stars. Little does Raine realise the key to victory lies in her own past, and in the ghosts that she carries with her. READ IT BECAUSE The hero of a series of short stories returns in her first full-length novel – and it's as grim, dark and brilliantly written, as you'd expect from Rachel Harrison. THE STORY Uncompromising and fierce, Commissar Severina Raine has always served the Imperium with the utmost distinction. Attached to the 11th Antari Rifles, she instills order and courage in the face of utter horror. The Chaos cult, the Sighted, have swept throughout the Bale Stars and a shadow has fallen across its benighted worlds. A great campaign led by the vaunted hero Lord-General Militant Alar Serek is underway to free the system from tyranny and enslavement but the price of victory must be paid in blood. But what secrets do the Sighted harbour, secrets that might cast a light onto Raine’s own troubled past? Only by embracing her duty and staying true to her belief in the Imperium and the commissar’s creed can she hope to survive this crucible, but even then will that be enough?

JINSHI'S PAST AND PARENTAGE AT LAST COME TO LIGHT?! Summoned to attend the Emperor on an evening jaunt to an ancient shrine that functions as a rite of passage for the rulers of the land, Maomao makes quick work of the puzzle inside, acquitting herself with aplomb. Having learned more about the Imperial bloodline than a commoner has any right to know, Maomao returns to her post at the Jade Palace. But her aim to stay out of the business of her betters is foiled once again when the Empress Dowager comes calling! The mother of His Imperial Majesty seeks Maomao's aid in investigating yet another curse, one she fears she herself may have cast upon the infamous late Emperor...

JINSHI'S PAST AND PARENTAGE AT LAST COME TO LIGHT?! Summoned to attend the Emperor on an evening jaunt to an ancient shrine that functions as a rite of passage for the rulers of the land, Maomao makes quick work of the puzzle inside, acquitting herself with aplomb. Having learned more about the Imperial bloodline than a commoner has any right to know, Maomao returns to her post at the Jade Palace. But her aim to stay out of the business of her betters is foiled once again when the Empress Dowager comes calling! The mother of His Imperial Majesty seeks Maomao's aid in investigating yet another curse, one she fears she herself may have cast upon the infamous late Emperor...

MAOMAO PUTS ON A SHOW FOR THE GOOD OF THE NATION! When two beautiful foreign envoys with designs on the Emperor come calling, they spin a fantastical tale about a courtesan who once captured the imagination of their family patriarch. Now it falls to Maomao to concoct a theatrical scheme to give the ladies a whopper of a story to take home! And when the hubbub from their visit dies down, Maomao goes back to sniffing around the Inner Court for the perfume oils and spices sold by the caravan that could spell disaster for the throne's future heirs. But the trail leads her back...to the Crystal Palace?!

After breaking a "curse" on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated historical mystery series! A festive atmosphere descends upon the Inner Court with the arrival of a long-awaited merchant caravan and its myriad wares. Though the excitement is contagious and even Maomao looks forward to making purchases of her own, she soon cottons on to something potentially sinister about the innocuous goods for sale. Before Maomao can tease out any evidence, however, her attention turns to mushrooms when Jinshi asks her to root out any poisonous varieties on the grounds. But is this request just a bit of landscaping or does it have anything to do with the rumors making the rounds about a court lady who has gone missing?

THE TRUTH OF MAOMAO’S BIRTH IS REVEALED?! Sly tactician Lakan’s attempts at provocation lead to his own downfall when Maomao challenges him to elephant chess, only to outplay him in a game of wits! In a stupor from drinking “poison” as punishment for his loss, Lakan dreams of a long-lost past, his affair with a beautiful courtesan, and meeting her daughter for the very first time. Upon waking, he finds himself at Verdigris, where he is pressed to buy the freedom of a girl of his choosing and take her home as his wife! But will any of the flowers there catch his eye when his heart is in love with a memory?

MAOMAO FOILS A PLOT, BUT IS THE THREAT GONE FOR GOOD? Proving herself indispensable yet again by saving Jinshi from a horrific fate, Maomao is given the chance to explain her rash behavior during the holy ritual. But when she continues her investigation into the foiled plot, a bizarre outcome awaits, leaving the plucky apothecary impressed by the sheer nerve of the culprit behind it. But admiring the exploits of another won't get Maomao very far when Jinshi tasks her with a feat of her own—to present him with blue roses at the needling of the eccentric La Kan! How will Maomao respond to this provocation from the man she despises the most?