'I could see that she was still terribly afraid, but I didn't soften anything; instead, seeing that she was afraid I deliberately intensified it.' In this short story, Dostoyevsky masterfully depicts desperation, greed, manipulation and suicide. Introducing Little Black Classics: 80 books for Penguin's 80th birthday. Little Black Classics celebrate the huge range and diversity of Penguin Classics, with books from around the world and across many centuries. They take us from a balloon ride over Victorian London to a garden of blossom in Japan, from Tierra del Fuego to 16th-century California and the Russian steppe. Here are stories lyrical and savage; poems epic and intimate; essays satirical and inspirational; and ideas that have shaped the lives of millions. Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1821-1881). Dostoyevsky's works available in Penguin Classics are Crime and Punishment, The Idiot, The Double, The Gambler and Other Stories, The Grand Inquisitor, Notes From The Underground, Netochka Nezvanova, The House of The Dead, The Brothers Karamazov and The Village of Stepanchikovo.

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees. Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

One touch and your heart is lost, as the hunter becomes the hunted in a dark romantasy from Sunday Times bestselling author, M. A. Kuzniar, for fans of Holly Black and Adalyn Grace. Elka has been banished to the forest by her wicked mother, who rules the city with an iron first. She is cursed to remain there forever unless she takes the hearts of seven men. Six have been slain and a wounded huntsman stumbles across her path, destined to be the seventh.  But Kaz is hiding a secret of his own, arriving in the forest with another agenda and as the two get to know one another, passion begins to spark. The magic within the forest is stirring and dark forces threaten to overtake them.  Elka must face the ultimate relinquish her destiny or betray her heart?   Step into the forest of hearts in this richly imagined take on the Snow White folklore, full of forbidden love, slow burn passion and the promise of true love's kiss.

Disguised as a mortal and robbed of her memory, an Egyptian sorceress is thrust into a daring quest to reclaim her fate or suffer at the hands of those who want her dead. When a mummy attack at the city museum shatters the illusion of her ordinary life, twenty-year-old Noellia Taviani discovers a shocking truth: her entire life has been a lie. She isn’t a normal adolescent born into a Connecticut family. She is Sapphora, a princess with magical powers from the realm of Avogadro, a parallel universe to Ancient Egypt. Framed for treason against the crown and failure to fulfill a prophecy, she's exiled to the harsh prison of Salutem. There she must relearn her craft to protect herself from those who seek to destroy her. However, time is running out. The Nefarious Pharoah has escaped the underworld and threatens to not only conquer both realms, but to destroy everyone she loves. To stop him, Sapphora must overcome deadly challenges created by the Ancient Gods to recover a stolen spellbook before her birthday on the Winter Solstice. As she navigates this treacherous path, she's drawn to a forbidden love with an Egyptian god, a dangerous temptation that could be her undoing.

The unforgettable love story of a mother blinded by loss and her husband who insists on their survival as they undertake the Syrian refugee trail to Europe. Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo--until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and so they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. On the way, Nuri is sustained by the knowledge that waiting for them is Mustafa, his cousin and business partner, who has started an apiary and is teaching fellow refugees in Yorkshire to keep bees. As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls. Above all, they must journey to find each other again. Moving, powerful, compassionate, and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. It is the kind of book that reminds us of the power of storytelling.

'I've experienced the best and worst of humanity. I've been detained and beaten, and welcomed and respected. And yet, this story - my story - is one of hope, not fear.' A frontline covid ward cleaner. A BAFTA award-winning refugee. A photographer and filmmaker with an instinct to raise awareness, help and connect. From the jasmine-scented streets of Damascus to uprisings, protest, torture and being forced to flee his home, Hassan Akkad has experienced the unimaginable. Yet, he still holds on to hope and chooses to see the kindness in humanity every day. Driven by an unshakeable instinct to raise awareness, help and connect, Hassan describes both his perilous journey to the UK - the subject of his BAFTA award-winning film 'Exodus' - and his life in Syria before the war. Since seeking asylum in the UK, it is this caring instinct and determination that has seen Hassan share not only his unique eye-witness experience as a refugee, but to the coronavirus pandemic, where his documentation of work as a cleaner on a London hospital Covid-19 ward instigated a government U-turn on excluding the families of NHS cleaners and and porters from its bereavement compensation scheme. With his unique storyteller's instinct, Hassan has captured hearts the world over. He bridges national and political divides, his humanity, sense of service and ideals bring people together. Readers of his story in Hope Not Fear will not want to cry, but to campaign because his message of triumphing over adversity by standing together, united in kindness and love, is the single most important message of our time. In this book, he shows us why.

In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past. “What is it you think you’re protecting in that brain of yours? The war is over. Holdfast is dead. The Eternal Flame extinguished. There’s no one left for you to save.” Once a promising alchemist, Helena Marino is now a prisoner—of war and of her own mind. Her Resistance friends and allies have been brutally murdered, her abilities suppressed, and the world she knew destroyed. In the aftermath of a long war, Paladia’s new ruling class of corrupt guild families and depraved necromancers, whose vile, undead creatures helped bring about their victory, holds Helena captive. According to Resistance records, she was a healer of little importance within their ranks. But Helena has inexplicable memory loss of the months leading up to her capture, making her enemies wonder: Is she truly as insignificant as she appears, or are her lost memories hiding some vital piece of the Resistance’s final gambit? To uncover the memories buried deep within her mind, Helena is sent to the High Reeve, one of the most powerful and ruthless necromancers in this new world. Trapped on his crumbling estate, Helena’s fight—to protect her lost history and to preserve the last remaining shreds of her former self—is just beginning. For her prison and captor have secrets of their own . . . secrets Helena must unearth, whatever the cost.

He Is Her Ruin. She Is His Rebellion. The first thing you’ll learn in New Found Haven is mercy no longer exists. Showing mercy is a weakness, and weakness will get you killed. The second thing is this—the Veyra are always watching. From the highest glass atrium in the Heart to the windowless slum dens of the Boundary, no movement goes unseen. The last lesson is the hardest, but you must remember it. Love outside of your ring was a death sentence. The city is carved into rings of privilege and poverty, ruled by the masked elite who will do whatever it takes to hold onto power. Obedience is demanded. Rebellion is crushed. Greyson Serel has spent his life caught between two worlds. Publicly, he’s the flawless heir to the presidency. Privately, he’s entangled in secrets that could topple the regime. But when he’s forced into a political marriage meant to bind him tighter to the governments brutal laws, he finds himself shackled to a bride who is as lethal as she is unwilling. Shadera is a mercenary raised to kill, not to wed. Yet when her bullet misses its mark, survival leaves her bound to the very man she was sent to eliminate. Trapped inside the corrupt heart of the city, she becomes both prisoner and wife, her every step watched, her every move tested. Their union is no love story—It’s a battlefield. As secrets come to light and betrayals fester within the walls of power, Greyson and Shadera must decide between annihilating one another or burning the city to the ground together. In a world where passion sparks rebellion and loyalty is paid for in blood, their forced bond may be the spark that ignites a revolution. Or the fire that consumes them both. DAGGERMOUTH is a dark dystopian romance perfect for readers who love true enemies to lovers, The Hunger Game, marriage of inconvenience, The Handmaid's Tale, rise of the oppressed, and political intrigue that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

On l’appelait le « mage du Kremlin ». L’énigmatique Vadim Baranov fut metteur en scène puis producteur d’émissions de télé-réalité avant de devenir l’éminence grise de Poutine, dit le Tsar. Après sa démission du poste de conseiller politique, les légendes sur son compte se multiplient, sans que nul puisse démêler le faux du vrai. Jusqu’à ce que, une nuit, il confie son histoire au narrateur de ce livre… Ce récit nous plonge au cœur du pouvoir russe, où courtisans et oligarques se livrent une guerre de tous les instants. Et où Vadim, devenu le principal spin doctor du régime, transforme un pays entier en un théâtre politique, où il n’est d’autre réalité que l’accom­plissement des souhaits du Tsar. Mais Vadim n’est pas un ambitieux comme les autres : entraîné dans les arcanes de plus en plus sombres du système qu’il a contribué à construire, ce poète égaré parmi les loups fera tout pour s’en sortir. De la guerre en Tchétchénie à la crise ukrainienne, en passant par les Jeux olympiques de Sotchi, Le Mage du Kremlin est le grand roman de la Russie contemporaine. Dévoilant les dessous de l’ère Poutine, il offre une sublime méditation sur le pouvoir.

The madness is a game between gods and kings. But it is not the gods and kings who are mad. So, we play their games. Ekara Amaare is the Crown Princess of the House of Blood. One of the four Crown Royals of Itakaa. She is set on marriage with no aspirations to the crown. But on the day she is preparing for the prancing Ceremony, the royal marriage ritual to find an eligible partner, The Oracle Asylum opens. A call from the gods to participate in the trials to choose a ruler for Itakaa. Kazani rises as the 19th Oracle of Itakaa. The first Oracle chosen by the gods in almost a century, to mediate the choosing trials. But he has a secret and so do the gods. He has a personal interest in the trials while harbouring secrets which could destroy Itakaa. Everything depends on the trials which the crown Royals of Itakaa must participate in. The Oracle Asylum is Open.

Beckett, If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have. I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride. My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair. And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help. So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family. Please don’t make her go through it alone. Ryan

This is the entire series put into one book. They took too much. Left too little. I had nothing to lose...until him. ***************** I didn't expect him. I didn't want to fall in love. But I can't let him go. Logan Bennett makes the world a safer place. He's brilliant. He's a hero. He locks away the sick and depraved. But while he's saving lives, I'm taking them. Collecting the debts that are owed to me. Ten years ago, they took from me. They left me for dead. They should have made sure I stayed dead. Now I'm taking from them. One name at a time. I've trained for too long. I've been patient. I can't stop now. Revenge is best served cold... They never see me coming, until I paint their walls red. Logan doesn't know how they hurt me. He doesn't know about the screams they ignored. He doesn't know how twisted that town really is. He just knows people are dying. He doesn't know he's in love with their killer. No one suspects a dead girl. And Logan doesn't suspect the girl in his bed. They're looking for a monster. Not a girl who loves red. Not a girl in love. I'm a faceless nightmare. At least until I tell them the story they've pretended never happened. But in the end, will Logan choose them? Or will we watch them burn together? **Graphic**Adult language**Some triggers could be too much for the easily disturbed reader**Sexual content**Fucked up moral compass; read at your own risk.

Welcome to the Lilydale Foundation Center... home of second chances. At least, that's what they tell us it is. It's basically a glorified prison and asylum for the deranged with good alibis. When the police pulled me out of my burning home, along with what was left of my Father, I was deemed broken - even if I was the reason the fire started. So, here I am at my new home. They think they can save us with their fancy facility. But what insane person decided it was a good idea to put a bunch of young, unhinged people together? It's just asking for trouble. Unhinged is a why-choose dark romance. It contains adult themes, sensitive topics, and is solely intended for mature audiences over 18. It is recommended that readers check the trigger warnings before diving in. Unhinged is book 1 in the Dance with my Demons series.