Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek Tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana’s niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? When another body is found, Mariana’s obsession with proving Fosca’s guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life.

When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison. Chloe and the rest of her family were left to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath. Now 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. She finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to get. Sometimes, though, she feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. And then a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, and that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, and seeing parallels that aren't really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer? In a debut novel that has already been optioned for a limited series by actress Emma Stone and sold to a dozen countries around the world, Stacy Willingham has created an unforgettable character in a spellbinding thriller that will appeal equally to fans of Gillian Flynn and Karin Slaughter.

The long-awaited new novel from the author of global sensation Tender Is the Flesh: a thrilling work of literary horror about a woman cloistered in a secretive, violent religious order, while outside the world has fallen into chaos. From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find—discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe—cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe. But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past—and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can’t she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened? A searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, this is another unforgettable novel from a master of feminist horror.

Alternate history. Apocalyptic. Biopunk. Cyberpunk. Dystopia. Ecological. Far future. Feminist. Gaslight. Lost world. Marxist. Military. Parallel world. Planetary romance. Space opera. Space western. Steampunk. Superhero. Time travel. Utopia. As a genre, science fiction is difficult to define. So, perhaps the best definition is also the broadest: science fiction as a genre deals with imaginary, but plausible and logical constructed, worlds in which the implications and consequences of cultural, environmental, and scientific change and innovation are explored. With its limitless potential for world-building -- and real world influence --science fiction is also a genre rich in possibility for Pagan authors and readers alike, but one which has been sadly neglected. With "The Shining Cities", we add one more to that short list of works. In these pages you will find tales that run the gamut from humorous to ecological to anthropological to time travel to space fantasy to space opera to steampunk. It is our hope that "The Shining Cities" will be only the most recent addition to an ever-growing catalogue of Pagan science fiction.

She is the Foam-Born. The Myrtle and the Rose. Lover, Warrior, Mother, and Creatrix. Aphrodite and Venus are complex Goddesses. The same may be said, of course, of any Power. When it comes to Deities associated with love or sex, though, too many fall back on caricature when trying to explain or understand such Beings: they are all lusty bubbleheads or consumed with materialist desires, or, worse, frivolous and cruel, given to playing with human hearts for their own amusement. That is not Aphrodite, nor is it Venus. Rather, they are Goddesses of immense power and deep passions, who can be kind and angry, wise and stubborn, cosmic in their transcendence and intimate in their immanence. The poems and essays and myths and rites here included reflect that very complexity. Many of Aphrodite and Venus' devotees see them as distinct entities, a Power unto themselves; others see them as one and the same, as unique cultural manifestations of the same divinity; still others see Her as an aspect or name for the universal Power which inspires and manifests love in all its forms. Whatever your relationship with the Goddess/es, it is our hope that you will find the words here both inspirational and inspired, and wholly reverent.

1593, Scotland. King James VI launches a bloody witch hunt across the length and breadth of the country to rid the land of evil.But they are already within his court.Disguised as a lady-in-waiting, Elspet Balfour has been sent from Orkney to serve the Queen Anna of Denmark, the witch-hunting king's new bride, at court in Edinburgh. For Anna is pregnant and, against her husband's decree, wishes for her highly anticipated baby to remain with her after birth. She seeks a binding spell from Elspet, a 'spae wife', a wise woman and herbalist, to protect her unborn child.While Elspet struggles to keep her identity secret in a court that wishes her dead, another woman seeks her aid - Kitty Muirhead, unwed and impoverished, desperate to rid herself of her burdens past and present. Kitty and the queen could not be more different, but they may yet be each other's salvation.The hunt is closing in on the three women. They must concoct a reckless plan to save one another before that fearful death sentence is cast upon them - witch.

A devout iconographer must paint an exiled saint in this sumptuous gothic romantasy full of slow-burn tension and windswept moors, for fans of DIVINE RIVALS and A STUDY IN DROWNING 'Nothing less than blasphemy brought you to me,' Jude told her. Maeve trembled. He was an open flame. Any closer, and she’d burn. Jude is a saint with dangerous magic – exiled by the Abbey to live out his days in a decaying estate on the moors alone – until gifted iconographer Maeve is sent to paint his icon. Suspecting she’s a spy for her beloved Abbey, Jude makes it his mission to get rid of Maeve as soon as possible. That is, until he discovers that Maeve holds the same tainted magic as he does, and she may be the key to destroying the Abbey’s power… But this institution has eyes everywhere, and the only thing the Abbey loves more than a saint is a martyr.

A socially awkward but determined phoenix keeper must partner with her longtime rival to save her beloved exhibit from falling into obscurity in this charming, romantic fantasy debut. Aila is a little obsessed with phoenixes.    As head phoenix keeper at a world-renowned zoo for magical creatures, her childhood dream of conserving critically endangered firebirds seems closer than ever. There’s just one glaring her zoo’s breeding program hasn’t functioned for a decade. When a tragic phoenix-nabbing cripples the flagship program at a neighbouring zoo, Aila must prove her derelict facilities are fit to take the reins.    But saving a species takes more than stellar animal handling skills. Carnivorous water horses, tempestuous thunderhawks — Aila has no problem wrangling beasts. Inspiring zoo patrons? That’s another story. Finding the courage to ask for help from the hot dragon keeper at a neighbouring exhibit? Virtually impossible. And don’t get Aila started on her arch-rival from the glamorous leader of the zoo’s wildly popular griffin show, who’s convinced that Aila’s beloved phoenix would serve better as a performer than a conservation exhibit.   Aided by both friends and enemies, Aila must conquer her social anxiety if she is to restore her breeding programme. With the world watching and the threat of poachers looming, Aila’s success isn’t only a matter of keeping her the future of a species depends on her.

'An outstanding page-turner . . . historical fiction at its absolute best' - Alison Weir'An engaging heroine . . . and Borman's depiction of Villiers, with all his ruthless charisma, is striking' - The Sunday TimesFrances Gorges has happiness within her grasp. King James would rather be hunting stags with her beloved husband Thomas than chasing witches, which means her medical skills and herbal knowledge no longer hang over her like a death sentence. Her family is growing and their estates are secure.But a new arrival at court brings intrigue, jealousy and danger. George Villiers is a young man with the face of an angel and the cunning heart of a devil.Soon James is besotted by this charismatic new lover. Former favourites are crushed with scheming and lies. Thomas's life is made a misery and Frances is back under suspicion as Villiers plots to marry her friend Katherine Manners and seize her fortune.Appalled at the courtier's greed and the King's weakness, Frances finds herself drawn back to her old friend Sir Walter Raleigh and his last, desperate plot to see a Catholic monarch on the throne. And then her troubles really begin . . .'Unexpected twists and turns with every page . . . masterfully crafted' - Nicola Tallis'Lots of fascinating detail and insight into James's backstabbing court . . . enjoyable' - The Times'Lush, wholly convincing and utterly gripping. Fact and fiction have rarely been blent so seamlessly' - Sarah Gristwood

'An outstanding page-turner . . . historical fiction at its absolute best' - Alison Weir'An engaging heroine . . . and Borman's depiction of Villiers, with all his ruthless charisma, is striking' - The Sunday TimesFrances Gorges has happiness within her grasp. King James would rather be hunting stags with her beloved husband Thomas than chasing witches, which means her medical skills and herbal knowledge no longer hang over her like a death sentence. Her family is growing and their estates are secure.But a new arrival at court brings intrigue, jealousy and danger. George Villiers is a young man with the face of an angel and the cunning heart of a devil.Soon James is besotted by this charismatic new lover. Former favourites are crushed with scheming and lies. Thomas's life is made a misery and Frances is back under suspicion as Villiers plots to marry her friend Katherine Manners and seize her fortune.Appalled at the courtier's greed and the King's weakness, Frances finds herself drawn back to her old friend Sir Walter Raleigh and his last, desperate plot to see a Catholic monarch on the throne. And then her troubles really begin . . .'Unexpected twists and turns with every page . . . masterfully crafted' - Nicola Tallis'Lots of fascinating detail and insight into James's backstabbing court . . . enjoyable' - The Times'Lush, wholly convincing and utterly gripping. Fact and fiction have rarely been blent so seamlessly' - Sarah Gristwood

The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the dramatic, mysterious life of Catherine Carey, niece of Anne Boleyn, in this surprising novel that delves into one of the deepest secrets of Henry VIII's court.At twelve years old, Catherine Carey attends her aunt, Queen Anne Boleyn, to the scaffold. Horrified by what she witnesses, Kate is convinced that King Henry VIII is a murderer and has sent an innocent woman to a terrible death.Although the Boleyn family, once so influential at Court, has now fallen from favor, Catherine still manages to secure a coveted role as lady-in-waiting to her now motherless cousin, the young Lady Elizabeth. Bound by Boleyn blood, the two girls grow as close as sisters, though Catherine has trouble ignoring the sly looks thrown her way and continual whispers behind her back. Only when her mother lies dying does Catherine learn the life-shattering truth that the Boleyns have been hiding for years.It is a secret that follows Catherine throughout her life, as she flees religious persecution with her husband and lives abroad in fear, returning home only when Elizabeth becomes queen. But the bond between the Boleyn cousins will never be the same again…With her usual entertaining and authoritative style beloved by readers, renowned historian Alison Weir exposes the dramatic, little-known Tudor mystery in this fascinating, revelatory novel.