Pastel

On her fourteenth birthday, Caiti NicNeven discovers her true mother is the queen of the Sidhe, the faery folk who dwell beneath Scotland's hollow hills. Bound by ancient grievance, the faery queen demands Caiti become the instrument of her revenge against the mortal crown stolen a thousand years before. Drawing on a dangerous magic she barely understands, Caiti flees. She finds refuge at the treacherous court of Mary, Queen of Scots. As fear and religious fervour grip the country, Mary is pressured into passing an Anti-Witchcraft Act, placing every woman - and every whispered spell - in peril. Watching from the shadows, the faery queen tightens her hold. When Caiti falls in love with Robbie, the son of a local laird, her mother strikes, cursing him to dance himself to death beneath the faery moon. To save the man she loves, Caiti must cross into the faery realm and confront the mother who would destroy her - and claim a wild, dangerous magic of her own. Inspired by the true story of Scotland's first witch-hunt, The Changeling is a spellbinding tale of witchcraft, forbidden love and defying fate.

What happens to all the mind-controlled minions when the evil villain is finally vanquished? When Oaklin Nettlewood (accidentally) joined an evil cult, they and the rest of their small community were promptly whammied by mind control magic and forced to do unspeakable things. Now, years later, the realm's heroes have saved the day, defeated the villain, and shattered the last remnants of the spell...leaving destruction in their wake. Because the minions who were nothing more than obstacles were Oaklin's last remaining family and friends, and now as the entire realm celebrates, Oaklin is left alone to pick up the pieces. And so, with a spell-damaged memory and whole bushel of trauma, they buy a small farm on the edge of Mossley's Rest and swear an After all the things they were forced to do with their magic, they will never use it again. Ever. But the gentle ghost who lives in Oaklin's house has other ideas. And as she coaxes Oaklin out of their shell and back into the world, Oaklin begins to find companionship (a grumpy horse and a very good boy dog), friendship (a local bard and magical baker who should just kiss already), and even romance (a paladin-librarian who makes Oaklin's heart flutter.) Healing comes in gentle waves, and Oaklin doesn't have to do it alone. So what does it mean when an inquisitor comes to town just as Oaklin begins to think that maybe, just maybe, they deserve a happy ending after all?

Where do you see yourself in five years? When Type-A Manhattan lawyer Dannie Kohan is asked this question at the most important interview of her career, she has a meticulously crafted answer at the ready. Later, after nailing her interview and accepting her boyfriend's marriage proposal, Dannie goes to sleep knowing she is right on track to achieve her five-year plan. But when she wakes up, she’s suddenly in a different apartment, with a different ring on her finger, and beside a very different man. The television news is on in the background, and she can just make out the scrolling date. It’s the same night—December 15—but 2025, five years in the future. After a very intense, shocking hour, Dannie wakes again, at the brink of midnight, back in 2020. She can’t shake what has happened. It certainly felt much more than merely a dream, but she isn’t the kind of person who believes in visions. That nonsense is only charming coming from free-spirited types, like her lifelong best friend, Bella. Determined to ignore the odd experience, she files it away in the back of her mind. That is, until four-and-a-half years later, when by chance Dannie meets the very same man from her long-ago vision. Brimming with joy and heartbreak, In Five Years is an unforgettable love story that reminds us of the power of loyalty, friendship, and the unpredictable nature of destiny.

You, dear reader, continue at your own risk. It is not for the faint of heart—no more so than the study of dragons itself. But such study offers rewards beyond compare: to stand in a dragon's presence, even for the briefest of moments—even at the risk of one's life—is a delight that, once experienced, can never be forgotten... All the world, from Scirland to the farthest reaches of Eriga, know Isabella, Lady Trent, to be the world's preeminent dragon naturalist. She is the remarkable woman who brought the study of dragons out of the misty shadows of myth and misunderstanding into the clear light of modern science. But before she became the illustrious figure we know today, there was a bookish young woman whose passion for learning, natural history, and, yes, dragons defied the stifling conventions of her day. Here at last, in her own words, is the true story of a pioneering spirit who risked her reputation, her prospects, and her fragile flesh and bone to satisfy her scientific curiosity; of how she sought true love and happiness despite her lamentable eccentricities; and of her thrilling expedition to the perilous mountains of Vystrana, where she made the first of many historic discoveries that would change the world forever.

Die Autorin des millionenfach verkauften Romans The Help kehrt mit einem mutigen, großherzigen Roman über eine Gruppe unerschütterlicher Frauen zurück, die für das kämpfen, was ihnen rechtmäßig zusteht – und über die Kraft der Freundschaft, alles zu verändern. 1933 in Oxford, Mississippi, geht die Prohibition ihrem Ende entgegen, und die Große Depression zieht die Schlinge immer enger. Arme wie reiche Menschen sind gleichermaßen in Not geraten, während die alte gesellschaftliche Ordnung fortbesteht. Für Frauen am Rand der Gesellschaft gibt es nur wenige Möglichkeiten, und der Preis für Würde und Selbstbestimmung ist unerträglich hoch. Die elfjährige Meg, eines der „großen Mädchen“ im Waisenhaus von Lafayette County, die niemand adoptieren will, kämpft jeden Tag darum, sich ihren Mut nicht brechen zu lassen. Die unverheiratete und meinungsstarke Birdie ist mit dem Auftrag nach Oxford gekommen, ihre auf gesellschaftlichen Aufstieg bedachte Schwester zu bitten, der notleidenden Familie zu helfen, die sie zurückgelassen hat. Und Charlie ist eine Frau mit Vergangenheit, deren Glück schwindet, die jedoch von Feuer, Wut und Zähigkeit angetrieben wird. Als ihre Schicksale aufeinandertreffen, schmieden sie einen waghalsigen Plan, um die Kontrolle über ihr Leben zurückzugewinnen. Gemeinsam bilden sie eine unwahrscheinliche Schwesternschaft – doch an einem Ort und in einer Zeit, in denen Heuchelei allgegenwärtig ist, die Freiheit von Frauen brüchig ist und Feindschaften schlimme Folgen haben können: Wird der Preis für ihr waghalsiges Risiko zu hoch sein? Der Club der Unbeugsamen wird Sie lachen, weinen und jubeln lassen – ein episches Zeugnis für Widerstandskraft, Freundschaft und die entschlossenen, witzigen Frauen, die wissen, dass Unheil der Funke für einen Neuanfang sein kann. Dies ist Kathryn Stockett selbstbewusster, herzlicher und komischer denn je – die triumphale Rückkehr einer der beliebtesten Erzählerinnen unserer Zeit.

When a Victorian fossil hunter discovers a baby pterodactyl, she vows to protect him with the help of a fellow scholar—her former fiancé—in this enchanting and transporting historical fantasy. Mary Anning wants to be a geomagician—a paleontologist who uses fossils to wield magic—but since the Geomagical Society of London refuses to admit women, she’s stuck selling her discoveries to tourists instead. When an ancient egg hatches in her hands, revealing a loveable baby pterodactyl Mary names Ajax, she knows this is the kind of scientific find that could make her career—if she’s strategic. Mary contacts the Society about her discovery, and they demand to take possession of Ajax. Their emissary is none other than Henry Stanton, a distinguished (and infuriatingly handsome) scholar... and the man who once broke Mary's heart. Henry claims he believes in the brilliant Mary, and that he only wants to help her obtain the respect she deserves. She knows she can't trust her fellow scholars, who want to discredit her and claim Ajax for their own—but can she even trust Henry, who seems intent on winning Mary back? Now Mary has a new mystery to solve that's buried deeper than any dinosaur She must uncover the secrets behind the Society and the truth about Henry. As her conscience begins to chafe against her ambition, Mary must decide what lengths she’s willing to go to finally belong—and what her heart really wants.