Recommendations based on "The Library at Hellebore"

Sumptuous and addictive, An Education in Malice is a dark academia tale of blood, secrets and insatiable hungers from S.T. Gibson, author of the cult hit A Dowry of Blood.Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua’s College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers. Tangled in a sinister game of politics, bloodthirsty professors and magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge.For more from S.T. Gibson, check out A Dowry of Blood.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"Wildly entertaining."-The New York Times"Ingenious."-The Washington PostNew York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world.Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market.But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them…Like his novels The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires and The Final Girl Support Group, How to Sell a Haunted House is classic Hendrix: equal parts heartfelt and terrifying—a gripping new read from “the horror master” (USA Today).

From the national bestselling author of Alice comes a familiar story with a dark hook—a tale about Peter Pan and the friend who became his nemesis, a nemesis who may not be the blackhearted villain Peter says he is…There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. Peter lies.

*****THE NO. 1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***** ''The fantasy novel that every fantasy reader has been waiting for'' Jay Kristoff ''Long Live Evil is a glorious, swoon-worthy villain romance. What a delicious read'' Tasha Suri A TALE FOR ANYONE WHO''S EVER FALLEN FOR THE VILLAIN... When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favourite fantasy series. She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He''s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she''s not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor''s tale. So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they''re doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor''s fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page. This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain''s shoes, for an adventure that is both ''brilliant'' (Holly Black) and ''supremely satisfying'' (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue''s gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a charmingly homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation. ***** ''Audacious, and supremely satisfying, Long Live Evil is the chosen one we''ve been waiting for. It succeeds as both a brilliant meditation on the pleasures and perils of fiction, and a sweeping, romantic adventure in its own right. Get ready to laugh out loud, cry in public, and cheer on the villains as Brennan smashes through tropes with witty, wild glee in this delicious, subversive treat of a book'' Leigh Bardugo ''The compulsion Brennan casts over her readers is unholy. Not only could I not put Long Live Evil down, I barely remembered to blink. It was so immersive that when I finished I put my face in my pillow and screamed in actual devastation at being kicked out of the story. Utterly magical'' Shelley Parker-Chan ''Sarah Rees Brennan''s charms are unmatched. Her books makes you feel as if you''re in on the joke and always invited on the most fantastic and romantic adventure'' Rainbow Rowell ''Long Live Evil is the huge-hearted and whip-smart epic fantasy of my dreams. I went in laughing and came out crying, and so will you. I''m obsessed'' Alix E. Harrow ''Brennan''s brilliant Long Live Evil harnesses clever banter, delightful turns of phrase, and epic worldbuilding in the service of exploring the nature of stories and the freedom that comes with embracing being named a villain - and maybe actually becoming one. Most of all, it introduces us to Rae, who uses her quick-thinking, loyalty, and ferocity to sidestep (and do the occasional musical number around) doom'' Holly Black ''Utterly brilliant. I can''t stop thinking about Long Live Evil, which has rocketed to the top of my list of all time favourite fantasy novels. Pick this up immediately, Brennan will take everything you think you know about fantasy and turn it on its head'' C.S. Pacat ''A wild joyride . . . surprisingly poignant but also made me laugh until people looked at me on the train'' Everina Maxwell ''Brennan is one of the sharpest fantasy authors writing today, and Long Live Evil layers laugh-out-loud comedy and swoony romance over an emotional core of powerful anger and loss. I loved it'' Emily Tesh ''Laugh out loud, heartfelt and searing in the same breath. Simultaneously a send-up and a tribute to the tropes, fandom and power of fantasy, Long Live Evil is a romp that leaves you asking: are we all the villains in someone else''s narrative?'' Eliza Chan ''A defiant shout of a book, so entertaining and funny that you almost don''t notice its devastating, razor-sharp heart until it''s smiling sweetly into your face while it withdraws the knife'' Freya Marske ''Brennen has gifted us with a romp of a book that honours the epic tropes we all secretly (or not so secretly) love. Long Live Evil is perfect for savvy readers who know that the villain is always the best character'' Megan Bannen ''Long Live Evil is truly one of the most inventive fantasy books I''ve ever read. I can''t decide what I liked best: the witty banter, the genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, or the clever wordplay. The good news is that I don''t have to pick, and it all worked together seamlessly. If you''re looking for a fresh voice in fantasy that twists your favourite tropes into new brand-new favourites, then run, don''t walk to your nearest bookstore. Long live evil, indeed'' Nisha J. Tuli *A No. 1 Sunday Times bestseller, as reported in the hardback fiction charts on Sunday 25th August 2024.

'A charmingly whimsical delight. . . Five dazzling, gladdening stars' India Holton, author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels The third instalment in the enchanting light academia Emily Wilde books, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves, from Sunday Times bestselling author Heather Fawcett. Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project yet: studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen. Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell's long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures. Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell's murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell's magic-and Emily's knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear. Praise for the Emily Wilde books: 'Forget dark academia: give me instead this kind of winter-sunshined, sharp-tongued and footnoted academia, full of field trips and grumpy romance' Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light 'A darkly gorgeous fantasy that sparkles with snow and magic, this book wholly enchanted me' Sangu Mandanna, author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches 'A thoroughly charming academic fairy tale, complete with footnotes and a low-key grumpy romance' Guardian 'Enchanting in every sense of the word. . . This book is real magic' H. G. Parry, author of The Magician's Daughter 'A book so vividly, endlessly enchanting, so crisply assured, so rich and complete and wise and far-reaching in its worldbuilding that you'll walk away half ensorcelled, sure Fawcett found Emily Wilde's journal in some sea-stained trunk' Melissa Albert 'The ideal book to curl up with on a chilly winter's evening. . . this book is an absolute delight.' Megan Bannen, author of The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy 'I enjoyed every word of this gorgeously written fairy tale featuring a grumpy heroine and an utterly charming love interest' Isabel Ibañez, author of Woven In Moonlight

A villainous, bloodthirsty heroine finds herself plunged into the dangerous world of power, politics and murder in the court of the vampire king in this dark romantic fantasy debut.Fate is a cruel mistress.The daughter of a powerful but disgraced Blood Worker, Shan LeC laire has spent her entire life perfecting her blood magic, building her network of spies, and gathering every scrap of power she could. Now, to protect her brother, she assassinates their father and takes her place at the head of the family. And that is only the start of her revenge.Samuel Hutchinson is a bastard with a terrible gift. When he stumbles upon the first victim of a magical serial killer, he's drawn into the world of magic and intrigue he's worked so hard to avoid - and is pulled deeply into the ravenous and bloodthirsty court of the vampire king.Tasked by the Eternal King to discover the identity of the killer cutting a bloody swath through the city, Samuel, Shan and mysterious Royal Blood Worker Isaac find themselves growing ever closer to each other. But Shan's plans are treacherous, and as she lures Samuel into her complicated web of desire, treason and vengeance, he must decide if the good of their nation is worth the cost of his soul.Fans of From Blood and Ash and Kingdom of the Wicked will devour this decadent, bloodthirsty debut.

A New York Times Best Horror Book of the YearA cynical twentysomething must confront her unconventional family’s dark secrets in this fiery, irreverent horror novel from the author of Such Sharp Teeth and Cackle.Nobody has a “normal” family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly...something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep.Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • During the Great War, a combat nurse searches for her brother, believed dead in the trenches despite eerie signs that suggest otherwise, in this hauntingly beautiful historical novel with a speculative twist, from the author of The Bear and the Nightingale.“A wonderful clash of fire and ice—a book you won’t want to let go of.”—Diana Gabaldon, author of Outlander“Spectacular—a tour de force, wonderful and deep and haunting.”—Naomi Novik, author of A Deadly EducationONE OF BOOKPAGE’S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEARJanuary 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, Laura receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital, where she soon hears whispers about haunted trenches and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else? November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear. As shells rain down on Flanders and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.

In this lush, romantic epic fantasy series from a New York Times bestselling author, a young woman’s secret power to raise the dead plunges her into the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King’s royal court. When Lore was thirteen, she escaped a cult in the catacombs beneath the city of Dellaire. And in the ten years since, she’s lived by one rule: don’t let them find you. Easier said than done, when her death magic ties her to the city.Mortem, the magic born from death, is a high-priced and illicit commodity in Dellaire, and Lore’s job running poisons keeps her in food, shelter, and relative security. But when a run goes wrong and Lore’s power is revealed, she’s taken by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior-monks sanctioned to use Mortem working for the Sainted King. Lore fully expects a pyre, but King August has a different plan. Entire villages on the outskirts of the country have been dying overnight, seemingly at random. Lore can either use her magic to find out what’s happening and who in the King’s court is responsible, or die.Lore is thrust into the Sainted King’s glittering court, where no one can be believed and even fewer can be trusted. Guarded by Gabriel, a duke-turned-monk, and continually running up against Bastian, August’s ne'er-do-well heir, Lore tangles in politics, religion, and forbidden romance as she attempts to navigate a debauched and opulent society.But the life she left behind in the catacombs is catching up with her. And even as Lore makes her way through the Sainted court above, they might be drawing closer than she thinks.

Pre-order now to get a book with red-stained edges – available only on the first printing!A chilling twist on the “cursed film” genre from the bestselling author of The Pallbearers Club and The Cabin at the End of the World.In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.The weird part? Only three of the film’s scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot.The man who played “The Thin Kid” is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he’s going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions—demons of the past be damned.But at what cost?Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful feat of storytelling genius that builds inexorably to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion.