Joseph Delaney used to be an English teacher, before becoming the best-selling author of the Spook's series, which has been published in 30 countries and sold over 4.5 million copies worldwide. The first book, The Spook's Apprentice, was adapted into a major motion picture starring Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore.

Joseph Delaney

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'I fear nobody. But my enemies fear me . . . Without ruthlessness and savagery I would not survive even a week of the life I lead. I am the witch assassin of the Malkin clan.' 
 
Meet Grimalkin, the fearsome witch assassin, and find out how she came to take the role she now holds. 
 
This exclusive digital short story set in the world of Joseph Delaney's best-selling series The Wardstone Chronicles first appeared in the spine-tingling collection The Spook's Stories: Witches. Now available separately for the first time, and including a preview of the first chapter of I Am Grimalkin, this is perfect for existing fans and newcomers alike. The only question is, are you brave enough . . .

The Spook's Stories: Grimalkin's Tale

Rosemary Sutcliff

Set more than a thousand years ago in the soft green hills of Ireland, in a shifting time when enchanted creatures and the Fairy Kind still flickered in and out of the lives of men, the ancient stories of Finn MacCool and the brotherhood of the Fianna shimmer with magic. Here Rosemary Sutcliff breathes new life into adventures of these Irish heroes and their battles with strange and supernatural beings.

The High Deeds Of Finn MacCool

Joan Aiken

After the sad demise of Sir Thomas, Edmund Bertram and his new wife Fanny must sail to the West Indies in order to oversee the family’s affairs. 
 
Back at Mansfield Park, Fanny’s younger sister Susan is left at the helm. The household faces disarray, and she must guide the estate through gossip and grievances. Yet the news of Henry and Mary Crawford’s return to Mansfield heralds the greatest storm yet. With the arrival of this dangerous pair, romance is once more in the air, and hearts are set to be broken . . . 
 
Featuring a cast of characters from Jane Austen's classic, including Susan Price, Thomas Bertram, Lady Bertram, Julia Yates and, of course, the infamous Crawford siblings.

Mansfield Revisited

Katie Chase

After her first adventure with Azara, the Persian Princess, Rosie is on the lookout for more Little Princesses around her Great-aunt Rosamund's Scottish castle. 
 
One morning, while she is playing hide-and-seek with her little brother, Luke, Rosie stares up at the old tapestry hanging above the fireplace in the Great Hall. And she sees a girl with long blonde hair, wearing a beautiful medieaval gown standing next to a golden dragon. It must be a Little Princess! As soon as Rosie says hello she is swept away to the kingdom of Tannelaun, where she meets Princess Isabella. Isabella is very upset because her pet dragon, Cedric keep getting hiccups and accidentally burning things with his fiery breath. The villagers have had enough and Isabella's father, the king, says Cedric must be sent away. Will Rosie be able to help Isabella to save Cedric . . .?

Little Princesses: The Fairytale Princess

Rosie and her little brother Luke are exploring the maze in the grounds of Great-aunt Rosamund's Scottish castle and Rosie discovers a carved and painted totem pole in the centre. When she looks more closely, Rosie sees a young girl on horseback carved athe base of the post. Could this be another little princess? Rosie says hello, just like her Great-aunt told her to and suddenly a gust of wind full of the scent of pine trees surrounds her and she's off on another adventure! 
 
When Rosie opens her eyes again someone it's dark and someone drags her behind a boulder. She can see dark shadows moving through the night - monsters with ferocious jaws and lots of arms and legs. They seem to be looking for something. The person who pulled Rosie to safety is Princess Malila, who explains that the creatures are dream-shadows that hunt for people by night. Usually Malila's tribe are protected by a powerful dream-catcher made of willow hoops and feathers, but it was stolen from the camp. Rosie and Malila must get it the dream-catcher back!

Little Princesses: The Dream-Catcher Princess

Shirley Hughes

Meet Alfie and Annie Rose, Mum and Dad, Chessie the cat, the MacNallys down the road, and many many more, in this wonderful collection of 10 best-loved Alfie stories by Shirley Hughes. Read by Roger Allam and Roy Mcmillan. 
Includes: Alfie Gets in First, Alfie’s Feet, An Evening at Alfie’s, Alfie Gives a Hand, Alfie and the Big Boys, Alfie Wins a Prize, All About Alfie, Alfie’s Christmas, Alfie Outdoors and Alfie and the Birthday Surprise.

Alfie Gets in First and Other Stories

Joan Aiken picks up the pen of her forerunner, Jane Austen, in this charming sequel to Pride and Prejudice. 
 
Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy have finally found matrimonial bliss, and now our attention turns to Rosings Park, the estate of the formidable Lady Catherine de Bourgh. When an unfortunate carriage accident means that siblings Ralph and Priscilla Delaval must reside with Lady Catherine, the stage is set for a scandal. Life in the sleepy Kent village is turned upside down by a series of unexpected events, and dark family secrets are finally brought to light . . . 
 
Featuring a cast of characters from Austen’s classic, including Anne de Bourgh, Elizabeth's friend Charlotte Collins (née Lucas), Colonel Fitzwilliam and, of course, the redoubtable Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Lady Catherine's Necklace

Lauren Kate

Eureka lost her mother years ago in a tragic accident, and since then she has been overwhelmed by grief. She wishes she could escape, but then she meets Ander, a mysterious blond boy who tells her that she is in danger. Her sorrow creates a dark world around her, and her tears flood the Earth, raising Atlantis and bringing all kinds of darkness with it. She can save the world, but everything comes at a price... 
The series charts a young girl's struggles as she comes to terms with the loss of her mother and new found power whilst tentatively learning to love.

On Ander's eighteenth birthday, he must give up all that he loves in order to complete the Passage and become a Seedbearer. But can he ever relinquish his love for Eureka? 
 
An exclusive ebook original short story from the dark, romantic world of TEARDROP.

Last Day of Love

A Teardrop Story

Philip Pullman

‘But the thing is,’ said Horley, ‘they didn’t know each other at all. Never heard of each other. It wasn’t about the makers. Only about the works.’ 
 
On a dark winter’s night in 1970, Horley and Grinstead huddle for warmth in the Senior Common Room of a college in Oxford. Conversation turns to the two impressive works of art that Horley has recently added to his collection. What the two men don’t know is that these pieces are connected in mysterious and improbable ways; and they are about to be caught in the cross-fire of a story which has travelled time and worlds. 
 
A His Dark Materials story.

The Collectors

His Dark Materials Story

Rosie can't wait to move to her Great-aunt Rosamund's castle in the Scottish Highlands. She's visited there many times but now she's going to actually live there with Mum, Dad and her little brother, Luke, while Great-aunt Rosamund is away travelling. 
 
While she's exploring the castle Rosie finds a secret note from her great-aunt. It's written in invisible ink but that night the heat from the fire in the Great Hall reveals the message: Look for the Little Princesses . . .and always remember to curtsey and say 'Hello'! And, sure enough, when Rosie says hello to the princess on the beautiful Persian rug in her bedroom, she is whisked away to ancient Persia on her first adventure! 
 
The kingdom has been overtaken by Abdul the evil genie, who has stolen Princess Azara's voice and imprisoned Azara's father in the palace dungeons. Will Rosie and the Little Princess be able to defeat the genie and restore peace to the land . . .?

Little Princesses: The Whispering Princess

John Christopher

Will Parker and his friends have escaped the mind-controlling alien Tripods, and found sanctuary in the White Mountains - but when an opportunity arises for them to infiltrate a Tripod city, they realise they have a chance to strike back against the invaders. What they learn there may hold the key to liberating humanity - if they can survive the beauty and terror of the City of Gold and Lead. 
 
The second book in John Christopher's classic dystopian series is available for the first time as an ebook.

Tripods: The City of Gold and Lead

Book 2

Jeanne Birdsall

Summer is here and it's off to the beach for Rosalind . . . and off to Maine for the rest of the Penderwick girls with their old friend, Jeffrey. 
 
That leaves Skye as OAP (oldest available Penderwick) - a terrifying notion for all. Things look good as they settle into their cozy cottage, but can Skye hold it together? Will Jane's Love Survey come to a tragic conclusion? Is Batty - contrary to all accepted wisdom - the only Penderwick capable of carrying a tune? And will Jeffrey be able to keep peace between the girls . . . these girls who are his second, and most heartfelt, family? 
 
It's a rollercoaster ride as the Penderwicks continue their unforgettable adventures in a story filled with laughs and joyful tears!

The Penderwicks at Point Mouette

Seduced and abandoned by the faithless Willoughby, Colonel Brandon’s much-loved ward Eliza is sent to give birth in the countryside. But what becomes of her, and her daughter, the young Eliza? 
 
Joan Aiken's sequel to Sense and Sensibility takes up the stories of Elinor and Marianne, but introduces a dashing new heroine who despite being a 'by-blow' and outcast, uses her wits and talents to find her own way in the world. This is a darker side of Regency society where a young girl who cannot marry for money must find a career, and brave the realities of the Napoleonic wars in Portugal.

Eliza's Daughter

Penelope Farmer

Penelope's mother died when she was a very young child and she was subsequently adopted by her mum's best friend, Aunt Jo. On the surface her life seems as normal as anyone's and yet underneath she is deeply confused. Why does she suffer such painful headaches, why does she remember things that can't possibly have happened to her, and why can she speak phrases of Latin when she has never been taught the subject?!. Sometimes she really believes she is going mad. And then when even her best friend, Piloo, starts talking about reincarnation it's almost more than she can bear. Penelope only wants to be herself, but in order to achieve that she has to look to her past and discover just who she really is. . . . .

Penelope

‘Without this child, we shall all die.’ 
 
Lyra Belacqua lives half-wild and carefree among the scholars of Jordan College, with her daemon, Pantalaimon, always by her side. 
 
But the arrival of her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, draws her to the heart of a terrible struggle – a struggle born of stolen children, witch clans and armoured bears. 
 
As she hurtles towards danger in the cold far North, Lyra never suspects the shocking truth: she alone is destined to win, or to lose, the biggest battle imaginable.

Northern Lights: His Dark Materials 1

now a major BBC TV series

Unlike her little brother, Luke, Rosie doesn't believe that mermaids actually exist. But that's before she finds the stone statue of a mermaid in the middle of the fountain in the grounds of her Great-aunt Rosamund's Scottish castle. 
 
When Rosie curtseys and says hello she finds herself on a deserted beach at nighttime. She can hear beautiful singing coming from some rocks. It's Princess Marissa, the daughter of the king and queen of the mer-people. Rosie finds she can swim underwater and she explores the kingdom of Acquatica with her new friend, Carla and Carlos the dolphins and Octavius the Octopus. 
 
Then Marissa discovers that she's lost her crown, which contains the Pearl of Wisdom and she and Rosie must go and get it back from the old and frightening Sea Hag . . .!

Little Princesses: The Sea Princess

Leon Garfield

In 1847, an orphaned baby is rescued as the sole survivor of a massacre in a Polish village. Many years later a mysterious and disturbed Russian lady turns up unexpectedly at one of Mr Dolly’s regular Friday night dinner parties. So begins a search for identity and lost inheritance in the seedy and crowded streets of nineteenth century London.

The House of Cards

Rosie finds a mosaic in a passageway in Great-aunt Rosamund's old castle. When she sees a sad-looking girl in a toga on the mosaic, Rosie is convinced that she's found another little princess. She's right! Before she knows it, Rosie finds herself in a beautiful garden by a temple in ancient Rome and meets the daugher of the emperor of Rome - Princess Isadora. 
 
Princess Isadora is sad because the goddess Juventas has put a curse on all the young boys because Isadora's brother, Marcus, forgot to leave a gold coin as an offering to the goddess after his coming of age ceremony. Juventas has made all the young boys of Rome age, so they are now all old men and they will die soon if Isadora can't do anything to help them! 
 
Rosie and Isadora go to the forest to ask Acis the faun for advice. He tells them to ask Cupid, the god of love for help. If Cupid hits Juventas with one of his arrows, the stony heart of Juventas will melt and she will take back the curse. Can the girls get Cupid to help them before it's too late? And will they manage to escape the wrath of the Harpies who are doing their best to stop them?

Little Princesses: The Cloud Princess

When the alien Tripod machines land on Earth, they don't seem much of a threat. The first skirmishes end in victory for the human forces. But the real danger - the insidious mind-controlling powers of the Tripod Masters - is only just beginning. Laurie and his family must flee their homes as the invaders tighten their tentacled grip - and find a place to start the fight back... 
 
The thrilling and eerie prequel John Christopher's classic dystopian Tripods series is available for the first time in ebook format.

Tripods: When the Tripods Came

Book 4

T H White

Ten-year-old orphan Maria lives in her ancestors' crumbling mansion, with warm-hearted Cook and the eccentric Professor as her only friends. Exploring the grounds one day, Maria discovers a wild, half-forgotten island in the middle of a neglected lake - and an extraordinary secret. For the island is home to a community of tiny people - the Lilliputians that Gulliver first met on his famous travels. 
 
But as Maria grows closer to her new friends, her own life is in grave danger. Her wicked governess and the cruel vicar are plotting to steal her rightful inheritance - and they will stop at nothing. How can Maria keep the Lilliputians safe, while protecting herself? 
 
A timeless classic from the author of The Sword in the Stone, with an introduction by Anne Fine.

Mistress Masham's Repose

Rosie's just had her first day at her new school in Scotland, after moving to live in her Great-aunt Rosamund's castle. Rosie's class have to put on a show about the different countries in the world and Rosie's country is Japan. That evening back at the castle, Rosie finds a painted fan and it has a little princess on it! 
 
And, sure enough, after saying hello, Rosie is whisked away to a beautiful garden in Japan where she meets Princess Hana. The little princess is very sad because Gawa the river god is angry with her father, the emperor, and has created a water sprite who looks exactly like Hana. The evil sprite is pretending to be Hana and no one at the palace can tell because the god has made Hana herself invisible. 
 
Somehow Rosie must help Hana to break the spell!

Little Princesses: The Peach Blossom Princess

Terry Pratchett

Captain the Honourable Sir Herbert Stephen Ernest Boring-Tristram-Boring (known to his friends as Bill) is very rich but very bored. 
 
When famous explorer Alfred Tence* shows up at his front door, life gets considerably more exciting. Before long, he’s speeding off in a taxi to the mountains of Chilistan in search of the hairiest, most mysterious monster ever known – an ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN! 
 
A fantastically funny short story from the collection Dragons at Crumbling Castle. 
 
[*Yes, that Alfred Tence – the same man who punted from Brighton to Bombay in the bath. It’s true.]

The Abominable Snowman

A Short Story from Dragons at Crumbling Castle

When Rosie finds a Russian doll high on a shelf in the big dining-room of her great-aunt Rosamund's Scottish castle, she opens up the two halves of the doll and finds another one underneath, and another one, and another one, until she's left with a tiny Russian Princess doll in the palm of her hand. Rosie says hello straight away, just like Great-aunt Rosamund told her to, and she's whisked away in a flurry of sparkling snowflakes, on another adventure! 
 
This time Rosie finds herself in Russia and meets Princess Anastasia. The evil witch, Baba Yaga, has cast a spell on Anastasia's family, so her parents, the tsar and tsarina, and all the royal court have been turned to ice. Baba Yaga hasn't turned Princess Anastasia to ice because she collects the tears of young girls to use in magic spells to make her look young and beautiful. Will Rosie and Anastasia be able to come up with a plan to save the royal household and banish Baba Yaga back to her tree house in the Great Forest . . .?

Little Princesses: The Snowflake Princess

The final battle for the Earth has begun, as the human resistance strikes back against their alien Tripod masters. Will Parker and his friends prepare to lead daring commando raids against the cities of the invaders, with nothing less than the fate of the world at stake. 
 
The thrilling conclusion to John Christopher's classic dystopian series is available for the first time as an ebook.

Tripods: The Pool of Fire

Book 3

Jan Pienkowski

A wonderful new reissued edition of the classic Joan Aiken short story collection illustrated with Jan Pienkowski's iconic silhouettes. 
 
These East European fairytales have it all: drama, magic, heroes, fairies, dragons, mermaids, adventure, bravery and beauty...

The Kingdom Under the Sea

A favourite game of the rich and beautiful Emma Woodhouse is dabbling in the marriage market, where she plays with everyone’s hearts except her own. 
 
But, for Jane Fairfax, the other heroine of Jane Austen's Emma, marriage is not a game. Orphaned and without a dowry to attract a husband, she must rely on her charms to secure an engagement, or find work as a governess. 
 
In a superb companion novel to Austen's romance, Joan Aiken reveals another world unknown to Emma - this is Jane's secret story of love and heartache.

Jane Fairfax

Catherine Fisher

From the swirling mists and icy depths beyond the edge of the world came the snow-walker Gudrun, to rule the Jarl's people with fear and sorcery. But a small band of outlaws are prepared to risk their lives to defeat Gudrun and restore the land to its rightful leader. This trilogy follows them in their quest, from the first terrifying journey to meet the mysterious snow-walker's son, to the final battle in the lands beyond the rainbow bridge. The Snow-walker's Son follows Jessa and Thorkil who, are sent to Thrasirshall in the empty wastelands to live with the mysterious Kari, Gudrun's son. Led to believe Kari is some kind of monster they are shocked to discover he is a snow-walker, just like Gudrun, except with the desire to do good rather than evil. Together they journey back to the Jarshold to defeat Gudrun. In The Empty Hand Gudrun seeks revenge on those who banished her and sends a terrifying, faceless creature to the Jarlshold, and in The Soul Thieves, Kari and his companions must travel to the land of the snow-walkers to claim back the precious souls Gudrun has stolen. Here, Kari and Gudrun, mother and son and ultimate opponents, must fight their final battle.

The Snow-Walker Trilogy

Rosie gets an amazing postcard from her Great-aunt Rosamund in Africa, and she can't wait to look up a map of Kenya and find out exactly where it is. On the shelves of the old castle library, however, she finds more than just the atlas she was looking for. Hidden behind the book is a beautifully carved wooden statue that turns out to be another of the Little Princesses her Great-aunt told her about. Before she knows it, Rosie is off to see Africa for herself! 
 
Princess Imena happily welcomes Rosie into her home, and explains that she is a special princess, with the power to bring rain to her people. Mysteriously, however, her magic dance is no longer working and if the river does not begin to flow again soon, she and her family may be forced to leave. Rosie can't resist offering to help her new friend, and soon the girls are investigating black magic and the sinister village witch doctor. Can they bring the river Iku back and save the village . . .?

Little Princesses: The Rain Princess

Nobody knows how long it has been since the Tripods came. Nobody remembers life on Earth before they enslaved it. Humans live in scattered farms and villages, kept quiet and obedient by the mind-controlling Caps implanted when they reach their teens. 
 
Will Parker's time is fast approaching - but a chance encounter with a madman convinces him that it may still be possible to resist the alien masters. So begins an epic tale of survival and defiance - and Will's journey to the White Mountains. 
 
John Christopher's classic dystopian series is available for the first time in ebook format.

Tripods: The White Mountains

Book 1

When Lily throws Bobbo onto the top of the school bus, she has no idea what an adventure he has in store. This drama-packed book is a race to reunite Lily and lost Bobbo, as well as learning all about school...

Bobbo Goes To School

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