The Beast, The Hope, and the Only Sun

In Poems to Fall in Love With, Chris Riddell OBE, political cartoonist for the Observer, has selected his very favourite classic and modern poems about love.

This gorgeous collection celebrates love in all its guises, from silent admiration through passion to tearful resignation. These poems speak of the universal experiences of the heart and are brought to life by Juliet Stevenson and David Rintoul.

This collection features famous poems, old and new, and a few surprises. Classic verses sit alongside the modern to create the ultimate collection.

Dragon Shield (Part II)

Now a young man, Ian returns to the magical Realm to fight against the tyranny that has befallen his friends. But the Realm is a different place, the forest is dying, the Kaemperns have lost the shield that protected them from the dragon, and Ian has a hard time proving his allegiance when trouble follows him through the portal. His struggle to do right buries him in confusion, and he must fight his own will to prove his integrity.

When reckless Ian enters a portal to another world, he's thrust into a conflict with dragon worshippers -- and an epic battle between good and evil... A magical fantasy collection!

"There is a constant battle being waged between hope and despair and you are never quite sure how things will develop. By the novels end I felt that things were only just beginning for Ian and I wanted more - a mark of Gardner's skill as a storyteller."

The books included in Ian's Realm are

Deception Peak (Part I)

The first book of a trilogy, Deception Peak is a young adult adventure fantasy about a teenager, Ian Wilson, who follows his father through a portal that magically appears on their computer screen.

Five short stories of dragon spirits and ancestors, in a Japanese milleau. Some are set in ancient times, others are more modern. Each short story that has new vocabulary has a mini-glossary of Japanese terms that were utilized. These were written with youth in mind at a time when Japanese concepts are not as prevalent in the West as today, and touch on where the division between the realm of man and Kami is.

Includes:

"I will not let fear weaken us, not now" -says Ian as he dives into the cold waters of Moor Cove to find the escapees.

Ian has proven his abilities as a warrior and now the most dangerous battle begins, the battle against the power of evil. Ian must unravel the secrets of the mountain and discern whom his real enemy is, the enemy both without and within. He tackles with the twelve-year-old boy who seems to hold the fate of the entire Realm in his hands, and yet the pressing Songs of Wisdom call for compassion in his dealings. Ian leads his men in the fight against the powers of darkness. But he must also be willing to sacrifice everything he ever hoped to have in order to save those he loves.

Selkies are Scottish seal people, and are considered magical shapeshifting creatures, able to interbreed with humans. Spoken of in many old stories, the females are said to make caring wives, and the men to be charming and good lovers. If their skin is captured, they will remain on land, though more is heard about women being captured than the men. If they find their stolen skin, they will return to the sea and any mate or family therein, though remaining nearby to watch over their land-children.

What happens though, if a Selkie never manages to reclaim her skin before her death, and so remains with her children? What happens if her family is a magical one, and her subspecies had been created by the cooperation of sister water goddesses? Further, what if the drive to return to the sea remains strong in the offspring, and as servants of these goddesses, provide their care despite being disliked and untrusted by both full blooded Selkies and humans when found out.

We come then to modern times. First a fishing family, favored then by fortune and Marsali's magic, the Makay clan grew to a merchant family that went on grand voyages for the good of the Magical Community. Few now remain, and those are now waterwitches, primarily interested in tending duties set by deities that few believe actually exist, and the health of the waters both locally and planet wide.

Kirsty has little choice in her fate, only how it will manifest. There are tests to pass, a place that she may have to occupy prematurely if her visions prove true, and a need to earn her sealskin to be complete. Will Etain return safe to port, and will Kirsty survive her training and test? There are complications along the way, will she be able to stay on the course she's trying to set? In this first book of what is intended to be a trilogy Kirsty must ultimately go down the Lady's well for the first of her tests of fitness, while also having to balance school, family, and a certain lad.