The Skein of Lament

The Skein of Lament

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

The Weavers’ grip on Saramyr’s rulers has grown ever more powerful, and all the while, the blight they have brought grows harsher. The land is slipping into civil war. In the mounting chaos, Kaiku and the orphaned heir-Empress must fight for their destiny and their survival, as Saramyr succumbs to the twisting of the Weave and the unknowable ambitions of the secretive Weavers.
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Braided Path 03 - The Ascendancy Veil

Braided Path 03 - The Ascendancy Veil

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

The war that is tearing apart the ancient Empire of Saramyr is reaching its apocalyptic conclusion. The Weavers have stepped from the shadows and have taken control, the Emperor not even their puppet anymore. New, terrifying demons, immune to everything but magic have been unleashed on the cities and armies of the resistance movement. As the madness of the weavers takes grip their tactics become even more crazed and bloody and thousands are dying on both sides. Someone must stop the weavers, someone must discover the secrets of what lies at the bottom of the massive pits they have dug across Saramyr. This is the final volume of what has proved to be one of the most original, exotic and exciting epic fantasies of the 21st century. Chris Wooding melds an extraordinary imagination to deft characterisation and flair for gripping plots.
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Velocity

Velocity

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

The Hunger Games' behind the wheel of a souped-up rally car. Losers die. Winners take all. A race through a psycho-future with genius Wooding in the driving seat. Fast? Yes. Furious? Yes. Fatal? We'll see.
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Retribution Falls

Retribution Falls

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

Frey is the captain of the Ketty Jay, leader of a small and highly dysfunctional band of layabouts. An inveterate womaniser and rogue, he and his gang make a living on the wrong side of the law, avoiding the heavily armed flying frigates of the Coalition Navy. With their trio of ragged fighter craft, they run contraband, rob airships and generally make a nuisance of themselves. So a hot tip on a cargo freighter loaded with valuables seems like a great prospect for an easy heist and a fast buck. Until the heist goes wrong, and the freighter explodes. Suddenly Frey isn't just a nuisance anymore - he's public enemy number one, with the Coalition Navy on his tail and contractors hired to take him down. But Frey knows something they don't. That freighter was rigged to blow, and Frey has been framed to take the fall. If he wants to prove it, he's going to have to catch the real culprit. He must face liars and lovers, dogfights and gunfights, Dukes and daemons. It's going to take all his criminal talents to prove he's not the criminal they think he is ...
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The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray

The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

Thaniel, just seventeen, is a wych-hunter. Together, he and Cathaline - his friend and mentor - track down the fearful creatures that lurk in the Old Quarter of London. It is on one of these hunts that he first encounters Alaizabel Cray. Whatever dreadful entity has entered her soul has turned her into a strange and unearthly magnet - attracting evil from every dark corner.
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Storm Thief

Storm Thief

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

A darkly thrilling new novel from master storyteller Chris Wooding, about a civilization plagued by chaos and reality-rearranging storms. Orokos is a city of chaos, lashed by probability storms that re-order the world wherever they strike. It covers every inch of the rocky island that it dominates. It has stood for so long that history has forgotten it, and its citizens no longer question what exists beyond its walls. Then three of its denizens discover a map that holds the key to the secret at the heart of Orokos. But there are others, such as the Chief of the Protectorate Secret Police who would do anything to get their hands on that power...anything at all...
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The Ace of Skulls

The Ace of Skulls

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

All good things come to an end. And this is it: the last stand of the Ketty Jay and her intrepid crew. They've been shot down, set up, double-crossed and ripped off. They've stolen priceless treasures, destroyed a ten-thousand-year-old Azryx city and sort-of-accidentally blew up the son of the Archduke. Now they've gone and started a civil war. This time, they're really in trouble. As Vardia descends into chaos, Captain Frey is doing his best to keep his crew out of it. He's got his mind on other things, not least the fate of Trinica Dracken. But wars have a way of dragging people in, and sooner or later they're going to have to pick a side. It's a choice they'll be staking their lives on. Cities fall and daemons rise. Old secrets are uncovered and new threats revealed. When the smoke clears, who will be left standing?
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The Iron Jackal

The Iron Jackal

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

Things are finally looking good for Captain Frey and his crew. The Ketty Jay has been fixed up good as new. They've got their first taste of fortune and fame. And, just for once, nobody is trying to kill them. Even Trinica Dracken, Frey's ex-fiancee and long-time nemesis, has given up her quest for revenge. In fact, she's offered them a job - one that will take them deep into the desert heart of Samarla, the land of their ancient enemies. To a place where the secrets of the past lie in wait for the unwary. Secrets that might very well cost Frey everything. Join the crew of the Ketty Jay on their greatest adventure yet: a story of mayhem and mischief, roof-top chases and death-defying races, murderous daemons, psychopathic golems and a particularly cranky cat. The first time was to clear his name. The second time was for money. This time, Frey's in a race against the clock for the ultimate prize: to save his own life.
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The Shadow Casket (The Darkwater Legacy)

The Shadow Casket (The Darkwater Legacy)

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

A BAND OF REBELS. A TRAITOR IN THEIR MIDST. A REVOLUTION ABOUT TO BEGIN. It's been three years since Aren seized the Ember Blade. Three years since they struck the spark they hoped would ignite the revolution. But the flame has failed to catch. The Krodans have crushed Ossia in an iron grip of terror. The revolution seems further away than ever. Far in the north, the Dawnwardens seek to unite the fractious clans of the Fell Folk and create a stronghold from which to retake their land. But even if they can overcome the danger of treachery from within, they still have to contend with the dreadknights. Only the druidess Vika can resist these near-unstoppable foes, and there's only one of her. But what if there was a weapon that could destroy the dreadknights? A weapon of such power it could turn the tide? A weapon that, if it fell into the wrong hands, might mean the end of all hope? The Shadow Casket has returned from out of the past, and it will save or damn them all. 'The Ember Blade is Lord of the Rings for the modern generation - an epic world full of history, depth and adventure' Ed McDonald, author of Daughter of Redwinter
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Pale

Pale

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

The Lazarus Serum can bring you back from the dead - but when you come back you've changed - you're a Pale, an outcast. It's the last thing Jed wants, but an accident changes everything and Jed's forced to discover the true cost of living forever.About the AuthorChris Wooding grew up in a small town in Leicestershire and studied English Literature at the University in Sheffield. Chris was only 16 when he wrote his first novel, and signed his first book deal at 19. He wrote the nine-part Broken Sky children's fantasy series and writes for young people and adults. Chris has travelled to lots of places all over the world, backpacking and playing music. Chris currently lives in North West London.
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The Braided Path: The Weavers of Saramyr / the Skein of Lament / the Ascendancy Veil

The Braided Path: The Weavers of Saramyr / the Skein of Lament / the Ascendancy Veil

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

The story of an exotic oriental world. The empire of Saramyr has relied on the secretive sect of Weavers for far too long. Now the Weavers, manipulating space and time through the Weave of existence, are plotting the overthrow of the families. Their motives twisted by the Witchstones they draw their power from. As the empire crumbles the disowned abbearant daughter of the empire and a few scattered rebels must find out the secret of the true nature of the witchstones and rescue the empire from depravity and the rule of demons. Chris Wooding has an unrivalled flair for Machiavellian plotting, explosive description and memorable young characters. This is the ideal first adult fantasy for his teenage fans. This edition includes The Weavers of Saramyr, The Skein of Lament and The Ascendancy Veil.
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Silver

Silver

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

The final exam is survival.Paul is the new kid at Mortingham Boarding Academy, and he has a dark secret.Caitlyn admires Paul from afar and resents that he only has eyes for Erika.Erika thinks that she and Caitlyn are best friends, but she's wrong.Adam is a bully with a major chip on his shoulder.Mark is outgrowing his old friends but doesn't know how to make new ones.In a few short hours, none of this will matter. Without warning, a horrifying infection will spread across the school grounds, and a group of students with little in common will find themselves barricaded in a classroom, fighting for their lives. Some will live. Some will die. And then it will get even worse.Fast-paced and frightening, Silver is a tale set on the fringes of science and horror - a story about the struggle to survive in the face of impossible odds.
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The Ember Blade

The Ember Blade

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

A land under occupation. A legendary sword. A young man's journey to find his destiny. Aren has lived by the rules all his life. He's never questioned it; that's just the way things are. But then his father is executed for treason, and he and his best friend Cade are thrown into a prison mine, doomed to work until they drop. Unless they can somehow break free . . . But what lies beyond the prison walls is more terrifying still. Rescued by a man who hates him yet is oath-bound to protect him, pursued by inhuman forces, Aren slowly accepts that everything he knew about his world was a lie. The rules are not there to protect him, or his people, but to enslave them. A revolution is brewing, and Aren is being drawn into it, whether he likes it or not. The key to the revolution is the Ember Blade. The sword of kings, the Excalibur of his people. Only with the Ember Blade in hand can their people be inspired to rise up . . . but it's locked in an impenetrable vault in the most heavily guarded fortress in the land. All they have to do now is steal it . . . Empires rise, civilisations fall and one culture comes to subsume another. It's the way of the world . . . sometimes ways of life are improved, sometimes they are not. But the progression of change is huge and - usually - unstoppable. In this story, the Ossian way of life is fading and the Dachen way is taking its place and Aren is comfortable with that. Even when his parents are accused of treason he supports the establishment and maintains there's been some mistake . . . which is all it takes to get himself and his best friend arrested . . . Thrown into a prison mine they plan their escape - only to be overtaken by events when they're rescued, and promptly find themselves in the middle of an ambush. By the time they've escaped, they're unavoidably linked to Garric - their unwelcome saviour - and his quest to overturn to Dachen way of life. If they leave Garric now, they'll be arrested or killed by their pursuers. If they turn him in, Garric will kill them. If they stay with him, they'll be abetting a murderous quest they don't believe in. There are no good options - but Aren will still have to choose a path . . . Designed to return to classic fantasy adventures and values, from a modern perspective, this is a fast-moving coming-of-age trilogy featuring a strong cast of diverse characters, brilliant set-pieces and a strong character and plot driven story. ** ### Review *The Ember Blad*e is everything I could possibly want in an epic fantasy novel, and so much more. Buy this book as soon as it is available.―***FANTASY BOOK REVIEW*** It's like David Eddings, Margaret Weis, Tracey Hickman and Terry Brooks had a brainstorming session over a power lunch... then Wooding stole their notes, drank their beer and set about skewing everything. ...great fun, a classic epic fantasy.―***WERTZONE*** If you like Brandon Sanderson you'll love this. The best epic fantasy for years.―***Gavin Smith, author of The Bastard Legion*** I bloody loved it! . . . A thrilling adventure, vividly told, that reflects a modern tyranny through a fantasy lens. Explores themes of collaboration and resistance, the power of symbols, friendship and sacrifice: how far will you go for a revolution? I loved it and I can't wait for the sequel.―***Elspeth Cooper, author of THE SONGS OF THE EARTH*** From the excellent characterizations to the relentless chase, from breathtaking set pieces to the intricate world-building, everything was written with finesse. It seriously doesn't matter whether you're a fan of classic, epic, or grimdark fantasy (even better if all three), there's a place for you here. *The Ember Blade* is a book every fantasy fan will feel right at home with, and yet will find new adventures in it. It's a book that fantasy readers will love to revisit and inhabit longer and longer with every visit.―***NOVEL NOTIONS*** A well-written tale of revolution, dark magic, and a quest for an ancient game-changing artifact set in a well-built and well-realised epic fantasy world.―***THE BOOK BAG*** ### About the Author Chris Wooding is a full time, award-winning novelist, a YA novelist, and a professional script writer for film and TV. He has travelled extensively, plays bass and guitar (and has recorded several albums) and his novels have been published all over the world. He has penned the Braided Path trilogy, a standalone novel (*The Fade*) and the Tales of the Ketty Jay series for Gollancz, all of which were critical and commercial successes. Chris Wooding lives in Kent, and you can learn more at www.chriswooding.com.
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The Black Lung Captain

The Black Lung Captain

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

Darian Frey is down on his luck. He can barely keep his squabbling crew fed and his rickety aircraft in the sky. Even the simplest robberies seem to go wrong. It's getting so a man can't make a dishonest living any more. Enter Captain Grist. He's heard about a crashed aircraft laden with the treasures of a lost civilisation, and he needs Frey's help to get it. There's only one problem. The craft is lying in the trackless heart of a remote island, populated by giant beasts and subhuman monsters. Dangerous, yes. Suicidal, perhaps. Still, Frey's never let common sense get in the way of a fortune before. But there's something other than treasure on board that aircraft. Something that a lot of important people would kill for. And it's going to take all of Frey's considerable skill at lying, cheating and stealing if he wants to get his hands on it... Strap yourself in for another tale of adventure and debauchery, pilots and pirates, golems and daemons, double-crosses and double-double-crosses. The crew of the Ketty Jay are back!
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Braided Path 02 - The Skein Of Lament

Braided Path 02 - The Skein Of Lament

Chris Wooding

Literature & Fiction

The grip of the Weavers on Saramyr's rulers has grown ever tighter. And all the while the blight that they have brought to the land grips ever more harshly. This cannot last and sure enough the land is slipping into civil war. In the growing chaos Kaiku and the orphaned heir-Empress must fight for their destiny and their survival as Saramyr succumbs to the twisting of the Weave and the unknowable ambitions of the secretive Weavers. Chris Wooding has created a vivid and turbulent world with an authentic oriental air and its own rich and ancient history. Across this world plays an action packed plot of politics, violence and betrayal. This is an extraordinary fantasy for the 21st century.
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