In the spring of 1954, when her father announces that the family has a chance to immigrate to Canada, Theresa's life changes forever. She and her family are wartime refugees from Yugoslavia, so it shouldn't be hard to leave Austria. But the weathered barracks of Lager Lichtenstein are the only home she knows, and they are filled with family and friends she doesn't want to leave behind. As she says her good-byes, Theresa's friend Martin gives her two gifts: a package of postcards and a stone he calls the Gnome's Eye, which he says will "protect her from all things evil, living or dead." Theresa is convinced the stone has no power, but she still keeps it close as they travel on the crowded immigrant ship and when they settle into a rooming house on Kensington Avenue in Toronto. At first Theresa is afraid of everything: the other tenants in the rooming house, the rat that lives in the kitchen, learning a new language. But as time goes by, Theresa's need for the Gnome's Eye fades, until she is finally able to give it to someone who needs it more than she does.

Brackenrock Towering aloof and secure, the isolated fortress offers humankind a place to survive and flourish in the barren realm of Icereach. Even the elven Messenger Kerrick Fallabrine has made a home there, living among the humans and teaching them a multitude of skills. But the ogre enemies are always near, and they have developed a powerful weapon, a destructive magic encased within a sphere of solid gold. Its existence forces the humans to confront the threat of extinction that lurks outside their walls. In the second book of this epic trilogy that began with The Messenger, Douglas Niles carries the reader into the heart of an unknown realm, where the world beneath the Icewall trembles with threats of war, slavery, and greed.

This world is full of mysteries, and if you learn to commune with it, you’ll acquire invisible friends, who won’t let you fail. In “Uncia or Precious Nothing” a scientist invents a device that enables him to travel to peoples’ hearts. There he meets a fantastic Bird – the quintessence of Love and Light in the Universe. He uses her rays to create a remedy to save a human heart from darkness and fear. Uncia, an imprisoned teenage princess, falls in love for the first time. The Bird teaches her how to travel without a body to find her love. Their adventures engage the world as an infinite musical instrument, where every living soul leads out a unique melody that can’t be rewritten. “Uncia or Precious Nothing” unveils an invisible side of the world, the side that’s full of mystery and magic. And above all, it gives hope in the endless journey of Life. Written by the multiple Russian national prizewinner for song lyrics, Andrey Morsin, this extraordinary novel reveals an original visionary concept of the Universe intricately woven into a fairy-tale for all ages. Publisher: Animedia Company.

It all began one spring morning when I was taking my usual walk around the lake called Granite in the shire of Chess. Everything was fresh and green as nature once again welcomed the new season. A short distance on my walk, I was startled by a small creature of about eighteen inches tall that came out from the thick foliage and began to talk to me. I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable so I returned his greeting of hello. He then asked me if I had seen his pet chipmunk Spunkie, to which I replied that I had not. He then joined me on my walk, telling me all about his many adventures. Apparently, forest gnomes began each day planning just what they wanted to do that day. They called these activities adventures. They could be the planning of the inchworm races or the unplanned appearance of the rare and elusive wandering pine. I listened to the gnome Nog tell many of his adventures as we walked around the lake, looking for his pet chipmunk. As quick as he showed up, he just as quickly disappeared as he scurried back into the brush. The stories in this book contain the stories I could remember from our conversation. Each chapter contains one of his adventures. Enjoy them all!

Korbin Castlebane is a young mage who must live up to high expectations. After all, his uncle, Kendle, and The Heroes of Rothan are famous for their many brave deeds. When Korbin learns from his teacher about a magical artifact called The Breath of Hellspur, he is instantly enthralled. He believes that if he finds the sacred relic, he will finally live up to his family name. So, the mage teams up with a band of young adventurers on a quest to find the artifact. But when he runs into trouble, his famous uncle and his band of semi-retired heroes must come to his aid, not knowing the persuasive influence that the dark wizard Grazalon has had upon the decision to begin the journey. The wizard will call upon all of his powers to make sure that the Heroes of Rothan are crushed. They shall do no more good deeds. Join Korbin, his uncle and a band of heroes as they pursue adventure and seek to vanquish the forces of darkness in The Breath of Hellspur.

Moscow, 1983. Twenty-one-year-old Ella dreams of playing Natasha Rostova in War and Peace at the Moscow Theatre Academy. But when she meets her good friend Vlad at a city square, Ella finds herself in the middle of a protest and attracts the glare of the KGB. Labelled a traitor, she must withdraw from the academy and she soon yearns to escape the cruel and oppressive Soviet regime. However, her hopes of leaving the country are smashed when her husband, Roman, is sentenced to two years' labour camp. As she looks for another way out, Ella is drawn into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a KGB general, who has the power to secure her freedom. Will she risk everything and leave behind those she loves to pursue a life in the West? An absorbing, thrilling and heart-stopping Cold War drama, perfect for fans of The Spy's Wife and The Girl from Munich. 'A unique new voice in historical fiction' Belinda Alexandra 'Embark on an exhilarating Cold War journey with Julia Levitina's brilliant debut, THE GIRL FROM MOSCOW. I was hooked by Ella's story from the very first page. This is a must-read for fans of fast-paced, engrossing historical fiction.' Kelly Rimmer

In a future age, Gird will be known as the patron saint of warriors. And although he inspired legend, he was once just a man with a cause. Poverty, fear and anger shaped Gird, as he struggled to survive under an oppressive aristocracy of mageborn magic-wielders. His innate hunger for justice and love for 'his' people have taken him from humble beginnings to leadership of a peasant army. Where reason has failed, it seems the only way to end tyranny is rebellion, with perhaps some help from the gods. But Gird's fondness for drink threatens his mission and his life, as his strengths are tempered with weakness. In his passion to achieve his goals, Gird has also overlooked a great danger in his own camp. He knows his follower Luap is the bastard son of a king. But in spite of Luap's oath to seek no throne and to renounce his mage heritage, he cannot forget his past. And this will shape the Fellowship of Gird in a way no one wanted or predicted.