Bücher veröffentlicht von Close-Up Books

Thorn has drawn his pieces together, at last.But to finally release and then devour the Moon Father, the imposter knows he must rely on Mei and Iggy, neither of whom will simply agree to his madness. Nor will they give up seeking to undermine him at every turn.All the while, others are converging upon fateful shores where the Moon Father stirs.Anyo and his companions flee across the mountains, driven by his jealous siblings and a sly creature, desperate to find both the resting place of the Sothalic and peace from the doubts that plague him - doubts about his true desires, for both the throne and for Binya herself.Worst of all, he knows that without answers, he will fail to reach the Moon Father in time to bring the legendary sword into play.Farther away, Rokura has found himself imprisoned in a new land - but closer than ever to his prey, and to the rescue of Asaro. That is, providing he can untangle the web of deceits and half-truths that threaten to swallow him.Only then, and only if he can find a way to escape - it will be time for a long overdue homecoming, to a city that may need his help more than ever.

Luminous spawn of the Moon Father creep across kingdoms.Yet neither Mei nor Iggy, still separated, realise the depth of the threat - nor their role in stopping it.One, however is aware. Thorn, the imposter seated upon Nasaru's throne, moves his pieces to manipulate them.Thankfully, not all who take an interest in the siblings harbour such dark intent, and as their paths start to converge, welcome allies appear. Mei is joined by a merchant, Coral Sorcerer and Greyshield on a voyage to the Raging Isle, seeking a precious commodity to locate her brother.And while across the land Rokura still protects Iggy from old and new threats alike, the trail of his ever-elusive quarry continues to fade. Worse, a betrayal will soon cast doubt upon everything the Greyshield once held sacred.In desperation, Anyo has turned to Binya the corpse-singer.Despite her promise to divine the Sothalic's location, there is a cost - a pact with the unknown. Even so, the Beggar Prince now knows that if he fails to discover the legendary blade, his lands and those beyond will be smothered in darkness at the hands of the Moon Father.

Born without a face, Iggy is an outcast in his own village, surrounded by those who both fear his powerful telekinesis as much as they rely upon it for survival.But Iggy's gift often feels closer to a curse, and after a tragic accident, he disappears on the day of his Exile. Only his sister Mei follows, chasing Iggy into the hostile nation of Nasaru - a land that sees them as nothing more than enemies to be captured or killed on sight.Two other quests are afoot in the land of Nasaru, with each seeker fated to cross paths with both Mei and Iggy.Anyo, disdained as the Beggar Prince, is desperate to win back his honour by unearthing a legendary blade, unaware of dangerous ambitions lurking within himself.Veteran Greyshield and king's assassin, Rokura, is charged with rescuing a royal bastard from slavers. But despite Rokura's considerable skills, his quarry stays one step ahead, as if receiving aid from unknown quarters.Separately at first, each character must overcome their own demons in time to unite and defeat a rapidly spreading darkness: the Moon Father, an ancient god determined to sow the seeds of chaos...

When Penny stumbles across a dragon's tooth beneath the city cemetery, she unwittingly becomes a target of the Brittlekeep's master and his dark magic. Worse, Lord Masamor seems to know about her Fire-Hands - a magic he wants to possess. With only her talking locket (the mysterious Bear) to rely upon, Penny tries to flee the city but when she encounters a group of rebels, she realises that Masamor is not the only one seeking her... Faced with flight into the unknown or capture by those who will stop at nothing to harness her power, Penny must walk a perilous path to freedom. A YA Adventure Fantasy Novella

Still separated, Thomas and Mia are each closing in on final secrets to unlock the Clara, the mighty airship that can win them their freedom at last. And while their hopes are pinned on the mysterious Alita''s Shell, none know what lies behind the ancient doors.Nor are Thomas and Mia the only ones who seek the airship.Elisabeth continues to conceal her true motives and more, new players are about to make themselves known in the race to uncover the past. Not to be beaten, King Williams sends his forces deep into the Inland Federation too, desperate to steal the secrets himself - and have his revenge.

Emily and Mark have a perfect marriage, but they long for a baby. As infertility begins to take its toll on Emily, her world is thrown into chaos with the arrival of a beautiful new colleague, Victoria. It''s only small things at first: the painted-on smile, the lingering stares at Mark, the intrusive questions. But things soon escalate, with random deliveries, an encounter with a brown snake, and a suspicious death. As a bushfire rages nearby, the threats pile up, and Emily becomes overwhelmed. Is Victoria as dangerous as she suspects? And why will no one believe her?

Fighting the insect hordes of a malevolent God isn't easy when you're a young man with no special talents.While searching an old temple Kilek and his friends stumble across the Goddess Avendria who transforms them into heroes all grown up, with weapons, magic, and skills.But when she gives Kilek nothing at all nothing except the impossible task of saving the lands he must fight bitter doubts. Worse, a dark prince is massing his armies and more, agents of other Gods have been set loose in the world.Only the long-lost dragons can turn the tide but Kilek must find them before it's too late.And somehow, he has to do it all without divine intervention.

Australian poet Jane Downing's When Figs Fly reveals life in Australia and beyond with a keen eye for poignant details that linger, deftly capturing the beauty of the natural world, the bittersweetness of childhood and memory and exploring the all-too familiar foibles of human nature. A widely published writer, When Figs Fly is Jane's first poetry collection.

At last, Notch escapes the city of vipers and starts his quest to find Qu-Sitka, the only mage able to restore Sofia. Yet Casselli and the Prince have other plans for Notch and the mysterious bracers he bears, sending along an Inquisitor to watch his every move. And before he knows it, the power of the bracers begins to change him...Across the sea, Flir finds herself prisoner and servant to the White Witch, where she must protect her friends and keep the witch from finding the bones of the last sea god – yet it is easier said than done. And even for a dilar, Flir knows she is overmatched.Back in Anaskar, Seto is locked in his own struggle with not only a royal imposter sent to replace him but also his own conscience, while Ain finds himself stranded on an island with little clue as to where the Stones of Shali can be found... or if they will even allow him to save the Cloud.The Raven's Price is the second in a new epic fantasy trilogy that follows from The Bone Mask Trilogy, however, new readers can still start their adventure with the previous installment.

Thomas, Mia and Ethan have finally discovered the long-lost rebellion airship Clara - only to learn that it cannot grant them their freedom, since none know how to fly the mighty ship.A desperate search for a pilot follows but disaster strikes when Thomas falls into the clutches of their old tormentor, Lady Elisabeth; master of the Sand-Hog and lieutenant to the King. Yet Elisabeth has her own plans for Thomas and they do not involve simply handing him over to her liege.Mia and Ethan find themselves torn between chasing Thomas and following clues to the Clara's pilot but hounding Mia every step of the way is her own doubts and fears, her confusion over her feelings for Ethan and worse, dark dreams that hide an even greater threat than King Williams could ever pose.A steampunk adventure set in a slowly dying land where magic clashes with steam and alchemy.

A dark sorceress sinks her talons into the land…War-hero Notch has abandoned his king and city to wage a war against his own guilt. With the giant Alosus at his side, Notch must search the Land of the Sun for ancient magic to bring a loved one back from the dead. But when he arrives in the city of vipers, Notch quickly finds himself entangled in a web of conspiracy and hidden motives as ruthless Houses vie for the soon to be vacant throne.Far across the glittering sea, Notch's home of Anaskar is still reeling after repelling a mighty invasion. King Oseto is forced to scatter his heroes across the world in a desperate quest for the last sea beast and its bones. With them, he will be able to forge new Greatmasks to protect his people and the fragile state of peace between nations.Yet evil stirs in every corner of the lands. Reports of new, foul creatures and old foes alike are growing; and worse, the King fears that through his own weakness, he himself has unleashed the architect behind it all.The Last Sea Beast is the first in a new epic fantasy trilogy that follows from The Bone Mask Trilogy, however, new readers can still start their adventure here.

Dig into the cold earth, pull away the damp leaves and burrow deep down to uncover true darkness...Face the horror of war-torn Germany with Edmund as he fights to rescue his family. Confront the same overwhelming dread as Cody, in the midst of a futuristic prison, is haunted by his past and desperate for a chance at redemption. Discover true monsters aboard a slaver's ship on the high seas and witness a more twisted side to Christmas.Uncover these and other bleak mysteries in Beneath the Ferny Tree.

The Book of Never (1-3) brings together Nevers first three adventures as he searches for the truth behind his mysterious heritage and the curse on his blood.The Amber IsleRoguish Never is on a quest to lift a curse on his blood and to learn his true name; but upon joining a group of treasure-hunters he soon finds himself unearthing world-altering secrets that have long lain dormant within the mysterious Amber Isle.A Forest of EyesPoisoned and furious, Never must add a desperate quest for a cure to his existing search for truth. His path takes him deep into the White Wood where he faces vengeful spirits, giant leeches and Commander Harstas himself, whose lust for revenge is an ever-present threat.River GodArmed with disturbing news about Snow, his unpredictable brother, Never picks up a cold trail on the rivers of Hanik. There he must face both new dangers and demons from his past, all the while doing his best to avoid becoming entangled in a brewing civil war.

Stepping Over Seasons artfully depicts the finer details of life, encapsulating change within people and places as the seasons unfurl. Ashley Capes explores subtle links between human nature and the natural world. Using spare and evocative language, these graceful poems display a curiosity and empathy which make for accessible and rewarding reading - Jane Williams. (Expanded reissue of the 2009 collection.)

Leap into worlds like and unlike our own: a creepy restaurant stalks its customers, steampunk slaves find a new home in the Australian desert, storybook characters come alive to make deals with the Roman God of Sleep and in the future, a synthetic society suffers dark consequences of endless augmentation... all these stories and more lurk within.A collection of short fiction featuring steampunk, cyberpunk, fantasy and even a little horror!

Escape isn’t the hardest challenge for a slave – it’s staying free afterwards.Siblings Thomas and Mia find themselves fleeing across a desolate land, hounded by the monstrous sand-hog, a steam-powered war machine bent on recapturing them at all costs.Thomas fears the worst. He knows the tyrannical King Williams seeks Mia and her mysterious powers of foresight, but it seems even her gift cannot save the day when the sand-hog corners them. It isn’t until they cross paths with a group of rebels and stumble across rumours of a lost airship that Thomas begins to wonder if there isn’t hope of escape after all...A steampunk adventure set in a slowly dying land where magic clashes with steam and alchemy.