Showing results by narrator "Elle Newland" in All Categories

During the languid days of the Christmas break, a group of 30-something friends from Oxford meets to welcome in the New Year together, a tradition they began as students 10 years ago. For this vacation, they’ve chosen an idyllic and isolated estate in the Scottish Highlands - the perfect place to get away and unwind by themselves. They arrive on December 30, just before a historic blizzard seals the lodge off from the outside world. Two days later, on New Year’s Day, one of them is dead.

Mo's latest assignment is assisting the police in containing an unusual outbreak: ordinary citizens suddenly imbued with extraordinary abilities of the superpowered kind. Unfortunately these people prefer playing superpranks instead of superheroics. The mayor of London being levitated by a dumpy man in Trafalgar Square would normally be a source of shared amusement for Mo and Bob, but they're currently separated because something's come between them - something evil.

Rhiannon, a wild and fierce half-human girl, tamed a winged horse to escape the vicious satyricorn tribe who raised her. In the human world, the handsome apprentice-witch Lewen has convinced her to stay with him and learn to use her strong magical talents. But before her training can commence, Rhiannon must answer for a past crime in....

One-Horn’s daughter is not like the others of her kind. Born of a human father, she lacks the horns so prized by her people and is scorned even by her own mother. Her only chance for escape is to capture one of the legendary flying horses and ride it to freedom. This strange, feral girl begins a dangerous journey of love, death, and betrayal that will earn her a new name: Rhiannon, the rider no one can catch.

A new age dawns in the kingdom of Eileanan, but not without resistance. Now the Righ, Lachlan the Winged, overturns his dead brother’s decrees against witchcraft. But 16 years of hatred and superstition have cloaked Eileanan in darkness. And though he has won the power of the Lodestar, Lachlan’s rule is challenged by a mere babe - and a civil war erupts. The flame-haired twins - Iseult the Scarred Warrior and Isabeau the apprentice-witch - must go their separate ways. Iseult to fight side by side with her husband, Lachlan.

Alice Raikes takes a train from London to Scotland to visit her family, but when she gets there she witnesses something so shocking that she insists on returning to London immediately. A few hours later, Alice is lying in a coma after an accident that may or may not have been a suicide attempt. Alice’s family gathers at her bedside and as they wait, argue, and remember, long-buried tensions emerge. The more they talk, the more they seem to conceal. Alice, meanwhile, slides between varying levels of consciousness, recalling her past and a love affair that recently ended.

Coming of age, the impact of class, and familial and romantic love are the prevalent motifs, along with the instinct toward escape and subsequent nostalgia for home. Some of the stories are linked, and some carry O'Brien's distinct sense of the comical. In "A Rose in the Heart of New York", the single-mindedness of love dramatically derails the relationship between a girl and her mother while in "Sister Imelda" and "The Creature", the strong ties between teacher and student and mother and son are ultimately broken.

Autumn O’Dea has always tried to see the best in people while her big brother, Killian, has always tried to protect her from the worst. While their lonely upbringing made Killian a cynic, it isn’t in Autumn’s nature to be anything but warm and open. However, after a series of relationship disasters and the unsettling realization that she’s drifting aimlessly through life, Autumn wonders if she’s left herself too vulnerable to the world. Deciding some distance is exactly what she needs, Autumn takes up her friend’s offer to stay at a ski resort in the snowy hills of Montana.

While Kyla is grateful for the Scottish laird who saved her from marrying a loathsome man, she is just as furious that Galen has claimed her for his bride. But when they share an unforgettable night of passion, will it lead to a marriage of the heart, or will an enemy tear them apart?

Gavin MacKenzie, a chieftain heir who is hired to restore the ancient Castle of Braigh, discovers a hidden village of outcasts who have created their own private sanctuary from the world. Among them is Serena Boyd, a mysterious and comely lass who captures Gavin's heart in spite of harboring a deadly past that could destroy her future. The villagers happen to be keeping an intriguing secret as well. When a fierce enemy launches an attack against them, greed leads to bitter betrayal.

Isabeau, the witch, longs to rejoin her sister and her home in these uncertain times, but she must first complete one last task for her teachers. To find her true purpose in life, she must reach the Skull of the World and listen to the silent words of the White Gods. Few survive. But those who do are changed forever. Now, when she does return home, she does so with an extraordinary gift. But when Margrit of Arran decides to take advantage of Lachlan’s absence by kidnapping his son - heir to the throne, Isabeau must learn to use her gifts in the face of evil - and overcome her enemy.

It has been 16 years since the Day of Reckoning, when magic and witchcraft were outlawed throughout all of Eileanan. And though rumors say that she is dead, the Arch-Sorceress Meghan of the Beasts still lives. Traveling with her are the true heir to the throne and the red-haired warrior Iseult. Their fates are woven together in a quest to bring magic back to the land. As Eileanan nears its darkest hour, Meghan must gather rebel forces to move upon the city of Lucescere. There, the Rìgh lies near death, and his Queen, Maya the Ensorcellor, and her babe stand to inherit his power.

After her adventures with the League of the Healing Hand, Finn the Cat finds her life at Castle Rurach boring. Snowbound for the winter and faced with the prospect of being molded into “Lady Fionnghal” by her mother, she pines to be on the battlefront with her father against the sea demons. But Finn’s talents are needed elsewhere. Summoned by the Righ, Lachlan the Winged, she must embark on a perilous journey into the Forbidden Land. Imprisoned in the Black Tower is a rebellious prophet whose beliefs have made him an enemy among his own people.

An evil necromancer has kidnapped the royal twins, plotting to spill their blood—for revenge, and to restore his own family to life. Chaos reigns in the capital, and Rhiannon finds herself burdened with a heavy charge: to save the one woman she hates above all others. It will not be easy to forgive or forget that Olwynne attempted to steal Rhiannon’s true love, the handsome apprentice-witch Lewen—especially when it seems that Olwynne would still be her rival for his affections.

Johanna Walker is used to taking charge. But she’s about to meet someone who will make her lose control....

It has always been up to Johanna to care for her family, particularly her younger brother, Cole. With an absent father and a useless mother, she’s been making decisions based on what’s best for Cole for as long as she can remember. She even determines what men to date by how much they can provide for her brother and her, not on whatever sparks may - or may not - fly. But with Cameron MacCabe, the attraction is undeniable....

The weatherworn cottage Clachan has always been Jo Wilding’s sanctuary, a blissful escape from her tumultuous home life. From the first summer Rachel invited her to join the Willoughby family in the wilds of Scotland, she fell in love with the sea air, sandy beach and Tristan, Rachel’s older brother… All these years later, Clachan is where their most important occasions and conversations take place, so when Rachel organises a weekend there, Jo never suspects that this weekend will change everything.

Alasdair Penhallow, laird of his clan and master of Castle Tadgh, is forced to end his carefree bachelorhood thanks to an ancient decree that requires him to marry. But Alasdair's search for a biddable wife comes to a screeching halt when Fate serves up Fiona Douglass. Prickly as a thistle, Fiona challenges him at every turn, rendering herself surprisingly irresistible. Her love would be a prize indeed...if Alasdair could accept it.

In Eileanan, victory has finally been won, and those of faery kind - from the mighty dragons to the mysterious nyx - have sworn their friendship and aid. Only the sea-dwelling Fairgean have refused to sign the Pact of Peace. Driven by ancient hatreds, they have devoted themselves to destroying all who dwell upon the land. Troubled by the darkness that may lie ahead, Lachlan agrees to release his beloved Iseult from the sacred oath that binds them together. It will then be for Iseult to decide whether she will remain in the mountains to resume life with her own kin, or return.

Bryce MacPhearson, a highland warrior, kidnaps Akira MacKenzie on her wedding day to honor a promise he made to his dying father. While Akira's strength in the Lord becomes a witness to Bryce, she struggles to overcome her anger and resentment when he forces her to wed him, hoping to end a half-century-old feud between their clans.

Spartans. Humanity’s first—and last—line of defense in a hostile 26th-century galaxy. You have been selected to join their ranks. The Official Spartan Field Manual is a guide to every element of the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) SPARTAN-IV program, disseminated to all newly augmented Spartans. Inside this book is the guidance you’ll need to put your enhanced strength, speed, and skills to use in both War Games training simulations and, ultimately, joint combat operations.