A savage, funny, and mysteriously poignant saga by a renowned author at the height of his powers.

Lionel Asbo, a terrifying yet weirdly loyal thug (self-named after England's notorious "Anti-Social Behavior Order"), has always looked out for his ward and nephew, the orphaned Desmond Pepperdine. He provides him with fatherly career advice and is determined they should share the joys of pit bulls, Internet porn, and all manner of more serious

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Elizabeth Mountbatten never expected her father to die so suddenly, so young, leaving her with a throne to fill and a global institution to govern. Crowned at twenty-five, she was already a wife and mother as she began her journey towards becoming a queen. As Britain lifted itself out of the shadow of war, the new monarch faced her own challenges. Her mother doubted her marriage; her uncle-in-exile derided her abilities; her husband resented the sacrifice...

The first volume of Susan Cooper's brilliant and absorbing fantasy sequence known as The Dark is Rising. On holiday in Cornwall, the three Drew children discover an ancient map in the attic of the house they are staying in. They know immediately that it is special. It is even more than that—it is the key to finding a source of power to fight the forces of evil known as The Dark. And in searching for it themselves, the Drews put their very lives...