The Dangerous Art of Alchemy


Book Description

A free e-short from 'Queen of the Dark Ages' Karen Maitland, author of Company of Liars, which explores medieval Dark Arts practices and the mysterious history of alchemy. **Includes real recipes devised by medieval alchemists and a free sample of Karen's gothic historical thriller, The Raven's Head** 'An atmospheric and dark story' The Times on The Raven's Head The black object inside the flask was the head of a raven. Its beak was opened wide as if it cried out a warning, and from its mouth a long forked scarlet tongue quivered in the flickering candle flame, like a viper poised to strike. Alchemy. The word conjures up images of magic, mystery and dark dungeons full of bubbling potions, with shadowy figures poring over ancient manuscripts in pursuit of the secret formula that will allow them to turn base metal into pure gold. And, for centuries, this image of alchemy was not far from the truth... Take science and politics. Mix with desire and desperation. Leave to intensify. And you shall have the legendary world of the medieval alchemists, expertly drawn by the Queen of the Dark Ages. What readers are saying about Dangerous Art of Alchemy: 'A book to delve into over and over again' 'A fascinating read full of information on this strange system of beliefs' 'A fun book that will whet your appetite for The Raven's Head'




The Alchemist of Fire and Fortune


Book Description

The fifth book in the award-winning Accidental Alchemist Mystery Series by USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian. A blackmailer obsessed with gold. A boyfriend who’s more than he seems. And a treasure hidden on the Oregon coast. Alchemist Zoe Faust’s mentor Nicolas Flamel is back in her life, but catching up with him will have to wait. An elusive blackmailer has threatened to expose a dangerous alchemical secret. Zoe’s boyfriend is out of town protecting secrets of his own. So when rumors of a treasure map reach Zoe, she turns her back on what sounds like no more than a game. Zoe’s mischievous living gargoyle best friend Dorian, who thinks of himself as a modern-day Poirot, is convinced the map is real—and that it’s the key to proving himself as valuable to Zoe as her human family. With the help of the neighborhood teenagers, Dorian sets out to find the treasure, risking more than he planned in the process. Rumors, treasures, and secrets intersect to unearth more than Zoe could have dreamed—and could leave her family changed forever. Can Zoe stop the threat to the family unit she’s created?




Leonora Carrington


Book Description

Reprint. Paperback edition originally published: 2010.




A Gathering of Ghosts


Book Description

Pagans tackle the Knights of St John with terrible consequences in the new medieval thriller by Queen of the Dark Ages, Karen Maitland. Set on the wilds of Dartmoor, this is a ghostly tale for fans of The Essex Serpent, C. J. Sansom's Shardlake series and The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse. 'A dark read... fear and hysteria are portrayed with claustrophobic skill' The Times on THE PLAGUE CHARMER 1316. On the wilds of Dartmoor stands the isolated Priory of St Mary, home to the Sisters of the Knights of St John. People journey from afar in search of healing at the holy well that lies beneath its chapel. But the locals believe Dartmoor was theirs long before Christianity came to the land. And not all who visit seek miracles. When three strangers reach the moor, fear begins to stir as the well's waters run with blood. What witchcraft have the young woman, the Knight of St John and the blind child brought with them? The Sisters will need to fight for everything they hold dear as the ghosts of the Old World gather in their midst.




The Lacey Chronicles #1: The Other Countess


Book Description

"Part romance, part suspense, part friendship . . . The Other Countess will not disappoint--it really is pure gold!"--Historical Novels Review England, 1582 Ellie—Lady Eleanor Rodriguez, Countess of San Jaime—possesses a worthless title, but her feisty spirit captivates the elite of the Queen's court—especially the dashing new Earl of Dorset. William Lacey, Earl of Dorset, has inherited his father's title—and his financial ruin. Now Will must seek a wealthy bride and restore his family's fortune. If only he hadn't fallen for the beautiful but penniless Ellie . . . Sparks fly whenever Ellie and Will are together, but circumstances—and the conniving interference of others—threaten to keep them apart.




Traitor in the Ice


Book Description

'Full of tension and danger... powerfully atmospheric' JENNIFER SAINT 'A beautifully crafted thriller... Breathtaking and bone-chilling' MANDA SCOTT 'Maitland is a superlative historical novelist' REBECCA MASCULL --- Whispers haunt the walls and treachery darkens the shadows in this captivating historical novel for readers of C.J. Sansom, Andrew Taylor's Ashes of London and Kate Mosse. Winter, 1607. A man is struck down in the grounds of Battle Abbey, Sussex. Before dawn breaks, he is dead. Home to the Montagues, Battle has caught the paranoid eye of King James. The Catholic household is rumoured to shelter those loyal to the Pope, disguising them as servants within the abbey walls. And the last man sent to expose them was silenced before his report could reach London. Daniel Pursglove is summoned to infiltrate Battle and find proof of treachery. He soon discovers that nearly everyone at the abbey has something to hide - for deeds far more dangerous than religious dissent. But one lone figure he senses only in the shadows, carefully concealed from the world. Could the notorious traitor Spero Pettingar finally be close at hand? As more bodies are unearthed, Daniel determines to catch the culprit. But how do you unmask a killer when nobody is who they seem? DANIEL PURSGLOVE BOOK TWO --- Praise for THE DROWNED CITY 'Dark and enthralling' ANDREW TAYLOR 'This gripping thriller shows what a wonderful storyteller Maitland is' THE TIMES 'Colourful and compelling' SUNDAY TIMES 'Goes right to the heart of the Jacobean court' TRACY BORMAN 'Devilishly good' DAILY MAIL 'Spies, thieves, murderers and King James I? Brilliant' CONN IGGULDEN 'There are few authors who can bring the past to life so compellingly... Brilliant writing and more importantly, riveting reading' SIMON SCARROW 'The intrigues of Jacobean court politics simmer beneath the surface in this gripping and masterful crime novel' KATHERINE CLEMENTS 'Beautifully written with a dark heart, Maitland knows how to pull you deep into the early Jacobean period' RHIANNON WARD




The Drowned City


Book Description

**Longlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger Award** 'A gripping thriller' THE TIMES | 'Dark and enthralling' ANDREW TAYLOR | 'Devilishly good' DAILY MAIL 'I couldn't put it down' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 'A story of disaster, espionage, murder and a deep-seated conspiracy... it's nothing short of genius' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Revenge runs deep in this captivating historical thriller for fans of C.J. Sansom and Laura Shepherd-Robinson. 1606. England stands divided in the wake of the failed Gunpowder Plot. As a devastating tidal wave sweeps the Bristol Channel, rumours of new treachery reach the King. In Newgate prison, Daniel Pursglove receives an unexpected - and dangerous - offer. Charles FitzAlan, close confidant of King James, will grant his freedom - if Daniel can infiltrate the underground Catholic network in Bristol and unmask the one conspirator still at large. Where better to hide a traitor than in the chaos of a drowned city? Daniel goes to Bristol to investigate, but soon finds himself at the heart of a dark Jesuit conspiracy - and in pursuit of a killer. PRAISE FOR DANIEL PURSGLOVE BOOK 1 'Colourful and compelling' SUNDAY TIMES 'Goes right to the heart of the Jacobean court' TRACY BORMAN 'Spies, thieves, murderers and King James I? Brilliant' CONN IGGULDEN 'The intrigues of Jacobean court politics simmer beneath the surface in this gripping and masterful crime novel' KATHERINE CLEMENTS 'Shadows and menace lurk round almost every corner... Brilliant writing and more importantly, riveting reading' SIMON SCARROW 'Beautifully written with a dark heart, Maitland knows how to pull you deep into the early Jacobean period' RHIANNON WARD




The Plague Charmer


Book Description

1361. An unlucky thirteen years after the Black Death, plague returns to England. 'Fear and hysteria are portrayed with claustrophobic skill' THE TIMES 'Dark and enthralling... with an unexpected hero' JULIE COHEN From the bestselling author of Company of Liars, Karen Maitland, The Plague Charmer is a darkly compelling novel following a stranger who arrives in an isolated community in the grips of a medieval pandemic. When the sickness reaches the village of Porlock Weir, who stands to lose the most? And who will seize this moment for their own dark ends? The dwarf who talks in riddles? The mother who fears for her children? The wild woman from the sea? Or two lost boys, far away from home? PESTILENCE IS IN THE AIR. BUT SOMETHING DARKER LURKS IN THE DEPTHS. Why readers are gripped by The Plague Charmer 'Its horrors are vividly told but with an underlying sense of human resilience and hope' 'A real page turner' 'The best and worst of human behaviour in troubled times' 'Poignant, shocking and haunting' 'It was so easy to be drawn into this world...'




The Jewish Alchemists


Book Description

In this monumental work, Raphael Patai opens up an entirely new field of cultural history by tracing Jewish alchemy from antiquity to the nineteenth century. Until now there has been little attention given to the significant role that Jews played in the field of alchemy. Here, drawing on an enormous range of previously unexplored sources, Patai reveals that Jews were major players in what was for centuries one of humanity's most compelling intellectual obsessions. Originally published in 1994. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.




A Plague of Serpents


Book Description

K.J. Maitland's gripping Jacobean historical thriller series comes to a dramatic conclusion... 'What a wonderful storyteller Maitland is' THE TIMES London, 1608. Three years after the Gunpowder Treason, the King's enemies prepare to strike again. Daniel Pursglove is tasked by royal command with one final mission: he must infiltrate the Serpents - a secret group of Catholics plotting to kill the King - or risk his own execution. But other conspirators are circling, men who would blackmail Daniel for their own dark ends. In the Serpents' den, nothing is quite as it seems. And when Daniel spies a familiar face among their number, the game takes a dangerous turn. As plague returns to London, tensions reach breaking point. Can Daniel escape the web of treason in which he finds himself ensnared - or has his luck finally run out? PRAISE FOR THE DANIEL PURSGLOVE SERIES 'Dark and enthralling' ANDREW TAYLOR 'Colourful and compelling' SUNDAY TIMES 'Full of tension and danger... powerfully atmospheric' JENNIFER SAINT 'Goes right to the heart of the Jacobean court' TRACY BORMAN 'Spies, thieves, murderers and King James I? Brilliant' CONN IGGULDEN 'There are few authors who can bring the past to life so compellingly... Brilliant writing and more importantly, riveting reading' SIMON SCARROW 'A beautifully crafted thriller... Breathtaking and bone-chilling' MANDA SCOTT 'Maitland is a superlative historical novelist' REBECCA MASCULL 'Devilishly good' DAILY MAIL 'The intrigues of Jacobean court politics simmer beneath the surface in this gripping and masterful crime novel' KATHERINE CLEMENTS 'Beautifully written with a dark heart, Maitland knows how to pull you deep into the early Jacobean period' RHIANNON WARD