The Kindness of Ravens


Book Description

Daren was always ahead of the curve, a prodigal son without focus or direction. That's why the drifters, the shamans of chaos, and the castaways of broken humanity were drawn to him. As his supercharged empathy begins to manifest, revealing brief glimpses into higher dimensions most humans are not equipped to endure, he falls in love with Lee, an enigmatic, dystopian gypsy who might be an ancient Native American demigoddess. Ever challenging conventional taboos held by his conservative suburbia, Daren straddles the thin line between excess and addiction with his two closest friends, Alex, a prince of hedonism peering perpetual into the abyss, and Keith, a Zen surfcat aficionado of sweet riffs and a-frame waves. Daren soon discovers balancing different worlds, the ethereal and the material, is no simple task even for a supposed whiz kid. Set against the decadent backdrop of 1980's California, his journeys will take him from the idyllic ranch country of the gold coast to the sweat-soaked concert arenas of the Angel City, from the white sands of Malibu to the underground sex clubs of San Francisco. Owing allegiance to Generation X predecessors like Bright Lights, Big City and Less Than Zero, as well as the stream of consciousness styles of Kerouac and Castaneda, 'The Kindness Of Ravens' is a postmodern tale of magical realism that will take readers on a heartbreaking exploration of the human condition, wherein a young man's struggles with substance abuse and the perils of spiritual revelation may result in nightmare, death, or worst of all, madness itself.




The Unkindness of Ravens


Book Description

Librarian Greer Hogan matches wits with a deviously clever killer in M.E. Hilliard's chilling series debut, ideal for fans of Louise Penny and Dorothy L. Sayers. Greer Hogan is a librarian and an avid reader of murder mysteries. She also has a habit of stumbling upon murdered bodies. The first was her husband's, and the tragic loss led Greer to leave New York behind for a new start in the Village of Raven Hill. But her new home becomes less idyllic when she discovers her best friend sprawled dead on the floor of the library. Was her friend's demise related to two other deaths that the police deemed accidental? Do the residents of this insular village hold dark secrets about another murder, decades ago? Does a serial killer haunt Raven Hill? As the body count rises, Greer's anxious musings take a darker turn when she uncovers unexpected and distressing information about her own husband's death...and the man who went to prison for his murder . She is racked with guilt at the possibility that her testimony may have helped to convict an innocent man. Though Greer admires the masters of deduction she reads about in books, she never expected to have to solve a mystery herself. Fortunately, she possesses a quick wit and a librarian's natural resourcefulness. But will that be enough to protect her from a brilliant, diabolical murderer? And even if Greer manages to catch the Raven Hill killer, will living with her conscience prove a fate worse than death?




A Kindness of Ravens


Book Description

A dead bard on a desolate hill, giants on a cliff-edge, a heroin-addict in a dumpster, blood-soaked shattered glass on a window-ledge, and midwinter sunlight streaming through the tomb of Newgrange... A Kindness of Ravens is a collection of forest-edged words arrayed against the theft of meaning and the death of dreams. Find within essay on civilisation and its end, poems on gods & love, and journals from an unlikely pilgrimage each haunted by the songs of the Singers in the Darkness and the rage of the Raven King.




Through the Kindness of Ravens


Book Description

A bestselling novelist, world-renowned photographer, artist, and inventor, Jakeb Hoke loves life and loves being in control. But one fateful evening, a simple climb up his basement stairs finds his world crashing into oblivion and leaves his life hanging by a thread. The trouble is, Jakeb has a lot to live for. His newest invention, Hoke’s Focus, has the power to transform the manipulation of light, imagery, and even time in photography. Plans are already underway to unveil the discovery, one that has remained a closely-guarded secret—an amazing feat considering how famous he is—to all but Jakeb’s closest friends. Now, crushed under the weight of his collapsed house, but still very much alive, Jakeb can smell and taste death—but has not yet succumbed to it. Instead, his mind wanders to what was and what will be. In the context of space and time, such thoughts can carry more power, and bear witness to more darkness, than he could ever imagine. Brilliant, dark, and daring in scope, Through the Kindness of Ravens delivers a fascinating, complex glimpse into the post-modern future where the survival of art and humanity cannot be promised, where the art of light becomes a catalyst for survival.




An Unkindness of Ravens


Book Description

Collective nouns are one of the most charming oddities of the English language, but have you ever stopped to wonder where these peculiar terms actually came from?




The Ravenmaster


Book Description

For centuries, the Tower of London has been home to a group of famous avian residents: the ravens. Each year they are seen by millions of visitors, and they have become as integral a part of the Tower as its ancient stones. But their role is even more important than that—legend has it that if the ravens should ever leave, the Tower will crumble into dust and great harm will befall the kingdom. The responsibility for ensuring that such a disaster never comes to pass falls to one man: the Ravenmaster. The current holder of the position is Yeoman Warder Christopher Skaife, and in this fascinating, entertaining and touching book he memorably describes the ravens’ formidable intelligence, their idiosyncrasies and their occasionally wicked sense of humour. The Ravenmaster is a compelling, inspiring and irreverent story that will delight and surprise anyone with an interest in British history or animal behaviour.




An Unkindness of Ravens #1


Book Description

Writer Dan Panosian (Slots) and artist Marianna Ignazzi present a supernatural mystery, where not all the witches burned during the Salem Witch Trials—and the ones that survived did so together, protecting the ancient secrets entrusted to them for generations. They call themselves the Ravens. Wilma is the new girl in school, and she plans to go completely unnoticed—except that she bears an eerie resemblance to the Raven member Waverly, who just went missing. The truth behind Waverly’s disappearance will put the entire coven in danger—and Wilma will have to rely on power she never knew she had to save her new friends.




The Raven's Gift


Book Description

John Morgan and his wife can barely contain their excitement upon arriving as the new teachers in a Yup’ik village on the windswept Alaskan tundra. Lured north in search of adventure, the couple hope to immerse themselves in the ancient Arctic culture. But their move proves disastrous when a deadly epidemic strikes and the isolated community descends into total chaos. When outside help fails to arrive, John’s only hope lies in escaping the snow covered tundra and the hunger of the other survivors by making the thousand-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness for help. Along the way, he encounters a blind Yup’ik girl and an elderly woman who need his protection as badly as he needs their knowledge of the terrain and their companionship to survive. And as the harsh journey and constant danger push him beyond his limits, John discovers a new sense of hope and the possibility of loving again.




Before You Know Kindness


Book Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the bestselling author of The Flight Attendant, here is a novel that examines wildly divisive American issues like gun control and animal rights with Chris Bohjalian’s trademark emotional heft and spellbinding storytelling skill. For ten summers, the Seton family—all three generations—met at their country home in New England to spend a week together playing tennis, badminton, and golf, and savoring gin and tonics on the wraparound porch to celebrate the end of the season. In the eleventh summer, everything changed. A hunting rifle with a single cartridge left in the chamber wound up in exactly the wrong hands at exactly the wrong time, and led to a nightmarish accident that put to the test the values that unite the family—and the convictions that just may pull it apart. Look for Chris Bohjalian's new novel, The Lioness!




Raven Queen


Book Description

I have lived the life of a princess since the day I was born. But it did not bring me what I wanted. I am still trapped. My beloved Ned speaks of love, freedom, a future. To walk with him in the forest, our raven soaring above us, is my only joy. But my father plans that I shall be betrothed to the King and I am afraid. Queens of England have a habit of dying. I have no desire to take the throne, no wish to find myself in the Tower of London. Wife, Queen - I fear it will bring me to my knees. "Not many of us will have given Lady Jane Grey much more than a passing thought, and not many history textbooks give her much more than a passing line. This nine-day queen, the 16-year-old victim of plotting and intrigue during a particularly bloody and turbulent period of Tudor history, is easily overlooked, sandwiched between the brief and sorry kingship of Edward VI, and the heady, bloody reign of Mary I. Like any good storyteller, Pauline Francis asks the simple questions: what could her life have possibly been like? How did she thing and feel, love and hate? She answers them in full with a visceral, mesmerising debut novel that brings this little-regarded historical character to life. The story of Jane's brief and tragic life is told in her own voice and that of her admirer, Ned. The fate of these star-crossed lovers – he a Catholic from a disgraced Catholic family and she an extreme Protestant with Royal blood – is relayed through a series of thrilling, climactic tableaux in haunting, lyrical style." - Elaine Williams, TES Magazine Winner Highland Children's Book Award 2008. Shortlisted Leeds Book Awards 2008. Shortlisted Leicester Book of the Year Award 2008