Ten tales are told by the souls of animals killed in human conflicts in the past century or so, from a camel in colonial Australia to a cat in the trenches in World War I, from a bear starved to death during the siege of Sarajevo to a mussel that died in Pearl Harbour. Each narrator also pays homage to an author who has written imaginatively about animals during much the same time span: Henry Lawson, Colette, Kafka, Virginia Woolf, Tolstoy, Günter Grass, Julian Barnes, and others. These stories are brilliantly plotted, exquisitely written, inevitably poignant but also playful and witty. They ask us to consider profound questions. Why do animals shock us into feeling things we can't seem to feel for other humans? Why do animals allow authors to say the unsayable? Why do we sometimes treat humans as animals, and animals as humans? Can fiction help us find moral meaning in a disillusioned world?
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A charming Australian story of two little rock sprites who fall into the hands of Octo the Octopus and escape, only to be captured by Pegler the Pirate, a seagull with a lame leg, who sails a ship with the black sails, with a ban of queer little animals of the bush with gipsy blood in them, who were wandering on the sea because they were tired, of the land. Peglar imprisons them in his sea castle. Can Marl the fairy rescue them? Told and illustrated by Pixie O'Harris. -
Book II of Harry Potter. Harry is in his second year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Just to start the new school year right, he is liberated from his bedroom prison by the Weasley boys driving their Dad's flying car after a messy encounter with Dobby the house elf, an obnoxious aunt and a heavily decorated cake. Much to the boys' disgust and Mrs. Weasley's girlish delight, their new Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher is Gilderoy Lockhart, a narcissistic, egotistical con-man and the school is terrorised by attacks on students by an unseen enemy that Gilderoy is too scared to tackle. The Chamber of Secrets has been opened....Cover art by Cliff Wright. -
Book I of Harry Potter. Harry Potter thinks he's an ordinary boy. His parents, as far as he knows, died in a car crash and his only relatives are his Uncle and Aunt Dursley and awful Cousin Dudley. But when an owl arrives with Harry's letter advising him that he is to be admitted to Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, his life is turned upside down. He learns about Platform 9 3/4, how to fly on a broomstick, how to play Quidditch and engages in a deadly duel with the dark wizard who murdered his parents. Cover art by Thomas Taylor. -
Book II of The Winter King's War. Tristan had rescued Allaire from the dread fastness of Nimir, evil master of Winterwaste, restored the tenth ring to Princess Elisena and now stands reluctantly revealed as Calandra’s king - but his right is almost universally disputed, his ancient castle has no walls, his wife is betrothed to a dead man, and his throne will kill him during his crowning unless he can lay hands on the long-lost sword of the Last King. And his homegrown magic is no more reliable than it’s ever been. He seeks the sword by magical means, without success. Galan of Radak - and his sorcerer Reynaud - are laying siege to Crogen castle. After an attempt on his life, Tristan departs for Kovelir, convinced that Crewzel’s fortune-telling cards can give him a clue to the missing sword’s location. -
Book II of the Warrior of Mars trilogy. Michael Kane, 20th century scientist travels again through space and time to face the perils of eons-old Mars. I found myself in a tangle of soft yielding flesh that seemed boneless...And the faces! They were vile parodies of human faces and resembled nothing so much as the ugly little vampire bat of Earth, flat faces with huge nostrils let into the head. gashes of mouths full of sharp little fangs, half-blind eyes, dark and wicked... Originally published as Blades of Mars. Cover art by Tim White. -
Book III of The Chronicles Of The Deryni. With young King Kelson on the throne of Gwynedd, the priesthood of the Eleven Kingdoms felt its control deeply threatened. Kelson is half Deryni - a race of humans gifted with extrasensory powers that had ruled two centuries earlier but had been dethroned and driven underground. The final battle for ultimate power will break into open conflict, led by the Church which equated the pwoers of the Deryni with witchcraft and heresy. Cover art by Darrell K. Sweet. -
Thieves' World sequence. A Pilgrim Adept of the Blue Star, Lythande had mastered all the true magics of the world. But the power of an Adept was always bound to a Secret, and whoever discovered this sorcerer's Secret could steal away the Blue Star power, leaving the Adept defenseless, fit only for death. And Lythande's secret was perhaps the most dangerous of all, setting the mage apart from all humanity, forcing Lythande to war against spell beast, sorcerer, thief, swordsman, and the magic of the gods themselves... Other Lythande stories in this volume: The Incompetent Magician; Somebody Else's Magic; Sea Wrack; The Wandering Lute; Looking for Satan by Vonda McIntyre. Cover art by Stephen Bradbury. -
The Iron Wolf And Other Stories: Richard Adams
$5.00–$12.00Adams has collected nineteen enchanting folk-tales from almost as many parts of the world - from Europe to China and from Polynesia to the Arctic Circle. Each has a special magic, an aura that is sometimes beautiful and fascinating, sombre and frightening, or exciting and colourful. But what unites all these stories is the essential quality of folk-lore that transcends the boundaries of nations, customs and time. In this collection: The Cat in the Sea; The Giant Eel; Mice in the Corn; The Moddey Dhoo; The Woodpecker; Crab; The Crimson Parrot; The Language of Animals; The Blind Boy and His Dog; Stan Bolovan and the Dragon; The Crow and the Daylight; The Rocks of Korsan; The Iron Wolf; The Nightingale;How Long Will You Live? Back of the Moon; A Hundred Times; The Robin; Prince Meerzat Istvan and the Horse of Dust and Thunder. Colour illustrations by Yvonne Gilbert; black and white drawings by Jennifer Campbell. -
Book I of The Tower And The Hive. The Talents were the elite of the Nine Star League. Their gifts were many and varied, ranging from the gently telepathic to the rare and valued Primes. On the Primes rested the entire economic wealth and communications systems of the civilised worlds. But they were very scarce - only very rarely was a new Prime born. And now on the planet Altair, in a small mining colony, a new Prime existed, a three year old girl - trapped in a giant mudslide that had wiped out the rest of the Rowan mining community. Every Altarian who was even mildly talented could 'hear' the child crying for help, but none knew where the child was buried. Every resource is centered into finding 'The Rowan' - the first Prime ever born on Altair, more unique, more powerful, more agoraphobic and more lonely than any other Prime yet known in the Nine Star League. Cover art by Romas Kukalis as Romas.
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Book I of The Talent. They had the power to change the face of the world. But the Telepath talents they share set them apart. They meet with suspicion, then outright hostility from the un-Talented. Disaster looms when freaks, 'wild' Talents, bring dissension tot he group and threaten to destroy it. Having a Talent is like rising a winged horse, but the path of Pegasus unbridled could lead in terrifying directions. Cover art by Chris Achilleos. https://cosmiccauldronbooks.com.au/p/pegasus-in-flight-anne-mccaffrey/ -
Heartstone: C. J. Sansom
$5.00Matthew Shardlake Book V: Shardlake Goes To War. Summer, 1545. England is at war. Henry VIII's invasion of France has gone badly wrong. Meanwhile Matthew Shardlake is given an intriguing legal case by an old servant of Queen Catherine Parr. He is asked to investigate claims of 'monstrous wrongs' committed against a young ward of the court, which have already involved one mysterious death. https://cosmiccauldronbooks.com.au/p/lamentation-c-j-sansom/ https://cosmiccauldronbooks.com.au/p/revelation-c-j-sansom/
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Quest: David Skipper
$5.00The pocket-watch is the key to it all. Tom got it from an old tinker a couple of years ago, the day before his parents were killed in a boating tragedy. Now the watch is going backwards and Tom and his friend Douglas are in another world. Their arrival is no accident; Tom has been called to undertake a thrilling, vital and extremely dangerous quest that will bring him into direct conflict with the powerful and evil Prince Aldred. Suitable for young adult readers. Cover art by Bruce Pennington.
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Book/DVD: Rise Of The Horde: Christie Golden
$5.00–$8.00Book II of World Of Warcraft. Though the young Warchief Thrall ended the demon curse that had plagued his people for generations, the orcs still wrestle with the sins of their bloody past. As the rampaging Horde, they waged a number of devastating wars against their perennial enemy - the Alliance. Yet the rage and bloodlust that drove the orcs to destroy everything in their path nearly consumed them as well. Long ago, on the idyllic world of Draenor, the noble orc clans lived in relative peace with their enigmatic neighbors, the Draenei. But the nefarious agents of the Burning Legion had other plans for both of the unsuspecting races. The demon-lord Kil'jaeden set in motion a dark chain of events that would succeed not only in eradicating the Draenei, but forging the orc clans into an single, unstoppable juggernaut of hatred and destruction. Cover art by Glenn Rane. DVD: Travis Fimmel; Paula Patton; Ben Foster: preloved; very good condition; regions 2,4 and 5 -
Artemis Fowl III. Artemis has constructed a super-computer from stolen fairy technology. In the wrong hands, it could be fatal for humans and fairies alike. But Artemis has a brilliant plan. He's not going to use it. He's just going to show it to a ruthless American businessman with Mafia connections. He'll have his bodyguard Butler with him. What could possibly go wrong? -
When a passenger check-in desk at Heathrow Airport shot up through the roof engulfed in a ball of orange flame, the usual people tried to claim responsibility: the IRA, the PLO and the Gas Board. Even British Nuclear Fuels got in on the act by rushing out a statement. But no rational explanation was found for the explosion, so it was designated an Act of God. But, Dirk Gently wonders, which God? And why? What God would be hanging around Terminal Two of Heathrow Airport trying to catch the 15.37 to Oslo? Cover art by Chris Moore. -
Waylander: David Gemmell
$5.00Book III of The Drenai Saga. The Drenai King is dead - murdered by a ruthless assassin. Enemy troops swarm into Drenai lands. Their orders: kill every man, woman and child. But there is hope...Stalked by men who act like beasts and beasts who act like men, the warrior Waylander must journey to the shadow-haunted lands of the Nadir to find the legendary Armour of Bronze. With this, he can turn the tide. But can he be trusted? He is Waylander the Slayer. He is the traitor that killed the King...Cover art by Bob Warner. https://cosmiccauldronbooks.com.au/p/quest-for-lost-heroes-david-gemmell/ -
Redwall: Brian Jacques
$5.00Book I of Redwall. As Redwall Abbey's creatures bask in the glorious Summer of the Late Rose, all is quiet and peaceful. The mice are busy preparing for a great Jubilee feast. But not for long - Cluny the Scourge is coming. And the evil one-eyed rat warlord is prepared to do bloody battle to get exactly what he wants: Redwall. Cover art by Pete Lyon.
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Book III of Landover. Ben Holiday, High Lord of Landover, is back in his rightful place. The evil wizard Meeks has been dealt with and all seems at peace. But even in a Magic Kingdom, peace doesn't last long. It was all Questor Thews' fault, whether or not the inept Court Wizard wanted to admit it. His bumbling attempt to return Abernathy, the Court Scribe, from a dog back to his human form resulted in the Scribe vanishing from a magic circle to be replaced by a multi-coloured bottle. The bottle looked familiar to Thews, but he couldn't quite remember why. And Abernathy had been wearing the High Lord's medallion, the loss of which curtailed Ben's powers drastically. Abernathy had shown up in a castle on Earth belonging to Michel Ard Rhi, the Scribe's sworn enemy. So when Ben and Willow follow Abernathy to Earth, Questor was left in charge but in both worlds, things go rapidly from bad to worse...Cover art by Rowena Morrill.
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The Tales include: Reave the Just; The Djinn Who Watches Over the Accursed; The Killing Stroke; The King of Tarshish Shall Bring Gifts; Penance; The Woman Who Loved Pigs; What Makes Us Human; By Any Other Name. Cover art by Peter Goodfellow and Kevin Jenkins. -
Book V of Redwall. The inhabitants of Redwall relax in the haze of summer-but as they do, the neighboring stronghold of Salamandastron lies besieged by the evil weasel army of Ferhago the Assassin. Worse still, Mara, beloved daughter of Urthstripe, Badger Lord of the Fire Mountain, is in terrible danger. Then a lightning bolt uncovers the sword of Martin the Warrior, and young Samkin embarks on an adventure that leads him to Mara. Can the good creatures triumph over the villainous Assassin? Cover art by Fangorn.
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Kosa Saag casts its tremendous shadow over half the world. It is the Wall, an immense and solitary mountain, dominating the lowland landscape of teeming humanity. Strange and bewildering gods live at the summit, on the roof of the world: the First Climber brought back the gift of fire from them, and the secrets of hunting and growing food. Poilar Crookleg has the blood of the First Climber in his veins. His father was a Pilgrim and his father before him - but thousands of years have passed since the time of He Who Climbed and many thousands of Pilgrims have disappeared as Poilar's father did, or died, or gone mad, following His footsteps to the summit. Poilar's journey, through dreamlike new realms of danger and seduction, in a diminishing company of other young Pilgrims, is an epic journey of discovery. Cover art by Jim Burns. -
Book II of Sun Wolf and Starhawk. Every female of the House of Wenshar was possessed of a powerful magic: but their line is long dead and the desert city is a ruin. Yet Lady Kaletha has some gift for it and will train her neophytes to free their talents. Sun Wolf, the mercenary seeks her out to train his own new-found magic. But after his arrival, a series of horrific supernatural killings turns Wenshar into a snakepit of superstition, fear and loathing, and vicious tongues begin to wag about Sun Wolf. Cover art by Mark Salwoski. -
Book/DVD: Prince Caspian: C.S. Lewis
$5.00–$6.00Something is very wrong. Civil war is destroying Narnia and Prince Caspian, seeing the evil done by his Uncle Miraz, wants to regain the kingdom and bring peace back to the land. But Caspian needs help - Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan must come to his aid, but first, he must summon them by blowing on a magic horn. The battle for good and evil is about to be fought in the magical world of Narnia. Cover art and illustrations by Pauline Baynes. DVD: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, Anna Popplewell: preloved; region 4; very good condition. -
Dragonlance Heroes II - Volume III: Becoming a knight has changed the Weasel very little. Galen Pathwarden is still reluctant to adventure, still out to save his own skin at virtually any cost. But when his brother Brithelm vanishes mysteriously, Galen sets aside his better judgement and embarks on a quest that leads under the earth, deep into a conspiracy of darkness, and to the end of his courage. Cover art by Jeff Easley. -
For Lucy and Edmund, having to spend the summer holidays with their odious cousin Eustace was the pits. They were gazing dejectedly at the picture of the ship with the dragon prow when - the ship began to gently rock and the wind began to blow. The frame disappeared and the three children were hurled into the waves. Grasping the ropes thrown to them, they climbed aboard to safety. They were sure they were going to have a wonderful time - they had joined Prince Caspian in his search for seven friends of his father long since lost on a dangerous voyage to the Eastern Islands. Cover art by Stephen Lavis. DVD: Georgie Henley, Skandar Keynes, Tilda Swinton: preloved; region 4; very good condition -
Book III of Tales Of The Otori. Peace comes at the price of bloodshed; Five battles will buy you peace; Four to win and one to lose. The words of the prophecy continue to haunt Takeo as he readies his armies for battle, determined to seek vengeance and claim his rightful inheritance. To win he must defeat the ruthless warlord Arai Daiichi and the enraged nobleman Lord Fujiwara but every step forward is a daunting battle for Takeo and his great love Kaede. And neither realise there is another, more dangerous enemy who could destroy them forever.
