Something strange is afoot at the Royal Academy of Science, Magic and the Arts ... A standing statue sits down with a meditative smile ... A demigod is caught smuggling the Nectar of Immortality into the Mortal Realm ... Traders in Madh find their goods have been turned into djinn gold ... An illegal portal into the Inter-Realm has opened and no one knows who has done it ... A strange creature has been sighted in the vaults under the Academy ... Will Meenakshi and Kalban be able to get to the bottom of it all before the creature in the vault gets too powerful to control? Or is this a cover for something much more sinister-something that will destroy the city of Madh?

Something strange is afoot in the kingdom of Pür. The most favoured suitor at Princess Vasundhara's swayamvara has disappeared ... A reclusive sorceress has emerged from the Eastern Isles ... The Inter-Realm Ambassador is furious ... A long-lost stone with dark powers must be found ... The Sprites are preparing for rebellion ... When dignitaries from all the Mortal Realms-and a few from the Inter-Realm-gather in Rajgir for a stressful swayamvara, only mayhem can ensue! Can Meenakshi and Kalban uncover Tara the Starchaser's dark legacy and prevent a war between the Realms? Book III in the Meandering Magicians series

Children forced out of their homes Humans discarded as empty shells A Machine that sucks out Power. Secrets More secrets And still more secrets- I must fight a government of evil, destroy the Machine, and . . . save my mother. Me, twelve-year-old Rohini. Ha. Really?

Abir Maqsood is angry. She has things to do: a career to carve, money to earn, and, in the small stuff, a dining table to fix. But there are many obstacles in the way: lack of money, her parents' over-protective attitude, and a most annoying distraction in class called Arsalan. When her mother is not paid her dues for her henna service, Abir resolves to help her by creating a henna app. Her college is also running a programme for student start-ups so things look most fortuitous. But the path to getting funding is littered with more thorns than roses. As Abir navigates through college, friendships and social pressures with determination, will she find the freedom that she is truly looking for?

Something strange is afoot at the Lotus Palace. A guest is murdered after a boring state banquet ... A secret room full of scorpions is found ... A cloaked stranger passes on information ... Every marble statue seems to hold a secret ... In Melucha, children's alphabet books teach that H is for hemlock, so it is no particular surprise when someone is found murdered. But in a city where everyone has devious and twisted motives, and dire plans, it is not easy for Meenakshi and Kalban to find the murderer. In this sequel to the acclaimed The Magicians of Madh, Aditi Krishnakumar pulls off another delightful romp, full of mystery, humour and hilarious predicaments.

Something strange is afoot at the Lotus Palace. A guest is murdered after a boring state banquet ... A secret room full of scorpions is found ... A cloaked stranger passes on information ... Every marble statue seems to hold a secret ... In Melucha, children's alphabet books teach that H is for hemlock, so it is no particular surprise when someone is found murdered. But in a city where everyone has devious and twisted motives, and dire plans, it is not easy for Meenakshi and Kalban to find the murderer. In this sequel to the acclaimed The Magicians of Madh, Aditi Krishnakumar pulls off another delightful romp, full of mystery, humour and hilarious predicaments.

Madras, 1944 While World War II rages in Europe and the Japanese army draws closer to India, Raji and her sisters are sent off with their mother to stay in Manikoil, her mother's family village. But with her brother now a soldier in the British Indian Army and refugees fleeing from Malaya, Burma and other eastern countries back to India, Manikoil is no longer the peaceful haven it once was. And while there is hope of Independence in the air, Raji is uncertain whether it will come to pass-and what it will truly mean for her and her family. The Songs of Freedom series explores the lives of children across India during the struggle for independence.