A runaway princess on a pirate ship. What could possibly go wrong? A runaway princess on a pirate ship. What could possibly go wrong? Livy has always longed for freedom and adventure. When she finally escapes her life as a princess, she gets more than she bargained for. Livy doesn’t expect to find romance with Cole. And she never thought she’d associate with pirates. The adventure she wanted turns treacherous when the course is set for Treasure Island. Can Livy make it out with her life and heart intact? Once upon an Isle of Treasure is a loose retelling of Treasure Island with a romantic twist. It’s part of the Once upon a Story series which consists of standalones that can be read in any order. This novella was previously part of the Tell no Tales anthology and is now available to buy wide and free to newsletter subscribers and Ream followers.

The year is 1896 at Victoria on Vancouver Island in the newly formed colony of British Columbia. An animated, young Thadeus Matoe, a.k.a., "Toadmatoe," comes to Professor Krokonal's house seeking his wisdom about a mysterious gift he has just received from his friend Froglit Brar for his third-month birthday. Mystified, the Professor sends for the frog to question him. Toadmatoe returns with his friend, and just as the Professor is questioning him the police burst in and arrest Froglit Brar on suspicion of stealing a priceless heirloom. In their haste to haul him off to prison, the police fail to seize the alleged contraband. Convinced of Froglit's innocence and with gift in hand, the Professor, Toadmatoe, and Ursula, his faithful Salamander, give chase. By a strange twist of fate, Froglit escapes his captors and is reunited with his friends. Now accomplices-at-large, the three fugitives meet some interesting characters who aid them on their way as they are providentially led through a series of mishaps and miraculous escapes from the pursuing long arm of the Victoria Constabulary. They leap-frog on traversing rapids and waterfalls, o'er field and fen, as the gift choreographically draws them on, revealing keys to unlock its mystery. In the course of events the true villain is apprehended and the three friends reach the place where the gift finally reveals its secrets in a providentially synchronized moment in time.

Now in one volume, the entire epic series set in an ancient island sanctuary of gods and magic—from “the finest fantasy writer of this or any decade” (Marion Zimmer Bradley). Anne McCaffrey has praised Nancy Springer as “someone special in the fantasy field.” Andre Norton agrees that “Ms. Springer’s work is outstanding.” Now the multiple award-winning author’s classic five-part epic fantasy is presented in a single volume. In the grand tradition of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Book of Isle saga draws on Arthurian and Celtic legend to create a wholly original, imaginary world brimming with adventure, romance, evil, mythic quests, and vividly described locales. The White Hart: Long ago, mortals, immortals, and magical beasts lived together in a land encircled by vast oceans. Here, Ellid, a lady as fair as sunlight, falls in love with her rescuer, Bevan, the son of a High King and the goddess of the moon. Together with Cuin, Ellid’s original intended and now friend to both, the three battle an ancient evil to rebuild a peaceful kingdom. The Silver Sun: The Forest is said to be the abode of warlocks, goblins, and, of course, thieves. But it is deep in these woods that Hal and Alan become blood brothers and form an alliance with Ket the Red, the fiery-haired leader of a band of outlaws, to overthrow a tyrannical king. In their quest to establish a peaceful realm, they will fulfill a prophecy found in the Book of Suns. The Sable Moon: Lured across the seas by a powerful warlock, young Prince Trevyn of Isle is captured and enslaved. But he must escape and return, for the unprotected Isle and his beloved Meg are now at the mercy of the evil Wael. The Black Beast: After his father murdered his true love, Prince Tirell, along with the aid of his younger brother, Frain the healer, seeks an army to defeat the unrepentant monarch. But a sinister presence is spreading its malevolence throughout the land—and the kingdom can never again be truly whole until the brothers confront the terrible scourge of the Black Beast. The Golden Swan: When Prince Dair was a child and still in wolf form, he saw his future. It was prophesied that the changeling son of King Trevyn of Isle would travel far from his home, carrying his magic to the mainland. Now, his mystical union with a wanderer called Frain, who has the power to feel everything Dair feels but also suffers under the curse of a dark enchantment, will determine the fate of a troubled land.

Dense Green forests in Yala, white-sand coasts in Trincomalee, azure waters off the South Coast, Anuradhapura's ancient temples, and cricket. Civil war, political assassinations, internally displaced communities, industrial-scale corruption. All are Sri Lanka. As are smug bureaucrats, nosy neighbours, and stray dogs with serious axes to grind. Through the eyes of Andrew Fidel Fernando, cricket writer par excellence, both a local and a tourist in his home country, Sri Lanka comes alive as he hurtles down hills in Kandy, breathes in the history at the rock fortress of Sigiriya, grapples with the aftermath of war in Jaffna, and has himself evicted from restaurants near Galle. Weaving through all manner of villages, paddy fields, mountains, jungles and marshlands, and pausing for the pests at grimy guesthouses and the vacationers of luxury hotels, Fernando has the time for every genre of person and wildlife in this chaotic, exquisite, frustrating, bewitching, tumultuous and intoxicating land. Hilariously witty yet wistfully sombre, Upon a Sleepless Isle is the story of a country and a people caught between long historical traditions and global capitalism, resulting in this ingenious paradise.

Ever since the floods came and washed the world away, survivors have been desperate to win a place on X-Isle, the island where life is rumoured to be easier than on what's left of the mainland. Only young boys are in with a chance, the smaller and lighter the better. Baz and Ray are two of the lucky few to be chosen, but they soon discover that X-Isle is a far cry from paradise. Ruled by Preacher John, a dangerous religious fanatic, it's a violent, unpredictable place where terrible things can happen at any moment. The boys hatch an extraordinary plan in order to protect themselves - the construction of a mighty weapon of defence. But can they complete this weapon in time, and are they really prepared to use it in order to secure their freedom? Powerful and compelling, X-ISLE is a fast-moving thriller that will keep you guessing right to the very end.