Showing results by narrator "Esther Wane" in All Categories

Trystan was once the pampered daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, but since his death, she's considered a social pariah. Trapped by her stepmother's malicious web of lies, Trystan is willing to do just about anything to escape - even play a part in a devious plot to disinherit the kingdom's incompetent heir, Prince Ramsey. But what should have been a simple task proves to have sinister implications. The consequences for Trystan's actions become clear in the midst of the glittering royal masque, where two very different princes compete for the hearts of their people.

Thirty years ago, Elise and Nathaniel shared a horrific trauma that united them in grief. Now, grown up and married with a young family, they feel their worst nightmares are behind them. Until the day their daughter is abducted and murdered. Both Elise and Nathaniel lost their mothers to a notorious killer who manipulated innocent victims into taking their own lives. Could it be that "the Watcher" has returned for another round of the same sadistic game? Why now? And why are Elise and Nathaniel being targeted again?

Ten years ago, Grace made her dying sister a promise - that she would look after Hope’s baby son as her own. Now, the man whose son she is raising has turned up on Grace’s operating table, fighting for his life. When an accusation of negligence follows, Grace is forced to confront not just the man who abandoned her sister, but also his mother, Norma - who blames Grace for taking everything she loves. Based on what her sister told her, Grace is sure she did the right thing to keep that promise. But what if Hope didn’t tell her everything?

The ultimate, accessible guide to navigating every step of pregnancy, birth and the fourth trimester for Autistic people. Exploring the reality of pregnancy and acknowledging it's challenges, autistic researcher Dr Aimee Grant interweaves advice from autistic pregnant people and registered...

A shipwreck near Castle Black sees Dr. Nicholas Warner risking his life to save a woman from the churning sea. As he pulls her to the safety of the shore, the villagers are stunned by her presence. She is no stranger to them. They identify her as Viola Grantham, Lady Ramsleigh, wife of the recently deceased Lord Percival Ramsleigh...a woman who supposedly died nearly two years earlier. She confides in Dr. Warner about the son she bore in secret, the heir to her late husband and that she had only returned to secure his future and his place in society. 

The kingdom of Sovar’s Legacy demands balls and glass slippers, and the royal family are happy to oblige. They’ve been finding ways to contain and control the Legacy’s force for generations. Until it comes time for Crown Prince Julius to choose a bride. Olivia traveled to the capital to...

Two of the biggest design problems in Artificial Intelligence are how to build robots that behave in line with human values and how to stop them ever going rogue. One under-explored solution to these alignment and control problems might be to examine how these are already addressed in the design of humans. Robot Souls looks at developments in AI and reviews the emergence of ideas of consciousness and the soul. It places our 'junk code' in this context and argues that it is time to foreground that code, and to use it to look again at how we are programming AI.

Diana and Fergus are both in the running for the coveted spot of "prime suspect". Fergus decides the only way to clear their names and save Christmas is for them to investigate the case. He's convinced that an ancient curse is the real killer. Diana is convinced that Fergus has lost his marbles. She's ready to prove him wrong, but when they are dragged into a maze of secrets and lies, she starts to wonder....

All Elaine Westover ever wanted was to be left alone. A shy but brilliant artist, her only desire is to paint in peace, but when she is forced to accept a commission in order to save her family home, she must confront a client as villainous as he is rich. After a chilling encounter reveals his twisted ambitions, he imprisons her and threatens to destroy everything she loves unless she meets his demands.

Brenna Seagrave doesn't want to be a countess. She prefers her life of danger and disguise as a spy for the kingdom of Andar, but the Andari court isn't quite ready for a countess who engages in espionage. Feeling trapped, Brenna accepts an invitation to a mysterious estate, where she hopes to connect with the mother she's never had a chance to know. But nothing is quite as Brenna expects. 

When peddler John Durbeyfield learns that he may be a descendant of a noble family, he sends his oldest child, Tess, to “claim kin.” Blindly ushered into harm’s way, the strong-willed yet untinctured peasant girl is not prepared for the blighted course her life will take. Nor for those whose destructive desires will determine her fate, and force Tess to make only the most desperate of choices. From her tragic loss of innocence through betrayal and revenge, Tess’s struggle for survival challenged the era’s mores and the cruel indifference shown women in Victorian society.

This collection investigates the origins of our most intriguing old-fashioned superstitions, many of which we still find ourselves abiding by today. Hundreds of the beliefs passed down through the generations have their foundations in our ancestors' efforts to ward off evil, which they blamed...

Gwen has discovered both the love she once lost and her courage. But her greatest challenge still lies before her. She has chosen to fight for her people and that means standing against the mountain queen and all the fears of her childhood. Charlotte is ready to risk everything to save her husband and reverse the consequences of her mistakes. But freeing Henry means getting entangled in the mountain kingdom's fight for freedom and that fight might take the one thing Charlotte isn't willing to give.

Transforming Harry: The Adaptation of Harry Potter in the Transmedia Age is an edited volume of eight essays that look at how the cinematic versions of the seven Harry Potter novels represent an unprecedented cultural event in the history of cinematic adaptation.  

How can we think more deeply about our travels? This was the question that inspired Emily Thomas's journey into the philosophy of travel. Part philosophical ramble, part travelogue, The Meaning of Travel begins in the Age of Discovery, when philosophers first started taking travel seriously. It meanders forward to consider Montaigne on otherness, John Locke on cannibals, and Henry Thoreau on wilderness.  

It is 1916 and Rasputin has finally been killed by those who have long feared his influence over Tsar Nicholas and Tsarina Alexandra. But for Princess Militza, famed as one of the 'Witches of St Petersburg', and her daughter Nadezhda, life is about to become extremely dangerous. Revolution is bubbling and with it will come the murder of the Romanov imperial family. Now the rest of the court is also on the run, fleeing from the mob. Against this violent and turbulent backdrop, Nadezhda, the witch's daughter, finds in exile and captivity an extraordinary and unlikely love.

This audiobook features opening arguments followed by two rounds of reply between two moral philosophers on opposing sides of the abortion debate. In the opening essays, Kate Greasley and Christopher Kaczor lay out what they take to be the best case for and against abortion rights. In the ensuing dialogue, they engage with each other’s arguments, and each responds to criticisms fielded by the other. The result gives listeners a window into how moral philosophers argue about the contentious issue of abortion rights, and an in-depth analysis of the compelling arguments on both sides.

Three full-length fairy tales filled with intrigue, romance, and suspense! This collection contains: Traitor's Masque: A Retelling of Cinderella, Goldheart: A Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, and Pirouette: A Retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses.

Rosalie’s family has already lost everything, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to protect them from further harm. Even if that means stopping ignorant newcomers from picking enchanted roses. Dimitri knows little about his new kingdom, and he can’t help being captivated by the fiery girl who holds the answers. But Rosalie seems horrified by both his presence and his handsome face, and it turns out she has good reason. In the kingdom of Glandore, it’s a dangerous thing to be a young man of royal blood living alone in a castle.

A mutilated corpse dressed as a bride, a psychopathic killer hell-bent on furthering his macabre game, and a woman detective who stands by her instincts. When a woman disappears from a motorway service station, DI Charlie Lambert struggles to make any headway finding her. Missing person...