The Puzzle Ring

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

"By fever, fire, storm and sword, Your blood shall suffer this bane. No joy or peace for Wintersloe's lord, till the puzzle ring is whole again." Hannah Rose was not quite 13 yea... show more ▼rs old when she discovered her family was cursed... The arrival of a mysterious letter changes Hannah's life forever. One day she is an ordinary teenage girl. The next day she discovers she is heir to a castle in the Scottish highlands - a castle that was cursed more than four hundred and forty years ago. The curse has haunted her family for generations, culminating in the disappearance of Hannah's father the day after she was born. A prophecy tells of a Red Rose who will save a Black Rose, solve the puzzle ring, and break the curse. Red-haired Hannah is determined to be the one. Yet to break the curse, she must go back in time to the last tumultuous days of Mary, Queen of Scots... a time when witches were burnt and queens were betrayed and the dark forces of wild magic still stalked the land...

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• 1 167

• Published: 2009

Dancing on Knives

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

A damaged family and their generations of dangerous secrets At twenty, Sara is tormented by an inexplicable terror so profound she hasn't left her home in five years. Like the me... show more ▼rmaid in the fairytale her Spanish grandmother once told her, Sara imagines she is Dancing on Knives, unable to speak. She feels suffocated by her family, especially her father – the famous artist Augusto Sanchez – whose volcanic passions dominate their lives. Then one stormy night, her father does not come home. His body is found dangling from a cliff face. Astonishingly, he is still alive, but the mystery of his fall can only be solved by the revelation of long-held family secrets. At once a suspenseful murder mystery and a lyrical love story, Dancing on Knives is about how family can constrict and liberate us, how art can be both joyous and destructive, and how strength can be found in the unlikeliest places.

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• 1 137

• Published: 2014

The Cat's Eye Shell

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

The final three paperbacks of the award-winning six-book series by Kate Forsyth. Life is always hard for the gypsies, who live to their own rhythm and their own rules, but since ... show more ▼Oliver Cromwell had seized control of England, life had been harder – and drabber – than ever. But now life for the Finch tribe has gone even more horribly wrong. They have been accused of vagrancy and murder, and thrown into gaol with only three weeks to live. The only members of the family to escape are 13-year-old Emilia and her cousin Luka. They have been entrusted to find the six charms and bring them together again. Then, perhaps, the gypsies could once again have some luck... and the Finch tribe could walk free. What Emilia and Luka do not realise is that there is a price to be paid for each lucky charm, and that the cost may prove too high... 20th August – 24th August 1658: Having acquired the first three charms in the quest to secure their family's freedom, Luka and Emilia flee into Sussex with soldiers hot on their heels, in company with a Royalist duke, a Catholic priest, a highwayman and young Tom Whitehorse. Only the Catholic underground can help them all escape – but this is a most dangerous religion in the time of Puritan rule. And Emilia and Luka still must find the elusive gypsy tribe of the cat's eye shell, who, it seems, have turned to smuggling...

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• 1 131

• Published: 2007

The Shining City

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

Rhiannon, a wild and fierce half-human girl, tamed a winged horse to escape the vicious satyricorn tribe who raised her. In the human world, the handsome apprentice-witch Lewen has... show more ▼ convinced her to stay with him and learn to use her strong magical talents. But before her training can commence, Rhiannon must answer for a past crime in... THE SHINING CITY Imprisoned in Sorrowgate Tower, Rhiannon awaits trial for murder and treason. While her days are spent in anticipation of Lewen's visits, her nights are haunted by the malevolent ghost of a dead queen, hungry to live again. But not many care to listen to the prophetic dreams of a girl who has already been convicted in most people's minds. Then Lewen begins to cool toward her, and Rhiannon suspects one of the princesses has worked a spell to steal his heart. In a world filled with dark spirits and forbidden magic, conspiracy and intrigue, Rhiannon vows to win back her lover and escape once more, to save the land before it's too late....

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• 1 070

• Published: 2005

The Wild Girl

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

Dortchen Wild fell in love with Wilhelm Grimm the first time she saw him. Growing up in the small German kingdom of Hessen-Cassel in the early Nineteenth century, Dortchen Wild i... show more ▼s irresistibly drawn to the boy next door, the young and handsome fairy tale scholar Wilhelm Grimm. It is a time of war, tyranny and terror. Napoleon Bonaparte wants to conquer all of Europe, and Hessen-Cassel is one of the first kingdoms to fall. Forced to live under oppressive French rule, the Grimm brothers decide to save old tales that had once been told by the firesides of houses grand and small all over the land. Dortchen knows many beautiful old stories, such as Hansel and Gretel, The Frog King and Six Swans. As she tells them to Wilhelm, their love blossoms. Yet the Grimm family is desperately poor, and Dortchen's father has other plans for his daughter. Marriage is an impossible dream. Dortchen can only hope that happy endings are not just the stuff of fairy tales.

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• 1 035

• Published: 2013

The Fathomless Caves

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

In Eileanan, victory has finally been won, and those of faery kind--from the mighty dragons to the mysterious nyx--have sworn their friendship and aid. Only the sea-dwelling Fairge... show more ▼an have refused to sign the Pact of Peace. Driven by ancient hatreds, they have devoted themselves to destroying all who dwell upon the land. Troubled by the darkness that may lie ahead, Lachlan agrees to release his beloved Iseult from the sacred oath that binds them together. It will then be for Iseult to decide whether she will remain in the mountains to resume life with her own kin, or return to the man who let her go. To help bring peace to Eileanan, Iseult's flame-haired twin, Isabeau, must also face her most difficult challenge yet. But before she can prove herself worthy of both the scar of the Soul-Sage and the ring of the sorceress, she must first find a way to heal her own wounded spirit.

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• 974

• Published: 2002

The Lightning Bolt

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

The final three paperbacks of the award-winning six-book series by Kate Forsyth. Life is always hard for the gypsies, who live to their own rhythm and their own rules, but since ... show more ▼Oliver Cromwell had seized control of England, life had been harder – and drabber – than ever. But now life for the Finch tribe has gone even more horribly wrong. They have been accused of vagrancy and murder, and thrown into gaol with only three weeks to live. The only members of the family to escape are 13-year-old Emilia and her cousin Luka. They have been entrusted to find the six charms and bring them together again. Then, perhaps, the gypsies could once again have some luck... and the Finch tribe could walk free. What Emilia and Luka do not realise is that there is a price to be paid for each lucky charm, and that the cost may prove too high... 27th August 1685: Sussex was the first county secured by the Roundheads because of its iron foundries. Here in the Weald, the Smith tribe are working for Parliament, making cannons and weaponry. They have prospered under Cromwell's rule, and have no interest in old gypsy charms. And it is here where Luka and Emilia must find the fifth charm, a finely-wrought lightning bolt, and amidst the smoke and noise of the Horsmonden foundry, the gypsy children run into old friends... and old enemies.

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• 961

• Published: 2007

The Forbidden Land

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

After her adventures with the League of the Healing Hand, Finn the Cat finds her life at Castle Rurach boring. Snowbound for the winter and faced with the prospect of being molded ... show more ▼into "Lady Fionnghal" by her mother, she pines to be on the battlefront with her father against the sea demons. But Finn's talents are needed elsewhere. Summoned by the Righ, Lachlan the Winged, she must embark on a perilous journey into the Forbidden Land. Imprisoned in the Black Tower is a rebellious prophet whose beliefs have made him an enemy among his own people. Now Finn must help rescue the one whose words can free a land enshrouded in darkness.

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• 930

• Published: 2000

Bitter Greens

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

* A Library Journal Best Book of 2014: Historical Fiction * * The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of... show more ▼ desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love* French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens... After Margherita's father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition. Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does. Award-winning author Kate Forsyth braids together the stories of Margherita, Selena, and Charlotte-Rose, the woman who penned Rapunzel as we now know it, to create what is a sumptuous historical novel, an enchanting fairy tale retelling, and a loving tribute to the imagination of one remarkable woman.

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• 858

• Published: 2012

The Silver Horse

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

Book 2 in the Chain of Charms series, a brilliant new adventure series set amongst the gypsies of Cromwell's England. From the bestselling author of the Witches of Eileanan serie... show more ▼s. Once there was a gypsy queen who wore on her wrist a chain of six lucky charms - a golden crown, a silver horse, a butterfly caught in amber, a cat's eye shell, a bolt of lightning forged from the heart of a falling star, and the flower of the rue plant, herb of grace. The queen gave each of her six children one of the charms as their lucky talisman, but ever since the chain of charms was broken, the gypsies had been dogged with misfortune. Book Two: The Silver Horse 13th-14th August 1658. Emilia and her cousin Luka have the gypsy crown, and are travelling with their menagerie in search of the Hearne tribe. They hope that this family, to whom they will soon be related, will surely help release their kin from gaol. Luka and Emilia find the Hearnes horseracing on the Downs above Epsom. But Emilia must compete to win their support. Will she have to give up her beloved mare in exchange for the Hearne family's charm - a small silver horse? And can they escape Coldham again?

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• 822

• Published: 2006

The Butterfly in Amber

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

Life is always hard for the gypsies, who live to their own rhythm and their own rules, but since Oliver Cromwell had seized control of England, life had been harder – and drabber –... show more ▼ than ever. But now life for the Finch tribe has gone even more horribly wrong. They have been accused of vagrancy and murder, and thrown into gaol with only three weeks to live. The only members of the family to escape are 13-year-old Emilia and her cousin Luka. They have been entrusted to find the six charms and bring them together again. Then, perhaps, the gypsies could once again have some luck... And the Finch tribe could walk free. What Emilia and Luka do not realise is that there is a price to be paid for each lucky charm, and that the cost may prove too high... 28th August – 3rd September, 1658: Luka and Emilia travel to London to find the last of the Graylings tribe, who has married a Puritan lawyer and turned her back on her past. As well as all the perils of the capital city, the children must escape the vengeful Coldham, and still get to Kingston-Upon-Thames in time to rescue their families. But then, on the anniversary of his greatest victory, the Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell is mysteriously stricken down... Will everything change? And can the children save their family in time? The thrilling conclusion to the Chain of Charms series.

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• 793

• Published: 2007

Escape From Wolfhaven Castle

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

Tell your lord to beware; the wolves smell danger in the wind . . . Wolfhaven Castle has been attacked, and only four escape capture... Tom, trained to scrub pots, not fight; E... show more ▼lanor, the lord's daughter; Sebastian, a knight in training; and Quinn, the witch's apprentice. Somehow, if they are to save their people, these unlikely heroes must find four magical beasts from legend and awaken the sleeping warriors of the past. But first, they have to make it out of the castle alive.

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• 789

• Published: 2014

The Cursed Towers

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

A new age dawns in the kingdom of Eileanan, but not without resistance. Now the Righ, Lachlan the Winged, overturns his dead brother's decrees against witchcraft. But sixteen years... show more ▼ of hatred and superstition have cloaked Eileanan in darkness. And though he has won the power of the Lodestar, Lachlan's rule is challenged by a mere babe--and a civil war erupts. The flame-haired twins--Iseult the Scarred Warrior and Isabeau the apprentice-witch--must go their separate ways. Iseult to fight side by side with her husband, Lachlan. Isabeau to the Cursed Towers, to master her powers and to find the family she has never known. One woman battling for a new reign, one woman learning the old ways, their separate threads will twist and turn into a tale of mayhem, mystery, and magic.

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• 768

• Published: 1999

Wishing for Trouble

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

Ben and Tim have always been told to "be careful what you wish for", but they don't know what this really means until one day Tim discovers a magic wishing ring - and a whole lot o... show more ▼f trouble! Before they know it, Ben and Tim and their cousins, Nick, Emmy and Lach, find themselves fighting for their lives - and a few other people's, too - in a besieged castle full of knights and swords and a rather bossy countess. But soon they realise that making wishes is not as easy as it sounds, and that they will have to be very clever indeed to get themselves out of this mess!

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• 764

• Published: 2006

Dragon Gold

Kate Forsyth

Historical Fiction / Children's Books / Fantasy

With these magic words, I begin my spell. Hear me, first star, hear me well. Send me dragon's gold, from the days of old. The spell has been cast, let the magic last. Ben wants ... show more ▼to get a dog. Badly. But his mum says they'll have to move to a bigger house first, and they can't afford it. So Ben, his brother Tim and their friend James decide to find some dragon's gold. They have to meddle with magic to do it, though, and that is always a dangerous thing to do. Next thing they know a fire-breathing dragon has kidnapped James sister Sarah and they have to find some way of rescuing her without getting fried! They're in for a marvellous magical misadventure.

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• 747

• Published: 2005