New Releases by Mark Walden

This ninth book in the H.I.V.E. series concludes the high-octane adventures of the supremely talented team of criminals. As the students of H.I.V.E. face the challenges of their final year at the school, Otto Malpense is forced to confront his own legacy as a new threat rises from the shadows of his past. Nothing will ever be the same again as Otto races against the clock to rescue his friends from a rival organization. But as Otto desperately fights for his friends’ lives, he ends up facing a deadly enemy more dangerous and powerful than any he’s faced ever before—an enemy who’s a twisted product of his own bloodline. From Italy to Russia to the United States, Bloodline is a real tour de force, and a fitting conclusion to the acclaimed H.I.V.E series.

Sam and his friends embark on one last mission, one final epic final battle against their alien enemies to determine the fate of the Earth in this fast-paced, action-packed conclusion to Mark Walden’s Earthfall Trilogy. After the death of his father, Sam is still struggling to come to terms with the Illuminate powers that he inherited, the changes that the alien nanites have wrought on his body, and the mysterious summons calling to him, urging him to come and retrieve “his birthright.” After separating himself from his friends, Sam realizes the call is coming from the Primarch, an ancient spaceship and the first of the Voidborn, a digitized Illuminate consciousness, that was driven insane after it was left drifting lost and alone in space for thousands of years. It’s calling to him to join the fight and destroy the Vore. But just as Sam thinks he finally has an ally against the Vore, he realizes the Primarch has an agenda all its own… As the final conflict takes place in the skies above the Grand Canyon, Sam is forced to confront the fact that even with some surprising new allies, the price for defeating the Earth’s invaders may be vastly more than he is prepared to pay. One thing is certain, whatever happens, life will never be the same for Sam—or for the rest of humanity—ever again.

The struggle for human survival continues following an alien invasion of Earth in this second book in the Earthfall trilogy, from the author of the H.I.V.E. series. After the harrowing events of Earthfall, twelve-year-old Sam and his fellow resistance members meet an enigmatic man named Mason who is slowly building an army to fight back against the invaders, the Voidborn. Sam and the others join Mason and his soldiers on a mission to disable Voidborn technology in Tokyo. But Sam soon discovers that Mason has an agenda beyond what he has already admitted: He isn’t content just to destroy the Voidborn’s machines; he plans to destroy the Voidborn once and for all with a plan that will cost the lives of millions of innocent people. But something is coming, something even worse than the Voidborn. Something very old and very evil. Something that might mean the end for them all.

A new era is beginning in the villainous world of H.I.V.E. as civil war looms, forcing Otto and his friends to take sides—perhaps against each other. Scheming, extorting, menacing, and general evilness are nothing new in the world of villainy—indeed, it’s expected, especially at the Higher Institute of Villainous Education. But even so, there have always codes of conduct. Until now. In an attempt to purge the Global League of Villainous Enterprises of its more destructive elements, Dr. Nero has underestimated the cunning and resources of those who oppose him. Meanwhile, Otto and the rest of the Alpha stream have been sent to begin their most feared exercise, the Hunt, in the icy wastes of Siberia. But there is a traitor in their midst. The first strike against Nero will be a strike against the Alpha stream. Villain-kind is on the brink of civil war.

As a final battle with Overlord looms near, the H.I.V.E. heroes are up against an unimaginably dangerous weapon. Bad news for the Higher Institute of Villainous Education, aka H.I.V.E.: Overlord is reborn and has developed the chilling ability to move from body to body, erasing the host’s personality—and ultimately killing them. Overlord must find Otto, the only host designed to truly contain him, and for that he needs to know the location of H.I.V.E. He also plans to take control of a secret U.S. Army facility that is home to the Autonomous Weapon Program, a computer-controlled system uniquely vulnerable to Overlord’s control. In the face of these threats, Nero is forced to activate Zero Hour, a plan designed to deal with any member of G.L.O.V.E—the Global League of Villainous Enterprises—who is on the brink of true global domination. Nero also knows that Otto must not be allowed to fall into Overlord’s hands, and a desperate race across the globe begins.

Otto and Raven are desperate to rescue their friends from the clutches of Anastasia Furan, head of the evil Disciples organisation. First they must track down the location of the Glasshouse, the prison where Furan trains children to become ruthless assassins. But Otto is also being hunted. The three months that Otto has spent following his 'expulsion' from H.I.V.E. have given the Artemis Section - an elite division of the American intelligence services that specialises in capturing the toughest targets and reports only to the President - an opportunity to locate him. Deadlock - the eighth book in the breathtaking H.I.V.E. series - continues the high-octane adventures of the supremely talented criminal team, with central characters forced to question everything that Nero has taught them and to confront the consequences of life as a villain, set against the backdrop of a daring high-tech prison break where nothing is quite as it seems.

Sam wakes to see strange vessels gathered in the skies around London. As he stares up, people stream past, walking silently towards the enormous ships which emit a persistent noise. Only Sam seems immune to the signal. Six months later, Sam is absolutely alone. In his underground bunker he has food and water for a couple of days. He has no choice but to venture above. Spotted by a flying drone, Sam escapes, but not before the drone slashes him with a barbed tendril. That night, drenched in sweat, Sam realises without medical supplies the wound will kill him. This time above ground he is less lucky. Cornered again, Sam thinks he has reached the end - then the drone is shot down in a hail of machine gun fire. In five minutes Sam learns two things: he is not alone; the drone injury should have killed him instantly - yet he is still alive. The battle for earth is about to begin.

A renegade faction of the world’s most powerful villains is intent on destroying G.L.O.V.E. (Global League Of Villainous Enterprises) and showing the world the true face of evil. The Disciples begin by hijacking Diabolus Darkdoom’s Airborne command post, then they kidnap his son and his son’s best friend. Unfortunately for them, Nigel Darkdoom (and Franz) also happen to be Otto’s friends. Heading out to America, Otto, Wing et al embark on a perilous and highly unauthorised rescue operation. Cut off from the support of H.I.V.E. and on the run from American security forces the hunt for their friends leads to one of the US military’s most secret facilities. It becomes clear that the Disciples are not all they appear and in a desperate race against time Otto must work out who his real friends are and prevent the Disciples from completing their true objective. Only Otto can save the world from domination by a sinister new world order but it might be that the price he has to pay is just too high. When it comes to the crunch will he be prepared to sacrifice himself?

Key members of G.L.O.V.E. are being assassinated and Otto, gone rogue, is behind the killings. Raven and Wing must find him before the order to eliminate him can be carried out . . .

Pupils and staff at H.I.V.E. are horrified to discover that Dr Nero has been captured by the forces of H.O.P.E., the Hostile Operative Prosecution Executive, the world's newest and most ruthlessly efficient security force. Three months pass without any news of his fate, and Number One has decided to appoint a sinister new headmistress for the school, somebody that the pupils and staff had thought that they'd seen the last of. Meanwhile Otto is also struggling to cope with new abilities that are starting to manifest themselves; can he really be unconsciously interfacing with computers without physical contact? And if he is, what exactly do these new powers really mean? The only way to find Nero and the truth behind the lies is to escape H.I.V.E.. Otto must get out, and take the risks which come with being a rogue agent. Then he just has to break into MI6.

Otto and Wing have special permission to leave H.I.V.E.'s secret island location to attend a funeral (all too common in their line of business). But before they reach their destination they are ambushed. Who would risk assassinating Otto Malpense, star pupil of the Higher Institute of Villainous Education and favourite of Number One, the most powerful villain alive? A new power is rising to challenge Number One's authority, and they need H.I.V.E. and its powerful computer to do so. Otto thought the only thing he wanted was to escape from H.I.V.E., but now he's desperately trying to save it, and himself.

Scheming, extorting, menacing and general evilness are nothing new in the world of villainy - indeed it's expected. But there are codes of conduct. Until now. In an attempt to purge the Global League of Villainous Enterprises of its more destructive elements, Dr Nero has underestimated the cunning and resources of those who oppose him. Meanwhile, Otto and the rest of the Alpha stream have been sent to begin their most feared exercise: The Hunt, in the icy wastes of Siberia. But there is a traitor in their midst. The first strike against Nero will be a strike against the Alpha stream. Villain-kind is on the brink of CIVIL WAR.

A renegade faction of the world's most powerful villains is intent on destroying G.L.O.V.E. (Global League Of Villainous Enterprises) and showing the world the true face of evil. The Disciples begin by hijacking Diabolus Darkdoom's Airborne command post, then they kidnap his son and his son's best friend. Unfortunately for them, Nigel Darkdoom (and Franz) also happen to be Otto's friends. Heading out to America, Otto, Wing et al embark on a perilous and highly unauthorised rescue operation. Cut off from the support of H.I.V.E. and on the run from American security forces the hunt for their friends leads to one of the US military's most secret facilities. It becomes clear that the Disciples are not all they appear and in a desperate race against time Otto must work out who his real friends are to prevent the Disciples from completing their true objective. Only Otto can save the world from domination by a sinister new world order but it might be that the price he has to pay is just too high. When it comes to the crunch will he be prepared to sacrifice himself?

Now in paperback, a riveting installment in an action-packed series. Students and staff at H.I.V.E.—the Higher Institute of Villainous Education—are horrified to discover that Dr. Nero has been captured by the forces of H.O.P.E.—the Hostile Operative Prosecution Executive—the world’s newest and most ruthlessly efficient security force. Otto decides that the only way to find Nero and the truth behind the lies is to escape H.I.V.E. But he’s also struggling with some newfound abilities: Can he really unconsciously interface with computers without physical contact? And if he can, what exactly do his new powers mean? In his search for answers, Otto must flee H.I.V.E., and take the risks that come with being a rogue agent. Then he just has to break into MI6…..

Overlord is on the brink of turning the world's population into zombie-like drones, forcing Nero to activate Zero Hour: the ultimate defence

In this follow-up to "H.I.V.E.," Otto's best friend and roommate Wing Fanchu has been murdered. Now Otto and Dr. Nero must band together to fight the evil Cypher to stop him from destroying the world.

Super-slick, all-action and very very funny, this is James Bond meets Artemis Fowl with a dastardly twist - even the goodies are baddies!