New Releases by Catherine FISHER

From the swirling mists and icy depths beyond the edge of the world came the snow-walker Gudrun, to rule the Jarl''s people with fear and sorcery. But a small band of outlaws are prepared to risk their lives to defeat Gudrun and restore the land to its rightful leader. This trilogy follows them in their quest, from the first terrifying journey to meet the mysterious snow-walker''s son, to the final battle in the lands beyond the rainbow bridge. The Snow-walker''s Son follows Jessa and Thorkil who, are sent to Thrasirshall in the empty wastelands to live with the mysterious Kari, Gudrun''s son. Led to believe Kari is some kind of monster they are shocked to discover he is a snow-walker, just like Gudrun, except with the desire to do good rather than evil. Together they journey back to the Jarshold to defeat Gudrun. In The Empty Hand Gudrun seeks revenge on those who banished her and sends a terrifying, faceless creature to the Jarlshold, and in The Soul Thieves, Kari and his companions must travel to the land of the snow-walkers to claim back the precious souls Gudrun has stolen. Here, Kari and Gudrun, mother and son and ultimate opponents, must fight their final battle.

Katie has had her fair share of heartache. The men that come into her life just end up making it more complicated and she is starting to lose her faith in the opposite sex altogether. The only exception is her Grandpa, Edward, whom she has lived with since the age of six after her parents died. He is the constant that makes Katie feel safe and happy and she enjoys the comfortable life they have built together in their large, country house - Sweet Haven. After yet another man turns out to be only after Katie''s wealth, she takes herself away to a seaside retreat - intent on relaxing and healing the wounds. However, Katie''s world is about to change forever as she meets Rob, the handsome singer from her hotel, and he sets out to convince her that not all men are the same; especially not this one.

In this modern day version of Perceval and the Holy Grail, a guilt-ridden British teenager leaves his mentally ill mother to live with his wealthy uncle and begins a journey of self-knowledge and redemption after being briefly transported to the Waste Land of Arthurian times.

In this rich, psychological fantasy for teens, Fisher escorts readers into a labyrinth called Unworld--a fairy-tale kingdom gone horribly wrong that is both the manifestation of an injured girl''s comatose state and the ultimate proving ground for her older brother.

The witch Gudrun casts a sleeping spell on the people of Jarlshold.

The dress was old, with a tear in the hem. It seemed to be a mix of colours, like a watery rainbow. ''That''s a Weather Dress,'' Sol said. "It will last you six days, but you mustn''t wear it for seven. The seventh day is dangerous...Remember,'' he said. ''Wear it only six times. Not once more! And keep it safe. I have an enemy who would like to steal it...'' When Molly buys a dress for a pound from Sol''s market stall, she cannot begin to imagine the sequence of events which will unfold, from an idyllic fun-filled day on the beach to an encounter with the queen of darkness herself. This sophisticated picture book is the first collaboration between award-winning author Catherine Fisher, and her sister, illustrator Maggy Davies. The beautiful illustrations create an appealing storybook with a sense of intrigue. The story can be appreciated on several levels and hence it can be enjoyed by a wide age group. Here''s an extremely well written story, a treat to read aloud.

Since Gudrun came from the frozen mists beyond the edge of the world, the Jarl''s people have obeyed her in hatred andterror. But the enchantress has one weakness: a son, Kari, banished to a forbidding fortress in the north, never seen by the Jarl''s people. In secret they wonder: Are the rumors true? Was he born a monster? Now Jessa and her cousin Thorkil have been exiled to the north, and if they survive the journey, they will find the truth: Is Kari a beast? Or the means to stop the sorceress?

Together with Alexos, Seth, Oblek, and a fallen silver star, Mirany is forced to continue the battle against the evil general Argelin.

Three classic fantasy novels that lead to wonderful and eerie worlds. This volume contains- THE CONJUROR''S GAME, THE CANDLE MAN and FINTAN''S TOWER.THE CONJUROR''S GAME, should never have been started. Now Luke must replace the Tree on the central square before the Knights and Ravens rampage in their eternal battle through in the snowbound villages of Halcombe Great Wood. Can a man''s soul be trapped in a candle? Cursed from infancy Meurig treasures the candle as his dearest possession. But what happens if it is stolen by his enemy, a water goddess of immense power?THE CANDLE MAN is a tale soaked in mist and marshland. Jennie and Jamie find a magical book that offers to lead them to Fintan''s Tower. But who are the three strangers that pursue them? How can they know whom to trust, when the glass tower contains unimaginable terrors, and the only time they have left is a wink of the sun''s eye?

Having tapped into the Crow, the Order''s legendary powerhouse, Galen is charged with a force beyond anything he, or his apprentice, Raffi have ever known. And when, during the ritual ceremony on the night of Flainsdeath, Galen receives a message from the makers urging him to find the Interrex - the child of the last great Emperor - Galen knows that the Keepers are tantalisingly close to the brink of a revolution. Meanwhile, Gary is struggling to come to terms with her past, her identity and the mystery of how she became a member of the Watch.

The fate of an Italian icon damaged by floods, a Victorian skeleton, and a Vampire Ballet are amongst the many unusual subjects of the poems in this new collection by Catherine Fisher. Lyrical grace combined with a sharp eye for imagery and a precise use of language are her hallmarks. Her themes are history, religion, and distinctively for this book, memory, highlighted in her sequence about an amnesiac and in the final section of sonnets, an imaginative chronicle of immigrant forebears. "... an enviable clarity of intent, purpose and execution" Ian MacMillan, Poetry Review Catherine Fisher is the author of three volumes of poetry for Seren: Immrama, The Unexplored Ocean and Altered States. She is also a novelist for children; her books include The Conjurer''s Game which was shortlisted for the Smarties prize in 1992 and has been serialised on Radio 5. She works as a teacher in Newport, Gwent.

The plight of imprisoned African American women is detailed in this study. It is apparent that the nation''s prison systems are ill-equipped to meet the basic needs of the ever-growing female population, and that government has done very little to address the underlying causes of crime. Child care, medical conditions, the historical plight of incarcerated African American women, alternatives to prisons and future trends are also covered. The primary research is supported by the author''s survey of prison populations.

In this striking collection Catherine Fisher mixes vivid and particular poems about the Welsh landscape such as ''The Four Seasons'' and ''Field-walking'', with historical monologues such as ''Incident at Conwy'' and scenes from myth like ''Merlin on Ynys Enlli''. With an archeologist''s care, she sifts her imagery from the past and examines it in minute, careful detail. The title sequence, based on the journals of James Hartshill, a traveller on the voyages of Captain James Cook in the south Pacific in the eighteenth century, is a triumph of her technique. The famous explorer''s stubborn and heroic character and his adventures in the perilous frozen wastes of the Antarctic and among the natives ''sudden and dangerous as children'' of the lush Pacific islands are marvellously portrayed. "She writes imaginatively, bringing dead things to life, boldly placing them in the present world" Planet "I am conscious here of the quality of passion implicit in her work, and the exciting prospect of the future for a writer who clearly has so much more to say" New Welsh Review Catherine Fisher is the author of three volumes of poetry for Seren: Immrama, The Unexplored Ocean and Altered States. She is also a novelist for children; her books include The Conjurer''s Game which was shortlisted for the Smarties prize in 1992 and has been serialised on Radio 5. She works as a teacher in Newport, Gwent.