New Releases by Catherine Fisher

Alick is fascinated by Luke Ferris - the Conjuror! Where does he get his strange powers of healing? Why has he got six fingers? What is his connection with the sinister goings-on at the Mere in Halcombe Great Wood? Then Alick follows the Conjuror to the secret chamber under the hillside. There he discovers the ancient game of Fidchell and accidentally removes a key piece in the game - unleashing dark and terrifying forces on to the world.

Meurig, the fiddler, is a haunted man. Hafren, the evil spirit-woman of the Severn has captured his soul and now possesses the key to his life - a small candle stub. Hafren taunts and torments Meurig but with help from Conor and Sara, he CAN take back his life from her watery grasp - at the cost of flooding the land. Meurig must make his choice - his life or the village. . . . . .

Jamie was at the library looking for a book that was different, one he could get lost in. But he didn''t mean it literally. The Book with his own name in it leads Jamie and his sister Jenny into the Summer Country - a world of magic and danger, where even time behaves strangely; where Fintan''s Tower has held its prisoner since the days of Camelot, and will keep Jamie and Jenny, too, unless Jamie can read the book right . . .

A creature moves down out of the uttermost North. It''s a sending summoned by Gudrun to cause destruction in the kingdom of Wulfgar, and as it travels down towards the Jarlshold it leaves a trail of devastation in its wake. Kari Ragnarrson tells his friends of old that he knows why the creature is coming: it has been sent by Gudrun as a test for him, a test of the powers which he has inherited from her. Ultimately, Kari must come to terms with the full strength of his powers in order to win his struggle and defeat the curse of Gudrun. It is a battle of the spirit which Kari knows he must win.

THE SNOW WALKER''S SON is a book of intrigue; of banishment and sorcery; of an ice cold winter and an unseen evil eye. Jessa and Thorkil are banished by the evil witch Gudrun to the ice kingdom to the North. Here they will be incarcerated with Gudrun''s son Kari; about whom there are the most terrible tales. He is rumoured to be half-man, half-beast and is a figure of dread. After an endless journey, Thorkil and Jessa arrive and, at last meet Kari. He is not as they feared but is a slight winsome young man. His only terror is that he, too, has the power. But he is determined to use the magic wisely.

Galen has spent the winter in Sarres, building a power-base round the symbolic leadership of the Interrex. But as Relic Master, he knows that to face the mysterious Margrave he needs to seek out the Coronet of Flain to complete his powers. Also, Galen and Raffi rescue two men from execution by the Watch: a keeper and a sceptic. These new men severely test Galen''s and Raffi''s belief in the Order''s ultimate success. Meanwhile, Carys continues to struggle to leave the Watch and its way behind as she gradually accepts the help given to her by the Sekoi.

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.

Huw is supposed to be the lucky one. He survived. But when he tries to start a new life - after tragedy has ripped his old one apart - he finds he can''t shake off the past. Strange dreams and weird visions seep into his waking moments until real life becomes a living nightmare, and Huw knows he has no choice but to come face to face with the mysterious myth of Belin''s Hill and bury its legacy for good.

Raffi is apprenticed to the Relic Master, Galen, whose task is to keep safe the relics of a bygone age. But his powers are weakening and he and Raffi set off to meet the Makers in the City of the Crows and discover why. The journey is beset with dangers and Raffi''s courage is tested at every turn. They are joined by the enigmatic girl Carys and face an uncertain future in the City of Destruction. Will they be able to summon the Crow to help them? Or will the everpresent Watch eventually eliminate them?

When the evil Snow-Walker Gudrun steals Signi''s soul on the eve of her wedding, Kari knows it is his mother''s sign to take up her final, most dreadful confrontation - from which only one of them can emerge alive. Together with his stalwart friends, Jessa, Brochael, Skapti and Hakon he sets off to challenge Gudrun in her own land, beyond the rainbow bridge. It''s a journey few before have dared attempt -and from which none have returned. . .

The fourth installment in the Relic Master quartet! Galen and Raffi''s quest has brought them to the Pits of Maar. There, below the surface of the world, in the deepest darkness, a most evil thing is waiting for them to come. Watch a Video

The third installment in the Relic Master quartet! The coronet, a potent ancient relic, might be the only way to defeat the power that is destroying Anara. But it has been lost for centuries, and only legend tells of its whereabouts. Will Galen and Raffi be able to find it before the Watch does? Watch a Video

The second installment in the Relic Master quartet! Even though Tasceron and its Emperor have fallen, there is a rumor that the heiress to the throne still lives. If so, her life is in grave danger, especially from the Watch. Galen and Raffi must race to find and protect her. Watch a Video

Welcome to Anara, a world mysteriously crumbling to devastation, where nothing is what it seems: Ancient relics emit technologically advanced powers, members of the old Order are hunted by the governing Watch yet revered by the people, and the great energy that connects all seems to also be destroying all. The only hope for the world lies in Galen, a man of the old Order and a Keeper of relics, and his sixteen-year-old apprentice, Raffi. They know of a secret relic with great power that has been hidden for centuries. As they search for it, they will be tested beyond their limits. For there are monsters-some human, some not-that also want the relic''s power and will stop at nothing to get it. Watch a Video

Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells and corridors, but metal forests, dilapidated cities, and wilderness. It has been sealed for centuries, and only one man has ever escaped. Finn has always been a prisoner here. Although he has no memory of his childhood, he is sure he came from Outside. His link to the Outside, his chance to break free, is Claudia, the warden''s daughter, herself determined to escape an arranged marriage. They are up against impossible odds, but one thing looms above all: Incarceron itself is alive . . .

Each year the Lammas Fair draws musicians and story-tellers to the grounds of the 17th-century house where Mick''s father is manager. This year a woman comes to sell herbs and candles - and offer Mick help with his music. His flute-playing blossoms, yet he is consumed by it, fading as the music swells. Grotesque incidents mar the Fair. In horror, Mick''s friend Katie understands the woman is drawing Mick into the Otherworld, to cross the boundary for ever. A compelling evocation of ancient folklore: the luring of a young man by a faery woman, and the rites of the Corn King, nurtured to full growth, then cut down.

After his escape form the sentient prison, Incarceron, Finn finds that the Realm is not at all what he expected, and he does not know whether he is to be its king, how to free his imprisoned friends, or how to stop Incarceron''s quest to be free of its own nature.

Sixteen-year-old Raffi and Master Galen continue to evade the Watch as they seek the Coronet, a potent ancient relic that could be their only hope for defeating the power that is destroying Anara.

In the distant land of deserts and islands, the servants of the god rule the land, his wishes conveyed through the Oracle and interpreted by the High Priestess. Mirany is the new Bearer, afraid of her perilous duties for the god in the rituals of the Oracle, and fearful of her secret questioning ... Does the god truly exist? The priestess is corrupt and in secret partnership with the General, ruler, since the God-on-Earth, the Archon, has no real power - chosen as a child, his face always masked, never seen by outsiders. Should any national tragedy occur, he is also the sacrifice. When the old Archon dies, his spirit migrates into a child, and there are several candidates for succession. But Mirany begins to experience the real visions of the god, discovers which child is the rightful heir, and that the General and High Priestess intend to choose another child and seize power. With only a tomb-robbing scribe and a mad musician for allies, Mirany begins her quest - knowing that, if she is betrayed, her fate will be to be walled up alive in the Archon''s tomb ...

Breathtaking sequel to The Oracle, the Archon must face a journey of treachery and adventure across the pitiless desert in a bid to save his people ... The Archon vows to lead a pilgrimage to the Well of Songs to seek peace with the Rain Queen and save the land from the terrible drought. The Well is hidden in the mountains across the desert. But he is not the only one with his sight set on the mountains: Argelin, the tyrannical and power-hungry General, follows behind, an ever-present threat, with his heart set on the riches to be found. With only Oblek, Seth and two tomb-thieves known as the Jackal and the Fox for company, the Archon''s journey is treacherous and dangerous. They must face the Great Desolation and the monstrous animals outlined on the desert floor, animals with mythical powers, and they must survive without Mirany, bearer-of-the-god and true friend of the Archon, who has had to remain behind to face a threat much closer to home ...

The final story in the Oracle sequence. We are again in the distand land of deserts and islands ruled by one god whose wishes are conveyed through the Oracle. The Archon, child god-on-earth, returns from his journey across the desert to the Well of Songs, to find the tyrannical General Argelin has siezed control and his reign of madness is oppressing the Two Lands. He has publicly denounced the gods, and established a reign of terror. Mirany is in hiding, and the Nine are scattered. Will Argelin''s obsession bring the Rain Queen''s wrath down on them all? And whose is the sinister new power hidden in the sign of the Scarab? In the descent into anarchy, Mirany and the Archon must attempt the final, impossible journey of the soul. Through the Nine Gateways into death. And back.

In an absorbing mystery thriller, a teenage girl with a past arrives in a city: new name, new identity, new foster family. She has chosen the city herself, and is fascinated by its harmony and beauty, but is clearly in fear of discovery. She is nursing a secret from her early childhood, a secret that produces new terrors for her the moment she fears her identity has been spotted. A parallel narrative tells of a young architect''s apprentice, Zak, in 1750 - working with Jonathan Forrest, a man obsessed with past Druidic mysteries and a new architectural vision for the city. He plans to create the world''s first circular terraced street, the King''s Circus - a plan greeted with scorn and derision. Zac soon realises there''s more than just obsession with an architectural vision; there is some secret associated with building a hidden chamber in the centre of the Circus. But Zac himself has his own confused and highly destructive agenda ... These narratives are framed by the voice of Bladud - mythical first builder of the city, destined to die in trying to fly. And ultimately his narrative brings all together in a clever and brilliantly intriguing climax.

Raffi is apprenticed to the Relic Master, Galen, whose task is to keep safe the relics of a bygone age. But his powers are weakening and he and Raffi set off to meet the Makers in the City of the Crows and discover why. The journey is beset with dangers and Raffi''s courage is tested at every turn. They are joined by the enigmatic girl Carys and face an uncertain future in the City of Destruction. Will they be able to summon the Crow to help them? Or will the everpresent Watch eventually eliminate them?

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.

"The ghost in Sarahs bedroom is begging for help. He just needs her to open a box.... can she save a soul, or is it a dreadful trap? Chilling supernatural thriller.

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.

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.