Books with author Paul Staton

Jeremy Bennett was expecting a quiet tranquil few days with his grandparents at their cottage in the country. What he got was anything but. Finding himself abducted by a number of delinquent dwarfs and whisked off through a time portal into another dimension he really didn't think matters could get any worse. He was wrong. Having been mistaken for a powerful wizard he is obliged to live on his wits, whilst trying to find a way of getting home again. His only hope is to speak with the resident wizard Montacute. Unfortunately he is getting passed his best and often makes mistakes whilst performing spells. To top it all the throne is in danger of being usurped, and what's more Old Smokey, the volcano overlooking the dwarf citadel is in imminent danger of exploding. Can Jeremy help find a solution to all these problems? If only he could solve the puzzle of getting the magical Oracle to work. Trouble is no-one has managed it to-date, not even Montacute. What chance does he stand?

Tarmy fit-for-nothing was apprenticed to the sorcerer Spindlecroft – not that he ever learnt any magic, as most of his time was taken up by doing what dogsbodies do best, that is mopping, cleaning, polishing and taking out the slop. Life itself wasn’t all bad however, after all he had his own straw mattress to sleep on in the workshop, and there was all the stale bread he could eat, and only very rarely did he get turned into something unpleasant when Spindlecroft was angry with him. But his job also meant that he had responsibilities. His master would very often expect him to obtain the ingredients that were needed to prepare a spell. And of course they had to be precise ingredients, one couldn’t afford to cut any corners where that was concerned, or the spell may not work. At the present time Spindlecroft was engaged in preparing a most difficult and altogether precarious spell, one that if worked would save them all from the ravages of the Cosmic Worm, (a huge creature that could devour entire towns). This meant that Tarmy needed to be on the ball, or they would all perish. There couldn’t afford to be any distractions, distractions like a treasure-map turning up for instance. What was a lad supposed to do…?

With Spindlecroft currently away on business life in Buckleden for a dogsbody should have been idyllic - there were fewer chores to be done, no abuse (either physical or verbal). And so Tarmy intended to make the most of it. And what with the annual fair coming to town things really couldn't look rosier. The problems bigan when Witheringly goes and gets himself arrested for robbery, despite being innocent, and then to top it all gets sentenced to death by hanging. Strong measures are called for. But what can Tarmy do? The answer comes in the form of a new found friend - Pigpen, who turns out to be more of a disaster than Witheringly. Realising that their options are limited he decides to take matters into his own hands, and so with the help of one of Spindlecrot's spell books he raises a demon, hoping that it will help them spring Witheringly from jail. It doesn't. But what it does is to bring the Scarlet death to the town. People begin to drop like flies, leaving Pigpen no alternative but to summon another demon to hopefully eradicate the first. It's funny how things very rarely turn out the way they are expected to.

The Sorcerer Spindlecroft was entered for the grand magician’s contest, a contest that held only once every hundred years. It was to be held in the fabled and magnificent city of Cirenthia, and was open to the best wizard’s, warlocks, witches and sorcerer’s throughout the land. Spindlecroft had missed out on winning the contest previously, due, or so he maintained, to the underhanded skulduggery perpetrated by the wizard Runcible. He had never forgotten it and was determined to have his revenge this time come what may. Unfortunately, the natural choice to take with him to act as his apprentice was his nephew Flott-Bot, who had broken his leg, so effectively was out of the running. This meant that Spindlecroft was obliged (much against his better judgement) to settle for second best, and so his dogsbody, Tarmy fit-for-nothing, was seconded instead. A half-wit was not an ideal choice to act as an apprentice, not when so much rested on things going smoothly, so Tarmy’s friend Witheringly was roped in to help – the reasoning being that two half-wits should at least provide one whole wit. It was a decision Spindlecroft was to come to regret.

Spindlecroft needs ingredients in order to create a special potion for the King's birthday he therefore sends Tarmy & Witheringly to collect them. What could be simpler? For most people it would be a pretty straight forward errand, for our two intrepid heroes however things are never quite that simple and the errand turns into a quest. Along the way they encounter a witch a golem a troll a goblin and not to mention a whole load of townsfolk who are out to do them harm. Well that's to be expected after robbing most of them - even if they didn't know they were doing it. Could things get any worse? You betcha they could.

With his splinter of the Oracle still safe in his keeping Jeremy Bennett is determined to return to Braggon and visit his friend Bogwash the groll and the dwarfs at the earliest opportunity. But things rarely go according to plan. At a boot-fair he witnesses something he doesn't expect - himself peering through a hedge back at him. '...No magic...secret...reverse it...' it had said before disappearing. But what did it all mean? Before he can use his piece of the Oracle to transport himself back to the land of the dwarfs a strange ginger creature steals it leaving him stranded in his own world. It's at moments like these a helping hand is needed, and Scuttlebutt, the wizard's famulus, is only too willing to help out. And so once again Jeremy finds himself in Mirandeer to begin yet another adventure with Boggie and the rest of the crew. Mayhem isn't too far away!

The close geographical proximity of Great Britain has had a profound impact on Irish history. The interaction and confrontation between the two peoples and cultures culminated in 1801 with the absorption of Ireland into Great Britain. The Irish struggled to retain their separate ethnic identity - defined by a distinctive language and cultural traditions, and by the Roman Catholic religion - and ultimately, to win independence. Religious discord, social and political instability, and outbreaks of armed rebellion mark the historical record. The Irish managed to survive and, in the end, they succeeded in securing their cherished goal of national self-identity. A democratic and prosperous nation open to the world, Ireland today comprises a synthesis of both Irish and English heritages. Providing a broad narrative and relating the central events that have shaped the country, "A Brief History of Ireland" touches on all aspects of Ireland's history, including political, economic, cultural, social, and foreign affairs.Recounting this country's long history - from the arrival of the Celts to recent economic developments that have brought booming prosperity and social change - the volume notes what makes Ireland unique among nations, including noteworthy contributions made by the Irish.