Books published by publisher Lume Books

William D'Amory dreams of battle and glory...But since his father died defending King Stephen, there is no money to train him for knighthood. Instead he must tend the pigs while his family prays England's bitter civil war will pass them by. Then comes a stranger on a secret mission, and William is plunged into danger and intrigue. Pursued across war-torn England in the company of a fugitive prince, he must at last face the truth about his father's death. This is an exciting debut by Jessamy Taylor, who blends a sure feel for story-telling with a vivid sense of period, in the tradition of Rosemary Sutcliff and Ronald Welch.Praise for King's Company:'There's a new bard on the scene. Taylor is a fresh, exciting new talent in historical fiction.' S.J.A Turney, author of the Marius' Mules seriesJessamy Taylor was born in 1975 and grew up in East Molesey in Surrey. She read History at Peterhouse, Cambridge, and went on to work in music publishing and in teaching. She lives in North London with her husband and three children.

As it was with so many young men, for Bernard Adams in 1914 it was like he was going off on some great adventure.Nothing could have prepared him for the reality he ended up facing.Placing his focus on the day to day existence of the soldiers in the trenches, Adams presents a grim picture of mud-coated billets, relentless artillery barrages, working parties, training and the art of military sniping.Just as it would have been for the soldiers’ lives, Adams heightens his work with an emotive account of his first night patrol, the detonation of mines, battlefield duels and being wounded whilst out wiring in No Man’s Land.Understated and striving for truth over melodrama, Nothing of Importance is the original memoir of the First World War — the only record published while the conflict was still being fought — and the definitive account of trench warfare.Bernard Adams (1890-1917) was a British Army officer, joining 1 Royal Welsh Fusiliers as a Lieutenant in November 1914. He was the first of a triumvirate of authors who, for a time, served simultaneously in the same battalion: the second was Siegfried Sassoon, the third Robert Graves. Written whilst convalescing in 1916, he did not live to see it published.

Edgar Allan Poe, author, poet, literary critic and editor, was born in Boston, January 19, 1809. His parents, Elizabeth Arnold and David Poe, were both actors who separated shortly after his birth. By the age of 2, Edgar was alone and semi-destitute with his siblings Henry and Rosalie – David remained an absent father and Elizabeth died tragically from tuberculosis, alone on a straw bed while her children looked on helplessly.This uncertainty and instability were patterns that continued throughout Poe’s life, mimicked in his art. Catastrophe, insanity, excess, dereliction and depression would haunt him whilst informing the psychological horror of his wildly popular tales and poems of horror and mystery, including ‘The Fall of the House of the Usher’, ‘The Raven’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’.Poe heralded a new interpretation of the Gothic form in American fiction and his genius and artistic prowess remain iconic. Yet his extraordinary life has frequently been the subject of conflicting, doubtful and contested information. Carefully documenting one of the most flawed, troubled and fascinating figures in literary history, a man of letters, philosophy, art and science, Woodberry presents a rare and in-depth account of Poe’s family background. Including personal correspondence and private notes, this is an elegant and mesmerising biography documenting Poe’s greatest eccentricities, achievements, affairs and sorrows.George Edward Woodberry (1855-1930) was an American literary critic and poet. Born in Massachusetts, he studied at Harvard University. His other titles include the biographies Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Swinburne.

Save the queen. Save history. Finish his homework. All in a day’s work for Jack Christie.Jack and Angus have been fully integrated into VIGIL life – live your life as normal and keep the secret. But at least secrets aren’t being kept from them, even if Jack has a tracker on him so VIGIL can make sure he’s safe from the Revisionists. But one day Jack gets a mysterious text, and Angus persuades him to break his radius to meet this secret “admirer.”The admirer turns out to be Jack’s father, who has broken away from the Revisionist’s after they threatened Jack and has left Jack and VIGIL a note about the Revisionist’s current plans to change history. Jack, Angus, and familiar faces from their first adventure are sent back to Elizabethan England to stop them, but something goes wrong in the time transfer and Jack and Angus are on their own in 1587. There they meet a traveling performance troupe with surprising ties to the world of spies and intrigue. Will they be able to stop the Revisionists and save the queen – along with history?Day of Deliverance picks up right where Day of Assassins leaves off and continues the high-paced adventure through time. This quick-paced exploration of what might have been is perfect for readers of all ages.Praise for Johnny O’Brien‘Johnny O’Brien’s original and consistently exciting novel makes sure that history truly comes alive in an unforgettable way.’ – The Independent‘A terrific debut. The characters of Jack Christie and Angus are brilliantly drawn...you’ll visualise the scenes and almost smell them as Jack tries to make sense of his new world. A very satisfying, sometimes shocking, but ultimately uplifting read.’ – loverreading.co.uk‘If you're still wondering, may I say that if ever there was a book to take a chance on, this is it. Expect it to win awards, it's that good.’ – Amazon reviewerJohnny O'Brien was born in Edinburgh and studied history at Cambridge University. He got the idea for The Jack Christie Adventures when he came across his grandfather's medals from World War I. His debut and first book in the series, Day of the Assassins was longlisted for the 2010 Branford Boase Award and for the Book Trust's Booked Up 2010 programme. It was also shortlisted for the Children's Quills, a new award for historical fiction for children administered through the Historical Association. Johnny lives in Surrey, England, with his family. Visit www.johnnyobrien.co.uk for more information

A NEW WORLD … A LEGENDARY EVILKell has left the Enclave of his childhood where he was nurtured, protected and controlled by the stifling presence of the All Mother – escaping into a wonderful but terrifying new world…A world of intense cold and blizzards, yet one of stunning beauty: a world of animals that have survived the cruelties of the ice for countless centuries: a world of people who struggle to prevail through incredible hardships – yet who now face obliteration in the teeth of a gathering storm.By an accident of fate Kell now runs with the Wulfen, the massive and fiercely intelligent descendants of wolves. He has spilled his blood with them: he has found kinship.But kinship comes at a price.For now Kell must confront a mortal enemy, the mythical Slaughterer of the Wulfen…Follow Kell and his new friends and foes on a riveting journey in ‘Storm’, a tale of gruelling battles with grotesque monsters and foes and of a people struggling to reclaim their homeland.Storm is the sequel to Ice, an enthralling young-adult fantasy adventure in the Wintering series. Perfect for fans of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials.Praise for Stephen Bowkett:‘It begins with excitement and action and moves into a deeper mystery, with chilling moments of revelation and wonder.’ SF Site‘[A] cleverly constructed plot’ Infinity PlusStephen Bowkett was born and brought up in a mining valley in South Wales. He taught English at secondary school in Leicestershire for many years before becoming a full-time writer, and a qualified hypnotherapist. He has published twenty-five books, mainly science fiction and fantasy, for both adults and children. He also writes poetry, plays and educational non-fiction.

A first-hand account of one of the most controversial battles of the First World War...The year is 1914. The writer Compton Mackenzie is eager to do his duty to his country and join the army. But, suffering with Sciatica, he knows he will never pass any medical examination. Disillusioned, he resigns himself to travelling Europe and writing his next book when fate presents an opportunity. He is offered a Staff Job by Sir Ian Hamilton, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. He travels immediately to the coasts of the Aegean. This journey is the beginning of Mackenzie’s experience of the First World War, which was to culminate in the epic, harrowing conflict of the Gallipoli Expedition.Gallipoli Memories throws fresh light on many of the more obscure and unknown issues of that campaign. Described masterfully by a writer who found fame with books such as Whisky Galore and The Monarch of the Glen, it provides a fascinating account of the battle, and the bravery of the men who fought it. Compton Mackenzie was a prolific writer of fiction, biography, histories and memoir, as well as a cultural commentator, raconteur and lifelong Scottish nationalist. He was one of the co-founders in 1928 of the Scottish National Party and was knighted in 1952.

“I know we’re forty years in the future… but everything’s changed… it’s like there’s been a new ice age or something.”Jack and Angus are playing the newly released version of Point-of-Departure, which they’ve discovered is coded by VIGIL, explaining the extensive realism of the game, when they get a message on screen through the game: they need to meet the messenger for a clandestine meeting with Jack’s father.The boys take a trip up to the Edinburgh museum where they’re passed a mysterious note with a location. Travelling to Tantallon on the coast, they discover that Jack’s father has led them to the Revisionist Taurus, but it’s strangely deserted – except for a couple bodies and some blood. The boys quickly check the Taurus to see where Jack’s father has escaped to in time and discover that he’s gone to the future and he’s being chased by someone. A second time jump tells them that Jack’s father has travelled back in time to try and figure out what has caused the future to change so drastically – but so has his pursuer. Will Jack and Angus be able to get back in time to save Jack’s father?The fourth instalment in the Jack Christie Adventures, Day of Rebellion explores what would happen if modern tech got loose in the past. Perfect for lovers of history and historical fiction alike, this novel packs history and science fiction into one thrilling adventure. Praise for Johnny O’Brien‘Johnny O’Brien’s original and consistently exciting novel makes sure that history truly comes alive in an unforgettable way.’ – The Independent‘A terrific debut. The characters of Jack Christie and Angus are brilliantly drawn...you’ll visualise the scenes and almost smell them as Jack tries to make sense of his new world. A very satisfying, sometimes shocking, but ultimately uplifting read.’ – loverreading.co.uk‘If you're still wondering, may I say that if ever there was a book to take a chance on, this is it. Expect it to win awards, it's that good.’ – Amazon reviewerJohnny O'Brien was born in Edinburgh and studied history at Cambridge University. He got the idea for The Jack Christie Adventures when he came across his grandfather's medals from World War I. His debut and first book in the series, Day of the Assassins was longlisted for the 2010 Branford Boase Award and for the Book Trust's Booked Up 2010 programme. It was also shortlisted for the Children's Quills, a new award for historical fiction for children administered through the Historical Association. Johnny lives in Surrey, England, with his family.

Your world can change in the blink of an eye.Newton Supermax, a corrupt and expansive city prison set way out in the desert, is Hell on Earth.Its streets and crumbling buildings are the refuge of the world’s rejects. Outside the walls, a vast, anonymous desert teems and crawls with a host of crazies, searching wildly for only one thing: food.And those prisoners unlucky enough to find themselves trapped inside Newton Supermax are prime prey.21 year old Claudi Drive is about to find out how fast an ordered life can turn to chaos.Newton is no normal prison: its inmates toil day-in, day-out manning the walls, collecting trinkets, and sifting through riverbeds for gold.Claudi knows that escape means death. The arid desert swallows up all those who flee.And when she comes across a huge chunk of gold in the river, she is presented with a confounding dilemma:Run – or be patient, wait it out.This hunk of precious metal would fund Newton for years to come, providing food and necessary care to its inmates. Without it, they’re doomed to a life of subservience and decay.What can she do?Her crew – Joe, Science, Sue-Minn, Moisty – are all behind her. They’ll follow wherever she goes. But inside the walls of Newton Supermax, there can be no escape.The prison will haunt you.Will Claudi be eaten alive?Or is there recluse from this Jail for the Damned?Praise for T S Mercer:'Best book I have read in a long time.' Amazon ReviewerT S Mercer has worked in a maximum security jail and alongside a TV illusionist – not at the same time, it must be pointed out. When not writing scripts and articles Mercer spends as much time as possible in a house that occupies a sliver of land between the rolling ocean and some of the most beautiful mountains on Earth. Jail for the Damned is Mercer’s first novel.

A new world … an old enemyIn the third and final part of major trilogy ‘The Wintering’, Kell fights fiercely for a new world. The enchanting possibility of freedom is now within reach, yet Kell knows that death lurks around every corner. Despite all that he has done and witnessed he is still only a boy. He has destroyed the city of Thule, the immense weight of one of the massive metal sky orbs sent crashing down on the city by his merest thought.Kell is still only a player in the ancient enigma of the Weird’s game. The web of obstacles is vast and the only way to find a way through the Weird’s mysteries is to trust to his feelings. Kell must follow his instincts and stand firm no matter how terrifying the battle becomes.The biggest obstacle of all, the All Mother, is not defeated. Kell must return to Perth, the enclave where he grew up, stifled by the false warmth and lies of the All Mother and face his oldest enemy. Only by making this perilous journey can he finally be free…Thaw is the final instalment of Stephen Bowkett’s thrilling Wintering Trilogy, following the adventures of Kell through a dangerous and mystic fantasy world.Praise for Stephen Bowkett:‘It begins with excitement and action and moves into a deeper mystery, with chilling moments of revelation and wonder.’ SF Site ‘[A] cleverly constructed plot’ Infinity Plus Stephen Bowkett was born and brought up in a mining valley in South Wales. He taught English at secondary school in Leicestershire for many years before becoming a full-time writer, and a qualified hypnotherapist. He has published twenty-five books, mainly science fiction and fantasy, for both adults and children. He also writes poetry, plays and educational non-fiction.

The 23.35 Kings Cross to Edinburgh, the night express, is about to depart...Amongst the passengers are several members of parliament on their way to The Party Conference in Perth… with no security. Enter Detective Chief Superintendent Simon Shard.The passengers have no idea what awaits them. Ian Costermaine was aboard, on his way to an important job interview; Mr and Mrs Irons had boarded the wrong train; two doctors, husband and wife, and their children were also aboard … but scattered amongst them were several middle-eastern faces … a peaceful bunch, unlike the Birmingham hoodlums … but all was about to change. Peaceful no more, with guns, the middle-eastern hijackers, soon have the PM and most of Britain in a frenzy. Their demands are simple: the custody of three High Court judges, and the release of their jailed colleagues. People will die and the train will be blown up in the heart of Durham. With a senior Treasury official and eleven Conservative MPs on board, there is a lot to lose. Hedge is in a fluster, hoping his man, Shard, will be able to bring things back in order as chaos descends on their carefully laid plans … Praise for Philip McCutchan‘Each chapter more exciting than the last’ Birmingham Post‘Fast moving and inventive’ Daily Telegraph‘Few write as well as McCutchan’ Kirkus ReviewPhilip McCutchan began writing in 1956. Prior to this, he joined the Royal Navy on the outbreak of World War Two as an Ordinary Signalman and ended the war as a lieutenant, having served in destroyers, aircraft carriers, cruisers, a battleships battlecruiser, an armed trawler, and an ocean boarding vessel. For three years after the war he sailed in Orient Liners on the Australian run and then for a time became an assistant master in a preparatory school.

A new frontier...In this thrilling follow up to Angus MacVicar’s THE LOST PLANET, we rejoin our narrator Jeremy, his uncle Lachlan, Janet, Spike, Madge and Asa on their return journey to The Lost Planet of Hesikos. Jeremy and his friends must get Asa back to her father before the menacing Herr Schenke comes to steal the Electronome from the Hesikians. The Electronome is a powerful device which can send thoughts to distant places, and with it under his control, Schenke plans to harness its powers for evil, waging war on the entire galaxy.But the people of Hesikos are a peaceful people, and they have neither the weapons nor the malice to take on Schenke and his men. It’s up to Uncle Lachlan and his team to come up with a plan to defeat their enemy, or, at least, to hold them off until Winter comes – in only ten days time. Asa’s father, Solveg, is tempted to give up the Electronome to maintain his people’s peaceful way of life, but doing so would put planet Earth, and his friends, in great danger. Solveg faces the ultimate problem: protect his people, or stand up in resistance to Herr Schenke.Will Uncle Lachlan’s brilliant scientific mind be enough to fend off Schenke’s advances? Or will he and his team have to adopt the peaceful Hesikian way of life to find a solution? SECRET OF THE LOST PLANET is a suspenseful science fiction adventure tale set around the mysterious world of Hesikos. Praise for Angus MacVicar:‘Absorbing science fiction’ Kirkus ReviewsAngus MacVicar was an accomplished Scottish author, screenwriter and playwright who published work in a variety of genres. Earlier in his career he was known for his crime thrillers and autobiography, but his early writing was interrupted by his service as a captain in the Royal Scots Fusiliers, which meant that most of his juvenile science fiction was not published until after World War II. It was then that his ‘Lost Planet’ series became extremely popular, with MacVicar himself adapting the stories as TV and radio serials.

"The Lords of Light are pleased to receive your offerings; be sure you have found favour in their sight..."Does she have what it takes to save her people?Following the tragic death of her mother and disownment by her father, Kyria finds herself an orphan and an outcast in the fishing village she once considered her home. With dark skin she inherited from her mother, Kyria is different. And difference will not help her in the events that lie ahead. When Kyria is selected for a ‘special worship’, she realises who her enemies truly are and the power to which her village people are subjected. Selected for this worship, Kyria is abandoned to die an a low-lying sea cave. Through the power of belief and her own iron will – and with the help of the mysterious lightstones – Kyria manages to escape. Aware of a reality unknown to the villagers, Kyria attempts to share this knowledge following her escape.However, she is recaptured and exiled to a harsh prison Island.Meanwhile, The Imperial Heir, Hilarion, grandson of the elderly Emperor, undergoes several tests to ensure he is capable of ruling upon the Emperor’s death. Shadowing his grandfather, Hilarion soon becomes aware of the evil lies of the Lords of Light. With the recent drought brought upon them, the harvest of grains is poor. In turn, the villagers, unknowingly, settle for higher priced portions of grain. The Lord of Light’s plan rapidly becomes apparent to Hilarion, and amidst spies and enemies, he seeks the Lightbearer … the one prophesied to save the land…Hilarion awaits the Lightbearer. Kyria awaits Fate.For fans of epic fantasy adventure by the likes of Robin Hobb and Ursula K. Le Guin, Imperial Light is a race against time across sweltering deserts, from magical, god-touched temples to wondrous corrupt cities.About Mary CorranMary Corran was born the younger daughter of an art historian and an Aegean Archeologist, which may explain the influence of Greek culture and history on her fantasy novels. Instead of pursuing an academic career, she decided to be a child of the seventies and travel overland to India and back. The need to develop a career sent her back to university to read History at Oxford, and marry a fellow student. After working in the City as an oil analyst for ten years, Mary went on to write the fantasy trilogy Imperial Light, Darkfell and Fate, which Venture Press will be publishing. Also available, a memoir chronicling her years of illness, Wasteland. She currently lives in Eastbourne, United Kingdom, where she is writing a new novel.