Books published by Orion

Every war come down to the flash of bright steel.Even when the air is full of magic . . .Aranthur and his friends have come together across different continents and realms with one purpose: to strike back against the forces which have torn a hole in the heavens and threaten to tear the world beneath them apart as well.With time running short, and treason at home, there are battles to be fought on the field, in the magical arena, and in the ever-deadly realm of politics, and they cannot fail anywhere or everything will fall. Victory will require enemies to trust one another, old foes to fight together, spies to reveal the truth and steadfast allies to betray long-corrupt rulers.Is Aranthur, a twenty-year-old student, really the master strategist to bring it all together?And can he and his friends build enough trust to overcome aeons of lies when their plans inevitably fall to pieces? Do they even know, for sure, who the enemy is . . . ?Praise for Miles Cameron'A masterclass in how to write modern fantasy . . . Miles Cameron is at the top of his game' John Gwynne'A fresh take on the typical farm boy turned hero fantasy, this is everything you could possibly want in a fantasy series' The Bibliophile Chronicles'A stirring, gritty and at times quite brutal epic fantasy' Tor.com'This series promises to be the standout epic fantasy for the ages' Fantasy Book Critic

Packed with action, love and betrayal, Tom Grass's electrifying heist thriller is a gripping reinvention of the Dickens classic, OLIVER TWIST.Soon to be a major film starring Michael Caine, Lena Headey, Rita Ora and Raff Law.Eighteen-year-old Twist doesn't have much. No money, no home and no family. All he has is his reputation as one of the most daring street artists in London - whose unique skills are matched only by his infamous talent as a climber and freerunner.But when he finds himself on the run from the police, he knows that he could be about to lose the last thing he has left - his freedom. Until he is saved by the mysterious Dodge. When Dodge introduces him to con artist and art 'collector' Cornelius Faginescu, Twist realises that he finally has the chance to be part of something. All that he has to do is put aside his moral objections and learn to steal...

Special edition of the award-winning Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES - includes exclusive extra material.'Britain's best crime novelist' DAILY EXPRESS'Ian Rankin is a genius' Lee ChildIn the 1960s, the infamous Bible John terrorised Scotland when he murdered three women, taking three souvenirs. Thirty years later, a copycat is at work, dubbed Johnny Bible. DI John Rebus's unconventional methods have got him in trouble before - now he's taken away from the inquiry and sent to investigate the killing of an off-duty oilman. But when his case clashes head-on with the Johnny Bible killings, he finds himself in the glare of a fearful media, whilst under the scrutiny of an internal enquiry. Just one mistake is likely to mean losing his job - and quite possibly his life.

Sometimes murder is the easy way out...A brilliant Rebus novel from the No.1 bestselling author of A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES.'Britain's No.1 crime writer' Daily Mirror'Ian Rankin is a genius' Lee ChildA mugging gone wrong ... or murder?A dissident Russian poet is found dead - at the same time a delegation of Russian businessmen arrives in town. For some, it is crucial that the case is closed quickly, clinically and with the minimum of attention.But DI Rebus and DS Siobhan Clarke believe this is something more than a random attack - especially after a particularly nasty second killing. Then, a brutal and premeditated assault on a local gangster puts Rebus in the frame - and he may not survive long enough to solve anything...

Napoleon warned 'Let China sleep; when she wakes, she will shake the world'. Lawrence James's magisterial history analyses the relationship between Britain and China between the beginning of the Opium Wars in 1839 and the transfer of power in Hong Kong in 1997. THE LION AND THE DRAGON reveals the part that Britain played in the awakening of China, then covers relations between the two countries during the period when an aroused China did indeed shake the world. Lawrence James also follows the parallel trajectories of four competitive empires - the British, the Chinese, the Russian and the Japanese - during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and then the fortunes of a fifth imperial power, the United States. Successive British governments saw China as a source of wealth which needed to be protected. Local objections were seen off by force (the 'Opium' wars of 1839-42, 1856-7 and 1859-60) whose results proved that the Qing emperors could not protect their country. Indian troops were deployed in each campaign and manned Britain's small garrisons in Hong Kong, Shanghai and other Treaty ports. Yet Britain never sought to make China into another India. Rather it allowed the emperors and their officials to govern, so long as they were docile and amenable to British needs. Paramount were the internal stability and fiscal responsibility that were the lubricants of trade. A unified nation with economic and military muscle, and aware of its distant past as one of the great nations of the world, has been intent on reversing her recent history. Lawrence James vividly chronicles a time when this huge nation's divisions encouraged foreigners to treat her as a treasure-house to be plundered at will. This warning from history explains why China's present rulers brook neither dissent nor popular unrest.