Books published by Rucksack Press

Lost parents. An unescapable city. A daughter who will not stop.Soarsha wants three things for her tenth birthday: sushi, chocolate cake, and listening to Wandering Heroes with her dad. Sure, she longs to find her mom, lost in the wasteland beyond Dedalo''s prison-bar skyscrapers and impassable ringwall. Yeah, she wishes her classmates would stop tormenting her. Especially after she sneezed during her bully''s sharing time. Better to let the shadow monster eat her... and when her father goes missing, she just might have to. Whether you love labyrinths, purple, radio shows, mysterious quests, the scent of lavender, comic books, boundless hope, or a city unlike any other in science fiction and fantasy, get ready for a STRANGE RIDE. The Rucksack Universe series combines alternate history, speculative fiction, myth, adventure, globetrotting, and intrigue-all with well-poured pints of beer. Library Journal says Anthony St. Clair''s storytelling has "universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett," and readers say they love the Rucksack Universe''s unique combination of "quirk, wit, travel, and magic."

The fortress is ready. Is her heart?All that Jade Agamuskara Bluegold wanted was to start her new job. Sure, a train was taking her across India to be a mystical bartender who steered decision and destiny. But that didn’t mean she was ready for a world-shattering, legend-shrouded, mysterious quest to be dropped at her feet.Legends say that eons ago a mythical people exiled themselves to a hidden Himalayan paradise filled with a vast power. Now a menacing man has found the Heart of the World. Before he unleashes a terrible fate that destroys all life, Jade must figure out how to stop him, no matter what it takes.The Rucksack Universe series combines alternate history, speculative fiction, myth, adventure, globetrotting, and intrigue—all with well-poured pints of beer. Library Journal says Anthony St. Clair’s storytelling has “universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett,” and readers say they love the Rucksack Universe’s unique combination of “quirk, wit, travel, and magic.”

Follow the Black Road.No friends, no texts, no nothing. In Morocco, Wander just wants a solitary birthday walk. Instead, two strange trees lead the lone traveler to the ultimate journey. Marooned in a scarred world both different and familiar, Wander tries to make sense of an Ireland that has no Internet or Guinness, but abounds with odd companions. Wander falls in with Awen, a mysterious old woman, and Faddah Rucksack, a bewildering ragged man. He's as out of place as Wander but must confront past mistakes and a shadow threatening the future.The unlikely trio undertakes a difficult adventure of the road-and the heart. Their only path is a place none travel: the Black Road that remains after a world-altering catastrophe. From a surprise in the Irish Sea to England's Black Cliffs of Dover, Wander confronts the promise and peril of seeking home when your heart is caught between two worlds.The Rucksack Universe series combines alternate history, speculative fiction, myth, adventure, globetrotting, and intrigue-all with well-poured pints of beer. Library Journal says Anthony St. Clair's storytelling has "universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett," and readers say they love the Rucksack Universe's unique combination of "quirk, wit, travel, and magic."

In a rebuilt London, trouble is brewing.In a world where a bottle of stout can change destinies, all Branwen Porter and her sister Zara want is to become brewers of the world's oldest and most popular beer, Galway Pradesh Stout. But the brewmaster won't give them a second glance, much less try their homebrew. A chance encounter with a man in black and a stolen briefcase changes everything. Zara and Branwen find themselves on a collision course with the most dangerous man in the world and his terrible plans for the beer. Two ancient enemies will renew a bitter vendetta, and the sisters will discover their new destiny-but only if they can choose between their dreams and each other.THE LOTUS AND THE BARLEY is a captivating page-turner in Anthony St. Clair's Rucksack Universe. If you like Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, or Octavia Butler, you'll love this ongoing fantasy series of globetrotting intrigue, myth, and adventure.

Their entwined fate becomes his impossible choice.A strange eclipse looms above India's city of the smiling fire. When an ancient evil awakens, the world teeters on a razor's edge of life and annihilation.Rootless globetrotter Jay wanted Agamuskara to be just another place he visited, but the strange object in his backpack has other ideas. In the global secret order of Jakes and Jades, destiny-changing Jade Agamuskara Bluegold stands above the rest, all the while keeping up appearances as the humble proprietor of the Everest Base Camp Pub & Hostel. However, she struggles to untangle the terrible future she foresees and to ignore her doubts about her past choices. Despite themselves, both Jade and Jay befriend the evasive, stout-quaffing Faddah Rucksack-a man without a destiny who seems determined to direct their own. As fires rage in a land of ash, a backpacker, a bartender, and the world's only Himalayan-Irish sage become trapped between their entwined fate and an impossible choice.FOREVER THE ROAD is a captivating page-turner in Anthony St. Clair's Rucksack Universe. If you like Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, or Octavia Butler, you'll love this ongoing fantasy series of globetrotting intrigue.