Flame Tree Publishing

Editor Martin Edwards has commissioned an entertaining range of stories from the membership of the world's most celebrated group of crime and mystery writers, the Crime Writers' Association (CWA). Founded over 70 years ago by John Creasey, the Crime Writers' Association supports, promotes and celebrates this most durable, adaptable and successful of genres, while supporting writers of every kind of crime fiction and non-fiction. In this new collection, enjoy 23 original, thrilling mysteries packed full of enthralling characters, drama and intrigue, by the following authors: Martine Bailey, Christine Poulson, Dea Parkin, Martin Edwards, C.J. Carver, Kate Ellis, Shawn Reilly Simmons, Phil Lecomber, L.C. Tyler, Glenda Young, Antony Johnston, Simon Dinsdale, Renita D'Silva, Paul Gitsham, Yvonne Eve Walus, Brian Price, Pam Plumb, Nick Guthrie, Margaret Holbrook, Andy Sykes, Cath Staincliffe, Roland Moore and Rachel Amphlett. The Flame Tree Beyond and Within short story collections bring together tales of myth and imagination by modern and contemporary writers, carefully selected by anthologists, and sometimes featuring short stories from a single author. Overall, the series presents a wide range of diverse and inclusive voices with myth, folkloric-inflected short fiction, and an emphasis on the supernatural, science fiction, the mysterious and the speculative. The books themselves are gorgeous, with foiled covers, printed edges and published only in hardcover editions, offering a lifetime of reading pleasure.

After exposing the dark origins of his world on the distant planet of Nabatea, Azad is a fugitive, hunted across the galaxy by the fearsome Vitruvian Authorities. But to lead a passive society into revolution, Azad and his crew must enlist the unlikely help of a space pirate with an agenda all her own. Their adventures once again draw them into the past, into the early days of settlement on Nabatea, where a death continues to haunt the fledgling community and a mother must contend with her son’s monstrous vision for their new home. 

Our fantasies may be revealed in our dreams, they find us, suspended in the twilight zone of reality and a dream-like state, blurring what is real and what isn’t, balancing on the known and unknown. Lost loves or new loves materialise from the mists in this amorphous world – will they solidify into reality or vanish from whence they came? Still, we yearn to dream, craving to see a face again from a distant place, but where there is light, the cracks can be filled with darkness, where dreams can look like nightmares, a veil that is pulled across our eyelids. It jolts us back into reality. We choose to create and control our desires, yet with no beginning or end – are we really the masters at all? Featuring a foreword by Alexandra Beaumont, and stories by these authors: Benjamin Adams, Aishatu Ado, Dee Alberts, Danielle Marie Cahill, Bella Chacha, Victor W. Clubb, Irene W. Collins, K.S. Dearsley, H.L. Docherty, Philip Brian Hall, Diyora Kabilova, Shona Kinsella, Vanessa Ziff Lasdon, Corina Lee, Hayden Lewis, Trixie Nisbet, Anna Rose, Peter K. Rothe, M.L. Smythe, Kathleen Stanley, Rose Strickman, E.W.H. Thornton, Theresa Tyree, Rod A. White and Nemma Wollenfang. Flame Tree Romantic Fantasy – a captivating blend of our signature Gothic Fantasy collections with the passion and magic of Romantasy. This series featuring stories selected from open submissions is an exciting addition to Flame Tree's Beyond & Within, Myths, Gods & Immortals, Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales Collections, all beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offering a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Since ancient times and across realms the clash of swords and clatter of shields punctuate pursuits of love. A part of Flame Tree's thrilling new series of Romantic Fantasy titles, Of Swords & Roses features tales of chivalry and court intrigue; quests of passion and honour; wars waged for the sake of a beloved's hand; and great sacrifices made in the name of love. Such endeavours may play out as open clashes on the battlefield, or as guileful strategy woven into court rivalries. With a flavour of the fantastical, tales are twined with magic or abound with whimsical creatures, spanning kingdoms or bridging worlds. A chivalric hero may clash with their enemy to win another's affections; or perhaps that enemy proves to have been The One all along? Featuring a foreword by Kristen Cipriano, and stories by these authors: Erica Barnes, Keyan Bowes, Kim Chance, Deborah L. Davitt, Sarina Dorie, Umenyi Chisomaga Evelyn, Jonathan Ficke, Jess L. Freed, M.A. Gardner, Georgina Kamsika, A.L. Keane, Sasha Kielman, AJ Lancaster, Jessica Lévai, M. McNamara, S.C. Mills, Charity Ogechi, Jennifer R. Povey, Ziggy Schutz, Laura Shenton, S.S.N. Smith, Gemma Sterling, Celia Winter and Aubrey Wroth. Flame Tree Romantic Fantasy – a captivating blend of our signature Gothic Fantasy collections with the passion and magic of Romantasy. This series featuring stories selected from open submissions is an exciting addition to Flame Tree's Beyond & Within, Myths, Gods & Immortals, Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales Collections, all beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offering a lifetime of reading pleasure.

With a new introduction, this collection of Slavic tales is based on the oral storytelling traditions of the peoples of Eastern Europe, from the Polish and the Slovaks to the Macedonians, Croats, Czechs and Serbians, with roots in ancient folklore and influenced by the Viking traders who settled in Kiev in the early middle ages. Stories abound with mountains, magic palaces and temples in such incredible tales as 'The King of the Toads', 'Vassilissa the Cunning', 'The Frog Princess' and 'The Feather of Bright Finist the Falcon'. Also includes 'The History of Vampires in the Slavic World'. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Odysseus is the cunning wanderer from the fall of Troy, breaker of oaths and teller of tales. His story is immortalised in Homer's Odyssey and will endure as long as humanity, forever capturing the imagination, not least because of the entities he meets along the way: the savage Cyclops Polyphemus, the enticing Sirens, and fearsome Scylla and Charybdis. He is considered a hero, but do we see him as the ancients did? Is he truly a hero when we know that – like many male heroes of myth – he was a killer, an adulterer, a liar and an all-round deceiver? Created through open submissions and supported by an extensive introduction examining the origins of Odysseus, this is a wonderful new book in the best tradition of Flame Tree's collectable hardcover editions. Introductory essay by Silvia Montiglio, and foreword by Edith Hall. The modern authors whose stories feature in this book are: Benjamin Cyril Arthur, Konstantin Asimonov, John Capetanos, Brenda W. Clough, Marlaina Cockcroft, Travis Earl, Ayden June Fitzgerald, Katie Frendreis, Rayne Hall, Jovel Royal, Sara Itka, Naomi Jae, Kiera Mathis Jones, L.G. Merrick, Kevin Potter, Ruth Knafo Setton, Brendan Smith and Rod A. White. About the series: Discover the mythology of humankind through its heroes, characters, gods and immortal figures. Myths, Gods & Immortals brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a legendary, mythological or folkloric figure, with new stories alongside a comprehensive introduction which tells the original tales and emphasizes ancient and modern connections, tracing history and stories across continents, cultures and peoples. New and emerging writers from open submissions reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well known stories, complementing the specially commissioned story of the origins and the cultural background from the era. The first titles are Medusa, Odin, Circe, Anansi, Achilles, Morgana le Fay, Loki and Aphrodite.

The Valkyries – fierce daughters of battle, riders of storm and shadow. They choose the slain and carry souls to glory, moving between mortal and divine. These fierce but angelic warrior goddesses escort half of those who have died in battle to Odin's hall of heroes: Valhalla. There they receive the heroes with horns of mead. But there is so much more to these heavily symbolic beings. The Valkyries are many and amorphous, some are named and famous – Brunhild (powerful and defiant), Gunnr (courageous in battle), Skuld (a Norn but also a Valkyrie) to name a few – while others exist in the shadows. This new collection features stories that tell the Valkyries’ own back stories, and echo their power: tales of fate, war, sacrifice and the mythic eternal. Stories selected from open submissions explore and expand on the classic tales and imagine completely new narratives. With an extensive new introduction to the ancient origins and stories, this powerful new title offers fresh perspectives on compelling characters. Introductory essay by Nancy Marie Brown, and foreword by Jóhanna Katrín Fri?riksdóttir. The modern authors whose stories feature in this book are: Ryaan Akmal, Don Bisdorf, Kay Hanifen, Ikechukwu Henry, E.K. Larson-Burnett, JB Riley, Laura Shenton, Nina Shepardson, Zac Sherman, D.L. Stille, Susanna Fraser Stone, Deborah Tapper, Benjamin Thomas, M.M. Williams, Mae Wilmarth, Johanna Wittenberg and Ernie Xu. About the series: Discover the mythology of humankind through its heroes, characters, gods and immortal figures. Myths, Gods & Immortals brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a legendary, mythological or folkloric figure, with new stories alongside a comprehensive introduction which tells the original tales and emphasizes ancient and modern connections, tracing history and stories across continents, cultures and peoples. New and emerging writers from open submissions reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well known stories, complementing the specially commissioned story of the origins and the cultural background from the era. Existing titles are Medusa, Odin, Anansi, Circe, Achilles, Morgana le Fay, Aphrodite and Loki.

Dragons may be fierce but they are symbols of great power, and the bond between human and dragon, once forged, can never be broken. Or can it? Can romance deal a deathly trail of vows abandoned, or forgotten, and can realms beyond our time conjure tales of Dragon Lords, warrior princesses and great rivalries? Modern writers have sought to explore these questions and more, in a new anthology of enchanting romantic fantasy fiction. Strong-willed, independent leads navigate epic fantasy worlds and emotionally charged quests, featuring lyrical romance, and of course, majestic dragons.

Time – at once fleeting and eternal – is a tricksy, intangible dimension. A Breath of Time, part of Flame Tree's exciting new series of Romantic Fantasy titles, is a collection filled with stories of lost loves, love discovered, love unreachable unless Time itself is conquered; stories of time-bending, time traveling, time distorting; of alternate history and parallel timelines, of ancient forests returning to haunt the present and great adventures through dreams and timeless mountain tops, all with hearts beating to the rhythm of romance.

“Stroud raises fascinating questions about the politics of space exploration.”– Publisher’s Weekly2121 AD. Three years after the first Mars conflict and the colony is still struggling to recover. Corporations fight to hold on to their investments. Old secrets resurface and new faces appear. Magnus Sirocco should never have been allowed to come here. He is a vigilante turned revolutionary who has been given a cause. He doesn’t lose. Ever. Peter Iskander leads a new religious mission to deliver the promised land to their people. And after being investigated, exonerated and promoted, Commodore Ellisa Shann returns, but when a ship is stolen, she is drawn into another deadly duel. FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launched in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.

Dark, Southern gothic tale of homicide detective Raven Burns, with a complicated past and a desperate case to solve. Black Girls Lit recommends the first book, A Killing Fire "to crime fiction and mystery lovers and fans of Ruth Ware and Gillian Flynn.”“Full-bodied and dynamic characters carry this one along a mystery, tying a brutal past with a bloody present that will keep you guessing right up to the finale.” — Unnerving Magazine on Book 1 in the series.Raven Burns owes her life to the kind souls who looked after her while her father, unbeknownst to them, sowed a path of blood and bodies from California to Louisiana as one of the most notorious serial killers ever known, Floyd “Fire” Burns. When Raven was a girl, Floyd brutally murdered one of those kind souls, Miss Ruth Jefferson, when the woman made the fatal decision to open the door to him on a pitch-black 4th of July night. As Raven learned of her father’s crimes, she vowed to do everything in her power to put men like him away. Decades later Raven’s hunt for a serial killer terrorizing the town leads her right back to that 4th of July night, and a memory that will make her question how much Floyd’s evil has settled in her bones.FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. Learn more about Flame Tree Press at www.flametreepress.com and connect on social media @FlameTreePress

Little treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. A gorgeous new edition. L. Frank Baum's work is universally celebrated and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is known worldwide as a classic, in particular for its 1939 musical film adaptation starring Judy Garland as Dorothy. Published in 1900, the novel depicted the young farm girl Dorothy and her pet dog Toto, who are swept away to the Land of Oz in a cyclone and meet a whole host of characters on their journey to the Emerald City. Baum was inspired by the works of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, focusing on manipulating the fairy tale tradition with an American feel in the Oz series. In addition to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (the first in the Oz series), this edition also includes the novels The Scarecrow of Oz and The Tin Woodman of Oz, centred around two of the original novel's beloved characters.

Little treasures, the FLAME TREE COLLECTABLE CLASSICS are chosen to create a delightful and timeless home library. Each stunning, gift edition features deluxe cover treatments, ribbon markers, luxury endpapers and gilded edges. The unabridged text is accompanied by a Glossary of Victorian and Literary terms produced for the modern reader. A gorgeous new edition. More tales from the iconic Baker Street consulting detective and his trustworthy friend Dr Watson. In this final collection of short stories to feature Sherlock Holmes, the pair live up to their enduring popularity among crime classic fans. Stories include The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire, The Problem of Thor Bridge, The Adventure of the Creeping Man, and more, all originally published in The Strand in the 1920s.

This beautiful collection with a new introduction compiles Edgar Allan Poe’s most terrifying and otherworldly works. Included are the very first modern detective stories, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, The Mystery of Marie Roget and The Purloined Letter. As well as these are the most famous of Poe’s works, including The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the House of Usher, The Premature Burial and The Tell-Tale Heart.

The Art of War has been a source of great strategical inspiration throughout the ages. Focusing on military strategy, psychology and tactics, each section concentrates on a different facet of warfare and draws out important themes such as communication, strength and positioning. Believed to have been written by Chinese strategist Sun Tzu, The Art of War is highly regarded amongst Chinese culture, but its enduring wisdom has had a far-reaching impact all over the world. Includes an extended introduction.

Also known as Yî Ching or The Book of Changes, I Ching is an ancient Chinese text of vast historical and cultural influence. Spanning the fields of divination, cosmology, morality and philosophy, with strong links to Confucianism, it has been interpreted in many different ways over the centuries and ultimately demonstrates an early attempt to understand the world and the human place within it. Reviving James Legge's classic nineteenth-century translation, this compact and accessible edition includes an illuminating introduction that casts fresh light on this fascinating text.