Sharps

The colony was founded seventy years ago. The plan was originally to mine silver, but there turned out not to be any.Now an uneasy peace exists on the island, between the colonists and the once-noble met'Oc, a family in exile on a remote stronghold for their role in a vaguely remembered civil war. The met'Oc are tolerated, in spite of occasional cattle stealing raids, since they alone possess the weapons considered necessary protection in the event of the island's savages becoming hostile.Intelligent, resourceful, and determined, Gignomai is the youngest brother in the current generation of met'Oc. He is about to realise exactly what is expected of him; and what it means to defy his family.

Basso the Magnificent. Basso the Great. Basso the Wise. Basso the Murderer. The First Citizen of the Vesani Republic is an extraordinary man. He is ruthless, cunning and, above all, lucky. He brings wealth, power and prestige to his people. But with power comes unwanted attention, and Basso must defend his nation and himself from threats foreign and domestic. In a lifetime of crucial decisions, he's only ever made one mistake.One mistake, though, can be enough.

THE POLISH BOY: Following the first two 'Bugger' wars, the Hegemony is desperate to counter the alien threat, as the earth hasn't the resources to repel many more attacks. Their search for brilliant military talent reveals a potential genius in the form of young John Paul Wiggin - Ender Wiggin's father to be.TEACHER'S PEST: John Paul Wiggin is indeed brilliant but is also an unbearably arrogant young man, now a university student. Graduate Theresa Brown, however, may prove his match as they clash socially and intellectually.THE INVESTMENT COUNSELOR: Ender must wander incognito from world to world after banishment from earth as a mass murderer. His reputation as saviour of the human race has been twisted and corrupted since the long-ago Bugger wars and he must shield his identity at all costs. However, he is recognised and blackmailed by a small-time tax collector, who threatens to expose him as Ender, the world killer. ENDER'S GAME: The story of Orson Scott Card's most memorable character in its powerful original novella form.

THE FUTURE OF HUMANITY HANGS IN THE BALANCEOne hundred years before Ender's Game, the aliens arrived on Earth with fire and death. This is the story of the First Formic War.Victor Delgado beat the alien ship to Earth, but just barely. Not soon enough to convince sceptical governments that there was a threat. They didn't believe that until space stations and ships and colonies went up in sudden flame.And when that happened, only Mazer Rackham and the Mobile Operations Police could move fast enough to meet the threat . . .Following Earth Unaware comes this thrilling second novel in the Formic War series

From the primal depth's of the world's greatest myths comes this gripping fantasy of a boy, born to be a Maker, whose dangerous journey towards knowledge and power makes history ...Amid the deep woods where the Red Man still holds sway, a very special child is born. Young Alvin is the seventh son, and such a boy is destined to become great - perhaps even a man with the enormous powers of a Maker. But even in the loving safety of his home, dark forces reach out to destroy him. Somewhere out there is a power that will do anything to prevent him growing up ...More information on this book and others can be found on the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

The planet called Harmony had been settled by humans nearly forty years before. The colony had been placed under the care of an artificial intelligence, the Oversoul, high in orbit. This master computer had one overriding command: guard the people of Harmony.But now the Oversoul is itself in danger. Soon, within a thousand years, catastrophic war will break out on Harmony unless the Oversoul can be repaired. The master computer has determined that it must be taken back to lost Earth; someone on Harmony must be given back the knowledge of space travel in order to save the planet from destruction. For one family, about to be caught up in an approaching civil war, life will change for ever.More information on this book and others can be found on the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

Above the planet Harmony, the computer Oversoul watches. But its systems are failing and the only hope of repair lies a thousand light-years away on the planet Earth, which was left forty million years ago ...Nafai and his family have been chosen to make the great journey home, but most of them do so grudgingly. Their anger and hatred will make the trek across the desert wastes to the long-abandoned spaceport both harder and more deadly.More information on this book and others can be found on the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk