The Handmaiden of Death

The Handmaiden of Death
Author: Sarah Stafford
Publisher: Carpe Noctem Press
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2021-03-05
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1736634402

About THE HANDMAIDEN OF DEATH: Sixteen-year-old Amber Marsden must fight for survival after a botched drug deal leaves her orphaned on the frozen streets of Detroit. With nowhere to turn, Amber takes shelter among the ruins only to discover that she's not alone in the dark... In praise of THE HANDMAIDEN OF DEATH: "Compellingly-written, character-driven story that follows the life of a wayward teen from the wrong side of the tracks who finds herself the guest of a wealthy man who turns out to be someone she never expected. Dialogue is incredibly naturalistic and flows to create scenes rather than relying heavily on narrative description to set the stage. Unique and fresh perspective on the vampire genre and full of deep, symbolic prose reminiscent of Anne Rice's works. I highly recommend this up-and-coming author and look forward to the next installment in the series." -- Bethann Rodgers, The Bookish Maven, A Literary Blog About The Dark Angel Trilogy: The Dark Angel Trilogy is a contemporary coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a city in decline, and follows the life of Amber Marsden, a wayward teen from a broken home who finds herself orphaned on the frozen streets of present-day Detroit. With nowhere left to turn, she takes shelter amid the ruins, only to discover she is not alone in the dark. Full of deep, symbolic prose, The Dark Angel Trilogy is a fast-paced, character-driven series that delves into the human psyche and is geared toward readers seeking a vampire tale with less ‘sparkle’ and a lot more bite. About the Author: Sarah Stafford writes dark contemporary, genre-bending tales that deviate from the typical haunted house trope of gothic fiction. Expect ample suspense, thrills, and reminders that oftentimes monsters abide within us all. No glittery vampires allowed! Sarah lives in Michigan with her husband and three cats, earned her BA in History from Oakland University, and has traveled extensively throughout much of Europe, Asia, and the USA. She credits her abiding obsession with all things dark and macabre from having spent her childhood summers exploring dark woods, ruined castles, and landscapes shrouded in mystery.

The Handmaid's Tale

The Handmaid's Tale
Author: Margaret Atwood
Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2011-09-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0771008791

An instant classic and eerily prescient cultural phenomenon, from “the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction” (New York Times). Now an award-winning Hulu series starring Elizabeth Moss. In this multi-award-winning, bestselling novel, Margaret Atwood has created a stunning Orwellian vision of the near future. This is the story of Offred, one of the unfortunate “Handmaids” under the new social order who have only one purpose: to breed. In Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships, Offred’s persistent memories of life in the “time before” and her will to survive are acts of rebellion. Provocative, startling, prophetic, and with Margaret Atwood’s devastating irony, wit, and acute perceptive powers in full force, The Handmaid’s Tale is at once a mordant satire and a dire warning.

Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 565
Release: 2012
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 054762834X

In the fifteenth-century kingdom of Brittany, seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where she learns that the god of Death has blessed her with dangerous gifts--and a violent destiny.

Mortal Heart

Mortal Heart
Author: Robin LaFevers
Publisher: Clarion Books
Total Pages: 501
Release: 2018
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1328567672

The powerful third book in Robin LaFever's critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling His Fair Assassins series perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Kristin Cashore, and Victoria Aveyard leaves Annith with a desperate decision to make that not only affects the future of Brittany, but the destiny of the god of Death Himself. In the powerful third book in Robin LaFever's critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling His Fair Assassins series, tensions between Brittany and Frace continue to rise as Annith watches her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own. She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind, doesn't mean she has. Combining romance, action, and political intrigue, Mortal Heart delivers a breathtaking conclusion to the war between Brittany and France...for now.

The Testaments

The Testaments
Author: Margaret Atwood
Publisher: Anchor
Total Pages: 413
Release: 2019-09-10
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0385543794

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE • A modern masterpiece that "reminds us of the power of truth in the face of evil” (People)—and can be read on its own or as a sequel to Margaret Atwood’s classic, The Handmaid’s Tale. “Atwood’s powers are on full display” (Los Angeles Times) in this deeply compelling Booker Prize-winning novel, now updated with additional content that explores the historical sources, ideas, and material that inspired Atwood. More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results. Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third: Aunt Lydia. Her complex past and uncertain future unfold in surprising and pivotal ways. With The Testaments, Margaret Atwood opens up the innermost workings of Gilead, as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.

The Devil's Handmaid

The Devil's Handmaid
Author: Kirk F. Panneton
Publisher: Archway Publishing
Total Pages: 241
Release: 2014-09-08
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1480809764

Author Kirk F. Panneton battled acute depression for more than a decade prior to his nearly successful suicide attempt on January 27, 2013. Although that moment marked the peak of numerous physical and psychological struggles, it also serves as the starting point for his journey through the fourth dimension during his recovery. Panneton spent four weeks in a rural ICU in Arkansas in an epic battle for his own survival. During this time, he experienced a passage through hell as a soldier of light, as his loved ones looked on from the sidelines. He chose of life and love time and again in order to emerge victorious from the endless and unforgiving tests set forth for him by the forces of evil. In this memoir, he recounts his story of redemption, both his physical experiences after waking and those that occurred while he was in a comatose state. He shares not only his recollections but also personal writings from himself and from family members during that period describing the events as they lived them. Most of all, he presents a unique, firsthand narrative of his encounter with death in hopes of giving people everywhere a reason to keep going.

Prayer of the Handmaiden

Prayer of the Handmaiden
Author: Merry Shannon
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Inc
Total Pages: 391
Release: 2015-03-16
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1626393737

When the Goddess Ithyris appoints shy priestess Kadrian to become Her first shaa’din, or holy warrior, in a millennium, everyone is mystified by Her decision—especially Kade herself. On the battlefields of Mondera, as Kade struggles to defend Ithyria from a dangerous new enemy, she’s also brought face-to-face with her greatest personal temptation: the childhood sweetheart who had once nearly kept Kade from her spiritual calling.Erinda was born into the service of the royal family. Endless household chores and a passion for horses fill her days, but her nights are consumed with hopeless longing for the woman she lost to the temple seven winters ago. Erinda knows Kade will never return to her. After all, what mortal could ever hope to compete with a Goddess?

The Handmaid and the Carpenter

The Handmaid and the Carpenter
Author: Elizabeth Berg
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2008-10-28
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0345505913

This wonderful novel transports us to Nazareth in biblical times, where we meet Mary and Joseph–and understand them as never before: young, in love, and suddenly faced with an unexpected pregnancy. Aided by a great and abiding love, they endure challenges to their relationship as well as threats to their lives as they come to terms with the mysterious circumstances surrounding the birth of their child, Jesus. For Mary, the pregnancy is a divine miracle and a privilege. For Joseph, it is an ongoing test of his faith–in his wife as well as in his God. Exquisitely written and imbued with emotional truth and richness of detail, The Handmaid and the Carpenter explores lives touched profoundly by miracles large and small. Praise for The Handmaid and the Carpenter “The oldest story ever told becomes fresh, even modern. [Grade:] A.” –Entertainment Weekly “Poetic, reflective, and intricate . . . There is a crystalline humanity, a logical vulnerability in [Elizabeth] Berg’s imaginative interpretation [that] brings novel resplendence to a familiar story.” –Booklist “Sweetly lyrical and yet movingly realistic.” –New York Daily News “[Berg] movingly takes the story of the least ordinary couple in history, and by respectfully evoking the rhythms and rituals of daily life, makes them more human, yet no less transcendent.” –Richmond Times-Dispatch “Imaginative and compelling.” –Star Ledger

Fingersmith

Fingersmith
Author: Sarah Waters
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 596
Release: 2002-10-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9781573229722

“Oliver Twist with a twist…Waters spins an absorbing tale that withholds as much as it discloses. A pulsating story.”—The New York Times Book Review The Handmaiden, a film adaptation of Fingersmith, directed by Park Chan-wook and starring Kim Tae-Ri, is now available. Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a "baby farmer," who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home. One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum. With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways...But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.