Cirrus@Austlit

'Born as twins. Raised as enemies.

'One strong Alpha twin and one mutated Omega; the only thing they share is the moment of their death.

'The Omegas live in segregation, cast out by their families as soon as their mutation becomes clear. Forced to live apart, they are ruthlessly oppressed by their Alpha counterparts.

'The Alphas are the elite. Once their weaker twin has been cast aside, they’re free to live in privilege and safety, their Omega twin far from their thoughts.

'Cass and Zach are both perfect on the outside: no missing limbs, no visible Omega mutation. But Cass has a secret: one that Zach will stop at nothing to expose.

'The potential to change the world lies in both their hands. One will have to defeat the other to see their vision of the future come to pass, but if they’re not careful both will die in the struggle for power.'

Source: Publisher's blurb (HarperCollins)

'It's the beginning of the 20th century; the age of scientific progress. But for Venice the future looks bleak. A conference of scientists assembles to address the problems, among whose delegates are the parents of eleven-year-old Teodora. Within days of her arrival, she is subsumed into the secret life of Venice: a world in which salty-tongued mermaids run subversive printing presses, ghosts good and bad patrol the streets and librarians turn fluidly into cats. A battle against forces determined to destroy the city once and for all quickly ensues. Only Teo, the undrowned child who survived a tragic accident as a baby, can go "between-the-linings" to subvert evil and restore order.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'A young queen who rules seven kingdoms is far too busy and important to leave her palace, so her loyal subjects send gifts from far and wide: monkeys, flamingoes, giraffes, exotic fruits...But the thing she longs for most of all has never survived the journey.

'Who can bring the Queen her heart's desire? Only Bartlett has the inventiveness, desperation and perseverence to complete the task. Does the Queen have patience enough to keep her side of the bargain?

'A flamboyant adventure story, full of atmosphere, wit and suspense, by the author of Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman.' (Publication summary)