International Bestseller! “Dizzyingly wonderful . . . a perfectly constructed work of fiction, with audacious twists . . . Collins plays her own game here with perfect skill.” — The Times (UK) An intricate and utterly spellbinding literary epic brimming with enchantment, mystery, and dark secrets from the highly acclaimed author of the #1 international bestseller The Binding. If your life was based on a lie, would you risk it all to tell the truth? At Montverre, an ancient and elite academy hidden high in the mountains, society’s best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu—the great game—an arcane and mysterious competition that combines music, art, math, poetry, and philosophy. Léo Martin once excelled at Montverre but lost his passion for scholarly pursuits after a violent tragedy. He turned to politics instead and became a rising star in the ruling party, until a small act of conscience cost him his career. Now he has been exiled back to Montverre, his fate uncertain. But this rarified world of learning Léo once loved is not the same place he remembers. Once the exclusive bastion of men, Montverre’s most prestigious post is now held by a woman: Claire Dryden, also known as the Magister Ludi, the head of the great game. At first, Léo feels an odd attraction to the magister—a mysterious, eerily familiar connection—though he’s sure they’ve never met before. As the legendary Midsummer Game approaches—the climax of the academy’s year—long-buried secrets rise to the surface and centuries-old traditions are shockingly overturned. A highly imaginative and intricately crafted literary epic, The Betrayals confirms Bridget Collins as one of the most inventive and exquisite new voices in speculative fiction.

From the Number 1 bestselling author of THE BINDING If everything in your life was based on a lie Would you risk it all to tell the truth? At Montverre, an exclusive academy tucked away in the mountains, the best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu: an arcane and mysterious contest. Léo Martin was once a student there, but lost his passion for the grand jeu following a violent tragedy. Now he returns in disgrace, exiled to his old place of learning with his political career in tatters. Montverre has changed since he studied there, even allowing a woman, Claire Dryden, to serve in the grand jeu's highest office of Magister Ludi. When Léo first sees Claire he senses an odd connection with her, though he's sure they have never met before. Both Léo and Claire have built their lives on lies. And as the legendary Midsummer Game, the climax of the year, draws closer, secrets are whispering in the walls...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE Proclaimed as “truly spellbinding,” a “great fable” that “functions as transporting romance” by the Guardian, the runaway #1 international bestseller "A rich, gothic entertainment that explores what books have trapped inside them and reminds us of the power of storytelling. Spellbinding.” — TRACY CHEVALIER Imagine you could erase grief. Imagine you could remove pain. Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret. Forever. Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice amongst their small community, but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse. For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye, Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books they create, secrets are concealed and the past is locked away. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop rows upon rows of books are meticulously stored. But while Seredith is an artisan, there are others of their kind, avaricious and amoral tradesman who use their talents for dark ends—and just as Emmett begins to settle into his new circumstances, he makes an astonishing discovery: one of the books has his name on it. Soon, everything he thought he understood about his life will be dramatically rewritten. An unforgettable novel of enchantment, mystery, memory, and forbidden love, The Binding is a beautiful homage to the allure and life-changing power of books—and a reminder to us all that knowledge can be its own kind of magic.

Best friends Rosie and Lisa’s families had always been inseparable. But one summer, Lisa had an affair with Rosie’s husband, Nick. None of them would forget that week on the wild Norfolk seacoast. Relationships were torn apart. Friendships shattered. And childish innocence destroyed. Now, after years of silence, a letter arrives that begs for help. A letter that exposes dark secrets.Then Rosie’s daughter Daisy’s fragile hold on reality begins to unravel. Teenage son Max blames himself for everything that happened that long hot summer. And Nick must confront his own version of events. As long-repressed memories bubble to the surface, the past has never seemed more present and the truth more murky.Told through the eyes of four family members, The Betrayals takes an unflinching look at contemporary life, explores the nature of memory and desire and asks whether some things can ever be forgiven.

In the depths of the vast Caribbean ocean, where turquoise waters and hidden mysteries converge, lies a tale of intrigue, adventure, and unbridled ambition. It is in this backdrop of legends and whispers that our story unfolds: "Treasures and Betrayals: In Search of the Isle of Death." Aboard the majestic English ship, the New Horizon, a bold and diverse crew assembles for a challenge that will alter their destinies forever. Led by the courageous Captain Noel, a man whose passion for adventure is matched only by his determination, the team is resolute in unraveling the secrets of an ancient legend. The lost island, known only in hushed tones as the "Isle of Death," is the enigma they tirelessly pursue. Alongside Noel, his loyal companions Yanick, Vivian, Leo, and Marlo bring their unique skills and contrasting personalities to the quest. Each carries their own dreams and personal reasons for embarking on this perilous and exhilarating journey. The promise of a legendary treasure, particularly the great emerald rumored to rest at the heart of the island, awakens ambitions and desires that could forge or fracture their unity. But as in any great story, challenges soon emerge. The ship Devil Soul and its enigmatic Captain Jordan Black stand as formidable obstacles in their pursuit. With a dark past and ruthless cunning, Black and his crew are willing to fight to their last breath to protect their secrets and retain control of the legendary island. As the journey progresses, treacherous winds and furious storms threaten to divert them from their course and test their resilience. Inevitable confrontations loom on the horizon, and the battle on the tempestuous waters becomes an epic struggle for supremacy and survival. Yet amidst adversity, life sometimes weaves unexpected alliances. When fate compels the crew of the New Horizon to form an uncertain alliance with old rivals.

Through attention to incidents of betrayal and self-betrayal in his fiction, this book traces the development of Conrad's conception of identity through the three phases of his career: the self in isolation, the self in society and the sexualised self. It shows how the early fiction negotiates the opposed dangers of the self-ideal and the surrender to passion; how the middle fiction tests the ideal code psychologically and ideologically; and how the late fiction probes sexuality and morbid psychology.

This collection of essays by eminent traditionalists and contemporary thinkers throws into sharp relief many of the urgent problems of today.