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| common tropes in literature: How Not to Write a Novel Howard Mittelmark, Sandra Newman, 2009-03-17 What do you think of my fiction book writing? the aspiring novelist extorted. Darn, the editor hectored, in turn. I can not publish your novel! It is full of what we in the business call 'really awful writing.' But how shall I absolve this dilemma? I have already read every tome available on how to write well and get published! The writer tossed his head about, wildly. It might help, opined the blonde editor, helpfully, to ponder how NOT to write a novel, so you might avoid the very thing! Many writing books offer sound advice on how to write well. This is not one of those books. On the contrary, this is a collection of terrible, awkward, and laughably unreadable excerpts that will teach you what to avoid—at all costs—if you ever want your novel published. In How Not to Write a Novel, authors Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman distill their 30 years combined experience in teaching, editing, writing, and reviewing fiction to bring you real advice from the other side of the query letter. Rather than telling you how or what to write, they identify the 200 most common mistakes unconsciously made by writers and teach you to recognize, avoid, and amend them. With hilarious mis-examples to demonstrate each manuscript-mangling error, they'll help you troubleshoot your beginnings and endings, bad guys, love interests, style, jokes, perspective, voice, and more. As funny as it is useful, this essential how-NOT-to guide will help you get your manuscript out of the slush pile and into the bookstore. |
| common tropes in literature: Salamander Thomas Wharton, 2010-05-11 Nicholas Flood, an unassuming eighteenth-century London printer, specializes in novelty books -- books that nestle into one another, books comprised of one spare sentence, books that emit the sounds of crashing waves. When his work captures the attention of an eccentric Slovakian count, Flood is summoned to a faraway castle -- a moving labyrinth that embodies the count's obsession with puzzles -- where he is commissioned to create the infinite book, the ultimate never-ending story. Probing the nature of books, the human thirst for knowledge, and the pursuit of immortality, Salamander careens through myth and metaphor as Flood travels the globe in search of materials for the elusive book without end. |
| common tropes in literature: Made for Love Alissa Nutting, 2021-02-11 A HBO Max series starring Ray Romano and Cristin Milioti 'Exudes valiant charm' New Yorker 'Blisteringly smart and feverishly inventive' Garth Greenwell 'Brilliant... hilarious... both satisfying and unexpected' Roxane Gay Hazel has just moved into a trailer park of senior citizens, with her father and Diane - his sex doll companion. Life with Hazel's father is strained at best, but it's got to be better than her marriage to dominating tech billionaire, Byron Gogol. For over a decade, Hazel has been quarantining in Byron's family compound, her every movement and vital sign tracked. So when Byron demands to wirelessly connect the two of them via brain chips, turning Hazel into a human guinea pig, Hazel makes a run for it. Will Hazel be able to free herself from Byron's virtual clutches before he finds her? _________________________ A gloriously absurd and hugely entertaining satire about intimacy and love from the provocative writer of the acclaimed novel Tampa. |
| common tropes in literature: The Orphan's Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice Catherynne Valente, 2007-10-30 Catherynne M. Valente enchanted readers with her spellbinding In the Night Garden. Now she continues to weave her storytelling magic in the next book of Orphan’s Tales—an epic of the fantastic and the exotic, the monstrous and mysterious, that will transport you far away from the everyday. . . . Her name and origins are unknown, but the endless tales inked upon this orphan’s eyelids weave a spell over all who listen to her read her secret history. And who can resist the stories she tells? From the Lake of the Dead and the City of Marrow to the artists who remain behind in a ghost city of spice, here are stories of hedgehog warriors and winged skeletons, loyal leopards and sparrow calligraphers. Nothing is too fantastic, anything can happen, but you’ll never guess what comes next in these intimately linked adventures of firebirds and djinn, singing manticores, mutilated unicorns, and women made entirely of glass and gears. Graced with the magical illustrations of Michael Kaluta, In the Cities of Coins and Spice is a book of dreams and wonders unlike any you’ve ever encountered. Open it anywhere and you will fall under its spell. For here the story never ends and the magic is only beginning. . . . |
| common tropes in literature: The Coroner's Lunch Colin Cotterill, 2017-11-14 ALL-TIME BESTSELLER: The first “wonderfully fresh and exotic mystery” starring septuagenarian coroner Dr. Siri, who finds himself caught in the political intrigues and mystical underpinnings of 1970s Laos (New York Times Book Review). Laos, 1978: Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old medical doctor, has unwillingly been appointed the national coroner of the new socialist Laos. His lab is underfunded, his boss is incompetent, and his support staff is quirky, to say the least. But Siri’s sense of humor gets him through his often-frustrating days. When the body of the wife of a prominent politician comes through his morgue, Siri has reason to suspect the woman has been murdered. To get to the truth, Siri and his team face government secrets, spying neighbors, victim hauntings, Hmong shamans, botched romances, and other deadly dangers. Somehow, Siri must figure out a way to balance the will of the party and the will of the dead. |
| common tropes in literature: The Thief Lord Cornelia Funke, 2013-10-03 Amid the crumbling splendour of wintertime Venice, two orphans are on the run. The mysterious Thief Lord offers shelter, but a terrible danger is gathering force... |
| common tropes in literature: Wizard of the Pigeons Megan Lindholm, 2011-09-01 The fifth book in the Megan Lindholm (Robin Hobb) backlist. |
| common tropes in literature: I Am the Messenger Markus Zusak, 2015-01-01 From the author of The Book Thief comes this darkly funny and ultimately uplifting thriller which proves that anyone can be extraordinary. Ed Kennedy is just your less-than-average Joe who is hopelessly in love with his best friend, Audrey. But after he single-handedly manages to catch a bank robber, he receives a playing card in the mail: the Ace of Diamonds. This is the first message. Four more will follow. But before this particular card game can end, Ed will be changed forever . . . Will Audrey love the man he has become? |
| common tropes in literature: Good Omens Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, 2011-11-22 GOOD OMENS SEASON 2 COMING 28TH JULY ON AMAZON PRIME. The book behind the Amazon Prime / BBC Series starring David Tennant, Michael Sheen, Jon Hamm and Benedict Cumberbatch. 'Ridiculously inventive and gloriously funny' Guardian What if, for once, the predictions are right, and the Apocalypse really is due to arrive next Saturday, just after tea? It's a predicament that Aziraphale, a somewhat fussy angel, and Crowley, a fast-living demon, now find themselves in. They've been living amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and, truth be told, have grown rather fond of the lifestyle and, in all honesty, are not actually looking forward to the coming Apocalypse. And then there's the small matter that someone appears to have misplaced the Antichrist . . . _____________________ What readers are saying about Good Omens: ***** 'A superb recipe for disaster. I didn't stop grinning from beginning to end.' ***** 'Both Gaiman and Pratchett are great authors and they complement each other brilliantly.' ***** 'Superbly enjoyable read. Seamlessly co-written.' |
| common tropes in literature: The Hero with a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell, 1988 A study of heroism in the myths of the world - an exploration of all the elements common to the great stories that have helped people make sense of their lives from the earliest times. It takes in Greek Apollo, Maori and Jewish rites, the Buddha, Wotan, and the bothers Grimm's Frog-King. |
| common tropes in literature: The Book of Heroes Miyuki Miyabe, 2011-11-15 When her brother Hiroki disappears after a violent altercation with school bullies, Yuriko finds a magical book in his room. The book leads her to another world where she learns that Hiroki has been possessed by the evil King in Yellow, and that only she can save him...and solve the riddle of why the King is also called Hero. -- VIZ Media |
| common tropes in literature: The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood, 2011-09-06 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. |
| common tropes in literature: Friday Brown Vikki Wakefield, 2012-08-22 Seventeen-year-old Friday Brown is on the run—running to escape memories of her mother and of the family curse. And of a grandfather who’d like her to stay. She’s lost, alone and afraid. Silence, a street kid, finds Friday and she joins him in a gang led by beautiful, charismatic Arden. When Silence is involved in a crime, the gang escapes to a ghost town in the outback. In Murungal Creek, the town of never leaving, Friday must face the ghosts of her past. She will learn that sometimes you have to stay to finish what you started—and often, before you can find out who you are, you have to become someone you were never meant to be. Friday Brown is the breathtaking second novel from the author of the award-winning All I Ever Wanted. Vikki Wakefield is an astonishing talent. |
| common tropes in literature: The Romance of the Forest Ann Ward Radcliffe, 2008-05-01 'The Romance of the Forest' evokes a world drenched in both horror and natural splendor, beset with abductions and imprisonments, and centered upon the frequently terrified but still resourceful and determined heroine Adeline. |
| common tropes in literature: Lucy Wickshire Mfonemana Uduak, 2018-10-31 Lucy must grow up fast and defend herself, before those that killed her mother come for her. Her journey to become strong leads her to understand her mother's heritage, a heritage to defend and avenge. A heritage of women locked in a game of provoked to attack. A linage of women feared across all known realms. Now she must re enact what her ancestors did. She must remind all realms that their strength has not faded with time. A Thraine is as dangerous asleep as she is awake. |
| common tropes in literature: The Clergyman's Wife Molly Greeley, 2020-03-19 If you loved Bridgerton, you'll love this . . . She married for her future. But then she fell in love . . . Enter the world of Jane Austen and be swept up in a beautiful star-crossed romance, for fans of the TV series Bridgerton and Julia Quinn's novels. ______________________________ Charlotte Collins is the dutiful wife of Hunsford's vicar. Although it may not be perfect, her marriage allows her security, and so she patiently tolerates Mr Collins' awkward lectures and cares for their young daughter. But there's more to Charlotte than she'd have you think. Fiercely intelligent and pragmatic, Charlotte yearns for something more. When she meets Mr Travis, a local farmer, Charlotte starts to feel a spark of something she has never felt before. Could it be desire? Could it even be love? And will she listen to what her head is telling her or should she follow her heart? Escape into the world of Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet one more time with this charming, poignant story for fans of Bridgerton, Miss Austen by Gill Hornby and Longbourn by Jo Baker. _____________________________ WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING 'Excellent...the well-crafted prose captures perfectly the relationship dynamics and the time period. I honestly cannot say enough to praise the quality of The Clergyman's Wife. If you enjoy subtle historical slice of life novels, then you really need to read this one!' Amazon Reviewer 'Molly Greeley manages to tell Charlotte's story in a refreshingly contemporary style while at the same time keeping the reader's feet firmly planted in a time gone by' Shannon Winslow, author of The Darcys of Pemberley 'A total pleasure to read! Greeley has captured Austen's tone and has updated her style a bit to write a terrific read not only for Austen fans but for others as well' Amazon Reviewer 'Ideal for fans of Austen's work, Greeley's strong debut also stands on its own' Publishers Weekly 'There is nothing better than a book that makes you want to stop time! I truly felt taken away ... Taken away in the beautiful use of language, and a truly magnificent storyline. You'll need some time to spend frolicking with Charlotte and her family and friends through her days, because you won't want to put the book down' Amazon Reviewer |
| common tropes in literature: How to Be Remy Cameron Julian Winters, 2019 Everyone on campus knows Remy Cameron: he's the out-and-proud, super-likable guy who friends, faculty, and fellow students alike admire for his cheerful confidence. Under pressure to write an A+ essay defining who he is and who he wants to be, Remy embarks on an emotional journey toward reconciling the outward labels people attach to him with the real Remy Cameron within. |
| common tropes in literature: Throne of the Crescent Moon Saladin Ahmed, 2013-01-17 Traditional swords & sorcery fantasy with an authentic middle-eastern spin. The Crescent Moon Kingdoms, land of djenn and ghuls, holy warriors and heretics, Khalifs and killers, is at boiling point. A power struggle between the iron-fisted Khalif and the mysterious master thief known as the Falcon Prince is reaching its climax. In the midst of this brewing rebellion, a series of brutal supernatural murders strikes at the heart of the Kingdoms. Only a handful of reluctant heroes can learn the truth, and stop the killing. Doctor Adoulla Makhslood just wants a quiet cup of tea. Three score and more years old, he has grown weary of hunting monsters and saving lives, and is more than ready to retire from his dangerous and demanding vocation. But when an old flame's family is murdered, Adoulla is drawn back to the hunter's path. Raseed bas Raseed, Adoulla's young assistant, a hidebound holy warrior whose prowess is matched only by his piety, is eager to deliver God's justice. Zamia Badawi has been gifted with the near-mythical power of the Lion-Shape, but shunned by her people for daring to take up a man's title. She lives only to avenge her father's death. Until she learns that Adoulla and his allies also hunt her father's killer. Until she meets Raseed. When they learn that the murders and the Falcon Prince's brewing revolution are connected, the companions must race against time to save the life of a vicious despot. In so doing they discover a plot for the Throne of the Crescent Moon that threatens to turn the city, and the world itself, into a blood-soaked ruin. |
| common tropes in literature: Cue for Treason Geoffrey Trease, 2009-04-02 Fleeing from the evil Sir Philip Morton, Peter Brownrigg finds himself on the wrong side of the law. On the run to London he meets Kit and the two decide to stick together. But a chance discovery endangers their lives and soon Peter is deep in murderous plots, secrets and even treason. Set in the turbulent days of Elizabeth I, this classic story of danger and intrigue conjures up a world of mystery, twists and turns and thrilling action. |
| common tropes in literature: One Dark Window Rachel Gillig, 2022-09-27 THE FANTASY BOOKTOK SENSATION! For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom—but the monster in her head isn't the only threat lurking. Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her. Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets. But nothing comes for free, especially magic. When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King’s own nephew, Captain of the Destriers…and guilty of high treason. He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him. |
| common tropes in literature: Those Girls Chevy Stevens, 2015-07-07 “Hold on tight. This is a terrifying and terrific book.” –Fort Worth Star-Telegram Life has never been easy for the three Campbell sisters. Jess, Courtney, and Dani live on a remote ranch in Western Canada where they work hard and try to stay out of the way of their father's temper. One night, a fight gets out of hand and the sisters are forced to go on the run, only to get caught in an even worse nightmare when their truck breaks down in a small town. As events spiral out of control they find themselves in a horrifying situation and are left with no choice but to change their names and create new lives. Eighteen years later, they are still trying to forget what happened that summer. But when one of the sisters goes missing, followed closely by her niece, they are pulled back into the past. And this time there's nowhere left to run. With Those Girls Chevy Stevens presents her most visceral thriller yet: an unforgettable portrait of desperation, loyalty, and evil. A story of survival...and revenge. |
| common tropes in literature: The Story of Silence Alex Myers, 2020-07-09 A knightly fairy tale of royalty and dragons, of midwives with secrets and dashing strangers in dark inns. Taking the original French legend as his starting point, The Story of Silence is a rich, multilayered new story for today’s world – sure to delight fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale. |
| common tropes in literature: Golden Chaos Colette Rhodes, 2021-04-20 Life isn't a fairytale, but for a few days I got to pretend it was. Now I'm back in my childhood bedroom in New York, eating breakup ice cream and listening to early 2000s emo music. Whatever, this was the wake-up call I needed. It's time for Ria 2.0. No more bailouts. No more half-baked projects. No more impulsive decisions. Simple, right? Except my ex-boyfriend wants to drop the ex part, the three bears aren't so willing to let their Goldilocks go, and their mother is more Wicked Witch than Mama Bear. How am I supposed to pull it together when chaos follows everywhere I go? Golden Chaos is book two of the Three Bears duet. It is a medium burn, reverse harem romance for readers 18+ |
| common tropes in literature: Fake Like Me Barbara Bourland, 2019-07-11 CAREY LOGAN She was the genius wild child of the New York art scene, and my idol. FAKE I was a no-name painter from the Florida backwater, clawing my way into their world. LIKE When she died, she left a space that couldn't be filled. Except, maybe, by ME Everything that gets created destroys something else. When a fire rips through her studio and burns the seven enormous paintings for her next exhibition, a young, no-name painter is left with an impossible task: recreate her art in just three months - or ruin her fledgling career. Thirty-four, single and homeless, she desperately secures a place at an exclusive upstate retreat. Brimming with creative history and set on a sparkling black lake, Pine City and its founders - a notorious collective of successful artists - is what she's idolized all her life. She's dreamt of the parties, the celebrities, the privilege. What she finds is a ghost of its former self. The recent suicide of founding member Carey Logan haunts everyone, lurking beneath the surface like a shipwreck. And one thought begins to shadow her every move - what really happened to her hero? With a flair for sensational detail and acidic wit, Barbara Bourland delivers a darkly satirical thriller about art, money and identity with a twist so sharp it cuts. |
| common tropes in literature: Sir Apropos of Nothing Peter David, 2010-10-15 They were dark and stormy knights...and when they had their way with a helpless tavern wench one terrible evening, they had no idea that the result of that twilight brutality was going to come after them years later looking to settle the score... The result's unlikely name is Apropos: A rogue, a rascal, a scoundrel, a cheat...and those are his good points. Lame of leg but fast of wit, the only reason Apropos doesn't consider chivalry dead is because he's not yet through with it. Herewith, Sir Apropos of Nothing -- his story in the words of the knave himself. Apropos, all too aware of his violent and unseemly beginnings, travels to the court of the good King Runcible, with three goals in mind: to find his father, seek retribution, and line his own pockets. However, Apropos carries the most troublesome burden a would-be harbinger of chaos can bear: He may well be a hero foretold, a young man of destiny. It is not a notion that Apropos finds palatable, having very low regard for such notions as honor, selflessness, or risking one's neck. Yet when Apropos finds himself assigned as squire to the most senile knight in the court -- Sir Umbrage of the Flaming Nether Regions, whose squires tend to have a rather short life span -- Apropos is forced to rise to the occasion lest he be dragged under -- permanently. His difficulties are compounded when a routine mission to escort the King's daughter home after a long absence goes horribly awry. Suddenly Apropos finds himself saddled with trying to survive while dealing with a berserk phoenix, murderous unicorns, mutated harpies, homicidal warrior kings, and -- most problematic of all -- a princess who may or may not be a psychotic arsonist. Featuring a hero cut from cloth similar to that of such entertaining blackguards as Blackadder and Flashman, Sir Apropos of Nothing is a skewed version of classic, mythic adventure that is by turns hilarious and frightening, slapstick and serious, and filled with drop-dead laughs and drop-dead people. |
| common tropes in literature: Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain A. Lee Martinez, 2012-03-05 Emperor Mollusk. Intergalactic Menace. Destroyer of Worlds. Conqueror of Other Worlds. Mad Genius. Ex-Warlord of Earth. Not bad for a guy without a spine. But what's a villain to do after he's done . . . everything. With no new ambitions, he's happy to pitch in and solve the energy crisis or repel alien invaders should the need arise, but if he had his way, he'd prefer to be left alone to explore the boundaries of dangerous science. Just as a hobby, of course. Retirement isn't easy though. If the boredom doesn't get him, there's always the Venusians. Or the Saturnites. Or the Mercurials. Or . . . well, you get the idea. If that wasn't bad enough, there's also the assassins of a legendary death cult and an up-and-coming megalomaniac (as brilliant as he is bodiless) who have marked Emperor for their own nefarious purposes. But Mollusk isn't about to let the Earth slip out of his own tentacles and into the less capable clutches of another. So it's time to dust off the old death ray and come out of retirement. Except this time, he's not out to rule the world. He's out to save it from the peril of THE SINISTER BRAIN! |
| common tropes in literature: The Blade Artist Irvine Welsh, 2016 The most terrifying character in Trainspotting returns -- with his own novel. Jim Francis has finally found the perfect life -- and is now unrecognisable, even to himself. A successful painter and sculptor, he lives quietly with his wife, Melanie, and their two young daughters, in an affluent beach town in California. Some say he's a fake and a con man, while others see him as a genuine visionary. But Francis has a very dark past, with another identity and a very different set of values. When he crosses the Atlantic to his native Scotland, for the funeral of a murdered son he barely knew, his old Edinburgh community expects him to take bloody revenge. But as he confronts his previous life, all those friends and enemies -- and, most alarmingly, his former self -- Francis seems to have other ideas. When Melanie discovers something gruesome in California, which indicates that her husband's violent past might also be his psychotic present, things start to go very bad, very quickly. The Blade Artist is an elegant, electrifying novel -- ultra violent but curiously redemptive -- and it marks the return of one of modern fiction's most infamous, terrifying characters, the incendiary Francis Begbie from Trainspotting. |
| common tropes in literature: The Inheritance Games Jennifer Lynn Barnes, 2020-09-03 2 MILLION COPIES SOLD OF THE #1 BESTSELLING SERIES! 'A MASTER OF PUZZLES AND PLOT TWISTS' E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars The addictive and twisty thriller, full of dark family secrets and deadly stakes that's 'impossible to put down' (Buzzfeed). Perfect for fans of Karen McManus and Holly Jackson. A BILLION-DOLLAR FORTUNE TO DIE FOR. Avery has a plan: keep her head down, work hard for a better future. Then an eccentric billionaire dies, leaving her almost his entire fortune. And no one, least of all Avery, knows why. A DEADLY GAME. Now she must move into the mansion she's inherited. It's filled with secrets and codes, and the old man's surviving relatives - a family hell-bent on discovering why Avery got 'their' money. WINNER TAKES ALL. Soon she is caught in a deadly game that everyone in this strange family is playing. But just how far will they go to keep their fortune? **Avery's story continues in The Hawthorne Legacy, The Final Gambit and The Brothers Hawthorne** |
| common tropes in literature: 100 Ways to Improve Your Writing Gary Provost, 1985-10-01 This is the one guide that anyone who writes--whether student, business person, or professional writer--should put on the desk beside pencil, pen, typewriter, or word processor. Filled with professional tips and a wealth of instructive examples, this valuable, easy-to-use handbook can help you solve any and all writing problems. |
| common tropes in literature: Quest For Lost Heroes David Gemmell, 2011-12-01 'THE HARD-BITTEN CHAMPION OF BRITISH HEROIC FANTASY' - Joe Abercrombie 'HEROISM AND HEARTBREAK . . . GEMMELL IS ADRENALINE WITH SOUL' - Brent Weeks The Drenai fortress of Dros Delnoch has fallen and blood hungry Nadir hordes sweep across the land, bringing desolation and despair. But, with the Nadir triumphant, slavers seize a young girl in the tiny realm of Gothir and a peasant boy sets off on a quest that will shake the world. To rescue her, Kiall must cross the savage steppes and journey through the Halls of Hell, facing ferocious beasts, deadly warriors and demons of the dark. But the boy is not alone. With him are the legendary heroes of Bel-Azar: Chareos the Blademaster, Beltzer the Axeman and the bowmen Finn and Maggrig. And one among them hides a secret that could free the world of Nadir domination. For he is the Nadir Bane, the hope of the Drennai. He is the Earl of Bronze. Novels by David Gemmell The Drenai series Legend The King Beyond the Gate Waylander Quest For Lost Heroes Waylander II: In the Realm of the Wolf The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend Jon Shannow series Wolf in Shadow The Last Guardian Bloodstone Stones of Power Ghost King Last Sword of Power Hawk Queen series Ironhand's Daughter The Hawk Eternal Ancient Greece novels Lion of Macedon Dark Prince Other novels Knights of Dark Renown Morningstar |
| common tropes in literature: The Automatic Detective A. Lee Martinez, 2008-02-05 From the award-winning author of Gil's All Fright Diner comes a fantastic sci-fi mystery read The Automatic Detective Even in Empire City, a town where weird science is the hope for tomorrow, it's hard for a robot to make his way. It's even harder for a robot named Mack Megaton, a hulking machine designed to bring mankind to its knees. But Mack's not interested in world domination. He's just a bot trying to get by, trying to demonstrate that he isn't just an automated smashing machine, and to earn his citizenship in the process. It should be as easy as crushing a tank for Mack, but some bots just can't catch a break. When Mack's neighbors are kidnapped, Mack sets off on a journey through the dark alleys and gleaming skyscrapers of Empire City. Along the way, he runs afoul of a talking gorilla, a brainy dame, a mutant lowlife, a little green mob boss, and the secret conspiracy at the heart of Empire's founders---not to mention more trouble than he bargained for. What started out as one missing family becomes a battle for the future of Empire and every citizen that calls her home. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. |
| common tropes in literature: Pnin Vladimir Nabokov, 2012-09-06 Professor Timofey Pnin, late of Tsarist Russia, is now precariously perched at the heart of an American campus. Battling with American life and language, Pnin must face great hazards in this new world: the ruination of his beautiful lumber-room-as-office; the removal of his teeth and the fitting of new ones; the search for a suitable boarding house; and the trials of taking the wrong train to deliver a lecture in a language he has yet to master. Wry, intelligent and moving, Pnin reveals the absurd and affecting story of one man in exile. |
| common tropes in literature: A Blade So Black L.L. McKinney, 2018-09-25 A Blade So Black is the fantasy book I've been waiting for my whole life. —Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Hate U Give For fans of Marissa Meyer, L.L. McKinney's A Blade So Black delivers an irresistible urban fantasy retelling of Alice in Wonderland... but it's not the Wonderland you remember. The first time the Nightmares came, it nearly cost Alice her life. Now she's trained to battle monstrous creatures in the dark dream realm known as Wonderland with magic weapons and hardcore fighting skills. Yet even warriors have a curfew. Life in real-world Atlanta isn't always so simple, as Alice juggles an overprotective mom, a high-maintenance best friend, and a slipping GPA. Keeping the Nightmares at bay is turning into a full-time job. But when Alice's handsome and mysterious mentor is poisoned, she has to find the antidote by venturing deeper into Wonderland than she’s ever gone before. And she'll need to use everything she's learned in both worlds to keep from losing her head... literally. Debut author L.L. McKinney delivers an action-packed twist on an old classic, full of romance and otherworldly intrigue. And don't miss the thrilling sequel, A Dream So Dark! An Imprint Book Mixing elements of Alice in Wonderland and Buffy the Vampire Slayer... Delectable. —Entertainment Weekly |
| common tropes in literature: If We Were Villains M. L. Rio, 2017-04-11 “Much like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, M. L. Rio’s sparkling debut is a richly layered story of love, friendship, and obsession...will keep you riveted through its final, electrifying moments.” —Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest Nerdily (and winningly) in love with Shakespeare...Readable, smart.” —New York Times Book Review On the day Oliver Marks is released from jail, the man who put him there is waiting at the door. Detective Colborne wants to know the truth, and after ten years, Oliver is finally ready to tell it. A decade ago: Oliver is one of seven young Shakespearean actors at Dellecher Classical Conservatory, a place of keen ambition and fierce competition. In this secluded world of firelight and leather-bound books, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingénue, extras. But in their fourth and final year, good-natured rivalries turn ugly, and on opening night real violence invades the students’ world of make-believe. In the morning, the fourth-years find themselves facing their very own tragedy, and their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, each other, and themselves that they are innocent. If We Were Villains was named one of Bustle's Best Thriller Novels of the Year, and Mystery Scene says, A well-written and gripping ode to the stage...A fascinating, unorthodox take on rivalry, friendship, and truth. |
| common tropes in literature: Christian Writers Market Guide - 2021 Edition Steve Laube, 2020-12-15 The Christian Writers Market Guide - 2021 Edition is the most comprehensive and recommended resource on the market for finding an agent, an editor, a publisher, a writing coach, a podcast, a writing course, or a place to sell whatever you are writing. Wherever you are in your writing journey the Guide will help you find what you are looking for. Nearly 1,000 listings including more than 200 book publishers, 150 periodical publishers, 40 specialty markets, 200 writers conferences and writers groups around the world, 40 literary agencies, 250 freelance editors and designers, 15 writing-related podcasts, and much more! |
| common tropes in literature: The Priory of the Orange Tree Samantha Shannon, 2020-02-06 THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERA world divided. A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.'Epic' Guardian'Majestic' Daily Mail'The new Game of Thrones' StylistAn enthralling, epic fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons - and the women who must lead the fight to save it.The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction - but assassins are getting closer to her door.Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep... |
| common tropes in literature: The Midnight Library Matt Haig, 2021-01-27 Good morning America book club--Jacket. |
| common tropes in literature: Red Rising Pierce Brown, 2018-01-16 Red Rising is the story of a society in a desolate future, riven by class conflict and shaken by the tremors of an impending revolution. But more than that, it's the story of Darrow--a secret revolutionary who is inspired not only by a longing for social justice, but by lost love. It's only when Darrow's beloved wife is executed by the oppressive government that he begins to question the harsh world he lives in. Recruited by an underground revolutionary cell, Darrow is given a perilous mission: infiltrate the academy that educates this elite--and become one of them. |
| common tropes in literature: Abandon (The Abandon Trilogy, Book 1) Meg Cabot, 2011-04-26 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld. Pierce knows what it's like to die, because she's done it before. Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her.Now she's moved to a new town, but even here, he finds her. Pierce knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. If she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld. |
| common tropes in literature: Solving the World's Problems Robert Lee Brewer, 2013-09-01 The World in Robert Lee Brewer's Solving the World's Problems is a slippery world ... where chaos always hovers near, where we are (and should be) splashing around in dark puddles. And one feels a bit dizzy reading these poems because (while always clear, always full of meaning) they come at reality slantwise so that nothing is quite the same and the reader comes away with a new way of looking at the ordinary objects and events of life. The poems are brim-full of surprises and delights, twists in the language, double-meanings of words, leaps of thought and imagination, interesting line-breaks. There are love and relationship poems, dream poems, poems of life in the modern world. And always the sense (as he writes) of pulling the world closer to me/leaves falling to the ground/ birds flying south. I read these once, twice with great enjoyment. I will go back to them often. -Patricia Fargnoli, former Poet Laureate of New Hampshire and author of Then, Something |
Common (rapper) - Wikipedia
Lonnie Rashid Lynn[7][8][9] (born March 13, 1972), known professionally as Common (formerly known as Common Sense), is an American rapper and actor. The recipient of three Grammy …
COMMON Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of COMMON is of or relating to a community at large : public. How to use common in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Common.
COMMON Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com
Common definition: belonging equally to, or shared alike by, two or more or all in question.. See examples of COMMON used in a sentence.
COMMON | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
COMMON meaning: 1. the same in a lot of places or for a lot of people: 2. the basic level of politeness that you…. Learn more.
COMMON definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
Common is used to indicate that someone or something is of the ordinary kind and not special in any way. Common salt is made up of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Common decency or …
Common - definition of common by The Free Dictionary
Of or relating to the community as a whole; public: for the common good. 2. Widespread; prevalent: Gas stations became common as the use of cars grew. 3. a. Occurring frequently or …
What does Common mean? - Definitions.net
The common, that which is common or usual; The common good, the interest of the community at large: the corporate property of a burgh in Scotland; The common people, the people in …
common - Wiktionary, the free dictionary
May 26, 2025 · common (comparative more common or commoner, superlative most common or commonest) Mutual; shared by more than one. The two competitors have the common aim of …
common adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage …
Definition of common adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.
common, adj. & adv. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford …
There are 35 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word common. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. How common is the word common? How is the …
Common (rapper) - Wikipedia
Lonnie Rashid Lynn[7][8][9] (born March 13, 1972), known professionally as Common (formerly known as Common Sense), is an American rapper and actor. The recipient of three …
COMMON Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of COMMON is of or relating to a community at large : public. How to use common in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of …
COMMON Definition & Meaning - Dictionary.com
Common definition: belonging equally to, or shared alike by, two or more or all in question.. See examples of …
COMMON | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
COMMON meaning: 1. the same in a lot of places or for a lot of people: 2. the basic level of politeness that you…. …
COMMON definition and meaning | Collins English Dict…
Common is used to indicate that someone or something is of the ordinary kind and not special in any way. Common salt is made up of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Common …
