Point zéro

Aleksi Stassik and a group of soldiers from the Velikiistok army head down south to the desert plains beyond the snow-capped peaks of the Demarkacia. Velikiistok, which is lacking the fossil fuels necessary for the war against the Ieretiks, has no choice but to strike up negotiations with the prince of the Southern Territories, Aberrahman Derleth Al-Hazin. Unfortunately, it’s common knowledge that the prince has various ties with the Ieretiks. Perhaps that’s why he suggests such an unusual exchange for his barrels of oil to the Velikiistok army…

Leo, Farah, Lupe, and Hamelin will need all of their supernatural gifts, and all the help they can get, to fight a mysterious power that has all the authority figures in their town—teachers, parents, and police—acting strangely and dangerously. And along the way, they will learn more about the bond that links them, and just what a daunting future the Magic 7 must prepare for.

Marion starts a new life when she moves into the family house that her mother has recently inherited. She waves goodbye to city life and hello to a life by the sea, in the village where her grandparents lived for over 30 years. And it’s just magical: a fantastic view and the beach just at the end of the garden. In the village, the older residents seem to have fond memories of Marion’s grandfather, who died long before she was born. Now’s her chance to find out more about her family history, about which, until now, she knew practically nothing. And then there are those sculpted rocks which are apparently a trace of forgotten legends…

But when strange events start happening in her life, Marion soon realizes that all is not as it seems… This is an enchanting fantasy about a family secret and ancient maritime legends.

This is the fascinating life story of Robert Louis Stevenson, the beloved author of classics such as “Treasure Island” and “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” from his early days as an aspiring writer to his first published works, his love affair and then marriage to Fanny Osbourne, his success as an author, his many travels across Europe and the U.S., and finally his voyage to the islands of the South Pacific, where he eventually built the house of his dreams. Stevenson never let his weak lungs (which he referred to as pirates waging a battle inside him) and delicate constitution stand in the way of his insatiable thirst for adventure, living life on his own terms until the very end.

Former shipping company clerk turned adventurer Theodore Poussin arrives on the oyster farming island of Long Andju in Malaysia looking for a mysterious woman who has gone missing. She disappeared during a bloody coup d’etat in which her father lost control of the land. A contaminated oyster reef has rendered the last pearl harvest worthless, and tensions are rising on the small island, as pirates, sailors, assassins, rajahs, foreign businessmen, diplomats, and amorous youths all scheme to get what they want, be it power, gold, pearls, or the affection of their heart’s desire. The mysterious Mr. November is once again along for the ride, in a tale dripping with the mood and humidity of its tropical colonial setting.

Following a series of jewelry store robberies by an armed gang wearing cat masks, Interpol sends Marie Watteau to the scene of their latest raid: Rome. But tracking down the gang is the least of her problems. First, she must rein in the local carabinieri, headed by Major Livia de Angelis, whose resentment of Interpol’s interference leads to a clash of wills. But is that the only reason for de Angelis’s defiance, or is she following some private agenda? In chasing down the Purple Cats, Watteau soon finds she is merely scratching the surface of a multi-layered intrigue…