Ceux qui vont mourir…

The shadows of the crucified stretch over the empire, while rumors spread like wildfire throughout all Rome. It looks like Nero, the new emperor, did indeed poison his half-brother, Britannicus. Agrippina, in order to win the favor of her own son, is willing to open her bed to him. But Nero has eyes only for Acte, the beautiful prostitute whom he freed from the clutches of Pallas, the freed slave. Nero asks Acte to give word to Murena that he is pardoned, and that there is nothing stopping him from returning to Rome. But that’s not all Murena wants… he also asks of his sovereign to give him Draxus’ head… Draxus, who killed his mother… Draxus, who was acting on Agrippina’s orders…

This first volume of the ongoing Spellbound series initiates us into Dufaux and Munuera’s Medieval-style fantasy land, a land brimming with witchcraft, demons, enchantments and foul-play.

The whole of Middleland has been thrown into turmoil by the sudden and brutal murder of the king. The unfortunate victim’s dying wish was that his daughter, Blanche, should take the throne, rather than her weak-spirited brother. Thus Blanche finds herself catapulted into a position of power that she never expected, or even wished for. The grief-stricken young woman is forced to renounce her lover, and on top of that, the enemy’s army is assembled at the country’s border, poising to strike. Blanche looks like she’s off to a promising start as queen of the land, but unfortunately she’s no match for the various plots to topple her… at least, not yet…

Set against the backdrop of the Cuban Revolution, the second part of this hard-boiled tale transforms into a road movie as Joaquin and Livia head across the U.S. in a Buick Century bought with stolen mafia money. Joaquin’s ex-boss, Santo Trafficante Junior, is hot on their tail, and is counting on soon having the money and Livia back in Cuba. Things boil over when the runaways reach California, where Joaquin finds himself face-to-face with Livia, the money, and Trafficante’s most relentless henchman, the man they call Perico.

Within the Conspiracy of the XX, Calvin Wax was number two… but what was the real scope of his power and influence? What was the responsibility of this utterly unscrupulous man, who was—openly or secretly—adviser to three presidents? Now, discover the birth of the Conspiracy, through a few very difficult days in the life of Wally Sheridan, who is caught in the merciless schemes of the true brain behind the plot…

When unassuming candy store owner Ike Hopper dies of a heart attack, he leaves behind a bombshell that rocks his small Australian town. His confession of guilt to a 27-year old murder—the savage stabbing of local girl Lee Duncan—brings his brother Greg, accused of the crime, out of the bush where he’s been hiding. But Greg, returning to his hometown of Dubbo to tie up loose ends, finds not all ghosts go quietly to the grave. For instance, he seems to see his ex-wife Lee taunting him wherever he wanders… A hard-hitting, guilt-ridden, sun-drenched slice of outback noir.

Statuesque, alluring and a literal femme fatale… Felicity Brown, former waitress and call-girl and pretend nurse, nearly caused the end of XIII when she murdered the man he believed to be his father. But crime doesn’t pay in the end, and Felicity is forced to flee from the FBI. So begins a bloody escape that will take the “black widow” to Costa Verde, into the arms of a dictator and in the middle of a revolution that will soon draw in none other than… XIII!

Luc is a frail child who’s afraid of anything and everything, no thanks to his Italian grandmother and her dark bedtime stories. So when he disappears from his bedroom one night, everyone fears the worst. Has he been kidnapped? Did he run away like his sister once did? Little do they know, Luc has traveled to a mysterious land filled with monsters and strange creatures named Shadows and is about to embark on a terrifying journey around the world where he must learn to conquer his fears if he ever hopes to return home. Accompanying him on his journey is the mysterious Uomo Nero, the bogeyman from the nursery rhymes his nana used to sing to him…

The queen is dead. Killed by Blanche, her own daughter, driven to extreme measures by the bitterness of treachery. The devious sorceress Miranda is still fiercely lusting after Blanche’s lover, Prince Maldoror of the World Below. The sly prince uses the witch’s desire to his advantage, striking a sordid deal with her to help Blanche in her campaign to win back the throne of Middleland that is rightfully hers. Between them, they manage to summon a formidable fighting force unlike any other…

While the subtle games of power, sex and manipulation continue within the palace of Echinapur, the spirit of revolt amongst the townspeople with regard to the English presence comes into full force, suddenly and brutally. Meanwhile, we discover a new and unexpected side to the Maharajah himself, who at last assumes his responsibilities, winning his honor in the eyes of those closest to him. It all comes down to a bloody struggle between the English and the locals, but who will be victorious?

In this eighth volume of “XIII Mystery,” Frank Giroud and Colin Wilson recount the past of Martha Shoebridge, the doctor who saved XIII and diagnosed his amnesia in “The Day of the Black Sun.” Readers will find out what was at the source of her addiction to alcohol, and the life she led before crossing paths with XIII—including an unsuspected link with William Sheridan, the progressive president assassinated by Steve Rowland…