Born into poverty in an age of heroes and kings, a future as a courtesan is the best Eka expects in the Maghada Empire. Initiation into the service of the snake goddess gives her a fleeting glimpse of power - until the king discovers Eka's talent for poisons, and demands her services as a vish kanya, or poison girl. Eka and her childhood companion Ira are told the venom they've imbibed makes them lethal to touch, and they grow up as feared members of court - able to touch only each other. And when a young invader sweeps towards their empire in India, Eka and Ira are chosen to infiltrate Alexander the Great's army. In Alexander's court Eka must play a dangerous political game, all while her feelings for Ira unfurl. Raised to do the bidding of one king, and confronted with the power and destruction of another, the fate of a world will rest on the choice she makes.

The Song of Achilles meets The Power: an astonishing feminist debut fusing the Indian myth of the poison girls with the legend of Alexander the Great

The Legends Before the Lionesses examines how the legends who pioneered women's internationals from 1972 onwards inspired successive generations until that glorious day in 2022 when England won the Euros. It details for the first time how the Lionesses have become not only the pride of a nation but agents of social change.

Into Nowhere: Bruce Springsteen and The Cold War Blues, by Marilisa Merolla--an internationally renowned professor focusing on rock and roll music's impact on world history--investigates the role played by Springsteen as a “Born in the U.S.A.” sound ambassador, particularly in Italy, and sheds light on the invisible trauma that affected the Cold War generation, a trauma profoundly interpreted by Springsteen.The groundbreaking book threads two separate perspectives: one inspired by the psychological interpretation of the effects of the “Blues” on contemporary societies, and another anchored to the current debate among historians about music and international relations. The author uses these two separate threads to investigate the role played by Bruce Springsteen as an American “sound ambassador” outside the US, particularly in Italy and the Mediterranean area; and sheds light on the invisible trauma that affected the Cold War generation. A trauma Bruce Springsteen interpreted, as a sort of “Born in the U.S.A” Dionysus.Through the lens of Springsteen’s Neapolitan roots and Italian heritage via his mother’s family, this book examines the diffusion of the Blues during fascist Italy, and goes deep into the impact of rock and roll music, from Elvis to Bruce, during the Cold War.Since World War II, the US Department of State had used jazz and the Blues as a “sonic weapon” to combat the perception of the US as a racist society. By the Fifties, rock and roll arrived in its raw version in the Mediterranean area through the U.S. soldiers at the Naples-based AFSouth (Allied Forces Southern Europe) Headquarters. Paradoxically, the military use of the Blues, now distilled in rock and roll, represented a double-edged sword which spread the seeds of the dark side of the American way of life among the youth.In the Sixties, with the upheaval of the Vietnam War, the split between the expectations of a more democratic and individualized society and a bipolar geopolitical order of an unexploded atomic war made the frustration of the youth even more unsolvable.From the Seventies to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, Bruce Springsteen expressed the peculiar feeling of helplessness of so many people in Western society, offering a transnational Cold War generation a sense of connection. While giving an implicit, alchemical voice to different political identities—Atlanticist, Catholic, and Communist—his music makes the “Nowhere” recognizable in a geopolitical entity drawn by the Blues. His darkness provides redemption through the genuine religious experience of rock and roll. The performance of a collective trauma. A path to healing from the Cold War Blues.

A sobering revelation of the law's ramped-up attacks on the most vulnerable among us, and what to do about it Pink Crime is a revealing and deeply researched examination of the strategic use of criminal law by today's right-wing movement to limit the bodily autonomy of women and queer people. The criminal justice system increasingly targets the most vulnerable populations, particularly women, pregnant individuals, and queer people. This powerful book examines the alarming rate of wrongful convictions among women, uncovering how bias, stigma, and unreliable evidence have led to prosecution where no crime occurred. It paints a disturbing picture of how the deaths of loved ones--whether a husband who passed in his sleep or a child with a health condition--have been twisted into false accusations of murder due to systemic prejudices and prosecutorial overreach. The book goes beyond wrongful convictions to explore the criminalization of identity, revealing how today's legal system disproportionately punishes actions related to pregnancy, motherhood, and queer identity. Pink Crime emphasizes how these legal mechanisms not only strip away basic rights but also lay the groundwork for even more oppressive measures in the future. This deep and comprehensive analysis provides readers with historical context, real-life case studies, and a legal framework to understand the current threat posed by the strategic use of criminal law. By examining the interplay of wrongful convictions and the criminalization of vulnerable communities, the book offers vital insights into the coercive power of the legal system. It serves as a wake-up call to advocates, lawyers, and citizens, equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary to push back against these injustices and fight for systemic reform to protect bodily autonomy and fundamental rights.

Influential! Brave! Groundbreaking! Discover and celebrate the amazing stories and achievements of some of America's most inspiring artists, athletes, scholars, advocates and activists, political and civic leaders, entrepreneurs, physicians, educators, and more. Explore the vibrant experiences and vital roles of LGBTQ people in America!

UNICORN BOY is a colourful, hilarious and heartwarming graphic novel series about a shy kid who unwillingly sprouts a unicorn horn and uses his newfound magical powers to help those in need! Perfect for fans of Jamie Smart or those moving on from Dog Man.

A twisty, high stakes game for a life-changing inheritance brimmingwith chilling family secrets. Who will ultimately be the heir?

Adolf Hitler's plan to break British morale during the months after the D-Day landings in June 1944 involved the invention and implementation of the world's first rocket delivered warhead - the V1, or 'Doodle Bug' as it was christened by Londoners. Thousands were launched from their sites in the Low Countries against the British capital, killing 6,184 people and injuring 17,981.As the launch sites for the V1 were captured by Allied forces advancing through Belgium and into the Netherlands, a new, more terrifying rocket now hit London in mid-September, seemingly out of thin air - the V2. A streamlined rocket which stood as tall as a four-storey building, the V2 was highly advanced technology. Powered by a rocket engine burning a mix of alcohol-water and liquid oxygen, it blasted its way to the edge of space, before falling back to Earth at supersonic speed. Unlike the successes allied pilots and anti-aircraft crews had enjoyed shooting down the slower and more cumbersome V1, the V2 struck London almost undetected. It truly was Hitler's terror weapon made devastatingly real, causing over 30,000 casualties and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless, with the randomness of the strikes unnerving the British public even though their destructive capacity was less than the Blitz in 1940-41.But Winston Churchill's intelligence chiefs of SOE had known of the weapon weeks before it first struck the mainland as the Nazi boffins (led by Werner Von Braun who would go onto fame with the US Apollo Missions in the 1960s) tested the V2 in Eastern Europe. Away from prying eyes. Or, so they thought. In Stealing Hitler's Rocket, historian Guy Walters will reveal the true extent to how much we knew of this modern-day weapon and the operation by the Polish resistance to enable Britain and her allies to prepare for the day of reckoning.

Who are the queer figures, past and present, who shape Wales? Discover the diverse array of LGBTQ+ figures who have shaped Wales, in a tour of how they shape both their fields and drive forward queer representation.  Embark on a journey that takes us from the Marquis of Anglesey, through the lives of the Ladies of Llangollen, to artist Gwen John, to pioneering writer Jan Morris and playwright Peter Gill. Celebrate queer entertainers from Ivor Novello and H from Steps, to sporting icons from Gareth Thomas to Jess Fishlock. This book takes you on a whirlwind tour from culture and sport to politics and activism, marking the breadth and variety of queer achievement.  Spanning historic milestones of the past to iconic drag queens of the present, Queer Welsh Icons is a jubilant exploration of the rich tapestry of queer identity in Wales.