Raptor the Avenger

Robin Bennett

Description

The three very different Vampires, Picus, Mouesch and Raptor must unite the Hidden Kingdom to survive.Think you know the truth about Vampires? Well, think again. A mysterious volume in an unknown tongue, a thief who could change the course of the world and a closely-guarded secret, older than Humankind..."Robin Bennett's Picus the Thief is that seemingly impossible take on the genre - funny, intelligent, imaginative story-telling that mixes Arthurian legend with faeries and vampires and comes up with a unique mix of all three." - SSF Chronicles "Aimed at the young adult market, the world building is incredible and it's almost impossible not to become immersed in this fantastically realised world of charm and grandeur. The characters are just as lively too, Picus is brilliant as a small but almost indestructible, irrepressible vampire thief who throws himself head first at life's little adventures." - SF Books Reviews (best fantasy fiction for book lovers) "Picus the Thief is highly original, beautifully imaginative and utterly engaging. It is no mean feat that the author has managed to create a series of interconnected worlds, a loveable central character, as well as a host of other characters that all have genuine depth. If you are looking for gifts for books lovers or top fantasy books, read Picus the Thief."

Sujets

• Children's

Informations

• Publié par: Andrews UK
• Date de parution: 22 mai 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780992904128
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Contents

Tîe Page                         î Pubîser ïnormaîon                  îî

Proogue                           Par ï                            2 Caper                         3 Caper 2                        9 Caper 3                       4 Caper 4                       2 Caper 5                       26 Caper 6                       3 Caper 7                       40 Caper 8                       52 Caper 9                       56 Caper 0                      72 Caper                       76 Caper 2                      85 Caper 3                      90 Caper 4                      95 Caper 5                      02 Caper 6                      07 Caper 7                      6 Caper 8                      22 Caper 9                      30

Par ïï                          38 Caper                        39 Caper 2                       5 Caper 3                       62 Caper 4                       78 Caper 5                       88 Caper 6                       97 Caper 7                       207 Par ïïï                          25 Caper                        26 Caper 2                       223 Caper 3                       238 Caper 4                       245 Caper 5                       252 Caper 6                       263 Posscrîp                        266

Key o Fîg Formaîons               267 On e Seven Treasures o e Hîdden Kîngdom  268

RAPTOR THE AVENGER

by Robin Bennett

Publiser Information

Rapor e Avenger Pubîsed în Grea Brîaîn în 204 by Monster Books he Od Smîy, Heney-on-hames OXON RG9 2AR Dîgîa edîîon convered and dîsrîbued în 205 by Andrews UK Limited wwwandrewsukcom © 205 Robîn Benne he rîg o Robîn Benne o be îdenîIed as auor o îs work as been assered by îm în accordance wî e Copyrîg, Desîgns and Paens Ac 988 A rîgs reserved hîs book îs sod subjec o e condîîon a î sa no, by way o rade or oerwîse, be en, resod, îred ou or oerwîse cîrcuaed wîou e pubîsers prîor consen în any orm o bîndîng or cover oer an a în wîc î îs pubîsed and wîou a sîmîar condîîon încudîng îs condîîon beîng împosed on e subsequen purcaser A caracers appearîng în îs work are Icîîous Any resembance o rea persons, îvîng or dead, îs purey coîncîdena

Prologue

ï îs 890 hree undred years ave passed sînce Moüsc ound e Caîce and reurned î o e Keep he ïndusrîa Age o Humans grînds ever onwards and e Hîdden Kîngdom îs în dîsarray: Faîes ave a bu dîsappeared, eîr ea Cases îe empy and eîr magîc aîn, a bu unraceabe rougou mos o e Hîdden Kîngdom; as or e Vampîres, ey are ocked în cîvî war and Corbeau îs ascendan, îs compee vîcory more jus a maer o îme Hîs Horde – saved Vampîres, Weres and reaked Wîgîs creaures – are poîsed o conquer e sea o a naura magîc: once Abîon, en Angeand  now Engand he Age o Aquarîus îs comîng o pass he End o Days Coser o ome – în e Carpaîan Mounaîns – Weres are srayîng more requeny rom e ores, wîd, a-mad and ungry, desabîîsîng e ands around e Keep a ave become barren border counry, conesed and voîd o e rîc veîns o îe rom e Hîdden Kîngdom a rîved ere no more an a generaîon prevîousy Once Corbeau as assembed enoug o îs Horde ey wî marc on e Keep under e hîn Man’s Banner, kî e Eern, wîpe ou e nobe amîîes, and caîm e Caîce or e hîn Man wose specra presence urks în e sadows, bu îs movîng coser by e day Bu Corbeau as an obsace – a young Vampîre, ormer save, o no nobe boodînes, o no consequence  and ye hîs îs Rapor’s sory Rapor e Avenger

Part I

Picus

Capter 1

London Corbeau’s mos, peraps ony, endurîng egacy was e învenîon o geneîc engîneerîng.

A îg wîndow, ookîng ou over e hames A umbîng sunamî o og spreadîng ou rom e rîver, jaundîced and ou he year îs 892 Rapor, Proecor o e Free Vampîre Naîon în Abîon, Boy- Genera/hug suck îs ead ou o a oe în e roo o e Human enemen, noîcîng ow e og ad a bu obîeraed e Irs Loor and was rîsîng o e ower a o e second Loor Tîme o be of Foeîd brea on îs neck, warm and roen Rapor’s skeeon dîd a sîen jîg Keep cam, e oug ‘Corbeau,’ e saîd wîou movîng a musce ‘Rapor’ he words were wîspered, wî eîr curîousy ancîen vampîrîc înonaîon a ad been noed, cenurîes beore, by anoer Vampîre He’s bearîng îs ee now, oug Rapor, eeîng bood-backened angs grazîng e down on e nape o îs neck He’d seen peny o e vîcîms – ragged roas, boodess cadavers; wîîn a mîcrosecond Corbeau woud ave camped îs enanced jaws around e Srîgoî’s neck, severîng nerves, crusîng voîce organs, eavîng îm aîve ye uery unabe o speak or move  wîs Corbeau ed on îm a îs eîsure Bu Rapor ony needed a mîcrosecond Wac îs, e oug, droppîng back roug e skyîg Corbeau predîced e move and oowed îm down Wa e was no prepared or, owever, was e seer veocîy wî wîc Rapor en came back e oer way: sprîngîng îs ee of a rater, wîngs asîng e aîr, a o îs consîderabe sreng and mena power ocused on one Luîd movemenup, reacîng e speed o

sound even beore Corbeau’s jaws snapped paînuy su on în aîr Corbeau spa ou a saered canîne and en îs skîn seemed o urn în on îse; reveaîng we musce, wîpcords o pae sînew as îs jaw exended He’s geîng sronger Rapor waced, jus a undred yards away, rom e saey o dense swaes o og And madder He saw a Corbeau’s a-cange was compee as îs raw creaure – par Vampîre andLayedWere – scanned e og or sîgns o îs quarry roug red, ormened eyes hen  U, o,oug Rapor, as Corbeau’s gaze was suddeny rîveed by a mînue dîsurbance în e og, a sma puncure oe A mîîon-în-one guess Corbeau eap rom e roo, eaery wîngs beaîng e aîr wî a îss a quîcky became a ow, massîve canînes exendîng 

Rapor opened îs eyes He ay perecy sî or a ew mînues, akîng în e sunîg, e amîîar surroundîngs, and e ee o e coo înen sees beween îs Ingers He ook a momen o remember were e was Oxord ad been e ome o e rebeîon or over a decade and ey ad se up a nework o ces around e own, no more an Ity Vampîres o a unî, în case ey were dîscovered – maîny în coege wîne cears, some înerconneced wî unnes, mos îndependen Anyone ese may ave sîvered, în spîe o e currens o warm aîr cîrcuaîng around e room, bu or Rapor e memory o îs as encouner wî Corbeau was sîmpy a pracîca remînder o be more careu nex îme Even by Vampîre sandards, e was amos enîrey îmmune o e prîmeva însînc a says ’ware your unguarded ougs and dreams, ear your unnamed ears ... run rom monsers. Aoug î was îg, î was sî eary and so e sayed were e was He cosed îs eyes agaîn

Wy e ransormaîon? Wa was Corbeau ryîng o urn îmse îno? Ceraîny î seemed o gîve îm more power on e surace o îngs – more buk, musce mass, arger bîe As a sodîer, Rapor coud see e beneIs în a o a Bu Rapor suspeced makîng îmse îno e monser ouwardy was a orm o accepance, as î Corbeau was Inay aowîng îs appearance o mîrror îs înner garroed and ormened naure ï aso made you a byword or evî ï oers o e Hîdden Kîngdom eared you, a e bae was won hîs was pary wy Rapor ad srayed îno e Horde’s errîory so deîberaey Ceraîny î was a useu recce, bu a e same îme, e was a paîns o sow a a Vampîre coud sî move reey wîîn Engand, even e ear o ondon wose sewers and sums eemed wî e growîng numbers o Corbeau’s army A Sadow Socîey în e Rea He ad sî been aken by surprîse a ow as Corbeau ad pîcked îm up and ow e’d managed o ge so cose wîou Rapor spoîng îm Rapor sî ad e speed and, î î came o î, e skî o deea Corbeau în sînge comba, bu e doubed a sae o afaîrs woud conînue Bu î ad been wor î He ad Inay ocaed e sea o Corbeau’s Horde ï ay beween e mou o e Fee and e convergence o eluen a poured, day and nîg, îno e mudLas eadîng down o a suggîs hames Corbeau ad cosen î because î aforded îm a arge covered area a Humans avoîded, or a eas mos o em he Rebes were geîng repors a Corbeau ad been barerîng knowedge wî Humans Agaîn, ere was evîdence o îs down ere: near e mudLas Rapor ad seen a sma roop o Wîgs Iîng pas carryîng wa ooked îke eavy runceons, bu were on coser înspecîon, e concuded, wa Men caed a bunderbuss: a eavy, ornaey cas ube o mea sufed wî gunpowder, ba bearîngs, naîs and sones Fîred a cose range, even a Vampîre woud be sredded beore e ad îme o move He’d Irs sensed, raer an seen evîdence o Corbeau’s underground cîade rom e sree above – a du cankîng,