Nicholas Maes Libri

Born in Thamesville, Ontario, a student at Queens University in Kingston in the 1930s, and editor and later publisher of the Peterborough Examiner from the 1940s to the mid-1960s, playwright, essayist, critic, professor, and novelist Robertson Davies (19131995) was one of Canadas pre-eminent literary voices for more than a half-century.Davies, with his generous beard and donnish manner, was the very epitome of the man of letters, a term he abhorred. Best known for his Deptford Trilogy of novels (Fifth Business, The Manticore, World of Wonders), he also wrote two other trilogies (Salterton and Cornish) and was at work on the third volume of another trilogy (Toronto) when he died. With a life as rich in character and colour as that found in his fiction and essays, Davies had a great fondness for magic and myth, both of which are found in abundance in his work, along with a prodigious streak of wry humour.

Haunted by memories of his Holocaust-survivor parents, seventy-year-old Nathan Gelder grapples with the aftermath of a stroke that leaves him paralyzed. As he confronts his past, troubling questions arise about his connection to the death of rock star Leonard Skye Barvis, igniting global riots and intense media scrutiny. The narrative skillfully intertwines the horrors of history with the complexities of late 20th-century culture, culminating in a powerful and poignant conclusion that leaves a lasting impact.

Twelve-year-old Lewis Castorman is a master locksmith: there is no lock on earth that he is unable to open. He is therefore flattered when world-renowned chemist Ernst K. Grumpel invites him to his office in New York City and offers him a lock-picking assignment. His confidence quickly turns to dismay, however, when he learns this job will take him to Yellow Swamp in northern Alberta, the scene of a disastrous chemical spill a year earlier. He is also horrified to discover that Grumpel is utterly ruthless and, through his chemical inventions, can alter the rules of nature at his will. But the assignment is one that Lewis can't refuse.How is Grumpel able to create such miraculous transformations? What secrets has he locked away and why has he taken pains to store them in Alberta? Despite the strange discoveries Lewis will make at every turn in his adventures, nothing will prepare him for the final encounter that awaits him in Yellow Swamp.

As a seemingly ordinary 16-year-old, Simon Carpenter discovers he has unusual powers that thrust him into a battle against mysterious creatures plotting global domination. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, he must confront these threats, as his failure could result in catastrophic consequences for humanity.

In a race against time, Felix and Caroline must track down a mysterious individual who has uncovered a time machine capable of undoing Felix's groundbreaking discovery of lupus ridens, or "laughing wolf." As they journey back to the past, they face the urgency of preventing this stranger from altering the future, which could spell disaster for their 23rd-century reality. The story intertwines elements of adventure and suspense as they navigate the complexities of time travel and its consequences.