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The Birds And Other Stories (Vmc Ser. #535)
by Daphne Du MaurierFROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF REBECCA'How long he fought with them in the darkness he could not tell, but at last the beating of the wings about him lessened and then withdrew . . . 'A classic of alienation and horror, 'The Birds' was immortalised by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's sense of dominance over the natural world. The mountain paradise of 'Monte Verità' promises immortality, but at a terrible price; a neglected wife haunts her husband in the form of an apple tree; a professional photographer steps out from behind the camera and into his subject's life; a date with a cinema usherette leads to a walk in the cemetery; and a jealous father finds a remedy when three's a crowd . . .
The Birds: and Other Stories (Virago Modern Classics #2164)
by Daphne Du Maurier"Anyone starting this book under the impression that he may sleepily relax is in for a shock...continually provokes both pity and terror." --The Observer (UK) A classic of alienation and horror, The Birds was immortalised by Hitchcock in his celebrated film. The five other chilling stories in this collection echo a sense of dislocation and mock man's dominance over the natural world. The mountain paradise of 'Monte Verità' promises immortality, but at a terrible price; a neglected wife haunts her husband in the form of an apple tree; a professional photographer steps out from behind the camera and into his subject's life; a date with a cinema usherette leads to a walk in the cemetery; and a jealous father finds a remedy when three's a crowd . . .
The Birthday Boys
by Beryl BainbridgeBeryl Bainbridge gets better and better . . . she has succeeded with a daring leap of emphatic imagination in penetrating the minds of Captain Scott and the four men he led to their deaths in Antarctica in 1912' Patrick Skene Catling, Evening StandardTHE BIRTHDAY BOYS is classic Bainbridge - one of her absolute best. It is a fictional account of Captain Robert Scott's 1910 expedition to Antarctica told from the perspectives of five men on the voyage: Scott; Petty Officer Taff Evans; ship's medic Dr Edward Wilson; Lieutenant Henry Bowers; and Captain Lawrence Oates.
The Birthday Boys
by Beryl BainbridgeA brilliantly realized evocation of the thoughts and voices of Captain Scott and the four men with him, who suffered extraordinary hardships before finally dying during their 1912 attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole.'Bainbridge's account of the horribly familiar story is both fresh and sure-footed. The power of her imagination, her clarity of expression and mastery of language are more striking than anything else I have read this year' Jane Shilling, Sunday TelegraphThe Birthday Boys is one of Beryl Bainbridge's most acclaimed novels, telling the story of Scott's doomed expedition through the voices of five men on the voyage. As Scott, Petty Officer Taff Evans, ship's doctor Dr Edward Wilson, Lieutenant Henry Bowers and Captain Lawrence Oates step forward for their place in the narrative, the reader is gripped by the the characters themselves alongside the vividly evoked period.
The Birthday Party of No Return!: The Birthday Party Of No Return (Goosebumps Hall of Horrors #6)
by R. L. StineWelcome to the Hall of Horrors, HorrorLand's Hall of Fame for the truly terrifying.Lee Hargrove only wants one thing-to win a scholarship to Summer Sports Camp. His school is holding a competition and the winner gets to attend the camp for free. Lee is one of the favorites to win along with his friend, Cory "Lucky Duck" Duckworth and another athletic classmate, Laura Grodin. Laura is good...for a girl, but how can anyone compete with Cory's good luck streak? Lee has an idea and he's about to give Cory an unforgettable birthday present that will really get the party started.
The Bite
by Z.W. TaylorA page-turning paranormal suspense novel about a woman fighting for a new life—and the bite that shifts everything."A deeply satisfying tale . . . werewolf fans should check this out." —Publishers WeeklyTo escape her violent ex, Charlotte flees her home in the middle of the night with nothing but the cash in her pocket and a paper map leading her north to Alaska. She sheds her old self along the way: dyeing her hair, scrubbing off her fake California tan, and pawning all her jewelry. None of it is worth anything if she can’t stay alive.Alone in the wilderness, Charlotte feels safe at last. Even if she’s lost, even if she’s only got a burner phone that lost its last bar miles ago, and even if she missed her turn and can’t find the cabin she was promised by a friend. Tucked into a sleeping bag in the back seat of her ancient truck, she’s finally living life on her own terms.But that feeling is short-lived. In the middle of the woods, Charlotte’s attacked, brutally, unforgivingly—and something bites her leg. And it’s a bite that will change her life forever.
The Bite (The\moon Blood Saga Ser. #1)
by Z.W. TaylorA page-turning paranormal suspense novel about a woman fighting for a new life—and the bite that shifts everything."A deeply satisfying tale . . . werewolf fans should check this out." —Publishers WeeklyTo escape her violent ex, Charlotte flees her home in the middle of the night with nothing but the cash in her pocket and a paper map leading her north to Alaska. She sheds her old self along the way: dyeing her hair, scrubbing off her fake California tan, and pawning all her jewelry. None of it is worth anything if she can’t stay alive.Alone in the wilderness, Charlotte feels safe at last. Even if she’s lost, even if she’s only got a burner phone that lost its last bar miles ago, and even if she missed her turn and can’t find the cabin she was promised by a friend. Tucked into a sleeping bag in the back seat of her ancient truck, she’s finally living life on her own terms.But that feeling is short-lived. In the middle of the woods, Charlotte’s attacked, brutally, unforgivingly—and something bites her leg. And it’s a bite that will change her life forever.
The Bitten (Vampire Huntress Legend, #4)
by L. A. BanksCarlos and Damali should know by now that there is no rest for the saviors of the known world. One of the four topside Master vampires has stolen one of the Keys, the living blood of Christ, that opens the sixth seal as foretold in Revelations. He who possesses the Key and the Seal can decide the outcome of the Final War, a. k. a. Armageddon. With a vampire in possession of the Key, the balance between the Light and the Dark have been thrown off and even Damali is deeply effected. She is now sporting a pair of fangs. In order to retrieve the Key, Carlos and Damali are quickly thrust into a web of vampire politics and intrigue. And when Carlos's secret drug, Oblivion, finds its way into the hands of the enemies, the seventh level of Hell comes calling.
The Bitter Crown (The Eidyn Saga #2)
by Justin Lee AndersonA war once held in the shadows now escalates into full-scale revolution in the second novel of Justin Lee Anderson&’s epic Eidyn Saga. The fog of war is lifted and the conspiracy at the heart of Eidyn finally exposed. Now that they know the truth, Aranok and his allies must find a way to free a country that doesn&’t know it&’s held captive. But with divided loyalties and his closest friendship shaken, can their alliance hold against overwhelming odds? The quest to retake the country begins here.&“An eclectic cast of characters traverse a war-ravaged kingdom as Anderson's cleverly constructed plot winds its way towards a truly unexpected denouement. Rich in action and intrigue, this fantasy adventure with a Scottish flavor is sure to please fans of David Gemmell.&” – Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling authorFor more from Justin Lee Anderson, check out:The Lost War
The Bitterbynde Trilogy: The Ill-Made Mute, The Lady of the Sorrows, and The Battle of Evernight (The Bitterbynde Trilogy #1)
by Cecilia Dart-Thornton&“A beautifully spun fantasy&” of love, war, rebirth, and magical destiny, based on the haunting folklore of England, Ireland, and Scotland (Andre Norton). In The Ill-Made Mute, a wretched, nameless mute awakens without a memory in a lofty tower upon whose battlements winged horses and flying ships make landfall. The amnesiac longs to escape and roam the wild landscape in search of a past, a name, and a destiny. But the tales the servants whisper by the hearth all turn out to be true: The legendary creatures that plague the world beyond the castle walls are real and innumerable. Travelers in this beautiful, eerie wilderness must beware. . . . The Lady of the Sorrows begins with a newly minted lady carrying important tidings to the King-Emperor of Caermelor. In her heart, she longs to encounter the king&’s ranger Thorn, but upon reaching the royal court she learns that the ruler and his men have gone to war against the forces of wickedness that are threatening the realms of mortals. As the maiden awaits their return, a dreadful suspicion unfolds: The brutal Lord Huon and his monstrous Wild Hunt are attacking again and again—is she the target they seek? In The Battle of Evernight, the Lady of the Sorrows must save her loved ones from catastrophe by uncovering the secrets of her past. She journeys to the terrible fortress of the Raven Prince in Evernight, despite the Bitterbynde curse that is distorting her memories and the onset of a debilitating malady for which a cure may never be found. As a battle for the destiny of the world begins, the lady must make a fateful decision. If she reveals what she knows, she will liberate 2 worlds—or incite the downfall of everything she loves.
The Black Beast (The Book of Isle #4)
by Nancy SpringerIn Nancy Springer&’s enthralling fourth volume of the Book of Isle, two young princes set out to destroy their own father and the pervasive evil that poisons the kingdom An epic saga set in an ageless island stronghold of magic and mystery, Nancy Springer&’s Book of Isle series is considered by many to be among the most accomplished offerings in all of fantasy literature, as lyrical and inventive as the classic works of J. R. R. Tolkien. In this unforgettable novel, a violent rift in a royal house threatens to tear an entire kingdom asunder. The next in line to rule the troubled realm of Melior, Prince Tirell gave his heart to the gentle and beautiful peasant girl Mylitta. But she died at the cruel whim of Tirell&’s father, the king, who insists on a more politically expedient match for his rebellious son. Since the murder of his love, Tirell&’s heart has hardened, and now, with the aid of his younger brother, Frain, the healer, he seeks an army that will help him defeat the evil, unrepentant monarch. All hope for victory in the war to come awaits the brothers somewhere deep in the mysteries of the Vale, where a beautiful goddess also dwells. But a sinister presence is spreading its malevolence throughout the land—and Melior can never again be truly whole until the kingdom is rid of the terrible scourge of the Black Beast.
The Black Bird Oracle: A Novel (All Souls Series #5)
by Deborah Harkness#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Diana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself—and her family history—in the highly anticipated fifth novel of the beloved All Souls series, hailed as &“your next favorite fantasy read&” (Harper&’s Bazaar).&“The Black Bird Oracle deftly explores the nexus of memory, history, and parenthood—the magic, pain, and promises mothers pass onto their children.&”—Jodi PicoultDeborah Harkness first introduced the world to Diana Bishop, an Oxford scholar and witch, and vampire geneticist Matthew de Clermont in A Discovery of Witches. Drawn to each other despite long-standing taboos, these two otherworldly beings found themselves at the center of a battle for a lost, enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782. Since then, they have fallen in love, traveled to Elizabethan England, dissolved the Covenant between the three species, and awoken the dark powers within Diana&’s family line. Now, Diana and Matthew receive a formal demand from the Congregation: They must test the magic of their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Rebecca. Concerned with their safety and desperate to avoid the same fate that led her parents to spellbind her, Diana decides to forge a different path for her family&’s future and answers a message from a great-aunt she never knew existed, Gwyneth Proctor, whose invitation simply reads: It&’s time you came home, Diana. On the hallowed ground of Ravenswood, the Proctor family home, and under the tutelage of Gwyneth, a talented witch grounded in higher magic, a new era begins for Diana: a confrontation with her family&’s dark past and a reckoning for her own desire for even greater power—if she can let go, finally, of her fear of wielding it.In this stunning new novel, grand in scope, Deborah Harkness deepens the beloved world of All Souls with powerful new magic and long-hidden secrets, and the path Diana finds at Ravenswood leads to the most consequential moments yet in this cherished series.
The Black Bird Oracle: The exhilarating new All Souls novel featuring Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont (All Souls)
by Deborah Harkness'Haunting in every way. A story thick with family secrets, human heartache, and the kind of deep magic only Harkness can conjure. You will be enchanted' LEIGH BARDUGO'The Black Bird Oracle deftly explores the nexus of memory, history, and parenthood - the magic, pain, and promises mothers pass onto their children. Harkness's lush prose makes a fantastical world real enough to touch' JODI PICOULTDiana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself - and her family history - in the highly anticipated fifth novel of the beloved Number One Sunday Times bestselling All Souls series.The first shadows fall on a Friday afternoon when a single, dying raven lands on the pavement in front of Diana Bishop, harbinger of an invitation that reads, 'It's time you came home, Diana'. Diana is a witch and scholar; her husband Matthew Clairmont, a vampire. Their intense love for one another awoke the dark powers within her and dissolved the Covenant between the three species - Witch, Daemon and Vampire - that live alongside humans. Now, the governing Congregation has decided it must test the magical powers of their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Becca. Concerned with their safety, Diana decides to forge a different path for her family's future and travels to Ravenswood, the Proctor family home.There, Diana begins a new era, becoming her great aunt Gwyneth's pupil in higher magic. It's time to confront her family's past - and her own, inescapable desire for greater power.Number One bestselling author Deborah Harkness returns to her beloved All Souls world with a triumphant novel that sweeps back to the Salem Panic and illuminates Diana's family history in new and thrilling ways.
The Black Bird Oracle: The exhilarating new All Souls novel featuring Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont (All Souls)
by Deborah Harkness'Haunting in every way. A story thick with family secrets, human heartache, and the kind of deep magic only Harkness can conjure. You will be enchanted' LEIGH BARDUGO'The Black Bird Oracle deftly explores the nexus of memory, history, and parenthood - the magic, pain, and promises mothers pass onto their children. Harkness's lush prose makes a fantastical world real enough to touch' JODI PICOULTDiana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself - and her family history - in the highly anticipated fifth novel of the beloved Number One Sunday Times bestselling All Souls series.The first shadows fall on a Friday afternoon when a single, dying raven lands on the pavement in front of Diana Bishop, harbinger of an invitation that reads, 'It's time you came home, Diana'. Diana is a witch and scholar; her husband Matthew Clairmont, a vampire. Their intense love for one another awoke the dark powers within her and dissolved the Covenant between the three species - Witch, Daemon and Vampire - that live alongside humans. Now, the governing Congregation has decided it must test the magical powers of their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Becca. Concerned with their safety, Diana decides to forge a different path for her family's future and travels to Ravenswood, the Proctor family home.There, Diana begins a new era, becoming her great aunt Gwyneth's pupil in higher magic. It's time to confront her family's past - and her own, inescapable desire for greater power.Number One bestselling author Deborah Harkness returns to her beloved All Souls world with a triumphant novel that sweeps back to the Salem Panic and illuminates Diana's family history in new and thrilling ways.
The Black Butterfly
by Shirley Reva VernickPenny is furious, and who can blame her? She has to spend Christmas break alone at the Black Butterfly, an old inn at the coldest, bleakest edge of America-the coast of Maine. This "vacation" is the brainchild of Penny's flaky mother, who's on the other side of the country hunting ghosts. Penny most definitely does not believe in spirits. Or love. Or family. Until, that is, she discovers two very real apparitions which only she can see...and meets George, the handsome son of the inn's owner...and crashes into some staggering family secrets. If only Ghost Girl didn't want Penny dead. If only George were the tiniest bit open to believing. If only she could tell her mother. Then maybe this could still be a vacation. But it's not. It's a race for her life, her first love, and her sanity.Shirley Reva Vernick is rapidly becoming the new hot item in young adult fiction. Her first novel, The Blood Lie, won the Simon Wiesenthal Children's Book Award, was silver medalist for the Sydney Taylor Book Award, and was an ALA 2012 Best Book for Young Adults. Her second novel, Remember Dippy-a feel good adventure about a fourteen-year-old boy shepherding his older autistic cousin through his summer vacation-was released in spring 2013 and won the Dolly Gray Literature Award from the Council For Exceptional Children. This time around, Shirley wanted to let loose with a page-turning coming-of-age romance mixed with ghosts and adventure. Shirley is the creator of the much visited storytelling website storybee.org. She lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.
The Black Castle: A Novel of the Macabre
by Les DanielsSet in 1496 Spain, the Inquisition casts a deathly shadow across the land. In the north looms the black castle, the ancestral stronghold of 2 brothers who are ensnared in a web of evil.
The Black Coast: The God-King Chronicles, Book 1 (The God-King Chronicles #1)
by Mike BrooksWAR DRAGONS. FEARSOME RAIDERS. A DAEMONIC WARLORD ON THE RISE.'5/5 stars' SFX Magazine When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them because they know who is coming: for generations, the keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Tjakorsha. Saddling their war dragons, Black Keep's warriors rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own land by a daemonic despot who prophesises the end of the world, the raiders come in search of a new home . . . Meanwhile the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the crossfire - if only its new mismatched society can survive. THE START OF AN UNMISSABLE FANTASY SERIES.'Vibrant and intricate worldbuilding' Matthew Ward'Epic . . . powerful . . . I really, really can't recommend this one enough' Fantasy Inn'Excellent characters and wonderful worldbuilding, with a wealth of interesting cultural collisions . . . I'm already excited for the next one!' Django Wexler'Compelling . . . promises to be a watershed epic fantasy series. I loved it' Fantasy Book ReviewThe Black Coast is the first fantasy novel from critically acclaimed Games Workshop/Warhammer 40k author Mike Brooks. Look out for the sequel: The Splinter King.
The Black Coast: The God-King Chronicles, Book 1 (The God-King Chronicles #1)
by Mike BrooksWAR DRAGONS. FEARSOME RAIDERS. A DAEMONIC WARLORD ON THE RISE.'5/5 stars' SFX Magazine When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them because they know who is coming: for generations, the keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Tjakorsha. Saddling their war dragons, Black Keep's warriors rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own land by a daemonic despot who prophesises the end of the world, the raiders come in search of a new home . . . Meanwhile the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the crossfire - if only its new mismatched society can survive. THE START OF AN UNMISSABLE FANTASY SERIES.'Vibrant and intricate worldbuilding' Matthew Ward'Epic . . . powerful . . . I really, really can't recommend this one enough' Fantasy Inn'Excellent characters and wonderful worldbuilding, with a wealth of interesting cultural collisions . . . I'm already excited for the next one!' Django Wexler'Compelling . . . promises to be a watershed epic fantasy series. I loved it' Fantasy Book ReviewThe Black Coast is the first fantasy novel from critically acclaimed Games Workshop/Warhammer 40k author Mike Brooks. Look out for the sequel: The Splinter King.
The Black Corridor
by Michael MoorcockThe world is sick. The Forces of Chaos have energised the planet. Leaders, führers, duces, prophets, visionaries, gurus, and politicians are all at each others' throats. And Chaos leers over the broken body of Order.So Ryan freezes his family into suspended animation and sets off for the planet Munich 15040, five years distant. There he will re-establish Order in a New World - and create a happier, healthier, saner and more decent society with the ones he loves.But they are suspended. And they cannot talk. And he is alone in space. And he has been travelling for three years. And he will still be travelling two years hence, and he cannot see his destination, and he is ALONE and LOST and CRACKING UP...
The Black Death
by Gwyneth Cravens John S. MarrTwice in history, the plague nearly wiped out human life. Now it's back and the horror has begun again...
The Black Door (The Stephen Drake Mysteries #1)
by Collin WilcoxA crime reporter with ESP tackles a double homicideIn a San Francisco apartment building, a young woman is found strangled beside a piano player with a broken neck. He&’s a nobody—a dreamer with little talent and no future—but she is Roberta Grinnel, daughter of one of the wealthiest men in the Bay Area. Stephen Drake, crime reporter for the Sentinel, feels nothing when he looks at their corpses, and this is a troubling fact. For Drake is a psychic, and when his sixth sense fails him, that means more trouble ahead.As Drake tries to come to grips with his cosmic gift, the mystery of the heiress and the piano player becomes the hottest story in town. To keep his gig at the paper, Drake will call on every source he has—on this plane and the astral one—but knowing danger&’s lurking doesn&’t guarantee he can stay out of its way.
The Black Elfstone: Book One of the Fall of Shannara (Fall of Shannara)
by Terry Brooks'TERRY'S PLACE IS AT THE HEAD OF THE FANTASY WORLD' Philip PullmanThe first book of the triumphant four-part conclusion to the Shannara series, from one of the all-time masters of fantasy.The age of peace that has reigned across the Four Lands is now at an end. An army of invaders, wielding a terrible new magic, is cutting a bloody swathe across the far north . . . The fate of the world now rests on the shoulders of an exiled druid, a conflicted warrior and a young woman struggling to master a powerful magic. As the conflict grows, they will face dangerous adversaries and deadly challenges - and the consequences of their actions will determine the future of the Four Lands.Through twenty-eight novels written over the course of forty years, Terry Brooks's Shannara series has entranced millions of readers around the world. Now, with The Black Elfstone - the first book in the Fall of Shannara - Terry begins to bring his epic vision to a grand conclusion.'Terry's place is at the head of the fantasy world' Phillip Pullman'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks
The Black Elfstone: The Fall Of Shanna (Fall of Shannara #1)
by Terry Brooks'TERRY'S PLACE IS AT THE HEAD OF THE FANTASY WORLD' Philip Pullman The first book of the triumphant four-part conclusion to the Shannara series, from one of the all-time masters of fantasy.The age of peace that has reigned across the Four Lands is now at an end. An army of invaders, wielding a terrible new magic, is cutting a bloody swathe across the far north . . . The fate of the world now rests on the shoulders of an exiled druid, a conflicted warrior and a young woman struggling to master a powerful magic. As the conflict grows, they will face dangerous adversaries and deadly challenges - and the consequences of their actions will determine the future of the Four Lands.Through twenty-eight novels written over the course of forty years, Terry Brooks's Shannara series has entranced millions of readers around the world. Now, with The Black Elfstone - the first book in the Fall of Shannara - Terry begins to bring his epic vision to a grand conclusion.'I can't even begin to count how many of Terry Brooks's books I've read (and re-read) over the years' Patrick Rothfuss'I would not be writing epic fantasy today if not for Shannara' Peter V. Brett'A master of the craft . . . required reading' Brent Weeks
The Black Fantastic: 20 Afrofuturist Stories
A cutting-edge collection of the best short stories in contemporary Afrofuturist fiction—from Hugo, Nebula, and Stoker award-winning Black authors20 mind-blowing, horror-strewn, weird, and woke tales celebrate Black identity, community, and imaginationBlack speculative fiction has never been better than it is here and now. On the shoulders of Afrofuturist masters like Octavia E. Butler and Samuel R. Delany and pioneering visionaries before them, a new, abundant, and brilliant generation of contemporary Black authors, some of them just beginning their careers, is conjuring up a very real renaissance.Edited by SF-expert andré carrington, and including Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award winners alongside emerging and experimental voices, The Black Fantastic showcases the artistry of these breakout literary stars and celebrates the diversity of their talents.Including Afrofuturist science fiction, weird and fantastic tales, horror and the paranormal, apocalyptic lyricism, time travel, superheroes, and more, here are twenty mindblowing, horror-strewn, weird, woke, nerdy, terrifying, liberating, fantastic, utopian, surreal, genre-defying and empowering short stories, all of them worth reading and rereading now and far into futurity.Reclaiming histories of racism and oppression and seizing the day, these writers are forging kaleidoscopic new senses of Black identity, community, and imaginative freedom.
The Black Feathers: A Novel
by Rebecca NetleyThe next chilling and twisty ghost story from the author of The Whistling. Where ghosts tread, black feathers fall . . .When Annie marries widower Edward Stonehouse and arrives at Guardbridge, his estate on the Yorkshire moors, she thinks she has finally put darkness behind her.She is mistaken. Edward’s sister, Iris, still lives in the family home. A taxidermist and medium, she urges Annie to watch out for black feathers―claiming that they mark the spot where a spirit has visited. At first, Annie dismisses these warnings. But before long, she begins to feel haunted. What exactly happened to Edward’s first wife? Why is Iris so disturbed? And should Annie really be watching for signs from the dead―when it seems that she is the one being watched? Set in the atmospheric Yorkshire moors in the nineteenth century, this ghostly tale of magic and wickedness will chill you to the bone.