'AN INTELLIGENTLY PRESENTED HISTORICAL FANTASY THAT PROVOKES THOUGHT FROM THE START' THE BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY Where once new ideas and beliefs were accepted, now the country's military dictator, the Shogun is shutting his country down to any outside influences. Father Joaquim Martinez who left Portugal to make Hizen Province, Japan his home, has been quietly tending to the lives of his villagers, but everything is about to be thrown into turmoil, as the Shogun has outlawed Martinez's beliefs. Those who won't recant or accept banishment, face a death sentence. With the threat of a massacre looming, and the Shogun's Samurai closing in, Father Martinez must decide, if he is willing to risk everything, to save those he has sworn to protect.

The entire second season of the 1970s BBC sci-fi series. 'Redemption' sees Orac's prediction of the Liberator's destruction looking likely to be fulfilled when the ship's original owners arrive and take the rebels prisoner. In 'Shadow', Blake becomes involved with an interplanetary crime syndicate. 'Weapon' sees Blake and crew set out to steal a deadly 'delayed-effect' gun, which Servalan also wishes to possess. In 'Horizon', the Liberator heads for the edge of the Galaxy, only to be taken prisoner on the planet Horizon. 'Pressure Point' sees Blake attempting to destroy the Federation's control centre, only to walk into a trap set by Travis. In 'Trial', Travis is made a scapegoat by Servalan for their failure to capture Blake. 'Killer' sees Blake and his crew stumbling upon a derelict spaceship whilst on a mission to crack the Federation's new transmission code. The craft houses a deadly plague which could threaten the existence of the entire universe. In 'Hostage', Travis tries to trap Blake by kidnapping his cousin, Inga. 'Countdown' sees Blake and crew coming to the aid of the planet Albian, whose population are dying from radiation poisoning. In 'Voice from the Past', a telepathic signal forces Blake to reroute the Liberator to an asteroid where Travis lies in wait. Whilst 'Gambit' sees Blake, Cally and Jenna visit a gambling world to find the man who knows the location of the Federation's Star One. Avon and Villa, meanwhile, choose to take Orac on an illicit gambling spree. In 'The Keeper', Blake tries to obtain the key to Star One from a tribal chief on the planet Goth. However, Travis has beaten him to it. Finally, 'Star One' sees Blake at last launch his attack on the Federation's headquarters, unaware that an alien fleet is poised to invade.

Frederic Goode directs this 1960s British thriller starring Trisha Noble as a femme fatale. When Francesca (Noble) and her lover Joe (Shaun Curry) kill a wealthy man for his fortune they believe they have committed a carefully crafted crime they'll get away with. However, unbeknown to them, their victim's business partner Malo (William Dexter) is aware of their misdeed and seeks to turn it to his advantage. Complicating matters further is the involvement of Dennis Parbury (Mark Burns), an agent who arrives on the sun-drenched Mediterranean island to investigate Malo and his associates for drug smuggling. Will Parbury stumble across the murder plot, too?

For the Shogun, there is no middle ground. You challenge his authority, you breath your last. But God forbid you pass through his hands. You'll face the flame of fury, a punishment worse than death. Father Martinez, a European Samurai, only came to Japan to hide an unforgivable past. But maybe his past has caught up with him? Little did he know he would face the Shogun's fury of hell to save those he loves. With pressures mounting and his network of kinsmen dying around the country, Martinez is forced out of hiding this time to face the Shogun's regime and a formidable arch nemesis. A new enemy questions why the bodies of the villagers were not found, nor their deaths confirmed. His paranoia grows. Martinez has learned very quickly that his gift in the martial arts might have greater purposes than he initially thought. He's faced the greatest test of his life and only wants one thing - safety for his people. But safety comes at a price much higher than he can pay. Of Blood and Flame is the second book in The Swords of Fire Trilogy.