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Any Human Power

the visionary new page-turner from the author of Boudica and A Treachery of Spies

Manda Scott

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Paperback

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English
Duckworth
01 July 2025
DREAM DEEPLY. RISE UP STRONG. CHANGE IS COMING...

From the bestselling author of mythic, page-turning, world-building thrillers comes this present-day story of three generations thrown to the forefront of a political crisis and the uprising that follows. Virtual and real violence stalk the family's every move, yet between them their skills include digital mastery, political edge and roots sunk deep into the old, wild myths of the land. In the combination of these they might just find the key to the transformation they yearn for...

As Lan lies dying, she makes a promise that binds her long into the beyond. Fifteen years later, her teenage granddaughter, Kaitlyn, triggers an international storm of outrage that unleashes the rage of a whole betrayed generation. For one shining fragment of time, the world is with her. But then the backlash begins and soon she and those closest to her find themselves facing the wrath of the old establishment, who will use every dirty trick in the book to fight them off. Watching over the growing chaos is Lan, who taught them all to think independently, approach power skeptically and dream with clear intent. She knows more than one generation's hopes are on the line. Nothing less than the future of humanity stands in the balance.

Grand in scope, rich in courageous characters who breathe new life into ancient wisdom, here is a dream of a better future: the story of a world we'd be proud to leave to our children and their children and on, generations down the line.
By:  
Imprint:   Duckworth
Country of Publication:   United Kingdom
Edition:   2nd New edition
Dimensions:   Height: 198mm,  Width: 129mm, 
ISBN:   9781914613692
ISBN 10:   1914613694
Pages:   512
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active

Born in Scotland at 318ppm CO2, author and podcaster, Manda Scott's writing has spanned the eras from pre-Roman Britain with the Boudica: Dreaming series to the SOE/Maquis in WWII - and her latest novel, Any Human Power, looks forward to the future five minutes from now. Previous works have been shortlisted for the Orange Prize, nominated for an Edgar and winner the McIlvanney Prize. Co-creator of the Thrutopia Masterclass and host of the international chart-topping Accidental Gods podcast, Manda has a degree in veterinary medicine and an MA in Regenerative Economics. She lives with her wife on a smallholding in the liminal space where England meets Wales.

Reviews for Any Human Power: the visionary new page-turner from the author of Boudica and A Treachery of Spies

'One of our best, most challenging authors is back' - Ian Rankin 'Has the feel of a book that's landed at just the right moment... Scott's imagination has brought forth a radical manifesto, a holistic ideal in which seeing oneself in relation to eternity matters just as much as housing or transport policies, and she's done it in a way that makes it seem as though it's only five minutes in the future' - Herald 'I loved the mix of fantasy and myth... A hugely entertaining read with compelling characters, elegant prose and a story where we really want to find out what happens' - Fantasy Hive 'A polemical thriller like no other, an absorbing manifesto to change the world. It constantly surprises. Manda Scott's characters play havoc with your emotions, her narrative keeps you turning the pages, and her ideas might just change your life' - Andrew Taylor, author of The Shadows of London 'Very readable and often engaging' - Scotsman 'Manda Scott is an unmissable, visionary author and has created a compelling political thriller that inspires belief in the possibility of a better future. Born of dreams, Any Human Power is a dream read' - Adam Hamdy, author of The Other Side of Night 'An astonishing novel, at once powerfully contemporary and mythopoeic. Of its many achievements, the greatest is giving a sense that there is a way forward from our current predicament: the creative gift of hope' - Oliver Harris, author of The Shame Archive 'An extraordinary, ground-breaking, high-wire act of a novel, which vividly evokes not just why our world is at breaking-point, but how a single nation could be quickly and radically transformed in a way that scales up to encompass the globe' - Liz Jensen, author of Your Wild and Precious Life


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