Search results for ""epic""

BBC DYNASTIES CAMERAMAN'S ENTHRALLING STORY OF EMPEROR PENGUIN LIFE'Part adventure story, part evocation of the last untouched place on Earth, this is mesmerising.' Daily Mail - Books of the Year Chris Packham says:'A dramatic saga forged by passion, honesty and a rare skill as a naturalist and film-maker. Twelve men have walked on the moon. But how many have spent an entire season with the Emperors in Antarctica? Maybe more, likely less. Lindsay McCrae has - and this is his wonderful and frank story. There are lines of penguins and blizzards, but there's also the emotional turmoil of being separated from his home, his new wife and his unborn child. All his musings and observations combine to produce a compelling tale of the man, those extraordinary birds and that lonely place at the end of the earth. So turn off the heating, put on your gloves and head deep south into a frozen land of dreams and nightmares, all played out in the world of beautiful Emperors'~'[This] remarkable memoir is rich in the technological and logistical challenges of filming in extreme conditions. But most gripping are his fine-tuned observations of these beautiful metre-high birds, which must survive and raise their young in temperatures as low as -60?°C' - NatureWhen the BBC asked BAFTA-winning cameraman Lindsay McCrae to go to Antarctica to film emperor penguins he was thrilled. After discussing it with his wife Becky they agreed that, although it would mean him being away for 11 months, he should do it. But then she became pregnant and it seemed like the worst idea in the world - not just to miss the birth of his first child, but the first 7 months of his life. Weeks of anguished discussions followed before they decided he should go because it was his dream project and the chance might never come again. My Penguin Year recounts Lindsay's adventure to the end of the Earth, filming the most resilient creatures in nature, while coping with being over 15,000km away from Becky and all the comforts of home - something which almost proved too much. Out of that experience he has written an unprecedented portrait of Antarctica's most extraordinary residents, the emperor penguins. They march up to 100 miles over solid ice to reach their breeding grounds. They choose to breed in the depths of the worst winter on the planet; and in an unusual role reversal, the males incubate the eggs, fasting for over 100 days to ensure they introduce their chicks safely into their new frozen world. And they are uniquely vulnerable to the unprecedented melting of the polar ice cap.In weaving their story with his epic journey, Lindsay has created a masterpiece of natural observation - and a deeply moving tale of human endeavour in the harshest environment on the planet.

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An epic fantasy series where prophecy and mystery combine, with bloody results in the ancient walled city of the Twelve Kings . . .In the cramped west end of Sharakhai, the Amber Jewel of the Desert, Çeda fights in the pits to scrape a living. She, like so many in the city, pray for the downfall of the cruel, immortal Kings of Sharakhai, but she's never been able to do anything about it. This all changes when she goes out on the night of Beht Zha'ir, the holy night when all are forbidden from walking the streets. It's the night that the asirim, the powerful yet wretched creatures that protect the Kings from all who would stand against them, wander the city and take tribute. It is then that one of the asirim, a pitiful creature who wears a golden crown, stops Çeda and whispers long forgotten words into her ear. Çeda has heard those words before, in a book left to her by her mother, and it is through that one peculiar link that she begins to find hidden riddles left by her mother.As Çeda begins to unlock the mysteries of that fateful night, she realizes that the very origin of the asirim and the dark bargain the Kings made with the gods of the desert to secure them may be the very key she needs to throw off the iron grip the Kings have had over Sharakhai. And yet the Kings are no fools-they've ruled the Shangazi for four hundred years for good reason, and they have not been idle. As Çeda digs into their past, and the Kings come closer and closer to unmasking her, Çeda must decide if she's ready to face them once and for all.Readers are enthralled by Twelve Kings:'The worldbuilding is sumptuous, detailed and so imaginative . . . the intrigue is sketched in a cunning way so that you are left being unsure why is the evilest of them all and who to ally yourself with' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'What really jumps out for me is the storytelling and atmosphere! It is richh, this is my first middle east influenced fantasy and the details surrounding it were amazing' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Çeda is the type that (usually) does what she wants and apologizes for it later. I can relate to her in this way, and so it was very easy for me to root for her . . . This was a fantastic book' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Really good world building, love the boats that sail the sand dunes and the intricate story is clever and engrossing' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'You get the feel of the desert's heat, the dust and sand, the narrow streets and the imposing buildings . . . There is a lot of mystery in this story and you aren't always sure who is in the right, who is in the wrong' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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Throughout the 1940s, forgers helped thousands of children escape Nazi France. In this instant New York Times bestseller, Kristin Harmel reimagines their story... Perfect for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Librarian of Auschwitz and The Book Thief. In 1942, Eva is forced to flee Paris after the arrest of her father, a Polish Jew. Finding refuge in a small mountain town, she begins forging identity documents for Jewish children escaping to neutral Switzerland. But erasing people comes with a price, and along with a mysterious, handsome forger named Rémy, Eva realises she must find a way to preserve the real names of the children who are too young to remember their own identities.When Rémy disappears and the resistance cell they work for is betrayed, the records they keep in The Book of Lost Names become even more crucial to remembering the truth...A present day discovery of the book leaves researchers fascinated by its origins and desperate to decipher its codes. Only Eva holds the answer but will she have the strength to face old memories and help reunite those lost during the war?If you loved The Book of Lost Names, don't miss Kristin Harmel's The Winemaker's Wife, available now. ___________What readers are saying about The Book of Lost Names: 'A heart-stopping tale of survival and heroism centered on a female forger who risks everything to help Jewish children escape Nazi-occupied France' People Magazine, '20 Best Books to Read this Summer''Brilliantly imagined ... This thoughtful work will touch readers with its testament to the endurance of hope' Publishers Weekly, Starred Review'Harmel illuminates heartbreakingly real but forgotten stories from WW2, blended with a dash of suspense and romance' Booklist'A fascinating, heartrending page-turner' Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author'This moving novel will resonate with readers who love World War II stories about courage, survival and resilience' Bookbub'Smart, evocative and utterly engrossing' getliterary.com'An engaging and evocative novel ... A testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery and love in the face of evil' Goodreads'One of my favourite July 2020 book releases ... The discussion of identity with themes of religion, family, selflessness, and nationhood will sit with you long after closing the last chapter' theuncorkedlibrarian.com'It's a fabulous read that you will fly through, but not without shedding some tears' freshfiction.com'This is a beautifully written story that captured my attention and heart from the very first pages!' Reading Between the Pages BlogWhat readers are saying about The Winemaker's Wife:'Engrossing ... A suspenseful tale of courage and sacrifice' Pam Jenoff, NYT bestselling author 'What could be better than [...] a writer as compulsively readable as Kristin Harmel? Pick up this epic and heart-wrenching WWII tale immediately!' Alyson Noël, #1 NYT bestselling author'Once you start reading this moving novel, you will not be able to put it down until you reach the last page' Armando Lucas Correa, bestselling author'Written in heart-wrenching prose, The Winemaker's Wife is a complex story of love, betrayal and impossible courage ... I couldn't turn the pages fast enough' Anita Hughes, bestselling author

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Shortlisted for the Sainsbury's Children's Book Award, the Children’s Book of the Year (British Book Awards) and longlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award. The first book in the ROARsome DRAGON REALM series for 9+ readers! Perfect for those who love fantasy, magic, adventure and DRAGONS! DON'T MISS the brand new DRAGON FORCE series, set in the world of DRAGON REALM. INFINITY'S SECRET out now!'Rollicking, escapist storytelling with a dragon-sized heart' – Kiran Millwood Hargrave, bestselling author of THE GIRL OF INK AND STARS Deep within the mountain, a great creature stirred in its sleep. Its eyes rolled back in its head, and its wings jerked wide open… When 12-year-old Billy Chan finds out his parents are sending him to a summer camp in middle-of-nowhere China he doesn’t know what to expect. There he meets fellow campers Dylan, Charlotte and Ling-Fei and together they stumble upon an age-old secret: four powerful warrior dragons, hidden deep within the mountain behind the camp. They have been trapped since an epic battle with the Dragon of Death and need the children’s help to set them free before terrible evil is unleashed on the earth. Billy and his friends must set off on a dangerous adventure that will take them to the heart of the Dragon Realm. But can they save the dragon and human worlds from destruction?Check out the complete DRAGON REALM series – DRAGON MOUNTAIN, DRAGON LEGEND, DRAGON CITY, DRAGON RISING AND DRAGON DESTINY. And don't miss A DRAGON WORLD ADVENTURE, the special World Book Day story! Praise for DRAGON MOUNTAIN: 'Splendidly addictive' - Guardian 'DRAGON MOUNTAIN is so much fun! A quartet of brilliant kids, a mountainful of dragons and bucketloads of humour, pace and magic. A soaring, sizzling, fire-breathing gem of an adventure story' - Abi Elphinstone, author of SKY SONG 'A wonderful warm-hearted and action-packed adventure' – Katherine Woodfine, author of THE SINCLAIR'S MYSTERIES 'DRAGON MOUNTAIN is a joy of a thing: funny, sardonic, generous, with jokes so large-hearted you could swim in them. It’s for every child who has ever longed to bond with a dragon' – Katherine Rundell, author of THE ROOFTOPPERS 'Packed full of fun, heart and imagination, it will make you wish you had your own dragon bond' – Anna James, author of the PAGES & CO. series 'Brimming with warmth and originality, DRAGON MOUNTAIN combines edge-of-your-seat adventure, laugh-out-loud humour and hugely exciting dragons to create a sweeping fantasy that will captivate readers of all ages.’ – Catherine Doyle, author of THE STORM KEEPER’S ISLAND 'DRAGON MOUNTAIN has all of my favourite things! A rich mythology and a tale of friendship, snarky dragons and daring deeds...this is the kind of breathless tale that leaves you hungry for the next instalment' – Roshani Chokshi, author of the ARU SHAH series ‘DRAGON MOUNTAIN is a joy to read – adventurous and enchanting, with a heart of gold. It will make you re-live the moment you first looked at the sky and longed to see a dragon looking back’ – Samantha Shannon,author of THE PRIORY OF THE ORANGE TREE and THE BONE SEASON series

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The epic second novel from the author of the acclaimed Anthrax Island.‘Black Run grabs the attention like a fire alarm and never lets up’ The TimesJohn Tyler has a new mission: capture a heavily protected target from a ski resort in the Alps and smuggle him back to the UK.The abduction was a success, and Tyler boards the Tiburon, a rusting freighter crewed by smugglers and mercenaries, for the last leg of his journey. But his mark’s security team is hot on his heels, and won’t be deterred by an ocean.When Tyler's prisoner is found murdered inside a sealed hold on the ship, everyone on board becomes a suspect. In the flickering light of the Tiburon’s passageways, there’s nowhere to run but everywhere to hide.Ronin meets Bond in this high-octane thriller with a locked-room mystery at its heart. Perfect for fans of Alistair MacLean.Praise for Black Run ‘Marshall... is very quickly establishing himself as the go-to in a new wave of thriller writers who emulate and better the grand masters of the genre’ The Sun‘Black Run is an absolutely stunning sequel to Anthrax Island that will delight action and mystery fans in equal measure’ Chris McGeorge, author of Half-Past Tomorrow‘A rip-roaring, rollicking rollercoaster of a read! Another ingenious locked-room mystery unravelled amidst a series of high-velocity action sequences, the tension and drama expertly maintained throughout. John Tyler is rapidly becoming one of my favourite action heroes’ Russ Thomas, author of Nighthawking‘I slalomed my way through Black Run like a downhill skier on acid. Marshall has again combined an adrenaline-fuelled adventure yarn with an unfathomable locked-room mystery. Packed with brutal action and bodies galore, Black Run is a treat for all the senses’ Trevor Wood, author of One Way Street‘Nobody fuses action and mystery with such punch, panache and verve as D. L. Marshall, sending him straight to the genre’s top table alongside Cussler and MacLean – with a flair for impossible enigmas echoing the best of Christie. A simply outstanding, breakout novel’ Rob Parker, author of Far from the Tree‘Spectacular... Brilliantly constructed action sequences so realistic it feels like bullets are whizzing past your head, smart as hell and expertly paced. Tyler would snap Bond in two then send him back to the 20th century in a body bag…’ Adam Simcox, author of The Dying Squad‘Blistering action and brilliant plotting. Black Run grabs you from the first page and never lets up’ Tim Glister, author of Red Corona‘Black Run is a brilliantly hectic thrill ride, razor-sharp and full of dark humour. A joy to read’ Doug Johnstone, author of The Big Chill‘D. L. Marshall just keeps getting better and better... This is an adrenaline-fuelled charge from start to finish, and John Tyler drives the action in a way that makes Bond look like an also-ran’ Alison Belsham, author of The Tattoo Thief‘One of the finest action thrillers in years’ Robert Scragg, author of End of the Line

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A droid and his boy, on a search for a legendary weapon. Daslakh is an AI with a problem. Its favorite human, a young man named Zee, is in love with a woman who never existed—and he will scour the Solar System to find her, and drag Daslakh along for the ride. But in the Tenth Millennium a billion worlds circle the Sun—everything from terraformed planets to artificial habitats, home to a quadrillion beings. Daslakh’s nicely settled life gets more complicated when Zee helps a woman named Adya escape a gang of crooks. This gets the pair caught up in the hunt for the Godel Trigger, a legendary weapon left over from an ancient war between humans and machines—which could spell the end of civilization. In their search, they face a criminal cat and her henchmen, a paranoid supermind with a giant laser, the greatest thief in history, and a woman who might actually be Zee's lost love. It’s up to Daslakh to save civilization, keep Zee’s love life on the right track—and make sure that nobody discovers the real secret of the Godel Trigger. About The Godel Operation: “With this freewheeling story of an ancient, cunning artificial intelligence and its naïve human companion, Cambias (The Initiate) mashes humor, mystery, and looming apocalypse into a roundly satisfying space epic. . . . With plenty of fun moments along the way, this raucous adventure through the solar system’s distant future will appeal to any fan of lighter science fiction.”—Publishers Weekly Praise for Arkad's World: “Far-flung adventure . . . Cambias offers up an entertaining coming-of-age novel filled with action and surprises. His aliens are suitably non-human in mannerisms, attitudes, and objectives, and his worldbuilding suggests a vast universe ready for further exploration. Readers . . . will find this hits the spot.”—Publishers Weekly “. . . a classic quest story, a well-paced series of encounters with different folk along the way, building momentum toward a final confrontation with Arkad’s past . . . [with] a delicious twist to the end.”—ALA Booklist “Cambias has achieved a feat of world-building: an expansive, believable setting with fascinating aliens, compelling mysteries, and a rich sense of history.”—Bookpage “Drop a teenage boy into a distant planet chock full of colorful aliens—with troubles all their own. Stir, flavor, apply heat. A tour de force in the field, and great, quick fun.”—Gregory Benford Praise for the work of James L. Cambias: “Beautifully written, with a story that captures the imagination the way SF should.”—Booklist, starred review “An engaging nail-biter that is exciting, fun and a satisfying read.”—The Qwillery “An impressive debut by a gifted writer.”—Publishers Weekly starred review “An exceptionally thoughtful, searching and intriguing debut.”—Kirkus starred review “James Cambias will be one of the century's major names in hard science fiction.”—Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award–winning author of Red Planet Blues “Fast-paced, pure quill hard science fiction. . . . Cambias delivers adroit plot pivots that keep the suspense coming.”—Gregory Benford, Nebula Award-winning author of Timescape

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Pulitzer Prize FinalistWinner of the Frederick Douglass Book PrizeWinner of the Merle Curti Award“McCurry strips the Confederacy of myth and romance to reveal its doomed essence. Dedicated to the proposition that men were not created equal, the Confederacy had to fight a two-front war. Not only against Union armies, but also slaves and poor white women who rose in revolt across the South. Richly detailed and lucidly told, Confederate Reckoning is a fresh, bold take on the Civil War that every student of the conflict should read.”—Tony Horwitz, author of Confederates in the Attic“McCurry challenges us to expand our definition of politics to encompass not simply government but the entire public sphere. The struggle for Southern independence, she shows, opened the door for the mobilization of two groups previously outside the political nation—white women of the nonslaveholding class and slaves…Confederate Reckoning offers a powerful new paradigm for understanding events on the Confederate home front.”—Eric Foner, The Nation“Perhaps the highest praise one can offer McCurry’s work is to say that once we look through her eyes, it will become almost impossible to believe that we ever saw or thought otherwise…At the outset of the book, McCurry insists that she is not going to ask or answer the timeworn question of why the South lost the Civil War. Yet in her vivid and richly textured portrait of what she calls the Confederacy’s ‘undoing,’ she has in fact accomplished exactly that.”—Drew Gilpin Faust, New Republic“A brilliant, eye-opening account of how Southern white women and black slaves fatally undermined the Confederacy from within.”—Edward Bonekemper, Civil War NewsThe story of the Confederate States of America, the proslavery, antidemocratic nation created by white Southern slaveholders to protect their property, has been told many times in heroic and martial narratives. Now, however, Stephanie McCurry tells a very different tale of the Confederate experience. When the grandiosity of Southerners’ national ambitions met the harsh realities of wartime crises, unintended consequences ensued. Although Southern statesmen and generals had built the most powerful slave regime in the Western world, they had excluded the majority of their own people—white women and slaves—and thereby sowed the seeds of their demise.Wartime scarcity of food, labor, and soldiers tested the Confederate vision at every point and created domestic crises to match those found on the battlefields. Women and slaves became critical political actors as they contested government enlistment and tax and welfare policies, and struggled for their freedom. The attempt to repress a majority of its own population backfired on the Confederate States of America as the disenfranchised demanded to be counted and considered in the great struggle over slavery, emancipation, democracy, and nationhood. That Confederate struggle played out in a highly charged international arena.The political project of the Confederacy was tried by its own people and failed. The government was forced to become accountable to women and slaves, provoking an astounding transformation of the slaveholders’ state. Confederate Reckoning is the startling story of this epic political battle in which women and slaves helped to decide the fate of the Confederacy and the outcome of the Civil War.

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Myth meets history in a blockbuster retelling of the Persian Wars from multi-award-winning author of Rubicon and Persian Fire Tom Holland, lavishly illustrated by Jason Cockcroft.“The Persians are coming…” Hearing these words, Gorgo of Sparta is plunged into a dangerous world of vengeful gods and invincible heroes. For a mighty empire threatens Athens, Sparta and all who stand in its path... Calling on the ancient power to transform into a wolf and the blood of Zeus that runs through her veins, Gorgo must lead her nation in one of history's greatest wars. Multi-award-winning author Tom Holland and acclaimed illustrator Jason Cockcroft boldly weave myth and history in this dramatic tale of Greeks and Gods.Gripping and powerful, this extraordinary illustrated novel will be treasured by readers young and old. Ideal for fans of Percy Jackson, Neil Gaiman and Kevin Crossley-Holland, and the mythical retellings of Madeline Miller, Pat Barker and Stephen Fry, this is a book to be read again and again."BREATHTAKING adventure on every page, and just the kind of detail, colour and vitality that young readers adore." STEPHEN FRY"A spectacularly illustrated account of the Persian Wars ... A MUST-HAVE for any child who loves Greek myths." THE SUNDAY TIMES“A RIP-ROARING, ADRENALINE-FILLED recounting of the infamous Persian wars [...] a gripping and educational volume. […] Gorgeously illustrated.” DAILY MAIL"SPECTACULAR... A tour de force for mythology and military history fans.” GUARDIAN"A GLORIOUS WHITE-KNUCKLE RIDE through classical history ... a book that any child is likely to remember well into their later years." DAILY TELEGRAPH"A GLORIOUS mixture – of history, fiction and thrilling legend, with pictures to swim the Hellespont for." SEBASTIAN FAULKS"A clear contender for one of those totemic books whose memory you carry into adulthood. A TRIUMPH.” THE TIMES, CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE WEEK "AS BEAUTIFUL TO LOOK AT AS IT IS ENTRANCING TO READ. Jason Cockcroft's illustrations are jaw-dropping, and Tom Holland's prose took me back to my own childhood introductions to these extraordinary mythological worlds in Roger Lancelyn Green's Tales of the Greek Heroes and Leon Garfield's and Charles Keeping's The God Beneath the Sea." FRANK COTTRELL-BOYCE"A BEAUTIFUL, immersive work of narrative history to treasure forever." WATERSTONES“This TRULY EPIC adventure includes elements of ancient Greek myth and legend, and it is full of magic, mystery, danger, excitement and wonder. Strirking illustrations by Jason Cockcroft bring its ancient landscapes and heroic characters to life.” THE WEEK JUNIOR, BOOK OF THE WEEK"TERRIFIC ... has the feel of a contemporary classic." TONY BRADMAN, BOOKS FOR KEEPS"Tom Holland's masterly interweaving of myth, imagination and deep classical learning makes this an EXTRAOARDINARY treat ... Jason's illustrations are also MAGNIFICENT, packed with talent and sensitivity ... It reminded me of my own favourite childhood books of Greek myth and The Iliad." AMANDA CRAIG"Cockcroft’s illustrations are expectedly brilliant. DARK, BROODY AND MAGICAL – like the written material. […] A lovely introduction to both the legends and the legendary stories of the Persian Wars.” JUST IMAGINE

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_________________________'The kind of novel we need now more than ever, [and] achieves what the best historical fiction can . . . pushing us to see ourselves in that past, demanding: Who would you have been then? What would you have done? Unflinching and absorbing, [it] does not let you look away.' Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author of THE POSTMISTRESS _________________________Essen, 1946. Clara Falkenberg, once an iconic heiress, is on the run. With the city in ruins and her dear friend Elisa missing, Clara enlists the help of Jakob, a charming young racketeer with his own reasons for wanting to find Elisa. As the two join forces, it's not long before Clara's family secrets catch up with her. But she soon comes to realise the only way to survive is to face the truth of what she's done. _________________________'What a great debut! It still haunts me, days after finishing it.' Liz Trenow, author of The Poppy Factory and The Silk Weaver'Anika Scott's finely drawn characters ... bring to life not only the struggle to rise from the ashes of war, but also the depth of resolve often required to gain redemption. Illuminating and beautifully rendered.' Susan Meissner, author of The Last Year of the War'Meticulously researched and plotted like a noir thriller, The German Heiress tells a different story of WWII - of characters grappling with their own guilt and driven by the question of what they could have done to change the past.' Jessica Shattuck, author of The Women in the Castle'Anika Scott's epic novel offers a captivating tour through the reckoning years that followed WWII when clarifying identities, unearthing truths, and facing judgements was the only way to rebuild a life. The novel's heroine, Clara, marches along the razor's edge between the leviathan of the past and a future full of mine shafts. I will never forget her unending struggle to rise above the dark lineage thrust upon her and her battle to stay connected to the deep binds of love, responsibility, and compassion.' Devin Murphy, author of The Boat Runner'The German Heiress is a special novel that opens one's mind to aspects of history we on the "winning" side have given little thought to, and a moving story of courage and everyday heroism rising to meet unbearable challenges.' Alex Marwood, author of The Wicked Girls_________________________Previously published as Finding Clara_________________________Readers are falling in love with The German Heiress:'A story that kept me engrossed from start to finish. I loved it.''A stunning debut that will stay with me long after finishing the last page.''A brilliant story which will keep you reading late into the night!''An intense, dark and twisted historical read that skilfully portrays the often common experiences, horrors and dilemmas of being on the losing side in a war for ordinary people.''A fascinating read about fighting for survival in post-World War 2 Germany''The story is a page turner which had me gripped the whole way through''A gripping read with a well-drawn characters.''For those that love historical fiction, this was an unique and gripping plot'

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The date is the 6 June 1944. The paratroopers on board the aircraft are crammed together, joking and singing over the drone of the engines, none of them dwelling on the gnawing fear in their guts. They reach the French coastline, and everyone goes quiet when loud explosions and flashes erupt around the aircraft. Pilots desperately dodge and swerve through the cool night air while the men hold firm, preparing to jump. They reach the open door; the green light flicks on and they leap without hesitation into a sky lit up by flak, ready to meet their fate. One after another, thousands of white parachutes billow out and the men fall through the air not knowing where they might land or if they will even survive the drop; but their minds are set. They are clear about their mission and its critical importance as part of the bigger picture. Some 'chutes do not open, weapons and kit are torn off in the slipstream, and anti-aircraft guns pick men off and many never make it to the ground alive. The Normandy landings of 1944 were just one of the many famous operations in the stunning history of the Paras. This book by former paratrooper Jason Woods gives the reader an unprecedented snapshot of the role that these brave and determined paratroopers have played throughout their history, demonstrating not only the courage, strength and fitness of the men who make up this mighty regiment, but also their intelligence, compassion, and wicked sense of humour. This powerful journey through aspects of all the key wars and conflicts that the regiment has been engaged in over the last eighty years is made through the eyes of those who served. The book reveals how the Paras have become seen as an elite fighting force, feared by those who have had the misfortune to come up against them on the field of battle. This book covers challenging operations in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone. It includes an exciting overview of Operation Telic in Iraq, the epic battles in Afghanistan, and subsequent withdrawal of all British citizens and troops from Kabul in 2021, on Operation Pitting. Packed with short interviews and poignant quotes, many original and never seen before, from current and former Paras, the author highlights the regiment's constant evolution, as the battlefield conditions have changed, into today's modern 16 Air Assault Brigade Rapid Reaction Force and Special Forces Support Group, whilst always maintaining the core standards and ethos embodied in the regimental motto Utrinque Paratus 'Ready for Anything'. Finally, get a glimpse into the transition many Paras make when they eventually leave the regiment and join the secretive private security industry, known as the 'Circuit'. AUTHOR: Following a successful career within the British Parachute Regiment, Jason Woods worked as a body guard for a number of high net-worth families in the UK and Europe before joining the European Commission security team as they entered Afghanistan in 2002. Over the following two decades he operated in most of the world's hot spots such as Iraq, Sudan and Nigeria, culminating in Libya where he setup and ran one of the first international security companies to enter the war torn country based in Benghazi during the 2011 revolution. Jason eventually sold his business to a large US firm in 2017, retiring to Cyprus where he has written two other successful books prior to penning this book, his toughest challenge to date. 32 b/w illustrations

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What would happen if the Planet Express crew and the citizens of New York City in the 31st Century met the Simpsons and the citizens of Springfield . . . and how is it even possible? Prepare yourself for a Simpsons saga filled with Futurama! A Futurama fable suffused with the Simpsons! Featuring a plethora of pleasing plot devices including: evil brain spawn, lactose-intolerant space aliens, a giant ball of yarn, flying cars, mistaken identities, world domination, the brittle fabric of reality torn asunder, a comic book-collecting sentient planet, the Dewey Decimal system, self-eating watermelons, slave labor, space pirates, power-crazed vampires, super hero battles, unflattering underwear, mad science run amok, and much, much more! This is the epic story that you've been waiting for . . . a story so big, so ambitious, so sweeping that it can only be told in a 208-page, large format, slip-cased edition, complete with new material, supplemental stories, preliminary sketches, character designs, and a pin-up gallery featuring the talents of comics industry luminaries Alex Ross, Sergio Aragonés, Geof Darrow, Kyle Baker, Peter Kuper, and Bernie Wrightson, among others. It's a comic convergence on a reality ripping, time altering, space traveling, intergalactic scale! It's The Simpsons Futurama Crossover CrisisUncut and all comedy! First published in 2002 and 2005 as two two-part, comic book mini-series (Futurama/Simpsons Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis and The Simpsons/Futurama Crossover Crisis II), these four hard-to-find comics are collected together for the first time in a hardcover collection, encased in a die-cut slipcase, and packaged with a reprint of the very first Eisner Award-winning issue of Simpsons Comics from 1993. “Abrams’ initial release is a beautifully designed package, a glossy hardcover in a glossier slipcover, as bright and colorful as a grab-bag bin in a candy-store.”—The Onion AV ClubFrom Publishers Weekly Two classic animated series are brought together in a comic that offers many surprises, including how well it all works when transported to a new medium. Although both sources are the creation of cartoonist Matt Groening, the broadcast runs of each series referred to the other as works of fiction within their own universes, perhaps seeking to avoid the temptation of an attention grabbing crossover. And yet somehow this assemblage ably accomplishes just such a task while remaining faithful to the source materials. When Futurama's crew from the Planet Express delivery service become trapped in the fictional world of a Simpsons comic book, they must escape from Springfield. But shortly afterward they open a rift that brings the Simpsons characters into the Planet Express world, where the fictional characters must be rescued and returned to the pages of their comic book. Boothby's writing excels at letting each universe and the characters in them maintain their subtly distinct identities even when they blend. The overarching story for the book is designed to easily allow opportunities for affectionate references to comics, to science fiction, and to notable works of fiction. While the Simpsons comics included in the collection are not as strong, the crossover story takes what could have been a simple throwaway gag and instead crafts a funny, intricately detailed story. (Apr.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Begin your epic poetry adventure today with engaging writing prompts that will have you turning out verse in no time. No doubt you’ve fallen in love with a poem at some point in your life. Whether it was a nursery rhyme from childhood or something you read in a high school English class, something about poetry’s form has captured your attention. And now you’d like to try writing a poem yourself. But where do you start?From the moment you put pen to paper, you’re a poet! And like other poets, your goal is to express yourself in a way that’s different from how you would write a short story or letter. But it’s easy to let your inner critic take over and silence your creative voice before you even begin. That’s where the Write Away! Poetry journal comes in. The 101+ writing prompts and exercises will help you find inspiration, try new approaches to writing, and learn to play with language. They’ll encourage you to think creatively and look at your world (and yourself) in a new way. Use these prompts to get your creative juices flowing and shut down that inner critic. Remember, this is your journal—there is no right way to follow these prompts. Do them in order or jump around; do one a day or several in a row. Featuring a layflat binding for easy writing and a compact size perfect for writing on the go, Write Away! Poetry includes prompts like: Write a poem about lost or forgotten things. Write an acrostic poem—a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word—to your parent or grandparent, using their first name. Write a poem about your favorite season. Write a poem that plays around with onomatopoeia (a word that sounds like its meaning, such as “sizzle”). Write a poem to your 13-year-old self with advice for living a good life (or avoiding heartache). Write a poem using couplets, which are two-line stanzas. Write a poem that describes how it sounds when snow, leaves, or rain falls. Write a poem that is not about food or cooking but written in the form of a recipe. Once you’ve gone through the book, challenge yourself by going back and writing fresh material in response to the prompts to see how your writing has evolved. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find the start of a brand-new poem to fall in love with. With so much of our lives and contact going digital, the Guided Workbooks offer an intimate way to nurture your connection with yourself and the people around you. An entertaining way to get off your screen, the pages in these guided prompt books are great for writers and first-timers alike. Each workbook offers content around a different, compelling theme, filled with thoughtful questions, inspiration for composition, and interactive prompts to learn about yourself and the world around you. Beautifully designed on high-quality paper stock and full of mindful prompts, channel your inspiration as you put pen to paper to learn more about what inspires you. Other books in the series include: The Adulting Workbook, Finding Your Authentic Self, Stop Overthinking, 5-Minute Productivity Workbook, 3-Minute Positivity Workbook, 52 Weeks to Better Mental Health, Tarot: A Guided Workbook, Astrology: A Guided Workbook , and Finding Your Balance: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook.

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Discover a world of magical storytelling with Ross Montgomery. SHORTLISTED FOR THE COSTA CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARD WATERSTONES CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE MONTHHIVE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE MONTHTOPPSTA CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THE MONTH“One of our finest children’s writers.” Phil Earle“A master storyteller.” Aisling Fowler“Another absolute triumph from one of my favourite children’s authors.” Catherine Doyle Sometimes at the darkest hour, hope shines the brightest…When Col’s childhood imaginary friends come to life, he discovers a world where myths and legends are real. Accompanied by his guardians – a six-foot tiger, a badger in a waistcoat and a miniature knight – Col must race to Blitz-bombed London to save his sister.But there are darker forces at work, even than the Nazi bombings. Soon Col is pursued by the terrifying Midwinter King, who is determined to bring an eternal darkness down over everything.PRAISE FOR THE MIDNIGHT GUARDIANS"Montgomery's latest is an enthralling, Narnia-flavoured novel with the folkloric feel of a Christmas classic." Guardian"Beautifully drawn fantasy characters ... a story of hope and love underpinned by witty humour.” Daily Mail"A magical slice of historical fantasy fiction.” i Newspaper"This lovely adventure story has the feel of a classic children's book." Book of the Week, The Week Junior“Ross Montgomery’s beautiful writing and epic storytelling weave together a magical adventure set against the backdrop of World War Two.” WRD Magazine"Spectacular. A story of real and rare power - The Midnight Guardians is one of the best books I've read in years." Kiran Millwood Hargrave"The Midnight Guardians is torch-under-the-duvet, can't-stop-reading magic. British folklore rebooted … in an edge-of-your-seat, heart-filled search for hope in the darkest hour." Piers Torday"Embark on a mythic, comic, classic adventure with the finest fellowship since Frodo set a hairy foot beyond the Shire.” David Solomons“Glorious! I think this is Ross Montgomery’s best book yet: an adventure across WWII wintry Britain with a Kindertransportee, a boy dressed in shorts and his three imaginary friends. A joy of a joy of a thing.” Katherine Rundell"A gem of book, jam-packed with heart and humour and one utterly unique set of friends." Peter Bunzl“Pure magic. Storytelling at its very best.” Abi Elphinstone"Brilliant! The Midnight Guardians is the perfect blend of humour, adventure and emotion. Simply beautiful." Lisa Thompson"Funny, thrilling, moving ... everything that is brilliant about children's literature. A triumph." Sophie Anderson“Brimming with imagination and warmth, and powered by the strongest magic of all - hope. Fantastic from first page to last.” Catherine Doyle"Beautiful. A magical, big-hearted adventure full of wit and warmth. One of the best children's books I've read for ages." Anna James“A tale of enchantment and friendship … all the warmth of a timeless story, told between friends round a winter fire … funny and true in the way all good stories are.” Thomas Taylor“The adventure whisks you through wartime trouble and mythical danger like riding a giant tiger through falling snow … A magical story.” Jack Noel“With the spirit of Narnia, but a heart of its own. The Midnight Guardians is totally enchanting. I gobbled up every word.” Aisha Bushby"I inhaled this wonderful book in one sitting ... humour, beautiful writing, heartbreak, hope, and a fat badger in a waistcoat. I'll be recommending it to everyone." Katya Balen"A real triumph of the imagination, blending the appeal of a classic adventure with Montgomery's heart and humour, and a hint of Narnia." Editor's Choice, The Bookseller

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An accomplished Oxford scholar delivers a dynamic new history covering the last chapter of the emperor's life—from his defeat in Russia and the drama of Waterloo to his final exile—as the world Napoleon has created begins to crumble around him. In 1811, Napoleon stood at his zenith. He had defeated all his continental rivals, come to an entente with Russia, and his blockade of Britain seemed, at long last, to be a success. The emperor had an heir on the way with his new wife, Marie-Louise, the young daughter of the Emperor of Austria. His personal life, too, was calm and secure for the first time in many years. It was a moment of unprecedented peace and hope, built on the foundations of emphatic military victories. But in less than two years, all of this was in peril. In four years, it was gone, swept away by the tides of war against the most powerful alliance in European history. The rest of his life was passed on a barren island. This is not a story any novelist could create; it is reality as epic. Napoleon: The Decline and Fall of an Empire traces this story through the dramatic narrative of the years 1811-1821 and explores the ever-bloodier conflicts, the disintegration and reforging of the bonds among the Bonaparte family, and the serpentine diplomacy that shaped the fate of Europe. At the heart of the story is Napoleon’s own sense of history, the tensions in his own character, and the shared vision of a family dynasty to rule Europe. Drawing on the remarkable resource of the new edition of Napoleon’s personal correspondence produced by the Fondation Napoleon in Paris, Michael Broers dynamic new history follows Napoleon’s thoughts and feelings, his hopes and ambitions, as he fought to preserve the world he had created. Much of this turns on his relationship with Tsar Alexander of Russia, in so many respects his alter ego, and eventual nemesis. His inability to understand this complex man, the only person with the power to destroy him, is key to tracing the roots of his disastrous decision to invade Russia—and his inability to face diplomatic and military reality thereafter. Even his defeat in Russia was not the end. The last years of the Napoleonic Empire reveal its innate strength, but it now faced hopeless odds. The last phase of the Napoleonic Wars saw the convergence of the most powerful of forces in European history to date: Russian manpower and British money. The sheer determination of Tsar Alexander and the British to bring Napoleon down is a story of compromise and sacrifice. The horrors and heroism of war are omnipresent in these years, from Lisbon to Moscow, in the life of the common solider. The core of this new book reveals how these men pushed Napoleon back from Moscow to St. Helena. Among this generation, there was no more remarkable persona than Napoleon. His defeat forged his myth—as well as his living tomb on St. Helena. The audacious enterprise of the 100 Days, reaching its crescendo at the Battle of Waterloo, marked the spectacular end of an unprecedented public life. From the ruins of a life—and an empire—came a new continent and a legend that haunts Europe still.

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STORYTELLING ON AN EPIC SCALE For more than thirty years, the Liaden Universe® novels by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller have captivated readers with their unique blend of action adventure, science fiction, and interpersonal relationships. In addition to twenty-one novels (and counting), Lee and Miller have written dozens of shorter works based in the Liaden Universe®, featuring the strong characterization, detailed worldbuilding, wit, and derring-do that readers of the series adore. Sure to delight longtime fans and newcomers alike, these tales highlight why the nationally best-selling Liaden Universe® novels are treasured by space opera aficionados, with amazing settings, strong characterizations, compelling romance, and edge-of-the-chair action in stories that range from cosmic to comic. Praise for A Liaden Constellation, Volume 1: “This series [is] . . . the premier place to find good romantic SF adventure. . . . strong characters finding their own way (and, often, each other) in an action-packed galaxy of worlds. . . . Every story stands on its own; readers don’t have to be familiar with the Liaden universe. Those who have had the pleasure, though, will find many connections to existing tales.” —Analog Praise for The Liaden Universe®: “As always, this intelligent space opera focuses on matters of manners, honor, duty, and clever repartee; violence is rarely the solution, and subtlety wins out over overt force. . . . [Neogenesis] provides thoroughly satisfying progression or resolution for multiple threads and will feel comfortably familiar for fans of Korval’s escapades.”—Publishers Weekly on Neogenesis “. . . sprawling and satisfying. . . . Space opera mixes with social engineering, influenced by Regency-era manners and delicate notions of honor. . . . it’s like spending time with old friends . . .”—Publishers Weekly on Dragon in Exile “Compelling and wondrous, as sharp and graceful as Damascus steel, Necessity's Child is a terrific addition to Lee & Miller's addictive series.”—Patricia Briggs on Necessity's Child “Every now and then you come across an author, or in this case, a pair, who write exactly what you want to read, the characters and personalities that make you enjoy meeting them. . . . I rarely rave on and on about stories, but I am devoted to Lee and Miller novels and stories.”—Anne McCaffrey “These authors consistently deliver stories with a rich, textured setting, intricate plotting, and vivid, interesting characters from fully-realized cultures, both human and alien, and each book gets better.”—Elizabeth Moon “[D]elightful stories of adventure and romance set in a far future. . .space opera milieu. It’s all a rather heady mix of Gordon R. Dickson, the Forsythe Saga, and Victoria Holt, with Lee and Miller’s own unique touches making it all sparkle and sizzle. Anyone whose taste runs toward SF in the true romantic tradition can’t help but like the Liaden Universe.”—Analog “[T]he many fans of the Liaden universe will welcome the latest…continuing young pilot Theo Waitley’s adventures.”—Booklist on Saltation “[A]ficionados of intelligent space opera will be thoroughly entertained. . .[T]he authors’ craftsmanship is top-notch.”—Publishers Weekly on Lee and Miller’s popular Liaden Universe® thriller, I Dare

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Included in The Times and Daily Telegraph Book of the Year round-ups'Friends and Enemies is an extraordinary read showing unflinching candour from a truly remarkable woman' Elton John'Blistering . . . shockingly candid . . . stiletto-sharp memoir of the year' Daily Mail'Magnetic and magnificent . . . Amiel is superb, furious and, best of all, funny. Say what you like about her - and many have - but the Black Lady can write' The TimesBarbara Amiel's long-awaited memoir is shockingly honest, richly detailed and pulls few punches. An instinctive feminist and now a foe of feminism's political correctness, her own memoirs cover a formidable array of experiences - political, sexual, marital and material. Born in London during the Blitz, the only consistent strain in her early life was a fierce belief in her identity as a Jew even as the Jewish community disowned her and an unquestioned view that women were free to do anything in any arena they chose without any need to win society's approval. Which she very often did not.Her rise to the senior rungs of journalism began in Canada after the emigration of her family and continued in the United Kingdom on her return. With four marriages and an assorted number of beaus, some famous, some infamous (some rather young, some rather elderly), she moved through different worlds encountering problems made more intractable on occasion by her own faulty choices. It is a measure of her writing skill that she held down plum jobs for many decades in Canadian and British journalism as well as appearances in U.S. publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to Vogue.As a writer of unabashedly libertarian views, she was derided as much for her wardrobe as for her ideas. Pilloried for years in books and television and called every conceivable name by the media, she is philosophical. 'I love fashion, sex and opera,' she once told an interviewer, 'but life would have been easier if my passions had been for train-spotting and stamp collecting.'Her life has an operatic quality with a wildly diverse cast including Elton John, Henry Kissinger, Anna Wintour, Oscar de la Renta, Princess Diana, Tom Stoppard, Brooke Astor, Ghislaine Maxwell, Ronald Harwood, David Frost and an array of the aristocrats of Manhattan and the stately homes of England. All handled, she writes 'with my fatal combination of naivete and self-absorption'. The epic battle with the U.S. justice system leading to the trial and imprisonment of her husband Conrad Black (eventually substantially vindicated) became a litmus paper for sorting out friends from those who were quick to judge and brutal in their dismissal.Friends and Enemies is not a book of vengeance but an attempt to find her own truth: a life that reads like a novel, eloquent, surprising, written with deeply personal candour and utterly un-put-downable.'This is undoubtedly the autobiography of the decade. Barbara Amiel's searing - and sometimes brutal - honesty, both about herself and others, leaves the reader staggered . . . No-one expected a discreet memoir from Barbara Amiel, but few could possibly have imagined that it would be quite this powerfully, dangerously, profoundly self-revelatory' Andrew Roberts

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Winner of the CASEY Award for Best Baseball Book of the Year “An instant sports classic.” —New York Post * “Stellar.” —The Wall Street Journal * “A true masterwork…880 pages of sheer baseball bliss.” —BookPage (starred review) * “This is a remarkable achievement.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) A magnum opus from acclaimed baseball writer Joe Posnanski, The Baseball 100 is an audacious, singular, and masterly book that took a lifetime to write. The entire story of baseball rings through a countdown of the 100 greatest players in history, with a foreword by George Will.Longer than Moby-Dick and nearly as ambitious,​The Baseball 100 is a one-of-a-kind work by award-winning sportswriter and lifelong student of the game Joe Posnanski that tells the story of the sport through the remarkable lives of its 100 greatest players. In the book’s introduction, Pulitzer Prize–winning commentator George F. Will marvels, “Posnanski must already have lived more than 200 years. How else could he have acquired such a stock of illuminating facts and entertaining stories about the rich history of this endlessly fascinating sport?” Baseball’s legends come alive in these pages, which are not merely rankings but vibrant profiles of the game’s all-time greats. Posnanski dives into the biographies of iconic Hall of Famers, unfairly forgotten All-Stars, talents of today, and more. He doesn’t rely just on records and statistics—he lovingly retraces players’ origins, illuminates their characters, and places their accomplishments in the context of baseball’s past and present. Just how good a pitcher is Clayton Kershaw in the twenty-first- century game compared to Greg Maddux dueling with the juiced hitters of the nineties? How do the career and influence of Hank Aaron compare to Babe Ruth’s? Which player in the top ten most deserves to be resurrected from history? No compendium of baseball’s legendary geniuses could be complete without the players of the segregated Negro Leagues, men whose extraordinary careers were largely overlooked by sportswriters at the time and unjustly lost to history. Posnanski writes about the efforts of former Negro Leaguers to restore sidelined Black athletes to their due honor, and draws upon the deep troves of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and extensive interviews with the likes of Buck O’Neil to illuminate the accomplishments of players such as pitchers Satchel Paige and Smokey Joe Williams; outfielders Oscar Charleston, Monte Irvin, and Cool Papa Bell; first baseman Buck Leonard; shortstop Pop Lloyd; catcher Josh Gibson; and many, many more. The Baseball 100 treats readers to the whole rich pageant of baseball history in a single volume. Chapter by chapter, Posnanski invites readers to examine common lore with brand-new eyes and learn stories that have long gone unheard. The epic and often emotional reading experience mirrors Posnanski’s personal odyssey to capture the history and glory of baseball like no one else, fueled by his boundless love for the sport. Engrossing, surprising, and heartfelt, The Baseball 100 is a magisterial tribute to the game of baseball and the stars who have played it.

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It was supposed to be a routine trip for the members of the Gordian Division, both human and AI: fly out to Saturn, inspect the construction of their latest time machines, then fly back. But when the division’s top scientist and chief engineer are killed in the same freak accident, suspicions of foul play run deep. Detective Isaac Cho is sent in to investigate, but he has more on his mind than just a new case. His superiors have saddled him with an exchange officer from the neighboring Admin—Special Agent Susan Cantrell—whose notion of proper “law enforcement” involves blowing up criminals first and skipping questions entirely. Despite his objections, Cho is stuck with an untested partner on a case that increasingly reeks of murder and conspiracy. The unlikely pair must work together to unravel this mystery, and soon they discover their unique combination of skills might just provide the edge they need. But nothing is ever simple where the Gordian Division is involved. Not even time itself. About prequel The Gordian Protocol: “Tom Clancy-esque exposition of technical details . . . absurd humor and bloody action. Echoes of Robert Heinlein . . . lots of exploding temporal spaceships and bodies . . . action-packed . . .” —Booklist “[A] fun and thrilling standalone from Weber and Holo. . . . Time travel enthusiasts will enjoy the moral dilemmas, nonstop action, and crisp writing.”—Publishers Weekly About David Weber: “[A] balanced mix of interstellar intrigue, counterespionage, and epic fleet action . . . with all the hard- and software details and tactical proficiency that Weber delivers like no one else; along with a large cast of well-developed, believable characters, giving each clash of fleets emotional weight.”—Booklist “[M]oves . . . as inexorably as the Star Kingdom’s Grand Fleet, commanded by series protagonist Honor Harrington. . . . Weber is the Tom Clancy of science fiction. . . . His fans will relish this latest installment. . . .”—Publishers Weekly “This entry is just as exciting as Weber’s initial offering. . . . The result is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.”—The Galveston County Daily News “Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a deep understanding of military bureaucracy in this long-awaited Honor Harrington novel . . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.”—Publishers Weekly “This latest Honor Harrington novel brings the saga to another crucial turning point. . . . Readers may feel confident that they will be Honored many more times and enjoy it every time.”—Booklist “[E]verything you could want in a heroine. . . . Excellent . . . plenty of action.”—Science Fiction Age “Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!”—Anne McCaffrey “Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.”—Locus “Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection. . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . .”—Publishers Weekly About Jacob Holo: “An entertaining sci-fi action novel with light overtones of dystopian and political thrillers.”—Kirkus on The Dragons of Jupiter “Thrilling . . . sci-fi adventure.”—Kirkus on Time Reavers

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From the wreckage, they must piece together new lives for themselves...Determined not to waste his life toiling for his cruel brother, Silas, the second son of a farmer, arrives in town to seek his fortune. Harriet has reconciled herself to a life no better than domestic service for her austere uncle. And John Gunson, Chief Engineer at the Sheffield Waterworks Company, has just completed his crowning glory – the Dale Dyke dam.But one stormy night, the unthinkable happens. The dam bursts. A wall of water is unleashed, destroying everything in its path.The aftershocks of the flood reach far beyond that night, with consequences that could never have been foreseen. Fatefully brought together, Silas and Harriet must now contend with their families as new love blooms. Meanwhile, Gunson faces not only an angry community but also a court of inquest looking for a scapegoat.Can any good come from the disaster, and will justice be served for those who lost everything?A thrilling saga inspired by the real events of the Great Sheffield Flood, perfect for fans of Dilly Court, Emma Hornby and Elisabeth McNeill.Praise for The Ragged Valley 'A powerful and absorbing story and an impressive debut. Her passion for the era and area in which she writes shines through. A 'dam' good read!' Emma Hornby'A fabulous debut by a new saga author!' AnneMarie Brear'Combines real people and fictional characters in a story both tragic and inspiring as Silas and Harriet overcome their brush with death.' Libby Ashworth'Terrific characters - from endearing to dastardly - and an exciting storyline kept me turning the pages, eager to find out what happened next.' Lesley Eames'The Ragged Valley delivers a captivating insight into a part of Sheffield history long forgotten. Silas and Harriet's relationship is tender and at times thwarted. An authentic story with motivating characters.' Sylvia Broady'A gorgeous debut from new saga author Joanne Clague! Written with passion and attention to detail, Clague leaves no stone unturned, bringing to life the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864 and the people who lived through it. Hard choices, starting over, and family are at the heart of this novel, and a must read for saga fans.' Andie Newton, USA Today bestselling author of The Girls from the Beach‘This is a total five stars for me. I'd never heard of the Sheffield flood before, but this novel brings it all to life. End of the book had me in tears. This is historical fiction at its best.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘I adored this book.These characters are so real that when the unthinkable happens… it's truly gut-wrenching. The Ragged Valley is the start of something epic.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘It had me hooked from the first page. The writing is gorgeous and the characters instantly come alive. It’s a wonderful romance with a lot of heart. A beautifully written book that I highly recommend for lovers of saga, romance or historical novels.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

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Mad Max: Fury Road meets Neil Gaiman's Sandman in this full-throttle, grindhouse, fantasy epic. Cars! Guns! Entropy! Izzy Tyburn has promised the world that if it won't have her in it, it'll have nothing of her at all. Chased by an unstoppable killer, she's re-treading her life, leaving nothing behind but burned rubber, ash... and the sun-scorched bones of those who get in her way. Ride shotgun on an existential road-trip through the tangled web of a blood-splattered life.Collects COFFIN BOUND #1-4."If you like Dan Watters' work on Lucifer, this is even weirder..." -Neil Gaiman "Wholly original. Fresh concepts and characters pop up on almost every page, courtesy of Watters' mind and Dani's art. This is a series to keep your eye on." -Entertainment Weekly "It's a gleeful of literary grindhouse comic that brings to mind Milligan's Arthouse Pulp and notes of Pretty Deadly. Out in August. Pre-order now." -Kieron Gillen "Dani is quite a discovery: the work is very inventive and actually very careful but the line is alive and organic-the ink just spills down and branches into the right places. And the language style Watters launches here is just wonderful-I summon Milch because it's eccentric and neo-antique like his Deadwood speech, rippling with character and drunken with its own pleasure... Coffin Bound is a damned joy." -Warren Ellis"A Lynchian crime chase desert noir fever dream with its own messed up internal logic. Fun." -Rob Williams"An acid drenched road trip, seeping violence and weirdness of the best kind. Definitely one to check out." —Ollie Masters"Gorgeous and odd and very much its own unique monster. I am jealous at its filthy strangeness." —Ivan Brandon "A gore-splattered—but poetic—road trip with one of the strangest stripper scenes in comics." —John Harris Dunning "Dreamlike, mythic, relentless and strange." —Kurt Busiek"Excellent. Like finding a weird Alex Cox meets Jodorowsky road movie you didn't know existed. Literate, full of ideas & complimented by Dani's Guéra meets Pope-ish art." —Iain Laurie "Pure Doom. Watters spins a fantastic Kerouac-Ian fever dream with Dani dropping some story chops, solid gesture and moody blacks. It's a great hook that will take you Under. Coffin Bound Rules!" —Andy Belanger "Your lessons of life delivered at the end of a muzzle by a choir of grindhouse philosophers laced with the wisdom of dead birds. I can hardly think of another story so fully infused with Dan Watters and Dani aesthetic." —Ram V"Coffin Bound is a distillate of madness. A slice of apocalyptic dreamtime cut with engine smoke, acid nihilism and dirty juju. This is some top-class necrofuel, my friends, and you need it in your brain-tank pronto." —Si Spurrier"Coffin Bound is a comic with a strong pulse that bleeds all over your hands while reading. You should give it a read." —Declan Shalvey "So fun! Dani's art is gorgeous (as always!) and Brad Simpsons' colours are ridiculously nice. I just want moreeee." —Emmeline Pidgen"Call your local comic shop now. Make sure they get this for you. Trust me." —Matthew Rosenberg

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The Instant Sunday Times BestsellerThe Instant #1 New York Times BestsellerPRAISE FOR WILL'The best memoir I ever read' Oprah Winfrey'If you read one book this year, make it this one' Jay Shetty'Incredible' Idris Elba'The book is awesome. So candid and considered...fascinating' Chris Evans'A triumph...really inspiring, so well written, vulnerable and deep. I highly recommend it' Mindy Kaling'It's fantastic...very moving' Zoe Ball'Incredibly honest...inspiring' Greg James'A wild ride' New York Times'Raw, comedic, inspirational' GQOne of the most dynamic and globally recognized entertainment forces of our time opens up fully about his life, in a brave and inspiring book that traces his learning curve to a place where outer success, inner happiness, and human connection are aligned. Along the way, Will tells the story in full of one of the most amazing rides through the worlds of music and film that anyone has ever had.Will Smith's transformation from a fearful child in a tense West Philadelphia home to one of the biggest rap stars of his era and then one of the biggest movie stars in Hollywood history, with a string of box office successes that will likely never be broken, is an epic tale of inner transformation and outer triumph, and Will tells it astonishingly well. But it's only half the story.Will Smith thought, with good reason, that he had won at life: not only was his own success unparalleled, his whole family was at the pinnacle of the entertainment world. Only they didn't see it that way: they felt more like star performers in his circus, a seven-days-a-week job they hadn't signed up for. It turned out Will Smith's education wasn't nearly over.This memoir is the product of a profound journey of self-knowledge, a reckoning with all that your will can get you and all that it can leave behind. Written with the help of Mark Manson, author of the multi-million-copy bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Will is the story of how one exceptional man mastered his own emotions, written in a way that can help everyone else do the same. Few of us will know the pressure of performing on the world's biggest stages for the highest of stakes, but we can all understand that the fuel that works for one stage of our journey might have to be changed if we want to make it all the way home. The combination of genuine wisdom of universal value and a life story that is preposterously entertaining, even astonishing, puts Will the book, like its author, in a category by itself.'The Hollywood star's autobiography is full of indiscretions, drug-fuelled escapades and terrible parenting. Who could ask for more?' Telegraph'Candid ... digs into the life events which fine-tuned Smith's weapons-grade charisma and steely determination' Observer'I absolutely loved it...no holds barred...I felt as if Will Smith was talking to me. It's a testament to him and to his family' Lorraine Kelly

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Included in The Times and Daily Telegraph Book of the Year round-ups'Friends and Enemies is an extraordinary read showing unflinching candour from a truly remarkable woman' Elton John 'Blistering . . . shockingly candid . . . stiletto-sharp memoir of the year' Daily Mail'Magnetic and magnificent . . . Amiel is superb, furious and, best of all, funny. Say what you like about her - and many have - but the Black Lady can write' The TimesBarbara Amiel's long-awaited memoir is shockingly honest, richly detailed and pulls few punches. An instinctive feminist and now a foe of feminism's political correctness, her own memoirs cover a formidable array of experiences - political, sexual, marital and material. Born in London during the Blitz, the only consistent strain in her early life was a fierce belief in her identity as a Jew even as the Jewish community disowned her and an unquestioned view that women were free to do anything in any arena they chose without any need to win society's approval. Which she very often did not.Her rise to the senior rungs of journalism began in Canada after the emigration of her family and continued in the United Kingdom on her return. With four marriages and an assorted number of beaus, some famous, some infamous (some rather young, some rather elderly), she moved through different worlds encountering problems made more intractable on occasion by her own faulty choices. It is a measure of her writing skill that she held down plum jobs for many decades in Canadian and British journalism as well as appearances in U.S. publications ranging from the Wall Street Journal to Vogue.As a writer of unabashedly libertarian views, she was derided as much for her wardrobe as for her ideas. Pilloried for years in books and television and called every conceivable name by the media, she is philosophical. 'I love fashion, sex and opera,' she once told an interviewer, 'but life would have been easier if my passions had been for train-spotting and stamp collecting.'Her life has an operatic quality with a wildly diverse cast including Elton John, Henry Kissinger, Anna Wintour, Oscar de la Renta, Princess Diana, Tom Stoppard, Brooke Astor, Ghislaine Maxwell, Ronald Harwood, David Frost and an array of the aristocrats of Manhattan and the stately homes of England. All handled, she writes 'with my fatal combination of naivete and self-absorption'. The epic battle with the U.S. justice system leading to the trial and imprisonment of her husband Conrad Black (eventually substantially vindicated) became a litmus paper for sorting out friends from those who were quick to judge and brutal in their dismissal.Friends and Enemies is not a book of vengeance but an attempt to find her own truth: a life that reads like a novel, eloquent, surprising, written with deeply personal candour and utterly un-put-downable.'This is undoubtedly the autobiography of the decade. Barbara Amiel's searing - and sometimes brutal - honesty, both about herself and others, leaves the reader staggered . . . No-one expected a discreet memoir from Barbara Amiel, but few could possibly have imagined that it would be quite this powerfully, dangerously, profoundly self-revelatory' Andrew Roberts

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'Muse of Nightmares is a philosophical fantasy adventure, an epic love story, a daring quest that demands to be read and reread and deserves to be remembered forever.' Katherine WebberThe first hardback print run of Muse of Nightmares will have beautiful sprayed edges. Available for pre-order only! Don't miss out on this extra-special version of the book.AN ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY UNMISSABLE YA NOVEL FOR AUTUMN 2018**********************Sarai has lived and breathed nightmares since she was six years old.She believed she knew every horror, and was beyond surprise.She was wrong.In the wake of tragedy, neither Lazlo nor Sarai are who they were before. One a god, the other a ghost, they struggle to grasp the new boundaries of their selves as dark-minded Minya holds them hostage, intent on vengeance against Weep.Lazlo faces an unthinkable choice - save the woman he loves, or everyone else? - while Sarai feels more helpless than ever. But is she? Sometimes, only the direst need can teach us our own depths, and Sarai, the muse of nightmares, has not yet discovered what she's capable of.As humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the citadel's near fall, a new foe shatters their fragile hopes, and the mysteries of the Mesarthim are resurrected: Where did the gods come from, and why? What was done with the thousands of children born in the citadel nursery? And most important of all, as forgotten doors are opened and new worlds revealed: must heroes always slay monsters, or is it possible to save them instead?Love and hate, revenge and redemption, destruction and salvation all clash in this gorgeous sequel to the New York Times bestseller, Strange the Dreamer.'I was afraid to read too quickly because I didn't want it to be over . . . Laini has done something so special with this duology . . . It will leave you changed forever' Samantha Shannon'Coming off a boatload of recognition for that series-starter, the author is promising an even richer read . . . Taylor asks big questions about life and death in the new book, as humans and godspawn reel in the aftermath of the Citadel's near-fall.' Entertainment Weekly**********************Praise for Strange the DreamerAN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERAN AUDIBLE BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF 2017A GOODREADS CHOICE BEST BOOK OF 2017A PASTE MAGAZINE BEST AUDIOBOOK OF 2017AN NPR 2017 RECOMMENDED READAN AMAZON BEST SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF 2017'Magical' Grazia'Prepare to be enchanted' Sun'Pulls you into its dreaming world and makes it hard to leave.' SciFiNow'Reads like a dream. One for you, your best friend, and any lover of myths and monsters you know' Heat'Leaves the reader enthralled, enchanted and entirely entranced' New York Journal of Books'Laini Taylor is so damn good and like no other' Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom'Laini Taylor set my imagination on fire so hard that it spontaneously combusted . . . This is the kind of story that paves dreams.' Roshani Chokshi, author of The Star Touched Queen

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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Light We Lost comes a sweeping and achingly romantic story of the course of fate, the meaning of family and the power of love. . . Italy, 1946The son of a count and the daughter of a tailor belong to opposing worlds. But when they set eyes on each other, an undeniable spark ignites a passionate relationship. Until shifts in political power force them to commit what the other believes is a betrayal, and their bright future together is shattered.New York, 2017Cassandra and Luca are in love. Although neither fits the other's family, they have always felt like a perfect match. Then Luca, an artist, convinces his grandfather and Cass's grandmother to pose for a painting, past and present collide to reveal a secret that changes everything . . .***Readers have fallen in love with this story . . .'What a BEAUTIFUL story! Jill Santopolo has totally outdone herself!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Anyone who has grown up with a close bond to their grandparents and their roots, should read this. Warning, keep tissues handy!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'The Italian version of The Notebook . . . a beautiful story that will break your heart but also make you smile' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Another fabulous novel by Santopolo. She knows how to you draw you into her novels and I am always invested in her characters' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐***Authors have fallen in love with this story . . .'A gorgeous, epic novel . . . Jill Santopolo writes heartbreak like no other' Emily Giffin, author of Meant to Be'A shimmering love story for the ages. Stars in an Italian Sky is about the course of fate, the meaning of family and the power of love. Bellissima!'Adriana Trigiani, author of The Good Left Undone'Woven together as intricately as the fine fabrics of the Genoese tailor shop where the star-crossed lovers meet . . . A poignant tale of love, loss, class, and fate, infused with the hopefulness of true love written in the stars'Kristin Harmel, author of The Book of Lost Names and The Winemaker's Wife'A spellbinding, deeply compassionate story centered around the fraught legacy of a pair of young lovers. Sensual, heartfelt, and incredibly moving, Santopolo's latest will bring you to tears'Fiona Davis, author of The Magnolia Palace'I was swept away by Stars in an Italian Sky, Jill Santopolo's charming novel of love, both lost and found'Lisa Scottoline, author of Loyalty'Filled with pathos, longing and romance, this book is a love letter to the human heart, and a testimony to the timelessness of true and lasting love'Allison Pataki, author of The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post'A warm, poignant story of enduring love and loss, spanning generations and set against the background of post WWII Italy'Rhys Bowen, author of The Tuscan Child and The Venice Sketchbook'Powerful, emotional, and steeped in beauty and romance, Stars in an Italian Sky is a breathtaking tale of star-crossed lovers that stretches across generations. A sweeping story brimming with passion'Ann Mah, author of The Lost Vintage and Jacqueline in Paris

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Age range 9 to 12For fans of Minecraft and graphic novels, an epic, full-colour box set of three bestselling adventures. Join the young hero Phoenix as she navigates the world of Minecraft. This compilation of bestselling graphic novels for Minecrafters includes the following titles:The Quest for the Golden Apple (Book #1)Phoenix longs to see the world outside of her village. One day, she risks a trip over the town’s wall to see the dark forest. Her quick adventure releases a monster that turns her brother into a zombie! It’s up to Phoenix to save him by leaving her village and finding the enchanted golden apple.This graphic novel for kids is followed by other Minecraft graphic novels, including Revenge of the Zombie Monks, Saving Xenos, Chasing Herobrine, The Ender Eye Prophecy, and Battle for the Dragon’s Temple. They are easy graphic novels and are sure to be enjoyed by all who love Minecraft and stories filled with adventure, courage, and action. Quest for the Golden Apple is especially ideal for those who aren’t inclined to read but love Minecraft. This graphic novel is a quick and engaging read for ages 9-12 with more than 750 pictures.Revenge of the Zombie Monks (Book #2)Phoenix, Wolfie, and their friends are back in this exciting second part of the Unofficial Graphic Novel for Minecrafters series! Past the walls of their monastery, the monks of Xenos grow enchanted golden apples for their neighbour villagers. As readers learn in Quest for the Golden Apple, these golden apples have magical healing abilities and have the power to keep the villagers save. The monks also have and protect the knowledge that connects Xenos to her sister worlds. This knowledge keeps Xenos and her citizens safe. But when the monks are zombified, Xenos’s citizens need a new hero. Following the design of zombie comics and Minecraft comics, follow Phoenix and her friends as they fight to save the citizens and monks of Xenos. But Phoenix and her crew of heroes have no idea and do not suspect the culprit behind this disaster — an incredibly powerful foe who will do anything to keep Phoenix from saving her world.The Ender Eye Prophecy (Book #3)Peace has finally been restored in Xenos, but Phoenix longs to return home to her family of miners. Sheltered by the monks who guard the border world, she spends her days searching for clues about her real identity.Just when Phoenix is losing hope that she’ll ever discover the truth, two miner ambassadors arrive at the monastery, looking for a girl from their ancient legends who is said to wear an enchanted Ender eye necklace and is destined to save their village. Could that girl be Phoenix?Determined to follow every clue that could set her free, Phoenix decides to join them on their quest to restore peace to their land. But along the way, zombie pirates attack, capturing Phoenix and taking her to the Nether. Now it’s up to Xander to convince the villagers and miners to put aside their differences and come to Phoenix’s rescue. The fate of their world depends on it.

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Hit the road with this ultimate guide to exploring Europe by electric car and discover 60 sublime touring routes with detailed itineraries, maps and charging station locations. Drive into the heights of the Austrian Alps or steer past thundering waterfalls in Iceland using our expert know-how to help you plan your next epic eco-friendly adventure.Cruise the north coast of Crete to find glorious golden beaches and hill-hugged fishing villages or weave your way across Ireland from the heart of Dublin to Galway, sampling the country's finest oysters as you go. Whether you take your trusty electric vehicle for a spin or you hire a high-end model, this comprehensive guide is packed with irresistible road trips that are suitable for electric vehicles even with a modest range. All of the 60 unforgettable touring routes will guide you to a convenient charging station at the end of each day, allowing you to discover the continent in sustainable style. Inside Electric Vehicle Road Trips - Europe:- Explore 60 magnificent road trip routes around Europe each of which features a drive overview, total distance, duration, Plan and Prepare guide, and accurate map that shows the route and key overnight charging stations- Essential trip planning information with expert know-how and practical insights on where to stay (with chargers on site or nearby), when to go, tips for EV drivers, further details such as road signage and Highway Code rules- Fun travel experiences and must-see landmarks along the way including visits to ancient ruins, picturesque hikes, fascinating museums, once-in-a-lifetime landscapes and views, off-the-beaten track food and drink hotspots, and more- Extensive coverage on ‘Getting to know EVs' with practical information on using an EV for touring and how to plan a road trip: Connecting up; Finding a charger; Charging etiquette; Renting an RV, Apps for route planning- Covers: Southern Europe (Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain), Western Europe (Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, Switzerland, Wales), Northern Europe (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden), Eastern Europe (Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovenia)Charge your electric car for a European road trip like no other and enjoy a revved-up getaway that ranges from a long weekend to a multi-week adventure. This guide is the perfect inspiration for seasoned sustainable explorers or for anyone looking to take the leap into the world of EV travel.About Lonely PlanetLonely Planet, a Red Ventures Company, is the world's number one travel guidebook brand. Providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973, Lonely Planet reaches hundreds of millions of travellers each year online and in print and helps them unlock amazing experiences. Visit us at lonelyplanet.com and join our community of followers on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet), and TikTok (@lonelyplanet).'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves; it's in every traveller's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' – Fairfax Media (Australia)

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In 1929, the first cuneiform tablet, inscribed with previously unknown signs, was found during archeological excavations at Ras Shamra (ancient Ugarit) in northern Syria. Since then a special discipline, sometimes called Ugaritology, has arisen. The impact of the Ugaritic language and of the many texts written in it has been felt in the study of Semitic languages and literatures, in the history of the ancient Near East, and especially in research devoted to the Hebrew Bible. In fact, knowledge of Ugaritic has become a standard prerequisite for the scientific study of the Old Testament. The Ugaritic texts, written in the fourteenth and thirteenth centuries B. c., represent the oldest complex of connected texts in any West Semitic language now available (1984). Their language is of critical importance for comparative Semitic linguistics and is uniquely important to the critical study of Biblical Hebrew. Ugaritic, which was spoken in a northwestern corner of the larger Canaanite linguistic area, cannot be considered a direct ancestor of Biblical Hebrew, but its conservative character can help in the reconstruction of the older stages of Hebrew phonology, word formation, and inflection. These systems were later-that is, during the period in which the biblical texts were actually written-complicated by phonological and other changes. The Ugaritic texts are remarkable, however, for more than just their antiquity and their linguistic witness. They present a remarkably vigorous and mature literature, one containing both epic cycles and shorter poems. The poetic structure of Ugaritic is noteworthy, among other reasons, for its use of the "parallelism of members" that also characterizes such ancient and archaizing poems in the Hebrew Bible as the Song of Deborah (in Judges 5), the Song of the Sea (in Exodus 15), Psalms 29, 68, and 82, and Habakkuk 3. Textual sources and their rendering The basic source for the study of Ugaritic is a corpus of texts written in an alphabetic cuneiform script unknown before 1929; this script represents consonants fully and exactly but gives only limited and equivocal indication of vowels. Our knowledge of the Ugaritic language is supple-mented by evidence from Akkadian texts found at Ugarit and containing many Ugaritic words, especially names written in the syllabic cuneiform script. Scholars reconstructing the lost language of Ugarit draw, finally, on a wide variety of comparative linguistic data, data from texts not found at Ugarit, as well as from living languages. Evidence from Phoenician, Hebrew, Amorite, Aramaic, Arabic, Akkadian, Ethiopic, and recently also Eblaitic, can be applied to good effect. For the student, as well as for the research scholar, it is important that the various sources of U garitic be distinguished in modern transliteration or transcription. Since many of the texts found at Ugarit are fragmentary or physically damaged, it is well for students to be clear about what portion of a text that they are reading actually survives and what portion is a modern attempt to fill in the blanks. While the selected texts in section 8 reflect the state of preservation in detail, in the other sections of the grammar standardized forms are presented, based on all available evidence.

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A special run of prequels to Doctor Who: The War Doctor. The Eighth Doctor battles for survival in the early stages of the Time War. The Eighth Doctor battles for survival in the early stages of the Time War: 2.1 Lords of Terror by Jonathan Morris. When the Doctor takes Bliss to her home colony, they discover that the Time War has got there first. Bliss finds her world altered beyond recognition, and the population working to serve new masters. No dissent is allowed. The Daleks are coming. The planet must be ready to fight them. 2.2 Planet of the Ogrons by Guy Adams. Avoiding the Time War, the Doctor and Bliss are found by an old acquaintance: the latest incarnation of a criminal mastermind the Doctor knows of old. But unlike her predecessors, the Twelve has a handle on her previous selves’ unruly minds. There is a mystery to solve involving the Doctor’s TARDIS and its unusual occupant – and answers will be found on the Planet of the Ogrons. 2.3 In the Garden of Death by Guy Adams. In a prison camp like no other, the Most Dangerous Man in the Universe is held in isolation. The rest of the inmates have no memory of who they were or what they might have done.No memory even of their captors. Until the interrogations begin. 2.4 Jonah by Timothy X Atack. In the depths of an ocean world ravaged by the Time War, the weary survivors are pressed into service by Cardinal Ollistra.Something is hidden beneath the sea: the Twelve knows the truth, if only she could drag it from her jumbled mind. And when the Doctor becomes the captain of a submarine boat, all omens spell disaster. Big Finish have been producing Doctor Who audios since 1999, starring Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, David Tennant and John Hurt. Paul McGann's eighth Doctor has the unique distinction of being in both the Classic Doctor Who series (1963-1996) and the New Series (2006 onwards). He's reprised this romantic, adventuring Doctor for Big Finish across a variety of hugely popular adventures. Joining him as Companion Bliss is Rakhee Thakrar, known to a legion of EastEnders fans as Shabnam Masood. The Time War is the legendary combat between the Time Lords and their arch enemies the Daleks, an event so huge, so terrible, that only a fragment could be realised on television. These audio adventures bring the epic scale of the conflict to life as the two races battle and the universe burns in the cross-fire. Guest star Julia McKenzie is hugely regarded for her recent appearances as Miss Marple for ITV. Here she plays The Twelve, a Time Lord villain with a dozen personalities in her head... CAST: Paul McGann (The Doctor), Rakhee Thakrar (Bliss), Nicholas Briggs (The Daleks), Jacqueline Pearce (Cardinal Ollistra), Julia McKenzie (The Twelve),Nikki Amuka -Bird (Tamasan), Amanda Root (Lendek), Rakie Ayola (Pollia / Lambda Epsilon), Guy Adams (Rendo), Simon Slater (Carvil / Shaler), Jon Culshaw (Doctor Ogron), Victor McGuire (Borton), Anya Chalotra (Ensign Murti), Tania Rodrigues (Chief Panath), Surinder Duhra (Executive Officer Omor).

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Discover the world of the Queen's Thief New York Times-bestselling author Megan Whalen Turner's entrancing and award-winning Queen's Thief novels bring to life the world of the epics and feature one of the most charismatic and incorrigible characters of fiction, Eugenides the thief. Megan Whalen Turner's Queen's Thief novels are rich with political machinations and intrigue, battles lost and won, dangerous journeys, divine intervention, power, passion, revenge, and deception. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Marie Lu, Patrick Rothfuss, and George R. R. Martin. Eugenides, the queen's thief, can steal anything-or so he says. When his boasting lands him in prison and the king's magus invites him on a quest to steal a legendary object, he's in no position to refuse. The magus thinks he has the right tool for the job, but Gen has plans of his own. The Queen's Thief novels have been praised by writers, critics, reviewers, and fans, and have been honored with glowing reviews, "best of" citations, and numerous awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Newbery Honor, the Andre Norton Award shortlist, and the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award. Discover and rediscover the stand-alone companions, The Queen of Attolia, The King of Attolia, and A Conspiracy of Kings, all epic novels set in the world of the Queen's Thief. A Newbery Honor Book An ALA Notable Book A YALSA Best Book for Young Adults A Horn Book Fanfare Book A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age A Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book A Junior Library Guild Selection "The Queen's Thief books awe and inspire me. They have the feel of a secret, discovered history of real but forgotten lands. The plot-craft is peerless, the revelations stunning, and the characters flawed, cunning, heartbreaking, exceptional. Megan Whalen Turner's books have a permanent spot on my favorites shelf, with space waiting for more books to come."-Laini Taylor, New York Times-bestselling author of the Daughter of Smoke and Bone novels and Strange the Dreamer "Unforgettable characters, plot twists that will make your head spin, a world rendered in elegant detail-you will fall in love with every page of these stories. Megan Whalen Turner writes vivid, immersive, heartbreaking fantasy that will leave you desperate to return to Attolia again and again." -Leigh Bardugo, New York Times-bestselling author of the The Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows "Trust me. Just read it. Then read it again, because it will not be the same river twice."-Lois McMaster Bujold, acclaimed and Hugo Award-winning author of the Vorkosigan Saga, the Chalion Series, and the Sharing Knife series "In addition to its charismatic hero, this story possesses one of the most valuable treasures of all-a twinkling jewel of a surprise ending." -Publishers Weekly (starred review) "To miss this thief's story would be a crime."-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review) "A literary journey that enriches both its characters and readers before it is over."-Kirkus Reviews (starred review) "A tantalizing, suspenseful, exceptionally clever novel."-The Horn Book (starred review)

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Many English-speaking people who want to be educated try to read Dante, the 'best known, least read' of all the classical poets, and find him impossible. In my thirties I did just that: 'Where do I begin?' The library yielded a translation of 'The Divine Comedy' - a great fat epic in three volumes. Wading into the Inferno, I struggled through a couple of sections and decided this wasn't for me. Too gloomy, too stilted, too difficult to grasp - and above all - too many words. I gave up almost at once. I cannot be the only one who as a result of that kind of experience thinks the work of this great Master is exclusively about Hell. 'Dante? - oh, you mean Dante's Inferno!' they say. NO! That's not it. There's far, far more. Dante wrote in Italian in order to reach ordinary people who, like me, needed the story itself. He wrote in the vernacular about the famous of the time - well-known entertainers and politicians, poets and artists, churchmen and musicians, the great and the awful. He wanted to be understood by everyone, including those not too well-versed in Latin. 'What a story this is,' I thought, when finally I was properly introduced to it. 'Why don't we all know this story? Dante is so warm-hearted, so exciting, so full of hope and humour, justice and joy - but, like me, my friends hardly ever get into Hell, let alone out of it and on.' My aim is to tell Dante's story in the way I remember it - not primarily for its history, or its theology, or even its most gracious poetry, but for the unfolding journey he made through those amazing landscapes. It was all in his imagination, yet so vividly brought to life in his poem that irresistibly it invites us to accompany him on a life-changing, life-saving adventure of our own. The tale begins when, depressed and lost in a Dark Wood, Dante meets Virgil, his hero among much earlier poets. At the request of Beatrice - his great love, now in Heaven - Virgil has come from Limbo to guide him on a huge journey. Sure enough, they start by going down through Hell; but they emerge, ascend the Mountain of Purgatory through many adventures, and rise to the threshold of Paradise. There, human knowledge fails and Virgil leaves him. Meeting people all the way, he flies on into Heaven with Beatrice, and up through the stars to God. I hope that by travelling with him, we too may come to find in the poetry something of the depth of the vision. I hope we may come to love Dante as a person, with all his directness, his immense compassion for those he meets on the way, and his chuckling ability to laugh at himself. I hope we shall rejoice that his passion for Beatrice, who leads him through Heaven, is at last so blissfully fulfilled in the divine. May our own landscape of the mind be enhanced - even transformed - by the journey.

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SHE CAN'T HAVE A FUTURE UNTIL SHE KNOWS WHAT HAPPENED TO HER FAMILY AFTER THE WAR.'Deeply moving and beautifully written' ANN CLEEVES'Heart-breaking, beautiful and thrilling - a book that will stay with you for a very long time' ELLY GRIFFITHS'A tale of devastating secrets, brilliantly told' RORY CLEMENTS1944LEO STERN arrives at the Nazi camp at Borek with his wife Irena and his two daughters. The Sterns are spared from the gas chamber when they witness a murder. But in a place that humanity has deserted, Leo is forced to make unimaginable choices to try to keep his family alive. 1961 For seventeen years, Hanna has been unable to remember her identity and how she was separated from her family at the end of the war, until the discovery of a letter among her late uncle's possessions reveals her real name - HANNA STERN - and leads her to Berlin in search of her lost past.Helped by former lover Peter, Hanna begins to piece together the shocking final days of Borek. But Hanna isn't the only one with an interest in the camp, and lurking in the shadows is someone who would prefer Hanna's history to remain silent. Based on in-depth research and beautifully written, this a novel of memory and identity, and the long shadow of war.'Outstanding. Heartstopping. Brilliant. A story that scorches the page, searing in its honesty and profoundly moving in its emotional impact. This is an important, powerful novel that everyone should read' KATE FURNIVALL'Taking the reader from the atmospheric Fenlands of Cambridgeshire to the ghost-filled forests of wartime Poland and finally into Cold War-era Berlin, The Silent Child is a thought-provoking and compelling novel about the long-lasting aftershocks of war. This is great storytelling, full of mysteries and twists, epic in its sweep, but precise and respectful in its historical details. J. G. Kelly's vividly evoked scenes will stay with me for a long time' CAROLINE SCOTT'This book was such a beautifully written book that will stay with me for a long time. The storyline was emotive and heart wrenching and the characters were well developed and have a special place in my heart. I didn't want this book to end. Nothing I could say would do this book justice, I cannot recommend this book enough' Reader review'It's beautifully written with a story that draws you in so quickly, it's very well researched and heartbreakingly realistic. A book I wanted and needed to finish. The sort of book everyone should read. The most compelling book I've read this year' Reader review'Utterly impossible for me to put down. A heartbreaking story... I found I had devoured the entire book in just one sitting... I have loved this book so much, I wish I could give it five hundred stars. All I can say is "WOW - read it. You won't be disappointed' Reader review 'I was engrossed in the story. The author has done tremendous research about the war and did a good job of drawing the reader into the story' Reader review

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The stunning new love story from the bestselling author of This Time Next Year'Impossible to put down' CATHY BRAMLEY'A sure-fire hit!' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS'Packed full of holiday sparkle' JOSIE SILVER____________________________Tell me the story of how you two met. . .Laura has built a career out of interviewing people about their epic real life love stories.When she picks up the wrong suitcase at the airport, Laura wonders if this could be the start of something that is written in the stars.From piano sheet-music to a battered copy of her favourite book, Laura finds in the bag evidence of everything she could hope for in a partner.If Laura's job has taught her anything it is that when it comes to love, you cannot let opportunity pass you by. Now Laura is determined to track down the owner of the suitcase, and her own happy ending.But what if fate has other ideas?____________________________YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS LOVE JUST HAVEN'T MET YOU YET!'Rom-com perfection... A beautiful love story: hugely funny and light as a feather, but with incredible depth and heart, and a perfect, slow burn romance at its centre. I wanted to stay on Jersey and keep in touch with the characters long after the last page' CRESSIDA MCLAUGHLIN'A sweet and heartwarming story about finding love, and finding yourself. I smiled from beginning to end' LINDSEY KELK'Utterly brilliant, delightfully funny and impossible to put down' CATHY BRAMLEY'Just Haven't Met You Yet has got everything This Time Next Year had and more. I adored getting lost in Jersey, and Sophie has created a cast of characters that sparkle off the page with warmth and wit. I loved the heart, and I loved the emotional depth. A sure-fire hit!' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS'A funny, pull-at-your-heartstrings read, this is the perfect companion for curling up with hot chocolate and a blanket. Unashamedly romantic and packed full of holiday sparkle, it's a hug in book form' JOSIE SILVER'Just what I needed - fizzing, funny and deliciously romantic, but pleasingly thorny and complex too. Plus it made me want to book a stay in Jersey' BETH MORREY'I completely adored this gorgeous story, devouring it with indecent haste. Just Haven't Met You Yet has the perfect mix of fascinating characters, delicious humour and a lovely lightness of touch, not to mention a love story which will have you on tenterhooks' HANNAH DOYLE'A smart, warm and wonderfully witty love story about the power of love stories, with so many laugh-out-loud moments' EMMA HUGHES'Pure escapism with the most gorgeous sense of place - I was swept away to Jersey's coasts and cliffs and coves. I defy anyone not to wish they were there too!' ABBIE GREAVES____________________________________Praise for Sophie Cousens:'Heart-warming and unashamedly romantic' RUTH JONES'Sparkling and uplifting' MHAIRI MCFARLANE'Swooningly romantic...I didn't want to put it down' KIRSTY GREENWOOD'The escapist read everyone needs right now.' HOLLY MARTIN'Funny, perceptive, and completely binge-worthy' SUN ON SUNDAY'Gorgeous! A feel-good, romantic hug of a book' GILLIAN HARVEY'I absolutely loved This Time Next Year...so funny and sad and brilliant on love, friendship and family. Plus it contains the finest comedic airport security scene since spinal tap' TOM ELLEN'A beautiful debut full of heart, soul and serendipity with characters you can't help but fall in love with.' ALEX BROWN

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PRE-ORDER NOW - READY PLAYER TWO: THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED SEQUEL TO READY PLAYER ONE_______________________'[A] masterful tale of Earth's desperate struggle against a powerful alien foe.' - Andy Weir, bestselling author of The Martian_______________________It's just another day of high school for Zack Lightman. He's daydreaming through another boring math class, with just one more month to go until graduation and freedom-if he can make it that long without getting suspended again. Then he glances out his classroom window and spots the flying saucer. At first, Zack thinks he's going crazy.A minute later, he's sure of it. Because the UFO he's staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada-in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders. But what Zack's seeing is all too real. And his skills-as well as those of millions of gamers across the world-are going to be needed to save the earth from what's about to befall it. Yet even as he and his new comrades scramble to prepare for the alien onslaught, Zack can't help thinking of all the science-fiction books, TV shows, and movies he grew up reading and watching, and wonder: Doesn't something about this scenario seem a little too... familiar? Armada is at once a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien-invasion tale like nothing you've ever read before-one whose every page is infused with author Ernest Cline's trademark pop-culture savvy._______________________Here's what everyone's saying about this epic masterpiece:'a modern classic' - R.M. Rangeley on Amazon, 5 stars'A modern masterpiece full of a new style of literary magic' - Spiros Kagadis on Amazon, 5 stars'Excellent. Even better than Ready Player One.' - David Hay on Amazon, 5 stars'One of my favourite books of all time. Incredibly well written' - Erin Coppin on Amazon, 5 stars'Awesome! If you liked Ready Player One, would be very surprised if you don't like this' - T. Llewellyn-Sanders on Amazon, 5 stars'Absolutely awesome!!! Read in less than 24 hours, hooked on every page' - R. Nicholson on Amazon, 5 stars'Amazing and a great follow up read to Ready Player One!' - Chris on Amazon, 5 stars'an incredible story which had me on the edge of my seat the whole time... a joy to read' - Helen Ratcliffe on Amazon, 5 stars'Cline brings you back to all those amazing, unbelievable things you imagined could happen as a kid and makes them real' - Amazon reviewer, 5 stars'Absolutely brilliant! Couldn't put it down, a must read' - Sam Bean on Amazon, 5 stars'a love letter to old school alien invasion sci-fi... Highly, HIGHLY recommended for all fans of Cline's previous novel, Ready Player One, as well as any classic science fiction fan' - Izzy on Amazon, 5 stars'Ernest Cline is celebrating this culture in a way that's not just adding another book to the genre, but actually truly celebrating it, the possibilities, wonders and madness of it all' - Heather on Amazon, 5 stars'majorly, fantastically geeky... Armada just ticked all my boxes' - H. Ross on Amazon, 5 starsThis book has been published with two different covers and may be delivered with either cover. Please rest assured that regardless of the cover, the content of the book is the same.

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Ringil, the hero of the bloody slaughter at Gallows Gap is a legend to all who don't know him and a twisted degenerate to those that do. A veteran of the wars against the lizards he makes a living from telling credulous travellers of his exploits. Until one day he is pulled away from his life and into the depths of the Empire's slave trade. Where he will discover a secret infinitely more frightening than the trade in lives.Archeth - pragmatist, cynic and engineer, the last of her race - is called from her work at the whim of the most powerful man in the Empire and sent to its farthest reaches to investigate a demonic incursion against the Empire's borders.Egar Dragonbane, steppe-nomad, one-time fighter for the Empire finds himself entangled in a small-town battle between common sense and religious fervour. But out in the wider world there is something on the move far more alien than any of his tribe's petty gods. Anti-social, anti-heroic, and decidedly irritated, all three of them are about to be sent unwillingly forth into a vicious, vigorous and thoroughly unsuspecting fantasy world. Called upon by an Empire that owes them everything and gave them nothing.Richard Morgan brings his trademark visceral writing style, turbo-driven plotting and thought provoking characterisation to the fantasy genre and produces a landmark work with his first foray.******Praise for The Steel Remains'A brilliant book! This has to be one of the best books I've read this. A raw, gritty fantasy that pulls no punches.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Well, wow. A gay aristocratic war hero fallen into rough living, a bisexual knife-wielding black woman from a race of near-immortal engineers, and a hard-hitting, tough-talking, dragon-slaying warleader from the steppes who is immensely loyal to them both.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Fantastic book! I love Morgan's twisted world and his complicated characters. A gritty, shocking, refreshing, dark epic fantasy. I can't wait to read the next one.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'So... What does this book do right? Everything. Gay main characters - done to perfection. A truly dark, grotesque, yet realistic and complex world. Action? Suspense? Horror? All of them.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'One of the best fantasy novels I have ever read. Better than Tolkein, better than A Game of Thrones, better than A Wheel of Time. It's a relatively simple story that involves the right amount of backstabbing, bloodshed and political intrigue.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Wow what more do you want from a fantasy? Viciously smart humour with a sort of dry, tongue in cheek delivery, paired with rich worldbuilding that subtly unfolds, a trio of broken heroes with complex inner worlds grappling with the mess of human existence in a dangerous world, all propelled at breathless breakneck speeds - yet nothing rushed. Well developed secondary characters, sexual politics that I can't get behind, rape recognized as the disgusting horror it is, yet plenty of violent fun to be had. Damn I can't wait to start the next, this is just picking up speed' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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‘Donald is a writer not only at the top of his game, but of the game’ Giles Kristian, author of the Raven series‘Donald delivers a masterclass’ Theodore Brun, author of A Burning Sea'A gory, gleeful treat' The TimesThe greatest warriors are forged in the flamesTwo pagan fighters771AD, Northern Europe. Bjarki Bloodhand and Tor Hildarsdottir are journeying south into Saxony. Their destination is the Irminsul, the One Tree that links the Nine Worlds of the Middle-Realm. In this most holy place, they hope to learn how to summon their animal spirits so they can enter the ranks of the legendary berserkir: the elite frenzied fighters of the North.One Christian kingKarolus, newly crowned King of the Franks, has a thorn in his side: the warlike Saxon tribes on his northern borders who shun the teachings of the Church, blasphemously continuing to worship their pagan gods.An epic battle for the soul of the NorthThe West’s greatest warlord vows to stamp out his neighbours’ superstitions and bring the light of the True Faith to the Northmen – at the point of a sword. It will fall to Bjarki, Tor and the men and women of Saxony to resist him in a struggle for the fate of all Europe.Praise for The Last Berserker ‘Donald has taken the legendary berserkers, those frothing-at-the-mouth shield-biters, and made them human, which once again proves that Donald is a writer not only at the top of his game, but of the game ... It is a wonderful, rich and violent brew. I welcome Angus Donald to the shield wall of Viking fiction like a thirsty man welcomes a mead-brother to the feast ... A tale worthy of the skalds’ Giles Kristian, author of the Raven series‘With The Last Berserker, Donald has given us the first cut of some serious Dark Age beef. By turns heart-racing, intriguing, and touching, this is not a book for the faint-hearted – I can’t wait for more’ Theodore Brun, author of A Burning Sea‘The Last Berserker strikes with the thundering power of Thor's hammer... rich with the earthy depth, historical detail, intrigue, violence and adventure that we expect from Donald. But it is Bjarki and Tor that make The Last Berserker stand out... Donald's masterful creations will live on in the imagination long after the final page’ Matthew Harffy, author of the Bernicia Chronicles'A wonderful, blood-soaked tale of redemption and revenge, set amidst the eighth century clash of civilisations between Pagan Vikings and Christian Franks, by a master of the genre’ Saul David, author of Zulu Hart'Loved this tale of a berserker facing up against the tidal wave of Charlemagne’s expansion. Great characters, brilliantly paced and explosive, gritty battle-scenes. Highly recommended' John Gwynne, author of Malice‘Well researched detail and stunning battle scenes make The Last Berserker a white knuckle ride. A thrilling, up-all-night read’ C. R. May, author of The Day of the Wolf'I loved it. Bjarki and Tor are great characters, instantly relatable. The depth of the immersion in their world and their values gives the book authenticity and weight' Cecelia Holland, author of The Soul Thief

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'Deeply moving and beautifully written' ANN CLEEVES'Heart-breaking, beautiful and thrilling - a book that will stay with you for a very long time' ELLY GRIFFITHS'A tale of devastating secrets, brilliantly told' RORY CLEMENTSSHE CAN'T HAVE A FUTURE UNTIL SHE HAS A PAST.1944LEO STERN arrives at the Nazi camp at Borek with his wife Irena and his two daughters. The Sterns are spared from the gas chamber when they witness a murder. But in a place that humanity has deserted, Leo is forced to make unimaginable choices to try to keep his family alive. 1961 For seventeen years, Hanna has been unable to remember her identity and how she was separated from her family at the end of the war, until the discovery of a letter among her late uncle's possessions reveals her real name - HANNA STERN - and leads her to Berlin in search of her lost past.Helped by former lover Peter, Hanna begins to piece together the shocking final days of Borek. But Hanna isn't the only one with an interest in the camp, and lurking in the shadows is someone who would prefer Hanna's history to remain silent. Based on in-depth research and beautifully written, this a novel of memory and identity, and the long shadow of war.'Taking the reader from the atmospheric Fenlands of Cambridgeshire to the ghost-filled forests of wartime Poland and finally into Cold War-era Berlin, The Silent Child is a thought-provoking and compelling novel about the long-lasting aftershocks of war. This is great storytelling, full of mysteries and twists, epic in its sweep, but precise and respectful in its historical details. J. G. Kelly's vividly evoked scenes will stay with me for a long time' CAROLINE SCOTT'Outstanding. Heartstopping. Brilliant. A story that scorches the page, searing in its honesty and profoundly moving in its emotional impact. The characters reach out to you and challenge your preconceptions in this testament to a tragic chapter of history that moved me to tears. It holds up a dark and shocking mirror to our world, yet ultimately it is a triumphant tale of light within darkness. This is an important, powerful novel that everyone should read' KATE FURNIVALL'This book was such a beautifully written book that will stay with me for a long time. The storyline was emotive and heart wrenching and the characters were well developed and have a special place in my heart. I didn't want this book to end. Nothing I could say would do this book justice, I cannot recommend this book enough' Reader review'It's beautifully written with a story that draws you in so quickly, it's very well researched and heartbreakingly realistic. A book I wanted and needed to finish. The sort of book everyone should read. The most compelling book I've read this year' Reader review'Utterly impossible for me to put down. A heartbreaking story... I found I had devoured the entire book in just one sitting... I have loved this book so much, I wish I could give it five hundred stars. All I can say is "WOW - read it. You won't be disappointed' Reader review 'I was engrossed in the story. The author has done tremendous research about the war and did a good job of drawing the reader into the story' Reader review

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It was supposed to be a routine trip for the members of the Gordian Division, both human and AI: fly out to Saturn, inspect the construction of their latest time machines, then fly back. But when the division’s top scientist and chief engineer are killed in the same freak accident, suspicions of foul play run deep. Detective Isaac Cho is sent in to investigate, but he has more on his mind than just a new case. His superiors have saddled him with an exchange officer from the neighboring Admin—Special Agent Susan Cantrell—whose notion of proper “law enforcement” involves blowing up criminals first and skipping questions entirely. Despite his objections, Cho is stuck with an untested partner on a case that increasingly reeks of murder and conspiracy. The unlikely pair must work together to unravel this mystery, and soon they discover their unique combination of skills might just provide the edge they need. But nothing is ever simple where the Gordian Division is involved. Not even time itself. About The Janus File: “A satisfying, self-contained mystery for its mismatched protagonists to gradually unravel . . . moments of humor amid the expected culture clashes, and the exploration of the authors’ well-realized far-future world . . . It’s pure entertainment.” —Publishers Weekly About prequel The Gordian Protocol: “Tom Clancy-esque exposition of technical details . . . absurd humor and bloody action. Echoes of Robert Heinlein . . . lots of exploding temporal spaceships and bodies . . . action-packed . . .” —Booklist “[A] fun and thrilling standalone from Weber and Holo. . . . Time travel enthusiasts will enjoy the moral dilemmas, nonstop action, and crisp writing.” —Publishers Weekly About David Weber: “[A] balanced mix of interstellar intrigue, counterespionage, and epic fleet action . . . with all the hard- and software details and tactical proficiency that Weber delivers like no one else; along with a large cast of well-developed, believable characters, giving each clash of fleets emotional weight.” —Booklist “[M]oves . . . as inexorably as the Star Kingdom’s Grand Fleet, commanded by series protagonist Honor Harrington. . . . Weber is the Tom Clancy of science fiction. . . . His fans will relish this latest installment. . . .” —Publishers Weekly “This entry is just as exciting as Weber’s initial offering. . . . The result is a fast-paced and action-packed story that follows [our characters] as they move from reaction to command of the situation. Weber builds Shadow of Freedom to an exciting and unexpected climax.” —The Galveston County Daily News “Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection and a deep understanding of military bureaucracy in this long-awaited Honor Harrington novel . . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice to see Honor back in action.” —Publishers Weekly “This latest Honor Harrington novel brings the saga to another crucial turning point. . . . Readers may feel confident that they will be Honored many more times and enjoy it every time.” —Booklist “[E]verything you could want in a heroine. . . . Excellent . . . plenty of action.” —Science Fiction Age “Brilliant! Brilliant! Brilliant!” —Anne McCaffrey “Compelling combat combined with engaging characters for a great space opera adventure.” —Locus “Weber combines realistic, engaging characters with intelligent technological projection. . . . Fans of this venerable space opera will rejoice . . .” —Publishers Weekly About Jacob Holo: “An entertaining sci-fi action novel with light overtones of dystopian and political thrillers.” —Kirkus on The Dragons of Jupiter “Thrilling . . . sci-fi adventure.” —Kirkus on Time Reavers

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Book I in the campaign history of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Birth of a Regiment is an authoritative, action-packed account of the 504th’s seminal role in Sicily and Italy, the first two U.S. airborne drops in the European Theater of Operations. Drawing on hundreds of eye-witness testimonies, Frank van Lunteren puts readers at the scene of historic battles as described in the words of the men who fought them. New archival sources in English, German, and Italian further enrich the narrative, along with fresh maps and previously unpublished photographs from archival sources and the veterans’ private collections.Activated in May 1942, the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment earned high praise for its very first mission when it effected the first U.S. mass regimental combat jump of World War II in the invasion of Sicily. According to German General Kurt Student, “if it had not been for the Allied airborne forces blocking the tanks of the Hermann Göring Division from reaching the beachhead, that Division would have driven the initial seaborne forces back into the sea.” Led by Col. Reuben Tucker, the 504th subsequently dropped into the endangered Fifth U.S. Army beachhead at Salerno; bitter fighting led to hard-won success at Altavilla and Hill 424 and the regimental motto “Strike and Hold.” Birth of a Regiment is the first book-length account of the birth of U.S. airborne forces, and the first to fully capture the details, danger, and crucial stakes of the initial 504th missions in the unforgettable voices of the newly minted paratroopers who fought the first Allied battles in the ETO up through the victorious entry into Naples. These initial missions were all the more important, in that they would determine future Allied strategy, planning, and tactics. It is not to be forgotten that Sicily was a testing ground for the Allied coalition: the first time an American army and a British army, managed at the top by a unified Allied staff, would undertake a major campaign. According to James M. Gavin, the Commanding General of the 82nd ABD at the end of the war, who had jumped into Sicily himself: “What was learned in that first cooperative action affected the whole outcome of World War II.” Personally interviewed by the author over a period of 20 years, nearly 200 veterans of the 504th recount their remembrance of combat, permitting readers of Birth of a Regiment to relive epic battles of the ETO through the words of the very men who made history. Participants include survivors and witnesses of the tragic decimation of 23 aircraft and the death of 164 paratroopers and crew when U.S. troops mistook them for the enemy and fired on their planes as they flew into Sicily. Veterans recount the ferocious, desperate battle at Biazzi Ridge, and the later regimental action at the Salerno Beachhead, where the 504th crucially took Hill 424 after a night drop and seaborne landing. Having undisputedly proven their prowess, Tucker’s troopers were chosen to spearhead the Fifth Army drive into Naples. These dramatic, unforgettable memories of the war provide new information from the foxhole view on up, giving historians and lay readers alike fresh perspective on the initial U.S. engagements in WWII and the difficult birth of Allied airborne operations. The volume is enriched by new maps and historic archival photos, including many previously unpublished photos and provided by 504th veterans.

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Finalist for the 2016 PEN Center USA Award for Translation In 1809, at the age of eighteen, Henriette Faber enrolled herself in medical school in Paris--and since medicine was a profession prohibited to women, she changed her name to Henri in order to matriculate. She would spend the next fifteen years practicing medicine and living as a man. Drafted to serve as a surgeon in Napoleon's army, Faber endured the horrors of the 1812 retreat across Russia. She later embarked to the Caribbean and set up a medical practice in a remote Cuban village, where she married Juana de Leon, an impoverished local. Three years into their marriage, de Leon turned Faber in to the authorities, demanding that the marriage be annulled. A sensational legal trial ensued, and Faber was stripped of her medical license, forced to dress as a woman, sentenced to prison, and ultimately sent into exile. She was last seen on a boat headed to New Orleans in 1827. In this, his last published work, Antonio Benitez Rojo takes the outline provided by historical events and weaves a richly detailed backdrop for Faber, who becomes a vivid and complex figure grappling with the strictures of her time. Woman in Battle Dress is a sweeping, ambitious epic, in which Henriette Faber tells the story of her life, a compelling, entertaining, and ultimately triumphant tale. Praise for Woman in Battle Dress "Woman in Battle Dress by Antonio Benitez-Rojo, which has been beautifully translated from the Spanish by Jessica Ernst Powell, is the extraordinary account of an extraordinary person. Benitez-Rojo blows great gusts of fascinating fictional wind onto the all but forgotten embers of the actual Henriette Faber, and this blazing tale of her adventures as a military surgeon and a husband and about a hundred other fascinating things is both something we want and need to hear."--Laird Hunt, author of Neverhome "A picaresque novel starring an adventurous heroine, who caroms from country to country around the expanding Napoleonic empire, hooking up with a dazzling array of men (and women) as she goes. A wild ride!"--Carmen Boullosa, author of Texas: The Great Theft "As detailed as any work of history and as action filled as any swashbuckler, Woman in Battle Dress is not only Antonio Benitez Rojo's last and most ambitious book, but also his masterpiece. In this graceful English translation of Henriette Faber's autobiography--more than fiction, less than fact--American readers will have access to one of the most engaging novels to come out of Latin America in recent years."--Gustavo Perez-Firmat, Columbia University Antonio Benitez-Rojo (1931--2005) was a Cuban novelist, essayist and short-story writer. He was widely regarded as the most significant Cuban author of his generation. His work has been translated into nine languages and collected in more than 50 anthologies. One of his most influential publications, La Isla que se Repite, was published in 1989 by Ediciones del Norte, and published in English as The Repeating Island by Duke University Press in 1997. Jessica Powell has translated numerous Latin American authors, including works by Cesar Vallejo, Jorge Luis Borges, Ernesto Cardenal, Maria Moreno, Ana Lidia Vega Serova and Edmundo Paz Soldan. Her translation (with Suzanne Jill Levine) of Adolfo Bioy Casares and Silvina Ocampo's novel Where There's Love, There's Hate, was published by Melville House in 2013. She is the recipient of a 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Translation Fellowship in support of her translation of Antonio Benitez Rojo's novel Woman in Battle Dress.

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"Frank Lima is an American Villon."--David Shapiro "Highly recommended for -reasons that go beyond historical -completeness."--Library Journal, starred review "This collection is not to be missed."--Publishers Weekly, starred review Protege of Frank O'Hara, Kenneth Koch, and Allen Ginsberg, Frank Lima (1939-2013) was the only Latino member of the New York School during its historical heyday. After enduring a difficult and violent childhood, he discovered poetry as an inmate of a juvenile drug treatment center under the tutelage of the painter, Sherman Drexler, who introduced him to his poet friends. After his poetry debut in the Evergreen Review in 1962, Lima appeared in key New York School anthologies and published two full-length collections of his own. In the late 1970s, Lima left the poetry world to pursue a successful career as a chef, though he returned intermittently and continued to write a poem a day until his death. Incidents of Travel in Poetry is a landmark re-introduction to the work of this major Latino poet. Beginning with poems from Inventory (1964), his installment in the legendary Tibor de Nagy poetry series, Incidents includes selections from Lima's previous volumes, tracing his development from his early snapshots of street life to his later surrealist-influenced abstract lyricism. The bulk of the collection comes from his later unpublished manuscripts, and thus Incidents represents the full range of Lima's work for the very first time. Praise for Incidents of Travel in Poetry: "Finally. Finally. Finally. Here's the Frank Lima collection that poetry lovers worldwide have been waiting for. Lima was an authentic outlier and Incidents of Travel transcends and decolonizes any attempt at easy categorization. With this new body of work, we are reaping the price Lima paid for being ostracized. Our reward? The dream we wish we could have, whispers that hint of a new waste land, and we'll always be in his debt for having Lima as a guide."--Willie Perdomo, The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon. "Frank Lima is a masterful writer of ecstatic, devastating, and hauntingly personal poetry. His candor is irresistible and transformative, as cuttingly witty in one poem as elegiac and sorrowful in the next. Complete with its nuances and disappointments, nobody writes the poetry of domestic reverence quite like Lima. In this generous selection of work from the poet's life, including poetry from 1997 onward, we can finally solidify Lima as a figure of crucial importance to our understanding of the New York School writers. This work shines with all the love and labor of Lima's thoroughly American experience, one which is inextricable from the trauma of cultural duality. Lima's voice speaks to us like an intimate friend, a co-conspirator in hope. 'Blessed are the poets who invented us as poets,' he writes in a poem for David Shapiro, an ode to both his best friend and to poetry. Blessed are we now to have this landmark collection of work from Frank Lima. This book is a long overdue treasure." --Wendy Xu From his first contact with poetry while incarcerated as a juvenile offender in Harlem, through his meetings with Langston Hughes and Frank O'Hara, his years with Berkson and Padgett and Berrigan, his stint as a chef, and his years of living his Vow to Poetry when he wrote at least a poem a day in total obscurity--Lima's life is an epic of contradictions. Frank Lima is a poet the world has been waiting to discover. Now we can."--Bob Holman

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‘A landmark book....A massively reported deep dive into the unparalleled corporate industrial giant Koch Industries....This impressively researched and well-rendered book also serves as a biography of Charles Koch, with Leonard providing an evenhanded treatment of the tycoon. Leonard's work is on par with Steve Coll's Private Empire and even Ida Tarbell's enduring classic The History of the Standard Oil Company.’ Kirkus Reviews ‘Leonard’s superb investigations and even-handed, clear-eyed reportage stand out....American capitalism at its most successful and domineering is at the center of this sweeping history of a much-vilified company.’Publishers Weekly ‘Leonard’s intricately developed and extensively researched history of the Koch empire is a colossal corporate biography that sheds important light on this closely guarded enterprise while simultaneously scrutinizing the nefarious underpinnings of American economic policies and practices.’ Booklist ‘This page-turning exposé reveals the full extent of the Koch brothers’ influence on American capitalism.’ Book Riot ‘If you want a crash course in the evolution of postmodern capitalism over the last five decades read Kochland....Leonard's study is exhaustive and engaging.’ New York Journal of Books The annual revenue of Koch Industries is bigger than that of Google, Goldman Sachs and Kraft Foods combined. But very few people have ever heard of Koch Industries because the billionaire Koch brothers want it that way. Now, in Kochland, Christopher Leonard has managed what no other journalist has done before: to tell the explosive inside story of how the largest private company in the world became that big. In doing so, Leonard also tells the epic tale of the evolution of corporate America over the last half-century, in all its glory and rapaciousness. Koch is everywhere. It controls the fertilisers at the foundation of our food system. It controls the synthetics that make our diapers and carpets. It controls the chemicals that make our bottles and pipes. It controls the building materials that make our homes and offices. And it controls much of the Wall Street trading in all of these commodities. It makes money at every end of almost every deal. For five decades, CEO Charles Koch has kept Koch Industries quietly operating behind a veil of secrecy, with a view toward very, very long-term profits. When Wall Street came calling twenty years ago, trying to take Koch public, Charles Koch said no. He’s a genius businessman: patient with profits, able to learn from his mistakes, determined that his employees develop an almost a worshipful dedication to free-market ruthlessness, and a master disrupter. We think of disruption as something that happens in Silicon Valley, but this book will upend your understanding of what disruption really is. Charles Koch’s business acumen has made him and his brother David (Koch Industries’ co-owner) together richer than Bill Gates. But there’s a dark side to their story. If you want to understand how we killed the unions in this country, how we widened the income divide, how we stalled progress on climate change and how corporate America bought the influence industry, all you have to do is read this book. Seven years in the making, Kochland reads like a true-life thriller, with larger-than-life characters driving the battles on every page. The book tells the ambitious tale of how one private company consolidated power over half a century – and how in doing so, transformed capitalism into something that feels so deeply alienating to many Americans today.

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On the eve of a world war, a forbidden love will blossom in the garden of a stately home, where one young woman will make a choice that will change her life forever… ‘An emotional story of love and strength’ – LIZ FENWICK ‘Beautiful … Had me utterly captivated’ – JENNY ASHCROFT As the storm clouds of war gather, Cordelia seeks refuge in the grounds of her family estate. Handsome landscaper Isaac has recently arrived to tend to the gardens, and the connection between him and Cordelia is as immediate as it is forbidden. Isaac begins to secretly teach her how to cultivate the gardens, so when he and all the young men are called away to war, Cordelia takes over. From the battlefields of Europe, Isaac sends her letters, that give her hope for their future in peacetime. But when these messages abruptly cease, Cordelia must face up to the worst and take her future – and the fate of the garden they both loved – into her own hands… An epic, sweeping tale of love, war and the strength of the human spirit. Fans of Lucinda Riley and Kate Morton will be absolutely gripped by this historical page-turner. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Authors love The Hidden Letters : ‘A beautiful emotional story of love and strength’ Liz Fenwick, author of The River Between Us ‘Lorna Cook has had me utterly captivated with her latest. The Hidden Letters has it all – heartbreak and redemption, intense love and desperate loss. It's the type of book that first made me fall in love with reading, I adored every sumptuous, atmospheric page, and can't recommend it highly enough.’ Jenny Ashcroft, author of Under the Golden Sun ‘A beautiful, evocative story of love and coping with loss that kept me turning the pages late into the night. A triumph!’ Rachel Burton, author of The Secrets of Summer House ‘Magnificent. Broke my heart and put it back together again’ Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House ‘Kept me guessing right up to the last poignant page, I found it difficult to put down and impossible to stop thinking about when I did’ Iona Grey, author of The Glittering Hour ‘Lorna Cook’s lyrical novel transports us back to the last golden summer of innocence. Against the backdrop of a garden so beautifully depicted that I could smell the roses, she leads us through loss, heartbreak and heroism – and shows us that love can triumph over even the greatest adversity.’ Judy Summers, author of The Forgotten Sister ‘A story of heartache and deliverance, love and loss, brilliantly plotted and beautifully written – I could not put it down.’ Louisa Treger, author of Madwoman Readers love The Hidden Letters : ‘Upon leaving those final pages and closing the book … it's like coming home. A feeling of completeness. Of having lived, loved and survived. Everything about Lorna’s tales are just all encompassing, sweeping you away and back to another time far away.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A pleasure to read – I felt quite bereft when I had finished the final page.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A beautiful, evocative story of love and coping with loss that kept me turning the pages late into the night. A triumph!’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘A sweeping historical saga about war, duty, family, social change, sacrifice, loss, and unexpected love. The Hidden Letters made me cry, I found it really moving. ‘I really liked the way parts of the story were told through letters. The characters were both like able and believable. Definitely recommended.’ NetGalley review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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'An absorbing and engaging tale of wartime bravery and endurance. Bill and Izabela are such tenderly drawn characters ... I loved it!' RACHEL HORE, author of Last Letter Home and The Memory Garden_______________________________Their love is a death sentence. But can it keep them alive?Czechoslovakia, 1944. In the dead of night, a farm girl and a British soldier creep through abandoned villages. Secretly married and on the run, Bill and Izabela are searching for Izabela's brother and father, who are fighting for the Czech resistance. They know their luck will not last.Captured by the German army, it seems they must be separated - but they have prepared for this moment. By cutting her hair and pretending to be mute, Izabela successfully disguises herself as a British soldier. Together, they face the terrible conditions of a POW camp, reliant on the help of their fellow POWs to maintain their fragile deception.Their situation is beyond dangerous. If Izabela is discovered, she and Bill - and all the men who helped them - will face lethal consequences._______________________________A novel set in war-torn Czechoslovakia amid the extreme privations of a prisoner of war camp, based on a true story of passion, heroism and a love that transcends overwhelming odds._______________________________'Deeply moving and compelling ... an epic journey not only across war-torn countries but deep into the heart of what it is to be human. A heart-rending story beautifully told.' JUDITH ALLNAT, author of The Poet's Wife and The Silk Factory'Heart-wrenching and heart-warming in equal measure, The Prisoner's Wife is an unputdownable novel ... finely crafted, atmospheric, often nail-biting.' BEN KANE, author of The Eagles of Rome series'A story of danger, fear, determination and the redemptive power of love in war-torn Europe. It is a story that Hemingway might have envied.' JULIET GARDINER, author of Wartime: Britain 1939 to 1945 and The Blitz: The British Under Attack.'A gripping novel that explores the question of how much the human body, and the human spirit, can endure for the sake of love. The wealth of authentic detail makes it feel like a memoir ... I feel enriched to have read it.' GILL PAUL, author of The Lost Daughter and The Secret Wife'The Prisoner's Wife seamlessly and skilfully breathes intense, fully realised life into the stark scenes it describes. I was by turns moved, outraged and humbled' DEBORAH KAY DAVIES, author of True Things About Me'A powerful page-turner' MARIE BENEDICT, New York Times bestselling author of Lady Clementine'You will be spellbound by this stellar novel. So richly imbued with sensory details you'll be feeling every anguished moment and every golden ray of hope.' SUSAN MEISSNER, bestselling author of The Last Year of the War'The most unique World War II story I've ever read... Romantic, perfectly observed, inspiring, and thrilling - The Prisoner's Wife is impossible to put down - and when I did, I was teary-eyed. A complete winner.' SARAH-JANE STRATFORD, author of Red Letter Days'Tremendous ... this is much more than a love story' GEORGINA CLARKE, author of Death and the Harlot'Engrossing, harrowing and heart-warming' ANN MORGAN, author of Reading The World'This is a beautiful book that will give any reader in dark times a reason to believe in the continuing goodness of people' NICOLA GRIFFITH, author of Hild

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!! NOW WITH AN EXCLUSIVE BONUS CHAPTER !!One of Book Riot's 'Best and Swooniest Romantasy Books''Amber's series breaks the rules in the best way. Her main character is strong, capable, and unapologetically powerful. There is no damsel here. This story is filled with fast-paced action, an in-depth world, and a romance that goes from simmer to boil. If you like romantasy, read this!' RAVEN KENNEDY'A wicked ride from beginning to heart shattering end. Leaving me literally screaming for more. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to get more our morally corrupt heroine who you can't help but root for, along with the giggle inducing banter between her and the heroic god Samkiel' HANNAH NICOLE MAEHER'Once in a while I read a series that reminds me of just why I love enemies to lovers, slow burn, and morally grey characters so much. Gods and Monsters is that series. This is perfection. Amber Nicole's Dianna is the FMC of my soul' NISHA J. TULIDon't miss this addictive BookTok sensation - a perfectly steamy, high-stakes, TRUE enemies-to-lovers, dark epic romantasy!_________________________WHERE THERE ARE GODS, THERE ARE ALSO MONSTERS . . .For a thousand years, the Etherworld has known peace.Until now.Many centuries ago, desperate to save her dying sister, Dianna made a deal with Kaden, a monster far worse than any nightmare. Locked in servitude to him, she is forced to hunt down an ancient relic held by her most dangerous enemies: an army led by Samkiel, the World Ender.After the Gods War, Samkiel hid from everything, denying his crown and deserting his people. Now, an attack on those he loves sends him back to the realm he never wished to return to, and into the sights of an enemy he had hoped to forget.With every world at stake, Dianna and Samkiel are forced to set aside their animosity and work together, before all is lost . . .Don't miss the next book in this series, THE THRONE OF BROKEN GODS and look out for Book 3 coming soon . . ._________________________⭐ Readers can't get enough of Samkiel and Dianna! ⭐'I loved reading this book so much! The world building is amazing, Dianna is super badass and I love how she grew in the book . . . Can't wait to read the next in the series!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'So so so so good! Such a well written and addictive read! Brings all the emotions and a great amount of twists and turns. Highly recommend!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I am so glad BookTok showed me this book, I jumped in based off of one single line and I regret NOTHING! I especially love the fact that the characters are all very unique and feel very original . . . Loved it so much, cannot wait for book 2. And did I see that this will be a 5 book series? HELL YES PLEASE!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'An easy 5 ⭐ read. This is my favourite book of the year so far. You need to read this - I couldn't put it down. I need to go now and download the second book!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'Well, what a read. I am so glad that I picked this bad boy up. My first 5 ⭐ read for a really long time. I think book 2 will blow it out of the park! Absolutely amazing characters and that ending!!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

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'[An] evocative and tender book . . . everyone who reads it will be enchanted like I was' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader reviewA Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as Seen on the Today Show and named a Best Book of the Month by: Shondaland, MS. Magazine, TODAY.com, Reader's Digest, Katie Couric Media, AARP Sisters, Goodreads, BookRiot'Propulsive and poignant, Black Candle Women concocts an intoxicating potion of warmth, wisdom, and wonder. This gorgeous debut novel is a sweepingly fashioned love story where romance and rebellion intertwine with fear and family. And the stakes are epic. I was completely and gladly under Ms. Brown's spell' AVA DUVERNAY*************************************'All of you are cursed, you hear me?An ugly death for the ones with whom you fall in love'For generations, the Montrose women have lived alone with their secrets, their delicate peace depending on the unspoken bond that underpins their family life - Voodoo and hoodoo magic, and a decades-old curse that will kill anyone they fall for.When seventeen-year-old Nickie Montrose brings home a boy for the first time, this careful balance is thrown into disarray. For the other women have been keeping the curse from Nickie, and revealing it means that they must reckon with their own choices and mistakes.As new truths emerge, the Montrose women are set on a collision course that echoes back to New Orleans' French Quarter, where a crumbling book of spells may hold the answers that all of them have been looking for...Rich in its sense of character and place, Black Candle Women is a haunting and magical debut from a talented new storyteller.*************************************'If you like Practical Magic . . . you will love Black Candle Women' Jenna Bush Hager'A big-hearted debut, with complex, flawed, and compelling characters I was rooting for every step of the way' E.M. TRAN'Richly imagined and elegantly told, with plenty of satisfying secrets, heartaches, and twists' SADEQA JOHNSON'A spellbinding romp. The Montrose women will have you clutching your pearls on this rollercoaster of a debut' CAROLYN HUYNH'Written with warmth and an eye for detail, Diane Marie Brown's Black Candle Women explores the bonds of family and the magical power of belief to transform our lives' SHAUNA J. EDWARDS & ALYSON RICHMAN'Black Candle Women is a compassionate novel about motherhood, sisterhood, independence, and the reflection and forgiveness required to break generational curses' DE'SHAWN CHARLES WINSLOW'Brown deftly portrays an insular family of women in all of its complicated glory . . . The spiritual angle gives this powerful family drama a magical twist that will delight readers' BOOKLIST (starred review)'Black Candle Women is a bold and tender story about three generations of women each attempting to find their way amidst the gifts and curses they've inherited . . . This novel is a wondrous celebration of womanhood' CLEYVIS NATERAEarly readers are LOVING Black Candle Women!'I LOVED IT SO SO MUCH. Magic? A cursed family tree? Badass women? This was an adventure from start to finish and it was my pleasure to read''What a fascinating story about some amazing women. I was caught on page one and stayed captivated until the very end. Bravo!!''This book was amazing from start to finish. I was so captivated by each of the characters''I was invested from the first page and really loved these characters and their story'

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Winner of the 2018 Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction AwardMaine, 1980. A utopian community is on the verge of collapse. The charismatic leader's authority teeters as his followers come to realize they've been exploited for too long. To make matters worse, the eleven-year-old son of one adherent learns that his mother has cancer.Taking refuge in his imagination, the boy begins to speak of another time and place. His parents believe he is remembering his own life before birth. This memory, a story within the story of Blood Fable, is an epic tale about the search for a lost city refracted through the lens of the adventures the boy loves to read. But strangely, as the world around them falls apart, he and his parents find that his story seems to foretell the events unfolding in their present lives.Praise for Blood Fable:"A family drama, a fantastical voyage, and a poetic reflection on love, death and betrayal, this extraordinary coming-of-age novel exposes the difficult relationship between free-thought and blind faith, evasion and enlightenment. Oisín Curran's Blood Fable is an adventure for the heart and soul." –Johanna Skibsrud, Scotiabank Giller Prize winning author of The Sentimentalists and Quartet for the End of Time"This careful and loving rendering of a child's mind proves that acts of storytelling were once not so much vehicles for escape but instead crucial rehearsals for being. A remembrance of lost time – or maybe, to reference its Buddhist undergirding, an alaya-vijnana, a storehouse consciousness – Curran's vision of boyhood is perfect in details and sublimely moving. Blood Fable is a magnificent double take, which – like a bistable optical illusion (duck or rabbit?) – allows two universes to coexist. A rapturous adventure tale where the very essence of adventure is subverted so that fantasy and reality conflate; this is done not for temporary trickery but to deepen our comprehension of the real." –Eugene Lim, author of Dear Cyborgs"The dark magic in Blood Fable is just a story (within a story), but that somehow makes it more, and more truly, magical. It is a story about how stories are made, how they help and refuse to reflect our lives, as resonating versions of the world refracted through the prism of imagination. On almost every page something threw me gloriously off balance and I couldn't stop asking myself: how does Oisín Currin manage to write so consistently, compellingly, hauntingly well? I will reread this book." –Jacob Wren, author of Rich and Poor and Polyamorous Love Song"Blood Fable is, for me, a perfect book; it is the novel I always wish I were reading. In its twin stories – one of an eleven-year-old boy and his flawed, beloved parents and the other a wild tale of love, peril, and adventure across underground tunnels and seas – are all the wonder and terror of childhood, refracted by a luminous imagination. Through the wide eyes of a child, Curran plumbs the world of adults with compassion and acuity. Blood Fable is a quest, a question, a story of searching – for understanding, insight, heroes – and of failing, finding in their stead the imaginative mercy of love. This is a joy of a novel, glittering, wondrous, and strange. I remain in its thrall." –Rebecca Silver Slayter, author of In the Land of Birdfishes

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The 6th Edition of Civil Procedure: A Contemporary Approach is designed to provide a clear and actively engaging presentation of civil procedure in a manner that enables both students and professors to assess learning success throughout the course.The Sixth Edition fully incorporates all amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure through December 1, 2020, as well as a few case law developments since the 2018 publication date of the Fifth Edition.Particularly noteworthy new cases that are included in this edition are the Supreme Court's recent decisions pertaining to arbitration: Lamps Plus, Inc v. Varela, 139 S. Ct. 1407 (2019) (courts may not infer from an ambiguous agreement that parties have consented to class arbitration); New Prime, Inc. v. Oliveira, 139 S. Ct. 532 (2019) (applicability of FAA's overage exclusion to be determined by court not arbitrator); Henry Schein, Inc. v. Archer and White Sales, Inc., 139 S. Ct. 524 (2019) (courts may not determine arbitrability if that decision has been delegated to the arbitrator under the agreement); and Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, 138 S. Ct. 1612 (2018) (FAA savings clause does not permit invocation of arbitration-specific defenses; NLRA does not provide basis for outlawing class action waivers in the labor dispute context).Developments in the class action area are included as well, including coverage of the 2018 amendments to Rule 23 as well as Supreme Court decisions in Nutraceutical Corp. v. Lambert, 139 S. Ct. 710 (2019) (Rule 23(f)'s 14-day deadline for appeal is not jurisdictional and is not subject to equitable tolling), and China Agritech v. Resh, 138 S. Ct. 1800 (2018) (no tolling of statute of limitations periods for putative class representatives who wait until the expiration of the limitations period to file class claims).Finally, this edition discusses recent developments with respect to personal jurisdiction jurisprudence, covering the emerging issue of personal jurisdiction over the claims of absent class members who lack any connection with the forum state, and the appropriate standard courts should use for determining whether a claim arises out of or relates to contacts with the forum state for purposes of specific jurisdiction. Both issues were before the Supreme Court at the time of publication of the Sixth Edition and will likely have been resolved by the time this edition is published.This edition, like the one that preceded it, integrates references to online assessment tools in the CasebookPlus™ platform. These consist of a bank of 300 multiple-choice questions that provide comprehensive assessment of the topics covered in this book, with detailed feedback consisting of explanations for both correct and incorrect responses. This feature provides an unparalleled opportunity to engage with the material actively as the course progresses and permits students and professors to determine the extent to which the material is being learned. The bank of questions also serve as excellent preparation for the civil procedure component of the Multistate Bar Exam.CasebookPlus Hardbound - New, hardbound print book includes lifetime digital access to an eBook, with the ability to highlight and take notes, and 12-month access to a digital Learning Library that includes self-assessment quizzes tied to this book, leading study aids, an outline starter, and Gilbert Law Dictionary.

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The first biography of soul pioneer Isaac Hayes, whose groundbreaking music provided the foundation for hip-hop and a new racial paradigm.“Black men could finally stand up and be men because here's Black Moses; he's the epitome of Black masculinity. Chains that once represented bondage and slavery now can be a sign of power and strength and sexuality and virility.” —Isaac Hayes Within the stoned soul picnic of Black music icons in the ’60s and ’70s, only one could bill himself without a blush as Moses, demanding liberation for Black men with his notions of life and self—Isaac Lee Hayes Jr., the beautifully sheen, shaded, and chain-spangled acolyte of cool, whose high-toned “lounge music” and proto-rap was soul’s highest order—heard on twenty-two albums and selling millions of records. Hayes’s stunning self-portraits, his obsessive pleas about love, sex, and guilt bathed in lush orchestral flights and soul-stirring bass lines, drove other soul men like Barry White to libidinous license. But Hayes, who called himself a “renegade,” was a man of many parts. While he thrived on soulful remakes of pop standards, his biggest coup was writing and producing the epic soundtrack to Shaft, memorializing the “black private dick” as a “complicated man,” as coolly mean and amoral as any white private eye. This new musical and cultural coda delivered Hayes the first Oscar ever won by a Black musician, as well as the Grammy for Best Song. Yet, few know Hayes’s remarkable achievements. In this compelling buffet of sight and sound, acclaimed music biographer Mark Ribowsky—who has authored illuminating portraits of such luminaries as Stevie Wonder, Little Richard, and Otis Redding—gallops through the many stages of Hayes’s daring and daunting life, starting with Hayes’s difficult childhood in which his mother died young and his father abandoned him. Ribowsky then takes readers through Hayes’s rise at Memphis’s legendary soul factory, Stax Records, first as a piano player on Otis Redding sessions then as a songwriter and producer teamed with David Porter. Tuned to the context of soul music history, he created crossover smashes like Sam & Dave's “Soul Man,” “Hold on I'm Comin’,” and “I Thank You,” making soul a semi-religion of Black pride, imagination, and joyful emotion. Hayes’s subsequent career as a solo artist featured studio methods and out-of-the-box ideas that paved the way for soul to occupy the top of the album charts alongside white rock albums. But his prime years ended prematurely, both as a consequence of Stax’s red ink and his own self-destructive tendencies. In the ’90s he claimed he had finally found himself, as a minion of Scientology. But Scientology would cost him the gig that had revived him—the cartoon voice of the naively cool “Chef” on South Park—after he became embroiled in controversy when South Park’s creators parodied Scientology in an episode that caused the cult’s leaders to order him to quit the show. Although Hayes was honored by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, the brouhaha came as his seemingly perfect body finally broke down. He died in 2008 at age sixty-eight, too soon for a soul titan. But if only greatness can establish permanence in the cellular structure of music, Isaac Hayes long ago qualified. His influence will last for as long as there is music to be heard. And when we hear him in that music, we will by rote say, “We can dig it.”

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