I've always felt different than everyone around me. And it feels like they know it too, because they treat me like an outcast. When all I really want is to be cared for by someone. To be loved for who I am. Not hated by my parents like I am now, or bullied by girls who know nothing about me, but treated like I too am important and worthy of affection. It seems like that day has finally arrived when four new guys show up at school and turn my life on its head. I know I shouldn't let my loneliness be the reason I let them into my life, but I can't seem to help myself. There is just something about them that draws me in, that makes me long to be near them.But when my eighteenth birthday arrives, everything I thought I knew about them, and myself, changes. I have to adapt to all sorts of new challenges, like controlling powers I never knew I had. Let's just hope I don't destroy the world by accident.***Warning: this book, while based in high school, is not YA. I recommend readers be over the age of 18 before reading this and and to ensure you read the inside warning page regarding possible triggers.
Follow Gin Blanco, a kick-butt female assassin who moonlights at a BBQ joint in Tennessee, as she searches for the person who double-crossed her in this heart-pounding and fresh paranormal romance series. After Gin’s family was murdered by a Fire elemental when she was thirteen, she lived on the streets and eventually became an assassin to survive. Now, Gin is assigned to rub out an Ashland businessman, but it turns out to be a trap. After Gin’s handler is brutally murdered, she teams up with the sexy detective investigating the case to figure out who double-crossed her and why. Only one thing is for sure—Gin has no qualms about killing her way to the top of the conspiracy.
"Over the past four billion years of Earth's history, three organisms-cyanobacteria, plants, and humans--have altered the planet in profound ways by harnessing the availability of five key elements. Hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are the most common elements in all forms of life on Earth, and all five circulate between the biotic and abiotic world in biogeochemical cycles. When organisms tap into stores of these elements and change these cycles, they change the atmosphere, climate, and, by extension, the trajectory of life on earth. In the first part of the book, Porder explains how cyanobacteria and plants harnessed critical elements and how their success in doing so was followed by environmental collapse in the form of ice ages. Porder then turns to human-caused climate change. He explores the dramatic ways humans have altered the cycles of these five essential elements and explains the profound effect our actions have on the planet. Porder concludes by exploring how we can reduce our impact on the Earth-both individually and societally-by reorienting ourselves toward recycling critical elements instead of extracting them from more and more obscure sources. Ultimately, understanding the role of element cycling is essential to understanding how humans came to be so successful and to putting us on a path to a sustainable future"--
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers is a young adult novel about seventeen-year-old Richie Perry, a Harlem teenager who volunteers for the Army when unable to afford college and is sent to fight in the Vietnam War. Perry and his platoon—Peewee, Lobel, Johnson, and Brunner—come face-to-face with the Vietcong, the harsh realities of war, and some dark truths about themselves. A thoughtful young man with a gift for writing and love of basketball, Perry learns to navigate among fellow soldiers under tremendous stress and struggles with his own fear as he sees things he’ll never forget: the filling of body bags, the deaths of civilians and soldier friends, the effects of claymore mines, the fires of Napalm, and jungle diseases like Nam Rot. Available as an e-book for the first time on the 25th anniversary of its publication, Fallen Angels has been called one of the best Vietnam War books ever and one of the great coming-of-age Vietnam War stories. Filled with unforgettable characters, not least Peewee Gates of Chicago who copes with war by relying on wisecracks and dark humor, Fallen Angels “reaches deep into the minds of soldiers” and makes “readers feel they are there, deep in the heart of war.” Fallen Angels has won numerous awards and honors, including the Coretta Scott King Award, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Booklist Editors Choice, and a School Library Journal Best Book. Fallen Angels was #16 on the American Library Association’s list of the most frequently challenged books of 1990–2000 for its realistic depiction of war and those who fight in wars.
Fifteen-year-old Lily is assigned to the office of the Light Element of Earth -- a role for which she feels very unprepared. She finds herself facing a foreign culture in which she must learn to avoid the Dark Elements, navigate the nuances of human society, and grasp the Elemental laws, all while struggling to control her burning hunger to find her sister's killer.
At a frontier outpost on the fringes of the civilized world, an orphaned messenger named Xander witnesses the destruction of all he knows at the hands of the Fallen, the great enemy thought vanquished during the War of Magic. Abruptly, Xander’s life is changed forever. Now he must seek out an ancient artifact of legendary power in the hopes that it can stop the Fallen hordes from destroying the entire kingdom. Little does he realize that the hope of all mankind rests on his young shoulders, as powers of unimaginable might set out to stop him at all costs. Aided by his friend Genica, a mysterious thief named Vreen, and a crafty Sion of unknown loyalty, Xander journeys into the heart of the world, where long-hidden secrets will be revealed that could shatter the delicate balance established by the great Cataclysm a thousand years earlier.
Four young men called forth by destiny. A council of elders and their quest to protect the land against an ancient evil. The supernatural link that binds them both together through the barrier of time. Troubling times have come to Charm City, Maryland. A demonic alliance has been formed, and a dark era is approaching. Only the Elementals—those born of fire, air, earth, and water—can prevent the destruction of all they hold dear. But what happens when one of their own breaks the pact and turns against them? Devin and his friends head off to college, ready to pledge to a fraternity during Rush Week. Soon, they begin having strange dreams that hint at their mystical lineage. With the help Devin’s cousin, Misty, and her Wiccan coven, they begin to unravel a tangled web of supernatural conspiracies plaguing the campus. Along the way, Misty begins to understand that her cousin may have powers that he does not suspect… WELCOME TO CHARM CITY, the first installment in Kevin Cornell’s THE ELEMENT SAGA series, is a wildly entertaining tale full of sassy witches, ancient sorcerers, fire-breathing dragons, and one very twisted professor, all coming together in a contemporary blend of urban fantasy and comedy that will leave you wanting more.
Laurie Marks’ Elemental Logic series introduced readers to the realm of Shaftal, an intricately imagined land whose people operate within the boundaries of their basic natures—here defined as logics—which sometimes bequeath them with access to magical, elemental powers and sometimes embroil them in unsolvable internal conflicts. Fire Logic centers around the strong female character Zanja Na’Tarwein, a fighter and last survivor of her people in an occupied country. Alongside her is Karis, a powerful half-giant, who is a drug addict and lives in obscurity, hiding her considerable powers. Surrounded by incomprehensible loss, Zanja also forms a bond with Emil, an officer of the army she joins. Battling the complex forces of power, desire, and obligation, follow along as the trio work together to try and change the course of history.
With a world under the control of an evil sorcerer and magic feared by all, will anyone fight for freedom? When the tyranny becomes unbearable, Marcus and his allies set out to find a way to break the evil power controlling the lands, facing challenges as they travel battling evil soldiers, fierce dragons, and foul demons. Can the magic of water, earth, and air hold back the power of fire, or will the fire sorcerer extinguish all hope for the people?
From USA Today and #1 bestseller Morgan Rice (with over 5,000 five-star ratings) comes a long-awaited new fantasy series and the third novel in a spectacular new fantasy series, ideal for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Brandon Sanderson, and Sarah J. Maas. “The beginnings of something remarkable are there.” --San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When Seraphina Stormborn is recruited into Elemental Hall, a brutal, five-year magic academy where recruits learn to harness the powers of the five primal elements for both creation and destruction, she faces trials, monsters, and power surpassing her wildest dreams. Yet her greatest trial of all may be love: Sera finds herself romantically torn between the noble-born Orion and the mysterious, shadowy Darius… ELEMENTAL HALL propels us into an adventurous new fantasy realm filled with peril and promise, where the forces of destiny intertwine with love and magic, and where only the strong and self-sacrificing can survive. This series takes us on a gripping journey with unexpected turns and edge-of-your-seat suspense, drawing us deep into its brutal and magical universe. Catering to both young adult and mature audiences, ELEMENTAL HALL presents a clean, innovative twist on the fantasy genre, ensuring that you'll be hooked until the very last page. Future books in the series will soon be available! From USA Today and #1 bestseller Morgan Rice, author of A Quest of Heroes (over 5,000 five star ratings) comes a long-awaited new epic fantasy series. ELEMENTAL HALL: PYRE is the third book in the ELEMENTAL HALL series, which begins with NAUTICA (BOOK 1). “Morgan Rice's imagination is limitless!” --Books and Movie Reviews (Roberto Mattos) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer’s Ring) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A spirited fantasy ….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.” --Midwest Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.” --Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “A powerful opener to a series [that] will produce a combination of feisty protagonists and challenging circumstances to thoroughly involve not just young adults, but adult fantasy fans who seek epic stories fueled by powerful friendships and adversaries.” --Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan) (re A Throne for Sisters) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.” --Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Morgan is one of my favorite authors and is close to the very top of my list. Another little hint: pick up ‘Transmission’ by miss Rice. I could not put it down and go to bed!!” --Reader review (re A Quest of Heroes and Transmission) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Buy this book it is more than worth three bucks. It was so good I finished it in a day the story never gets slow and this series will dig into your very being with each word you read and you can't help but fall in love with the characters, despise the villains, and relish in the adventure.” --Reader review (re A Quest of Heroes) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “I read this book and had to get the other 16 in the series. I just could not put it down. Some days I read for 8 hours straight. What a great fantasy ride. So much is happening in these books but the author writes so it is easy to follow, like several little stories happening in one book.” --Reader review (re A Quest of Heroes) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
