Magic can be fun unless, of course, you haven't got a clue how to use it. When a levitation spell goes calamitously wrong, Raven meets a young man who makes her heart go pitter-patter. Turns out her Prince Charming is actually a prince - and quite charming. They find Cumulos Castle which floats in a cloud high above the earth. There they encounter a Scots mage, a Transylvanian witch, and . . . a purple creature with the disposition of a honey badger. There's a ten-inch pixie with a crush on the prince and an ebullient dragon. Giant, magic-sucking spyders, dark ghosts, and trolls infest her new world and sometimes Raven yearns for the peace and quiet of Denver - almost. Enter Valgren, a gorgeous and mysterious Rider of Gaia who takes an interest in Raven - and not just in her magical skills. This series is for those of us who still enjoy a fun fantasy romp through the delightful world of magic reminiscent of childhood - but all grown up.
In this gripping story, a young woman's growing paranormal abilities threaten a powerful organization that has remained secret for thousands of years. A man with an astounding knowledge of Atlantean mythology claims there is an ancient conspiracy to control humanity. He promises to explain the woman's nocturnal abductions and says he wants to help, but can she trust him? As reptilian aliens connected to humanity's distant past return to Earth, other extraterrestrials with their own agendas enter the picture. The woman and her allies struggle to protect humanity from both human and alien influences as they investigate disturbing changes in human genetics. This adventure, a mixture of metaphysics, science, and humour, pulls the reader into a fantastic world that has such a veneer of familiarity, it may leave you looking over your shoulder. It's a great journey for a long weekend - but you might want to keep the lights on. A man with an astounding knowledge of Atlantean mythology claims there is an ancient conspiracy to control humanity. He promises to explain the woman's nocturnal abductions and says he wants to help, but can she trust him? As reptilian aliens connected to humanity's distant past return to Earth, other extraterrestrials with their own agendas enter the picture. The woman and her allies struggle to protect humanity from both human and alien influences as they investigate disturbing changes in human genetics. This adventure, a mixture of metaphysics, science, and humour, pulls the reader into a fantastic world that has such a veneer of familiarity, it may leave you looking over your shoulder. It's a great journey for a long weekend - but you might want to keep the lights on.
The Blue Cliff Record is a classic text of Zen Buddhism, designed to assist in the activation of dormant human potential. The core of this extraordinary work is a collection of one hundred traditional citations and stories, selected for their ability to bring about insight and enlightenment. These vignettes are known as gongan in Chinese and koan in Japanese. Secrets of the Blue Cliff Record is a fresh translation featuring newly translated commentary from two of the greatest Zen masters of early modern Japan, Hakuin Ekaku (1685–1768) of the Rinzai sect of Zen and Tenkei Denson (1648–1735) of the Soto sect of Zen. This translation and commentary on The Blue Cliff Record sheds new light on the meaning of this central Zen text.
When Archie's beloved grandpa is diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Archie desperately wants to slow the progression of his grandpa's memory loss. Using Grandpa's old journal entries as inspiration, he creates shared role-playing fantasies with epic quests for them to tackle together—allowing Grandpa to live in the present and stay in touch with his fading memories. But as Grandpa's condition gradually worsens, Archie must come to terms with what's happening to his hero. The limits of the fantasies, revelations about Grandpa's past, and a school project about the future force Archie to grapple with what it truly means to live a life worth remembering.
Cate Glass's A Summoning of Demons marks the thrilling conclusion for the Chimera team, a ragtag crew who use their forbidden magic for the good of the kingdom. Catagna has been shaken to its core. The philosophists insist that a disastrous earthquake has been caused by an ancient monster imprisoned below the earth, who can only be freed with magic. In every street and market, the people of Catagna are railing against magic-users with a greater ferocity than ever before, and magic hunters are everywhere. Meanwhile, Romy has been dreaming. Every night, her dreams are increasingly vivid and disturbing. Every day, she struggles to understand the purpose of the Chimera's most recent assignment from the Shadow Lord. As Romy and the others attempt to carry out their mission, they find themselves plunged into a mystery of corruption and murder, myth and magic, and a terrifying truth: the philosophists may have been right all along. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Trust is the thread that binds us . . . and the rope that hangs us. In Nadezra, peace is as tenuous as a single thread. The ruthless House Indestor has been destroyed, but darkness still weaves through the city's filthy back alleys and jewel-bright gardens, seen by those who know where to look. Derossi Vargo has always known. He has sacrificed more than anyone imagines to carve himself a position of power among the nobility, hiding a will of steel behind a velvet smile. He'll be damned if he lets anyone threaten what he's built. Grey Serrado knows all too well. Bent under the yoke of too many burdens, he fights to protect the city's most vulnerable. Sooner or later, that fight will demand more than he can give. And Ren, daughter of no clan, knows best of all. Caught in a knot of lies, torn between her heritage and her aristocratic masquerade, she relies on her gift for reading pattern to survive. And it shows her the web of corruption that traps her city. But all three have yet to discover just how far that web stretches. And in the end, it will take more than knives to cut themselves free... 'The Mask of Mirrors is exactly the fantasy adventure novel you're craving: an escape into a vast, enchanting world of danger, secret identities, and glittering prose' Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne 'The Mask of Mirrors kept me up reading way past my bedtime. A web of intrigue, magic, and the art of the con this novel will catch hold of your dreams and keep you from sleeping' Mary Robinette Kowal, author of The Calculating Stars 'The Mask of Mirrors ushers you into the fascinating city of Nadezra, replete with complex politics, intricate magic, and mysteries that readers will be racing to unravel. Wonderfully immersive--I was unable to put it down' Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter 'An intricate, compelling dream of a book that kept me turning pages, with a world and characters that felt deeply real and plenty of riveting twists and turns. I loved it!' Melissa Caruso, author of The Obsidian Tower 'For those who like their revenge plots served with the intrigue of The Goblin Emperor, the colonial conflict of The City of Brass, the panache of Swordspoint, and the richly detailed settings of Guy Gavriel Kay' Booklist (starred review) 'Utterly captivating. Carrick spins an exciting web of mystery, magic, and political treachery in a richly drawn and innovative world.' S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
Secretly providing for himself and a beloved grandfather who is succumbing to dementia, young Arlo is placed in the care of a social worker and runs away to find and connect with his only other family member. A first novel by the author of Passing the Music Down.
Here be Dragons... Not the slavering, whimsical monsters from childhood fancies, but real Dragons—fierce, complex, wondrous, and wild. They do not require our belief; they never have. With hard science and myth, empirical wisdom, and original line drawings, The Dragon Keeper's Handbook is the draconic enchiridion for the modern world, providing everything you need to know about these extraordinary beings. From disparate theories of Dragon evolution and the golden geometry of their form to modern conservation efforts and how to release a well-weaned orphan back into the wild, this book answers all your questions, even those you didn't know to ask. From awe-inspiring Cosmic Creators to wee pisuhänds guarding hearth and home, discover the habits and habitats of Dragons and pseudo-dragons both familiar and rare. The Dragon Keeper's Handbook shows us how human and Dragon lives are bound together and why Dragons are now and ever-will-be relevant: In their wildness lie lessons for us all.
