"I'D LIKE YOU TO FIND THE SWORD FOR ME. DO YOU THINK YOU COULD HANDLE THAT?" Arisa isn't certain how to respond when her mother, the Falcon, formerly a dangerous bandit but now lord commander of the army and navy of Deorthas, entrusts her with this extremely special mission. Everything changed for Arisa when she and her friend Weasel stumbled upon the ancient shield rumored to bestow power upon whoever holds it. With the shield, the Falcon was able to gain her new station, bringing Arisa into a world of royalty Arisa isn't even sure she enjoys. Now the Falcon wants Arisa to get close to young Prince Edoran, and join with Edoran and Weasel to search for the legendary sword that matches the shield. As Arisa's search progresses, however, she realizes she may be in danger from a deadly stranger. Worse -- she and her friends may be in even graver danger from someone they know all too well! Critically acclaimed fantasy author Hilari Bell continues the captivating trilogy begun in Shield of Stars with another thrilling, surprising, and wholly satisfying novel.
DIVDIVIn the second book of Kate Elliott’s Novels of the Jaran, Tess Soerensen is pulled between two powerful men—her brother and her husband—and their competing revolutions/divDIV/divDIV On the planet Rhui, the nomadic tribes of the jaran are uniting the settled cities of their homeland one by one. Their charismatic leader, Ilya Bakhtiian, has his loyal wife by his side, but there is something about her he doesn’t know: Tess Soerensen is a human. And not just any human—back home, her brother, Charles, led an unsuccessful revolt against the all-powerful Chapalii empire. Even though Charles was later made a duke in the Chapalii system, his revolutionary bent has not faded, and he is traveling to Rhui to locate Tess and uncover precious information about a past insurgency. Charles’s insistence that Tess join him is as strong as Ilya’s reluctance to part with his beloved wife—and neither considers that Tess may have her own plans for the future. As three fiercely independent spirits struggle for a solution, the fates of both the human race and the jaran hang in the balance./divDIV /divAn Earthly Crown is the second volume of the Novels of the Jaran, which also include Jaran, His Conquering Sword, and The Law of Becoming. /div
Robin McKinley's mesmerizing history of Damar is the stuff that legends are made of. The Hero and the Crown is a dazzling "prequel" to The Blue Sword. Aerin is the only child of the king of Damar, and should be his rightful heir. But she is also the daughter of a witchwoman of the North, who died when she was born, and the Damarians cannot trust her. But Aerin's destiny is greater than her father's people know, for it leads her to battle with Maur, the Black Dragon, and into the wilder Damarian Hills, where she meets the wizard Luthe. It is he who at last tells her the truth about her mother, and he also gives over to her hand the Blue Sword, Gonturan. But such gifts as these bear a great price, a price Aerin only begins to realize when she faces the evil mage, Agsded, who has seized the Hero's Crown, greatest treasure and secret strength of Damar.
The first novel of the acclaimed Sun Sword series introduces readers to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed... Tor Leonne—the heart of the Dominion of Annagar, where the games of state are about to become a matter of life and death—and where those who seek to seize the crown will be forced to league with a treacherously cunning ally.... Tor Leonne, ancestral seat of power, where Serra Diora Maria di’Marano—the most sought-after beauty in the land, a woman betrayed by all she holds dear—may strike the first blow to change the future of the Dominion and Empire alike.... Averalaan Aramarelas—that most ancient of civilized cities, the home of the Essalieyan Imperial court, has long been a center of magics both dark and bright. And though the Empire won its last war with the Dominion, and survived a devastating, magic-fueled battle with a far deadlier foe, both those victories were not without their cost.... But now the realm is on the brink of a far greater confrontation, faced with an unholy alliance that could spell the end of freedom for all mortalkind.
Weasel fumbled the cloth aside. It was a shield, steel plate over dark wood, with rotting leather straps. It looked old, and battered, and real. A former pickpocket, Weasel is the type of boy most people would avoid. Certainly, no one would ever trust him -- except for one man. Justice Holis took Weasel off the streets, gave him a home, a job as his clerk, and a key to his house. Weasel's new life may be a bit boring, but for the first time someone actually cares about him. Now Justice Holis is the one in trouble. Arrested for treason, he will surely hang unless someone saves him -- and that someone can only be Weasel. But what can one boy do? Not much without help. So with a mysterious girl named Arisa by his side, Weasel goes in search of the Falcon, the most dangerous bandit in Deorthas, but also the one person who would be able -- and possibly willing -- to stage a prison break. But Weasel's fate changes when he stumbles upon a shield. Could this be the one said to have been lost for centuries, the one that bestows power on whoever holds it? If so, Weasel, once a lowly pickpocket, could be the most powerful person in the land. With extraordinary craftsmanship, Hilari Bell weaves a fantasy adventure story that will have readers captivated from the first word to the last.
An old warrior, too stubborn to die. A royal heir, hidden since birth. Can they save a realm on the brink of war? Tragedy tears his world apart, forcing him back into a warrior's life, until an act of self-sacrifice cuts him off from all he knows. Now he seeks a new purpose, for what is a warrior who has nothing left to fight for?
The Australian Defence Force, together with military forces from a number of western democracies, have for some years been seeking out and killing Islamic militants in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, detaining asylum seekers for periods at sea or running the judicial systems of failed states. It has also been ready to conduct internal security operations at home. The domestic legal authority cited for this is often the poorly understood concept of executive power, which is power that derives from executive and not parliamentary authority. In an age of legality where parliamentary statutes govern action by public officials in the finest detail, it is striking that these extreme exercises of the use of force often rely upon an elusive legal basis. This book seeks to find the limits to the exercise of this extraordinary power.
Collected together for the first time in a digital format are Patricia C. Wrede's hilarious adventure stories about Cimorene, the princess who refuses to be proper. Every one of Cimorene's adventures is included—Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons—in a single ebook.
For as long as he can remember, Alric dreamed of being a hero; of defeating a dragon and saving the princess. But his royal position would never allow it, until… the arrival of the Mercerian Emissaries demands a princely escort, and being neither the heir, nor the spare, he is the perfect choice. Used to a lifetime of comfort and ease, he expects this duty to be as tiresome as all the others. His tranquil life is upended from the beginning, as havoc seems to follow these dignitaries everywhere, causing him all sorts of grief. From fighting unknown creatures to defending the life of a royal, he discovers that becoming a hero is much more dangerous than he ever imagined. No matter what the outcome, his life will never be the same. Heart of the Crown is book three in the Heir to the Crown series. If you like contests of skill, courtly intrigue and diplomatic disasters, then you will love Paul J Bennett's tale of a prince who desires greatness. Grab your copy of Heart of the Crown today, and witness the dream become a reality. New to the series? Meet Gerald Matheson, the steadfast warrior in Heir to the Crown: Book One, Servant of the Crown, available in eBook, audio & paperback. Books by Paul J Bennett Heir to the Crown Series: Battle at the River - Prequel Servant of the Crown Sword of the Crown Mercerian Tales: Stories of the Past Heart of the Crown Shadow of the Crown Mercerian Tales: The Call of Magic Fate of the Crown Burden of the Crown Mercerian Tales: The Making of a Man Defender of the Crown Fury of the Crown Mercerian Tales: Honour Thy Ancestors War of the Crown Triumph of the Crown Mercerian Tales: Into the Forge Guardian of the Crown The Frozen Flame Series: Awakening - Prequels Ashes Embers Flames Inferno Maelstrom Vortex Power Ascending Series: Tempered Steel - Prequel Temple Knight Warrior Knight Temple Captain Warrior Lord Temple Commander The Chronicles of Cyric: Into the Maelstrom - Prequel A Midwinter Murder The Beast of Brunhausen A Plague in Zeiderbruch What readers are saying about Paul J Bennett’s books: ★★★★★ -"Fantastic Fantasy!" ★★★★★ -"Epic Battle Scenes! ★★★★★ -"I’m hooked on this series!" ★★★★★ -"Exciting Sword and Sorcery" ★★★★★ -"Fabulously written, loved it." ★★★★★ -"Outstanding work of fantasy" ★★★★★ -"The most amazing adventure" ★★★★★ -"Another excellent book series!!" ★★★★★ -"I just could not stop reading them" ★★★★★ -"Wow! Best book I’ve read in a LONG time!" ★★★★★-"Thoroughly absorbing, exciting and mystical." ★★★★★ -"If you like fantasy fiction, then this is a must-read!" ★★★★★ -"This story gripped me and kept me turning the pages." ★★★★★ -"Action, Intrigue, Adventure, Romance and some twists!" ★★★★★ -"I love the book, had me on edge, could not put it down!" ★★★★★ -"Full of suspense, intrigue and action throughout the story" ★★★★★ -"The characters you love in the books come to life in such a fabulous way." ★★★★★ -"The tale flows effortlessly along, blending action, adventure and heartwarming scenes."
A Newbery Honor Book and a modern classic of young adult fantasy, The Blue Sword introduces the desert kingdom of Damar, where magic weaves through the blood and weaves together destinies. New York Times–bestselling and award-winning author Robin McKinley sets the standard for epic fantasy and compelling, complex heroines. Fans of Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, and Rae Carson will delight in discovering the rich world of Damar. Harry Crewe is a Homelander orphan girl, come to live in Damar from over the seas. She is drawn to the bleak landscape, so unlike the green hills of her Homeland. She wishes she might cross the sands and climb the dark mountains where no Homelander has ever set foot, where the last of the old Damarians, the Free Hillfolk, live. Corlath is the golden-eyed king of the Free Hillfolk, son of the sons of the legendary Lady Aerin. When he arrives in Harry’s town to ally with the Homelanders against a common enemy, he never expects to set Harry’s destiny in motion: She will ride into battle as a King’s Rider, bearing the Blue Sword, the great mythical treasure, which no one has wielded since Lady Aerin herself. Legends and myths, no matter how epic, no matter how magical, all begin somewhere.
