Rudi Mackenzie has won the battle that expelled the enemy from the new High Kingdom of Montival. Now he must free the people who live in the state once known as Idaho from occupation by the legions of the Church Universal and Triumphant and pursue them to their lair over the mountains. There he will finally confront the forces behind the Church—the Powers of the Void. Yet even a victory will not end the conflict forever. The Powers of the Void are malevolent and infinitely patient, and the struggle is one that involves the entire world. They threaten not only Rudi in the present, but also the future represented by his children, Órlaith and John. Rudi knows this. And as his heir Princess Órlaith grows up in the shadow of her famous father, she also realizes that the enemy will do anything to see that she does not live to fulfill her parents’ dream….
The fate of the war-decimated kingdom of Hytanica falls into the hands of a former queen who is secretly in love with her enemy and a rebel who seeks retribution for her family's losses.
To bring peace and order to a galaxy at war, Jacen Solo will sacrifice anything - or anyone. Now the moment of choice is at hand. Jacen must pass one final test before he can gain the awesome power of a true Sith Lord: he must bring about the death of someone he values dearly. Who will he choose?
The concept of sacrifice has been part of the human condition since before recorded time. Dating back to the earliest civilizations, sacrifices have been made for personal, religious, or social reasons. From archaeological records, evidence of the sacrifice of food, grains, animals, and even humans is well documented. From Mesopotamia to Egypt, from the Mayans to the Aztecs, they all exhibited some forms of sacrifice for a variety of reasons. As citizens of the United States, we have a unique perspective on the concept of sacrifice. Sacrifice has been engrained into the minds of Americans for over three hundred years, resulting in the forging of an American culture and eventually a nation based on the principles of freedom, justice, and liberty. Then there are those Americans who have given the last full measure of sacrifice for our country, our way of life, and the ideals upon which this country was founded. In his first published work, John Abell has taken a fresh look at the concept of sacrifice. In Sacrifice, the Essence of Life, John Abell gives numerous examples of heroic personal sacrifices made throughout American history. There are many true stories. From the American Revolution to modern-day acts of sacrifice, Abell helps us to be reminded that our country exists today because there have been literally millions throughout our nation's history who made extreme sacrifices that were the foundation for the blessings of liberty that we experience every day. Finally, Abell brings the reader to a predetermined place of reckoning, focusing on the concept of sacrifice and the mystery behind it all. What is the greatest example of sacrifice that we can learn from history? Is sacrifice a basic, fundamental, or even necessary ingredient to the human experience? John Abell believes sacrifice is fundamental to human existence, and in Sacrifice, the Essence of Life, he will explain why.
All my life, I've wanted nothing more than to escape my father's compound. Half human, half vampire, I have none of the perks and all of the weaknesses. Well, my father's finally found a use for me. He's sent me to Malachi Zion, the last vampire in his family. My role is to play resident blood bank and, should Malachi knock me up, my father gets access to a whole new bloodline to control. No one asks me what I want. But the longer I spend with Malachi, the more I realize that he's not the monster I first thought, which makes it harder to resist the heat that flares between us. And then his two friends show up and complicate things exponentially. As long as we're stuck in this house together, I'm a trap just waiting to be sprung. But if we break free, there's nothing holding these vampires to me... In gaining the one thing I want more than anything--my freedom--I might just lose everything.
TO THE WORLD OF ANCIENT MAYA, AND FAR BEYOND… In the Courts of the Sun introduced Maya descendent Jed De Landa, a math prodigy with rare knowledge of an ancient divination tool called the Sacrifice Game. But now there are two Jeds—one existing at the height of the ancient Maya civilization in AD 664, and another in the present who—for an unusual but compelling reason—is about to bring about the destruction of humanity. And only one self can win the game… With illustrations by the author
Helius, Nero’s most trusted adviser, anticipates the death of his sworn enemy, the legendary warrior Gallus Sergius Vitas, scheduled to die a gruesome death in the arena. However, the badly beaten man who appears in the amphitheater is not who he seems. Rescued by a stranger and given a mysterious scroll, Vitas is told he must decipher this letter to find the answers he needs—a letter that Helius is also determined to decipher and to keep hidden from Nero. As Nero’s reign of terror grows, so does his circle of enemies.
This introduction to the imaginative world of the Mexica (or Aztec) explores sacrifice in the richly textured life of 16th-century Mexico. Kay Almere Read describes a universe in which every object was timed by a given lifespan and in which sacrifice was the mechanism by which time functioned. This book makes a convincing case for what sacrifice meant religiously and for how it came to be that human sacrifice of staggering proportions could be accepted, matter-of-factly, by the Mexica people.
Bound Hearts - Wicked Intent By Lora Leigh Control has meant everything to Tally Raines. Control of the office she ran as Jesse Wyman's secretary, and now control of Lucian Conover's office as well. But Lucian isn't content to be controlled by his fiery secretary. As a matter of fact, Lucian thinks she needs to loosen up and let the sexy, sensual woman hiding beneath her cool exterior free. And he will dare her to do just that...With a little help. Bound Hearts - Sacrifice By Lora Leigh Book five of the Bound Hearts series. Kimberly has run from Jared for a year now, sensing the weakness he could be to her future. But she never expected the sacrifice he would make for her. One that will rock her soul, and destroy the very foundations of all her beliefs. Her sexuality, her heart, and all she's fought for in the last six years will be tested when an assignment takes her to Jared's farm, and into his bed. There she will learn the true meaning of hunger, of love¿as well as the deception and the lies that have governed her life for so long. Anything worth having is worth sacrificing for. Kimberly is about to find out if she can pay the price, and risk not only the inheritance that should be hers, but also her heart to the one man who can still the fires that rage in her soul.
