1588: The London of Elizabeth I is rocked by news of a daring raid on the Tower. The truth is known only to a select few: that, for twenty years, a legendary doomsday device, its power fabled for millennia, has been kept secret and safe in the Tower.
The Silver Skulls Space Marine Chapter deploy on the world of Valoria Quintus to combat an insurrection backed by the dread forces of the Traitor Legions. Sent there by the visions of their Prognosticars, the mysterious psykers whose premonitions decree the path forged by the Chapter and the wars that they wage, they expect victory to be swift and easy. But they have not reckoned with their own allies, the servants of the Inquisition who are interested in the Prognosticars, their importance within the Chapter and the possibility that the Silver Skulls may be being manipulated by the very powers they fight against...
Meet Will Swyfte—adventurer, swordsman, rake, swashbuckler, wit, scholar and the greatest of Walsingham's new band of spies. His exploits against the forces of Philip of Spain have made him a national hero, lauded from Carlisle to Kent. Yet his associates can barely disguise their incredulity—what is the point of a spy whose face and name is known across Europe? But Swyfte's public image is a carefully-crafted façade to give the people of England something to believe in, and to allow them to sleep peacefully at night. It deflects attention from his real work—and the true reason why Walsingham's spy network was established. A Cold War seethes, and England remains under a state of threat. The forces of Faerie have preyed on humanity for millennia. Responsible for our myths and legends, of gods and fairies, dragons, griffins, devils, imps and every other supernatural menace that has haunted our dreams, this power in the darkness has seen humans as playthings to be tormented, hunted or eradicated. But now England is fighting back! Magical defences have been put in place by the Queen's sorcerer Dr. John Dee, who is also a senior member of Walsingham's secret service and provides many of the bizarre gadgets utilised by the spies. Finally there is a balance of power. But the Cold War is threatening to turn hot at any moment... Will now plays a constant game of deceit and death, holding back the Enemy's repeated incursions, dealing in a shadowy world of plots and counter-plots, deceptions, secrets, murder, where no one... and no thing... is quite what it seems.
It's been one year since Amarok offered Maybelle a job aboard his vessel, and she hasn't heard from him since. Anger, concern, and irritation towards him have plagued her, but now all she feels is worried—and bored. Her father has been on the straight and narrow, has a new job, and is taking care of Maybelle's sisters competently. And Maybelle feels adrift and unsure of what her future holds. In one last effort to reach out to Amarok, Maybelle agrees to a strange task: collect a mysterious item hidden in a bot sent to the mechanic's shop where she works, and deliver it to the resistance. Maybelle has heard of the resistance, and after some initial hesitation, she decides it's worth the risk, especially if it leads her to finding out what happened to Amarok. But one task for the resistance leads to another, and Maybelle finds herself dragged into a web and of intrigue and danger far more complex than she ever could have imagined. This is the tenth book in the Rove City series, and the second installment of Maybelle's story.
How far will four friends go for immortality? This novel is Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author “Robert Silverberg at his very best” (George R. R. Martin). After Eli, a scholarly college student, finds and translates an ancient manuscript called The Book of Skulls, he and his friends embark on a cross-country trip to Arizona in search of a legendary monastery where they hope to find the secret of immortality. On the journey with Eli, there’s Timothy, an upper-class WASP with a trust fund and a solid sense of entitlement; Ned, a cynical poet and alienated gay man; and Oliver, a Kansas farm boy who escaped his rural origins and now wants to escape death. If they can find the House of Skulls where immortal monks allegedly reside, they’ll undergo a rigorous initiation. But do those eight grinning skulls mean the joke will be on them? For a sacrifice will be required. Two must die so that two may live forever . . . Stretching the boundary between science fiction and horror, Robert Silverberg masterfully probes deeper existential questions of morality, brotherhood, and self-determined destiny in what Harlan Ellison refers to as “one of my favorite nightmare novels.” This ebook features an illustrated biography of Robert Silverberg including rare images from the author’s personal collection.
Eugène Boban began life in humble circumstances in Paris, traveled to the California Gold Rush, and later became a recognized authority on pre-Columbian cultures. He also invented an entire category of archaeological artifact: the Aztec crystal skull. By his own admission, he successfully “palmed off” a number of these crystal skulls on the curators of Europe’s leading museums. How could that happen, and who was this man? Detailed are the travels, self-education, and archaeological explorations of Eugène Boban; this book also explores the circumstances that allowed him to sell fakes to museums that would remain undetected for over a century.
Into the fabulous realm of sixteenth-century Mexico comes Alfonso Martinez a Spanish alchemist searching for the legendary Aztec gold. With him is the silver skull of Don Sebastian de Vilanueva - wizard, vampire, explorer of earths dark mysteries. Then the skull falls into the hands of a virgin priestess the sensuous leader of an Aztec cult. And in awesome scenes of occult ritual and bloody human sacrifice, Don Sebastian is brought back to life. So begins and unholy alliance as vampire and priestess join forces, summoning all the dread powers of evil at their command.
Directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas and starring Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett and Shia LaBeouf , the much-loved adventurer Indiana Jones returns to our screens for a new instalment of one of Hollywood's most successful film series. Written by New York Times bestselling author James Rollins, this novelisation of the movie captures the heart-stopping excitement and nail-biting tension of Indy's latest rollercoaster escapade. Set in 1957, the film centres around mysterious crystal skulls, and pits Indiana Jones against agents of the Soviet Union. Containing all the trademark action, adventure, mythology and humour that have made the movie series such a phenomenal success, the novelisation of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is a must for Indy fans everywhere.
When the ancient warship Wolf of Fenris emerges from the warp, Imperial forces find that it has been overrun by the dreaded Red Corsairs. However, this is no mere raiding party – Huron Blackheart and his entire renegade fleet soon follow, intent on conquering the Gildar Rift and tightening their grip on the sector When the ancient warship Wolf of Fenris emerges from the warp, Imperial forces find that it has been overrun by the dreaded Red Corsairs. However, this is no mere raiding party – Huron Blackheart and his entire renegade fleet soon follow, intent on conquering the Gildar Rift and tightening their grip on the sector. Lance batteries and torpedo salvos burn fiery contrails through the void, and only Captain Arrun of the Silver Skulls Space Marine Chapter can halt the renegades’ advance. The fate of the Rift will not be decided in the heavens but on the surface of Gildar Secundus below.