The fourth book in the BLADE HONER series. Buy them individually or group them together. The fourth book follows the last year of the life of the Oseberg Priestess.
I met Shumayl's eyes across the table, and suddenly he spoke to me, asking me to explain all this to him. "They are all going to travel together," I said to him, "They are going with Arnulf and his wives to the greatest adventure of all. They are going to explore the great Star Ocean." "What a marvelous story," Shumayl said and laughed, "Just imagine how much mischief they can make out there!" * The fourth book in the BLADE HONER series about the life of the Oseberg priestess covers the last year that our still very young heroine, Thordis, spends in Rusiyah, and the first trials of manhood proposed by the Vessel.
In 775 AD, Thorbjörn is the last Thunder Warrior and Thunder priest of an ancient lineage reaching back to the Age of theGreat Stone temples in Götaland has found refuge in the peaceful Baltic River Lands. He knows that he must teach his daughters how to survive and remain free in case of a Viking raid. Little could prepare either seventeen year old Zivah, or seven-year old Thordís for the onslaughts of the Viking Rus, pirates and slavers who were lawless, barbarian men forced into exile in the East. Men eager to profit from the civilizations endless demand for new slaves. Raided and made orphanes, little Thordís embarks on a quest to save her older half sister from rape and slavery while befriending some of the most strange and contrarymen to ever exist.
The most comprehensive guide to Norse literature, historical folk lore and more. Kvilhaug peels back the layers of the Eddas, Poems and Sagas to reveal hidden truths within Maria's background in research and archaeology is visible throughout with full illustrations, timelines and beautiful translations of passages providing the key to unlocking and deciphering the hidden wisdom within. Her exploration of modern interpretations, past parables, and related cultural mythos provides a deeper layer into the mysteries of Old Norse practices.
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh is back in the shadows of a deadly, beautiful world where angels rule, vampires serve, and one female hunter must crawl out of the darkness to survive. The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past…but Dmitri’s need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo. Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel’s right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality…the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her. As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting…and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more…
A feast for the eyes with literally thousands of vivid, high-resolution screen shots, this book provides a comprehensive visual tour through the world of PC and video gaming. Sorted by genre, 150 of the most exciting current software titles are reviewed with information of interest to players, parents, and industry professionals. Each game is featured in a two-page spread that includes detailed game summary, analysis, and strategy, nine representative in-game screen shots, games with similar skill and strategy requirements, appropriate age range, ESRB content ratings, complete technological specifications, and more. Feature stories are included throughout the book, covering game-related topics such as multiplayer online gaming, games in movies, and the future of gaming. The book also includes useful reference tools such as an illustrated glossary, an overview of game publishers, and information on current and upcoming hardware platforms such as Sony's new PS3 and Nintendo's Wii.
IN THE EPIC HISTORICAL NOVEL SWORD OF HONOR, DAVID KIRK CONTINUES THE SAGA OF MUSASHI MIYAMOTO, THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN IN JAPANESE HISTORY, AS HE JOURNEYS TO THE ANCIENT CITY OF KYOTO TO FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE AND HIS IDEALS. Having survived the cataclysmic battle of Sekigahara, which established the mighty Tokugawa Shogunate, young Musashi Miyamoto travels through Japan determined to proclaim his revolutionary epiphany that the “way of the samurai,” the ancient code that binds warriors to their masters, needs to be abolished. But during the battle Musashi insulted an adept of the powerful Yoshioka school, and a price has been put on his head. Musashi is drawn to Kyoto, domain of the Yoshioka, driven by anger and certain that he will deal a crushing blow to the traditional samurai dogma by destroying the school. Musashi will learn, however, that the capital of the nation is rife with intrigue and potential rebellion against the newly established government, a struggle into which he unwittingly enters. Among other outcasts, Musashi will find the worth of his spectacular skill with the sword weighed against the deep cunning of manipulative Lords, and must make his reckoning with the Yoshioka, the way of the samurai, and ultimately his own nature. Only then will he be able to take one step closer to becoming the wise old sage who wrote The Book of Five Rings. Sword of Honor seamlessly blends meticulous research, mesmerizing action sequences, and a driving narrative to bring this extraordinary figure to life.
A scientific young woman probes the mysterious death of her magically gifted sister in this quasi-Renaissance epic fantasy sequel to The Spirit Lens. Anne de Vernase is fighting to hold herself together as scandal and tragedy tear her family apart. Her father remains at large, convicted of treason and murder thanks to her own testimony—and his pursuit of depraved sorcery. Her mother has gone insane, and her brother is a prisoner. Her sister, a talented sixth-year student at the Collegia Magica, has recently died under mysterious circumstances. And now the man she despises, Portier de Savin-Duplais, arrives with a foreboding summons from her godfather, the king. Once in Merona, Anne finds herself in a city besieged by dark sorcery and in a royal court full of treacherous machinations. Disturbing rumors surround the queen’s volatile sorcerer, while the queen’s mother is waging a manipulative game. And when a killer strikes, Anne questions what really happened to her sister. With no talent for magic and few allies to protect her, Anne begins a perilous search for the truth that will shake up a kingdom . . . “A compelling and altogether admirable work.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Lavish. . . . Berg’s characters return to vivid life. . . . Berg refreshes and reinvigorates the familiar trappings of epic fantasy, shaping a novel that rings true both linguistically and imaginatively. This is one to savor.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Berg brings life and grace to a story of magic and politics that should appeal to the author’s fans as well as lovers of Renaissance-style fantasy.” —Library Journal “A novel that stakes an early claim to my Top 10 list of 2011. . . . Traditional fantasy does not get better than this!” —Fantasy Book Critic
Anna Claire has written these poems with older schoolchildren in mind, hoping they will encourage lively debate and reflection. Many of the poems are personal, and some are tragic but they are based on situations and circumstances that most of us encounter or face at some point during our lifetime. Reflection enables us to respond to others with understanding, and perhaps with the benefit of doing so, we are better equipped to deal with that which might otherwise overwhelm oneself, or those close to us. The human spirit is strong and has amazing abilities to overcome difficulties.
Norse myths are chock full with stories of heroism, gods, giants, dwarfs, along with strong elements of shamanism, pagan ritual, sorcery and shape-changing. With commentary by Maria Kvilhaug, this volume two book is a collection of Old Norse medieval texts concerning the gods Thor and Loki. It contains translations of six Edda poems, three Skaldic poems and all the relevant passages from Snorri Sturluson's Prose Edda. Maria's ability to use her skills in philology shines a light on the texts as she extracts hidden meaning with the lore. Discover the myths that uncover a strong root to animistic understandings of the world in which these stories were told, revealing a old world that was filled with elements of shape-shifting, sorcery and shamanistic style practices to our current, new world.