deeper quest

"A book to rival TWILIGHT and VAMPIRE DIARIES, and one that will have you wanting to keep reading until the very last page! Alienated from her friends and family—and with only one night left before Sage is wiped out—Scarlet is forced to choose whether to sacrifice it all for him. Caitlin and Caleb race desperately to save their daughter, still determined to find a way to cure Scarlet and to end vampirism for all time. Their quest leads them to one shocking secret after the next as they seek to find the ancient, lost vampire city, hidden deep beneath the Sphinx in Egypt. What they find may just change the destiny of the vampire race for all time. Yet it may still be too late. The Immortalist nation is intent on killing Scarlet and Sage, while Kyle, too, is on a murderous rampage, turning Vivian and the entire high school into his own vampire army, set on destroying the town. In OBSESSED, the shocking finale of the 12 book series THE VAMPIRE JOURNALS, Scarlet and Caitlin will be left with a monumental choice—one that will change the world forever. Will Scarlet make the ultimate sacrifice to save Sage's life? Will Caitlin give up everything to save her daughter? Will they both risk everything for love? "Morgan Rice proves herself again to be an extremely talented storyteller….This would appeal to a wide range of audiences, including younger fans of the vampire/fantasy genre. It ended with an unexpected cliffhanger that leaves you shocked." –The Romance Reviews (regarding Loved)

Alaric, Paladin of Solaris I was sent to kill her... but I submitted to her instead. The GodKing ordered me to slay the sorceress Sylvanna and retrieve the Heart of the Eclipse-a legendary artifact said to shape fate itself. Failure was not an option. But when I found her, her Shadow Magic overwhelmed my Celestial Light. I alone bear the Holy Fire, yet I was powerless against her. She offered me a deal: take her Oath of Submission and serve her for a time, and she would grant me a chance at the Heart. I had no choice but to obey. I never expected to crave it. Sylvanna, Sorceress of Nocturna He came to destroy me. Now he is mine. Shadowbound. I knew the Paladin was coming to kill me. I didn't expect him to kneel. Alaric is strong enough to snap me in half... but instead, he begs to serve, to please, to taste. He burns with Light, but his soul hungers for Shadow-and for me. Training him is a pleasure. Keeping him is a temptation. But our bond will be tested. To reclaim the Heart of the Eclipse, we must travel to the City of Night and face Kraven-my treacherous former Blood-Partner. If we fail, our kingdoms will fall. If we succeed... the magic awakening inside my Paladin may change everything. Shadowbound is a steamy enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance featuring: * A dominant vampire sorceress * A proud, submissive paladin hero/ Dragon Shifter * Sex-Magic training, and power exchange * A high-stakes quest through a sensual, magical world * Fated mates tension with dark spice and deep feels If you love romantasy, magical kink, Dark Romance, enemies to lovers, and powerful heroines who take what they want, this book is for you.

An AudioFile Earphones Award Winner. Read by Grover Gardner. Consumed with grief, driven by vengeance, a man undertakes an unrelenting odyssey across the lawless post-Civil War frontier seeking redemption in this fearless novel from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of News of the World. Union soldier John Chenneville suffered a traumatic head wound in battle. His recovery took the better part of a year as he struggled to regain his senses and mobility. By the time he returned home, the Civil War was over, but tragedy awaited. John's beloved sister and her family had been brutally murdered. Their killer goes by many names. He fought for the North in the late unpleasantness, and wore a badge in the name of the law. But the man John knows as A. J. Dodd is little more than a rabid animal, slaughtering without reason or remorse, needing to be put down. Traveling through the unforgiving landscape of a shattered nation in the midst of Reconstruction, John braves winter storms and confronts desperate people in pursuit of his quarry. Untethered, single-minded in purpose, he will not be deterred. Not by the U.S. Marshal who threatens to arrest him for murder should he succeed. And not by Victoria Reavis, the telegraphist aiding him in his death-driven quest, yet hoping he'll choose to embrace a life with her instead. And as he trails Dodd deep into Texas, John accepts that this final reckoning between them may cost him more than all he's already lost...

Embark on an enlightening expedition through the lesser-known yet fascinating text of 1 Esdras — one of the Apocrypha books included in the Original 1611 King James Bible and often regarded as an apocryphal treasure. This ancient manuscript, echoing the chronicles of Ezra, offers a distinctive perspective on pivotal moments in Jewish history. Journey into the heart of the Jewish exile and return, as 1 Esdras masterfully recounts the trials and triumphs of the Israelites. The narrative beautifully intertwines historical events with spiritual insights, offering a deeper understanding of the Jewish people's resilience and faith during their Babylonian captivity and subsequent liberation. Discover the intriguing narrative of the three bodyguards' debate in King Darius' court, a story exclusive to 1 Esdras that highlights wisdom, truth, and the strength of youth. This tale not only captivates with its eloquence but also offers profound reflections on the virtues that govern human life and leadership. Delve into the restoration of the Temple in Jerusalem, a central theme of 1 Esdras. This account provides a vivid depiction of the challenges and triumphs involved in rebuilding a nation's spiritual heart. The text encourages contemplation on the importance of faith, community, and perseverance in the face of adversity. Concluding with reflections on the power of prayer and the role of divine providence, 1 Esdras invites you on a quest to unearth the hidden gems within its chapters. As one of the apocryphal books of the Bible, it ignites curiosity about historical interpretations, the resilience of faith, and the enduring lessons that resonate through time.

"Time is not merely a cold gear turning in the hand of a watch; it is a living heart beating in our cells, our dreams, and our folk songs." Since the dawn of existence, humanity has sought order within the chaotic dance of the stars. This quest has evolved into a monumental story of mastery-one where the solar calendars of Ancient Egypt, the intricate cycles of the Chinese zodiac, the lunar rhythms of the Hijri calendar, and the cosmic long counts of the Mayans and Aztecs all collide. From Caesar's desperate calendar reforms to the brief madness of the French Revolutionary calendar, and finally to the absolute precision of atomic clocks, civilizations built these systems not just to measure the day, but to tame the unknown. In Calendar Systems of Humanity and Time, Hüseyin Doğan invites you to break free from being a slave to seconds and to listen to the magnificent symphony of the cosmos. Within these pages, you will discover the mathematical genius and dusty history behind humanity's greatest calendars, while exploring how time itself is etched into our very flesh and bone-from the biological clocks hidden deep within our cells to the metabolic secrets of the Seven Sleepers' centuries-long slumber. We all walk under the same sky, following the rhythms of different calendar systems, yet moving toward the same common destiny-the other door of that "inn with two doors." When you finish this book, you will see more than just the hour; you will witness a multi-billion-year legacy and the sacred journey in which we travel in a "state unknown to us.

'One of the best fantasy book series of the past decade' TIME A glorious empire. A desperate quest. An ancient secret. The search for allies extends to a new land in the sixth book of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Chaol Westfall and Nesryn Faliq have arrived in the shining city of Antica to forge an alliance with the Khagan of the Southern Continent, whose vast armies are Erilea's last hope. But they have also come to Antica for another purpose: to seek healing at the famed Torre Cesme for the wounds Chaol received in Rifthold. After enduring unspeakable horrors as a child at the hands of Adarlanian soldiers, Yrene Towers has no desire to help the young lord from Adarlan, let alone heal him. Yet she has sworn an oath to assist those in need, and she will honour it. But Lord Westfall carries his own dark past, and Yrene soon realises that those shadows could engulf them both. Chaol, Nesryn, and Yrene will have to draw on every scrap of their resilience to overcome the danger that surrounds them. But while they become entangled in the political webs of the khaganate, long-awaited answers slumber deep in the mountains, where warriors soar on legendary ruks. Answers that might offer their world a chance at survival ... or doom them all. The final battle looms in this sixth book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series.

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER! She doesn’t remember her past. But some memories come with a cost. Eira Eckhart has spent years building a quiet life in a small town at the edge of a recently overthrown kingdom. Her memory is fractured, her past a blur—but with her shop, her loyal rabbit familiar, and practicing only the potions magic still legal under the watchful eye of the Iron Empire, she’s managed to remain unnoticed by the empire’s witch hunters. Until Hugo Venton walks through her door. Brash, clever, and infuriatingly handsome, Hugo is searching for something…and seems to know more about Eira than she knows about herself. But when a terrifying encounter with an unnatural, deadly new breed of soldier puts a price on her head, she has no choice but to join Hugo on his quest. Their hunt for a missing princess pulls Eira across the continent—and deeper into a past she can’t recall. As buried memories, mysteries in the Iron Empire’s capital, forgotten feelings, and the truth behind her identity begin to surface, Eira realizes the forbidden magic simmering in her veins might be the very thing that could save them from the Iron Empire’s forces as they draw ever closer…if she can remember how to control it in time. FOR FANS OF: Yearning The guard that falls in love with their assignment Enemies to friends to lovers Forbidden magic Memory loss plotlines Spark of the Everflame and A Fate Inked in Blood Plus sized main characters (whose weight is the least important thing about them) Powerful women in romantasy

From Paulo Coelho, the renowned author of The Alchemist, comes a deeply moving and poetic work of spiritual fiction that explores the timeless depths of love, forgiveness, and self-discovery. By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept tells the heartfelt story of Pilar, a strong yet guarded woman, and her childhood friend, now a charismatic spiritual leader. Reuniting after eleven years in a poignant second chance romance, their relationship takes them on an emotional and spiritual odyssey in a small village in the French Pyrenees. Against the backdrop of the River Piedra, they confront unresolved pain, long-buried emotions, and ultimately, the quest to find love and freedom and confront some of life’s most important questions. As their bond deepens, Pilar is drawn into her friend's world of faith and miracles, challenging her own beliefs and understanding of life's purpose and her own femininity. Along this journey of self-discovery, Pilar must wrestle with her fears of vulnerability and the possibility of losing herself in the process of rediscovering love. Both an ethereal love story and a powerful exploration of how discovering our inner spiritual being—and forgiving ourselves, and others—can reshape our lives in completely unexpected ways. Paulo Coelho’s masterful storytelling and poetic prose inspires us to uncover the extraordinary hidden within the ordinary and the intimate moments that bring magic into our lives, and the every day. A stunning and unforgettable exploration of divine love, human connection, intimate self-reflection, and the sacrifices that come with following one’s true path—and heart.

MIND SUPPORT - Game your Life - Charakterdesign: LEVEL UP! Dein Leben ist kein Tutorial. Es ist ein verdammt komplexes, aber großartiges Spiel. Zeit, der Held deiner eigenen Story zu werden. Willkommen in deinem gamifizierten Selbstentwicklungs-Upgrade. Dieses Workbook ist keine Sammlung langweiliger Selbsthilfe-Weisheiten, sondern ein systematisch aufgebautes, humorvoll verpacktes Deep-Dive-Levelsystem für echte Persönlichkeitsentwicklung. Du durchläufst 11 Level - jedes davon eine Mission zu dir selbst: Level 1-5: Du startest mit deinem Selbstbild, klärst deine Werte, bringst Licht in deine Schattenseiten und erkennst, welche Rollen du spielst - bewusst oder unbewusst. Level 6: Du aktivierst dein Körper-Geist-Energie-System mit ganzheitlicher Praxis - von Training über Ernährung bis Schlafoptimierung. Level 7: Du baust deine Persönlichkeitsmatrix - eine strategische Übersicht deiner Stärken, Schwächen, Chancen und Risiken. Level 8: Du entdeckst deine verborgenen Potenziale - Fähigkeiten, die in dir schlummern wie ungespielte Special Moves. Level 9: Du stellst dich deinen kritischen Schnittstellen - den echten Herausforderungen, Blockaden und Stresspunkten, die dich bisher klein halten. Und verwandelst sie in Power-Ups. Level 10: Du schmiedest deinen Masterplan - dein persönliches Level-Up-System für echte Umsetzung. Level 11: 30 Tage geführtes Quest-Log - mit Reflexion, Integration und echten Erfahrungspunkten. Du wirst dabei: - deine Selbstwahrnehmung updaten (Patch 2.0), - Blockaden entschlüsseln (keine Bosse ohne Belohnung), - Schattenanteile integrieren (willkommen im echten Leben), - Potenziale entfalten (du hast mehr Skills, als du denkst), - deinen Körper als Energiequelle aktivieren (Bewegung, Ernährung, Regeneration) und vor allem: lernen, dich selbst wie einen verdammt gut designten Charakter zu führen. Für wen ist das? Für Nerds mit Tiefgang. Für Selbsterkenner mit Humor. Für Coaches, Scanner, Sinnsuchende und alle, die das Gefühl haben, dass da noch mehr geht - aber bisher kein System hatten, um es zu greifen. Du brauchst kein Abo, kein Achievement-System und kein Perfektions-Level. Du brauchst nur dich, deinen Stift - und die Bereitschaft, wirklich hinzuschauen. Dieses Workbook ist dein Spielfeld, deine Strategie und deine Aufrüststation in einem. Bereit für dein nächstes Level? Dann ist dieses Workbook dein Startknopf. PRESS START - und beginne die Reise zu dir selbst!

Dungeon and Dragon I Masterful Campaigns for Game Masters I Create Epic Experiences By Stefan Ludewig Dive into the fascinating world of Dungeon and Dragons and learn how to create masterful campaigns as a game master that offer your players unforgettable adventures. In this unique guide, Stefan Ludewig provides you not only with valuable tips and ideas on how to design epic experiences for your role-playing sessions but also with practical instructions to tailor the challenges of your campaigns precisely to your group. Whether you're an experienced game master or just starting to explore the world of Dungeon and Dragons, this book provides you with the essential tools to create your own role-playing world. The detailed campaigns, ranging from light adventures to complex, deep storylines, offer you endless possibilities to individually shape the tension and drama of your gaming nights. You'll learn how to create an exciting setting, develop impressive characters, and present challenges that both challenge and captivate your players. The campaigns in this book are more than just simple quests. They offer epic stories full of magical creatures, dark threats, and heroic adventures. You’ll learn how to build a captivating setting—whether it’s a cursed forest, a demon train, or the looming fortress of a vampire lord. Each chapter is carefully designed to help you guide your players through gripping story arcs while ensuring that you, as the game master, can fully unleash your own creativity. But the book goes a step further: It gives you a precise assessment of the difficulty of each campaign. You’ll learn exactly how to select the right challenges for your group by adjusting the difficulty of combat, puzzles, and encounters. Whether you’re designing a quick adventure for a casual round with friends or planning an epic, multi-hour adventure for a longer campaign, this book gives you the freedom to shape your role-playing world according to your own vision.

You are stronger than your anxiety-you are mighty. In this empowering guide, you'll find practical tools to help you shed the shackles of worry and fear and embrace a more vibrant life. In a culture where women are still paid less for doing the same jobs, expected to juggle family and career effortlessly, and faced with the harsh realities of misogyny and sexism daily, it's no wonder you're also twice as likely to experience issues related to anxiety and trauma. But there are real tools you can use now to build personal resilience in a difficult world, move past anxious thoughts, and conquer your worries and fears. This book will help guide the way. Be Mighty leads you on a bold quest to gain a deeper understanding of your anxiety by exploring your own "origin story"-how your early experiences led to thoughts and behaviors that may have offered comfort and protection at one time, but are now keeping you from living your best life. Using practical tools and experiential exercises based in mindfulness and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), you'll learn to respond to present-day triggers in a new way, making choices from a more conscious, values-driven place. So, drop that outdated armor and dive headlong into this book. You'll emerge fresh and fierce, with the confidence to stand up for the life you want to live and the power to face life's complexities as your best, most authentic self. It's time to be who you truly want to be. It's time for you to be mighty!

Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés , rumours have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden deep in the Honduran interior. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and warn the legendary city is cursed : to enter it is a death sentence. They call it the Lost City of the Monkey God . In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artefacts and an electrifying story of having found the City - but then committed suicide without revealing its location . Three quarters of a century later , bestselling author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a groundbreaking new quest. In 2012 he climbed aboard a single-engine plane carrying a highly advanced, classified technology that could map the terrain under the densest rainforest canopy. In an unexplored valley ringed by steep mountains, that flight revealed the unmistakable image of a sprawling metropolis, tantalizing evidence of not just an undiscovered city but a lost civilization . To confirm the discovery, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quickmud, plagues of insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. They emerged from the jungle with proof of the legend... and the curse. They had contracted a horrifying, incurable and sometimes lethal disease . Suspenseful and shocking, filled with history, adventure and dramatic twists of fortune, The Lost City of the Monkey God is the absolutely true, eyewitness account of one of the great discoveries of the twenty-first century.

Invasive species are consistently vilified as a major threat to the ecosystems we call home. But Undesirable reveals there is much more to this story, and offers surprising ideas about our relationship with the natural world. Over the past five hundred years, human exploration, settlement and commerce have carried countless plants and animals far from their original homes, where they sometimes go on to transform familiar landscapes, cause large-scale agricultural damage, and endanger precious native species. But the young field of invasion biology has been wracked by controversy and haunted by ethical quandaries as it has sought to destroy some species for the benefit of others. Undesirable: Invasive Species, Humans, and Where We All Belong brings this complexity to light, illuminating the often dubious moral and even ecological and economic bases for many anti-invasive policies. Whether it's garlic mustard spreading through American forests or brushtail possums allegedly decimating the flightless birds of New Zealand, Undesirable reveals a multi-faceted story of how humans have irrevocably disrupted nearly every ecosystem in the world. We have introduced new species, destroyed habitat and changed the climate-but it's not always clear how to hold ourselves accountable in the quest to bring balance and sustainability to this new natural world. Through case studies, historical surveys, media criticism, and conversations with both experts and the ordinary people who serve as foot soldiers in the war on invasive species, this book explores how confronting our deeper anxieties about nature and our roles in a changing world can help us see our "unwanted" neighbors in a new light and teach us all to be better stewards.

"There was only one bed." Full of action, adventure and steamy romance, Vows & Ruins is the second book in the spellbinding epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr. Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher. Against all odds, Althea emerged from her trials as a champion. Now, she must train even harder and prepare herself to become a true warrior of Thezmarr. But Thea's world is turned upside down as slowly, she begins to untangle the truth about her family, her powers and the evil that threatens to engulf the kingdom. When Wilder Hawthorne returns to be her official mentor, everything changes. Dark forces are gathering, and he will stop at nothing to prepare her for the challenges to come, even if it means breaking her. As war looms and their quest for answers leads master and apprentice deeper into danger, the undeniable connection between them intensifies - defying all odds, but also threatening to tear them apart. The fate of the realms rests in their hands - will they emerge victorious, or will the darkness consume them both? ** Readers love Vows & Ruins: 'The best romantic fantasy I've read this year' 'This book is a gut-punch emotional rollercoaster and I truly meant it when I say I loved every moment' 'No please I am SPEECHLESS' 'I'll be swooning over Wilder forever' 'Helen writes spicy, steamy romance so well, and book two in the series has stepped up the steam!'

In her intimate memoir, More Myself, Alicia Keys shares her quest for truth: about herself, her past, and her shift from sacrificing her spirit to celebrating her worth. One of the most celebrated musicians of our time, Alicia Keys has enraptured the nation with her heartfelt lyrics, extraordinary vocal range, and soul-stirring piano compositions. Yet away from the spotlight, Alicia has grappled with private heartache over the challenging and complex relationship with her father, the people-pleasing nature that characterized her early career, the loss of privacy surrounding her romantic relationships, and the oppressive expectations of female perfection. Since her rise to fame, Alicia's public persona has belied a deep personal truth: she has spent years not fully recognizing or honoring her own worth. After withholding parts of herself for so long, she is at last exploring the questions that live at the heart of her story: Who am I, really? And once I discover that truth, how can I become brave enough to embrace it? More Myself is part autobiography, part narrative documentary. Alicia's journey is revealed not only through her own candid recounting, but also through vivid recollections from those who have walked alongside her. The result is a 360-degree perspective on Alicia's path: from her girlhood in Hell's Kitchen and Harlem, to the process of self-discovery she's still navigating. With the raw honesty that epitomizes Alicia's artistry, More Myself is at once a riveting account and a clarion call to readers: to define themselves in a world that rarely encourages a true and unique identity.

"What more could New York Times bestselling author Karen Hawkins's fans desire" than the "sharp repartee, clever plotting, memorable characterization, and sizzling sexual tension" (RT Book Reviews) of her sparkling Oxenburg Princes fairy tale romance series? Nikolai Romanovin, a royal prince of Oxenburg, has travelled to the deepest wilds of Scotland to rescue his grandmother the Grand Duchess, who was abducted while visiting an old friend in the Highlands. Wanting to avoid an international incident, Nik plans to quietly slip into enemy territory disguised as a groom at Castle Cromartie. But his plans go awry when he falls under the cool gray gaze of the laird's daughter. Pragmatic and clever, Ailsa Mackenzie has been left in charge of the family estate and her unruly grandmother in her father's absence. Something about the new groom catches her eyes, and makes her think he's not who he pretends to be-and even more shockingly, stirs her senses. Is it his obviously educated manners? His arrogant, non-servant-like presence? It's certainly not his towering, powerful form, or slumberous, inviting green eyes! After confronting the imposter and learning the truth, Ailsa agrees to help Nik-for she, too, understands difficult relatives and would do anything for family. Soon their secret partnership leads to growing respect, searing kisses, and then something far more perilous. And when their quest turns dangerous, Ailsa and Nik must discover this unknown enemy while facing the dangerous demands of their own unruly hearts.

DIVE INTO POST-APOCALYPTIC CHAOS: Explore Capitol Hill, once a symbol of American greatness, now a war-torn battleground between Scavengers, Raiders, and Super Mutants. Experience the intense conflict in the Capital Wasteland, where diplomacy has been replaced by gunfire and survival is the ultimate goal. DISCOVER THE REGION RULESET: Dive deep into the world of Fallout 3 and engage in intense skirmish warfare as you navigate the unending conflict between the mysterious Enclave and the heroic Brotherhood of Steel. NEW ENCLAVE TROOPS AND UNSEEN ARMOR: Meet a fresh selection of Enclave Troops clad in unique, never-before-seen armor. Perfect for stealthy operations, they clash with the Brotherhood of Steel, led by the Lyons Pride, in their quest to protect the Capital. SURVIVORS, MUTANTS, AND MONSTERS: Join the survivors who call Capitol Hill home and witness epic clashes involving domesticated Deathclaws, power-armored soldiers, and more. Choose your side and shape the fate of the Capital Wasteland. STREAMLINED GAMEPLAY WITH EXCITING ADDITIONS: Enjoy an expanded gaming experience with a booklet containing rules for battlefield expansion, faction rules, and strategy guides. Unleash 135 new cards, including unit, AI, equipment, and perk cards, to enhance your tactics. Explore five new scenarios and region rules sheets spanning the Capital Wasteland. This expansion provides everything you need to play as the Enclave and Elder Lyons' Brotherhood of Steel, and it's designed for quick setup and immersive gameplay. Access to the Fallout: Wasteland Warfare Two-Player Starter Set is essential for full expansion use.

It is said that a monument now stands before the high church of Caerleon: an anvil pierced through with a sword. It is said that the sword can only be taken by the Britons' rightful king... 'This is a book you will return to over and over again' Dan Jones From Sunday Times bestseller Amy Jeffs', Arthur: A New Life mines the deep, elusive seams of a story we think we all know: the legend of King Arthur. But here he is anew: a larger-than-life warlord, a hero raised by fairies, a leader of the wild hunt, a monster-slayer, lying wounded under the ash cloud, longing to rise again. Tracing an epic story from Merlin's conception and the building of the Round Table to the abduction of Guinevere and King Arthur's ambitious quest for Empire, this Arthur is as real as any other, brought back to life from the earliest sources. Drawing out the dark and beautiful stories from the original medieval and early modern texts, Amy guides the reader from citadels through forests, into volcanoes, caves and riverbanks and beyond, even as far as Hell and the Otherworld. Going further than merely the stories, she provides incisive commentary about each tale, emphasising the legends' crafted nature and their symbiotic relationship with the political cultures of contemporary medieval Europe. Twenty-five original linocut illustrations map the inky Arthurian myth-scape, darkened by time, familiar as a dream.

**Shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize** 'Andrea Wulf belongs to the small, splendid canon of writers unafraid to render fact with feeling' Maria Popova, creator of The Marginalian and author of Figuring An inspiring biography of the remarkable naturalist, explorer and revolutionary, by the bestselling author of The Invention of Nature George Forster was a man out of time: he journeyed to the far reaches of the known world and challenged the worldviews of eighteenth-century Europe with radical ideas about equality and freedom. Celebrated during his lifetime, he knew Goethe, Benjamin Franklin, Mary Wollstonecraft and Alexander von Humboldt but has since been largely forgotten by history. The Traveller seeks to restore Forster as one of the great visionaries of his era. At the age of seventeen he joined Captain Cook's second voyage - an exploration of vast contrasts from the icy world of Antarctica to the tropical islands of the South Pacific. A brilliant mind driven by boundless curiosity, he studied the diverse nature, people and cultures he encountered and came back imbued with a deep belief in the equality of races. On his return he was feted in England, France, Germany and Poland, using his fame to advocate freedom and human rights and argue against empire, racism and slavery. He admired strong and educated women and was proud to have daughters. The book traces how - inspired by the French Revolution - he became a leader of the short-lived Republic of Mainz and was eventually forced into exile in Paris during the Reign of Terror. Following in Forster's footsteps from Europe to Tahiti, and drawing on a wealth of correspondence mostly unpublished in English, Andrea Wulf paints a portrait of a remarkable, passionate figure unbound by place, people or establishment. She vividly conveys his extraordinary quest to find what connects us rather than what sets us apart.

TWO TROUBLED HEARTS. ONE LIFE-CHANGING JOURNEY. 'Both a popcorn-ready train wreck and a warm hug when you're crying, while kicking you in the gut with the emotional beats drop' New York Times Book Review 'Big 'give me all the feelings' tale of a chance meeting on a bus route' New York Times Magazine Daisy Douglas has spent her life behind the scenes: at work, in her relationships, and now, in planning a wedding she isn't sure she even wants. As an entertainment journalist, she can spot the start of a story a mile away. So when her routine 4 a.m. bus ride to the newsroom takes a surprising turn, she notices. For months, the same man has boarded at the same stop, reading the same tattered copy of Virginia Woolf's Orlando over and over as if his life depends on it. When a broken-down bus and a shared walk through the quiet early-morning London streets finally throws them together, Tom reveals the heartbreaking truth as to why he can't be without his novel. Determined to help him find the answer to the riddle hidden in its pages, Daisy joins Tom on his strange literary quest-one that leads them to places neither of them ever expected. But as their friendship deepens, she starts to wonder if what they're both looking for might not be in the book after all. 'A gorgeous, moving love story about coming to terms with your past and deciding what you want for your future' Emily Stone, author of A Winter Wish 'A delight. I came for the literary intrigue and stayed for the sizzling chemistry' Laura Pearson, author of The Last List of Mabel Beaumont 'What a delightful and heartfelt read!' Allison Raskin, author of Save the Date

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In the explosive sequel to the bestselling romantasy Fear the Flames, two fated lovers must unite against warring kingdoms to defend their home and crowns from those who wish to destroy them. Cayden Veles, renowned Demon Commander of Vareveth, overthrew the throne to save Elowen Atarah, the woman he searched for since childhood. Now he's determined to fulfill his quest for revenge against her father, even if it means forcing the only person he's ever wanted into a marriage of political convenience. Elowen Atarah has everything she thought she'd ever want. Finally reunited with her dragons, she now has an army to enact vengeance, but as events transpire, she begins contemplating if she wants more. As her father's only living heir, the Imirath throne is her right and destiny. But fighting and winning a war will require trusting Cayden Veles, her partner in crime and now king to her queen; the man she both longs for and doubts, especially after opening her heart only to become a pawn in his game. Navigating the shifting allegiances amongst all the kingdoms of Ravaryn will require all their strategy and strength, with devastating and bloody attacks on one side and cutthroat diplomacy for alliances on the other. But Elowen and Cayden must find a way to stand strong within the power they've gained, or risk losing everything. Delving deeper into a vast and ever-changing world, Wrath of the Dragons will take you on a journey filled with epic battles and a tender, angsty love for the ages.

¿A Goodreads Choice finalist for Readers' Favourite Science Fiction¿ 'An enjoyable, richly imagined, space-faring adventure' Guardian 'Come ... for Indiana Jones-style outer space heist adventure, stay for the sensitively drawn characters and thoughtful exploration of other forms of life far beyond our own' Veronica Roth SAVE ONE WORLD. DOOM HER OWN. Maya Hoshimoto was once the best art thief in the galaxy, returning stolen artifacts to alien civilizations. Until a disastrous job forced her into hiding. Now she just wants to enjoy a quiet life as a graduate student of anthropology, but she's haunted by persistent and disturbing visions of the future. Then an old friend comes to her with a job she can't refuse: find a powerful object that could save an alien species from extinction. Except no one has seen it in living memory, and they aren't the only ones hunting for it. Maya sets out on a breakneck quest through a universe teeming with strange life and ancient ruins. But the farther she goes, the more her visions cast a dark shadow over her team of friends new and old. Someone will betray her along the way. Worse yet, in choosing to save one species, she may condemn humanity and Earth itself. Readers love The Stardust Grail: 'With its quirky characters, impeccable world-building, and deep themes of friendship and understanding, it offers a compelling narrative that will keep you hooked from start to finish ' 'Kitasei is quickly proving to be one of my new favourite authors in the sci-fi space , and I can't wait to see what her brilliant mind cooks up next' 'Yes, I shed a tear or two because I didn't want to say goodbye to these characters ' 'It's really easy to fall in love with this book'

Game of Thrones fans will love the New York Times bestselling Abhorsen series. Sabriel, the first installment in the trilogy, launched critically acclaimed author Garth Nix onto the fantasy scene as a rising star. Dark Secrets, Deep Love, and Dangerous Magic Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. She soon finds companions in Mogget, a cat whose aloof manner barely conceals its malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories. As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death-and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own destiny. "Sabriel is a winner, a fantasy that reads like realism. Here is a world with the same solidity and four-dimensional authority as our own, created with invention, clarity and intelligence." -Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials trilogy She inherits his title, his sacred trust, and the seven bells of a power she barely understands—a power that might be the only thing standing between the living and the dead. Classic YA Epic Fantasy: Discover a richly detailed world where the line between life and death is dangerously thin, perfect for fans of foundational high fantasy. A Unique Magic System: Sabriel must master the seven bells of the Abhorsen, instruments of a dangerous magic meant not to raise the Dead, but to send them back to their final rest. A Coming-of-Age Quest: Forced from her sheltered life at boarding school, a young woman must embrace a perilous destiny to save her father—and the Old Kingdom itself. Unforgettable Companions: Joined by Mogget, a powerful and ancient being trapped in the form of a cat, and the mysterious mage Touchstone, Sabriel won't have to face the darkness alone.

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY THE NEW YORKER LONGLISTED FOR THE CENTER FOR FICTION FIRST NOVEL PRIZE AND THE VCU CABELL FIRST NOVELIST AWARD “If you read one debut novel in 2022, this should be it.” —Los Angeles Times In the bustling streets and cloistered homes of Lagos, a cast of vivid characters—some haunted, some defiant—navigate danger, demons, and love in a quest to lead true lives. As in Nigeria, vagabonds are those whose existence is literally outlawed: the queer, the poor, the displaced, the footloose and rogue spirits. They are those who inhabit transient spaces, who make their paths and move invisibly, who embrace apparitions, old vengeances and alternative realities. Eloghosa Osunde's brave, fiercely inventive novel traces a wild array of characters for whom life itself is a form of resistance: a driver for a debauched politician with the power to command life and death; a legendary fashion designer who gives birth to a grown daughter; a lesbian couple whose tender relationship sheds unexpected light on their experience with underground sex work; a wife and mother who attends a secret spiritual gathering that shifts her world. As their lives intertwine—in bustling markets and underground clubs, churches and hotel rooms—vagabonds are seized and challenged by spirits who command the city's dark energy. Whether running from danger, meeting with secret lovers, finding their identities, or vanquishing their shadowselves, Osunde's characters confront and support one another, before converging for the once-in-a-lifetime gathering that gives the book its unexpectedly joyous conclusion. Blending unvarnished realism with myth and fantasy, Vagabonds! is a vital work of imagination that takes us deep inside the hearts, minds, and bodies of a people in duress—and in triumph.

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER! She doesn't remember her past. But some memories come with a cost. Eira Eckhart has spent years building a quiet life in a small town at the edge of a recently overthrown kingdom. Her memory is fractured, her past a blur-but with her shop, her loyal rabbit familiar, and practicing only the potions magic still legal under the watchful eye of the Iron Empire, she's managed to remain unnoticed by the empire's witch hunters. Until Hugo Venton walks through her door. Brash, clever, and infuriatingly handsome, Hugo is searching for something…and seems to know more about Eira than she knows about herself. But when a terrifying encounter with an unnatural, deadly new breed of soldier puts a price on her head, she has no choice but to join Hugo on his quest. Their hunt for a missing princess pulls Eira across the continent-and deeper into a past she can't recall. As buried memories, mysteries in the Iron Empire's capital, forgotten feelings, and the truth behind her identity begin to surface, Eira realizes the forbidden magic simmering in her veins might be the very thing that could save them from the Iron Empire's forces as they draw ever closer…if she can remember how to control it in time. FOR FANS OF: Yearning The guard that falls in love with their assignment Enemies to friends to lovers Forbidden magic Memory loss plotlines Spark of the Everflame and A Fate Inked in Blood Plus sized main characters (whose weight is the least important thing about them) Powerful women in romantasy

"Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing." --Publishers Weekly (re A Quest of Heroes) "I await each release by this author eagerly and have never been disappointed!" --Book Reviewer (Wish) From #1 bestseller and USA Today bestseller Morgan Rice, whose books have over 10,000 five-star ratings, comes the third book in a spectacular new fantasy series, DEATHBORN, ideal for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Callie Hart, and Carissa Broadbent. The series begins with VEILED (BOOK 1 OF THE DEATHBORN SERIES). As Elara Gray begins her third year at Greyveil Academy, a global delegation arrives to confront the growing threat lurking beyond the veil. Mysterious magical disturbances and a cryptic Deathborn elder's arrival pull Elara deeper into a web of secrets, while her uneasy alliance with Luminary Orion sparks forbidden feelings. When a shocking crime casts suspicion on Elara, she and her allies race to uncover a dangerous conspiracy threatening the academy's core. With Darian hiding a perilous secret and enemies closing in, Elara must harness her necromantic powers to protect those she loves. Can Elara clear her name before the veil unravels? Seductive romance meets supernatural intrigue in a high-stakes world where mortality's boundaries fade and forbidden power awaits those willing to pay its terrible price. As enemies become reluctant lovers amidst ancient magic and deadly political games, morally complex characters must navigate their darkest desires and dangerous alliances—challenging readers to question how much they would sacrifice for power that transcends the veil between life and death. Future books in the series are available! "Loved it. Kept me on my toes like the whole time. It made me want to keep reading even when I was supposed to be sleeping." --Book Reviewer (Wish) "The beginnings of something remarkable are there." --San Francisco Book Review (re A Quest of Heroes) "Has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers." --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re The Sorcerer's Ring)

A marvel' CHLOE GONG 'Dazzling' STEPHANIE GARBER 'Magic leaps from every page' AXIE OH 'A master storyteller' KERRI MANISCALCO Sisterhood bonds and courage are tested in the new magical standalone story from the New York Times bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes and The Dragon's Promise. Channi was not born a monster. But then her own father offers her in sacrifice to the Demon Witch, and she is forever changed. Cursed with a serpent's face, Channi is the exact opposite of her beautiful sister, Vanna -the only person she loves and trusts. But when a vulgar competition is set up to marry Vanna off to the highest bidder, only Channi will defend her sister from the cruellest of her suitors. In doing so, she becomes the target of his wrath. To save her Vanna, Channi will face a battle royale, a quest over land and sea, a romance between sworn enemies, and a choice that will strain her heart to its breaking point. Elizabeth Lim is at the absolute top of her game in this thrilling yet heart-wrenching tale of courage, loyalty and the deep bonds of sisterhood. READERS LOVE ELIZABETH LIM 'I will read quite literally ANYTHING Elizabeth Lim writes but I think this has to be my favourite ' ' I haven't enjoyed a fantasy book like this since I read Fourth Wing. Wow ' 'This book was truly wonderful ! I loved everything about it and I'm not sure I have words in me to do it justice' 'This was pure perfection , just like the Six Crimson Cranes duology. So if you loved that, you'll surely love this too' 'The emotional impact of it is both beautiful and brutal in a way that is sure to stay with you for quite some time

NATIONAL BESTSELLER After Revenge of the Sith, a newly forged Darth Vader hunts for the secrets of life and death under the watchful eye of Emperor Palpatine. In the wake of Emperor Palpatine’s rise to power, the true nature of his most sinister enforcer remains a mystery. Darth Vader is a dominant yet illusive figure: the shadow cast by a malignant Imperial regime, unknowable to even its top officials. But even as his humanity gives way to myth, Vader remains haunted by the promises of the dark side, seeking the ultimate power that his master has hinted at but withheld—the power to conquer death itself. On the volcanic world of Mustafar, Vader undertakes a dark ritual, bleeding a kyber crystal to forge his lightsaber. This act unleashes a power far greater than he anticipated, giving him a glimpse into the limitless potential of the Force. Vader is determined to follow this vision, even if it means defying his master’s orders. Yet he finds the Emperor suspiciously supportive of his mission, even sending Vader to the Diso system to investigate rumors of a Force-wielding shaman able to raise the dead. At his side are a cadre of the Emperor’s scarlet-robed Royal Guard, led by Colonel Halland Goth—a decorated soldier with a very personal interest in Vader’s mission. Even as the Emperor’s true motivations reveal themselves, Vader falls deeper into obsession. His journey takes him far across the galaxy, chasing rumors and phantoms. But no matter how far he travels, he cannot escape the shadows within his own soul. Haunted by the echoes of his past, Vader circles the true resolution to his quest: only once all weakness is purged can he become a master of evil.

A dazzling work of personal travelogue and cultural criticism that ranges from the primitive to the postmodern in a quest for the promise and meaning of the psychedelic experience. While psychedelics of all sorts are demonized in America today, the visionary compounds found in plants are the spiritual sacraments of tribal cultures around the world. From the iboga of the Bwiti in Gabon, to the Mazatecs of Mexico, these plants are sacred because they awaken the mind to other levels of awareness--to a holographic vision of the universe. Breaking Open the Head is a passionate, multilayered, and sometimes rashly personal inquiry into this deep division. On one level, Daniel Pinchbeck tells the story of the encounters between the modern consciousness of the West and these sacramental substances, including such thinkers as Allen Ginsberg, Antonin Artaud, Walter Benjamin, and Terence McKenna, and a new underground of present-day ethnobotanists, chemists, psychonauts, and philosophers. It is also a scrupulous recording of the author's wide-ranging investigation with these outlaw compounds, including a thirty-hour tribal initiation in West Africa; an all-night encounter with the master shamans of the South American rain forest; and a report from a psychedelic utopia in the Black Rock Desert that is the Burning Man Festival. Breaking Open the Head is brave participatory journalism at its best, a vivid account of psychic and intellectual experiences that opened doors in the wall of Western rationalism and completed Daniel Pinchbeck's personal transformation from a jaded Manhattan journalist to shamanic initiate and grateful citizen of the cosmos.

Thoroughly revised and expanded for a new generation of readers, this classic guide to enjoying literature to its fullest-a lively, enlightening, and entertaining introduction to the tools of literary analysis, covering a diverse range of writing and literary devices, including symbols, themes, and contexts-teaches you how to improve your reading comprehension and make your everyday reading experience richer and more rewarding. While books can be enjoyed for their basic stories, there are often deeper literary meanings beneath the surface. How to Read Literature Like a Professor [Third Edition] helps us to discover those hidden truths by looking at literature with the practiced analytical eye-and the literary codes-of a college professor. What does it mean when a protagonist is traveling along a dusty road? When he hands a drink to his companion? When he's drenched in a sudden rain shower? As a master class in literary criticism for beginners, Thomas C. Foster provides answers to these questions as he explores every aspect of fiction, from major themes to literary models, narrative devices, and form. Offering a broad overview of literature-a world where a road leads to a quest, a shared meal may signify a communion, and rain, whether cleansing or destructive, is never just a shower-he shows us how to make our reading experience more intellectually satisfying and fun. The world, and curricula, have changed. This third edition has been thoroughly revised to reflect those changes, and features new chapters, a new preface and epilogue, as well as fresh teaching points Foster has developed over the past decade. Foster updates the books he discusses to include more diverse, inclusive, and modern works, such as Angie Thomas's The Hate U Give; Emily St. John Mandel's Station Eleven; Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere; Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X; Helen Oyeyemi's Mr. Fox and Boy, Snow, Bird; Sandra Cisneros's The House on Mango Street; Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God; Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet; Madeline Miller's Circe; Pat Barker's The Silence of the Girls; and Tahereh Mafi's A Very Large Expanse of Sea. In this bestselling guide, you'll learn to decode the hidden language of literature: How to Analyze a Book: Master the "grammar of literature" and learn to spot the symbols, themes, and patterns-from quests and shared meals to rain and vampires-that enrich any story. Literary Devices Explained: Understand the codes professors use to explore everything from narrative form to character archetypes, making your reading more intellectually satisfying and fun. Advanced Placement English Resource: Discover why this accessible guide has become a go-to resource and favorite summer reading for AP English students and teachers across the country. Modern and Diverse Examples: Explore insights from classic works alongside contemporary titles like The Hate U Give, Station Eleven, Neverwhere, and Circe.