It was another age. A time of steely battles and greedy war mongering despotic chieftains. Where love was Aela’s romantic ambition to allure and captivate Rom the bravest warrior in the clan. Magic was Aela's secret weapon in her quest to win the heart of her true love. The journey was a labyrinth of treachery and obstacles as Rom and Aela steadily progressed on their mission to obtain the ultimate prize....the Sacred Sword.

Northern Europe, AD 1107 Aela, the brave and beautiful teen set on joining the ranks of the Valkyries. Ivar, a young and innocent teen, tried and punished for doing what he thought was right. Once both inseparable in their small warrior village of Vassa. Now they are only memories to each other as Ivar runs away to find a better life for himself in a world he doesn’t know or understand. All the while, Aela remains behind to achieve her dreams as a shield-maiden. But as the threat of the cruel and mysterious western king draws ever nearer, both of their worlds will change. As Aela’s world seems to fall apart at the hands of a village she thought she knew, Ivar will come face-to-face with dangerous encounter after dangerous encounter in a deadly new environment. Can they find the strength to overcome these obstacles? Will Aela learn that winning a fight doesn’t make you righteous? Will Ivar hold on to the innocent young man or succumb to a world where injustice seems to thrive? Will Aela ever see her once best friend again, or will he merely be a memory to hold on to? Will Ivar die as the runaway orphan, or will he become something more? This story spans a continent in the early stages of war. It will see characters change and die as mistakes are made and lessons are learned. A story that will see cities rise and kingdoms fall. A story of a young wolf and a brave Valkyrie who will change the world around them.

Oh, crud, I just realized that I’ve been reincarnated into my favorite manga as the first boss defeated by the heroine at the start of the story! Worst yet, it turns out my fiancé is the strongest of the Four Grand Magi and the very villain who slanders my character as a disgrace on her deathbed! I’m outta here! This is the story of the weakest manga villainess who seeks out the slow life instead of the villain life.

This book constitutes the refereed joint proceedings of four international workshops held in conjunction with the 8th Asia-Pacific Web Conference, APWeb 2006, in Harbin, China in January 2006. The 88 revised full papers and 58 revised short papers presented are very specific and contribute to enlarging the spectrum of the more general topics treated in the APWeb 2006 main conference.

AS A PRINCESS, SHE WAS A BRIDGE. AS A QUEEN, SHE'S A HAMMER. With her marriage mending the ancient divide between Elves and Humans, Nara Crawforde knows a thing or two about political prowess. From the moment the queen’s crown touched her head, Nara learned she had to be willing to sacrifice everything for the good of her kingdom. Now, unrest is brewing in Lahan. Despite her uncle's claim that the enemy lies in the rival land of Grunid, Nara fears the real threat lurks within her own family. When her eldest daughter, Princess Aela, disappears from her chambers, Nara struggles to hold onto her inheritance as traitors step out of the shadows and reveal themselves as some of her closest allies. Fans of The Folk of the Air and the Lord of the Rings will love In the Eye of the Crow and its immersive fantasy tale.

On the green hills and steep cliffs of ancient Ireland, there is a village that is no different than the rest. That is until they encounter some dark visitors from a mysterious land. Many have died because of these visitors, but Runa has a plan to free his people from the iron grasp of these demons. Using magic and some unknown words, they conjure a demon of their own. She gives them great power, but with it came a curse on their poor village. Now every full moon the villages male descendants, travel to their enemys castle to be locked away from their loved ones so that they dont harm them. Eva, a beautiful fifteen year old girl walks the path of the wolves for the first time. With the love of her life beside her and her father leading the way, they walk with sorrow and uncertainty in their hearts. Knowing that she wont have long to live after her change that night. The curse belongs to the men in the village and cannot reside in the hearts of women. Their only hope is a cure, and must depend on their greatest enemy to find it before Evas last moon.

Kidnapping. Curses. Trying to stop a magical cult from taking over the world. No one told me this was what being a godparent would be like. No one is more surprised than me when I get the request: "Rhyss, we would be honored if you would stand as Coran's godfather." For this happy-go-lucky mercenary, it's not the sort of thing I get asked often. Or would even want to do. But you don't say no to your best friends, who also happen to be the King and Queen of Calia. Even if saying yes means pledging my life and protection to their newborn son, the Crown Prince Coran. At the christening, my new vow is immediately tested when the baby is stolen away by a secret society. Now I, along with Farrah, another dear friend, must cross a haunted forest and deal with pirates in the seedy kingdom of Bomora. My former home. Where I have to face the demons of my past. Before they unleash an ancient magic that could destroy all of the Gifted Lands. Should be easy. Right? Journey to the Gifted Lands, a fantasy world of seven kingdoms, each known for their own unique power or ability. Heir of Crowns and Curses is the fourth book in the Kingdom Legacy series set in this magical world. Each book features a new character from one of the kingdoms, with appearances from beloved characters from previous novels.