For countless centuries, the evil known only as Dracula has terrorized the Transylvanian countryside. Every attempt to destroy his evil has failed, leaving the villagers of Vasaria in despair for generations. A sliver of hope arrives through an unlikely alliance with a small pack of werewolves who have been waging their own war against Draculas evil tyranny. While the villagers and the werewolves struggle among themselves in addition to Draculas forces, another unforeseen force becomes known: Draculas half-vampire-half-human son, Alucard, who appears to have joined the fight against his father. While Alucard adds additional and much-needed assistance in the battle against Dracula, his intentions are less clear. Is he heroically freeing the world from his fathers evil, or does he have his own nefarious agenda in mind?

The delusional mind of the diary writer seems a bit odd when it comes to writing something based on true events linked to somewhat a fantasy world of his own twisted to be mixed inside it. Be careful not to be deceived... This is Klei's everyday life in his house arrest.

"Kim Newman's Anno Dracula is back in print, and we must celebrate. It was the first mash-up of literature, history and vampires, and now, in a world in which vampires are everywhere, it's still the best, and its bite is just as sharp. Compulsory reading, commentary, and mindgame: glorious." - Neil Gaiman "Politics, horror, and romance are woven together in this brilliantly imagined and realized novel. Newman's prose is a delight, his attention to detail is spellbinding." - Time Out “Stephen King assumes we hate vampires; Anne Rice makes it safe to love them, because they hate themselves. Kim Newman suspects that most of us live with them… Anno Dracula is the definitive account of that post-modern species, the self-obsessed undead.” - New York Times “Anno Dracula will leave you breathless... one of the most creative novels of the year.” - Seattle Times “Powerful... compelling entertainment... a fiendishly clever banquet of dark treats.” - San Francisco Chronicle 'A ripping yarn, an adventure romp of the best blood, and a satisfying… read' - Washington Post Book World "The most comprehensive, brilliant, dazzlingly audacious vampire novel to date. 'Ultimate' seems an apt description... Anno Dracula is at once playful, horrific, intelligent, and revelatory." - Locus "A marvelous marriage of political satire, melodramatic intrigue, gothic horror, and alternative history. Not to be missed." - The Independent "Once you start reading this Victorian-era thriller, you will not be satiated until you reach the end." - Ain't It Cool "Anno Dracula is the smart, hip Year Zero of the vampire genre's ongoing revolution." - Paul McAuley "Kim Newman brings Dracula back home in the granddaddy of all vampire adventures. Anno Dracula couldn't be more fun if Bram Stoker had scripted it for Hammer. It's a beautifully constructed Gothic epic that knocks almost every other vampire novel out for the count." - Christopher Fowler "The most interesting take on the Dracula story... to date. Recommending this one to all those that love Dracula and historical fiction!" - RexRobotReviews -- It is 1888 and Queen Victoria has remarried, taking as her new consort Vlad Tepes, the Wallachian Prince infamously known as Count Dracula. Peppered with familiar characters from Victorian history and fiction, the novel follows vampire Geneviève Dieudonné and Charles Beauregard of the Diogenes Club as they strive to solve the mystery of the Ripper murders. Anno Dracula is a rich and panoramic tale, combining horror, politics, mystery and romance to create a unique and compelling alternate history. Acclaimed novelist Kim Newman explores the darkest depths of a reinvented Victorian London. This brand-new edition of the bestselling novel contains unique bonus material, including a new afterword from Kim Newman, annotations, articles and alternate endings to the original novel.

A Darker Shade of Magic, from #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive. "A Darker Shade of Magic has all the hallmarks of a classic work of fantasy. Schwab has given us a gem of a tale...This is a book to treasure."—Deborah Harkeness, New York Times bestselling author of the All Souls trilogy Shades of Magic series 1. A Darker Shade of Magic 2. A Gathering of Shadows 3. A Conjuring of Light At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Serious Games provides a thorough exploration of the claim that playing games can provide learning that is deep, sustained and transferable to the real world. "Serious games" is defined herein as any form of interactive computer-based game software for one or multiple players to be used on any platform and that has been developed to provide more than entertainment to players. With this volume, the editors address the gap in exisiting scholarship on gaming, providing an academic overview on the mechanisms and effects of serious games. Contributors investigate the psychological mechanisms that take place not only during gaming, but also in game selection, persistent play, and gaming impact. The work in this collection focuses on the desirable outcomes of digital game play. The editors distinguish between three possible effects -- learning, development, and change -- covering a broad range of serious games’ potential impact. Contributions from internationally recognized scholars focus on five objectives: Define the area of serious games Elaborate on the underlying theories that explain suggested psychological mechanisms elicited through serious game play, addressing cognitive, affective and social processes Summarize the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of serious games, Introduce innovative research methods as a response to methodological challenges imposed through interactive media Discuss the possibilities and limitations of selected applications for educational purposes. Anchored primarily in social science research, the reader will be introduced to approaches that focus on the gaming process and the users’ experiences. Additional perspectives will be provided in the concluding chapters, written from non-social science approaches by experts in academic game design and representatives of the gaming industry. The editors acknowledge the necessity for a broader interdisciplinary study of the phenomena and work to overcome the methodological divide in games research to look ahead to a more integrated and interdisciplinary study of digital games. This timely and singular volume will appeal to scholars, researchers, and graduate students working in media entertainment and game studies in the areas of education, media, communication, and psychology.

During an attack on his school, a young man's unknown powers were awakened. This awakening sent a massive burst of energy throughout the land that awakened powers in others as well. As these powers were awakened within countless individuals throughout the country, the government took notice and began hunting down these people like animals. During all the commotion, an ancient terrorist organization threatened their biggest attack in history, as their power reached untold heights under a mysterious new leader. It didn't help that the natural disasters were getting worse and worse by the day without any sign of ceasing. During all of this, one young man must do the impossible...he must stop this organization, despite the fact that no one has been able to even hinder them in thousands of years. He must stop them before their plans go through. In order for him to have any chance of success, he must form the resistance.