Dive into a heart-pounding desert adventure with "The Runaway Princess," a captivating tale of survival, self-discovery, and forbidden love. Princess Priya, yearning for freedom beyond the suffocating palace walls, escapes into the unforgiving desert disguised as a commoner. But danger lurks around every sand dune. When she encounters Arul, a mysterious mercenary with a hidden past, their paths collide. Together, they must navigate the harsh realities of desert life – scorching sun, dwindling water supplies, and the constant threat of the ruthless Sand Serpents. As they face perilous choices – a treacherous mountain pass or a deadly ambush – an unlikely bond blossoms between Priya and Arul. Priya, stripped of her royal title, discovers an inner strength she never knew she possessed. Arul, haunted by his past, finds solace in their shared struggles. But will their newfound connection survive the dangers that await them? This thrilling desert saga explores themes of courage, resilience, and the transformative power of adventure. With vivid descriptions that transport you to the heart of the desert, "The Runaway Princess" will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. Perfect for fans of desert adventures, fantasy with a touch of romance, and stories of self-discovery.

Surveying the sculpture of many civilizations from ancient Egypt to 20th-century North America, this book provides a basic introduction to the nature of materials used by sculptors, examining how these were regarded as well as how they were worked in different periods and in different cultures.

Five thousand years ago there began the most momentous revolution in human history. Starting in Mesopotamia, city civilization emerged for the first time on earth, to be followed in Egypt, India, China and the Americas. The ideals of these ancient civilizations still shape the lives of the majority of mankind. In Search of the First Civilizations (previously published as Legacy) asks the intriguing question: what is civilization? Did it mean the same to the Chinese, the Indians and the Greeks? What can the values of the ancient cultures teach us today? And do the ideals of the West - a latecomer to civilization - really have universal validity? In this fascinating historical search, Michael Wood explores these ancient cultures, looking for their essential character and their continuing legacy. A brilliant exploration. Sunday Times Well-written, gorgeous and guaranteed to induce thought... Wood takes great care to put everything in a large historical perspective, which is actually more disturbing than comforting. New York Post

Bellwether Prize-winner Cole pays homage to the strength and beauty of the people and landscape of her adopted home, Alaska.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) The final collection of stories by award-winning writer Marjorie Kowalski Cole, The City Beneath the Snow is a portrait of contemporary Alaskans, their interactions, and their foibles. These stories reveal the moral decisions that lurk at unexpected corners in daily life as the characters confront a world at once magical and ordinary, joy-filled and tragic. Together, they give the reader an intimate portrait of a people and place more often portrayed through wilderness specials and reality adventure shows. “Marjorie Kowalski Cole’s characters live, work, and struggle in interior Alaska, and she depicts life here with a keen eye and with compassion. We see the daughter of a Fairbanks junkyard owner struggling with her isolation. We meet a bartender at Circle Hot Springs who’s also a certified nurse’s assistant at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital . . . These are inner lives, revealed with care and with skill, the true material of good literature.”—Peggy Shumaker, Alaska State Writer Laureate “These are indeed short stories, but each has its own unquestionable beauty . . . Each story in The City Beneath the Snow begs re-reading, whether to absorb the poetic prose once more, or to attempt to resolve an ending that left a question mark. The characters are real, their situations elicit compassion, and Cole’s writing deserves to be savored.” —Foreword Reviews