As a lowly pot boy, Holt Cook was never meant to be a dragon rider. Until in a moment of madness, he saves a dragon egg doomed to be destroyed. A blind hatchling with a mysterious and unknown magic. Soul-bonding with the dragon, Holt gains access to its magical core. Only through training and perseverance can he cultivate its power to stand a chance in the battles to come. For the riders are preparing for war. Undead horrors are rising across the land. Kings and riders alike die in their strongholds. Order is crumbling. And Holt faces a terrible decision. To do what is expected and maintain order, or do what he knows to be right and cause only chaos?

Half-elf, half-human, Tallian lives with dwarves and knows little about his birth parents. After his adopted brother runs away, hundreds of shadow bats decimate his village, and Meerkesh, Tallian’s adopted father reveals the truth about how he came to live with the dwarves in the Furin Mountains. Betrayed by the only brother he has ever known, Tallian and the dwarves flee from Fearoc, the evil elf who controls Luminess. Against what seems to be impossible odds, dwarves, elves, dragons, and men unite against Fearoc in hopes of freeing Luminess.

A dragon who can't wield magic. A human who hates dragons. A secret so powerful it could destroy both their races. Isidra and Syl are different as different can be. Isidra yearns to become one of the Andarae, a global peacekeeping force of mortals and dragons. Syl has a deep grudge against the Andarae because they betrayed her family. When a magical accident binds Isidra and Syl together, they're forced to team up as a dragon-rider pair and train with the Andarae. That would be bad enough, since the two of them can't stand each other. Then bodies drained of blood start turning up, and it becomes clear that someone's hellbent on destroying the Andarae from within. With the future of both their races at stake, Isidra and Syl must put aside their differences to solve the murders. But that puts a target on their backs, which means the next bloodless corpses might be them. They'll have to stay one step ahead on this magical murder mystery... Because if they can't learn to work together, they'll die together.

An art-filled sourcebook for all things draconic in the Dungeons & Dragons world, this title includes information on playing dragons and dragon-like creatures, how to run a dragon in a fight, and how to both fight dragons and work with them as allies. The book itself is designed in a prestige format, with heavy use of art throughout and constructed of premium materials. (Games/Gamebooks/Crosswords)

No nation on Earth is as newsworthy as 21st-century China—and no book could be timelier than Dragon Rising, as world attention focuses on China's all-out effort to present itself as a modern world power and on the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Becker is the ideal guide to the profound changes within China that are reshaping global economic, diplomatic, and military strategies. He weaves analysis with anecdotes to address today's pressing uncertainties: How will China cope with pollution, unemployment, and demand for energy? What form will its government take? Can Shanghai's success with urban capitalism be replicated elsewhere? Each chapter focuses on a specific region and its local issues—minority unrest, poverty, corruption—then places them in the broader context of China society as a whole. Vividly illustrated with photographs that capture the paradox of an ancient culture remaking itself into a dynamic consumer society, Dragon Rising is a wonderfully written, well-rounded, wide-ranging portrait of China's problems and prospects.

Despite China's effort to maintain peace with its neighbors, its military and economic growth poses an undeniable threat. Regional states must account for a more powerful potential adversary in China, and China has become more ambitious in its efforts to control its surroundings. Historical baggage has only aggravated the situation as China believes it is reclaiming its rightful place after a time of weakness and mistreatment, and other Asia-Pacific countries remember all too well their encounter with Chinese conflict and domination. Through a careful consideration of historical factors and raw data, Denny Roy examines the benefits and consequences of a more politically, economically, and militarily potent China. Since China's intended sphere of influence encroaches on the autonomy of regional states, its attempts to increase its own security have weakened the security of its neighbors. Nevertheless, there is little incentive for Beijing to change a status quo that is mostly good for China, and the PRC thrives through its participation in the global economy and multilateral institutions. Even so, Beijing remains extremely sensitive to challenges to the Chinese Communist Party's legitimacy and believes it is entitled to exercise influence on its periphery. On these issues, nationalism trumps any reluctance to upset the international system. Diplomatic disputes regarding the islands in the South China Sea, as well as controversial relations with North Korea, continue to undermine Chinese promises of positive behavior. Roy's study reveals the dynamics defining this volatile region, in which governments pursue China as an economic partner yet fear Beijing's power to set the rules of engagement.

The bestselling authors of The Year of the Rat expose how the Clinton administration helped Communist China achieve its military ambitions.