A powerful emperor, mysteriously killed. A nation torn apart by conspiracies, betrayal and chaos. Amidst this, there were two young boys, brothers in arms; disgraced by the empire, they set out to avenge their master and fulfill his last wish. But will they succeed in regaining the kingdom? Or will one of them heed to the persuasive words of the evil? Will they fight together for their purpose? Or will they turn against each other in search of their true selves? A simple but thrilling story that brings out the human emotions of love, friendship, rage, hatred, thirst for power and knowledge! Join the shinobi on their journey to become the strongest warriors in the realm.

Saturday, December 14, 2013. The case ended up taking seven hours. Her incision stretched from pubic bone to sternum. Although saturated with narcotic, she awakened writhing in pain. Any more pain meds . . . and she’d quit breathing. With help to carefully turn and position her onto her side, I then slipped in an epidural catheter. I put it up high, to be sure the band of numbness would cover the length of her incision. Within minutes after the first dose, she morphed into an entirely different person, chatting with us. Need for IV narcs, gone. She was able to take deep breaths and cough without pain. How could I have lived with myself had I not taken this extra step? It likely helped shorten her hospital stay and reduce the cost. Curses to any payer claiming epidurals for post-op pain are not necessary. Damn any CEO taking credit for the savings while putting a portion into his own pocket.

Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Darkness Rising trilogy is collected here for the first time! The Gathering: Strange things are happening in Maya's tiny Vancouver Island town. First, her friend Serena, the captain of the swim team, drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. Then, one year later, mountain lions are spotted rather frequently around Maya's home--and her reactions to them are somewhat . . . unexpected. It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret, and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy--her paw-print birthmark. The Calling: Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home. The Rising: All Maya and her friends have is the name and number of someone who might be able to give them a few answers. Answers to why they're so valuable, and why their supernatural powers are getting more and more out of control. But Maya is unprepared for the truths that await her. And like it or not, she'll have to face down some demons from her past if she ever hopes to move on with her life.

A Stanford University Press classic.