It is 372 AD, and the Roman Empire roils on the cusp of its great decline. The fierce Roman General Marcus Augustus Valerias seeks an escape from his brutal military life. The General leaves his legions for frontier Britannia, but his search for a simpler new life is not to be. His destiny becomes entangled with the conflicts of a desperate widowed queen, a troubled Christian priest, a cruel Roman army deserter, and two ruthlessly ambitious Hun brothers, as they struggle with love, power, religion, greed, and the demons of their pasts. The climatic epic battle between mighty armies will decide the fates of these individuals and their peoples. Yet their actions serve as only a temporary ripple in the relentless passage of time.

During a dire battle against the fearsome Skinners, Daine and her mage teacher Numair are swept into the Divine Realms. Though happy to be alive, they are not where they want to be. They are desperately needed back home, where their old enemy, Ozorne, and his army of strange creatures are waging war against Tortall. Trapped in the mystical realms Daine discovers her mysterious parentage. And as these secrets of her past are revealed so is the treacherous way back to Tortall. So they embark on an extraordinary journey home, where the fate of all Tortall rests with Daine and her wild magic.

WITH A BRAND NEW LOOK! ON FEBRUARY 22, 1980, KHORSHED AND RUMI BHAVNAGRI’S WORLD WAS SHATTERED. ONE MONTH LATER, A NEW ONE OPENED. Khorshed and Rumi Bhavnagri lost their sons, Vispi and Ratoo, in a tragic car crash. With both their sons gone, the couple felt they would not survive for long. They had lost all faith in God until a miraculous message from the Spirit World gave them hope and sent them on an incredible journey.

Photographs, illustrations, and text provide information about life in England before and during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, covering the years between 1533 and 1603, discussing the Queen's court, conditions in London, foreign affairs, and other topics.

The acclaimed master fantasist is back with more adventure, danger, magic, and intrigue in this second thrilling installment in The Darkwar Saga The Conclave of Shadows has foiled the Nighthawks’ attempt to plunge the Empire of Great Kesh into civil war and now has undertaken to stamp out the Guild of Assassins, root and branch. But as the brotherhood of murder is being obliterated, Pug and his allies are confronted with an even more dire question: where is Leso Varen? They discover that the mad sorcerer has taken refuge on the world of Kelewan, among the most powerful men and women of that empire, the Magicians of the Assembly. Pug also learns that the massive hordes of the Dasati—the most vicious group of assassins he has ever known—is poised to make a joint invasion of both Kelewan and Midkemia. To save the future of both empires, Pug and the Conclave of Shadows must journey into another realm of reality, into the darkest realm they have ever encountered: the Dasati home world!

This reader's guide to J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings offers a journey into the world of Middle-earth, exploring the grand themes and hidden nuances of Tolkien's epic story, connecting The Lord of the Rings to the larger mythology of Middle-earth, and situating Tolkien's process of writing within his own powerful experiences of the imaginal realm. The Lord of the Rings has been a beloved story to several generations since its publication in the mid-1950s. The story has a timeless quality to it, and engages with a complex struggle between good and evil, death and immortality, power and freedom. The Lord of the Rings is a book treated by many as a sacred text, one to be returned to year after year, or read aloud with loved ones. The Lord of the Rings has become a myth for our time. Journey to the Imaginal Realm guides the reader through each chapter of J. R. R. Tolkien's magnum opus, drawing attention to the subtle details, recalling moments of foreshadowing, and illuminating underlying patterns and narrative threads throughout the story. The close reading of the text is paired with relevant biographical information from Tolkien's life, including the loss of both his parents at a young age, the central role of friendship in his life, his participation in the First World War, and his exquisite romance with his wife Edith. Tolkien was a lover of language and a philologist by profession, and his invented languages form the heart of his tales. In some of his letters, Tolkien described his process of writing as one of discovery, in which he waited to find out "what really happened," feeling as though he was "recording what was already 'there, ' somewhere." This reader's guide seeks to understand the imaginal experiences Tolkien may have encountered that led to the writing of his stories. The guide explores Tolkien's theory of sub-creation, the immersive experience of Faërian Dramas, and most importantly, his notion of the realm of Faërie. Journey to the Imaginal Realm is a celebration of Tolkien's work, and an inquiry into the profound nature of imagination, which is capable of bringing forth a world as vast as Middle-earth.

"The ultimate chronicle of the games behind the game."—The New York Times Book Review Baseball has always inspired rhapsodic elegies on the glory of man and golden memories of wonderful times. But what you see on the field is only half the game. In this fascinating, colorful chronicle—based on hundreds of interviews and years of research and digging—John Helyar brings to vivid life the extraordinary people and dramatic events that shaped America's favorite pastime, from the dead-ball days at the turn of the century through the great strike of 1994. Witness zealous Judge Landis banish eight players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson, after the infamous "Black Sox" scandal; the flamboyant A's owner Charlie Finley wheel and deal his star players, Vida Blue and Rollie Fingers, like a deck of cards; the hysterical bidding war of coveted free agent Catfish Hunter; the chain-smoking romantic, A. Bartlett Giamatti, locking horns with Pete Rose during his gambling days of summer; and much more. Praise for The Lords of the Realm "A must-read for baseball fans . . . reads like a suspense novel."—Kirkus Reviews "Refreshingly hard-headed . . . the only book you'll need to read on the subject."—Newsday "Lots of stories . . . well told, amusing . . . edifying."—The Washington Post