Why "Prisoners of the Gorgons"? Because in the Oxford painting the Gorgons are shown in evident fashion, and two eminent critics, condisered the leading ones in the art world, making use of their erroneous allegorical interpretation, have conditioned and altered the true reading of the painting, imposing their anti-Catholic sentiments on over 150 art historians who have directly or indirectly dealt with this work by Rubens.

The U.S. Merrimack was the finest battleship in Earth's fleet, able to withstand the best the Palatine Empire could throw at them. Only her sister ship, the Monitor, was her equal. So when the Palatine forces secretly captured Monitor, Merrimack's security was compromised-and that was just the opening salvo of a whole new stage of war between Palatine and Earth.

To defeat the forces of evil which threaten his world, young Amos Daragon, aided by mythical animal friends, sets out on a journey to find four masks that harness the forces of nature and sixteen powerful stones that give the masks their magic.

"A smart choice for die-hard fantasy lovers. . . . Fans of Cornelia Funke's Inkheart trilogy will approve."--Booklist Amos Daragon's life changes forever the day a mermaid gives him a mask capable of harnessing the strength of the wind—and appoints Amos as the new Mask Wearer. His task: to find the masks for the other elements, earth, fire, and water. Only then will Amos be fully empowered to battle the evil forces that threaten to destroy the balance of nature and plunge the world into darkness. To fulfill his destiny, Amos must make his way to the mysterious woods of Tarkasis. But a wicked sorcerer is terrorizing the land, searching for a skull pendant that was stolen from him—a pendant that conceals a secret weapon. What will Amos do when the pendant falls into his hands? Will Beorf, a boy who can morph into a bear, and Medusa, a snake-haired gorgon, turn out to be friend or foe? And will Amos master any of his newfound skills as Mask Wearer in time to face a formidable enemy? His chanllenges are great . . . and they're just beginning.

In the Southeast of Aerbon, the elvish country of Gilan prepares for war against the drug-addled orcs of the Gorgon Desolation after the disappearance of the king's daughter, Princess Eaïnne. Together, with the help of the Nardic Tribes of the South, the elves hope to rescue their lost princess and eradicate the orcish race as a whole in an effort to free the continent of Aerbon from its impending doom at the hands of the orcs. The orcs of the Gorgon lands grew and produced a demonic drug called Guaka-Guaka; causing them to become blood-thirsty and schizophrenic where it tainted them more and more with each use. They were addicted to the foul substance and they claimed that it was a gift from their gods, the Masters, who had initially bestowed it upon them in the long-forgotten Age of Myth. It was refined in factories that blackened the skies and the production of the drug was steadily causing their world to die off as a result. So it was that the elves sought to end their foul existence whilst the orcs fought to maintain their lifestyle, seeing nothing wrong with their actions as they claimed that it was the will of their gods.

IN THE NIGHTMARE FUTURE OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY ONLY THE STRONGEST SURVIVE Raised on the streets of a devastated twenty-first century torn by plagues, riots, and social decay, Aubry Knight was trained to be a lethal killing machine. Betrayed by those who created him, he survived a living hell to become a new kind of hero: strong enough to confront evil, yet caring enough to save a world. But now a fanatical religious leader plots to enslave the nation and tampers with the sanctity of life itself. To save America from tyranny, Aubry Knight must battle an inhuman army of super soldiers—and confront the terrors of his own past.