Of the three princes of Valahia, two are heroes, but the third, Meier, is anything but Gloomy and pale, he holds the affections only of his family and the ancient court jester, Crocus. His fate is suddenly changed when Valahia is thrown into a bloody war, and Meier is finally put to the test. However, much to the surprise of all, Meier unlocks a hidden gift for strategy, and soon becomes a hero in his own right. Suddenly loved by all, his new found happiness is short-lived, for soon after a mysterious plague ravages the land, taking countless lives . . . including his own. Yet . . . Meier alone awakens with dark powers beyond his understanding. The land falls into chaos further when the dead begin to rise and attack the living, leaving only Meier to travel where no living thing can venture. With only the help of a raven, he must learn the ways of the darkest magic, his sole defense against the master of death that awaits him ahead. Here is the story of an unexpected hero, a prince who conquered death to become the last hope for the living.

* Instant New York Times Bestseller * Indie Bestseller * In this stunning new fantasy novel from international bestselling author C. S. Pacat, heroes and villains of a long-forgotten war are reborn and begin to draw new battle lines. This epic fantasy with high-stakes romance will sit perfectly on shelves next to beloved fantasy novels like the Infernal Devices series, the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and the Red Queen series. Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. Then an old servant tells him of his destiny to fight beside the Stewards, who have sworn to protect humanity if the Dark King ever returns. Will is thrust into a world of magic, where he starts training for a vital role in the oncoming battle against the Dark. As London is threatened and old enmities are awakened, Will must stand with the last heroes of the Light to prevent the fate that destroyed their world from returning to destroy his own. Like V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic and Shelby Mahurin’s Serpent & Dove, Dark Rise is more than just high intrigue fantasy—it’s fast-paced, action-packed, and completely surprising. Readers will love exploring the rich setting of nineteenth-century London. This thrilling story of friendship, deception, loyalty, and betrayal is sure to find a passionate audience of readers.

Princes Boric and Erland head for Kesh, but when Boric learns of plans to assassinate them, he rallies to save himself, his brother, and the empire.

King Lucien Trimont of Westlandia has commanded his second son, Devon, to lead an army across the Great Sea and attack Eastlandia. As the inevitable war between these countries approaches, Prince Devon struggles with his identity and his love of peace. During his quest, he will be joined by a ragtag band of old friend and new acquaintances: Abby of the Cove, Rufus of Ish, and Paris of the Plains of Sur. His best friend, Aiden, a person of magic, must also play a leading role in Devon's expedition. These characters will all aid Devon in fighting a corrupt royal family, an evil Magus, and a powerful army General, all with their own wicked agendas. Great battles will be fought in The Rise of Landia, the outcome ever in doubt. Ultimately, a jeweled dagger will determine Devon's identity and play a major role in his fate, and the fate of the world in which he lives...Audhalialand.

Nicolas is the embodiment of royalty. Strong. Powerful. Deadly. The only thing he's missing is his throne.Decades ago a vampire mutiny murdered his father and forced him into hiding, but all that is about to change. A mortal woman smart enough to learn the truth about him and naive enough to trust him is the perfect pawn to sneak him back into the monarchy.Nothing is going to stop Nicolas from getting what is rightfully his. Not lust. Not love. And not Anna. At least that's what he thinks.

From the olive trees of southern France to Gnostic cults in Egypt, a man and his lovers are invented and reinvented in this first volume of a great literary adventure. For British doctor Bruce Drexel, a return to Provence is bittersweet. Here, at a rustic chateau, he once fell in love with Sylvie, the Frenchwoman who would become his wife, and befriended her brother, Piers. The three made up a peculiar, potent ménage for years until Sylvie’s descent into madness and Piers’s suicide. As Drexel attends to Piers’s affairs, he becomes steeped in the memories of a spiritually transformational trip to Egypt; the band of intellectual confederates who used to be his intimate friends; and a three-sided love that became his reason for being. So begins Monsieur, the masterful first entry of Durrell’s Avignon Quintet, an infinite regress of memory and imagination that challenges the formal conventions of fiction.

The pruning of young trees in sparsely and unevenly stocked stands will greatly improve the resulting lumber grades. In northern white and red pines, even in fully stocked stands, artificial pruning is essential for the production of any of the best grades of lumber in a reasonable time.