This deluxe illustrated novel adaptation of the Ramayana—the classic Hindu epic—pairs divinely inspired art with intimate portrayals of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Ravana, and many more. Welcome to the royal city of Ayodhya, a realm ruled by the Sun dynasty, where peace reigns among the citizens while discord simmers behind the palace walls. A prophecy predicts that a son of the Sun dynasty will slay the immortal Ravana and defeat his demon army—but how will a mere human succeed where all the gods have failed? Meanwhile, Ayodhya’s emperor is torn between his own needs and the needs of the empire. His rebellious third wife, raised as a warrior, is haunted by her past. A defiant servant, stigmatized by her deformity, is willing to destroy the empire to achieve her own aims. A prince, unaware of his own divine origin, falls in love with a princess so extraordinary even the all-seeing sages cannot fathom her destiny. Shape-shifting blood-drinkers from the celestial realm fill the forests around the city, and the time of prophecy is drawing near—but will the blessings of the gods be enough to fend off the darkness growing in the heart of Ayodhya? A truly original reimagining of the classic Indian epic, the Ramayana, as told primarily through the eyes of the women behind the throne, Shadows of the Sun Dynasty reveals an entirely new perspective on an ancient story. Set in a world of kings and queens, celestial battles, invisible foes, and family rivalries, this epic tale forges legends in the fires of betrayal and prophecy.

Set in a world of kings and queens, celestial battles, invisible foes, and family rivalries, this epic tale forges legends in the fires of betrayal and prophecy. Welcome to the royal city of Ayodhya, a realm ruled by the Sun dynasty, where peace reigns among the citizens while discord simmers behind the palace walls. A prophecy predicts that a son of the Sun dynasty will slay the immortal Ravana and defeat his demon army—but how will a mere human succeed where all the gods have failed? A truly original reimagining of the classic Indian epic, the Ramayana, as told primarily through the eyes of the women behind the throne, Sita’s Fire Trilogy reveals an entirely new perspective on an ancient story. These deluxe illustrated novels pair divinely inspired art with intimate portrayals of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Ravana, and many more, such as princesses, all-seeing sages and shape-shifting blood drinkers. This boxed set includes Shadows of the Sun Dynasty, Queen of the Elements, and Destroyer of Sorrow.

Hatchet in North Korea: A sister and brother go on the run with explosive forbidden photographs in this gripping and timely survival adventure. North Korea is known as the most repressive country on Earth, with a dictatorial leader, a starving population, and harsh punishment for rebellion.Not the best place for a family vacation.Yet that's exactly where Mia Andrews finds herself, on a tour with her aid-worker father and fractious older brother, Simon. Mia was adopted from South Korea as a baby, and the trip raises tough questions about where she really belongs. Then her dad is arrested for spying, just as forbidden photographs of North Korean slave-labor camps fall into Mia's hands. The only way to save Dad: get the pictures out of the country. Thus Mia and Simon set off on a harrowing journey to the border, without food, money, or shelter, in a land where anyone who sees them might turn them in, and getting caught could mean prison -- or worse.An exciting adventure that offers a rare glimpse into a compelling, complicated nation, In the Shadow of the Sun is an unforgettable novel of courage and survival.

Set in a world of kings and queens, celestial battles, invisible foes, and family rivalries, this epic tale forges legends in the fires of betrayal and prophecy. In this one-of-a-kind trilogy based on the Ramayana, the darkness in the kingdom of Ayodhya continues to spread as Rama, rightful heir and favored son of King Dasharatha, is cast out of the city after an unthinkable betrayal. Facing a fourteen-year exile, Rama—accompanied by wife Sita and brother Lakshmana—embarks upon a journey that will spark a legend. While struggling to survive in the mythical forests of ancient India, the trio encounters divine sages, unexpected allies, and an array of blood-drinking demons hell-bent on revenge. Throughout these ordeals, Sita discovers the true extent of her unique powers, Lakshmana battles with his own internal demons, and Rama struggles to make peace with his destiny in a kingdom on the verge of collapse. Alternately told through the perspectives of Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana, Queen of the Elements reveals an entirely new side to this classic saga.

The acclaimed author of Rubicon and other superb works of popular history now produces a thrillingly panoramic (and incredibly timely) account of the rise of Islam. No less significant than the collapse of the Roman Republic or the Persian invasion of Greece, the evolution of the Arab empire is one of the supreme narratives of ancient history, a story dazzlingly rich in drama, character, and achievement. Just like the Romans, the Arabs came from nowhere to carve out a stupefyingly vast dominion—except that they achieved their conquests not over the course of centuries as the Romans did but in a matter of decades. Just like the Greeks during the Persian wars, they overcame seemingly insuperable odds to emerge triumphant against the greatest empire of the day—not by standing on the defensive, however, but by hurling themselves against all who lay in their path.

She walked into the fire, and the world watched her with loaded eyes. Was she obeying her husband or punishing herself? What was her secret sin? She was an Asura queen. Her righteousness and devotion protected her sinful husband, but couldn’t protect her virtue. But, did she give up? She was the young sister of the ‘Devi’ and the wife of the younger Ikshwaku prince, but what was her name? She is known as the deadliest demoness of all times but, where did she come from? Who are these women? What did they do? How did they live? These questions have been doing rounds through generations of oral tradition in Ramayana. But somehow, the various versions and retellings of the great epic have submerged these stories under the sand of cultural idealism. Lord Rama, the Maryadapurushottam, is what the abridged tales intended to establish and consolidate the foregrounds of Indian patriarchy with positivism. The women have played irreplaceable roles in the formation of the Ramayana, but their stories have always come in as subplots in the grandeur of heroism. Kanyayug, for the first time, unapologetically unearths the unsung stories of these women. Their plight, their pain, their emotions, their inner battles and deep-hidden secrets come to life through the creative ink of the author. This unique Literary fiction, while studying the exemplary Women in Ramayana, challenges old myths and reconstructs Devi, Asura, Apsara and Yaksha together, by bringing each one from the epic and unifying them in a single narrative.

Two-time British Fantasy Award Winner Astounding Award Winner Lambda Literary Award Finalist Hugo Award Finalist Locus Award Finalist Otherwise Award Finalist "Magnificent in every way."—Samantha Shannon, author of The Priory of the Orange Tree "A dazzling new world of fate, war, love and betrayal."—Zen Cho, author of Black Water Sister She Who Became the Sun reimagines the rise to power of the Ming Dynasty’s founding emperor. To possess the Mandate of Heaven, the female monk Zhu will do anything “I refuse to be nothing...” In a famine-stricken village on a dusty yellow plain, two children are given two fates. A boy, greatness. A girl, nothingness... In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected. When a bandit attack orphans the two children, though, it is Zhu Chongba who succumbs to despair and dies. Desperate to escape her own fated death, the girl uses her brother's identity to enter a monastery as a young male novice. There, propelled by her burning desire to survive, Zhu learns she is capable of doing whatever it takes, no matter how callous, to stay hidden from her fate. After her sanctuary is destroyed for supporting the rebellion against Mongol rule, Zhu takes the chance to claim another future altogether: her brother's abandoned greatness. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.