Tanis - his Emerald Dragon, Demios - and the Dragon Riders have defeated the Demons of the Dark Lord for now. But Mt. Drago is still in danger without the remaining two crystal keys. Now the inhabitants of the mountain have a new threat. One of the Aguiva dragons has escaped, and could jeopardize the harmony of their existence if discovered by the human world outside. Meanwhile, Tanis manages to impress with Bubo, an Aguiva Dragon that gives him more than he ever dreamed of, or at times can handle. In the heart of Australia's outback, a new home at Mt. Arcadia is being established by The Ariella, Queen of the Dragons. It will house her new Dragons, the Amphiteres. Times are uncertain as Tanis and the Dragon Riders brave the dangers of a newly established home, discover new worlds that could change the course of their lives, and end the terrible battle that looms closer every day.

When an ancient warrior named Tanis is called by an emerald dragon - Demios, the first emerald dragon to be born in over a thousand years - he not only has to learn to be a dragon rider, but to interact with and eventually gain the trust of the other riders and people of Mt. Drago. The mountain lies in the middle of a desert, but has special access to other worlds; worlds inhabited by both unusual and evil creatures. Tanis and the other riders, led by the queen of the dragons - The Ariella - must band together to create a fighting force and fly across the River Styx, beyond the Ice Caves to the Black Fortress. There they must retrieve the first of three crystal keys. These keys have held their enemies at bay since the first of dragon kind, but were captured by the Dark Lords of the Provinces. As The Ariella's riders fly over land and sea, they summon surprising courage to protect the dragons and Mt. Drago from the vile forces which stand in the way of their peaceful existence.

Chance was gone; he’d sacrificed himself so Shannon and I could escape Sheol. We’d raised him on Shan’s spirit radio, which meant his soul wasn’t wholly destroyed by the demon gate…. Once Corine Solomon only had the touch—the ability to read an object’s past by handling it. Then she inherited her mother’s magick, and that ended up being a hell of a burden. But if Corine can wrestle a demon queen and win, she can bring back her lover Chance after he’s made the ultimate sacrifice. Can’t she? All Corine knows is that she can’t leave Chance behind if there’s anything she can do about it. But the clock is ticking—and she still has to deal with debt-collecting demons and a maniacal archangel who’s running a recruitment drive. The stakes have never been so high…and this time it’s truly Corine’s last chance to save the love of her life.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1986. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived

This all-new edition includes information on more than 590 species, illustrated in lifelike positions in 44 beautiful color plates. 110 color photos. Line drawings & maps.

Long and Winding Road is a collection of eleven short stories. Nine of the stories are prose; one is a play, and another is a narrative poem; but all eleven are really stories, just in different genres. The value of a collection of short stories is that you can read just one story at a sitting (or two sittings for the longer stories), rest from it, and then dip in for another treat next reading session. Settings are primarily Australian, though one story is set in a fictitious ancient kingdom and one in northern Mexico and parts of USA. The short play is set in a nursing home, of all places. Readers will meet a range of interesting characters: Miss Magnolia (who has a secret!), Viv Black (who uncovers a secret), the trans-gender Al = Mara, the young loom-girl Therese who becomes Queen, the boy-wonder Agave (who was born without vocal cords! but is anything but mute), Mohair Mary, the talented and prescient Aboriginal woman Doreen, teen Essie/Esmerelda who discovers gold as she discovers her Self, the former sex-worker Penelope in a nursing home, Master Nathaniel who dies by guillotine (!), and dozens more. Some stories border on the bawdy (but nothing X-rated), some deal with tragedy and misadventure, some with romance and strong personal bonds. It’s like life. We trudge along life’s path – the winding road – dragging life’s burdens behind in the dust, not knowing what lies around the next bend. But always there are more stories to tell.