Callo's skin felt sunburned, and there was an acrid odor in the air. He looked around in the dusk and saw that he stood at the center of a blackened ring. He held his fingers up in front of his face and saw that they were blistered, the fingertips cracked and reddened. The wild magery had escaped his control and burned everything around him. He was fortunate he had not set the mountaintop ablaze. * * * The walls Callo has maintained all his life to guard against his dangerous power are failing. Uncontrolled, his magic threatens his sanity and the safety of all those around him-even Kirian, who could be forced away by Callo's misuse of his power. Fighting with his own abilities, Callo still resolves to protect the young heir from the intrigues of the King. And Ander himself must decide whom to trust, as he becomes the target of an assassin.

Callo's skin felt sunburned, and there was an acrid odor in the air. He looked around in the dusk and saw that he stood at the center of a blackened ring. He held his fingers up in front of his face and saw that they were blistered, the fingertips cracked and reddened. The wild magery had escaped his control and burned everything around him. He was fortunate he had not set the mountaintop ablaze. * * * The walls Callo has maintained all his life to guard against his dangerous power are failing. Uncontrolled, his magic threatens his sanity and the safety of all those around him--even Kirian, who could be forced away by Callo's misuse of his power. Fighting with his own abilities, Callo still resolves to protect the young heir from the intrigues of the King. And Ander himself must decide whom to trust, as he becomes the target of an assassin.

For many centuries, from the birth of the religion late in the second millennium BC to its influence on the Achaemenids and later adoption in the third century AD as the state religion of the Sasanian Empire, it enjoyed imperial patronage and profoundly shaped the culture of antiquity. The Magi of the New Testament most probably were Zoroastrian priests from the Iranian world, while the enigmatic figure of Zarathushtra (or Zoroaster) himself has exerted continual fascination in the West, influencing creative artists as diverse as Voltaire, Nietzsche, Mozart and Yeats. This authoritative volume brings together internationally recognised scholars to explore Zoroastrianism in all its rich complexity. Examining key themes such as history and modernity, tradition and scripture, art and architecture and minority status and religious identity, it places the modern Zoroastrians of Iran, and the Parsis of India, in their proper contexts. The book extends and complements the coverage of its companion volume, The Everlasting Flame.

A young king’s ascension threatens a traitorous conspiracy of powerful nobles who plan to brutally eliminate all magic-users from their medieval realm The brief reign of Alroy Haldane is nearly at an end, as the life of the young king of Gwynedd slowly slips away. Called back from the abbey where he has sought sanctuary for the last three years, Alroy’s twin, Prince Javan, prepares to ascend the throne—against the wishes of the former regents, who plan to enslave or destroy all Deryni in the kingdom. Though human, Javan secretly possesses the psychic powers of the magical race that the powerful faction of great lords and religious zealots strives to eliminate—and it is this ability that alerts him to the terrifying scope of their dark treachery. While his enemies do not yet realize how determined a foe the young liege is, Javan must summon remarkable courage and cunning if he hopes to prevail against them—or even survive. In the middle chapter of her enthralling medieval fantasy trilogy, the Heirs of Saint Camber, award-winning author Katherine Kurtz adds richness and depth to the alternate world she has so magnificently brought to life in three previous series. Blending exquisitely detailed history with breathtaking invention, Kurtz proves once again that she is without equal in the popular realm of fantasy fiction.

ENTER A CITY OF DRAGONS AND DARKNESS The Godswar has come to Guerdon, dividing the city between three occupying powers. A fragile armistice holds back the gods, but other dangerous forces seek to exert their influence. Spar Idgeson, once heir to the brotherhood of thieves has been transformed into the living stone of the new city. But his powers are failing and the criminal dragons of the Ghierdana are circling. Meanwhile, far across the sea, Carillon Thay - once a thief, a saint, a god killer; now alone and powerless - seeks the mysterious land of Khebesh, desperate to find a cure for Spar. But what hope does she have when even the gods seek vengeance against her? Praise for the Black Iron Legacy: 'Hanrahan is now one of my favourite authors. I flat out adore this series'Booknest 'I will buy any novel that Gareth Hanrahan ever writes . . .I want [this series] to go on forever'The Fantasy Inn 'Hanrahan has an astonishing imagination'Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones 'Mind-blowingly stellar in every respect . . . Fantasy readers, be wise and buy this book, because there's simply nothing like it' Novel Notions on The Gutter Prayer The Black Iron Legacy The Gutter Prayer The Shadow Saint The Broken God

A new epic fantasy series from the New York Times bestselling author chosen to complete Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time® Series

In October 1971 Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran, held a celebration to commemorate the 2500th anniversary of the founding of the Persian Empire by Cyrus the Great. Dozens of heads of state descended on Persepolis for these Celebrations, where they were regaled to sumptuous banquets and entertainment. Critical journalists in Western Europe and North America lambasted the Shah for holding such a decadent event while many of his people lived in poverty. Due to the overwhelmingly negative press at the time, the event is still today widely remembered as a catastrophic failure.It is even said by many to have sparked the unrest that eventually led to the revolution and the Shah's downfall in 1979. In this first comprehensive academic study of the 2500th Anniversary Celebrations, Robert Steele looks beyond the pomp and splendour to examine the events' origins, the goals the organisers set out to achieve with them and the extent to which these goals were accomplished. The book seeks to place the Celebrations in the context of the Shah's rise, rather than his fall, uncovering the unparalleled international cultural and scholarly operation that was spurred by the Iranian regime for the occasion, exploring the effects the event had on Iran's tourism industry and questioning narratives of the event's cost.