This “ambitious, supernatural coming-of-age story” (The LA Times) is a sweeping tale of ghosts in the modern world, and one woman's struggle to create her own destiny. There are ghosts on the Black Isle. Ghosts that no one can see. No one...except Cassandra. Uprooted from Shanghai with her father and twin brother, young Cassandra finds the Black Isle's bustling, immigrant-filled seaport, swampy jungle, and grand rubber plantations a sharp contrast to the city of her childhood. And she soon makes another discovery: the Black Isle is swarming with ghosts. Haunted and lonely, Cassandra at first tries to ignore her ability to see the restless apparitions that drift down the street and crouch in cold corners at school. Yet despite her struggles with these spirits, Cassandra comes to love her troubled new home. And soon, she attracts the notice of a dangerously charismatic man. Even as she becomes a fearless young woman, the Isle's dark forces won't let her go. War is looming, and Cassandra wonders if her unique gift might be her beloved island's only chance for salvation . . . Taking readers from the 1920s, through the Japanese occupation during WWII, to the Isle's radical transformation into a gleaming cosmopolitan city, The Black Isle is a sweeping epic--a deeply imagined, fiercely original tale from a vibrant new voice in fiction.

The open road has tempted Padraig Grant his whole life. He's not suited for life in the lists, training warriors for the battlefield. His calling is somewhere over the next hill. Or maybe it's right in front of him, in the alluring form of Gisela Matheson. If only she weren't already betrothed to Donald MacKinnie, the Scourge of Black Isle.Gisela remembers when Donald was courteous and honorable. But the man has changed, turning cruel and possessive. Even if her life hadn't been thrown into chaos by the Matheson Curse, she wouldn't want to become his bride. Padraig, on the other hand?well, he's one she can't get enough of. He brings light to her world, and she might think about marrying him, if he didn't have a wanderer's soul. Marrying another would solve her problem with Donald, though.Driven by jealousy, Donald issues an ultimatum: Either Padraig leaves Black Isle and Gisela, or innocents die. Padraig must choose between leaving his true love to save lives or stay and protect her and see more people hurt. Suddenly the distant horizon isn't quite so tempting. But staying might be worse.

Sword of Souls is the first book of the mystifying Chronicles of Caledon. The book also introduces the people and kingdoms of this distant world as well as setting the stage in a powerfully rich and dynamic saga. Sword of Souls, named after the very powerful translation of "Talquardez-Solstas" from the language of its mysterious maker that men will literally be driven to madness by the supreme and supernatural power. Sword of Souls launches just after the fall of the Ramadan tribes by the merciless red bearded Tarvas who invade sparing only the women and the young children in their brutal endeavors of destruction. Sword of Souls also introduces the main character of the book, a young orphan by the name of Lithius. Lithius manages the miraculously escape from the bondage of the Tarvas warriors and his life's journey begins spiraling down through the Catanbar Mountains along the Thunder River and through the Ramadan Steppes embracing his destiny in a dark and foreboding isle of the "dragons". Lithius through his acquired strength and magic begins his ascension only to embrace the formidable armies and darker secrets of the evil Lord of Draccus, Morderra-Atrauis.

Castles, lochs, seascapes. Coastal Scotland is one of the world's most romanticized tourist destinations, yet it is in the midst of severe economic decline. The North Atlantic fisheries crisis has hit Scottish communities hard and local fisherfolk are faced with chronic insecurity, anxiety over the decline of fishing and doubts about their cultural survival. The decline of this traditional industry has been accompanied by growing tourism along Scottish shores. Fishing villages are marketed for tourist consumption and culture has become a commodity. Drawing upon fieldwork, novels, folk music and travel literature, Nadel-Klein explores how these influences have affected locals' sense of identity and presence within a modern European nation. How is identity linked to power? What role do memory and authenticity play in the creation of Scottish heritage? How do locals feel about the onslaught of tourists? The topical nature of these issues and their relevance to other regions facing similar tensions make this book an important contribution to contemporary anthropology.