As a child, Nicholas Granty was told stories of an alternate planet, a mystical world four universes away. Up until his sixteenth year, they were nothing more than his grandfather's fairy tales. An unexpected event forces Nick to accept a mind bending secret. Thendalla. Now, the heir of a bloodline, Nicholas is thrust into a double life. As the survival of the planet rests in his hands, he must learn to battle witches, dragons and an enemy seeking domination. The only thing in his way? Algebra, bullies, girls and finding the confidence to become a true hero.

A SUNDAY TIMES HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE YEAR. Tenth-century Iceland. In the midwinter darkness, on the lifeless black soils of a newly settled land, two friends kill a man. Kjaran, an itinerant storyteller, and Gunnar, a once-feared warrior, must make a choice: conceal the deed or confess to it and pay the blood price to the dead man's brothers. For the right reasons, they make the wrong choice. Kjaran and Gunnar's fateful decision will leave them fighting for their lives, fighting to retain their humanity as Iceland's unyielding code of honour ignites a remorseless blood feud that will consume all it touches. 'Smile of the Wolf bares its fangs from the first page. Like a medieval tapestry, the storytelling is rich with imagery. Readers will be lured spellbound into this lyrical and evocative Icelandic saga. It deserves huge success' DAVID GILMAN.

A maiden of Ireland enslaved . . . Seized during a brutal attack on her homeland, Ailinn vows to remain forever defiant against her Norse captors, no matter the future that awaits her—or the handsome Dane with snow-bright hair who suddenly appears in her life. A shining warrior of the North . . . When Lyting Atlison encounters the autumn-fire beauty in shackles, he vows to free her. Discovering the fate his kinsmen intend for the maid, he undertakes a private mission in order to join the fleet that will bear her to distant lands. Now as the Norse host sets sail for the lands of the Rus and the glittering courts of Byzantium, untold perils await . . . as does a journey of passion and discovery . . . and a love no chains can bind.

This enthralling guide tells the story of the rise and spread of The Mafia, from the island of Sicily to the United States and beyond, brought to life with striking full-color photographs and illustrations. The Mafia is full of blood-chilling characters, from Al Capone, who ran Chicago during Prohibition, and hitmen Louis Lepke and Alberto Anastasia who founded Murder, Inc, to Totò Riina, 'boss of bosses', John Gotti, 'the Teflon don', and Bernardo 'The Tractor' Provenzano, who hid out under cover for 43 years... They were extraordinary men who lived through extraordinary times. The Mafia tells the story of their lives, their families, their codes, their crimes and their cold-blooded murders. It's a long and enthralling tale, drenched in blood and scored with betrayal.

This book appeared mid-way between the two world wars. Hungary and Turkey had lost vast amounts of territory, and the reader, travelling by rail or road, constantly crossing old and new frontiers, sees many signs of the devastation caused by war. Not deterred, Baedeker advises his readers to tour the delightful coast of Croatia by steamer, landing at choice places such as Dubrovnik and Split. He also writes a section about Albania which, in those days, was only just opening up to tourism. The (German) reader might have been somewhat put off by the size of the medicine chest he is advised to carry (malaria and bed bugs being a problem!) and by the mention of indifferent food and basic beds. This book gives an intriguing insight into travel to a fascinating, if war-torn, part of Europe in those days.

This volume offers a ground-breaking investigation into women's contribution to the description, analysis, and codification of languages across a wide range of linguistic and cultural traditions. The chapters explore a variety of spheres of activity, from the production of dictionaries and grammars to language teaching methods and language policy.

Katharine Kerr has enchanted readers with her magical Deverry and Westlands cycle, and now she brings to a breathtaking conclusion the epic saga begun with The Red Wyvern and The Black Raven. The final chapter begins in the holy city as it rises from the ashes of Deverry's long wars. Prince Maryn prepares to claim the high kingship, but still the rebel Boar clan stands fast against him. And at court, his illicit passion for the young dweomer apprentice, Lilli, threatens to revive a curse that only she -- at her own peril -- can lift. It is a drama that will be played out centuries later in the city of Cerr Cawnen. Among the many who take refuge in the lakeside citadel, nestled in a volcano's shadow, are a Westfolk band guided by the elven enchantress Dallandra and protected by Rhodry Maelwaedd and his fiery guardian dragon. Meanwhile, from the north come the savage Horsekin slavers, ancient foe of the Westfolk, now bent on the domination of Cerr Cawnen. They are awaited by the sorceress Raena, their self-sworn high priestess and the votary of an evil goddess. Now, as Rhodry and Raena renew their timeless enmity, the fate of the city and every soul within it hangs in the balance -- and on an act of self-sacrifice dangerous beyond imagining.