Swallow's Tail


Book Description

The Swallow’s Tail – yesterday’s pivot point – tomorrow’s transformation promise. Rone is on the cusp of devastation with the Dalin Clan at its epicentre. The realm is crumbling and each player has his own set of rules to win the game. In Cragholme, home of the beleaguered Dalin Clan, newly ascended Warlord Ratha seeks to purge her people of all connection to the past. With a view toward a future of her own making, old comrades are abandoned or imprisoned, while new allies – living and dead – are recruited in an attempt to realize her vision. Religious leaders in Dunthallen, seat of House Vanne, recognize the instability of the Dalin and seize the opportunity to muster an army and march north with conquest in mind. The former Warlord Gor and his allies, having traversed the cosmos to the Outside in search of vengeance, find that in Hell they come to resemble that which they revile. Despite pain and crisis, seeds of new love are sown. They realize that their path lies in the World of Men, and toward an evil that lurks in the jungle. A new breed of genre fiction – dark, literary, and provocative –Swallow’s Tail continues the gripping saga of Rone, a unique and imaginative world even more compelling for its similarities to our own. As World’s End draws ever nearer, it becomes clear that there is more to fear than just the dark.




The Barn Swallow


Book Description

The Barn Swallow is a familiar and popular bird throughout the world. It is one of the most widely distributed bird species, breeding in North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa and wintering in South America, southern Africa, southern Asia and even northern Australia. Its habit of nesting close to human habitation has made this elegant bird a part of farmyard and village life and a welcome herald of spring. This book examines all aspects of the life of this endearing bird, with chapters on its flying skills and feeding habits, mate choice, breeding strategies, nest sites, eggs and incubation, nestling rearing, productivity and survival, migratory behaviour and population dynamics. It also considers changes in populations and behaviour in relation to intensive agriculture and climate change. The Barn Swallow is both engaging and authoritative; birdwatchers will enjoy amazing insights into the life of the species, such as the importance of tail feathers when finding a mate, or the sinister way that some birds kill of the chicks of rivals. Academic scholars will appreciate the book's broad overview of current research on this species.




Swallow


Book Description

Introduces swallows, discussing their physical characteristics, habitat, life cycle, food, hunting and migration habits, and predators.










The Swallow


Book Description

From the bestselling author of The Robin, The Wren and The Twelve Birds of Christmas. With around 700,000 breeding pairs, the swallow is one of the most familiar birds in Britain. Though we consider the swallow to be 'our' bird, we also share this beloved creature with millions of others across the globe. Whilst we see it on a daily basis for half the year, the swallow then flies south to Africa, living on only in our memory in the long, dark winter. In The Swallow Stephen Moss documents a year of observing the swallow close to home and in the field to shed light on the secret life of this extraordinary bird. We trace the swallow's life cycle and journey, including the epic 12,000-mile round trip it takes every year, to enable it to enjoy a life of almost eternal sunshine, and the key part the swallow plays in our traditional and popular culture. With beautiful illustrations throughout, this captivating year-in-the-life biography reveals the hidden secrets of this charismatic and beautiful bird. PRAISE FOR STEPHEN MOSS: 'A superb naturalist and writer' Chris Packham 'Inspired, friendly and blessed with apparently limitless knowledge' Peter Marren 'Moss has carved out an enviable niche as a chronicler of the natural world' Daily Mail