The Crown of Thorns


Book Description

"Asong's sense of the human predicament is astounding...It is above all, the story of guilt in a world ridden with self-interest."- Professor Rudy Wiebe, University of Alberta --




Son of Mary: A Tale of Jesus of Nazareth


Book Description

Nazareth has been cruel to my mother, more cruel than any village ever was. All the village says that my blood father is not the man who married my mother. They have shamed her on the matter all my life. Every woman asks which man of the village is my blood father. Every man scowls and says he was not the one my mother seduced. My mother will not tell who is my blood father. My mother will not speak on the matter. My mother bears her shame in silence. Some righteous man, a prophet, said a word over me when I was a babe in arms. He told how I will redeem Israel when I grow to be a man. Now I have grown to be a man, but I do not know how to redeem Israel. The scriptures do not explain the matter. My people say that the man who redeems Israel must take up the sword and throw off our enemy, Rome, which we call the Great Satan. My family says I must take up the sword. Only I am no man of the sword. I wish with all my heart to redeem Israel, but HaShem, the God of our fathers, must tell me how. Lately, there came a new prophet to Israel, who immerses for repentance at the river Jordan. I went to ask the prophet how I should redeem Israel. He said I am to smite the four Powers. I asked what are the four Powers. He could not say, but he said HaShem will reveal the matter to me. I wish HaShem will reveal the matter, only I am not a prophet. Not yet. But I will be. Here is what I know. Every hour of every day, I feel the Presence of HaShem. I do not know why I should feel the Presence always. My mother does not. My village does not. Even the prophet of HaShem does not. I think the Presence will teach me the way to redeem Israel. But I am afraid to redeem Israel. To redeem Israel is to leave my mother to the scorn of the village. The rage of the village. My mother begs and cries on me to make a justice for her. To make a justice on the village. I do not know how to make a justice on the village. I do not know how to redeem Israel. But HaShem will show me the way. I will learn how to be a prophet of HaShem. I will learn how to redeem Israel. I will learn how to make a justice for my mother. I will smite the first Power. Or I will die in the trying.




Eva Thorne


Book Description

Fun, clever fantasy with an epic ending! “I hated the late shift. I hated the morning shift too. If only I could make a living doing something I enjoyed, like yelling and intimidating people.” The surly Eva Thorne is a born detective when she’s not playing the femme fatale, but it takes her brother’s murder to set her on a hunt for clues. What she discovers brings her up against a powerful slave-trading cartel, dark gods, and worst of all her twin sister. In a city of elvish masters and matriarchal dwarves where humans have no rights, the only people on her side are an illegally freed slave, a senile nanny, and an ex-almost-boyfriend. But even when she nearly loses her job and almost loses her head in a sword fight on the same night, she isn’t deterred. It’s when the nanny goes missing that she really starts to worry. For the first time, the first 4 books of the Eva Thorne series are available in a digital box set - at the best price ever! The Eva Thorne series begins with a murder and culminates in the war that will end the world. Twisting the norms of high fantasy, mystery, and steampunk into a witty mixture of humor and romance, this series is an action-packed adventure worth taking. Magic and machines can't stand against the God of Death, and humans are on the run from the god's invasion. Highcrowne is the only refuge, but that means living in the Outskirts of an ancient city ruled by Avian mages, indifferent dwarves, and elves who'd prefer to see humans as their slaves. Eva is a relentless, kick-ass heroine unafraid of confronting kings, monsters, or gods, but she is a Thorne—the worst of the hated Solhan race. Her family summoned the Dead God into the world to grant them ultimate power, and secret parts of her desire power as well. The battle between her dark, Solhan nature and her desire to leave behind her family’s legacy of necromancy and tyranny is what drives her. Never one to meet others’ expectations, she fights fate at every turn. But as she is forced to make one difficult decision after another, she wonders if anyone can escape their destiny. "A fantastical twist on mystery, brimming with action-packed adventure and a sense of clever fun." -Elizabeth Spann Craig, Bestselling Mystery Author “I picked this up and just could not put it down until I finished! …If you like Mystery, Romance, and Fantasy this book has it all!” – Terry’s Book Addiction “An enjoyable, fantastic read!” – Pearl, #1 Best Goodreads Reviewer







The Assassin's Blade


Book Description

The twist of a knife. The birth of a legend. Step into the world of the #1 bestselling Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas with this collection of prequel novellas. Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful Assassin's Guild and its scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, she yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. But when Arobynn dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, Celaena finds herself acting independently of his wishes and questioning her own allegiance. If she hopes to escape Arobynn's clutches, Celaena will have to put her faith in her wits and her blade . . . knowing that if she fails, she'll lose not just a chance at freedom but her life. A prequel to the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas explores the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling-and deadly-world. Included in this volume: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord The Assassin and the Healer The Assassin and the Desert The Assassin and the Underworld The Assassin and the Empire