Empire of Sand


Book Description

*Named one of TIME's Top 100 Fantasy Books Of All Time A nobleman's daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri's lush, dazzling, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy. The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Ambhan Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited. When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda. And should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance. . . "An ode to the quiet, fierce strength of women. . .pure wonder." —Samantha Shannon, New York Times bestselling author of The Priory of the Orange Tree "Stunning and enthralling." —S. A. Chakraborty, USA Today bestselling author of The City of Brass "A darkly intricate, devastating, and utterly original story." —R. F. Kuang, award-winning author of the The Poppy War By Tasha Suri: The Books of Ambha duology Empire of Sand Realm of Ash The Burning Kingdoms trilogy The Jasmine Throne




Realm of Ash


Book Description

The fate of an empire rests in the hands of a young woman with magical blood and nothing left to lose, and an outcast prince determined to save his family at any cost, in this "dark, melodious, and memorable" new fantasy (Library Journal, starred review) from the author of Empire of Sand. The Ambhan Empire is crumbling. A terrible war of succession hovers on the horizon. The only hope for peace lies in the mysterious realm of ash, where mortals can find what they seek in the echoes of their ancestors' dreams. But to walk there requires a steep price. Arwa is determined to make the journey. Widowed by a brutal massacre, she's pledged service to the royal family and will see that pledge through to the end. She never expected to be joined by Zahir, the disgraced, illegitimate prince who has turned to forbidden magic in a desperate bid to save those he loves. Together, they'll walk the bloody path of their shared past. And it will call into question everything they've ever believed...including whether the Empire is worth saving at all. "Those with a penchant for lyrical prose, intricate world building, beautifully imagined characters, [and] compelling immersive folklore...need look no further." -- Booklist (starred review) The Books of AmbhaEmpire of SandRealm of Ash




Dreamfire


Book Description

A young dream walker must save the world from certain destruction one dream at a time, in this riveting debut from Kit Alloway, an exciting new talent in young adult fiction. Unlike most 17-year-olds, Joshlyn Weaver has a sacred duty. She's the celebrated daughter of the dream walkers, a secret society whose members enter the Dream universe we all share and battle nightmares. If they fail, the emotional turmoil in the Dream could boil over and release nightmares into the World. Despite Josh's reputation as a dream walking prodigy, she's haunted by her mistakes. A lapse in judgment and the death of someone she loved have shaken her confidence. Now she's been assigned an apprentice, a boy whose steady gaze sees right through her, and she's almost as afraid of getting close to him as she is of getting him killed. But when strangers with impossible powers begin appearing in the Dream, it isn't just Will that Josh has to protect--it's the whole World.




Sweetly Alive: Poems


Book Description

A collection of 194 original poems exploring the sacredness of nature, sense of mystery, search for purpose, essence of being love, power of connecting for change, and the spiritual practice of poetry in community. The poet, Anna Grossnickle Hines, is the author and illustrator of numerous children's books, including three volumes of poetry beautifully illustrated with her own quilts, one of which won the Lee Bennett Hopkins Award for Children's Poetry in 2002.




Mastering the Fire Service Assessment Center, 2nd Ed


Book Description

Bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Do you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to evaluate behavior, performance, and readiness? Read Mastering the Fire Service Assessment Center to identify what you need to learn and understand how to learn it. There is no way you can read and reflect on the wisdom in these pages and not become a better person and a better firefighter. Why Read This Book? The American fire service is facing a new normal fueled by mass exodus, influx of new generations of firefighters, a lack of hands-on leadership training, sweeping changes in mission, decimated budgets, and the genetics of task-oriented, reactive forefathers. The greatest and perhaps only area that we can affect directly is hands-on, inspiring, realistic, and useful training for our aspiring and incumbent leaders. This book will help you regardless of the fire officer rank you seek. It will help you know where you need to improve, how to develop a specific personal plan to become an excellent officer, and how to do well with whatever assessment center exercises throw at you. NEW MATERIAL in this second edition: --Enjoy reading “Wisdom from the Masters” from 18 fire service luminaries. They provide invaluable insights and challenges you will face as you prepare to promote, whether for the first time as a company officer or up the chain as a chief officer. --Learn lessons from thousands of students from the past 12 years whose feedback will benefit you in this second edition. --Benefit from the many new elements in this book, including relevant articles, additional exercises, and content regarding the dimensions of leadership, management, and emergency operations. The complexities of being a fire officer in the 21st century require an undercurrent of humility while continually pursuing mastery of leading in the modern fire service. Learn how to lead the modern-day firefighter in a modern world, with modern technology, modern fire behavior, and modern sociopolitical and economic challenges. Many firefighters ask themselves if they really want to do this job, but nothing is as professionally rewarding and challenging as leading others in battle to save lives! “This book will give you the greatest probability of success in your assessment center process.” —Bobby Halton, editor-in-chief, Fire Engineering magazine




The Unbound Empire


Book Description

A political scion and her magically bound fire warlock must face their greatest fears to save the Empire from a ruthless enemy in the explosive conclusion of a spellbinding fantasy trilogy from David Gemmell Award-nominated author Melissa Caruso. While winter snows keep the Witch Lord Ruven's invading armies at bay, Lady Amalia Cornaro and the fire warlock Zaira attempt to change the fate of mages in the Raverran Empire forever, earning the enmity of those in power who will do anything to keep all magic under tight imperial control. But in the season of the Serene City's great masquerade, Ruven executes a devastating surprise strike at the heart of the Empire -- and at everything Amalia holds most dear. To stand a chance of defeating Ruven, Amalia and Zaira must face their worst nightmares, expose their deepest secrets, and unleash Zaira's most devastating fire. Praise for Swords and Fire: "Charming, intelligent, fast-moving, beautifully atmospheric, with a heroine and other characters whom I really liked as people. I couldn't put it down."―Genevieve Cogman, author of The Invisible Library "Breathtaking... Worth every moment and every page, and should make anyone paying attention excited about what Caruso will write next."―BookPage "A riveting read, with delicious intrigue, captivating characters, and a brilliant magic system. I loved it from start to finish!"―Sarah Beth Durst, author of The Queen of Blood Swords and Fire The Tethered Mage The Defiant Heir The Unbound Empire For more from Melissa Caruso, check out: Rooks and Ruin The Obsidian Tower




The Making of a Navy SEAL


Book Description

BEFORE HE COULD FORGE A BAND OF ELITE WARRIORS... HE HAD TO BECOME ONE HIMSELF. Brandon Webb's experiences in the world's most elite sniper corps are the stuff of legend. From his grueling years of training in Naval Special Operations to his combat tours in the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan, The Making of a Navy SEAL provides a rare and riveting look at the inner workings of the U.S. military through the eyes of a covert operations specialist. Yet it is Webb's distinguished second career as a lead instructor for the shadowy "sniper cell" and Course Manager of the Navy SEAL Sniper Program that trained some of America's finest and deadliest warriors—including Marcus Luttrell and Chris Kyle—that makes his story so compelling. Luttrell credits Webb's training with his own survival during the ill-fated 2005 Operation Redwing in Afghanistan. Kyle went on to become the U.S. military's top marksman, with more than 150 confirmed kills. From a candid chronicle of his student days, going through the sniper course himself, to his hair-raising close calls with Taliban and al Qaeda forces in the northern Afghanistan wilderness, to his vivid account of designing new sniper standards and training some of the most accomplished snipers of the twenty-first century, Webb provides a rare look at the making of the Special Operations warriors who are at the forefront of today's military. Explosive, revealing, and intelligent, The Making of a Navy SEAL provides a uniquely personal glimpse into one of the most challenging and secretive military training courses in the world.




Starfall Legacy 10


Book Description




Dragon Rigger


Book Description

A realm at war. The star dragons struggle under the oppression of an unseen foe—a creature of terrible power, who seeks to shape all of space-time into a web of subjugation and death. The Dream Mountain, source of knowledge and life to the dragons, is held by the enemy; and yet, hope burns in the dragons’ hearts. According to ancient prophecy, One will come from outside to challenge the darkness. Star pilot Jael LeBrae may be that savior. Once before, she aided the dragons in their struggle, and now she must return to face at last the terrible wrath of Tar-skel. But if the prophecy holds true, the price of victory over the darkness will be Jael’s own life. Captivating sequel to Dragons in the Stars, Dragon Rigger is science fiction with mythic dimension, from the Nebula-nominated author of Eternity’s End and The Chaos Chronicles. REVIEWS: “Dragon Rigger is a most excellent adventure that would make a grand movie if it were not that the special effects budget would surely be quite brutal even in this age of computer animation.... If there is a motto for this novel, it is solidarnosc, solidarity, the power to be gained by sticking with one’s friends, even by sacrificing for the good of others...there is immense verve, energy, momentum, and power...the reader stays with Carver all the way.” —Thomas A. Easton, Analog “A refreshingly unique setting and excellently realized characters.” —Publishers Weekly




Dragon Space: A Star Rigger Omnibus


Book Description

Dragons in the Stars and Dragon Rigger —two Star Rigger novels in one! Between the stars, says legend, there lives a realm of dragons. When a young star rigger named Jael flies the forbidden route, she learns the reality—that the dragons are real, and deadly. Only after a dragon named Highwing befriends her does Jael realize she has been caught up in an ancient battle of good and evil, her appearance foretold by an ancient prophecy. Science fiction with mythic dimension, from the Nebula-nominated author of Eternity’s End! Individual novels appeared in print from Tor Books. Map included. DRM-free ebook omnibus edition. Review Quotes: DRAGONS IN THE STARS: “Carver writes powerfully and clearly.” —Booklist “An interesting and entertaining blend of genres.” —Don D’Ammassa, Science Fiction Chronicle “Carver’s prose effectively lends a spare yet evocative resonance to the draconian realm. Like a good stage performer, this story should leave its audience wanting more.” —John Bunnell, Amazing Stories “Carver is a strong SF writer, with a good feel for both the hard SF elements and the people he populates them with... he is not only comfortable working with fantasy elements, but able to succeed at the tough job of melding them into a science-fictional environment.” —C. von Rospach, Amazing Stories DRAGON RIGGER: “A refreshingly unique setting and excellently realized characters.” —Publishers Weekly “Dragon Rigger is a most excellent adventure that would make a grand movie.... there is immense verve, energy, momentum, and power... the reader stays with Carver all the way.” —Thomas A. Easton, Analog