Marking Time


Book Description

"If you lie awake worrying about the overnight transition from December 31, 1 b.c., to January 1, a.d. 1 (there is no year zero), then you will enjoy Duncan Steel's Marking Time."--American Scientist "No book could serve as a better guide to the cumulative invention that defines the imaginary threshold to the new millennium."--Booklist A Fascinating March through History and the Evolution of the Modern-Day Calendar . . . In this vivid, fast-moving narrative, you'll discover the surprising story of how our modern calendar came about and how it has changed dramatically through the years. Acclaimed author Duncan Steel explores each major step in creating the current calendar along with the many different systems for defining the number of days in a week, the length of a month, and the number of days in a year. From the definition of the lunar month by Meton of Athens in 432 b.c. to the roles played by Julius Caesar, William the Conqueror, and Isaac Newton to present-day proposals to reform our calendar, this entertaining read also presents "timely" tidbits that will take you across the full span of recorded history. Find out how and why comets have been used as clocks, why there is no year zero between 1 b.c. and a.d. 1, and why for centuries Britain and its colonies rang in the New Year on March 25th. Marking Time will leave you with a sense of awe at the haphazard nature of our calendar's development. Once you've read this eye-opening book, you'll never look at the calendar the same way again.




Stronger Than Steel


Book Description

An introduction to the field of genetics through the story of Randy Lewis and his work with golden orb weaver spiders and his subsequent creation of artificial spider silk that can be used to save and improve lives. Full color.




The Steel Remains


Book Description

A dark lord will rise. Such is the prophecy that dogs Ringil Eskiath—Gil, for short—a washed-up mercenary and onetime war hero whose cynicism is surpassed only by the speed of his sword. Gil is estranged from his aristocratic family, but when his mother enlists his help in freeing a cousin sold into slavery, Gil sets out to track her down. But it soon becomes apparent that more is at stake than the fate of one young woman. Grim sorceries are awakening in the land. Some speak in whispers of the return of the Aldrain, a race of widely feared, cruel yet beautiful demons. Now Gil and two old comrades are all that stand in the way of a prophecy whose fulfillment will drown an entire world in blood. But with heroes like these, the cure is likely to be worse than the disease.




The Sin in the Steel


Book Description

Ryan Van Loan's The Sin in the Steel is a sparkling debut fantasy set in a diverse world, featuring dead gods, a pirate queen, shapeshifting mages, and a Sherlockian teenager determined to upend her society. Heroes for hire. If you can pay. Buc: Brilliant street-rat Her mind leaps from clues to conclusions in the blink of an eye. Eld: Ex-soldier Buc’s partner-in-crime. No. Not in crime—in crime-solving. They’ve been hired for their biggest job yet—one that will set them up for a life of ease. If they survive. Buc and Eld are the first private detectives in a world where pirates roam the seas, mages speak to each other across oceans, mechanical devices change the tide of battle, and earthly wealth is concentrated in the hands of a powerful few. It’s been weeks since ships last returned to the magnificent city of Servenza with bounty from the Shattered Coast. Disaster threatens not just the city’s trading companies but the empire itself. When Buc and Eld are hired to investigate, Buc swiftly discovers that the trade routes have become the domain of a sharp-eyed pirate queen who sinks all who defy her. Now all Buc and Eld have to do is sink the Widowmaker's ship.... Unfortunately for Buc, the gods have other plans. Unfortunately for the gods, so does Buc. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.




Dragon Steel


Book Description

To free her clan from slavery at underwater forges, the dragon princess Shimmer and her human companion Thorn combat the Dragon King's jealousy and treachery.




The Quest


Book Description

World War III has passed and John Thomas Rourke, ex-CIA Cover Operations Officer, weapons expert, and survival authority has at last reached his home only to find that his wife and two children have fled for their lives. With the knowledge that his family has survived the nuclear holocaust, Rourke, witht the aid of young Paul Rubenstein, must find his loved ones. But the Soviets are consolidating their military hold on the country and both the ruthless KGB and the fledgling post-war U.Sl government have begun their own search. First they must learn the purpose behind the massive launch of secret U.S. rockets on the night the war began. Then they have to determine the meaning of the mysterious Eden Project and find the one surviving NASA official who can answer all the questions. A deadly game of intrigue within the Soviet High Command, the formation of the American "resistance" and a highly placed traitor in the new U.S. government all block Rourke's path. But nothing can stop him—he is THE SURVIVALIST.




EverQuest:Truth and Steel


Book Description

Khaniel Devlin, weapons master and mercenary, encounters a troupe of Paladins seeking the hidden refuge of a long-lost member of their order. Led by a devout and charismatic woman named Zethamy Demarro, the group is attacked by a horde of giant cyclopes and Khaniel accidentally cuts Zethamy down during the ferocious battle. Khaniel and his dwarven friend Bruigan are hauled back home to Freeport in irons where they are ultimately sold into slavery in the ogre city of Oggok.In captivity Khaniel discovers that Zethamy did not perish that fateful day in the mountains, but lost her sight and is now also a slave among the ogres. Khaniel, Bruigan and their new shaman friend, Bhaobuk mount a rescue mission and soon are running for their lives in the wilds, with the blind but determined Zethamy in tow. Still intent upon finding the elusive hermit who is in possession of invaluable religious treasures, she persuades Khaniel to help her track down the recluse's lair. But danger awaits the small band as they soon discover that powerful foes are on the same quest...




A Testament of Steel


Book Description

Book 1 of the Epic Fantasy series, Instrument of Omens




Ship of Smoke and Steel


Book Description

Ship of Smoke and Steel is the launch of Django Wexler's cinematic, action-packed epic fantasy Wells of Sorcery trilogy. A FIERCE WARRIOR. HER DEADLY MAGIC. AN EPIC MISSION TO STEAL A GHOST SHIP. In the lower wards of Kahnzoka, the great port city of the Blessed Empire, eighteen-year-old ward boss Isoka enforces the will of her criminal masters with the power of Melos, the Well of Combat. The money she collects goes to keep her little sister living in comfort, far from the bloody streets they grew up on. When Isoka's magic is discovered by the government, she's arrested and brought to the Emperor's spymaster, who sends her on an impossible mission: steal Soliton, a legendary ghost ship—a ship from which no one has ever returned. If she fails, her sister’s life is forfeit. On board Soliton, nothing is as simple as it seems. Isoka tries to get close to the ship's mysterious captain, but to do it she must become part of the brutal crew and join their endless battles against twisted creatures. She doesn't expect to have to contend with feelings for a charismatic fighter who shares her combat magic, or for a fearless princess who wields an even darker power. “Truly epic, fierce, and exhilarating, Ship of Smoke and Steel will capture you and lock you away. With magical combat sequences fit for the big screen, the action is almost as breathtaking as the intrigue.” —Morgan Rhodes, New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.




A Reign of Steel (Book #11 in the Sorcerer's Ring)


Book Description

“[An] entertaining epic fantasy.” —Kirkus Reviews “Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.” --Publishers Weekly “The beginnings of something remarkable are there.” --San Francisco Book Review A REIGN OF STEEL is Book #11 in the Bestselling series THE SORCERER'S RING, which begins with A QUEST OF HEROES (book #1), a free download on Play! In A REIGN OF STEEL (BOOK #11 IN THE SORCERER’S RING), Gwendolyn must protect her people as she finds King’s Court under siege. She strives to evacuate them from the Ring—but there is one problem: her people refuse to leave. As a power struggle ensues, Gwen finds her queenship under challenge for the first time—while the greatest threat to the Ring looms. Behind the McClouds lie the threat of Romulus and his dragons, who, with the Shield destroyed, embark on a catastrophic invasion, nothing left to stand between them and the complete annihilation of the Ring. Romulus, with Luanda at his side, is unstoppable while the moon lasts, and Gwen must fight for survival—for herself, for her baby, and for her people—amidst an epic battle of dragons, and of men. Kendrick leads the Silver in a valiant battle, and he is joined by Elden and the new Legion recruits, along with his brother Godfrey, who surprises everyone, including himself, with his acts of valor. But even so, it may not all be enough. Thor, meanwhile, embarks on the quest of his life in the Land of the Druids, trekking across a fearsome and magical land, a land unlike any other, with magical rules out of its own. Crossing this land will require every ounce of strength and training he has, will force him to dig deeper within, to become the great warrior—and Druid—he was meant to be. As he encounters monsters and challenges unlike ever before, he will have to lay down his life to try to reach his mother. Erec and Alistair journey to the Southern Isles, where they are greeted by all of his people, including his competitive brother and envious sister. Erec has a dramatic final meeting with his father, as the island prepares for him to ascend the throne as King. But in the Southern Isles, one must fight for the right to be King, and in an epic battle, Erec will be tested as never before. In a dramatic twist, we learn that treachery hides even here, in this place of noble and great warriors. Reece, embattled and surrounded on the Upper Isles, must fight for his life after his vengeance on Tirus. Desperate, he finds himself united with Stara, each wary of the other, yet untied in a quest to survive—one that will culminate in an epic battle at sea and will threaten the entire island. Will Gwen cross the sea to safety? Will Romulus destroy the Ring? Will Reece and Stara be together? Will Erec rise as King? Will Thor find his mother? What will become of Guwayne? Will anyone be left alive? With its sophisticated world-building and characterization, A REIGN OF STEEL is an epic tale of friends and lovers, of rivals and suitors, of knights and dragons, of intrigues and political machinations, of coming of age, of broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is a tale of honor and courage, of fate and destiny, of sorcery. It is a fantasy that brings us into a world we will never forget, and which will appeal to all ages and genders. Book #12 in the series--A LAND OF FIRE--is now also available! “A spirited fantasy ….Only the beginning of what promises to be an epic young adult series.” --Midwest Book Review “A quick and easy read…you have to read what happens next and you don’t want to put it down.” --FantasyOnline.net “It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages.” --Books and Movie Reviews




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