Lost Souls (Phoenix Company Book 1.5)

Lost Souls (Phoenix Company Book 1.5)
Author: G.C.Camacho
Publisher: George Christian Camacho
Total Pages: 344
Release: 2023-12-25
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1778235972

Life-changing moments don't always wear name tags. Sailing the vast void of space is a chaotic life fraught with danger and mystery. It's often the unlikely connections with people that shape us in unexpected ways. A pair of famous freelancers face their hidden pains as they uncover the mysteries of a blood-soaked research station overrun with horrible monsters. Cyborg agents dispatched by their AI overlord find a touch of humanity as they infiltrate a party of wealthy elites. A bright-eyed teenager finally gets accepted as an armiger for his hero knight. Everything flips upside down when he lands in a shuttle full of convicted criminals screaming toward a pitched battle with pirates. Two wayward samurai face uncomfortable truths about life and death at a floating island resort owned by amethyst dragons. An unlikely band of misfit mercenaries drunkenly try to figure out what went wrong on their mission to discreetly protect a VIP from a gang of assassins. Through their defining struggles, these lost souls find new purpose in each other. A sci-fi fantasy anthology of nine shorter stories in the vein of Last Wish from Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher series, Lost Souls weaves together the heartwarming tale of Phoenix Company finding each other against all odds. As a prequel to the main narrative, it gives more background on Phoenix Company's founding four and their time with the Deadmaws while introducing some new characters entering the series. All the same, you don't have to have read Inglorious Resurrection or In The Storm to enjoy Lost Souls. So check out the compelling and beautifully crafted tale of Lost Souls! Even as your first dive into the series, it stands on its own and won't disappoint. Content Warning: Lost Souls explores some mature subject matter including violence, gore, profanity, body horror and struggles with PTSD and addiction.

Pagan Portals - Blacksmith Gods

Pagan Portals - Blacksmith Gods
Author: Pete Jennings
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Total Pages: 95
Release: 2014-07-25
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1782796266

Blacksmith Gods is a unique compendium of fascinating facts, fantasy and mystery relating to that universal archetype, the blacksmith. Covering many countries and cultures the book explores charming folk tales and customs alongside the often cruel myths of the metal-working Gods. Discover the mysterious magic associated with them and their craft, from pre-history to the modern age.

Contemporary Gothic

Contemporary Gothic
Author: Catherine Spooner
Publisher: Reaktion Books
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2007-02-01
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1861895585

Modern Gothic culture alternately fascinates, horrifies, or bewilders many of us. We cringe at pictures of Marilyn Manson, cheer for Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and try not to stare at the pierced and tattooed teens we pass on the streets. But what is it about this dark and morbidly morose aesthetic that fascinates us today? In Contemporary Gothic, Catherine Spooner probes the reasons behind the prevalence of the Gothic in popular culture and how it has inspired innovative new work in film, literature, music, and art. Spooner traces the emergence of the Gothic subculture over the past few decades and examines the various aspects of contemporary society that revolve around the grotesque, abject, and artificial. The Gothic is continually resituated in different spheres of culture, she reveals, as she explores the transplantation of the “street” Goth style to haute couture runway looks by fashion designers. The Gothic also appears in a number of surprisingly diverse representations, and Spoonerconsiders them all, from the artistic excesses of Jake and Dinos Chapman to the fashions of Alexander McQueen, and from the mind-bending films of David Lynch to the abnormal postmodern subjects of Joel-Peter Witkin’s photography. In an engaging way, Contemporary Gothic argues that this style ultimately balances a number of contradictions—the grotesque and incorporeal, authentic self-expression and campiness, mass popularity and cult appeal, comfort and outrage—and these contradictions make the Gothic a crucial expression of contemporary cultural currents. Whether seeking to understand the stories behind the TV show Supernatural or to extract deeper meanings from modern literature, Contemporary Gothic is a lively and virtually unparalleled study of the modern Gothic sensibility that pervades popular culture today.