The Blade Itself

The Blade Itself
Author: Joe Abercrombie
Publisher: Orbit
Total Pages: 647
Release: 2015-09-08
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316387339

The first novel in the First Law Trilogy and debut fantasy novel from New York Times bestseller, Joe Abercrombie. Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he's on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian -- leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, Captain Jezal dan Luthar has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules. Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it. Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult. Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood. Unpredictable, compelling, wickedly funny, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Blade Itself is noir fantasy with a real cutting edge.

Red Country

Red Country
Author: Joe Abercrombie
Publisher: Orbit
Total Pages: 544
Release: 2012-11-13
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0316214442

A New York Times bestseller! They burned her home. They stole her brother and sister. But vengeance is following. Shy South hoped to bury her bloody past and ride away smiling, but she'll have to sharpen up some bad old ways to get her family back, and she's not a woman to flinch from what needs doing. She sets off in pursuit with only a pair of oxen and her cowardly old step father Lamb for company. But it turns out Lamb's buried a bloody past of his own. And out in the lawless Far Country the past never stays buried. Their journey will take them across the barren plains to a frontier town gripped by gold fever, through feud, duel and massacre, high into the unmapped mountains to a reckoning with the Ghosts. Even worse, it will force them into an alliance with Nicomo Cosca, infamous soldier of fortune, and his feckless lawyer Temple, two men no one should ever have to trust . . . Red Country takes place in the same world as the First Law trilogy, Best Served Cold, andThe Heroes. This novel also represents the return of Logen Ninefingers, one of Abercrombie's most beloved characters.

Grimdark

Grimdark
Author: Tim Linward
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2024-06-11
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 1913689131

On Warhammer 40,000, Britain's most excessive sci-fi franchise, and its vision of a hellish postindustrial future. In the grim darkness of the British imagination, there is only Warhammer 40,000.... Featuring demons, chain swords, and supermen in power armor, Warhammer 40,000 is Britain's most excessive sci-fi franchise. For thirty years this cult war game and its tie-in media have enticed thousands of fans to build, paint, and play with armies of toy soldiers taken from the battlefields of the worst possible future. Why has this fantasy proven so irresistible? Part collection of essays, part ravings of a cult prophet, Grimdark examines Warhammer 40,000's place and impact in pop culture, and how this unique vision of a hellish future arose from the subconscious of postindustrial Britain.

Kings of Paradise

Kings of Paradise
Author: Richard Nell
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Total Pages: 606
Release: 2018-07-19
Genre:
ISBN: 9781721140084

Winner of the 2018 IRDA for fantasy #1 Best Seller in Canadian Dark Fantasy 99% liked it (Goodreads) A deformed genius plots vengeance while struggling to survive. A wastrel prince comes of age, finding a power he never imagined. Two worlds are destined to collide. Only one can be king. "This dark fantasy epic will be held up against George R.R. Martin's masterwork, A Song of Ice and Fire. Read this book now so you can act pompous around your friends when HBO turns it into a television series." - Goodreads "Kings of Paradise presents a brutal world of complex yet simple politics, reminiscent of Game of Thrones. An intriguing low-magic world packed with interesting cultures to be further delved. Nell shows considerable skill in displaying his world distinctly through the eyes of his different characters." - Fantasybookreview.co.uk Ruka, called a demon at birth, is a genius. Born malformed and ugly into the snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom, he was spared from death by his mother's love. Now he is an outcast, consumed with hate for those who've wronged him. But to take his vengeance, he must first survive. Across a vast sea in the white-sand island paradise of Sri Kon, Kale is fourth and youngest son of the Sorcerer King. And at sixteen, Kale is a disappointment. As the first prince ever forced to serve with low-born marines, Kale must prove himself and become a man, or else lose all chance of a worthy future, and any hope to win the love of his life. Though they do not know it, both boys are on the cusp of discovery. Their worlds and lives are destined for greatness, or ruin. But in a changing world where ash meets paradise, only one man can be king... The first installment of an epic, low- fantasy trilogy. Kings of Paradise is a dark, bloody, coming-of-age story shaped by culture, politics, and magic. "The novel's brilliant world works on so many levels; it has a rich political landscape, moral complexity, and immense environmental challenges, all told in beautiful, thoughtful prose." - Indiereader "A must for lovers of fantasy, especially those who enjoy losing themselves in a epic tale." - Reader's Favorite "The world that Mr. Nell has created is pretty incredible. But the thing that really made me love this story was the characters he filled that world with." - Goodreads "If Kale changes, Ruka grows and festers like a storm. Without a doubt, the darker of the two characters, I feel Richard Nell has created a compelling and classic character here." Goodreads

Grim Dark

Grim Dark
Author: Ophelia Kee
Publisher: Ophelia Kee
Total Pages: 91
Release:
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Grim Dark Mystic Dark - Opener Winning the battle with the Reaper was only the beginning of the story Sold into bondage to save the rest of the family, Lyella accepted her fate until her ghost magic found a handsome gryphon knight in the dream. Planning her escape wasn’t the problem. It was finding her gryphon. Broken in battle, Sinclair took up arms against Death to gain one last chance at everything, only to be noticed by the Queen of the dream. The elves did her bidding and rescued a fading immortal, leaving one gryphon knight with an unpayable debt. Service to the elvish lords at Asylum granted Sinclair an opportunity to find his mate, but also set him on a strange search and rescue mission. The quarry: a man destined to become the last Vampire King. The mission: ensure the vampire fulfills his destiny. It’s all according to an ancient prophecy, but it must end the way the elves want it, rather than the way a devil wrote it. Grim Dark is the opening tale for the dark urban fantasy miniseries, Mystic Dark. Set in the dream, this spinoff story from the Draoithe Saga begins the tale of how one lone vampire must alter the Unlikely Kings Prophecy to aid the balance of magic. If you love powerful magic wielding shifters and sexy dark vampire royalty, read Grim Dark and begin an all new urban fantasy adventure. It’s more than a story; it’s an experience. Welcome to the dream… Urban Fantasy with Steamy Paranormal Romance Fated Mates 18+ HEA! NC! ***Warning: Adult Themes, Fantasy Violence, and/or Explicit Sexual Situations. Intended for a Mature Audience.

The Digital Role-Playing Game and Technical Communication

The Digital Role-Playing Game and Technical Communication
Author: Daniel Reardon
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
Total Pages: 315
Release: 2021-04-22
Genre: Games & Activities
ISBN: 1501352555

With annual gross sales surpassing 100 billion U.S. dollars each of the last two years, the digital games industry may one day challenge theatrical-release movies as the highest-grossing entertainment media in the world. In their examination of the tremendous cultural influence of digital games, Daniel Reardon and David Wright analyze three companies that have shaped the industry: Bethesda, located in Rockville, Maryland, USA; BioWare in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; and CD Projekt Red in Warsaw, Poland. Each company has used social media and technical content in the games to promote players' belief that players control the companies' game narratives. The result has been at times explosive, as empowered players often attempted to co-op the creative processes of games through discussion board forum demands, fund-raising campaigns to persuade companies to change or add game content, and modifications (“modding”) of the games through fan-created downloads. The result has changed the way we understand the interactive nature of digital games and the power of fan culture to shape those games.

Fantasy and Science Fiction Medievalisms: From Isaac Asimov to A Game of Thrones

Fantasy and Science Fiction Medievalisms: From Isaac Asimov to A Game of Thrones
Author: Helen Young
Publisher: Cambria Press
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2015-06-08
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1621967476

rom advertisements to amusement parks, themed restaurants, and Renaissance fairs twenty-first century popular culture is strewn with reimaginings of the Middle Ages. They are nowhere more prevalent, however, than in the films, television series, books, and video games of speculative genres: fantasy and science fiction. Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit film trilogies and George R. R. Martin's multimedia Game of Thrones franchise are just two of the most widely known and successful fantasy conglomerates of recent decades. Medievalism has often been understood as a defining feature of fantasy, and as the antithesis of science fiction, but such constructs vastly underestimate the complexities of both genres and their interactions. "Medieval" has multiple meanings in fantasy and science fiction, which shift with genre convention, and which bring about their own changes as authors and audiences engage with what has gone before in the recent and deeper pasts. Earlier volumes have examined some of the ways in which contemporary popular culture re-imagines the Middle Ages, offering broad overviews, but none considers fantasy, science fiction, or the two together. The focused approach of this collection provides a directed pathway into the myriad medievalisms of modern popular culture. By engaging directly with genre(s), this book acknowledges that medievalist creative texts and practices do not occur in a vacuum, but are shaped by multiple cultural forces and concerns; medievalism is never just about the Middle Ages.

Love is Eternal

Love is Eternal
Author: Joely Sue Burkhart
Publisher: BBB Publishings
Total Pages: 1246
Release: 2022-04-25
Genre: Family & Relationships
ISBN:

Courage is born when hope overcomes fear. -Georgiy Konisky Faced with the tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, this collection of authors gathered together to light a small flame of love and hope in the face of fear and darkness. We hope that these romance stories will bring a smile to your face and help remind you that even amid disaster, that love is eternal. All proceeds will be donated to charities to help the people of Ukraine. This is a multi author anthology. Stories may come with a trigger warning and end on a cliff-hanger please beware before reading. Authors Include Tamara White, Joely Sue Burkhart, Alexis Taylor, Beth Hendrix, Hannah Morse, Regina Frame, Rowan St. George, Linny Lawless, Leigh Kelsey, Kate Bonham, Sarah Stein, Pandora Snow, Leaona Luxx, Jewel Lynn, Haley Rhoades, Kelly Lord, Ruby Wolff, C.A. King, & Solamae Reigns.

Transformation of the University

Transformation of the University
Author: Søren S.E. Bengtsen
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2022-04-25
Genre: Education
ISBN: 1000571378

Transformation of the University imagines preferable futures for the university, building hope for the institution’s necessary transformation. It transcends old criticisms and presents fresh ideas on how the institution might be conceived, organised and put into practice while safeguarding that which makes it a university – the pursuit of knowledge. This book is divided into three main parts: Part One – ‘Knowledge’ assumes the role of the university in generating knowledge for the benefit of society; Part Two – ‘Cultural Growth’ expands on how the university might contribute to and benefit from the cultural growth of society, with both explicit and implicit connections to social and epistemic (in)justice; and Part Three – ‘Institutions’ focuses on imaginative processes for enacting the university as an institution that meets the unforeseen future challenges facing societies around the world. With contributions from scholars across the world, Transformation of the University is an essential read for all academics, practitioners, institutional leaders and broad social thinkers who are concerned with the future of the university and its contributions to society.

The Stars That Fall

The Stars That Fall
Author: Nikki Mahlia
Publisher: Ruth Headlam
Total Pages: 351
Release: 2023-08-18
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

How could anyone find peace in something as tragic as death? Powerful gods will do terrible things, and the saying seems to be true. A single drop of blood is all it takes. Head Reaper; Titan—all titles that belong to Yugi—and he hates them. He is forced to collect souls at the brink of death, and as a Titan, he’s viewed as a traitor by the celestials. A disease known to kill past gods has returned, leaving a bloody massacre in its wake, and Yugi is forced to reap the souls. Then, the Asayli, the rulers of Xhian, ban the use of sẹda, the powers of all celestials. Without power, Yugi and his kind will never evolve to become gods, and with the disease spreading, the situation is made worse. First gain power, then become a god. But gaining power always comes with a deadly risk.