The people of Ledford cherish the mysterious island of blue-eyed crows and ravens in the midst of the big river that cuts their city in two. The island-uninhabited since the days of the old hermit for whom it was named-beckons outcast Jesuit scholar and ornithologist Alfredo Manzi to its dark forest. He meets Charlie, a blue-eyed crow who seems to be expecting him. The crow tells Manzi he is one of the last of the Patua', a Homo sapien subspecies with a strange ability to verbally communicate with the corvids, a group of highly intelligent birds that includes ravens and crows. Manzi learns to his growing amazement that he is not the first of his kind to visit Wilder Island, and that it holds many secrets of his ancient, vanishing race. The corvids put all hope upon him to bring the Patua' back from the edge of oblivion and save the Earth from the ravages of human technology. But the island itself is in grave danger of a takeover from a land developer whose plans will most certainly destroy the unique corvid population forever, as well the legacy of the Patua'. Manzi begins fulfilling his mission to save the enchanted wilderness, enlisting help from the corvids, another Patua', and a colleague and his wife, who is about to uncover her own secrets. In this fantasy tale, corvids and humans must band together to save their beloved island from destruction-before it is too late.

How did one of the world’s "buzzy hotspots" (Fodor’s 2013) become one of the top ten places to avoid (Fodor’s 2018)? Precariously positioned between China and India, Burma’s population has suffered dictatorship, natural disaster, and the dark legacies of colonial rule. But when decades of military dictatorship finally ended and internationally beloved Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi emerged from long years of house arrest, hopes soared. World leaders such as Barack Obama ushered in waves of international support. Progress seemed inevitable. As historian, former diplomat, and presidential advisor, Thant Myint-U saw the cracks forming. In this insider’s diagnosis of a country at a breaking point, he dissects how a singularly predatory economic system, fast-rising inequality, disintegrating state institutions, the impact of new social media, the rise of China next door, climate change, and deep-seated feelings around race, religion, and national identity all came together to challenge the incipient democracy. Interracial violence soared and a horrific exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees fixed international attention. Myint-U explains how and why this happened, and details an unsettling prognosis for the future. Burma is today a fragile stage for nearly all the world’s problems. Are democracy and an economy that genuinely serves all its people possible in Burma? In clear and urgent prose, Myint-U explores this question—a concern not just for the Burmese but for the rest of the world—warning of the possible collapse of this nation of 55 million while suggesting a fresh agenda for change.

Every night for 400 years, a curfew bell has tolled from the church tower of Crybbe—superstitious ritual or sole defense against an ancient evil? In Crybbe, only strangers walk at twilight . . . For 400 years, the curfew bell has tolled nightly from the church tower of the small country town, Crybbe's only defense against the evil rising unbidden in its haunted streets. Radio reporter Fay Morrison came to Crybbe because she had no choice. Millionaire music tycoon Max Goff came because there was nothing left to conquer, except the power of the spirit. But he knew nothing of the town's legacy of dark magic—and nobody felt like telling him.

The 12th instalment in the Merrily Watkins series When a man's body is discovered near the picturesque town of Hay-on-Wye, his death appears to be 'unnatural' in every sense. Merrily Watkins, priest, single mother and exorcist, is drafted in to investigate. A man's body is found below a waterfall. It looks like suicide or an accidental drowning - until DI Frannie Bliss enters the dead man's home. What he finds there has him consulting Merrily Watkins, the Diocese of Hereford's official advisor on the paranormal. It's nearly forty years since the town of Hay-on-Wye was declared an independent state by its self-styled king. A development seen at the time as a joke. But the pastiche had a serious side. And behind it, unknown to most of the townsfolk, lay a darker design, a hidden history of murder and ritual magic, the relics of which are only now becoming visible. It's a situation that will take Merrily Watkins - on her own for the first time in years and facing public humiliation over a separate case - to the edge of madness.

Sixteen-Year-Old Celstia spends every summer with her family at the elite resort at Lake Conemaugh, a shimmering Allegheny Mountain reservoir held in place by an earthen dam. Tired of the society crowd, Celestia prefers to swim and fish with Peter, the hotel’s hired boy. It’s a friendship she must keep secret, and when companionship turns to romance, it’s a love that could get Celestia disowned. These affairs of the heart become all the more wrenching on a single, tragic day in May, 1889. After days of heavy rain, the dam fails, unleashing 20 million tons of water onto Johnstown, Pennsylvania, in the valley below. The town where Peter lives with his father. The town where Celestia has just arrived to join him. This searing novel in poems explores a cross-class romance—and a tragic event in U. S. history.

Aeon, creator, and lord of the universe, has brought forth all things into existence. The universe is one with Aeon, but his presence on the physical plain would cause the universe to fold in upon itself, destroying everything. Looming deep in stasis sleep, his essence remains ever present, while he himself remains ever absent. Our Union, is the assembly of the children of Aeon, tasked with keeping the balance throughout the universe. They are the invisible watchers who become embroiled in their own internal war. The collective is shattered when one of them is slain. Sides are taken, and the entire universe hangs in the balance of the outcome. Merridia, lies at the center of the universe. Corvus the first of the lower beings was blessed by Thutmos to rule there as chieftain of the gods. Ages have passed and the Merridians have only grown stronger. Black Dawn, the son of Corvus is haunted by visions of a great calamity that threatens Merridia. In defiance of his father's orders, he sets off to meet the threat head on. Will he quiet the storm, or shall it be his undoing? Scicremeon, always thirsting for blood, is driven only by her want to avenge the death of a father she never knew. Even in the face of a god hell bent on her destruction, she stands defiant until the last breath. In her wake, she leaves behind only rivers of blood. Yet, the love of a young boy teachers her that killers too can be kind. Titans clash as bonds are broken and new alliances are formed, while a brewing storm could wash away the fabric of what once was, forming it anew in a sea of darkness where no light may shine. Compelling, suspenseful, insanely gripping, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Twelve is space fantasy that packs a real punch.

'Superb. A Burning Sea is a vivid, enthralling read, yet again proving that Theodore Brun is a force to be reckoned with.' Giles Kristian Doomed to wander. Destined for glory. Erlan Aurvandil has turned his back on the past and his native Northern lands, taking a perilous journey to the greatest city in the world, Byzantium. But as his voyage ends, Erlan is brutally betrayed, captured and enslaved by a powerful Byzantine general. Meanwhile, Lilla Sviggarsdottír, Queen of Svealand, has lost her husband and with him, her kingdom. Leaving her lands and people behind, Lilla journeys east on a new quest: to find Erlan and raise an army mighty enough to defeat her usurper. But when she reaches the great city of Byzantium, she discovers a place in turmoil. A dark tide is rising against the Emperor from within his own court. As the shadows darken and whispers of war begin to strengthen, Erlan's fate becomes intertwined with that of the city. Are they both doomed to fall, or can freedom be won in the blood of battle?

Discover why outsiders from Trump to Corbyn are succeeding like never before - and what this means for you. In recent years, voters have deserted the political centre like never before. Whether it's Trump, Brexit, Le Pen, or Corbyn, outsiders and populists are flourishing on the far left and far right. Celebrated political commentator Steve Richards explores factors from globalization and fake news to rising immigration and stagnant wages. Richards argues that the reasons for the success of the outsider also sows the seeds of their eventual demise. If they do gain power, they inevitably become insiders themselves - and fail to live up to their extravagant promises. This landmark book examines the rapidly shifting global political landscape of the last decade, and is essential reading for anyone who has been bothered by Brexit, troubled by Trump or confused by Corbyn.

Silent Shadows is the new dark fantasy title by Kirsten Nimwey. It is the spin-off of her novel series, The Explorers that features Reinhardt Foster, the Darkness Wielder. In this novel, he will be making his special appearance as a shadowless Grim Reaper named Rei. The great turmoil abounds in the human world when Corvus, the bogeyman enters and produces a deadly, dark mist and black rains to turn it into the world of Shadows. The living humans’ shadows, which believe to be the human souls are turned into Shadows of Darkness by inhaling the mist, causing the victims to die and turn into stones. Alexis Briant, who is an asthmatic high school teacher also inhales the deadly mist and loses consciousness to his death. But fortunately, his life is spared when someone saves him before he completely dies from suffocation. When he regains his consciousness, he meets Rei - a mysterious masked man who claims to be the Reaper with no shadow and has his mission to defeat Corvus to reverse his cursed fate. With Alexis' help, they must journey to Corvus' castle in the new world of Shadows and this is how their thrilling adventure begins... Print edition in Filipino language is now available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Shadows-Tagalog-Kirsten-Nimwey/dp/1514849402/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Like Silent Shadows? Give it a high rating and review! Visit and like Kirsten Nimwey on Facebook: facebook.com/kirstennimweyofficial Twitter: twitter.com/kirstennimwey

Book 10 of the succesful 'Horus Heresy Primarchs' Series. Focusses on Corax, the Primarch of the Raven Guard. During the Great Crusade, it falls to the primarch Corax of the Raven Guard to humble the immense void-cities of the Carinae. Determined to bring these worlds into compliance, he unleashes the might of his Legion and a massive war host of the Imperial Army. But the lords of Carinae are well defended and without remorse. At the height of the conflict, at the void-city of Zenith, a dread bio-weapon from an ancient time is unleashed. At once, the Imperial force is brought to its knees, as allies are turned against each other and the Raven Guard left to face almost insurmountable odds. As the campaign teeters on the brink of failure, Corax’s desire for vengeance is severely tested against the need for a swift and certain resolution to the war.