At the age of twenty, Kanze Zenjiro's bloody footprints mark the bodies of those who stood in his way to protect the throne of Nihon. Now, the tyrannical Iberian Empire is bent on destroying his kingdom, and they send their steam-powered giants and iron spiders against him. Zen embarks on a quest that takes him on the most dangerous journey of his life. To succeed, Zen must live up to his nickname, the Dragonfly Warrior, and kill all his enemies with only a sword and a pair of six-guns. He is called upon to somehow survive a test of faith and loyalty in a world so cruel and merciless, it borders on madness.

Surveys the training, tools, and strategies of Native American warriors from both large and remote tribes, examining their equipment, disparate combat techniques, and influence on European and American technology.

Even the strongest woman has her breaking point, and Keiko has reached hers. Sick at heart and wanting only to leave her past behind her, Keiko is drawn to the sea. Seeking refuge from the world that has nearly torn her spirit apart, she boards the first ship she finds and sails away gladly from her former life. Although Keiko thinks she is done with her past life, fate has much more in store. Her ship is taken by a band of wokou–desperate pirates who will kill to gain the treasure they seek. But just like Keiko, the wokou captain hides a secret. He is a man who, like her, has walked away from his past life, and Keiko comes to believe that she has truly found a kindred spirit in this man who is not what he appears. Yet still, the gods are not ready to give Keiko the peace she craves. Once more, the way of the samurai calls to her and she has to face her greatest challenge. Only this time, love and honor are two sides of the same coin.

Kinslayer Kagur is a warrior of the Blacklions, fierce and fearless hunters in the savage Realm of the Mammoth Lords. When her clan is slaughtered by a frost giant she considered her adopted brother, honor demands that she, the last surviving Blacklion, track down her old ally and take the tribe’s revenge. This is no normal betrayal, however, for the murderous giant has followed the whispers of a dark god down into the depths of the earth, into a primeval cavern forgotten by time. There, he will unleash forces capable of wiping all humans from the region—unless Kagur can stop him first. From acclaimed author Richard Lee Byers comes a tale of bloody revenge and subterranean wonder, set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

Combines the latest research with contemporary lives, descriptions, and reconstructions to provide a dramatic picture of what it was like to be a samurai. So you think you’d like to be a samurai? It’s 1615 and the samurai, Japan’s elite fighting class, are at the zenith of their powers. Trained in every manner of combat, from sword fighting and archery to karate and jujitsu, the samurai warrior is the emperor’s last line of defense against the lewd and sordid barbarians of Japan and beyond. This handy manual tells you everything you need to know about maintaining the honor of the samurai class both on and off the battlefield. • How to master the Way of the Warrior • Whom you should kill, and what to do with the heads afterward • What the cultured samurai does between battles • How to storm or lay siege to a castle • How to conduct a tea ceremony with Zen-like composure • How to prepare for entry into the White Jade Pavilion after your death

Dear Anita has always held Aiki Dragon’s spirit within her heart, giving her protection and guidance for her journey as a warrior. She was born into a family blessed with love, humor, trust, and various philosophies, and she learned how to become one with all that surrounded her. She discovered the universe’s power of love, for it dwelled within her, along with her enthusiasm and high energy. As a child, Dear Anita learned to communicate with a playmate who spoke another language, fly a tricycle, and stand up bravely to the neighborhood bully. She became one of the first and youngest female pilots and aviation attorneys. Then the universe revealed her healing powers, allowing her to become a Chinese medicine doctor. In a time of self-reflection, Dear Anita learned of the beautiful goddess Kannon and was introduced to Aiki Dragon and the world of dragons, where she discovered her Dragon Queen Ryu healing powers. Simultaneously a book from her law school years, on the harmony and techniques of Aikido, fell back into her hands and created a forever path upon her warrior’s journey—where compassion, healing, love, and gratitude unite with the universe’s plan of perfect unison…and we are all one.

Moche murals of northern Peru represent one of the great, yet still largely unknown, artistic traditions of the ancient Americas. Created in an era without written scripts, these murals are key to understandings of Moche history, society, and culture. In this first comprehensive study on the subject, Lisa Trever develops an interdisciplinary methodology of “archaeo art history” to examine how ancient histories of art can be written without texts, boldly inverting the typical relationship of art to archaeology. Trever argues that early coastal artistic traditions cannot be reduced uncritically to interpretations based in much later Inca histories of the Andean highlands. Instead, the author seeks the origins of Moche mural art, and its emphasis on figuration, in the deep past of the Pacific coast of South America. Image Encounters shows how formal transformations in Moche mural art, before and after the seventh century, were part of broader changes to the work that images were made to perform at Huacas de Moche, El Brujo, Pañamarca, and elsewhere in an increasingly complex social and political world. In doing so, this book reveals alternative evidentiary foundations for histories of art and visual experience.

Kismet is a state of being and living. For too long humans have forgotten how to exist with true wisdom. Instead of being connected with this divine force and engaging our intrinsic wisdom to guide our lives, we have created a detached reality void of connectedness. We have surrendered our power and knowledge to others and become a homogenized society through brainwashing, mistruth, chemicals, propaganda and fear mongering. As a benevolent race it is time for humanity to reclaim the greatest gift bestowed to us, love and wisdom. It is time to realign with the Christ Consciousness through Kismet.

Combines material previously published as Warrior 29: Ashigaru 1467-1649, Warrior 64: Ninja AD 1460-1650, Warrior 70: Japanese Warrior Monks AD 949-1603, with a new section on Samurai, new images, and a new introduction and conclusion. Driven by strict codes of honour and bound by deep allegiances of rank, family or religion, the elite warriors of medieval Japan were bold fighters, loyal comrades and deadly enemies, With rare material from Japanese sources and lavish artwork and photography, this book examines the military lives, beliefs and battle experience of four formidable warrior types – samurai, ninja, warrior monk and ashigaru foot soldier – resulting in a highly authoritative account of Japan's warrior elite.

Everyone needs a break climbing up the steep mountain of wisdom in all the non-fiction books on the subject of metaphysics and spiritual growth. But entertaining fiction in spiritual growth has yet to fully address the growing interest in metaphysics and the increasing popularity of Buddhism and new-age alternatives. This new series provides thought-provoking entertainment for all spiritually curious individuals to explore. Several young adult misfits learn to change the world by using ancient teachings to change themselves. Extreme, often comical characters, dive into difficult life dilemmas, testing philosophical solutions to better their lives - while contemplating profound possibilities about the universe. If such outrageous characters can find more peaceful paths in their reckless lives, so can the rest of us. In this first book, Begging for Enlightenment, Jason The Juggler stumbles down the path of enlightenment while doing battle with samurai warriors, TV evangelists, ex-girlfriends, and his life-long nemesis...his angry past. Strippers, saintly actors, and visionary monks all offer guidance and wisdom, whether they want to or not.