As Lifin, a young elf, the reader makes decisions controlling his search through the five Forbidden Towers for the herb that will cure his people of the eleven plague.

As Lifin, a young elf, the reader makes decisions controlling his search through the five Forbidden Towers for the herb that will cure his people of the eleven plague.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The Academy Award–winning director of Free Solo and National Geographic photographer presents the first collection of his iconic adventure photography, featuring some of the greatest moments of the most accomplished climbers and outdoor athletes in the world, and including more than 200 extraordinary photographs. “An extraordinary work of art.”—Jon Krakauer Filmmaker, photographer, and world-class mountaineer Jimmy Chin goes where few can follow to capture stunning images in death-defying situations. There and Back draws from his breathtaking portfolio of photographs, captured over twenty years during cutting-edge expeditions on all seven continents—from skiing Mount Everest, to an unsupported traverse of Tibet's Chang Tang Plateau on foot, to first ascents in Chad’s Ennedi Desert and Antarctica’s Queen Maud Land. Along the way, Chin shares behind-the-scenes details about how he captured such astounding images in impossible conditions, and tells the stories of the legendary adventurers and remarkable athletes he has photographed, including Alex Honnold, the star of his Academy Award–winning documentary film Free Solo; ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers; snowboarder Travis Rice; and mountaineers Conrad Anker and Yvon Chouinard. These larger-than-life images, coupled with stories of outsized drive and passion, of impossible goals with life or death stakes, of partnerships forged through incredible hardship, are sure to inspire wonder and awe.

Somewhere on Prithvi, a mortal survives a supernatural attack. In the dark realm of Atala, an evil goddess prepares to do the unspeakable. And a Yakshi finds herself at the heart of an other-worldly storm. Ardra has only known life as a Yakshi, designed to seduce and kill men after drawing out their deepest, darkest secrets for her evil mistress Hera, queen of the forsaken realm of Atala. Then, on one strange blood moon night, her chosen victim, Dwai, survives, and her world spins out of control. Now Ardra must escape the wrath of Hera, who is plotting to throw the universe into chaos. To stop her, Ardra needs to find answers to questions she hasn?t dared to ask before. What power does the blood moon hold? Is the sky city of Aakasha as much a myth as its inhabitants ? the ethereal and seductive Gandharvas and Apsaras? Who is Dara, the mysterious monster-slayer, and what makes Dwai impervious to her powers? A heady concoction of fantasy and romance, Dark Things conjures up a unique world wrought of love and sacrifice, of shadows and secrets, of evil and those who battle it.

A deluxe signed edition of the New York Times bestselling collection of adventure photography from the Academy Award–winning director of Free Solo, with exclusive features including: • An oversized clothbound hardcover format • Author signature page • Clothbound clamshell case • A separate 12” x 10.75” Jimmy Chin B&W photo printed on archival high quality Fuji Photographic matte paper • All 200+ extraordinary images from the original edition, including many in a larger size Filmmaker, photographer, and world-class mountaineer Jimmy Chin goes where few can follow to capture stunning images in death-defying situations. There and Back draws from his breathtaking portfolio of photographs, captured over twenty years during cutting-edge expeditions on all seven continents—from skiing Mount Everest, to an unsupported traverse of Tibet’s Chang Tang Plateau on foot, to first ascents in Chad’s Ennedi Desert and Antarctica’s Queen Maud Land. Along the way, Chin shares behind-the-scenes details about how he captured such astounding images in impossible conditions, and tells the stories of the legendary adventurers and remarkable athletes he has photographed, including Alex Honnold, the star of his Academy Award–winning documentary film Free Solo; ski mountaineer Kit DesLauriers; snowboarder Travis Rice; and mountaineers Conrad Anker and Yvon Chouinard. These larger-than-life images, coupled with stories of outsized drive and passion, of impossible goals with life or death stakes, of partnerships forged through incredible hardship, are sure to inspire wonder and awe.

Examining how monuments preserve memory, these essays demonstrate how phenomena as diverse as ancient drum towers in China and ritual whale killings in the Pacific Northwest serve to represent and negotiate time.

From the beginning, horror has been part of the cinema landscape. Despite some of the earliest genre films with gay directors such as F.W. Murnau (Nosferatu) and James Whale (Frankenstein, The Invisible Man, Bride of Frankenstein), LGBTQIA characters have rarely been portrayed in full view. For decades, filmmakers have included "coded" content in their films with the homosexual experience translated into censor-friendly subtext for consumption by general audiences. Gradually, LGBTQIA characters and themes have moved from the background to the foreground as the horror genre has grown along with its audience's tastes and attitudes. Likewise, more and more LGBTQIA writers and directors have begun to offer their queer-centric takes on scary movies and today, "queer horror" is a thriving film genre. With more than 900 entries, this critical filmography is a comprehensive, critical, yet playful examination of the history of LGBTQIA content in horror films. Eight journalistic contributors dig into every era of scary movies, including the early silents, pre- and post-Hays Code content, grindhouse sleaze, LGBTQIA indies, and megaplex studio releases. From Whale's The Old Dark House (1932) to Don Mancini's Chucky films and everything in between, this collection explores what can be found at the intersection of "LGBTQIA" and "horror" in the film industry.

A fascinating book of 29 Chinese Mysteries, easy to read and easy to enjoy. Of considerable interest to anyone who has ever been to China, or is longing to go there.

Families and feuds. Bad-bloods and age-old hatred. Friends and foes masked with facades of their own, the truth blanketed over words and smiles. The Academy has it all. But between rising conflicts, lies and tension thick in the air, emerges a more deadly game of chess. The one pulling the strings has yet to be discovered and meanwhile, the girl of shadows and thorns lurks in the darkness of the Academy halls, collecting the pawns and pieces at play and setting motion to the falling dominoes promising pure, unparalleled chaos like no other. The risks are high; the secrets will come to light… and safety? Well, safety is merely an illusion. This is, after all, the beginning of a tale…

In the final chapter of the saga that began with Dynasty of Death and The Eagles Gather, a global munitions empire must take sides in World War II. Peter Bouchard journeyed from afar to intervene in the power struggle between Armand and Christopher Bouchard. At stake was control of the family’s vast conglomerate spanning the armament, airplane, and automobile industries. Now Peter and his wife, Celeste, have returned from Europe, where the winds of war are blowing once again. Peter warns that the coming conflict will be one of the darkest chapters in human history—but the Bouchards have always profited in dark times. Henri Bouchard has grown into a ruthless tycoon, but when he sees the threat to America, he throws himself into the war effort with single-minded determination. As he battles bureaucracy and rival powers within his own family, he finds himself drawn to Celeste, the woman he once loved. This, one of Taylor Caldwell’s most subtle romances, awakens Henri’s compassion even as it threatens his grip on the Bouchard dynasty. A “sprawling . . . lush” novel that captures the clamor and uncertainty of the years before the Second World War, The Final Hour is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy that stands as one of Caldwell’s finest achievements (Kirkus Reviews).