Magic isn’t something that creates, it divides. There is no school of magic, only affinities. Mages, those with this ability, harness this latent power to affect the world around them. Be they Druid, Wizard, Sorceress or Warlock, each is separate and disjointed. Yet with separation comes prejudice, the conception of ideas and ideals about another unlike oneself that can breed nothing but ill intent. Labels, prejudices, ignorance and judgement surround us and that, is what this story is all about. For few laws govern the magical communities across the world. While all laws are equal in penalty, some are more equal than others. One such law, none can know what really lurks in the dark. Only when they’ve experienced it for themselves, and are brought within, can be told the truth. It’s typical if you think about it. the average stiff working a desk job gets to sleep peacefully at night while those at the extremes of society know the score. Those at the top get rich while those at the bottom barely survive. So, what do you do when you discover you can see spirits, interact with the restless dead and raise zombies…, that you’re a Necromancer. What do you do when you learn the world’s united against you? That they see nothing wrong with removing you as a threat to the order that keeps them oppressed. You raise a middle finger, and do what needs to be done.

In the ancient sands of Egypt, where gods whisper and the veil between life and death is thin, there reigned a Pharaoh named Kokb'ael, wise, powerful, and beloved by his people. But beneath his golden rule lay a fear darker than the shadowed tombs of the underworld – a fear of mortality and a forgotten legacy. "Origins: The Pharaoh's Pact" delves into the heart of Kokb'ael's obsession, as a prophecy of doom sets him on a perilous path. Desperate to transcend the grip of death and carve a name that would echo through the ages, Kokb'ael turns to forbidden magic, seeking the knowledge that lies hidden in the cryptic whispers of shadows and ancient texts. His quest leads him to The Grey, an enigmatic figure bearing the secrets of immortality. But such power comes with a grave cost. As Kokb'ael embraces the dark arts, he transforms not only his fate but also the destiny of his kingdom. His pursuit of eternal life ushers in an era of darkness, casting a shadow over the lands he once nobly ruled. Journey into a world where the line between hero and villain blurs, and where the pursuit of eternal life comes at an unimaginable price.

Last spring, Dawn found her older brother dead in a pool of his blood. His killer stood over him, wearing a smile as sharp and ghastly as his knife. Last summer, she tracked the killer down. He's a student at Necromancer Academy and part of a secret fraternity known as the Diabolicals. This fall, Dawn will scrap her admission to the prestigious White Magic Academy. She'll trade sparkly healing charms and bright dresses for death charms and black cloaks. She'll melt into the shadowy halls of Necromancer Academy. And she will have her revenge. Necromancer Academy is the first book in a four-book series. Each book ends in a cliffhanger. One-click now for your acceptance into Necromancer Academy! Don't miss the rest of the series: Necromancer Unleashed: Book 2 Necromancer Revealed: Book 3 Necromancer Uprising: Book 4

In the final book in the Old Kingdom trilogy, master of fantasy and globally bestselling author Garth Nix returns to the fantastic world of Sabriel for an unforgettable conclusion. "Breathtaking, bittersweet, and utterly unforgettable.” * After centuries in captivity, the Destroyer is nearly free. Beneath the earth, a malignant force lies waiting, greedy for freedom from its ancient prison. As the Old Kingdom falls once more into a realm of darkness and terror, the people look desperately to the Abhorsen, the scourge of the Dead, to save them. Yet Abhorsen Sabriel is lost, missing in Ancelstierre. Only Lirael has any chance of stopping the Destroyer. With her companions Sameth, Mogget and the Disreputable Dog, she travels across the Old Kingdom in a race against time, battling Shadow Hands and dark necromancers to reach Ancelstierre before it is too late. But what hope can one young woman have against a terrible evil with the power to destroy life itself? This eagerly awaited conclusion to Garth Nix’s extraordinary trilogy of Old Kingdom books is a complex and vividly imagined story, powerful, terrifying and compelling. “Terror, courage, bitterness, love, desperation, and sacrifice all swirl together in an apocalyptic climax that pits both Life and Death together against the destruction of everything." —Kirkus*

In the year 2020, New Yorkborn arcana-archaeologist Russell Samway discovers the Staff of the Great Geomancer, a magical artefact that once belonged to one of the most powerful earth elementalists in history at an archaeological dig in England whilst under the onslaught of a small horde of merciless undead. Half the globe away, a group of individuals with unique skills and abilities is on their way to thwart an evil shamans machinations in Indonesia. Surviving his ordeal in England against the merciless undead, Russell returns to New York to enrol at a prestigious school of magic and befriends the group of unique individuals who thwart the evil shamans nefarious scheme in Indonesia. Between the demons, undead, and juvenile shoplifters they come across, Russell slowly gets to know these mysterious individuals, who, alone, struggle to bring down one of the worlds most powerful secret societies during their long quest for ancient artefacts.

At last - the essential origins and early adventures of Valiant's most powerful heroes and allies, collected between two covers for the first time anywhere! Celebrate 25 years of the largest independent superhero universe in comics with these all-star explorations of Valiant's indelible comics book icons, including X-O Manowar, Harbinger, Bloodshot, Archer & Armstrong, Shadowman, and many more! Who they are, how they came to be, and what they fear the most! This is your essential one-stop guide to the biggest heroes, villains, and super-teams that the Valiant Universe has to offer, just in time for Valiant's 25th Anniversary Celebration! Collecting Archer & Armstrong #0, Bloodshot #0, Harbinger #0, Punk Mambo #0, Quantum and Woody: The Goat #0, Shadowman #0, Unity #0, X-O Manowar #0, and material from Archer & Armstrong #25, Bloodshot #25, Harbinger #25, X-O Manowar #25, and FCBD 2014: Valiant Universe Handbook #1.

Between the two world wars, on a hike in the English countryside, Professor John Hill takes refuge from a violent storm in a cave. There he nearly loses his life, but he also makes an astonishing discovery -- an ancient manuscript housed in a cunningly crafted metal box. Though a philologist by profession, Hill cannot identify the language used in the manuscript and the time period in which it is was made, but he knows enough to make an educated guess -- that the book and its case are the fruits of a long-lost, but advanced civilization. The translation of the manuscript and the search for its origins become a life-long quest for Hill. As he uncovers an epic that both enchants and inspires him, he tracks down scholars from Oxford to Paris who can give him clues. Along the way, he meets several intriguing characters, including a man keenly interested in obtaining artifacts from a long-lost civilization that he believes was the creation of a superior race, and will help him fulfill his ambition to rule other men. Concluding that Hill must have found something that may help him in this quest, but knowing not what it is and where it is hidden, he has Hill, his friends at Oxford, and his family shadowed and threatened until finally he and Hill face off in a final, climatic confrontation. A story that features a giant pirate and slaver, a human chameleon on a perilous metaphysical journey, a mysterious hermit, and creatures both deadly and beautiful, this is a novel that explores the consequences of the predominant ideas of the 20th Century.

A manual for constructing talismans, mixing magical compounds, summoning planetary spirits, and determining astrological conditions, Picatrix is a cornerstone of Western esotericism. It offers important insights not only into occult practices and beliefs but also into the transmission of magical ideas from antiquity to the present. Dan Attrell and David Porreca’s English translation opens the world of this vital medieval treatise to modern-day scholars and lay readers. The original text, Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm, was compiled in Arabic from over two hundred sources in the latter half of the tenth century. It was translated into Castilian Spanish in the mid-thirteenth century, and shortly thereafter into Latin. Based on David Pingree’s edition of the Latin text, this translation captures the spirit of Picatrix’s role in the European tradition. In the world of Picatrix, we see a seamless integration of practical magic, earnest piety, and traditional philosophy. The detailed introduction considers the text’s reception through multiple iterations and includes an enlightening statistical breakdown of the rituals described in the book. Framed by extensive research on the ancient and medieval context that gave rise to the Latin version of the text, this translation of Picatrix will be an indispensable volume for students and scholars of the history of science, magic, and religion and will fascinate anyone interested in the occult.

Longlisted for the National Book Award. Where did the ideas come from that became the cornerstone of American democracy? America’s founders intended to liberate us not just from one king but from the ghostly tyranny of supernatural religion. Drawing deeply on the study of European philosophy, Matthew Stewart brilliantly tracks the ancient, pagan, and continental ideas from which America’s revolutionaries drew their inspiration. In the writings of Spinoza, Lucretius, and other great philosophers, Stewart recovers the true meanings of “Nature’s God,” “the pursuit of happiness,” and the radical political theory with which the American experiment in self-government began.