The Silicate War has been over for fifteen years, and the tension among the dominant galactic races is growing. Many fear that the Umblegarri, the ancient alien race that ushered humanity into the interstellar galactic community during the Silicate War, have been targeted for conquest by the Crax and their allies. It's no longer speculation. The invasion is underway and Kra finds himself strapped to a hospital bed, critically injured and surrounded by hostile corporate lawyers, high ranking military and intelligence officials, ambitious members of the criminal justice apparatus, and an Umbelgarri diplomat. All are demanding answers or their pound of flesh. Krakista Keesay, a Class 4 Security Specialist, doesn't have the answers they demand. Why did he sabotage a top secret research facility? What was he doing on a quarantined planet? Why did he set up the civil transport Kalavar for destruction? Is that all? Not even close. Kra turns to his only option: Allow his brain to be hooked up to an experimental device so that he might prove his innocence. Or lose his mind.

Discover a new dark age—and the one girl wielding the light of truth—in a tale “with threads from The Hunger Games, The Giver, and other dystopian novels” (Booklist). For more than a hundred years, no maiden from Aerie has competed in the arduous Testing, but after Eva’s twin brother dies, she is determined to fulfill his dream of participating in the all-male competition, and enters despite her parents’ wishes. With the help of Lukas, her family’s servant from the Boundary lands, Eva learns the ways of the outcasts who live in the brutal and icy world beyond Aerie. She discovers the secrets of the blinding white landscape, the dogs who pull her sled, and the chasms that house the strange relics once worshipped by a godless humanity. This knowledge is exactly what she needs to survive—and win—the harsh trials of the Testing. Leaving the safety of Aerie behind gives Eva a chance to realize how strong she can be in the face of adversity—and how brave she’ll have to become in a society built on the shifting snows of lies . . . “Heather Terrell excavates a richly realized and adventurous world from the iced-over wreck of our own.” —William Alexander, National Book Award–winning author of Goblin Secrets “Part post-apocalyptic fiction and part high fantasy . . . Delicately weaving in elements of Inuit culture as well as elements you might find in Game of Thrones, Heather Terrell creates a world that is as intricate as it is icy . . . A page-turner.” —E. Kristen Anderson, editor of Dear Teen Me

Raffi is apprenticed to the Relic Master, Galen, whose task is to keep safe the relics of a bygone age. But his powers are weakening and he and Raffi set off to meet the Makers in the City of the Crows and discover why. The journey is beset with dangers and Raffi's courage is tested at every turn. They are joined by the enigmatic girl Carys and face an uncertain future in the City of Destruction. Will they be able to summon the Crow to help them? Or will the everpresent Watch eventually eliminate them?

Relic Quest is a must-have reference book for the relic hunter that teaches the basics of metal detectors and searchcoils, hunting techniques, proper research and recovery methods. It contains practical advice for how to locate productive relic sites and how to perform field reconnaissance of a site. Areas of hunting focus include Civil War, American Revolution, Texas Revolution, the Colonial Period, frontier wars, old home sites and even underwater relic hunting advice.

The last known human searches the galaxy for companionship in a brilliant standalone novel from the legendary author of the Pip & Flinx series. “A provocative read.”—The Washington Post Once Homo sapiens reigned supreme, spreading from star system to star system in an empire that encountered no alien life and thus knew no enemy . . . save itself. As had happened many times before, the basest, most primal human instincts rose up, only this time armed with the advanced scientific knowledge to create a genetically engineered smart virus that quickly wiped out humanity to the last man. That man is Ruslan, the sole known surviving human being in the universe. Rescued from the charnel house of his home planet by the Myssari—an intelligent alien race—Ruslan spends his days as something of a cross between a research subject and a zoo attraction. Though the Myssari are determined to resurrect the human race, using Ruslan’s genetic material, all he wants for himself and his species is oblivion. But then the Myssari make Ruslan an extraordinary offer: In exchange for his cooperation, they will do everything in their considerable power to find the lost home world of his species—an all-but-mythical place called Earth—and, perhaps, another living human. Thus begins an epic journey of adventure, danger, heartbreak, and hope, as Ruslan sets out in search of a place that may no longer exist—drawn by the slimmest yet most enduring hope. Praise for Relic “Relic is a thrilling and thoughtful epic. With Alan Dean Foster’s trademark invention in both the psychology and physiology of his aliens, he also enriches the narrative with their complex cultures. The plot spans galaxies!”—Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author Greg Bear “The stunning plot of Foster’s stand-alone novel will intrigue readers for not only the ‘last man in the universe’ trope but also the well-developed alien species. A true first contact novel on many different levels.”—Library Journal “Foster’s sympathetic novel successfully surveys human frailty, the tendency not to learn from history, and an enduring capacity for adaptation and emotional attachment.”—Publishers Weekly “Foster’s high-concept novel is a gripping tale of serenity amid sorrow.”—World Magazine

Never underestimate a Relic! Intelligence picks up Security Specialist Keesay's contract, hoping to direct the Relic's tenacity and skills against his nemesis, the Capital Galactic Investment Group. But the rogue corporation has its own plans concerning Keesay: a bounty on the security specialist's head. Time is running out for mankind, with the Crax striking deep into human territory, targeting colonies on Pluto and Io. Keesay knows whatever plans others might have, fighting the Crax is more important than blending in, or looking over his shoulder. Stepping forward, Keesay accompanies Special Agents Guymin and Vingee on their mission to rescue key prisoners taken by Capital Galactic, before they're handed over to the Crax. In doing so, Keesay pits his shotgun and brass knuckles, his daring and mysterious connection to the rat-like Chicher, against anyone that gets in his way. Praise for Terry w. Ervin II and the Crax War Chronicles! "Full of non-stop action and space battles combined with characters you'll grow to love. This is classic style space opera at its best." –Angie Lofthouse, author of Defenders of the Covenant "You won't be able to put this book down as you wade through battles, intrigue, and relationships brought together in a fast-paced sci-fi story." -Dean Sault, author of The Last Human War "The tech level premise is fascinating, but what really makes the novel special is the spirit of Krakista Keesay. Kra is a hero to root for—often underestimated, adept with brass knuckles, bayonet, shotgun, and all sorts of old style weaponry. He proves that, while technology matters, so do courage, intelligence, and daring."—Tony Daniel, Hugo-finalist, author of Metaplanetary and Guardian of Night "One of the most inventive and compelling fantasy sagas I have read in years!"-Stephen Zimmer, author of the Fires in Eden Series and The Rising Dawn Saga. "A unique and detailed post-apocalyptic world where magic works but ancient technologies from the First Civilization--our world--still exist. You'll cheer as they face off against griffins, fallen angels, gargoyles, and worse, in a fun, engaging adventure filled with wall to wall action." -David Forbes, author of the Osserian Saga "A worthy successor to the original novel, packed with action and entertainment." -Jim Bernheimer, author of the Dead Eye series and Confessions of a D-List Supervillain "Grab hold! Ervin's got the magic!" -C. Dean Andersson, author of the Bloodsong Trilogy "A curious blend of epic fantasy, modern techno-thriller and non-stop action-adventure." -Erica Hayes, author of the Shadowfae Chronicles "Buy it or chalk it up on that long list of things you regret not doing!" -Stephen Hines, author of Hocus Focus

Every year, Americans spend more than $10 billion on self-help products. Psychologist and philosophers agree, however, that self-help makes inexcusable mistakes and is incapable of creating happiness, success, and fulfillment. Stop Chasing Carrots communicates these mistakes in an easily understandable language and develops a philosophy of life that can create better results. Stop Chasing Carrots is the first book that creates a philosophy of life based on scientific evidence. Replacing self-help materialism, Eastern spiritualism/minimalism, and insightful but too complex psychological studies with an accessible, balanced, and realistic concept, Chasing Carrots enables its readers to lead a life based on proven ideas, not on wishful thinking.

You can’t hide in an RPG forever. Eighteen years ago Tom, a barber college student, got trapped in the Monsters, Maces and Magic game world as Josiah the thief. The first two adventures saw all of Tom’s party members, also trapped within the game world, perish within the fetid depths of the Dark Heart Swamp. His subsequent stint adventuring with NPCs proved short lived. He preferred survival. Over time, Tom became Josiah, adopting a life blending in with the game world’s NPCs. He gave up advancing as a thief, trained as a lay healer, and works as a barber, cutting hair, pulling teeth, lancing boils and functioning as a low-level operative within the local thieves’ guild. But life, even one lived as a faux NPC, can get interesting. Such happens when a young half-goblin thief named Gurk shows up in Josiah’s shop, looking for information. Little did the pair know that the unobtrusive barber shop would become a focal point in a brewing guild war. Praise for Monsters, Maces, and Magic “Exciting and hilarious! It feels like a true game with friends.” Dueling Ogres Podcast

This book presents a sample of theoretical and practical advances in applied sciences in the study of technical historical and/or industrial heritage. It covers several applications, such as geometric modelling and virtual reconstruction, computer-aided design and kinematic simulation, history of manufacturing, digital techniques in industrial heritage areas, building efficient management models, proposal for heritage intervention in a BIM environment, three-dimensional modelling using unmanned aerial vehicle imagery, computer-aided design, computer-aided engineering, and multi-criteria cataloging of the immovable items of industrial heritage. The contributions included in this book describe the state-of-the-art advances in this field and indicate the potential of studies of technical historical or industrial heritage in multidisciplinary applications in the fields of engineering and architecture.

Worldwide research on ancient glass began in the early 20th century. A consensus has been reached in the community of Archaeology that the first manmade or synthetic glasses, based on archaeological findings, originated in the Middle East during the 5000-3000's BC. By contrast, the manufacturing technology of pottery and ceramics were well developed in ancient China. The earliest pottery and ceramics dates back to the Shang Dynasty - the Zhou Dynasty (1700 BC-770 BC), while the earliest ancient glass artifacts unearthed in China dates back to the Western Han Dynasty. Utilizing the state-of-the art analytical and spectroscopic methods, the recent findings demonstrate that China had already developed its own glassmaking technology at latest since 200 BC. There are two schools of viewpoint on the origin of ancient Chinese glass. The more common one believes that ancient Chinese glass originated from the import of glassmaking technology from the West as a result of Sino-West trade exchanges in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-25 AD). The other scientifically demonstrates that homemade ancient Chinese glass with unique domestic formula containing both PbO and BaO were made as early as in the Pre-Qin Period or even the Warring States Period (770 BC-221 BC), known as Yousha or Faience.This English version of the previously published Chinese book entitled Development History of Ancient Chinese Glass Technology is for universities and research institutes where various research and educational activities of ancient glass and history are conducted. With 18 chapters, the scope of this book covers very detailed information on scientifically based findings of ancient Chinese glass development and imports and influence of foreign glass products as well as influence of the foreign glass manufacturing processes through the trade exchanges along the Silk Road(s).