If you love epic fantasy and sword and sorcery, and like to see women wielding the swords, don't miss this perilous, exciting, magical read. Squire Chloe's Demon My name is Chloe. I leave this record of the spirit, so the Temple and the city will know how the demon came to the City of the Sun. It's written that a demon takes three seals before it returns below the Abyss. One, it already has. In the darkness of the sleeping city, a squire defends a second. The third seal would be mine. From reviewers: "The most eloquent freebie I've read in quite a while, Squire Chloe's Demon is well worth a look. Intriguing world building and a story full of promise." "Enjoyed reading this short tale of bravery, fear, and choices. Chloe's bravery and final choice is something I wonder if everyone would do? Read and make your own choice!" Chapter One: The Purity of Wishes The Great Library stands silent and deserted, awaiting the dawn. The clay tablets sleep in their racks; no one reads their histories; no one sings their songs. Better to let them sleep until they've seen the morning sun, for who knows what dreams they dream. I was dreaming when the father woke me. Something vivid, but it's mostly slipped away now. I was home, and I'm sure everyone was much younger. We were playing hide and seek, hiding behind glamours. A loud shriek meant my sister had been found, but I was still safe and waiting, with that little thrill of anticipation. The father sits beneath a fading reading light, tottering piles of tablets to either side. He's a young one, with a full head of hair, and no fathers' belly yet. He doesn't look up at my charm-light, and I'm not going to disturb a father who's reading without a very good reason. I stand in front of him, and wait in a resting form. It would be nice to able to sleep here, like this, until the dawn. I've used glamours for looking wide-awake, while secretly drowsing, but I've never heard of a charm for sleeping standing up. That's a pity. He looks up at me. He's not too bad to look at, though his nose is too big. I take my moment and genuflect to him. "Father Kai, I was woken," I say. "I was asked to come to you in the library." He flicks a glance up and down me, like a man sometimes does with a woman he's just met and likes, but that can't be his reason, and anyway, his face is too solemn. One thing's for sure: this father doesn't like what he's seeing. I look down, embarrassed. "What's your name?" he asks. "I... you didn't ask for me, father?" "You?" he asks. "No, squire. I take it you are a squire? It seems I'm in need of a squire's help." "Yes father, I'm a squire. My name is Chloe." His face softens a little, but I don't think it's for me. I've seen that look before, when I say my name; he'll be remembering the Song of Chloe. "Sit down, Chloe," he says, "You've heard a Temple page is missing?" "Yes, father." I sit on the bench opposite his. "And do you know how she's missing?" "They say..." "They?" he interrupts. "Other squires, father. They say you're all worried that it's a..." I don't finish; I don't want to say the name of the thing we fear. "Yes, we are," he says. "Oh. I see. It's true." I'd thought this was only another, silly, Temple rumor. I can't help looking beyond him, into the pre-dawn shadows of the library. I'm sure there couldn't ever be something like that. Not here. But still, I look. ... (Search Keywords: magic, charms, woman, female, heroine, courage, valor, sword, armor, demon, sorcerer, mage, sorcery, sword and sorcery, spell, enchantment, charm, glamour, fantasy, epic fantasy, ancient world, historical fantasy, alternate history, fate, destiny, action and adventure, coming of age, free book)

From two incredible rising talents comes the fantasy graphic novel Molly Knox Ostertag calls “instantly compelling.” A New England Book Award and Harvey Award winner! Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It’s the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire, and as a member of the subjugated Ornu people, Knighthood is her only path to full citizenship. Ravaged by famine and mounting tensions, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, so Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program. It’s not how she imagined it, though. Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the unyielding General Hende, all while hiding her Ornu background. As the pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the “greater good” that Bayt-Sajji’s military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in greater danger than she ever imagined. In this breathtaking and timely story, Aiza will have to choose, once and for all: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.

Dreams might be a heart’s desire, but nightmares are its obsession in the first novel of a dark romance series from New York Times bestselling author Penelope Douglas. Erika Fane’s boyfriend's older brother is handsome, strong, and completely terrifying. The star of his college's basketball team gone pro, he's more concerned with the dirt on his shoe than he is with her. But she saw him. She heard him. The things that he did, and the deeds that he hid... For years, Erika bit her nails, unable to look away. Now, she’s in college, but she hasn’t stopped watching him. He’s bad and the things she’s seen aren’t content to stay in her head anymore. Because he's finally noticed her. But Michael Crist knows the hold he has on Rika, how much she fears him. She looks down when he enters the room and stills when he’s close. He knows she thinks only of him. When Michael’s brother leaves for the military, leaving Rika alone and unprotected, he knows the opportunity is too good to be true. Three years ago she put Michael’s friends in prison, and now they’re free. Every last one of her nightmares is about to come true.

“This is the most authoritative and highly literate account of these pernicious people that I have ever read.”—Patrick O'Brian “[A] wonderfully entertaining history of pirates and piracy . . . a rip-roaring read . . . fascinating and unexpected.”—Men's Journal This rollicking account of the golden age of piracy is packed with vivid history and high seas adventure. David Cordingly, an acclaimed expert on pirates, reveals the spellbinding truth behind the legends of Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Sir Francis Drake, the fierce female brigands Mary Read and Anne Bonny, and others who rode and robbed upon the world's most dangerous waters. Here, in thrilling detail, are the weapons they used, the ships they sailed, and the ways they fought—and were defeated. Under the Black Flag also charts the paths of fictional pirates such as Captain Hook and Long John Silver. The definitive resource on the subject, this book is as captivating as it is supremely entertaining. Praise for Under the Black Flag “[A] lively history . . . If you've ever been seduced by the myth of the cutlass-wielding pirate, consider David Cordingly's Under the Black Flag.”—USA Today, “Best Bets” “Engagingly told . . . a tale of the power of imaginative literature to re-create the past.”—Los Angeles Times “Entirely engaging and informative . . . a witty and spirited book.”—The Washington Post Book World “Plenty of thrills and adventure to satisfy any reader.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

In the Hugo-award winning, epic New York Times Bestseller and basis for the BBC miniseries, two men change England's history when they bring magic back into the world. In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England - until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity. Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France. But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wild, most perilous forms of magic, and he soon risks sacrificing his partnership with Norrell and everything else he holds dear. Susanna Clarke's brilliant first novel is an utterly compelling epic tale of nineteenth-century England and the two magicians who, first as teacher and pupil and then as rivals, emerge to change its history.

In this companion to the number one New York Times bestseller The Blue Zones Kitchen, Dan Buettner offers a four-week guide and year-long sustainability program to jump-start your journey to better health, happiness, less stress, and a longer life. Get started on the path to a longer, healthier, happier life with this quick start to building your own Blue Zones lifestyle. Dan Buettner, founder of the Blue Zones and author of the New York Times number one best-selling Blue Zones Kitchen, offers the challenge of a lifetime: Build a foundation for better nutrition, more exercise, and a stronger social life that will extend your lifetime by years. In this easy-to-implement guide, you'll start with the rules of the Blue Zones Challenge, including tips and tricks from the five Blue Zones--locations around the world where people consistently live to 100--advice for setting up a successful kitchen and pantry, and resources for expanding you support network. Then, follow week-by-week prompts to Change your diet Increase your activity Update your living spaces Build your social life. After four weeks--and with the help of journaling tips and delicious recipes--you'll see results in your weight, your well-being, and your general health. From there, follow the Blue Zones challenge through the rest of the year with an 11-month sustainability plan that will continue to encourage you and build upon the foundation you've already started. What you'll find is living to 100 is easy--it just takes following the Blue Zones way!

Miles Cameron weaves an epic tale of magic and mercenaries, war and depravity, politics and intrigue in this action-packed debut fantasy The Red Knight. Twenty eight florins a month is a huge price to pay, for a man to stand between you and the Wild. Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men -- or worse, a company of mercenaries -- against the smart, deadly creatures of the Wild is even harder. It takes all the advantages of birth, training, and the luck of the devil to do it. The Red Knight has all three, he has youth on his side, and he's determined to turn a profit. So when he hires his company out to protect an Abbess and her nunnery, it's just another job. The abby is rich, the nuns are pretty and the monster preying on them is nothing he can't deal with. Only it's not just a job. It's going to be a war. . . If you're a fan of Mark Lawrence, John Gwynne, or Brian McClellan you won't want to miss out on this intricate, epic debut fantasy.

A furious, queer debut novel about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors. “A long, sustained scream to the various strains of anti-transgender legislation multiplying around the world like, well, a virus." —The New York Times INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Sixteen-year-old trans boy Benji is on the run from the cult that raised him—the fundamentalist sect that unleashed Armageddon and decimated the world’s population. Desperately, he searches for a place where the cult can’t get their hands on him, or more importantly, on the bioweapon they infected him with. But when cornered by monsters born from the destruction, Benji is rescued by a group of teens from the local Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, affectionately known as the ALC. The ALC’s leader, Nick, is gorgeous, autistic, and a deadly shot, and he knows Benji’s darkest secret: the cult’s bioweapon is mutating him into a monster deadly enough to wipe humanity from the earth once and for all. Still, Nick offers Benji shelter among his ragtag group of queer teens, as long as Benji can control the monster and use its power to defend the ALC. Eager to belong, Benji accepts Nick’s terms…until he discovers the ALC’s mysterious leader has a hidden agenda, and more than a few secrets of his own. Perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth and Annihilation. A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year "A defining voice of our generation." –H.E. Edgmon, author of The Witch King "Hands down the best YA horror book I've read." ­–Aden Polydoros, author of The City Beautiful "A chimera of horror, romance, and something stranger." –Rose Szabo, author of What Big Teeth "A timely and riveting tale." –Ray Stoeve, author of Between Perfect and Real

An adorable picture book about a tiny monster with a big heart trying to follow in his family's footsteps. All great Kaiju are born with a super power to strike fear in the heart of the city. But Anzu is different. Instead of mayhem, he likes May flowers. Instead of striking fear, he prefers to be sincere. Can Anzu find a way to make his family proud and stay true to his kind self? From Disney animator and illustrator Bensom Shum comes an adorable and heartwarming picture book about making your own way and the unexpected power of gentleness—perfect for fans of Ferdinand the Bull.

BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • An “extraordinary meditation on mortality, grief, death, childhood and memory" (USA Today) about a middle-aged Irishman who has gone back to the seaside to grieve the loss of his wife. In this luminous novel, John Banville introduces us to Max Morden, a middle-aged Irishman who has gone back to the seaside town where he spent his summer holidays as a child to cope with the recent loss of his wife. It is also a return to the place where he met the Graces, the well-heeled family with whom he experienced the strange suddenness of both love and death for the first time. What Max comes to understand about the past, and about its indelible effects on him, is at the center of this elegiac, gorgeously written novel—among the finest we have had from this masterful writer.