After his victory against the Great Empire of Galed, Slaine is crowned the King of Hasenvalia. The young monarch spends the early days of his rule in comfort, preparing to marry his aide-turned-lover, Monica—but a shocking betrayal and an empire-backed coup attempt threaten to drag his tiny kingdom back into strife and unrest. If Slaine wishes to hold on to his crown and protect his people, he must devise a cunning plan to dismantle the empire’s impregnable Sauerland Fortress from within—and thwart the nefarious Imperial Prince Florenz once and for all. The second installment in the Crown of Rutile Quartz series, a fantasy saga chronicling the cutthroat politics and harrowing battles a clever young king must face in his rise to power. Follow Slaine as he uses his wit and knack for strategy to beat impossible odds.

Slaine is a humble, provincial commoner in the small Kingdom of Hasenvalia... Or so he thinks until the day the entire royal family is wiped out in a palace fire and Slaine comes to learn he’s really the king’s illegitimate son. It now falls on him to succeed the throne. Despite his lack of knowledge and experience, Slaine’s natural wits and dedication—plus the support of his aide-de-camp, Monica—allow him to excel against all odds. Between unsupportive nobles at home and hostile rulers abroad, Slaine already has his work cut out for him—and then, on the eve of his coronation, the great Empire of Galed declares war against Hasenvalia. Faced with such a frighteningly powerful foe, Slaine is forced to make a choice between fleeing into political exile or resisting invasion to the bitter end. Caught between the conflicting agendas of neighboring nations, this boy from a backwater town must learn how to grow into his crown. Witness the birth of a king!

Women are naturally healers. Throughout time, they have performed curative roles as mothers, midwives, caregivers, and wisewomen, but modern medicine has suppressed this important tradition. Ancient women healers knew that the body is more than what is seen: through body, emotions, mind, and spirit, we can connect with the Goddess and actively choose to heal ourselves and others. By relearning and using ancient skills like aura and chakra work, creative visualization, meditation, laying on of hands, psychic healing, and working with crystals and gemstones, women can prevent or transform many dis-eases of the body and spirit before they become matters for modern medicine. In THE WOMEN'S BOOK OF HEALING, Diane Stein, author of the best-selling ESSENTIAL REIKI, demystifies, explains, and teaches these skills in ways that modern women can learn and use. She first introduces basic healing, then applies those skills to healing with crystals and gemstones-a beautiful, effective, and empowering aspect of the ancient woman's healing methods. A comprehensive guide from a knowledgeable healer, THE WOMEN'S BOOK OF HEALING proves that well-being is within a woman's choice and natural abilities, and reaffirms her timeless role as healer of herself and others. • An affirmation of woman's traditional role as healer, speaking to a national trend toward alternative medicine and natural healing methods. • Demystifies, explains, and teaches the healing capabilities of auras, chakras, laying on of hands, crystals, gemstones, and colors. • Thoroughly revised and updated, with a new introduction. • Diane Stein's books have sold more than 600,000 copies.

Escape Into A World Of Reversed Expectations High schooler Yura’s world is literally turned upside down when she’s pulled through a mysterious mirror and into the strange land of Tolkinia, a world of magic and fantasy, where opinions of beauty are reversed. Now the girl who was bullied for her looks is beloved and admired for those same traits, while the knight she finds incredibly handsome is abhorred for his. Facing this mysterious new reality, Yura must decide if she wants to return home to normalcy or embrace the distorted views of this new, war-torn world.

Have you ever wondered what happens after peace is restored in a fantasy world? What happens beyond the final page of an Isekai light novel? Eiji, a thirty-year-old Japanese city clerk with a thoroughly average life and a fiancée, had not. He too answers a call to be transported to a fantasy world, but not as a hero. This fantasy world, having already been saved by a hero, was about to collapse for another reason entirely... thanks to that hero, who was also summoned from Japan. Eiji is tasked with restoring the fantasy world to its authentic form: how it was before it was infected with the technology, ideology, and societal concepts of modern-day Japan.

Published in association with North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California.