We learn why the sweeping changes of Paul VI, made--he was convinced--to assure the very survival of the Church, have pushed the Cardinals to one of the most critical decisions in our history. We watch the deal-makers, the holy men, the politicking, and the cynical alliances as the various factions attempt to gain control. All of the Cardinals are confronted by the accumulated corruption of more than a millennium: the Church as businessman, as a multi-national conglomerate involved in ownership and management of property, and as power-broker dealing in countries, continents, and human liberty. In the heart of this book, Malachi Martin recreates the actual scenario of Conclave 82. The reader will know more about the complete process from having experienced it in this book than many a Cardinal-Elector, including how illegal secret communications with the outside world are maintained.

A GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK The bestselling author of Fatherland and Munich turns to today's Vatican in a ripped-from-the-headlines novel, and gives us his most ambitious, page-turning thriller yet--where the power of God is nearly equaled by the ambition of men. The Pope is dead. Behind the locked doors of the Sistine Chapel, one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe will cast their votes in the world's most secretive election. They are holy men. But they have ambition. And they have rivals. Over the next seventy-two hours one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth.

The Cold War has ended. With a scope and daring not possible until now, an unlikely international alliance of top-level political, financial, and religious interests sees the way clear at last to its ultimate goal: the establishment of a single global society. Utopia. These are men with nothing in common but immense power and a towering ambition for still more. With world unity and prosperity as their slogan--and with betrayal, scandal, and murder as their ready weapons--they have the means and the will to capture as their own the perfect global machinery for their plans: the oldest, wiliest, and most stable political chancery in the world--the Vatican. At the vortex of this lethal struggle stands the embattled Pope, a geopolitical genius whose elimination is the short-term solution to a long-term goal, and two American brothers, Paul and Christian Gladstone, one a lawyer and the other a priest, who appear to be the perfect pawns. One falls prey to the sharp teeth of greed for power. The other will become one of the Slavic Pontiff's closest allies...and will discover the darkest secrets at the very heart of papal Rome. From America to Europe to Russia, in broad landscapes and clandestine corridors, a rich and varied cast--presidents and politicos, simple saints and savvy sinners, popes and pope-makers--clash with one another amid dramatic and sometimes bloody events that will affect the destiny of every person alive today.

A captivating insider’s guide to the politics and personalities that will have a tremendous impact on one of the world’s most secretive and important events–the election of a pope. The next time a conclave unfolds in Rome, some 6,000 journalists are expected to descend on the Eternal City to cover the death of John Paul II and report on the election of his successor. The man in white who emerges from the Sistine Chapel at its conclusion will automatically become one of the most important figures on earth, a leader who commands a unique combination of political and spiritual power. Depending on how he chooses to exercise that power, governments and political systems may rise or fall, religious wars may heat up or abate, and the Church may undergo a radical transformation–from changes in its stances on such issues as sexuality, the place of women in the Church, to the role of the papacy itself. Conclave is a fascinating look at the election process and at what this headline-making occasion will mean to the world. John L. Allen, Jr., takes readers behind the scenes to reveal the issues, parties, and people most likely to determine the outcome. Setting the election within a broader context, he explains why it matters who becomes pope, discusses their role in the modern world, and examines the issues that will form the agenda of the next papacy. Although the book is not intended as a “handicapper’s guide,” Allen does offer his own informed list of the “top twenty” contenders for the position. He creates, as well, a classification system that clarifies the differences among the informal political parties that exist within the College of Cardinals, the body of 130-plus men who will elect John Paul II’s successor. In conclusion, he presents a critical, independent-minded profile of each of those cardinals–for one of them will certainly be the new pope.

This fascinating history of papal politicking over the past 150 years includes an in-depth examination of the most likely candidates for the papacy after John Paul II.

“Intelligent and entertaining.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “Even better than the first book.” —School Library Journal (starred review) Rowan and Citra take opposite stances on the morality of the Scythedom, putting them at odds, in the chilling sequel to the Printz Honor Book Scythe from New York Times bestseller Neal Shusterman, author of the Unwind dystology. Humans learn from their mistakes. I cannot. I make no mistakes. The Thunderhead is the perfect ruler of a perfect world, but it has no control over the scythedom. A year has passed since Rowan had gone off grid. Since then, he has become an urban legend, a vigilante snuffing out corrupt scythes in a trial by fire. His story is told in whispers across the continent. As Scythe Anastasia, Citra gleans with compassion and openly challenges the ideals of the “new order.” But when her life is threatened and her methods questioned, it becomes clear that not everyone is open to the change. Old foes and new enemies converge, and as corruption within the Scythedom spreads, Rowan and Citra begin to lose hope. Will the Thunderhead intervene? Or will it simply watch as this perfect world begins to unravel?

The evil Duke of Olasko is lord no more—vanquished by his nemesis Tal Hawkins, the Talon of the Silver Hawk. Saved by a mage's intervention from certain death, the once-feared despot has been reduced to an exile's existence, forced to wander the harshest realms of the world he once enslaved. Conclave of Shadows: Book Three Only days ago, Kaspar, the powerful Duke of Olasko, had great armies at his command and was feared by nations. Now, half a world away from home, he is separated from his former seat of power by merciless deserts, forbidding mountains, and vast oceans. The fall of the tyrant is complete, his dark dreams of vengeance overwhelmed by the daily struggle for his very survival. But Kaspar's prodigious skills and cunning provide him the opportunity he seeks, guarding merchant travelers returning to the other side of the world and back to his homeland. Yet there is a larger drama that will entangle the broken dictator. An evil more devastating and deadly than any encountered in Midkemia for centuries seeks entrance to the land—the mystical tool of a dark empire hungry for conquest and destruction—and Kaspar has inadvertently discovered the key. The man responsible for the slaughter of countless men, women, and children must now assume a far stranger and most unlikely role—that of hero—if his world is to survive. For dire peril is advancing daily, and a long-slumbering malevolence is awakening to wreak havoc on the unsuspecting and unprepared. Suddenly, Midkemia's last hope is a disgraced and exiled duke whose history is written in blood, and who now must wield his sword as her champion ... if he so chooses.

"Do you know what a papal conclave is?"DAMONWill is gone. He hasn't been seen in months, and the texts coming from his phone are almost certainly forged. Something's wrong. We need to act now. Michael is ready to tear down The Cove, Rika's hiding something, Evans Crist is a threat, and Winter's father is still out there. Everyone is off in a million directions, and we're vulnerable.It's time to do this. It's time to claim our place. RIKAA few years ago, I never thought I'd be here. On board Pithom. Miles out at sea. At a table with Michael Crist, Kai Mori, and Damon Torrance--men I now consider family. We've locked ourselves on this yacht for however long it takes to address our agenda, and we won't leave until everything is on the table. Even things I don't want to talk about. Things Michael doesn't know. We will find Will. We will solidify our plans, and we will remove any threats. If we survive Conclave. *Conclave is a 27,000 word novella that takes place between Kill Switch (Devil's Night #3) and Nightfall (Devil's Night #4). It is suitable for readers 18+. Please read Corrupt, Hideaway, and Kill Switch prior to reading this story.

How would your life change if you inherited a vampire? “Find me, Sarah…” When a handsome stranger whispers these three little words to Sarah Marcel, she knows her life is forever changed. For two weeks straight, Sarah’s been unable to eat, sleep, or even form a coherent thought properly. She fears she’s losing her mind until a chance encounter brings a man into her life who seems to hold the key to solving her problems. With a single touch, he’s able to ease her troubled soul and bring her some much-needed peace. Yet, just as Sarah believes she’s found the solution to her dilemma, he disappears. As Sarah begins to unravel a mystery surrounding her family’s past, she quickly discovers her role in a world that’s hidden from most humans. Being a Marcel comes with certain responsibilities, and there are some things that you can’t hide from forever.

Fr. Martin's classic exposition of the Church's perennial temptation to become worldly, and the disasters that have arisen therefrom.