In Gayle Friesen's powerful novel, 15-year-old Ben can't make sense of his life. He lives in a house full of women, yet he can't talk to girls. He tries to be a jock, but can't even make the co-ed volleyball team. And ridicule from the guys has driven Ben to give up the one thing at which he truly excels -- dance. Now, he's being bullied by a thug named Claude, who's found out about Ben's ballet classes. Ben feels his anger and frustration grow with each passing day. Then Great-Aunt Frieda comes to visit and Ben learns about the old woman's life in Russia. He's surprised at how Frieda dealt with the Men of Stone -- Stalin's agents who terrorized her community and family. As Frieda tells her powerful story, Ben begins to understand who he is and what kind of person he wants to be. But first he must get past the rage that has taken control of his life.

Could she ever prove her innocence? After her father's death, Sara Rodney thought she'd finally be safe at her grandmother's country home outside London. That was before she was forced to marry Luke Gallagher, almost a total stranger.

THE #1 AMAZON HORROR BESTSELLER! "THE STONE MAN is a novel that intrigues, enthralls, horrifies, thrills, and hits the reader with an emotional resonance as only the best stories can."-Ain't It Cool News Nobody knew where it came from. Nobody knew why it came. Even so, for two-bit (and antisocial) reporter Andy Pointer, the appearance in his city of a man made of moving stone meant the scoop of a lifetime. He would soon learn that The Stone Man was much more - and much worse - than that. This is Andy's account of everything that came afterwards, and the people that were lost along the way; of the terrible price that he, and the rest of his country, had to pay.The destruction. The visions. The dying. PRAISE FOR 'THE STONE MAN': "Once again believable characters and a mind blowing story, and when Luke Smitherd is recognised as the great writer he is he is bound to be compared to the likes of James Herbert and Stephen King."-Scrooby1, Amazon UK Review "Tremendous. I was looking for something completely original and different, this nailed it spot on. Highly recommended."-Neil Novita, Amazon USA Review "I have owned a Kindle for about 2 years and downloaded some excellent books for very little cost but Luke Smitherd's works beat the lot"-Silversmith, Amazon UK Review "This ebook was fantastic and totally different from any other sci-fi thriller I've ever read...I kept thinking 'What if...what if...'-Carl Law, Amazon US Review "It was one of those books where you tell yourself you will read just one more page, then look at the clock and realise that it's 2 hours later , I would thoroughly recommend it"-Elaine Hosegood, Amazon UK Review "As soon as I started reading I was completely sucked in, which very rarely happens for me. I couldn't wait to get home and read it each night. I laughed. I cried. I did actual real life gasps of horror."-Katie, Amazon UK Review "Fantastically written characters who make you care about them right from the off, an unfathomable villain who defies all understanding and a supporting cast that flesh out the story beautifully."-Andy Pettifer, Goodreads Review "I spend a lot of time trawling through the kindle book store looking for cheap books, relying on reviews to make my purchases. I have come across some less than average books using this method, but also some real gems. This book definitely falls into the latter category. It had me gripped from page one right through to the Alternative Ending Synopsis at the end. The other reviews leave me little to say other than thanks Luke."-Steve Sut, Amazon UK Review "So good the first thing I did after I put it down was to download his other two books."-Miss H. L. Smith, Amazon UK Review "This book starts with a bang and doesn't let up. I read this in two sittings. Recommended."-Dickydavis, Goodreads review "A very enjoyable read and cracking value at the price.Do not be put off by Science Fiction or Horror in the title if they are not your bag, this is an inteligent and thought provoking read. Highly recommended."-Dave Osborn, Amazon UK Review "I literally found this hard to stop reading,I wanted to know the answers.I have been around a good while so have read all of Asimov, Heinlein, Bradbury etc. and I would genuinely put this author in the same class as these class acts."-K Murphy, Amazon UK Review "...so my 5-star review? That's five stars in comparison to REAL books; not just the stuff you'll find self-published on Kindle. The Stone Man is the sort of book that, if I'd splashed ten quid on in an airport or train station, bookstore, I'd have considered it money well-spent." Militant Ginger, Amazon USA Review A full-length novel. 140,000 words. FROM THE AUTHOR OF 'THE PHYSICS OF THE DEAD' AND 'THE BLACK ROOM' SERIES, ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE KINDLE STORE.

The Book of Stone examines the evolution of the terrorist mentality and the complexities of religious extremism, as well as how easily a vulnerable mind can be exploited for dark purposes. Matthew Stone has inherited a troubling legacy: a gangster grandfather and a distant father—who is also a disgraced judge. After his father’s death, Matthew is a young man alone. He turns to his father’s beloved books for comfort, perceiving within them guidance that leads him to connect with a group of religious extremists. As Matthew immerses himself in this unfamiliar world, the FBI seeks his assistance to foil the group’s violent plot. Caught between these powerful forces, haunted by losses past and present, and desperate for redemption, Matthew charts a course of increasing peril—for himself and for everyone around him. Lyrical and incendiary, The Book of Stone is a masterfully crafted novel that reveals the ambiguities of “good” and “evil”.

*NOW A NETFLIX LIMITED SERIES—from producer and director Shawn Levy (Stranger Things) starring Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Laurie, and newcomer Aria Mia Loberti* Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist, the beloved instant New York Times bestseller and New York Times Book Review Top 10 Book about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris, and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel. In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler Youth, then a special assignment to track the Resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge. Doerr’s “stunning sense of physical detail and gorgeous metaphors” (San Francisco Chronicle) are dazzling. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, he illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is a magnificent, deeply moving novel from a writer “whose sentences never fail to thrill” (Los Angeles Times).

"A collection of meditations like polished stones--painstakingly worded, tough-minded, yet partial to mystery, and peerless when it comes to injecting larger resonances into the natural world." — Kirkus Reviews Here, in this compelling assembly of writings, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard explores the world of natural facts and human meanings. Veering away from the long, meditative studies of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek or Holy the Firm, Annie Dillard explores and celebrates moments of spirituality, dipping into descriptions of encounters with flora and fauna, stars, and more, from Ecuador to Miami.

This volume establishes a rich cross-disciplinary dialogue about the significance of stone in society across time and space. The material properties of stone have ensured its continuing importance; however, it is its materiality which has mediated the relations between the individual, society and stone. Bound up with the physical properties of stone are ideas on identity, value, and understanding. Stone can act as a medium through which these concepts are expressed and is tied to ideas such as monumentality and remembrance; its enduring character creating a link through generations to both people and place. This volume brings together a collection of seventeen papers which draw on a range of diverse disciplines and approaches; including archaeology, anthropology, classics, design and engineering, fine arts, geography, history, linguistics, philosophy, psychology and sciences.

Mercenary. Murderer. Monster. Task has been called many names in his time. “Echoes of Brandon Sanderson and Scott Lynch.” – SFF World “Grimdark with heart and soul.” – Anna Smith Spark, author of The Empires of Dust Trilogy “A very, very good read." – Fantasy Faction “A brutal delight with thrilling action and heart, rowdy and wise, bloody and tender at the same time." – Dyrk Ashton, author of The Paternus Trilogy Best Self-Published Fantasy Novel – 2017 Booknest Fantasy Awards ——— Golems are built for war and little else. In centuries past, they were a terrifying staple of the battlefield. Empires were conquered on the backs of golems. Now, time and fear have whittled their kind down to a precious few, kept only by kings and warlords. Task of Wind-Cut is one such machine of war. Task was built to kill. Built to win. Thousands have died at his stone hands. He cared once, perhaps, but far too many years have passed and too much blood has been spilled. Task has become numb to the chaos he wreaks for his masters. A slave to the spells that bind him. Now, Task has a new master to serve and a new war to endure. In the far reaches of the Realm, Hartlund is in the grip of civil war, tearing itself in two over coin and crown. This time, Task will fight for a boy king and a general bent on victory. Beneath his formidable stone, Task longs for change. For an end to this cycle of warfare. For proof of light and good amongst the foul darkness of humanity and war. It will take the mind of an unusual stable-girl to change his. ——— ABOUT THE HEART OF STONE Packed with action and yet emotionally charged, The Heart of Stone is an epic military fantasy novel that explores the facets of human nature and the roots of warfare and conflict. Told through the eyes of Task, a five hundred year-old war-golem, this standalone fantasy is perfect for fans of Brandon Sanderson, Mark Lawrence, Scott Lynch and Joe Abercrombie. ——— MORE PRAISE FOR THE HEART OF STONE “From the fascinating world-building to the intriguing, colorful and memorable characters, The Heart of Stone is a pleasure to read.” – BookNest “Dark, brutal and violent, and packed with heart and emotional depth, The Heart of Stone is an intriguing novel.” – Alan Baxter, author of The Alex Caine Series “This is Ben’s best book yet. Plain and simple.” – Michael R. Miller, author of The Dragon’s Blade Trilogy "A solidly written and fascinating dark fantasy." – BiblioSanctum ——— MORE BOOKS BY BEN GALLEY (Available in ebook, paperback and audio) Emaneska Series – The Written – Pale Kings – Dead Stars - Part One – Dead Stars - Part Two – No Fairytale Scarlet Star Trilogy – Bloodrush – Bloodmoon – Bloodfeud Chasing Graves Trilogy – Chasing Graves – Grim Solace – Breaking Chaos Standalones – Shards Keywords: fantasy, epic fantasy, epic, dark fantasy, dark, ya fantasy, military fantasy, golem, golems, monsters, mythological creatures, magic, standalone novel, stand alone, battle, war, emotion, humanity, ben galley, fantasy author

Darkness looms over the ancient world of Ahn Norvys, and the Great Harmony of Ardiel lies rent asunder. Prince Starigan, heir to the throne, has been abducted and power has been usurped by a traitorous cabal In the mountainous highlands of Arvon is the small but ancient community the Stoneholding, which has held out against the gathering forces of the evil Ferabek. Here by tradition, from earliest times, the High Bard has resided as guardian of the Sacred Fire, as well as the golden harp called the Talamadh. But in his search for the lost prince, Ferabek has attacked the Stoneholding with his Black Scorpion Dragoons and razed it to the ground. Wilum, the aged High Bard was forced to flee for his life with a ragged band of survivors, including Kalaquinn Wright, the wheelwrightss son. Kal, green in years and understanding, was torn from his pastoral life in a remote highland clanholding, and thrust out onto a broader stage in a journey of danger and escape, discovery and enlightenment. Now, as night covers Ahn Norvys, he must save what remains of the hallowed order of things and seek his destiny, a destiny that lies far beyond the Stoneholding. He must somehow find Prince Starigan and rekindle the Sacred Fire. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

When this book first appeared (1886), the philological school of interpretation of religion and myth, being then still powerful in England, was criticised and opposed by the author. In Science, as on the Turkish throne of old, Amurath to Amurath succeeds; the philological theories of religion and myth have now yielded to anthropological methods. The centre of the anthropological position was the ghost theory of Mr