If anyone told notorious thief Megan that she'd one day live in a royal palace with endless servants catering to her every need, she'd say he was crazy. But when this clever expert thief tries to liberate an expensive watch from a certain gentleman, she gets more than she bargained for.

"Imperial Masquerade: The Legend of Princess Der Ling, the first biography of one of the twentieth century's most intriguing cross-cultural personalities, traces not only the life of Princess Der Ling, in all its various transformations, but offers a fresh look at the woman she lionized and, ultimately, betrayed - the Empress Dowager Cixi, to whom, like Der Ling, many legends have been affixed over the past century. The book also depicts the changing worlds of Paris, Tokyo and the other international stages of Der Ling's development as woman and as mystery, and deals with the many teachers who made her who she was." --Book Jacket.

A princess and a servant unite and switch identities in order to prevent a war between neighboring kingdoms.

Vannevar Thomas is an astute Virginia gentleman and sophisticated vampire living in 19th century San Francisco. In the midst of the California Goldrush, Vannevar faces the conflicts and corruption associated with a rapidly growing vampire society. Prince of the City depicts Nob Hill mansions and balls, a World Fair, and the great San Francisco Earthquake from a vampire's point of view.

The apocalypse will be televised! Welcome to the first book in the wildly popular and addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman—now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition. You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what. Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show. Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not. Includes part one of the exclusive bonus story “Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret.”

Masks disguise and surprise in this playful lift-the-flap board book by Giuliani Ferri, the creator of Brick by Brick. An ABC Best Books for Young Readers selection At the masquerade party you never know who you're going to find. Who's behind that pirate's mask? Who's under that knight's helmet? In this playful lift-the-flap board book, toddlers will love discovering the animals under- neath, and the alliterative text will give them lots of fun new words to learn.

Masked and costume balls thrived in Russia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries during a period of rich literary and theatrical experimentation. The first study of its kind, The Modernist Masquerade examines the cultural history of masquerades in Russia and their representations in influential literary works. The masquerade's widespread appearance as a literary motif in works by such writers as Anna Akhmatova, Leonid Andreev, Andrei Bely, Aleksandr Blok, and Fyodor Sologub mirrored its popularity as a leisure-time activity and illuminated its integral role in the Russian modernist creative consciousness. Colleen McQuillen charts how the political, cultural, and personal significance of lavish costumes and other forms of self-stylizing evolved in Russia over time. She shows how their representations in literature engaged in dialog with the diverse aesthetic trends of Decadence, Symbolism, and Futurism and with the era's artistic philosophies.

His arms were tightly around her. The effect of holding her so close was making her head swim. Felicity turned bewildered eyes up to his face and saw a light burning in those black eyes that made her tremble.

Costumed sisters Ava and Oona Magnolia stepped into the McClure Mansion among swirls of dancing masqueraders, not knowing where the night would take them. They thought they were safe from the Lost Island Strangler in the home of friends and surrounded by party guests, but things turned sideways that fateful night and began a chain of events involving vicious lies, stalking, and even murder. Eventually the sisters suspected even their close friends of terrible deeds, and they didn't know whom they could trust for help anymore. 2

In its conventional meaning, masquerade refers to a festive gathering of people wearing masks and elegant costumes. But traditional forms of masquerade have evolved over the past century to include the representation of alternate identities in the media and venues of popular culture, including television, film, the internet, theater, museums, sports arenas, popular magazines and a range of community celebrations, reenactments and conventions. This collection of fresh essays examines the art and function of masquerade from a broad range of perspectives. From African slave masquerade in New World iconography, to the familiar Guy Fawkes masks of the Occupy Wall Street movement, to the branded identities created by celebrities like Madonna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga, the essays show how masquerade permeates modern life.