An in-depth portrait of the Crusades-era Mediterranean world, and a new understanding of the forces that shaped the Mediterranean world of 1050-1200. We experience the sights and sounds of the region just as enlightened Islamic empires and primitive Christendom began to contest it. We learn about the siege tactics, theological disputes, and poetry of this enthralling time. And we see that people ofdifferent faiths coexisted far more frequently than we are commonly told. Catlos's meticulous reconstruction of the era allows him to stunningly overturn our most basic assumption about it: that it was defined by religious extremism. He brings to light many figures who were accepted as rulers by their ostensible foes.

Twenty-five years after the nuclear war, the world is still a harsh, frozen place. Second Lieutenant Rebane Nordstrom, a sniper in the ranks of a Russian elite reconnaissance unit, doesn't know how to give up...ever. After someone assassinates the president of the European Union, the EU forces capture her and her lover. He soon disappears, but Rebane has no time for grief. She faces her worst nightmare in the form of Major Weisser, a man who commands the European Union counter-intelligence with an iron fist. Thrust into a world ruled by torture, and constant fear, the battered, weakened Rebane knows her only chance of survival is to escape from the fortress that holds her captive. Faced with certain death, she becomes an unstoppable force, and escapes the womb of hell. But her battle is far from over. A race across the post-apocalyptic badlands starts, but the man hunting her is a force of nature. Weisser destroys everything in his path. Can the Invisible Zone-the furthest corner of sub-zero Scandinavia-wipe out Rebane's footprints in the snow? No woman is an island, not even one as capable as Rebane. She saves a teenager named Liva, and an alliance forms between the desperate women from the opposite sides of the conflict. As the Russian Federation and the European Union head toward the final battle for diminishing resources, Liva proves to have aces up her sleeve. Spirit animals and ancient Nordic deities have their role in the surprise outcome of this spy thriller. Where arctic weather wipes out armies, heeding an omen can spare your life.

Green Ronin's critically acclaimed Book of the Righteous introduced the holy warrior, a customizable core class that lets you build unique paladins for all the good gods of your campaign. But what of the gods of evil? Surely they are not without their devoted champions, their anti-paladins? Enter the Unholy Warrior, a towering figure of depravity and unspeakable evil. He wields fire and sword in the name of dark masters, spreading blood and terror in equal measure. The perfect complement to The Book of the Righteous and The Book of Fiends, the Unholy Warrior's Handbook takes an unflinching look at evil's most dedicated servants.

A Marriage Made in Hell Where did they come from, these furiously self-righteous “social justice warriors”? The growing radicalism and intolerance on the American left is the result of the strange union of Nietzsche’s “will to power” and a secularized Puritan moralism. In this penetrating study, Mark T. Mitchell explains how this marriage made in hell gave birth to a powerful and destructive political and social movement. Having declared that “God is dead,” Friedrich Nietzsche identified the “will to power” as the fundamental force of human life. There is no good or evil in a Nietzschean world—only the interests of the strong. Reason and the common good have no place there. The Puritan, by contrast, is morally rigorous, zealous to promote virtue and punish vice. America’s Puritan tradition, now thoroughly de-Christianized, has been reduced to a self-righteous moral absolutism that focuses on the faults of others, intent on avenging the sins of society, institutions, and the past in pursuit of the secularized ideals of equality, diversity, and social justice. As Nietzsche’s ideas have permeated our culture, a new generation of radicals has embraced the rhetoric and tactics of the will to power. But the strength of America’s residual Puritanism keeps them only half-baked Nietzscheans. More Christian than they care to admit, they cling to a moralism that Nietzsche would despise. The incoherence of their mixed creed dooms social justice warriors to perpetual frustration. Their identity politics generates ever more radical demands that can never be satisfied, further fracturing a society in desperate need of a unifying myth. We seem to be left with only two options, Mitchell concludes—Nietzsche or Christ, the will to power or the will to truth. The choice is bracingly simple.

An in-depth portrait of the Crusades-era Mediterranean world, and a new understanding of the forces that shaped it In Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors, the award-winning scholar Brian Catlos puts us on the ground in the Mediterranean world of 1050–1200. We experience the sights and sounds of the region just as enlightened Islamic empires and primitive Christendom began to contest it. We learn about the siege tactics, theological disputes, and poetry of this enthralling time. And we see that people of different faiths coexisted far more frequently than we are commonly told. Catlos's meticulous reconstruction of the era allows him to stunningly overturn our most basic assumption about it: that it was defined by religious extremism. He brings to light many figures who were accepted as rulers by their ostensible foes. Samuel B. Naghrilla, a self-proclaimed Jewish messiah, became the force behind Muslim Granada. Bahram Pahlavuni, an Armenian Christian, wielded power in an Islamic caliphate. And Philip of Mahdia, a Muslim eunuch, rose to admiral in the service of Roger II, the Christian "King of Africa." What their lives reveal is that, then as now, politics were driven by a mix of self-interest, personality, and ideology. Catlos draws a similar lesson from his stirring chapters on the early Crusades, arguing that the notions of crusade and jihad were not causes of war but justifications. He imparts a crucial insight: the violence of the past cannot be blamed primarily on religion.

Dear Reader— Alluring and dangerous, the Hawk of Inverfyre came to rest at my father's house, his motives unknown. His seduction was breathtaking. I resisted him, this enigmatic warrior, but his kiss transported me to a time and place where his relentless pursuit and my passionate surrender made perfect sense. 'Twas then I erred. My defenses harried, I was tricked into marriage by the Hawk and taken by force to his lawless castle. I have vowed to flee: the grounds abound with rogues and whores, and the servants whisper of murdered wives. And yet, his dizzying touch hints that we have lived here before—he as the castle's intrepid founder and I as his betrayed lover. Am I the bride who will break the spell of Inverfyre? Or have I been captured by a scheming sorcerer, only to be ravished and discarded like so many before? —Lady Aileen of Abernye * * * “Delacroix’s satisfying tale leaves the reader hungry for the next offering.”—Booklist “The Warrior is a sensual romance that has found a place on my keeper shelf, to be revisited again and again. The Warrior is in my top five reads of the year and the Hawk is my number one favorite hero.”—Romance Junkies “Filled with rich history and vivid imagery, this love story is one of those a reader remembers long after finishing it…A beautiful love story, a definite recommend!”—loveromances.com “The Warrior is one more gem in the crown of this queen of medieval romance.”—Rendezvous “I was totally enthralled with the romance aspect of the story, the magnificent imagery and the cleverness of the plot…A fabulous read, exciting and sensually delightful!”—HistoricalRomanceWriters.com “Full of adventure, intrigue, likable characters and an exciting romance, The Warrior is medieval romance at its best…Ms. Delacroix has penned another engrossing, impossible-to-put-down tale, a Perfect 10. Don’t miss it!”—Romance Reviews Today “Ms. Delacroix has saved the best for last in her final book of this trilogy…Michael is the consummate hero and Aileen his perfect mate. The writing and characterization are exemplary. A great read!”—The Old Book Barn Gazette “A delightful Scottish medieval romance…Historical romance readers will enjoy this fabulous novel that provides a terrific end to a strong series.”—The Midwest Book Review “A classic historical love story, told with equal parts sweetness, passion and intrigue… The Warrior is a definite must-read addition to any bookshelf.”—Romance Readers Connection “Gripping, entertaining and unforgettable, The Warrior is a wonderfully complex historical tale of a Scottish romance.”—Bookloons * * * Claire has written numerous books featuring the Lammergeier family and set in her fictional medieval Scottish realm of Ravensmuir, Kinfairlie and Ravensmuir. You can read all the books in order, or read each series in order. A. The Rogues of Ravensmuir The first trilogy. It all begins with Merlyn at Ravensmuir... 1. The Rogue - Merlyn and Ysabella's second chance romance 2. The Scoundrel - Gawain (Merlyn's brother) and Evangeline's mistaken identity/disguise romance. 3. The Warrior - Michael (the Hawk of Inverfyre and son of Gawain and Evangeline) and Aileen's marriage of convenience and second chance romance B. The Jewels of Kinfairlie This series tells the stories of the children of Roland, the younger son of Merlyn and Ysabella. There are eight children, and they appear briefly at the end of The Warrior. 1. The Beauty Bride - Madeline and Rhys' marriage of (in)convenience romance 2. The Rose Red Bride - Vivienne and Erik's mistaken identity and marriage of (in)convenience romance 3. The Snow White Bride - Alexander and Eleanor's marriage of convenience Christmas romance 4. The Ballad of Rosamunde - a short story featuring Rosamunde (the pirate queen) and Padraig and a friends-to-lovers romance. The True Love Brides This series follows the next four siblings and features a battle against the Fae for the hearts of those from Kinfairlie. 1. The Renegade's Heart - Isabella and Murdoch's forbidden love and protector romance 2. The Highlander's Curse - Annelise and Garrett's outcast and protector romance 3. The Frost Maiden's Kiss - Malcolm and Catriona's protector and marriage of convenience romance 4. The Warrior's Prize - Elizabeth and Rafael's protector, forbidden love, and outcast romance The Brides of Inverfyre This series (in progress) takes us into the Highlands to Inverfyre for the story of Ross, the eighth sibling, as well as the stories of the children of the Hawk and Aileen. 1. The Mercenary's Bride - Mhairi and Quentin's second chance Christmas romance 2. The Runaway Bride - Ross and Aiofe's runaway bride, protector and forbidden love romance. You can download free family trees from Claire's website, right here: https://delacroix.net/ravensmuir/family-trees/ * * * rogue, medieval, second chance, intrigue, highlands, protector, gothic, reincarnation, arranged marriage, class war, cat and mouse, protector, knight, warrior, bride

This is the first scholarly book to look at the role of the 'warrior' in modern war, arguing that warriors' actions, and indeed thoughts, are increasingly patrolled and that the modern battlefield is an unforgiving environment in which to discharge their vocation. As war becomes ever more instrumentalized, so its existential dimension is fast being hollowed out. Technology is threatening the agency of the warrior and this volume paints a picture of early twenty-first century warfare, helping to explain why so many aspiring warriors are becoming disenchanted with their profession. Written by a leading thinker on warfare, this book sets out to explain what makes an American Marine a ‘warrior’ and why suicide bombers, or Al Qaeda fighters, do not qualify for this title. This distinction is one of the central features of the current War on Terror – and one that justifies much more extensive discussion than it has so far received. The Warrior Ethos will be of great interest to all students of military history, strategy, military sociology and war studies.

With this shattering final novel, “it can at last be said that Bakker has written the epic fantasy series of the post-Tolkien era” (Speculiction). The Men of the Great Ordeal have been abandoned by Anasurimbor Kellhus, and the grand crusade has devolved into cannibalism and chaos. When Exalt-General Proyas attempts to gain control of the lost Men and continue their march to Golgotterath, it becomes clear that the lost Lord-and-Prophet is not so easily shaken from the mission. As Sorweel, the Believer-King of Sakarpus, and Serwa, daughter of the Aspect-Emperor, join the Great Ordeal, they discover that the shortest path is not always the safest. Souls, morality, and relationships are called into question when no one can be trusted, and the price for their sins is greater than they imagined. An uncompromising portrayal of a catastrophic world of myth, war, and sorcery, the Aspect-Emperor books have earned their place alongside George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Bakker’s groundbreaking series is “no holds barred from page one” (Speculiction).

For a thousand years, the lord of Death Belial has waited imprisoned in his realm. Now the time is at hand and he prepares to invade the world of humans a second time. Time is short and the almighty Arch Mage Dukemis begins to assemble the forces of good. Prince Julian; the boy who will unite a mighty kingdom. She Kuei; the fabled master warrior from the Island of Mists. Torsvold; the mighty fighter from the North. Samir; a rider of the plains and master of the bow. These warriors must unite to accompany the boy Prince on his quest to become King. If Julian does not win the crown Belial gains the first blow in his quest to conquer humankind.