In this epic historical drama in verse form, Thomas Hardy brings the same level of realism and gritty detail to a poetic retelling of the Napoleonic Wars that he honed in novels such as Far From the Madding Crowd and Jude the Obscure. Hardy himself considered The Dynasts to be his masterpiece, and though critical response was initially lukewarm, modern-day readers and critics have come to appreciate the vast scope and literary innovation of this ambitious work.

Earth is long since dead. On a colony planet, a band of men has gained control of technology, made themselves immortal, and now rules their world as the gods of the Hindu pantheon. Only one dares oppose them: he who was once Siddhartha and is now Mahasamatman. Binder of Demons. Lord of Light.

Distringuished as both a great novelist and a great poet. Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) had a writing career which spanned more than sixty years, concentrating first on prose and then, after publishing his last novel in 1895, on verse. A master of the short lyric and the vivid narrative, Hardy is pre-eminently the poet of remembrance and tender regret for lost happiness; but he is also an ironist whose exquisite descriptions of rural life are the setting for bitingly sharp observations of human frailty.

Medieval studies scholar Tess Alexander jumps at the chance to live in a perfectly restored medieval castle and is drawn into a world of magic and destiny when she meets mysterious, sword-wielding mechanic John de Piaget.

L.E. Modesitt, Jr.'s Wellspring of Chaos continues his bestselling fantasy series the Saga of Recluce, which is one the most popular in contemporary epic fantasy. Kharl's life has been always been as ordered and dependable as the barrels he makes. His trouble begins when he saves saves a rape victim he finds unconscious in an alley, a blackstaffer—a young expatriate mage—from Recluce. When the blackstaffer is mysteriously murdered in Kharl's cooperage, Kharl is jailed, tried, and flogged, and in a shocking turnaround released—and his wife executed for the murder, which she did not commit. Kharl ends up on the run, taking the slain woman's black staff and her book, The Basis of Order, which explains the principles of its power. The diligent cooper is about to learn a new, very different skill. “An intriguing fantasy in a fascinating world.”—Robert Jordan, New York Times bestselling author of The Wheel of Time® series Saga of Recluce #1 The Magic of Recluce / #2 The Towers of Sunset / #3 The Magic Engineer / #4 The Order War / #5 The Death of Chaos / #6 Fall of Angels / #7 The Chaos Balance / #8 The White Order / #9 Colors of Chaos / #10 Magi’i of Cyador / #11 Scion of Cyador / #12 Wellspring of Chaos / #13 Ordermaster / #14 Natural Order Mage / #15 Mage-Guard of Hamor / #16 Arms-Commander / #17 Cyador’s Heirs / #18 Heritage of Cyador /#19 The Mongrel Mage / #20 Outcasts of Order / #21 The Mage-Fire War (forthcoming) Story Collection: Recluce Tales Other Series by L.E. Modesitt, Jr. The Imager Portfolio The Corean Chronicles The Spellsong Cycle The Ghost Books The Ecolitan Matter At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.