Grace and her friends must protect a newly hatched dragon from mysterious evildoers. When Grace moves to Hong Kong with her mom and new stepdad, her biggest concern is making friends at her fancy new boarding school. But when a mysterious old woman gifts her a dragon egg during a field trip, Grace discovers that the wonderful stories of dragons she heard when she was a young girl might actually be real--especially when the egg hatches overnight. The dragon has immense powers that Grace has yet to understand. And that puts them both in danger from mysterious forces intent on abusing the dragon's power. And now it's up to Grace and her school friends to uncover the sinister plot threatening the entire city!

Wanderhome is a pastoral fantasy role-playing game about traveling animal-folk, the world they inhabit, and the way the seasons change. It is a game filled with grassy fields, mossy shrines, herds of chubby bumblebees, opossums in sundresses, salamanders with suspenders, starry night skies, and the most beautiful sunsets you can imagine.

This book is a collection of nine articles on various paradoxical aspects of traditional Chinese literature. The literary works chosen for analysis range from the Tang dynasty to the late Qing. Besides providing new approaches to the well known classic authors such as Honglou Meng, Jin Ping Mei, Xixiang ji, and Liaozhai zhiyi, there are also detailed analysis of such diverse works as Liu Zongyuan's fiction, analogues of the Liu Yi story, lesser known versions of the play White Rabbit, as well as a number of late Qing fictions. Contributors to this volume include some of the most respected names in sinology today.

The Book of Deacon is the first book of The Book of Deacon series by Joseph R. Lallo. Myranda Celeste’s world has been built on a legacy of bloodshed. For more than a century, her homeland the Northern Alliance has fought the Kingdom of Tressor in what has come to be known as the Perpetual War. While her people look upon the conflict with reverence, Myranda’s hate for the war has made her an outcast. When she finds a precious sword among the equipment of a fallen warrior, she believes her luck may have changed. Little does she imagine that the treasure will draw her into an adventure of wizards and warriors, soldiers and rebels, and beasts both noble and monstrous. The journey will teach her much about her potential, about the origins of the war, and about the threat her world truly faces. Will Myranda unlock the secret of bringing peace once and for all, or will the world be lost to the Perpetual War?

The Ancient Lost World of Zanterian-Paradox is a fantasy book. It is a world trapped between Plans where no time exist.It is a place where the gods grant mortals powers and items. Ancient artifacts and powers can be obtained. Deep beneath the world is the World’s Dangerous Dungeon.

Presenting ten diverse and original moral paradoxes, this cutting edge work of philosophical ethics makes a focused, concrete case for the centrality of paradoxes within morality. Explores what these paradoxes can teach us about morality and the human condition Considers a broad range of subjects, from familiar topics to rarely posed questions, among them "Fortunate Misfortune", "Beneficial Retirement" and "Preferring Not To Have Been Born" Asks whether the existence of moral paradox is a good or a bad thing Presents analytic moral philosophy in a provocative, engaging and entertaining way; posing new questions, proposing possible solutions, and challenging the reader to wrestle with the paradoxes themselves

Grace and Luke are among the lucky few who find love early in life. At seventeen, both are equally certain that their love will last a lifetime. But when that love is cut short by forces beyond their control, Grace must answer the question of just how far she is willing to go to get back to Luke. But this is not the typical romantic tale. And just when you think you know where the story is going, you find yourself drawn into a whole new reality, where the fate of an entire world rests upon the choices of this one girl. Prepare to experience the adventure not only through the eyes of these two lovers, but also through the intertwined experiences of a group of remarkable dogs, as Grace's journey becomes so much more than her singular quest to return to the one she loves.

Dragons that hoard pillows? Legendary squirrel adventures? Sometimes short stories get a little experimental. Paradoxes and Dragons Volume 2 is a collection of ten novellas and short stories spanning the sci-fi and fantasy spectrum. A time travel front masquerading as an antique shop? High tech dragon engineers? Inside these pages you’ll find fun one-shots and eagerly anticipated sequels to stories in the first anthology. Paradoxes and Dragons Volume 2 includes: -Uncle Easy: A post-apocalyptic sequel to Wasteland* -Comfortable Dragon: A knight seeks to battle the coziest dragon in the kingdom -Time Loop: A successful time travel experiment makes an intern’s day very complicated -Dragons in Space: Space suits plus dragons, what’s not to like? -The Dwarfendam Run: A weary musician faces a mechanical gauntlet -The Front Way: A fan-voted sequel to The Back Way* -The Pencil Hoarder: A little dragon learns a thing or two about what the human world has to offer -Soft Summoned: Sometimes summoning a demon can go adorably wrong -The Tale of Amberbelly: Sometimes adventure is a matter of perspective -Weird Nothing: The novelization of the short lived webcomic of the same name by Joseph R. Lallo and Adam J. Hall *Available in Paradoxes and Dragons Volume 1

According to conventional wisdom, rising corruption reduces economic growth. And yet, between 1978 and 2010, even as officials were looting state coffers, extorting bribes, raking in kickbacks, and scraping off rents at unprecedented rates, the Chinese economy grew at an average annual rate of 9 percent. In Double Paradox, Andrew Wedeman seeks to explain why the Chinese economy performed so well despite widespread corruption at almost kleptocratic levels. Wedeman finds that the Chinese economy was able to survive predatory corruption because corruption did not explode until after economic reforms had unleashed dynamic growth. To a considerable extent corruption was also a by-product of the transfer of undervalued assets from the state to the emerging private and corporate sectors and a scramble to capture the windfall profits created by their transfer. Perhaps most critically, an anti-corruption campaign, however flawed, has proved sufficient to prevent corruption from spiraling out of control. Drawing on more than three decades of data from China—as well as examples of the interplay between corruption and growth in South Korea, Taiwan, Equatorial Guinea, and other nations in Africa and the Caribbean—Wedeman cautions that rapid growth requires not only ongoing and improved anticorruption efforts but also consolidated and strengthened property rights.

In a world where magic and technology coexist, an artifact with unimaginable power has emerged. Aria, a young historian who was till now living a normal boring life, finds herself at the center of politics and deception. When she discovers the stone, she is plunged into a web of conspiracy and intrigue. She was revealed with such truths and dangers that shook her from her feet. With the help of some, she uncovers the stone's true nature and the evil people that seek to control its power for their own selfish gain. But in this world of dark magic, shifting allegiances, and hidden dangers, who can she trust? As the journey continues, Aria must make difficult decisions that will determine the fate of her world. Will she be able to harness the stone's power for good, or will it destroy everything she holds dear? Find out in this action-packed thriller. This epic fantasy adventure will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.