Showing results by author "V.V.A.A." in All Categories

The young woman from Earth was far too preoccupied with her growing business. The crazy stories of angels and elves working in Bucky's Out of this World Restaurant have spread far and wide, attracting all sorts of individuals, ranging from friendly [Knights] to annoying adventurers. Unfortunately for Amelia, not all of her customers have the best of intentions, with some of them bringing quite a bit of... trouble.

There's a land rush on exploiting alien tech. Pirates, claim-jumpers, cyborgs, and bureaucrats all must be defeated to keep Borag flying. Corporal Devin Starn is working his way up through the ranks of Red Company. Aboard Borag, a mining ship based out of Mars City, Starn discovers more about the aliens who preceded us. Their ruins and strange technologies deepen the mystery of their ancient downfall.

As identical twins, Haylee and Kaylee Fitzgerald have always done things in exactly the same way. Under their mother's guidance, their every outfit, every meal, and every thought was identical. But now things are different. With Kaylee back at home after her sister's betrayal, her life has been turned inside out. Both her mother and Haylee are away, and Kaylee's alone and more lost than ever.

When word that Yelena is a Soulfinder—able to capture and release souls—spreads like wildfire, she faces mistrust and fear in Sitia. What’s more, she keeps discovering unusual new sides of her abilities. As the Council debates Yelena’s fate, she receives a disturbing message: a plot is rising against her homeland, led by a murderous sorcerer she has defeated before. The road to Ixia is fraught with peril, and sets Yelena on a path that will test the limits of her skills. But the hope of reuniting with her beloved spurs her onward.

In this revolutionary book, renowned MIT economists Abhijit V. Banerjee and Esther Duflo take on this challenge, building on cutting-edge research in economics explained with lucidity and grace. Original, provocative, and urgent, Good Economics for Hard Times makes a persuasive case for an intelligent interventionism and a society built on compassion and respect. It is an extraordinary achievement, one that shines a light to help us appreciate and understand our precariously balanced world.

An artificial object made of compressed stardust is barreling toward Earth. Is it an invasion ship? A doomsday weapon? Perhaps it’s the final response of Squanto, the Warlord of Rigel who James McGill has repeatedly humiliated. Or could it be from the Mogwa, sent to avenge McGill’s assassination of Earth’s Imperial Governor? No one knows the truth of its origins, but the object is huge and unstoppable. Whoever hurled this rock at us isn’t answering our calls. Every weapon bounces off, and the people of Earth begin to go mad as they realize their destruction is only hours away.

Santo Domingo de la Calzada, 1532. London, 1837. Boston, 2019. Three young women, their bodies planted in the same soil, their stories tangling like roots. One grows high, and one grows deep, and one grows wild. And all of them grow teeth.

There's just no rest for Valek, Ixia’s Chief of Security. Challenges are constant and new problems arrive daily, including a request to help Castletown’s watch solve the mystery of a string of nighttime disturbances, and keeping a close eye on the Commander’s food taster as she schemes her way back into business. As if that isn't enough, the Commander’s life is threatened. Is the assassination attempt on the Commander a declaration of war by the Sitian Council, or is it a ruse by an unknown party to incite a war between Ixia and Sitia?

After the tragic death of her mother and a long period of isolation under the thumb of a cruel grandfather, young Caroline Bryer has little to hope for in her life in the foreboding Southerland mansion. Her only companion, her enigmatic cousin, Simon, may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing and is not to be trusted. But when Caroline’s estranged father suddenly resurfaces with news of a new wife and stepchildren in Hawaii that she’ll finally be allowed to visit, Caroline dares to hope for a new, normal life. Desperate for her father’s love, Caroline will do anything to stay in this new home.

Biogeography is the study of geographic variation in all characteristics of life - ranging from genetic, morphological, and behavioral variation among regional populations of a species, to geographic trends in diversity of entire communities across our planet's surface. From the ancient hunters and gatherers to the earliest naturalists, Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, and scientists today, the search for patterns in life has provided insights that proved invaluable for understanding the natural world.

2018. Belinda Alvarez has returned to Texas for the wedding of her best friend, Veronica. The farm is the site of an urban legend, la Reina de las Chicharras - the Queen of the Cicadas. In 1950s South Texas, a farmworker from San Luis Potosi, Mexico, is murdered. Her death is ignored by the town, but not the Aztec goddess of death, Mictecacíhuatl. The goddess hears her dying cries and creates a plan for both to be physically reborn by feeding on vengeance and worship.

Once, only her own life hung in the balance. Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands - and protect her relationship with Valek. Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job and his life are in danger.

This groundbreaking book provides a comprehensive overview of the anatomy of racial trauma and the debilitating hidden wounds associated with it. Racially sensitive trauma-informed interventions and strategies that centralize race and racial oppression in every facet of the therapeutic process and relationship are meticulously highlighted, making this a must-listen resource for all practicing and aspiring clinicians.

Ana is far from royalty. She's a foster kid with a dead mom and a deadbeat dad. The only thing she wants is to escape—her hometown and her grief. Ana's plans are derailed when a dangerous family secret is revealed. She is the sole heir to a fallen dynasty on a world where seven families share the crown. Her family was murdered one by one, leaving six families to rule. Now, someone knows Ana's location. With assassins closing in, Ana's life and the crown are at stake.

Locked deep in the palace dungeon for killing her abuser, Yelena knows she’ll never be free again. The laws in Ixia are strict, and murderers must be executed, no matter the reason. But just as she’s resigned herself to her fate, she’s offered an extraordinary reprieve.

Connor Huntsson finally brought a woman home. Two of them. But the Seeress needs to marry—and she needs a new weapon. Getting into trouble was a given, but getting into a fight with a god comes with consequences. Backed by blood and beauty, Connor still seeks the power waiting in the frost. But to do that, he must first trust a friend with his heart.

From the dangerous world of the Demon Cycle comes the early adventures of Arlen, Peter V. Brett's quintessential fantasy hero. These exciting origin tales follow Arlen as he learns to navigate a world where the elemental forces of evil conjure themselves from the earth each night. Humanity has barely survived a demonic onslaught by using magical wards that protect their cities and homes. Only a handful of mercenaries and explorers risk traveling after the sun sets. Arlen, seeking adventure, is barely protected by the warded armor upon which he has inscribed intricate defensive runes.

B.V. Larson, a master of military science fiction, presents Army of One, a harrowing tale of high-tech mayhem. The Macros of the Star Force series have invaded from the skies, forcing a nanotized assassin into a deadly decision. One man attempts to stay neutral...and realizes how hard it can be to avoid an interstellar war.

Shyla is a researcher who resides in the underground desert city of Zirdai, which is ruled by the wealthy Water Prince and brutal Heliacal Priestess. Even though Shyla is sun-kissed - an outcast, considered cursed by the Sun Goddess - she is still renowned for uncovering innumerable archaic facts, lost artefacts, ancient maps, and obscure historical documents.

This is an eyewitness - and eye-opening - account of some of the most savage and brutal fighting in the war against Japan, told from the perspective of a young Texan who volunteered for the Marine Corps to escape a life as a traveling salesman. R. V. Burgin enlisted at the age of twenty and, with his sharp intelligence and earnest work ethic, climbed the ranks from a green private to a seasoned sergeant.