A Spark Of White Fire

Named one of the best 25 space opera books by BookRiot! The first book in a scifi retelling of the Mahabrahata. When Esmae wins a contest of skill, she sets off events that trigger an inevitable and unwinnable war that pits her against the family she would give anything to return to. In a universe of capricious gods, dark moons, and kingdoms built on the backs of spaceships, a cursed queen sends her infant daughter away, a jealous uncle steals the throne of Kali from his nephew, and an exiled prince vows to take his crown back. Raised alone and far away from her home on Kali, Esmae longs to return to her family. When the King of Wychstar offers to gift the unbeatable, sentient warship Titania to a warrior that can win his competition, she sees her way home: she’ll enter the competition, reveal her true identity to the world, and help her famous brother win back the crown of Kali. It’s a great plan. Until it falls apart. Inspired by the Mahabharata and other ancient Indian stories, A Spark of White Fire is a lush, sweeping space opera about family, curses, and the endless battle between jealousy and love.

Columbus Discovered America . . . But Who Discovered Europe? Were the ancient Egyptians black? Did Egyptian explorers land in Greece some 4,000 years ago? Did they plant colonies, establish royal houses, and bring civilization to Europe's savage tribes? Did the secret rites of their temple cults later resurface among the Knights Templar and the Freemasons? In "Black Spark, White Fire," Richard Poe provides startling answers to these questions and more. "Brilliant. . . . Poe has produced a classic volume . . . splendid in its conception and powerful in its execution--a major work."--Molefi Kete Asante, author of "The Afrocentric Idea" "Superb. . . . I am convinced that within 20 years Richard Poe's views will be seen as closer to the historical truth than those of the present defenders of the status quo. The book is clear, well-written, and hard to put down. While we disagree on a number of issues, "Black Spark, White Fire" is the popular book that I am incapable of writing."--Martin Bernal, author of "Black Athena" "It is refreshing to hear the Afrocentric theory of ancient Egypt argued so persuasively, from a viewpoint that is neither liberal nor conservative, black nor white."--Armstrong Williams, syndicated columnist and TV talk show host

“A rare gem of a sequel . . . Each page drips with action and moral complexities.” —Natasha Ngan, New York Times bestselling author of Girls of Paper and Fire, on A House of Rage & Sorrow A prince without his kingdom. A kingdom without its princess. The destruction of the stars themselves. War is destroying the galaxy. Esmae has vanished without a trace. A terrifying, ravenous beast is devouring the stars one by one. Titania is offered a gift that may well be a curse. Alexi, the exiled prince, is asked to pay a heavy price for his mistakes. And far, far away, on a dark, mysterious planet, a sleeping god stirs awake. War or family. Pride or peace. As the end of the world draws ever closer, Esmae and Alexi must decide how far they’ll go to win—and who they’ll sacrifice along the way. Celebrated author Sangu Mandanna promises a gripping conclusion to the Celestial Trilogy in A War of Swallowed Stars.

One kingdom. One crown. One family. “Maybe it’s time the great House of Rey came to an end. After all, what are we now? Just a house of rage and sorrow.” Esmae once wanted nothing more than to help her golden brother win the crown of Kali but that dream died with her best friend. Alexi broke her heart, and she vowed to destroy him for it. And with her sentient warship Titania beside her, how can she possibly fail? As gods, beasts, and kingdoms choose sides, Alexi seeks out a weapon more devastating than even Titania. Past lives threaten the present. Old enemies claim their due. And Esmae cannot outrun the ghosts and the questions that haunt her. What really happened to her father? What was the third boon her mother asked of Amba? For in the shadows, lurking in wait, are secrets that will swallow her whole. The House of Rey is at war. And the entire galaxy will bleed before the end.

Jimmy Groome never really believed that his life was worth anything. An overweight and unpopular teen, it takes a suicide attempt to bring a traumatic childhood experience into sharp focus. With some encouragement from family and a counselor, Jimmy picks up a guitar and it quickly becomes obvious that he has a natural talent. After losing weight and joining a band, Jimmy goes from being a shy and insecure child to an outgoing and self-destructive young adult. In a world where sex, drugs and rock n' roll go hand in hand Jimmys future is uncertain. In this prequel to Fire, we follow Jimmy Groome on his dark path, where he decides if he'll ignite the fire inside - or if hell let it burn out and fade away.

The lives of ordinary people become intertwined when a gunman takes hostages at a women's clinic in the #1 New York Times bestselling author's latest. At Mississippi's sole remaining women's reproductive services clinic, a gunman bursts in and takes its patients and staff hostage. The stories that brought these individuals to the clinic vary, from a woman awaiting cancer screening results to a protestor hoping to catch the clinic in a scandal that could be used in a pro-life campaign. Then there is the police hostage negotiator, whose daughter is also trapped inside the facility, and the gunman himself, who has a vendetta to carry out. Meanwhile, across the state, a seventeen-year-old woman lands in the hospital after an attempt to self-terminate her pregnancy and is subsequently charged by the pro-life DA for the murder of her unborn child. They, too, are connected to the events unfolding in the clinic. As the book moves backward in time, each chapter set one hour earlier than the last, we learn how all these people and their stories are unwittingly connected--and that none of these characters' reasons for being where they are at this fateful place and time are exactly what it appears at first glance.

The first modern Chinese middle grade series to be translated and brought to the English-speaking market, from bestselling author Chen Jiatong. A young white fox dreams of being human. When his parents are taken from him, long-held secrets and a legend about a miraculous treasure rise to the surface in this perilous quest for self-discovery. When a young white fox named Dilah discovers a human family, he begins to dream of being human himself. But when his parents are assassinated, long-held secrets and a legend about a miraculous treasure rise to the surface. A treasure with the power to make animals human... The clues to its location are contained in a moonstone buried beneath their den. But evil blue foxes seek the treasure too and Dilah must race to find it first. Along the way, he meets all sorts of other creatures: a friendly seal, an ancient tortoise, and a fierce leopard -- but can he stay one step ahead?

As the evil Nacht spreads his darkness across the valley, Tom and his friends, the Bone family, desperately try to find the Spark that will heal the Dreaming and save the world.