A Year Of Ravens

A YEAR OF RAVENS Britannia: land of mist and magic clinging to the western edge of the Roman Empire. A red-haired queen named Boudica led her people in a desperate rebellion against the might of Rome, an epic struggle destined to consume heroes and cowards, young and old, Roman and Briton . . . and these are their stories. A calculating queen foresees the fires of rebellion in a king's death. A neglected slave girl seizes her own courage as Boudica calls for war. An idealistic tribune finds manhood in a brutal baptism of blood and slaughter. A death-haunted Druid challenges the gods themselves to ensure victory for his people. A conflicted young warrior finds himself torn between loyalties to tribe and to Rome. An old champion struggles for everlasting glory in the final battle against the legions. A pair of fiery princesses fight to salvage the pieces of their mother’s dream as the ravens circle. A novel in seven parts, overlapping stories of warriors and peacemakers, queens and slaves, Romans and Britons who cross paths during Boudica’s epic rebellion. But who will survive to see the dawn of a new Britannia, and who will fall to feed the ravens?

“One of the most interesting discoveries I’ve seen in animal sociobiology in years.” —E.O. Wilson Why do ravens, generally understood to be solitary creatures, share food between each other during winter? On the surface, there didn’t appear to be any biological or evolutionary imperative behind the raven’s willingness to share. The more Bernd Heinrich observed their habits, the more odd the bird’s behavior became. What started as mere curiosity turned into an impassioned research project, and Ravens In Winter, the first research of its kind, explores the fascinating biological puzzle of the raven’s rather unconventional social habits. “Bernd Heinrich is no ordinary biologist. He’s the sort who combines formidable scientific rigor with a sense of irony and an unslaked, boyish enthusiasm for his subject, and who even at his current professorial age seems to do a lot of tree climbing in the line of research.” —David Quammen, The New York Times

Freed from imprisonment at last, the roguish Jack Ravenwild finds that even one century isn’t enough to quash old grudges After a hundred years, Jack Ravenwild—thief, sorcerer, scoundrel, and accidental hero—is released from a magical confinement, only to fall into the hands of the marquise Dresimil Chûmavh, ruler of an exiled drow clan who sees an opportunity in Jack. Through guile and subterfuge, the wily Jack escapes the drow to discover a new world waiting in his old stomping grounds, Raven's Bluff, a city equally abounding in fortune and danger. Unfortunately for Jack, he is best at stirring up the latter. His former archenemy, the Warlord Myrkyssa Jelan, is at large—and she isn't the type to forgive and forget. And worst of all, the drow aren't done with Jack and they mean to get him back.

A “quirky and absorbing” exploration of the history and mythology surrounding the ravens at the Tower of London (Publishers Weekly). Tales tell of how Charles II, fearful of ancient legends that Britain will fall if the ravens at the Tower of London ever leave their abode, ordered that the wings of the six ravens be clipped. But the truth is that the ravens only arrived at the Tower in 1883, when they were brought in as props in tales of Gothic horror that were told to tourists. The legend itself originated from the summer of 1944, when ravens in London were used as unofficial spotters for enemy bombs and planes. Boria Sax gives us the first book to tell the true story of the ravens, which has far more high drama than any of the tales the tourists get to hear. Its heroes are the raven couple Grip and Mable, who eloped from the Tower together after World War II, leaving it empty and prompting fears that the British Empire would end; Jackie, who kept watch at a brewery; McDonald, who was murdered; and Thor, who could not accept his loss of flight. For over a century, the ravens have been symbols of cruelty, avatars of fate—and cuddly national pets. But Sax shows us how the ravens have come to represent Britain’s natural heritage, without which any nation would be impoverished. This informing and reflective volume addresses the need to connect with animals and the natural world and shows us the human need for wonder at nature. Praise for City of Ravens “Both a delight and a profound illumination of the subject . . . with unexpected and fascinating conclusions.” —Esther Woolfson, author of Corvus “A wonderful contribution to the modern history and mythology of one of the world’s greatest cities.” —Ronald Hutton, Commissioner of English Heritage “Boria Sax traces the history of the ravens in the Tower of London with accurate scholarship and engaging stories.” —John Marzluff, co-author of In the Company of Crows and Ravens “The author delves into the true history and cultural importance of these massive corvids. It’s a lively, entertaining tale, with a few grisly details from real events.” —Anna Sanders, Audubon Magazine

With 100 essential Ravens facts, trivia tidbits, and even activities, this book is perfect for any fan looking to relive the moments of the team’s past while looking forward to the future of the franchise. Recalling the organization’s important moments, milestones, and achievements, it describes the historic 1996 and 2008 drafts, the 2012 championship season, and the conclusion of Ray Lewis’ career. It identifies the highs and lows that naturally come with being a Ravens fan, from two Super Bowl titles to the 2007 regular season that ultimately led to former coach Brian Billick’s dismissal. Detailing the Ravens’ short but memorable history, this treasury of information invites longtime Ravens fans to reminisce about their beloved team and allows new fans to catch up on what they have missed.

So many of us grow up being constantly reminded about an all-forgiving, merciful, and beneficent deity. All throughout life, it can even be drummed into us that we cannot live happy, purposeful lives without a heavenly father who protects us and grants our wishes through prayer. And if things dont go according to plan, then we are simply told that God works in mysterious ways! But what if we have more questions? What if these things we are being told, taught, and even sold just dont live up to expectation? What the Bible Really Tells Us looks to the very source of many of these doctrines and teachings about divinity and human naturethe Judeo-Christian Biblein order to unveil some of the reasons why the same questions about God, his nature, and biblical history often reveal different (and sometimes inconsistent or even contradictory) answers. Exploring issues related to Gods nature such as his character, qualities, and attributes, as well as investigating biblical events and figures like Adam and Eve and creation, Noah and the flood, and Abraham and his chosen lineage. It asks us not only to think critically about the factual discrepancies and oddities but also to question why this biblical Godor gods, as it may beis in fact so similar to ourselves. The Bible was written thousands and thousands of years ago, but everybody has been conditioned and told to believe it regardless of the factsand sometimes even regardless of the often contradictory and inconsistent passages in the Bible itself! Faced with an idiosyncratic God and an incongruous book, we can study What the Bible Really Tells Us and confront a challenging thought: Did God create us, or did we create him?

The Great War Has Ended… The thousand years following the Great War, and the writing of the First Law, were not always peaceful, but nothing could compare to the slaughter that came before. The three races continued to make their way through the world in relative prosperity, even after the separation of the Eastern Kingdom over five hundred years prior. The horrors of the Great War faded into the annals of history, except for a single problem. It was all a lie. Distrust of the ravens was beginning to spread from an unknown source. The disappearances were growing more frequent and were joined by even darker rumors. Through all this, the Raven Queens continued to research the truth for centuries. How do you prove a lie with no evidence? How do you find evidence from a thousand years ago? What really happened? How did the Great War truly end? Queen Nánfeng knows she will not live to see the answers but knows they are running out of time. All she can do is prepare the way for her child-prodigy of a daughter. A seven-year-old Princess who cares more about complaining and hiding from her training than she does about the state of the world. It will be up to Princess Qiàn’s Wolf Protector to keep her on the proper path. The true road to being the Raven Queen is a brutal one which no one would ever want to force on another. However, through the suffering and sacrifice of one, perhaps all others will be spared. Unbeknownst to all, even the Raven Queens, their world has been being watched closely for a very long time, from both sides.