Dragons Suck

Harkness, a medieval peasant with a millennial’s mindset, is quite happy to sit back and make quips while everyone else does the hard work. His calculated laziness is interrupted when the gods send an ancient and terrible scourge-by-dragonfire upon his village, and he is forced (peer-pressured, really) into trying to save his fiancée from the dragon who has kidnapped her. When Harkness is sent by the village elder to find the one weapon that is capable of killing the beast, his real plan is to go off on his own and use his village’s money to live the high life. This, of course, would require ditching his two companions: Karla, an aspiring troubadour whose passion makes up for her lack of adventuring skills, and Aldric, whose kindheartedness does not make up for his lack of intelligence. Harkness sees this journey as a paid vacation under the pretense of world-saving, but it quickly turns serious when he realizes what’s at stake when he is forced to actually care about something—or at the very least, pretend to.

In 2009 Phantacea Publications released “The War of the Apocalyptics”, the opening entry in the ‘Launch 1980’ story cycle. At its centre stood the same stirring saga of extraterrestrial Shining Ones and the doomed but unyielding Damnation Brigade as that related in “Phantacea Revisited 1: The Damnation Brigade”. That 2013 graphic novel gleaned material from the pages of Phantacea 1-5 (1977-1980) as well as Phantacea Phase One (mid-1980s). Its novelization’s until then untold Outer Earth sequences introduced or re-introduced a number of fascinating protagonists; ones who appeared or would have appeared in the comic book series had it continued. With a breathtaking cover by Ian Bateson, “Nuclear Dragons” turns the spotlight back on many of them. Given what’s coming, though, if they’re on Centauri Island days after the launching of the Cosmic Express, will any of them last long enough to return for a third entry in the ‘Launch 1980’ story cycle? No matter. Jim McPherson’s Phantacea Mythos is as full of incredible individuals as it is of astonishing challenges for them, and/or others, to survive.

The ultra-clandestine Open Water Exploration Company realized it possessed the means to conduct viable space travel in 1973, without spaceships or having to travel into outer space! They created a machine-generated, macro-electromagnetic door into an accidently-discovered parallel reality and sent an expedition to see what is on the other side! A macro-electromagnetic field generated in open ocean allowed Expedition ships to literally float from our reality to a parallel, Alternate World, separated from ours by master macro-electromagnetic frequencies. The ships behaved like TV characters walking from one channel to another! AdventureDragons of the Neverland picks up the exciting story of the ultra-clandestine Open Water Exploration Companys first Expedition into the Alternate World, as and even just before the first book, AdventureInto The Neverland ends while preparing and launching Expedition 2 continuing the environment of suspense and adventure, triumphs and tragedies experienced by readers of Adventure--Volume 1.

Tainted magic. A twisted curse. Can Agnes save the dragon planet before civil war explodes—and claims her life? Agnes is settling into her role as Arch Mage after saving her planet from annihilation, when the dragon leader, Menneth, contacts her. Secret radicals threaten Third Earth and Menneth desperately needs her magic to expose them. A terrifying mission, but how can she say no to a dragon? However, the mission soon becomes far more than expected. Caught in the scheme of an evil mastermind, Agnes is stripped of her allies one by one—even her own magic betrays her. Alone and considered an enemy of dragonkind, the lives of her friends and the peace of Third Earth hang in the balance. Agnes must summon every ounce of courage to survive and fight the sinister dragon manipulator. Third Earth is Book Three in the thrilling Arch Mage YA fantasy series that readers can’t put down. If you like magical creatures, intrigue, exhilarating adventures, and journeys of epic proportions, you’ll love Cami Murdock Jensen’s enthralling story. Buy Third Earth to jump to magical worlds and unexpected adventures today!

Sara Sinclair might be a Blue Dragon ice princess, but she certainly doesn’t act like one. And she definitely doesn’t buy into the Blue Dragon Clan’s crap that says marriage should focus on alliances and power. So Sara’s furious when her Blue parents sign a contract for her to marry an absolute asshat. She has zero interest in being one half of a snobby Blue power couple—especially when she’d rather bite her obnoxious fiancé’s head off and bury it in the garden. There’s also the small problem of Ian McKenna, a fire-breathing Red Dragon who is everything her fiancé is not. Of course, dating Ian is forbidden. Getting involved with anyone outside of your Clan is against Directorate law. Ian could be thrown in jail or executed without a trial. But now that she knows what love feels like, how could she ever marry someone else? Now the only way Ian and Sara can be together is by giving up their dragon way of life. No flying. No magic. No family or friends. And if Sara knows anything, it’s that stories like this never turn out well...

Chinese proverbs are, in a sense, the DNA of Chinese culture and language. The meanings of many of these proverbs may not be obvious to Westerners. For example when Chinese say the proverb “Dog chases mouse,” they mean “Mind your own business”—that is, dogs don’t chase mice; it’s not their job. In the process of truly making a connection with Chinese language and culture, a solid understanding of these proverbs goes a long way. Learning 300 Chinese Proverbs presents a unique book of Chinese proverbs that can be used as a tool for learning spoken and written Mandarin Chinese. This helpful, practical reference is complete with a section on grammar and offers an innovative approach to learning correct pronunciation, useful to both the beginner and the advanced student. Each proverb represents a new and unique lesson in Mandarin Chinese, using Simplified Chinese and the Pinyin transliteration system. Learning 300 Chinese Proverbs is so much more than a Chinese textbook; it also offers an overview of the Chinese civilization and language that goes back thousands of years.

"An exhilarating tale. . . Readers will be enthralled." --J.C. Cervantes, New York Times bestselling author of The Storm Runner A debut novel inspired by Chinese mythology, this middle-grade fantasy follows an outcast as she embarks on a quest to save the world from demons--perfect for fans of Aru Shah and the End of Time and The Serpent's Secret. As a member of the Jade Society, twelve-year-old Faryn Liu dreams of honoring her family and the gods by becoming a warrior. But the Society has shunned Faryn and her brother Alex ever since their father disappeared years ago, forcing them to train in secret. Then, during an errand into San Francisco, Faryn stumbles into a battle with a demon--and helps defeat it. She just might be the fabled Heaven Breaker, a powerful warrior meant to work for the all-mighty deity, the Jade Emperor, by commanding an army of dragons to defeat the demons. That is, if she can prove her worth and find the island of the immortals before the Lunar New Year. With Alex and other unlikely allies at her side, Faryn sets off on a daring quest across Chinatowns. But becoming the Heaven Breaker will require more sacrifices than she first realized. . . What will Faryn be willing to give up to claim her destiny? This richly woven contemporary middle-grade fantasy debut, full of humor, magic, and heart, will appeal to readers who love Roshani Chokshi and Sayantani DasGupta.

A BIOTECH RACE AGAINST TIME TO DEVELOP MILITARY-GRADE DRAGONS. Brilliant genetic engineer Noah Parker is pitted head-to-head against the founder of Build-a-Dragon to design custom dragons for the military. Genetic engineer Noah Parker has at last landed the job he's long coveted: director of dragon design for the Build-A-Dragon Company. With a combination of genetic engineering and a cryptic device known as the Redwood Codex, he and his team can produce living, breathing dragons made-to-order. But sales of dragons have plummeted, and the Build-A-Dragon Company will have to find new revenue streams if it hopes to stay in business. A contract to develop dragons for the U.S. military promises a much-needed lifeline. Yet the specs are more challenging than anything Noah has ever designed. Worse, he learns that a shadow company headed by former CEO Robert Greaves has stolen the dragon-making technology to make a competing bid. Noah’s dragons will face off against those of his old adversary. It’s a head-to-head design competition, with the ethical future of domesticated dragons hanging in the balance. At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About Domesticating Dragons: “Koboldt delivers a funny and immersive look at the world of genetic engineering. . . . With characteristic verve, Koboldt contrasts the playful adventure plot with eerie dystopian setting and a searing examination of corporate greed and ambition. Fans of inventive speculative fiction are sure to be pleased.” —Publishers Weekly About Dan Koboldt: “. . . very readable and highly enjoyable. . . . Characters that are more than the sum of their parts, a world that has so much to offer, and a story that races along apace . . . ” —SFF World on The World Awakening