Lair

WHY DO BAD GUYS LIVE IN GOOD HOUSES? From Atlantis in The Spy Who Loved Me to Nathan Bateman's ultra-modern abode in Ex Machina, big-screen villains often live in architectural splendor. From a design standpoint, the villain’s lair, as popularized in many of our favorite movies, is a stunning, sophisticated, envy-inducing expression of the warped drives and desires of its occupant. Lair: Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains, celebrates and considers several iconic villains’ lairs from recent film history. From futuristic fantasies to deathtrap-laden hives, from dwellings in space to those under the sea, pop culture and architecture join forces in these outlandish, primarily modern homes and in Lair, which features buildings from fifteen films, including: Dr. Strangelove Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Star Wars The Incredibles Blade Runner 2049 You Only Live Twice The Ghost Writer Body Double North by Northwest Edited by acclaimed architect Chad Oppenheim with Andrea Gollin, Lair includes interviews with production designers and other industry professionals such as Ralph Eggleston, Richard Donner, Roger Christian, David Scheunemann, Gregg Henry, and Mark Digby. Contributors include director Michael Mann, cultural critic Christopher Frayling, museum director Joseph Rosa, and architect Amy Murphy. Architectural illustrations and renderings by Carlos Fueyo provide multiple in-depth views of these spaces.

The exciting second book in the fantastical series for ages 10-14 by NYT bestselling author, Kelley Armstrong. Rowan is now the Royal Monster Hunter, and her twin brother, Rhydd, is destined to be king. But her mother's cousin Heward is still determined that his children be the ones to inherit the titles, and will stop at nothing to show that Rowan and Rhydd are too immature to properly lead. After the gryphon that Rowan captured in Book One gives birth but then dies, Rowan is left with a baby gryphon she knows she cannot keep. And it grows faster than anyone can imagine . . . In order to save face after an accident involving the troublesome gryphon, Rowan, with the help of her friends Dain and Alianor, along with an entourage of monstrous companions, must make a journey to the mountains to release the gryphon back into the wild. What starts off as a simple enough task soon becomes a dangerous quest, as the group encounters numerous rare and deadly monsters along the way, including wyverns and ceffyl-dwrs. Nothing is easy when you're a "monster magnet" like Rowan. Can she prove herself worthy of the title of Royal Monster Hunter? Find out in this exciting second book in the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series!

The restless rats return in James Herbert's Lair, the second horror novel in the Rats trilogy. The mutant white rat had grown and mated, creating offspring in its own image. They dominated the others, the dark-furred ones, who foraged for food and brought it back to the lair. Now the dark rats were restless, tormented by a craving they could not satisfy. But the white slug-like thing that ruled them knew. Its two heads weaved to and fro and a stickiness drooled from its mouth as it remembered the taste of human flesh . . . 'Not for the nervous' – Daily Mirror Continue the chilling series from the Master of Horror, with Domain.

What if the Bible were not complete? What if something existed, so beneficial to mankind that it had been intentionally omitted in order to protect its existence through complete secrecy? What if there were a place named Father Mountain, and within it, Ahveen? What if there were Guardians? Jim Preston and Red Porter, twenty-year-old workers at Miller Foundry in Rockaway, Illinois, are about to find out the answers to all these questions—high on a mountain in a remote region of northwestern Colorado. But by the time they reach twenty for the second time, it will be no more than a faint and hazy dream to them, knowing no more than what they have been permitted to learn by the Guardians of Father Mountain and their "former" selves. Inside The Cats' Lair resides the hope of the world...Outside—Jim and Red are threatening that hope...Born into two lives, their second lives would not reveal to them what their first presence had discovered about The Cats' Lair. What then led to their discoveries in their first lives? Curiosity...and an old map. What stopped them in their second lives? The answer to that resides within The Cats' Lair...

Defend yourself and protect your assets in a lair that feels as real and alive as your monsters with advice from Keith Ammann, author of The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters. The world is a dangerous place—especially when you’re up to no good. Whether you’re a rampaging monster, a calculating mastermind, or the current possessor of the Golden MacGuffin, someone’s going to come at you. Probably more than one someone. You can’t know when, but you can choose where. You need to be ready. You need a lair. In How to Defend Your Lair, gamemaster Keith Ammann pulls back the curtain on an underrated but crucial part of any tabletop roleplaying game: the theater of battle. Say goodbye to encounters in randomly generated dungeons and hello to a game in which where the fight takes place is just as important as who is doing the fighting. This book teaches you how to use real-world principles of building security and area defense to create strongholds infused with flavor, informed by narrative, and complex enough to force your players to think strategically. You’ll look at the strengths and weaknesses of both defenders and potential attackers, creating spaces that are strong enough to keep out ordinary intruders...and to provide thrilling challenges to extraordinary ones. Including more than a dozen fleshed-out sample strongholds, How to Defend Your Lair is a crucial resource for any RPG gamemaster who wants to push players to think about how to solve problems before running at them head-on.

In the battle against the vampiric Ticks, humanity was slowly but certainly headed for extinction. For months, twin sisters Lily and Mel had been “quarantined” with thousands of other young people being harvested for their blood—food for the Ticks. Finally escaping with a few friends, the twins are separated—and must continue the fight on their own . . . After making it to a resistance base camp in Utah, Lily learned to survive at all costs. But when a Tick attack decimates the fighters, Lily and her pregnant friend, McKenna, decide to make the hard trek north to Canada—and safety. Meanwhile, Mel is being taught how to survive by the very vampire that turned her. Living without her sister is hard, but dealing with the fact that her autism was cured by the vampire bite is an even bigger challenge. But when a monstrous betrayal places Lily in mortal danger, Mel must set out to find her, save her, and begin to unravel the empire of destruction that the Ticks have built.

In the gripping tale of "Donald J. and the Serpent's Lair of Power," a world shattering secret lies dormant, waiting to be discovered. Donald J., an ordinary yet determined protagonist, finds himself thrust into a perilous journey as he uncovers a hidden legacy that could shape the fate of nations. This thrilling adventure weaves together mystery, danger, and the enduring power of truth. In a quiet town nestled in the heart of the countryside, Donald J. unexpectedly receives a peculiar package on his doorstep. Inside, he finds a cryptic letter and a worn-out map, leading him to an ancient society hidden from the world. With his curiosity piqued, Donald J. embarks on an extraordinary quest to unravel the enigmatic legacy left behind by his ancestors. As Donald J. delves deeper into the secrets of this hidden society, he encounters a web of intrigue, danger, and deception. He discovers that the society, known as the Serpent's Lair, has wielded immense power throughout history, manipulating the strings of governments and shaping the course of events. But what is their ultimate goal? And why has Donald J. been chosen to reveal their secrets? With each chapter, Donald J. uncovers fragments of truth, deciphering ancient symbols, and deciphering cryptic riddles. Along the way, he encounters allies who share his quest for justice and a desire to expose the Serpent's Lair. Together, they must navigate treacherous trials, decode the hidden messages of an enigmatic oracle, and confront the formidable challenges that stand in their path.

From a dark, magic-ravaged world comes an enthralling new fantasy romance series. Five brothers, last of an ancient Alpha bloodline, each bound by fire and blood to their majestic dragons. As head of a celebrated dragonlord clan, Khyros led his brothers to victory and survived the war that almost wiped his kind from existence. Proud and powerful, he is the epitome of a dragonlord… until his dragon disappears. For over a century, he has tried to find him, but continuing on without his bonded dragon has fractured his existence. Finally, with the help of his clan, he locates his dragon and is shocked to discover a beautiful, fierce female blocking his path. Instinctively they clash… a frenzied attraction simmering between them. But Azenyah refuses to answer his questions and explain her involvement. Furious, Khyros keeps her captive, determined to punish her for the century of suffering she has caused. And his fury ignites carnal infatuation. Soon she is the new source of his torment. Yet his silent prisoner refuses to submit – neither to his demands nor his primal attentions. But her own desires betray her. As his clan faces a threat that could destroy them, Khyros discovers that Azenyah holds the secrets to save not just his clan but the entire realm. Balancing the fine edge between his responsibilities to his clan and his newfound obsession, he refuses to end her captivity, determined to get the answers he has demanded. His craving for her consumes his every moment. Until he is forced to contend with a power she wields that rivals his own. A LAIR SO ROYAL is the fifth and final book in The Last Dragorai, an epic fantasy romance series. This series can be read as standalones but will be better enjoyed if read in order. This book will contain spoilers for the previous books. Includes romance of a dark nature and a HEA.