Phantom Flames

Stu and Dan hike into the forest to camp overnight. They get caught in the rain and decide to spend the night in an unlocked hunting cabin. They smell smoke late at night and escape the cabin as it bursts into flames. The next morning, they return to the cabin to see if Stu's shoes survived the fire and find the cabin intact. This time, the cabin is locked. Stu returns to the cabin that night with a hammer, but this time he's trapped inside as flames block the door. A window opens, and Stu is lifted to the edge. He scrambles out to safety. As he stumbles away, the window slams shut and Stu sees the face of the ghost. The fire goes out and there's no trace that it happened.

This is not a tale of redemption. It is not a path to inspire dreams. It is the rise of Lakrius. The man of many names. The deceiver of time. The king of fortune lost. * * * Working as a blacksmith for noblemen willing to kill to protect their secrets, Avvyr knows his days are numbered. Unless he walks a path more dangerous than death itself. As he unearths the truth behind their power - something far grimmer than he ever could have imagined - Avvyr realizes there is a way to put an end to the nobles' brutal reign. But while his intentions are pure, his actions thin the divide between life and darkness, threatening to entrap him in the very cage he wanted the world to escape.

Although medical advances have remarkably increased the survival rate of the severely burned, such patients still encounter physical and psychological pain and disability, disfigurement, and social rejection. Rising from the Flames examines the experience of the severely burned as survivors confront it, not just as a medical event but as a human ordeal involving social, cultural, psychological, and medical trauma. It discusses the causes of burns, the physiology of injury and healing, the forms of isolation burn patients endure, and the cultural meaning attached to burns and burned persons.

Caina is now a Ghost nightfighter, with the cunning of an elite spy and the skill of a master assassin. But this time, it might take more than that to keep her alive. Caina has been sent to hunt a murderous pyromancer, a master of fiery sorcery, and she soon discovers that more is at stake than just a few murders. Because if she doesn't find the pyromancer soon, the entire world might burn. Starting with her...

Four girls with the power to control the elements and save the world from a terrible evil must come together in the first epic novel in a brand-new series. When Phantoms--massive beasts made from nightmares and darkness--suddenly appeared and began terrorizing the world, four girls, the Effigies, each gained a unique power to control one of the classical elements: earth, air, fire, and water. Since then, four girls across the world have continually fought against the Phantoms, fulfilling their cosmic duty. And when one Effigy dies, another girl gains her power as a replacement. But now, with technologies in place to protect the world's major cities from Phantom attacks, the Effigies have stopped defending humanity and, instead, have become international celebrities, with their heroic feats ranked, televised, and talked about in online fandoms. Until the day that New York City's protection against the Phantoms fails, a man seems to be able to control them by sheer force of will, and Maia, a high school student, unexpectedly becomes the Fire Effigy. Now Maia has been thrown into battle with three girls who want nothing to do with one another. But with the first human villain that the girls have ever faced, and an army of Phantoms preparing for attack, there isn't much time for the Effigies to learn how to work together. Can the girls take control of their destinies before the world is destroyed forever?

The fifth book of this dark urban fantasy series follows necromancer Eric Carter through a world of vengeful gods and goddesses, mysterious murders, and restless ghosts. The Los Angeles Firestorm killed over a hundred thousand people, set in revenge against necromancer Eric Carter for defying the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. Carter feels every drop of that blood on his hands. But now there's a new problem. Too many ghosts in one spot and the barrier separating them from the living cracks. And when they cross it, they feed off all the life they can get hold of. People die. L.A. suddenly has a lot more ghosts. But it's not just one or two ghosts breaking through: it's dozens. Another mage is pulling them through the cracks and turning them into deadly weapons. Eric follows a trail that takes him through the world of the Chinese Triads, old associates, old crimes. And a past that he thought he was done with. Carter needs to find out how to get things under control, because if more ghosts break through, there's going to be even more blood on his hands.

Get an eyeful of the most beautiful Harley-Davidson bikes on the market, the CVO. This fully illustrated volume is loaded with the most mouthwatering bikes out there.

In this rugged account of a rugged profession, Matthew Desmond explores the heart and soul of the wildland firefighter. Having joined a firecrew in Northern Arizona as a young man, Desmond relates his experiences with intimate knowledge and native ease, adroitly balancing emotion with analysis and action with insight. On the Fireline shows that these firefighters aren’t the adrenaline junkies or romantic heroes as they’re so often portrayed. An immersion into a dangerous world, On the Fireline is also a sophisticated analysis of a high-risk profession—and a captivating read. “Gripping . . . a masterful account of how young men are able to face down wildfire, and why they volunteer for such an enterprise in the first place.”—David Grazian, Sociological Forum “Along with the risks and sorrow, Desmond also presents the humor and comaraderie of ordinary men performing extraordinary tasks. . . . A good complement to Norman Maclean's Young Men and Fire. Recommended.”—Library Journal