Riders On The Ni O Storms

Finally in control of the Ascendancy, Titus Quinn has styled himself Regent of the Entire. But his command is fragile. He rules an empire with a technology beyond human understanding; spies lurk in the ancient Magisterium; the Tarig overlords are hamstrung but still malevolent. Worse, his daughter Sen Ni opposes him for control, believing the Earth and its Rose universe must die to sustain the failing Entire. She is aided by one of the mystical pilots of the River Nigh, the space-time transport system. This navitar, alone among all others, can alter future events. He retires into a crystal chamber in the Nigh to weave reality and pit his enemies against each other. Taking advantage of these chaotic times, the great foe of the Long War, the Jinda ceb Horat, create a settlement in the Entire. Masters of supreme technology, they maintain a lofty distance from the Entire’s struggle. They agree, however, that the Tarig must return to the fiery Heart of their origins. With the banishment immanent, some Tarig lords rebel, fleeing to hound the edges of Quinn’s reign. Meanwhile, Quinn’s wife Anzi becomes a hostage and penitent among the Jinda ceb, undergoing alterations that expose their secrets, but may estrange her from her husband. As Quinn moves toward a confrontation with the dark navitar, he learns that the stakes of the conflict go far beyond the Rose versus the Entire--extending to a breathtaking dominance. The navitar commands forces that lie at the heart of the Entire’s geo-cosmology, and will use them to alter the calculus of power. As the navitar’s plan approaches consummation, Quinn, Sen Ni, and Anzi are swept up in forces that will leave them forever changed. In this rousing finale to Kenyon’s celebrated quartet, Titus Quinn meets an inevitable destiny, forced at last to make the unthinkable choice for or against the dictates of his heart, for or against the beloved land. From the Trade Paperback edition.

The service of African-American soldiers during the Civil War is one of that conflict’s most stirring, if still not completely understood, aspects. In this comprehensive account—from recruitment into combat, and covering all the military, political, and social aspects of this story—John D. Warner recounts the history of the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment, the only Black cavalry regiment raised in the North during the war. After Massachusetts made history with the 54th and 55th Infantry Regiments, its governor wanted to continue the experiment of training African-Americans as Union fighting men, this time as cavalry. Where the infantry regiments recruited largely free Blacks from the North, the 5th focused on escaped slaves who it was believed would be better horsemen. (But not solely: the regiment’s members included a son of Frederick Douglass and, interestingly, several Hawaiian islanders.) This gave the regiment a sharper edge: not only would the former slaves be fighting for themselves, but they would be fighting to liberate loved ones still enslaved. The 5th’s officers were drawn from Boston’s abolitionist elite, including Charles Francis Adams Jr., great-grandson and grandson of U.S. presidents, son of the U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom. In the spring of 1864, the regiment journeyed south and fought in Grant’s siege of Petersburg, where it joined attacks that nearly took the city in June. The 5th was then abruptly sent to Maryland to guard Confederate prisoners of war, until Col. Charles Francis Adams advocated for, and was granted, a return to combat duty. As part of the mostly Black XXV Corps, the cavalrymen found themselves at the vanguard of the Union army as it captured Richmond. On April 3, 1865, the 5th Massachusetts Cavalry Regiment was among the first units to enter the burning Confederate capital, at once a hellscape of destruction and a heaven for liberated slaves. Denied the rapid demobilization granted white regiments, the 5th ended the war in Texas on the Mexican border. In the spirit of the book One Gallant Rush and the movie Glory, Riders in the Storm covers—uncovers and indeed recovers—the story of the African-American cavalrymen of the 5th Massachusetts. Author John Warner has literal fingertip command of the primary sources, and after spending two decades researching letters, diaries, reports, newspapers, and more, he tells a story of resilience in the face of adversity, one that will resonate not just during the present moment of reckoning with race in the United States, but in the annals of American history for all time.

Daring dragon-riders fight to save a uniquely magical world from destruction by vengeful outcasts, in Storm Riders by Margaret Weis and Robert Krammes In a world where magic is intrinsic to the fabric of everyday life, two kingdoms, centuries-long enemies, have long sought a powerful magical weapon that will win them lasting dominance. But neither realm is ready when they are both attacked by the Bottom-Dwellers, a bitter people whose own land was destroyed, and who now live only to take vengeance on those they blame for a wretched life in the storm-tossed abyss they inhabit. Using contramagic strengthened by blood sacrifice to attack the world above, they threaten to bring down whole cities, or even the island kingdoms themselves. Freya and Rosia are forced to put aside their age-old conflict to defend themselves, or risk losing everything. As the Bottom-Dwellers' contramagic eats away at the magic of the dragons that helps protect the world above, a former dragon-riding hero gathers a ragtag group to form a new dragon brigade, the one desperate hope of the two kingdoms to defeat the fiends who threaten their world. As the effects of contramagic bring the world ever closer to disaster, the new dragon brigade fight the vengeful adversary. Their high-flying heroics will be to no avail, though, unless they can somehow uncover forbidden knowledge, long hidden by the Church, without which they will never be able to prevent the world's destruction. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A Collection of tales set within the fantasy world of Athoria. The festival of the Fairies and the choosing of the guardians begin with And in the Darkness it comes. Lord Shen and his Lady Sherrin celebrate with Barkorith and Athoria an event known as the gifting of the fairies, a festival that is once in a lifetime. But that was all interrupted when a man dressed in black arrived out of the darkness—a warning of something to come. Moni and Terrin watch on as they see flames dancing in the distance and heading through the forest of the Darkwoods of the Ancients, on their way towards the Circle of the Giants. Moni feels something within call to her. A sensation saying that something was wrong with the essence. Princess Allorah sneaks out of the Hidden city of Thrackin to see the world beyond the walls of the Saranayan mountains. Just beyond the whimpering hallow, she meets the Elve she thinks is the one for her, Prince N'amori of Northheim. He tells her of his plans for the future, but Allorah is hesitant.

The World of Athoria: Essence of the Wild. Immerse yourself deeper into the vast world, growing characters and expanding the lore and myths of the world. The daughter of a fantasy writer found herself in love with the stories and imagination and ability to create by her father's inspirations. But like most stories, nothing stays good forever. Sarah found herself running from her world, trying to escape a pain that she had succumbed to, and then she found herself falling into an abyss. Only to be awoken in a world familiar to her yet new. Her body was different, and her memory was all but gone. Glimpses of two lives, living in a vast world full of dark terrors, war, and tragedy. but even so, with darkness rising, there is always light to meet it. there is always a spark of hope that shines like a star within the essence. Siarathen is awoken in a haze and encounters a young man who goes by the name Forrest Andor. The situation Siarathen found herself in quickly escalated, and she found herself running from pig-like creatures called the Hogwraths. Siarathen accompanied Forrest to the city of Falgor, known in the world as the city of the kings. Journey with Siarathen as she traverses through the vast lands of Athoria and meets new companions along the way. Engage in a story of discovery, love, family and imagination. Embracing the memory of the things we hold close to our heart and discover the essence of the wild.

Cloud takes Kong-Chi to Shia-Wang Mansion in order to steal the ice Vigor Stone. With this he will be able to keep Kong-Chi's body young and beautiful for eternity. Yet before he can lay her to rest, Cloud runs into Conquer who is distraught and furious over the loss of Kong-Chi. The long-awaited battle between master and pupil ensues; but is Cloud up to the challenge?

Publisher Description