Shattersteel

For her entire life, Nuawa has made herself a weapon to assassinate the Winter Queen. She failed. Her secrets are laid bare and she has lost everything. The queen keeps Nuawa as a tool, and soon a sacrifice as she brings her ultimate goal to fruition: to harness the divine power of her makers that'll make her lover General Lussadh immortal. But Nuawa isn't done fighting yet. She has one final chance—and she will take it, trading her soul to try one last time to end winter's eternity... even if it means she must lose Lussadh forever. “Politics, relationships, and combat presented as a matryoshka...” —Jonathan L. Howard, author of Johannes Cabal the Necromancer

Strange. Beautiful. Shocking. Surreal. APEX MAGAZINE is a digital dark science fiction and fantasy genre zine that features award-winning short fiction, essays, and interviews. Established in 2009, our fiction has won several Hugo and Nebula Awards. We publish every other month. Issue 129 contains the following short stories, essays, reviews, and interviews. EDITORIAL Editorial by Jason Sizemore ORIGINAL FICTION It Happened in 'Loontown by Lavie Tidhar City Lights by Yilun Fan (translated by S. Qiouyi Lu) Sheri, At This Very Moment by Bianca Sayan What Una Loves by Rich Larson Lamia by Cristina Jurado (translated by Monica Louzon) The Cure for Loneliness by M. Shaw CLASSIC FICTION O2 Arena by Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki That Rough-Hewn Sun by Benjanun Sriduangkaew NONFICTION Tie Me to the Mast (Metaphorically Speaking): Social Writing in the Age of the Pandemic by C.S.E. Cooney The Importance of Presenting Disabilities in Literature by Mercedes M. Yardley REVIEWS Words for Thought: Short Fiction Review by A.C. Wise Book Review: Black Chain by Dominic Martell (reviewed by Keturah Barchers) Book Review: Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn (reviewed by Tracy Robinson) INTERVIEWS Interview with Author M. Shaw by Marissa van Uden Interview with Author Bianca Sayan by Rebecca E. Treasure Interview with Cover Artist Luka Brico by Russell Dickerson

A new series of bespoke, full-coverage resources developed for the 2015 A Level English qualifications. Endorsed for the AQA A/AS Level English Language specifications for first teaching from 2015, this print Student Book is suitable for all abilities, providing stretch opportunities for the more able and additional scaffolding for those who need it. Helping bridge the gap between GCSE and A Level, the unique three-part structure provides essential knowledge and allows students to develop their skills through a deeper study of key topics, whilst encouraging independent learning. An enhanced digital version and free Teacher's Resource are also available.

"Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch is more than just a writing handbook; it’s a key to unlocking every writer’s innate creativity by offering countless paths to verbal expressiveness." —San Francisco Chronicle Great sentences pivot on great verbs. In Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch, Constance Hale, best-selling author of Sin and Syntax, zeroes in on verbs that make bad writing sour and good writing sing. Each chapter in Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch features four sections: “Vex” tackles tough syntax, “Hex” debunks myths about verbs, “Smash” warns of bad writing habits, and “Smooch” showcases exemplary writing. A veteran journalist and writing teacher, Hale peppers her advice with pop-culture references and adapts her expertise for writers of every level. With examples ranging from the tangled clauses of Henry James and the piercing insight of Joan Didion to the punchy gerunds of the Coen brothers and the passive verbs of CEOs on trial, Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch offers a reenergized take on the “little despot of the sentence.”

Soaring out of Brightest Day, the Birds of Prey are back!Oracle, Black Canary, Huntress and Lady Blackhawk all return to Gotham City, where they belong – and they’ve brought a couple of new friends (or are they foes?) along with them.The Birds of Prey are forced to ally themselves with the worst of Gotham City’s mega-criminals while they struggle to save his life from the unspeakable horror that hunts them all. Pursued by an unstoppable killer, the Birds are forced to run a gauntlet of insane gang members and corrupt cops out to kill them while trying to keep a teammate alive.

Political Rhetoric in Theory and Practice is an introduction to the art of rhetoric or persuasive speaking. A collection of primary sources, it combines classic statements of the theory of political rhetoric (Aristotle, Isocrates, Demosthenes, Cicero) with a rich array of political speeches, from Socrates to Martin Luther King Jr., Pericles to Richard Nixon, Sojourner Truth to Phyllis Schlafly. These speeches exemplify not only the three principal kinds of rhetoric – judicial, deliberative, and epideictic – but also the principal rhetorical proofs. Grouped thematically, the speeches boast a diversity of speakers, subject matters, and themes. At a time when the practice of democracy and democratic deliberation are much in question, this book seeks to encourage the serious study of rhetoric by making available important examples of it, in both its noblest and its most scurrilous forms.