The Thunderbird Queen

A dangerous magic swells across the land. But who is controlling it? Tamri is finally free of the oath bond and apprenticed to the Fire Queen. Their first task: figure out how to seal up the newly unleashed Lightning. The treacherous substance is spreading, affecting the dragons, the Wielders, and Tamri herself-not that she'll admit it. With unfinished business back home, Tamri travels to Pendark to rescue her grandmother. But she'll get more than she bargained for when she comes face to face with her grandmother's captor, who wants the Lightning for himself. Saving Gramma Teall could condemn the rest of the continent. Meanwhile, vicious thunderbirds attack the mainland. Someone is using Lightning to control the magical creatures. Tamri must discover their identity before everyone she loves perishes beneath the swarm.

Welcome to Pendark, a city of murky canals, brutal gladiator fights, and sorcerers who feud over access to the silvery magical substance known as Watermight. Tamri is a scrappy magic thief who's trying to get her grandmother out of this festering swamp of a city. But when a quick score involving a dragon goes wrong, she's shipped off to a distant mountaintop kingdom where the legendary Fire Queen is starting a school for magic wielders. Tamri's not just going there to learn. The King of Pendark suspects the Fire Queen is up to something more dangerous than training young wielders, and he orders Tamri to find out the truth. If she fails, neither she nor her grandmother will survive the school year. Return to the world of Steel and Fire in this all new adventure set five years after Night of Flame. AUTHOR'S NOTE: You don't need to read the Steel and Fire books to enjoy The Watermight Thief, but it does contain spoilers for the original series.

A true American hero who earned a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and a Congressional Gold Medal, Brummett Echohawk was also a Pawnee on the European battlefields of World War II. He used the Pawnee language and counted coup as his grandfather had done during the Indian wars of the previous century. This first book-length biography depicts Echohawk as a soldier, painter, writer, humorist, and actor profoundly shaped by his Pawnee heritage and a man who refused to be pigeonholed as an “Indian artist.” Through his formative war service in the 45th Infantry Division (known as the Thunderbirds), Echohawk strove to prove himself both a patriot and a true Pawnee warrior. Pawnee history, culture, and spiritual belief inspired his courageous conduct and bolstered his confidence that he would return home. Echohawk’s career as an artist began with combat sketches published under such titles as “Death Shares a Ditch at Bloody Anzio.” His portraits of Allied and enemy soldiers, some of which appeared in the Detroit Free Press in 1944, included drawings of men from all over the world, among them British infantrymen, Gurkhas, and a Japanese American soldier. After the war, without relying on the GI Bill, Echohawk studied at the Art Institute of Chicago for three years. His persistence paid off, leading to work as a staff artist for several Chicago newspapers. Echohawk was also a humorist whose prodigious output includes published cartoons and several parodies of famous paintings, such as a Mona Lisa wearing a headband, turquoise ring, and beaded necklace. Featuring eight of Echohawk’s paintings in full color, this thoroughly researched biography shows how one unusual man succeeded in American Indian and mainstream cultures. World War II aficionados will marvel at Echohawk’s military feats, and American art enthusiasts will appreciate a body of work characterized by deep historical research, an eye for beauty, and a unique ability to capture tribal humor.

Art is magic. Art is a curse. Briar can curse with the flick of a paintbrush. Her paintings maim, bewitch, and—most effectively of all—destroy. But Briar doesn't want to hurt people anymore. She has fled her family's deadly curse business to start a new life peddling nonlethal jinxes and petty revenge. Briar’s destructive powers catch the eye of a charismatic young outlaw called Archer, who hires her to help him save a kidnapped friend from a ruthless baron. Briar thinks this is her chance to make amends for her crimes, but the family business won’t let her go so easily. When her violent past jeopardizes Archer’s rescue mission, Briar must confront the dark arts she left behind—and decide what she’s willing to destroy in order to be good. Read the new fantasy adventure inspired by Robin Hood from the author of Steel and Fire, Empire of Talents, and the Fire Queen’s Apprentice! "Richly detailed, artistic, hopeful, and an instant classic, Curse Painter is everything you could hope for in a bright fantasy novel - perfect for all ages but most especially those who adore a powerful story of goodness and magic." - Sarah K. L. Wilson, USA Today Bestselling Young Adult Author "I could not stop reading this book." - Chrissie Weselake "This book is easily one of the best YA fantasy books of the year. Engaging, witty, and full of action, Curse Painter is a phenomenally enjoyable book guaranteed to delight readers of all ages." - Sophia Lee Delorey

Hailed as a model state history thanks to Thomas E. Sheridan's thoughtful analysis and lively interpretation of the people and events shaping the Grand Canyon State, Arizona has become a standard in the field. Now, just in time for Arizona's centennial, Sheridan has revised and expanded this already top-tier state history to incorporate events and changes that have taken place in recent years. Addressing contemporary issues like land use, water rights, dramatic population increases, suburban sprawl, and the US-Mexico border, the new material makes the book more essential than ever. It successfully places the forty-eighth state's history within the context of national and global events. No other book on Arizona history is as integrative or comprehensive. From stone spear points more than 10,000 years old to the boom and bust of the housing market in the first decade of this century, Arizona: A History explores the ways in which Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, and Anglos have inhabited and exploited Arizona. Sheridan, a life-long resident of the state, puts forth new ideas about what a history should be, embracing a holistic view of the region and shattering the artificial line between prehistory and history. Other works on Arizona's history focus on government, business, or natural resources, but this is the only book to meld the ethnic and cultural complexities of the state's history into the main flow of the story. A must read for anyone interested in Arizona's past or present, this extensive revision of the classic work will appeal to students, scholars, and general readers alike.