Download or read book Servant of the Underworld written by Aliette de Bodard and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2010-10-26 with total page 432 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: IT IS THE YEAR ONE-KNIFE IN TENOCHTITLAN - THE CAPITAL OF THE AZTECS. The end of the world is kept at bay only by the magic of human sacrifice. A Priestess disappears from an empty room drenched in blood. Acatl, High Priest of the Dead must find her, or break the boundaries between the worlds of th living and the dead. But how do you find someone, living or dead, in a world where blood sacrifices are an everyday occurrence and the very gods stalk the streets? File Under: Fantasy [ Aztec Mystery | Locked Room | Human Sacrifice | The Dead Walk! ]

Download or read book Underworld Rise of the Lycans written by Greg Cox and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2009-04-14 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The official movie novelization of the latest film in the blockbuster action/horror movie series, Underworld—coming to theaters in January 2009 from Sony Pictures! Centuries ago...two ageless and terrifying races—the aristocratic vampires and the feral lycans—are bound by a cruel, ancestral relationship between master and servant, and eternally separated by the ongoing, violent rivalry between their two species. But unknown to both nobility and enslaved alike, a clandestine—and forbidden—affair between the lycan servant Lucian and the beautiful vampire noblewoman Sonja burns brightly with an unbridled passion. Seeking to escape Sonja’s tyrannical father, Viktor, and a future in which their love is considered an abomination, Lucian risks the ever-present machinations of the court and his very life to cast himself and his beloved free of their bonds...a daring tactic that will eventually give all lycans the courage to rise up against their oppressive vampire overlords. New alliances are forged even as the chains of slavery are broken...and all that Lucian and Sonja hold dear will be threatened with utter annihilation....

Download or read book Harbinger of the Storm written by Aliette de Bodard and published by Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The second book in the critically acclaimed Obsidian and Blood trilogy: The year is Two House, and the Emperor of the Mexica has just died. The protections he afforded the Empire are crumbling, and the way lies wide open to the flesh-eating star-demons--and to the return of their creator, a malevolent goddess only held in check by the War God's power. The council should convene to choose a new Emperor, but they are too busy plotting against each other. And then someone starts summoning star-demons within the palace, to kill councilmen... Acatl, High Priest of the Dead, must find the culprit before everything is torn apart. REVIEWS: ‘Political intrigue and rivalry among a complex pantheon of divinities drive this well-paced murder mystery set at the height of the Aztec Empire in the late 15th century. De Bodard reintroduces the series hero Acatl, high priest of the dead, immediately following the death of the Tenochtitlan leader. One of the council members in charge of choosing a successor has been brutally murdered in what looks like an attempt to influence the decision. But the deaths continue and the political situation grows more complex, while the empire looks to be increasingly at risk of invasion by malignant powers. Acatl must go face-to-face with the most powerful god in his world and put the good of the empire above his antipathy for is rivals to achieve the uneasy succession. De Bodard incorporates historical fact with great ease and manages the rare feat of explaining complex culture and political system without lecturing or boring the reader.’ —Publishers Weekly ‘Another thing that intrigues me here is the whole fact that historically we know that the real empire died out mysteriously and completely and as such there is always that thought in the back of my mind that the author could choose to bring about the end of days. That highlighted sense of possible doom is something that is missing from too many novels. The way the story is told in this book is very impressive, the plot is both mature and seductive, twisting and turning like a weather vane in a force 9 gale while the action is both bloodthirsty and imaginative. The world building is fantastic and we get to learn even more of this rich culture and the many gods and creatures of the dark. I really can’t fault this book at all and recommend it to one and all but if you haven’t yet read Servant of the Underworld I suggest that you get them both and read them in order, you won’t be disappointed.’ —SF Book Reviews ‘Bodard’s writing is polished and striking, as she convincingly fills in the colorful elements of the Aztec culture–even if those colors tend to be of blood and bile as well as flowers and hummingbirds... beautiful, grimy, breathtaking, and morbid. 5*’ —Examiner ‘Aliette de Bodard has done it again. Harbinger of the Storm is an action packed Aztec mystery opera with magic, interventions from the gods and more twists and turns than the first book. It even has a love story with amusing snippets here and there... The story is self contained and can be enjoyed standalone, but you will not want to miss out on the first. I wish it was 2012 already even if the world is going under while I read the final Obsidian & Blood.’ —Cybermage

Download or read book Master of the House of Darts written by Aliette de Bodard and published by Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The conclusion to the critically acclaimed Obsidian and Blood trilogy: The year is Three Rabbit, and the storm is coming. The Mexica Empire now has a new Emperor, but his coronation war has just ended in a failure: the armies have retreated with a paltry forty prisoners of war, not near enough sacrifices to satisfy the gods. Acatl, High Priest for the Dead, has no desire to involve himself yet again in the intrigues of the powerful. However, when one of the prisoners dies of a magical illness, he has little choice but to investigate. For it is only one death, but it will not be the last. As the bodies pile up and the imperial court tears itself apart, dragging Teomitl, Acatl's beloved student, into the eye of the storm, the High Priest for the Dead is going to have to choose whom he can afford to trust; and where, in the end, his loyalties ultimately lie... REVIEWS: ‘Like the previous books, the third in the Obsidian and Blood series abounds with suspects and red herrings. It’s a twisty and colourful tale filled with strange gods who demand sacrifices and pain for the least favour. I liked the way Acatl is beginning to question the way things are, and the first stirrings of doubt are awakening in him. He’s always had misgivings about his own suitability as High Priest, but in this novel his eyes are opened to some of the deeper wrongs done in the name of the empire, and in the name of people’s unswerving loyalty to the gods.’ —WarpCore SF ‘I found this to be the best book of a very good series. The same positives from the first two books are still present, a very easy-to-read writing style (easy to read but not simple or dumbed down), a quick pace, and some incredible world building, incredible accessibility despite the lesser know pantheon and names. Even though the second book dealt with a possible end to the world, MASTER OF THE HOUSE OF DARTS took a similar fate and did it better. Perhaps this was because in many ways it felt more like a fantasy book than a mystery book, which lends itself better to the “save the world” type story. The magic felt more organic here, it was never used as a crutch, or perhaps it was just better explained. There was a bit less travelling this time around, which also led to a tighter story. The ending involved several confrontations that were tense and believable, including some between people who are supposed to be allies... a great end to the series.’ —Fantasy Review Barn ‘Whether you take it as historical noir or as a highly accurate fantasy, it’s hard not to enjoy the Obsidian and Blood books—it’s a perfect fit for those looking for something different from their usual fare, but still exciting in ways they’re used to.’ —Guys Lit Wire ‘Acatl, is very much at the heart of the story, more so perhaps than the plot. He slowly grows into his position as the High Priest of the Dead throughout the trilogy, while the author moves along a parallel path, her narrative growing into its teller and inhabiting his mind with increasing comfort and self-assurance. Acatl is both the hero and the author’s avatar as she explores her ideas of what a hero can and should be. Perceptive readers will find Acatl to be a very different kind of hero than we are accustomed to reading about, but the action and the mystery proceed so smoothly that some may never notice the gleeful contrariness that lurks below the surface... Acatl is not, and this is apparent from much earlier in the trilogy, a typical action hero. He is not even a typical mystery solver, at least not in the Western idiom... The entirety of the Obsidian & Blood trilogy gets high marks... for creativity, execution, and gentle subversion. Not just recommended, but, to paraphrase Demi Moore in A Few Good Men, strenuously recommended.’ —Two Dudes in an Attic

Download or read book Obsidian and Blood written by Aliette de Bodard and published by Angry Robot, Limited. This book was released on 2012-06-26 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A massive fantasy omnibus containing all three novels in the Obsidian and Blood series: SERVANT OF THE UNDERWORLD Year One-Knife, Tenochtitlan - the capital of the Aztecs. The end of the world is kept at bay only by the magic of human sacrifice. A priestess disappears from an empty room drenched in blood. Acatl, high priest, must find her, or break the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead. HARBINGER OF THE STORM The year is Two House and the Mexica Empire teeters on the brink of destruction, lying vulnerable to the flesh-eating star-demons - and to the return of their creator, a malevolent goddess only held in check by the Protector God's power. The council is convening to choose a new emperor, but when a councilman is found dead, only Acatl, High Priest of the Dead, can solve the mystery. MASTER OF THE HOUSE OF DARTS The year is Three Rabbit, and the storm is coming... The coronation war for the new Emperor has just ended in a failure, the armies retreating with a mere forty prisoners of war - not near enough sacrifices to ensure the favor of the gods. When one of those prisoners of war dies of a magical illness, ACATL, High Priest for the Dead, is summoned to investigate. "File Under" Fantasy Magical Murder - Aztec Mystery - Human Sacrifice - The Gods Walk ]"

Download or read book The Sword and Its Servant written by Victor Salinas and published by Understone Group, LLC. This book was released on 2014-04-20 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The gods were long ago destroyed. The links between the Nine Worlds of Creation are deteriorating. The Gates to the Underworld are closed. A veil of shadow shrouds all the land. Rumors of a dead savior reemerge. ​Einsa finds herself without memory of her past and her origin, held prisoner by the Löwa, a species of warped monsters bent on using the Children of Mann for their horrendous genetic experiments. She and her companions are merely lab rats waiting to be plucked by their captors--until they decide to make their escape. Einsa's only hope for survival in the fallen world that awaits her rests with Klinde, an ancient and infamous warrior who is just as cunning and bloodthirsty as the enemy. The Sword and Its Servant is the first installment of the multi-part Young Adult fantasy fiction saga that takes you on a dark, fast-paced journey through the Grauwelt, a world of depravity, cruelty, mystery, and more than its fair share of insanity. Experience in vivid detail its strange inhabitants, horrendous creatures, wondrous locales, and deep lore through the eyes of a girl trapped between two evils. ​

Download or read book Underworld London written by Catharine Arnold and published by Simon & Schuster Limited. This book was released on 2013-08 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: True Crime.

Download or read book The Long List Anthology Volume 2 written by Ann Leckie and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2016-12-10 with total page 542 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the second annual edition of the Long List Anthology. Every year, supporting members of WorldCon nominate their favorite stories first published during the previous year to determine the top five in each category for the final Hugo Award ballot. Between the announcement of the ballot and the Hugo Award ceremony at WorldCon, these works often become the center of much attention (and contention) across fandom. But there are more stories loved by the Hugo voters, stories on the longer nomination list that WSFS publishes after the Hugo Award ceremony at WorldCon. The Long List Anthology Volume 2 collects 18 fiction stories from that nomination list, along with 2 essays from the book Letters to Tiptree that was also on the nomination list, totaling over 500 pages of fiction by writers from all corners of the world. Within these pages you will find a mix of science fiction and fantasy and horror, the dramatic and the lighthearted, from android caretakers to Lovecraftian romances, from adventures to quests and more. There is a wide variety of styles and types of stories here, and something for everyone. The stories included are: "Damage" by David D. Levine "Pockets" by Amal El-Mohtar "Today I Am Paul" by Martin L. Shoemaker "The Women You Didn't See" by Nicola Griffith (a letter from Letters to Tiptree) "Tuesdays With Molakesh the Destroyer" by Megan Grey "Wooden Feathers" by Ursula Vernon "Three Cups of Grief, By Starlight" by Aliette de Bodard "Madeleine" by Amal El-Mohtar "Neat Things" by Seanan McGuire (a letter from Letters To Tiptree) "Pocosin" by Ursula Vernon "Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers" by Alyssa Wong "So Much Cooking" by Naomi Kritzer "The Deepwater Bride" by Tamsyn Muir "The Heart's Filthy Lesson" by Elizabeth Bear "Grandmother-nai-Leylit's Cloth of Winds" by Rose Lemberg "Another Word For World" by Ann Leckie "The Long Goodnight of Violet Wild" by Catherynne M. Valente "Our Lady of the Open Road" by Sarah Pinsker "The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn" by Usman T. Malik "The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps" by Kai Ashante Wilson

Download or read book Servant of the Underworld written by Aliette de Bodard and published by Jabberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book in the critically acclaimed Obsidian and Blood trilogy: Year One-Knife, Tenochtitlan the capital of the Aztecs. Human sacrifice and the magic of the living blood are the only things keeping the sun in the sky and the earth fertile. A Priestess disappears from an empty room drenched in blood. It should be a usual investigation for Acatl, High Priest of the Dead--except that his estranged brother is involved, and the the more he digs, the deeper he is drawn into the political and magical intrigues of noblemen, soldiers, and priests-and of the gods themselves... REVIEWS: ‘ gripping mystery steeped in blood and ancient Aztec magic. I was enthralled.’ — Sean Williams ‘An Aztec priest of the dead tries to solve a murder mystery, and finds that politics may be even more powerful than magic. A vivid portrayal of an interesting culture in a truly fresh fantasy novel.’ — Kevin J. Anderson ‘Amid the mud and maize of the Mexica empire, Aliette de Bodard has composed a riveting story of murder, magic and sibling rivalry.’ — Elizabeth Bear ‘The world-building is exquisite and we *believe* we are transported to the 15th century Tenotichtlan and together with the superb voice they formed the main reason I enjoyed this book so much... Highly recommended... Ms. de Bodard is a writer to watch.’ — Fantasy Book Critic

Download or read book Gilgamesh Enkidu and the Netherworld and the Sumerian Gilgamesh Cycle written by Alhena Gadotti and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2014-08-08 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Alhena Gadotti offers a much needed new edition of the Sumerian composition Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld, last published by Aaron Shaffer in his 1963 doctoral dissertation. Since then, several new manuscripts have come to light, prompting not only a new edition of the text, but also a re-examination of the composition. In this book, Gadotti argues that Gilgamesh, Enkidu, and the Netherworld was the first, not the last of the Sumerian stories about Gilgamesh. She also suggests that a Sumerian Gilgamesh Cycle, currently only attested in old Babylonian manuscripts (ca. 18th century BCE), was in fact developed during the Ur III period (ca. 2100-2000 BCE). Providing a new way to look at the Sumerian Gilgamesh stories, this book is relevant not only to scholars of the ancient Near East, but also to anyone interested in epic and epic cycle.

Download or read book The Literature of Ancient Sumer written by Jeremy Black and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2004-11-25 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This anthology of Sumerian literature constitutes the most comprehensive collection ever published, and includes examples of most of the different types of composition written in the language, from narrative myths and lyrical hymns to proverbs and love poetry. The translations have benefited both from the work of many scholars and from our ever-increasing understanding of Sumerian. In addition to reflecting the advances made by modern scholarship, the translations are written in clear, accessible English. An extensive introduction discusses the literary qualities of the works, the people who created and copied them in ancient Iraq, and how the study of Sumerian literature has evolved over the last 150 years.

Download or read book Ghost inside My Venter written by Jiu Mingyemao and published by Funstory. This book was released on 2019-12-13 with total page 847 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A strange dream, I woke up with a head full of sweat, and then the unceasing mischief, always feeling that there was a person standing behind me, looking back to see nothing. From time to time, my stomach would give out, either in a heart-wrenching pain, or it would suddenly swell up like a three-to-five month pregnant woman.

Download or read book Self bunning Lady written by Ran Xiaohu and published by Funstory. This book was released on 2020-03-18 with total page 1482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One comb, two combs, three combs free, four combs clean, five combs strong, six combs Golden Sister Lan girls in love, seven combs great, eight combs unstoppable ... When I was eight, I poisoned my father and went to the Aunt House to become a Self-bunning Lady. From then on, I stepped into the world of the real Self-bunning Lady.

Download or read book Sword Spirit written by , Leo and published by Funstory. This book was released on 2020-10-17 with total page 725 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She had been born from a mysterious sword, but she didn't remember anything about the past. While she was lost in her thoughts, a man brought her home to be married off ...

Download or read book The Encyclopedia Americana written by and published by . This book was released on 1922 with total page 842 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book True Love Waits written by Little John and published by Austin Macauley Publishers. This book was released on 2024-05-24 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How far would you go for the one you love? How long would you fight for the one you love? How much would you sacrifice for the one you love? Ultimately, what would you sacrifice for the one you love? Let’s find out by going through the love story of John and Sara.

Download or read book Eyewitness Companions Mythology written by Neil Philip and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-09-03 with total page 356 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally told to explain the mysteries of the world—such as creation, divine will, fertility, death, and love—myths are a major part of many cultures throughout the world, and each area has its own myths. Organized by geographic region, each myth is placed within the civilization’s history and context. The key elements of world mythology, such as the hero, his divine connection, the labyrinth, the initiation, and the transformation,are explored in boxes and features throughout the book. Philip Wilkinson has more than 50 titles to his credit in the fields of mythology, history, and the arts, including DK’s Illustrated Dictionaries of Mythology and Religions. Neil Philip is the author of many books on folklore and mythology, including The Illustrated Book of Myths and Myths and Legends Explained. Synopses of the great myths that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present Covers mythology around the globe, from the classic Greek to lesser known Malaysian Catalogs of gods by subject enable comparisons of distant civilizations