Download or read book Two Ravens written by Cecelia Holland and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 79 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this twelfth-century epic adventure set in Iceland and England, a young man escapes his troubled home—but cannot escape his destiny. In Two Ravens, a novel heavily influenced by the Norse sagas, Bjarni Hoskuldsson, an Icelander of the old faith, flees his violent father and his far-too-attractive stepmother to travel around Britain for a while, but ultimately must return home to meet and deal with his fate.

Download or read book The Cecelia Holland Historical Fiction Collection written by Cecelia Holland and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2018-09-11 with total page 1359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Three epic and acclaimed historical novels from “a first-rate storyteller” (People). From Mongol conquests to the Knights Templar and the Crusades to a speculative saga of how the monoliths of Stonehenge rose in primitive Great Britain, this collection of novels reveals the breadth and depth of an author who “has the unique ability to make most any historical period her own” (Sarah Johnson, Solander, Historical Novel Society). Until the Sun Falls: Set against the backdrop of the conquest of Russia and eastern Europe by the Mongol horde in the thirteenth century, Holland’s sweeping novel follows Mongol general Psin, whose battles against the enemies of the Kha-Khan sometimes seem easier than his struggles with his wives and his son. Wise, brave, and bloody-minded, Psin embodies the passions and dreams of the greatest conquerors the world has ever seen. “Cecilia Holland belongs to that small band of writers who can still show us what distinction the historical novel can attain.” —The Times Literary Supplement Jerusalem: Set in the Holy Land in 1187 A.D., this “vivid and deeply felt” novel of the Knights Templar masterfully explores the conspiracies and political maneuvers leading up to the Third Crusade (The New York Times Book Review). Following a stunning victory at the Battle of Ramleh, Norman Templar Rannulf Fitzwilliam must negotiate a truce with the enemy and determine the order of succession to the throne of Baudouin, the young Christian king dying of leprosy. However, Rannulf’s instincts are for battle, not diplomacy. Temptation and betrayal await him at every turn. “[Holland] brings as much suspense to political intrigue as to the sprawling battle scenes at which she excels.” —The New York Times Book Review Pillar of the Sky: In this “intelligently and lushly developed saga,” Holland imagines primitive England and the origin of the breathtaking and mysterious monoliths known as Stonehenge (Booklist). In a time before recorded history, Moloquin, the Unwanted One, dreams of a pathway to the heavens. Cast out as a child, he survives on the fringes of tribal society and grows into manhood driven by one powerful and unshakable ambition: to build a link between the earthly and spiritual worlds through the raising of an impossible structure. “[An] engrossing narrative . . . Holland succeeds in stretching our imagination; she has breathed new life into those forty-ton monoliths that for all these centuries have been standing so mutely on the Salisbury Plain.” —Los Angeles Herald Examiner

Download or read book The King s Witch written by Cecelia Holland and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2011-06-07 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Of the women in King Richard's life, she is the least known-and the most powerful. During the Third Crusade, deaths from fever and starvation are common, but King Richard the Lion-Hearted has a secret ally against these impassable enemies-a mysterious healer by the name of Edythe. She was sent to him by his mother Eleanor, and Richard first assumes that Edythe is a spy. But when her medical knowledge saves his life, she becomes an indispensable member of his camp-even as his loyal soldiers, suspicious of her talent for warding off death, call her a witch.

Download or read book Until the Sun Falls written by Cecelia Holland and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 654 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A novel set during the reign of Genghis Khan and his Mongol Empire from the acclaimed author of Ghost on the Steppe, “a master storyteller” (Houston Chronicle). Cecelia Holland’s historical fiction is well known for its immersion in exotic cultures, and Until the Sun Falls, one of her most successful books, takes the reader into the heart of the Mongol horde during the conquest of Russia and eastern Europe in the thirteenth century. Genghis Khan had told his people they were destined to rule the world, and by his death they had made an impressive start. His four sons followed him to the leadership of the enormous new empire and continued the expansion. His eldest son, Batu, launched the conquest of the West—Russia and Europe. In a few years of devastating warfare, the Mongols reached as far as Vienna, mowing down every army that dared face them, like an irresistible force of nature. Until the Sun Falls stars a Mongol general, Psin, whose battles against the enemies of the Kha Khan sometimes seem easier than his struggles with his wives and his son. Wise, brave, and bloody-minded, Psin embodies the passions and dreams of the greatest conquerors the world has ever seen, at the height of their power.

Download or read book The Death of Attila written by Cecelia Holland and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In The Death of Attila, the great Hun leader dominates the late Roman world; in his shadow, a Hun warrior and a German princeling form a fragile comradeship. When Attila dies, the world around them crumbles, and the two men face terrible choices.

Download or read book Railroad Schemes written by Cecelia Holland and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Crafty politicians, railroad barons, bank robbers, and bounty hunters just barely on the right side of the law are all on stage as the transcontinental railroad comes at last to Old Los Angeles. America's premier historical novelist takes readers on a dangerous ride through the Old West, alongside an orphaned young woman and the railroad bandit who has adopted her.

Download or read book Floating Worlds written by Cecelia Holland and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 769 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the far future, an Earth-born woman must negotiate with a fearsome mutant race: “On a par with Ursula LeGuin or Arthur C. Clarke” (Chicago Tribune). Two thousand years into the future, runaway pollution has made the earth uninhabitable except in giant biodomes. The society is an anarchy, with disputes mediated through the Machiavellian Committee for the Revolution. Mars, Venus, and the moon support flourishing colonies of various political stripes. On the fringes of the solar system, in the gas planets, a strange, new, violent kind of human has evolved. In this unstable system, the anarchist Paula Mendoza, an agent of the Committee, works to make peace and ultimately protect her people in a catastrophic clash of worlds that destroys the order she knows.

Download or read book The Witches Kitchen written by Cecelia Holland and published by Canelo. This book was released on 2019-02-25 with total page 461 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Interweaves . . . romance, magic, and suspense into a superlative historical epic featuring a stoic hero often at odds with the all-powerful Viking warriors.” —Booklist Corban Loosestrife, his family slain by Viking raiders, has saved his twin sister Mav from the clutches of her Viking abductors, and wrought bloody revenge on Eric Bloodaxe, the King of Jorvik. After fleeing with his family from the war of succession to Vinland, he feels they have finally earned some peace. But then a ship appears on the horizon, bringing Corban a summons to Jorvik and the murderous intrigues of those who would be king. Corban, his son, Conn, and his sister’s son, Raef—young men ready to prove themselves in battle—must return into this nest of vipers and navigate the deadly political war for the ultimate prize: the Viking throne . . . The Witches’ Kitchen is second in the epic Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife series, perfect for fans of James L. Nelson, Ben Kane and Adrian Goldsworthy. “A potent blend of fantasy, history and romance. . . . A rousing, vivid tale rich with Nordic lore.” —Publishers Weekly “Holland fleshes out a lively account of the time of Eric Bloodaxe. Recommended.” —Library Journal

Download or read book Dragon Heart written by Cecelia Holland and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2015-09-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Dragon Heart, Cecelia Holland, America's most distinguished historical novelist steps fully into the realm of fantasy and makes it her own. Where the Cape of the Winds juts into the endless sea, there is Castle Ocean, and therein dwells the royal family that has ruled it from time immemorial. But an eastern Empire has risen, and its forces have reached the castle. King Reymarro is dead in battle, and by the new treaty, Queen Marioza must marry one of the Emperor's brothers. While Marioza delays, her youngest son, Jeon, goes on a journey in search of his mute twin, Tirza, who needs to be present for the wedding. As Jeon and Tirza return by sea, their ship is attacked by a powerful dragon, red as blood and big as the ship. Thrown into the water, Tirza clings to the dragon, and after an underwater journey, finds herself alone with the creature in an inland sea pool. Surprisingly, she is able to talk to the beast, and understand it. So begins a saga of violence, destruction, and death, of love and monsters, human and otherwise. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Download or read book The Sea Beggars written by Cecelia Holland and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2016-10-11 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A sixteenth-century family joins with pirates and William of Orange to fight the Spanish Inquisition in this novel of the Dutch Revolt by “a first-class storyteller” (People). Consistently ranked among the top authors of historical fiction, along with Mary Renault, Mary Stewart, Phillipa Gregory, and Diana Gabaldon, the great Cecelia Holland now transports readers to the sixteenth-century Netherlands in an exciting tale of resistance and rebellion against cruel Spanish oppressors that combines unforgettable fictional characters with real historic personages. No one was safe from religious persecution in the Dutch Low Countries when the “conqueror king,” Phillip II of Spain, dispatched the Catholic Church’s Inquisition to the Netherlands in the late 1500s. The van Cleef family has suffered mightily, with a father executed by a Spanish hangman and a mother driven into madness. Now their children, Jan and Hanneke, must survive on their own by any means necessary as fate carries them down separate but equally dangerous paths. Jan’s destiny is on the high seas—and ultimately in the royal court of England’s Queen Elizabeth—as he and his uncle Pieter boldly retake the old man’s captive ship and join the infamous pirates known as the Sea Beggars in their quest to drive the enemy invaders from Dutch waters. Remaining behind in Antwerp, Hanneke, meanwhile, is forced to endure a series of devastating trials that would crush a young woman of weaker spirit and sensibilities. Strong, courageous, and independent, she embarks on a harrowing journey to Germany in the company of refugee ruler William of Orange ahead of the impending terror of Spain’s sadistic Duke of Alva. But young Hanneke soon realizes there can be no escape or safe haven anywhere as long as her country is in chains, and she vows to dedicate her life to the perilous cause of freedom. A sweeping and epic historical novel rich in color and stunning period detail, Holland’s The Sea Beggars is an enthralling, action-packed adventure that interweaves fact with brilliant invention. It is yet one more fictional excursion into the breathtaking world of the past by an author the New York Times praises as “a literary phenomenon.”

Download or read book Dangerous Women written by Jim Butcher and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2013-12-03 with total page 767 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The World Fantasy Award–winning anthology featuring an original Game of Thrones novella and new stories from Diana Gabaldon, Jim Butcher, and many more. The twenty-one stories in Dangerous Women showcase some of the best and bravest female characters from across genre fiction—from women warriors and fighter pilots to female serial killers, superheroes, wizards, and bandits. With work from twelve New York Times bestsellers, readers will discover a new Outlander story by Diana Gabaldon, a tale of Harry Dresden’s world by Jim Butcher, a story from Lev Grossman set in the world of The Magicians, and an original novella by George R. R. Martin about the Dance of the Dragons, the vast civil war that tore Westeros apart nearly two centuries before the events of A Game of Thrones. Also included are original stories of dangerous women—heroines and villains alike—by Brandon Sanderson, Joe Abercrombie, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lawrence Block, Carrie Vaughn, S. M. Stirling, Sharon Kay Penman, and many others.

Download or read book Until the Sun Falls written by Cecelia Holland and published by . This book was released on 1969 with total page 491 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Jerusalem written by Cecelia Holland and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With a young king facing death, a warrior of the Knights Templar struggles to maintain Christian control of the Holy Land in this “masterful . . . great read” (Publishers Weekly). Non nobis, Domine, non nobis, sed Nomine Tuo da gloriam. “Not to us, O Lord, but to Your Name give glory.” This motto highlights the vows of chastity and humility taken by the Knights Templar. But, it also speaks to their role as ferocious warriors, passionately and bloodily seeking out glory for their God. Set in the Holy Land in 1187 A.D., Cecelia Holland’s historical novel masterfully explores the conspiracies and political maneuvers leading up to the Third Crusade. Following a stunning victory at the Battle of Ramleh, Norman Templar Rannulf Fitzwilliam must negotiate a truce with the enemy and determine the order of succession to the throne of Baudouin, the young Christian king dying of leprosy. However, Rannulf’s instincts are for battle, not diplomacy. Temptation and betrayal await him around every corner. The question is not whether he can survive on the battlefield, but whether he can survive the politics and protocol of the royal court. “Holland's masterful layering of subplots, historical detail and multiple perspectives makes for a great read.” —Publisher’s Weekly “She brings as much suspense to political intrigue as to the sprawling battle scenes at which she excels.” —The New York Times Book Review

Download or read book Kings of the North written by Cecelia Holland and published by Canelo. This book was released on 2019-02-25 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From “a true master,” a historical fantasy featuring an Irish adventurer caught up in the epic struggle for the throne of England (Kirkus Reviews). After fleeing Constantinople and the wrath of the Emperor, Raef Corbanson has washed up with his companions on the coast of Normandy. His former patron Gunnhild is dead, and Raef is commanded to return to his father’s hall in Jorvik, in England. Duke Richard of Normandy has sent his sister Emma to be wife to Ethelred of Wessex, the King of England. But other powers have designs on the island kingdom; Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark and Raef’s old shipmate, would be King of England, too. And Ethelred has other sons, older sons from his first marriage. Raef cannot escape this web of power; he owes a debt to Emma and her brother for aiding him. He owes fealty to Ethelred, for Jorvik is part of England, and Raef intends to rule the city as his father once did. And he owes an older, stronger, loyalty to Sweyn, for they are kin. “Holland’s battle scenes are brilliantly, viscerally detailed, and she’s even better in quieter scenes that provide illuminating contrasts . . . If you love history, do not under any circumstances overlook or underestimate Cecelia Holland.” —Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book The Story of Anna and the King written by Cecelia Holland and published by Dey Street Books. This book was released on 1999-12-08 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is the real story behind the woman who inspired a best-selling biography, one of the top Broadway musicals of all time. And two classic films--and it's one that will inspire you. The epic love story between a British governess and the King of Siam once again comes to life with the release of Twentieth Century Fox's Anna and the King, starring Academy Award-winning actress Jodie Foster and international superstar Chow Yun-Fat. The Story of Anna and the King captures all the nuances of this extraordinary relationship, as well as the extravagant film depicting it, in lush, full-color photographs. Cecelia Holland weaves a beautiful narrative of the true histories behind Anna Loenowens and the Siamese royal family, as well as the political and cultural rises and falls of Siam--present-day Thailand--based on historical information and the published works of Anna Leonowens. Filmed entirely in Malaysia, Anna and the King features one of the largest motion picture sets ever constructed--the King's palace, which covers more than eight acres of land. Under the direction of Andy Tennant, an international cast and crew representing more than twenty countries works with a myriad of stunningly ornate costumes, thousands of extras, and a menagerie of specially trained animals, The Story of Anna and the King invites you to enter King Mongkut's world.

Download or read book The Secret Eleanor written by Cecelia Holland and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2010-08-03 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eleanor of Aquitaine seized hold of life in the 12th century in a way any modern woman would envy! 1151: As Duchess of Aquitaine, Eleanor grew up knowing what it was to be regarded for herself and not for her husband's title. Now, as wife to Louis VII and Queen of France, she has found herself unsatisfied with reflected glory-and feeling constantly under threat, even though she outranks every woman in Paris. Then, standing beside her much older husband in the course of a court ceremony, Eleanor locks eyes with a man-hardly more than a boy, really- across the throne room, and knows that her world has changed irrevocably... He is Henry D'Anjou, eldest son of the Duke of Anjou, and he is in line, somewhat tenuously, for the British throne. She meets him in secret. She has a gift for secrecy, for she is watched like a prisoner by spies even among her own women. She is determined that Louis must set her free. Employing deception and disguise, seduction and manipulation, Eleanor is determined to find her way to power-and make her mark on history.

Download or read book An Ordinary Woman written by Cecelia Holland and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2015-02-24 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The remarkable story of the courageous young pioneer who endures the hardships of the wilderness to become the first American woman to enter California A hard life in the Missouri wilderness has made young Nancy Roberts Kelsey strong, fearless, and ready for anything. In the year 1841, the seventeen-year-old wife and mother joins her husband, Ben, and with an infant in her arms, sets off in pursuit of the dream called California. Halfway across the continent, with the worst of the journey still to come, most of their party opts for the safer passage to Oregon, but the Kelseys and their friends choose a more direct route to the western coast—a fateful decision that will lead them across the Great Basin and over the Sierra Nevadas, through confrontations with native tribes and merciless weather. But a different sort of peril awaits them at farthest edge of the frontier from the powerful Mexican dons who view all new arrivals as threats to their sovereignty—setting a seemingly ordinary woman on an extraordinary path that will ultimately change the course of American history. Based in part on the actual letters and writings of Nancy Kelsey, An Ordinary Woman is a stunning tale of courage, determination, and grand adventure that celebrates the remarkable life and achievements of a little-known but essential character from the pages of history—yet another masterful blending of fiction and fact from Cecelia Holland, one of America’s premier historical novelists.