Download or read book The Splendor Before the Dark written by Margaret George and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2019-10-08 with total page 593 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nero’s ascent to the throne was only the beginning....Now Margaret George, the author of The Confessions of Young Nero, weaves a web of politics and passion, as ancient Rome’s most infamous emperor cements his place in history. With the beautiful and cunning Poppaea at his side, Nero commands the Roman empire, ushering in an unprecedented era of artistic and cultural splendor. Although he has yet to produce an heir, his power is unquestioned. But in the tenth year of his reign, a terrifying prophecy comes to pass and a fire engulfs Rome, reducing entire swaths of the city to rubble. Rumors of Nero’s complicity in the blaze start to sow unrest among the populace—and the politicians.... For better or worse, Nero knows that his fate is now tied to Rome’s—and he vows to rebuild it as a city that will stun the world. But there are those who find his rampant quest for glory dangerous. Throughout the empire, false friends and spies conspire against him, not understanding what drives him to undertake the impossible. Nero will either survive and be the first in his family to escape the web of betrayals that is the Roman court, or be ensnared and remembered as the last radiance of the greatest dynasty the world has ever known. “A resplendent novel filled with the gilt and marble of the ancient world.”—C. W. Gortner, author of The Romanov Empress

Download or read book The Splendor Before the Dark written by Margaret George and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2018-11-06 with total page 592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nero’s ascent to the throne was only the beginning....Now Margaret George, the author of The Confessions of Young Nero, weaves a web of politics and passion, as ancient Rome’s most infamous emperor cements his place in history. With the beautiful and cunning Poppaea at his side, Nero commands the Roman empire, ushering in an unprecedented era of artistic and cultural splendor. Although he has yet to produce an heir, his power is unquestioned. But in the tenth year of his reign, a terrifying prophecy comes to pass and a fire engulfs Rome, reducing entire swaths of the city to rubble. Rumors of Nero’s complicity in the blaze start to sow unrest among the populace—and the politicians.... For better or worse, Nero knows that his fate is now tied to Rome’s—and he vows to rebuild it as a city that will stun the world. But there are those who find his rampant quest for glory dangerous. Throughout the empire, false friends and spies conspire against him, not understanding what drives him to undertake the impossible. Nero will either survive and be the first in his family to escape the web of betrayals that is the Roman court, or be ensnared and remembered as the last radiance of the greatest dynasty the world has ever known. “A resplendent novel filled with the gilt and marble of the ancient world.”—C. W. Gortner, author of The Romanov Empress

Download or read book The Splendor Before the Dark written by Margaret George and published by Berkley Books. This book was released on 2018 with total page 594 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When a fire engulfs ancient Rome, Nero Augustus is targeted with suspicion about his complicity, forcing him to navigate a web of false friends and spies to save the empire

Download or read book The Confessions of Young Nero written by Margaret George and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2017-03-07 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The New York Times bestselling and legendary author of Helen of Troy and Elizabeth I now turns her gaze on Emperor Nero, one of the most notorious and misunderstood figures in history. Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar’s imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman—or child. As a boy, Nero’s royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son’s inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead. While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippina’s machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero’s determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become—an Emperor who became legendary. With impeccable research and captivating prose, The Confessions of Young Nero is the story of a boy’s ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival.

Download or read book Helen of Troy written by Margaret George and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2006-08-03 with total page 656 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Acclaimed author Margaret George tells the story of the legendary Greek woman whose face "launched a thousand ships" in this New York Times bestseller. The Trojan War, fought nearly twelve hundred years before the birth of Christ, and recounted in Homer's Iliad, continues to haunt us because of its origins: one woman's beauty, a visiting prince's passion, and a love that ended in tragedy. Laden with doom, yet surprising in its moments of innocence and beauty, Helen of Troy is an exquisite page-turner with a cast of irresistible, legendary characters—Odysseus, Hector, Achilles, Menelaus, Priam, Clytemnestra, Agamemnon, as well as Helen and Paris themselves. With a wealth of material that reproduces the Age of Bronze in all its glory, it brings to life a war that we have all learned about but never before experienced.

Download or read book Splendor written by Elana K. Arnold and published by Delacorte Press. This book was released on 2013-11-12 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From National Book Award finalist, Elana Arnold, comes the stunning sequel to Sacred, Splendor—a story about changing friendships, family, romance, passion, and self-discovery. Sometimes the answers we seek aren’t ours to find. . . . Scarlett loves her boyfriend, the dashing and mysterious, Will Cohen. But now he’s gone east for college, and Scarlett is stuck home on Catalina Island. Senior year should be a breeze, but between dealing with her parents’ separation and her wild best friend, Lily, things are off to a rocky start. And then there’s Gunner. Dangerous, dark, ferociously attractive Gunner. Scarlett distracts herself by spending time with her horse and delving into ecstatic mysticism, a way to practice Kabbalah. Through this practice, she hopes to learn to control her emotions, and begin to make sense of her place in the world. But Scarlett’s world is increasingly unrecognizable. Are Lily and Scarlett becoming too different to stay friends? Is Will still the love of Scarlett’s life, even though she has feelings for Gunner? Does being in love mean only being attracted to one person? The more Scarlett questions, the fewer answers there seem to be. Praise for SPLENDOR: "As in Arnold’s earlier Sacred, teens will gravitate toward Scarlett and her problems. Arnold has painted a very realistic picture of teenage girls and their conflicting emotions. . . . Fans of the first novel will appreciate continuing Scarlett’s story and finding some closure with this sequel. Readers unfamiliar with Sacred will still be able to enjoy Splendor.”—VOYA "A fluidly written character study that finds Scarlett coming to terms with her spirituality, her relationships and her future."—Kirkus Reviews “Recommend this to fans of deeply introspective dramas, especially those who want to think about religion and its role in their lives.”—Booklist Praise for SACRED: "Will appeal to many teens, especially fans of the Twilight series."—Booklist "Filled with tension and angst. . . . Readers will be looking for the next installment."—School Library Journal "A poignant novel of loss and grief, but also of hope."—VOYA

Download or read book Before the Season Ends written by Linore Rose Burkard and published by Harvest House Publishers. This book was released on 2008-12-01 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In her debut novel of what she calls "spirited romance for the Jane Austen soul," author Linore Rose Burkard tells the intriguing story of Miss Ariana Forsythe, a young woman caught between her love for a man who doesn't share her faith and her resolution to marry only a fellow believer in Christ. Trouble at home sends the young woman to her aunt's townhome in the fashionable Mayfair district of London. There she finds worse troubles than those that prompted her flight from home. Ariana is soon neck-deep in high society and at odds with Mr. Phillip Mornay, London's current darling rogue. Then a scandal changes Ariana forever. Her heart, her faith, and her future are all at stake in an unexpected adventure that gains even the Prince Regent's attention. Will Ariana's faith survive this test? And what about her heart? For it's Ariana's heart that most threatens to betray the truths she has always believed in. When she finds herself backed against a wall, betrothed to the wrong young man, how can it ever turn out right? Jane Austen readers and fans of Regency romances everywhere will love Before the Season Ends.

Download or read book When the Splendor Falls written by Laurie McBain and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-03-01 with total page 704 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One stolen kiss. Two hearts from different worlds. When war and time threaten to keep them apart, will love be enough? Virginia, 1860. For Leigh Alexandra Travers, life at her family's Virginia plantation is a paradise of summer picnics and sweet tea. The daughter of a wealthy Southern horse breeder, Leigh has no interest in the outside world. Until she meets Neil Braedon... Young and beautiful, Leigh catches the sharp eye of Neil Braedon, raised to manhood by Comanches, not by the Braedons of Royal Bay Manor. Their stolen kiss inflames a life-altering passion. As war storms across the divided land, Leigh's family fights to preserve their fading Southern heritage, even as Neil joins the Union army. Against all odds, in tumultuous times, can Leigh and Neil forge a new future in the untamed West? Praise for Laurie McBain: "Wonderfully romantic."—Romantic Times "Lush and evocative."—Publishers Weekly

Download or read book Splendor Solis written by Dr. Stephen Skinner and published by Watkins Media Limited. This book was released on 2019-03-19 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The only high-quality yet affordable edition available of the classic alchemical manuscript Splendor Solis, described as "the most magnificent treatise on alchemy ever made". Includes up-to-date commentary from experts in the field and a modern translation of the 16th-century text. A magnificent edition of the Splendor Solis for all those interested in alchemy, magic and mysterious manuscripts. Popularly attributed to the legendary figure Salomon Trismosin, the Splendor Solis ('Splendour of the Sun') is the most beautiful alchemical manuscript ever made, with 22 fabulous illustrations rich in allegorical and mystical symbolism. The paintings are given a fitting showcase in this new Watkins edition, which accompanies them with Joscelyn Godwin's excellent contemporary translation of the original 16th-century German text, as well as interpretation from alchemical experts Stephen Skinner and Georgiana Hedesan, and from Rafal T. Prinke, an authority in central and Eastern European esoteric manuscripts. Stephen Skinner explains the symbolism of both the text and the illustrations, suggesting that together they describe the physical process of the alchemical transmutation of base metal into gold. Rafal T. Prinke explains the theories about the authorship of both text and illustrations, discussing Splendor Solis as the turning point in alchemical iconography passing from the medieval tradition to that of the Baroque and the reasons for the misattribution of Splendor Solis to Poysel and Trismosin. Georgiana Hedesan looks at the legendary figure of Salomon Trismosin and his creation by followers of Theophrastus Paracelsus as part of an attempt to integrate their master in a lineage of ancient alchemical philosophers. The images are taken from the British Library manuscript Harley 3469, the finest example of the Splendor Solis to survive.

Download or read book Splendor written by Brenda Joyce and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2004-01-05 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: She played a dangerous game. Carolyn Browne was a poor bookseller's daughter and an enlightened thinker, delighting London with her scathingly witty columns, written under the name Charles Copperville. Penetrating the town's gilded salons in male disguise, Carolyn soon throws her barbs at the wrong man-- the enigmatic Russian prince, Nicholas Sverayov. He was a dangerous target. His notoriety, extravagances, and indulgent disregard for social convention fuel Carolyn's outrage. Nicholas has moved through the balls and soirees of high society effortlessly, a natural target of gossip, envy, and desire. But Nicholas is furious to find himself lampooned by Copperville, and quickly discovers Carolyn's dearly held secret. Now, as the two spar, a new game begins-- a game of deception and pride, of longing and chance. And they played for the ultimate prize... As Nicholas sweeps Carolyn from the teeming streets and gala balls of Regency London to the splendor and majesty of St. Petersburg, against all odds the unlikely lovers embark upon a whirlwind of passion and peril until there is no turning back-- for the stakes have changed, demanding no less of them than the unwavering courage to claim the love of a lifetime.

Download or read book The Black God s War written by Moses Siregar Iii and published by Cup of Gold. This book was released on 2011-08-01 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Moses is a fine writer deserving of success, and I think that it will follow ... Personally, I really enjoyed Moses's work." -David Farland, NYT Bestselling Author of The Runelords "The Black God's War is, to date, the finest example of quality independent fantasy I've seen."--IndieFantasyReview "An inventive tale with high command of craft." -Scott Nicholson, Bestselling Kindle Author of The Red Church ________ Against the backdrop of epic warfare and the powers of ten mysterious gods, Lucia struggles to understand The Black One. Her father-king wants war. Her messianic brother wants peace. The black god wants his due. She suffers all the consequences. King Vieri is losing his war against the lands of Pawelon. Feeling abandoned by his god, he forces his son Caio, the kingdom's holy savior, to lead his army. Victory ought to come soon. To counter Caio's powers, Pawelon's prince enters the conflict. Rao is a gifted sage, a master of spiritual laws. He joins the rajah to defend their citadel against the invaders. But Rao's ideals soon clash with his army's general. The Black One tortures Lucia nightly with visions promising another ten years of bloodshed. She can no longer tell the difference between the waking world and her nightmares. Lucia knows the black god too well. He entered her bed and dreams when she was ten. The Black One watches, waiting to see Lucia confront an impossible decision over the fates of two men-and two lands. ________ "The writing is tight, the characters well-drawn and deep, and the world feels alive and many-layered." -W. Brondtkamffer's Blog "Siregar's prose is smooth and he has his sense of pacing nailed down ... More like this, please." -Signal dot Noise blog "If you want to read a talented new author with a flair for storytelling, you should definitely pick up this story." -Debra L. Martin's Review, Two Ends of the Pen Blog ..". excellent storytelling in this debut, a tale spun with a degree of elegance I did not fully." -Ron C. Nieto's Blog "Siregar's strongest suit may be the character development on display, as the royal siblings and a few other characters exude their personalities and frailties in a believable fashion." -Skull Salad Reviews "'The Black God's War' has all the right ingredients ... His characters are as passionate as his descriptive prose. The pacing is perfect ... This is a work epic fantasy fans don't want to miss." -Bryan Thomas Schmidt's blog

Download or read book The Splendor Falls written by Rosemary Clement-Moore and published by Delacorte Press. This book was released on 2009-09-08 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Can love last beyond the grave? Sylvie Davis is a ballerina who can’t dance. A broken leg ended her career, but Sylvie’s pain runs deeper. What broke her heart was her father’s death, and what’s breaking her spirit is her mother’s remarriage—a union that’s only driven an even deeper wedge into their already tenuous relationship. Uprooting her from her Manhattan apartment and shipping her to Alabama is her mother’ s solution for Sylvie’s unhappiness. Her father’s cousin is restoring a family home in a town rich with her family’s history. And that’s where things start to get shady. As it turns out, her family has a lot more history than Sylvie ever knew. More unnerving, though, are the two guys that she can’t stop thinking about. Shawn Maddox, the resident golden boy, seems to be perfect in every way. But Rhys—a handsome, mysterious foreign guest of her cousin’s—has a hold on her that she doesn’t quite understand. Then she starts seeing things. Sylvie’s lost nearly everything—is she starting to lose her mind as well? "Lush with Southern atmosphere, The Splendor Falls expertly weaves together romance, tension, and mystery. Haunting and unforgettable!" --Carrie Ryan, bestselling author of The Forest of Hands and Teeth "Sylvie's voice is sharp and articulate, and Clement-Moore . . . anchors the story in actual locations and history. . . . Her ear for both adolescent bitchery and sweetness remains sure, and her ability to write realistic, edgy dialogue without relying on obscenity or stereotype is a pleasure."-Publishers Weekly "Long, satisfying and just chilling enough, this will please a wide audience and leave readers hoping for more."-Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book Splendor in the Grass written by F. Andrew Leslie and published by Dramatists Play Service, Inc.. This book was released on 1966 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE STORY: Good looking, a star athlete, and son of the richest man in town, Bud Stamper is the prize catch in his high-school class, and Deanie Loomis is the girl lucky enough to get him. But both Bud and Deanie are disturbed by the powerful feeli

Download or read book When the Sky Fell on Splendor written by Emily Henry and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-02-18 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation, comes a gripping story about a group of friends in a small town who find themselves dealing with unexpected powers after a cosmic event. Almost everyone in the small town of Splendor, Ohio, was affected when the local steel mill exploded. If you weren't a casualty of the accident yourself, chances are a loved one was. That's the case for seventeen-year-old Franny, who, five years after the explosion, still has to stand by and do nothing as her brother lies in a coma. In the wake of the tragedy, Franny found solace in a group of friends whose experiences mirrored her own. The group calls themselves The Ordinary, and they spend their free time investigating local ghost stories and legends, filming their exploits for their small following of YouTube fans. It's silly, it's fun, and it keeps them from dwelling on the sadness that surrounds them. Until one evening, when the strange and dangerous thing they film isn't fiction--it's a bright light, something massive hurtling toward them from the sky. And when it crashes and the teens go to investigate...everything changes.

Download or read book The Splendor written by Breeana Shields and published by Page Street YA. This book was released on 2021-09-28 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Within the Enchanted Walls of the Hotel Splendor Lies the Truth That Juliette is Desperate to Find When Juliette’s sister, Clare, returns from her birthday week at the magical hotel upon a hill, she comes back changed. All at once, it seems Clare’s love for Juliette has vanished. Or perhaps it was stolen. Deeply unsettled, Juliette uses the last of her savings to book a stay at the Splendor and unravel its mysteries. Run by the talented young illusionist, Henri, the halls are full of magnificent delights and alluring distractions. Every wonder seemsto twist Juliette’s attention away from the answers lurking just beneath the surface. Even as Henri reveals the truths behind his illusions, Juliette is uncertain whom she can trust in this palace of lies. The Splendor promised Juliette her dreams, but the longer she stays, the more it feels like a nightmare.

Download or read book Lock Every Door written by Riley Sager and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2024-01-02 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “Looking for a suspense novel that will keep you up until way past midnight? Look no further than Lock Every Door, by Riley Sager.”—Stephen King No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind. As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story...until the next day, when Ingrid disappears. Searching for the truth about Ingrid’s disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's sordid past and into the secrets kept within its walls. What she discovers pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building’s hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

Download or read book The Splendour Falls written by Susanna Kearsley and published by Sourcebooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2014-01-14 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "I've loved every one of Susanna's books! She has bedrock research and a butterfly's delicate touch with characters—sure recipe for historical fiction that sucks you in and won't let go!"—DIANA GABALDON, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outlander In an intricate balance of past and present, Susanna Kearsley offers a story of French historical fiction full of breathless suspense, Gothic romance, and priceless treasure. Emily Braden has stopped believing in fairy tales and happy endings. When her fascinating but unreliable cousin Harry invites her on a holiday to explore the legendary town of Chinon, France and promptly disappears—well, that's Harry for you. As Emily makes the acquaintance of Chinon and its people, she begins to uncover dark secrets beneath the charm. Legend has it that during a thirteenth-century siege of the castle that looms over the city, Queen Isabelle, child bride of King John, hid a "treasure of great price." And in the last days of the German occupation during World War II, there was another Isabelle living in Chinon, a girl whose love for an enemy soldier went tragically awry. As the dangers of the past become disastrously real, Emily is drawn ever more deeply into a labyrinth of mystery as twisted as the streets and tunnels of the ancient town itself. A tale that deftly examines the ripples of the past through the present, The Splendour Falls brings the romance of French history to life for fans of Diana Gabaldon, Kate Morton, and Kate Mosse. Also by Susanna Kearsley: The Winter Sea The Firebird A Desperate Fortune The Rose Garden The Shadowy Horses Named of the Dragon Season of Storms Mariana Bellewether