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Not before it's too late, Peirol realises that he's been trapped. Heavily in debt, Begee forces Peirol to recover a long-lost gem from a ruined temple. And so begins an incredible adventure, full of danger, mystery and magic, which will take Peirol across oceans and kingdoms in search of his destiny.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41811343016010,"sku":"872v","price":9.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/872v.jpg?v=1764189203"},{"product_id":"the-jagged-orbit-by-john-brunner-880ai","title":"The Jagged Orbit by John Brunner","description":"\u003cp\u003eMatthew Flamen, the last of the networks' sppolpigeons, is desperate for a big story. 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And then there's the story that just falls into his lap: the one that suggests that the respected director of the New York State Mental Hospital is a charlatan...\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41811349241930,"sku":"880ai","price":10.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/880ai.jpg?v=1764189432"},{"product_id":"ancient-dreams-wells-of-ythan-by-marc-alexander-950a","title":"Ancient Dreams: Wells of Ythan by Marc Alexander","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41811423592522,"sku":"950a","price":7.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/950a_1.jpg?v=1764192216"},{"product_id":"lady-of-avalon-hb-by-marion-zimmer-bradley-1113m","title":"Lady of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41811560628298,"sku":"1113m","price":11.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/1113m.jpg?v=1765232421"},{"product_id":"noonshade-by-james-barclay-1056r","title":"Noonshade by James Barclay","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe enthralling sequel to DAWNTHIEF takes the adventure into a new dimension. The Raven must fight to help the dragons of the Brood Kan defend the dimensional rip opened in the skies of Balaia by the casting of Dawnthief. And then they must somehow close the rip. And all the time the Wesmen are rampaging through Balaia, laying waste to its cities and besieging the mages of Julatsa in Dordova.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41811786530890,"sku":"1056r","price":8.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/1056r.jpg?v=1764199525"},{"product_id":"the-dragons-path-by-daniel-abraham-1069f","title":"The Dragon's Path by Daniel Abraham","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe dragons are gone, the powerful magics that broke the world diluted to little more than parlour tricks, but the kingdoms of men remain and the great game of thrones goes on. Lords deploy armies and merchant caravans as their weapons, manoeuvring for wealth and influence. But a darker power is rising - an unlikely leader with an ancient ally threatens to unleash again the madness that destroyed the world once already. Only one man knows the truth and, from the shadows, must champion humanity. The world's fate stands on the edge of a Dagger, its future on the toss of a Coin . . .\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41811791085642,"sku":"1069f","price":9.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/1069f.jpg?v=1764199673"},{"product_id":"the-dark-remains-by-mark-anthony-1225s","title":"The Dark Remains by Mark Anthony","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom an exciting and brilliant new fantasy master comes the third book of an epic saga, a tale of astounding magic, unrelenting evil, and redemptive courage.  Travis Wilder and Grace Beckett have returned to modern Earth on a mission of mercy: to get medical help for the severely wounded Beltan, a knight from the otherworld of Eldh. But as Beltan lies unconscious in the ICU of a Denver hospital, a shadowy organization plots to kidnap him for use in its cruel experiments, while sinister forces of dark magic cross the boundary from Eldh in a murderous search for Travis and Grace.  Meanwhile, in Eldh itself, a young baroness, her witch companion, and their mortal and immortal friends journey to a dying city, there to confront a nameless evil that has begun to annihilate the very gods.  Somehow Travis and Grace must save Beltan and themselves, and then make their way back to Eldh, for only in this realm of gods and monsters, myth and runecraft, can they hope to defeat a demonic enemy that can shatter time, devour space, and turn existence into nothingness.  Editorial Reviews  From Publishers Weekly Overwritten and overwrought, Anthony's third installment of a projected six-book fantasy series overwhelms readers with a clich?d magical universe and a crowded cast of characters. Beyond the Pale (1998), the deservedly popular first book, introduced Travis Wilder, a likable Colorado bartender, and the equally personable doctor, Grace Beckett, with otherworldly ties to Eldh, an alternate universe full of kingdoms that are highly derivative versions of Egyptian, Norse, Celtic, Roman and Greek mythology. Somehow Beckett and Wilder became saviors on planet Eldh, escaping in the, alas, more tedious sequel, The Keep of Fire (1999), with grievously injured knight Beltan to Earth in order for Beltan to receive advanced medical treatment. In this third book the evil Duratek company, twin of countless other subversive corporations found in various entertainment media, captures Beltan for purposes of genetic experimentation and exploitation. While Grace and Travis try to save Beltan on Earth, on Eldh the Weirding that witches use to communicate is unraveling and gods and goddesses are dropping like flies. By overdoing trite magical devices and using too many characters to move the plot forward, this hodgepodge comes off as an overblown homage to other writers whose fantasy worlds are far more original than Anthony's and who know the power of simplicity despite complex plots. Hopefully book four, Blood of Mystery, will find Anthony back on track.   Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.   From Library Journal As their friend Beltan, a native of the world known as Eldh, languishes in a coma in a Denver hospital, cross-world travelers Grace Beckett and Travis Wilder sense an urgency that demands their return to the mystical world that shares a destiny and a danger with Earth. The latest installment of Anthony's multivolume fantasy epic (Beyond the Pale; The Keep of Fire) brings together characters from both Earth and Eldh to the ruins of a dying city where an ancient enemy waits to destroy the twin fabrics of time and space. A good choice for libraries where epic fantasy is popular.  Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.  From Library Journal As their friend Beltan, a native of the world known as Eldh, languishes in a coma in a Denver hospital, cross-world travelers Grace Beckett and Travis Wilder sense an urgency that demands their return to the mystical world that shares a destiny and a danger with Earth. The latest installment of Anthony's multivolume fantasy epic (Beyond the Pale; The Keep of Fire) brings together characters from both Earth and Eldh to the ruins of a dying city where an ancient enemy waits to destroy the twin fabrics of time and space. A good choice for libraries where epic fantasy is popular.  Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.  From Booklist The third book of the Last Rune series continues its version of a staple fantasy situation, that of people from Earth being transported to a magical otherworld, where they prove indispensable to its survival. Travis Wilder and Dr. Grace Beckett have returned from Eldh to Earth to get medical treatment for Sir Beltan, a severely wounded knight. Meanwhile, back at the castle, two young women and two former gods undertake their own journey to confront a nameless evil powerful enough to destroy the present gods and capable of leaping from one reality to another, which means that Travis, Grace, and Sir Beltan are hardly safe on Earth. Anthony provides sufficient back story to orient readers new to the saga, for which he clearly has at least one more book in mind, since this one ends with a cliffhanger. A well-told fantasy tale, quite suitable for those who like well-told fantasy tales. Roland Green Copyright   American Library Association. All rights reserved  Review Don't miss Books One and Two of The Last Rune:  Beyond the Pale Named the Best First Fantasy Novel by the Rocky Mountain News  The Keep of Fire Offers a diverse cast of characters and a well-realized world in which the expected does not happen. Anthony is unsparing of the details of castle life, enriching the book with a solid sense of place and time. - Robin Hobb  A stunningly rich novel filled with magic, intrigue, great character, horror and humor. - Michael Stackpole  Available wherever Bantam Spectra Books are sold  From the Inside Flap ting and brilliant new fantasy master comes the third book of an epic saga, a tale of astounding magic, unrelenting evil, and redemptive courage.  Travis Wilder and Grace Beckett have returned to modern Earth on a mission of mercy: to get medical help for the severely wounded Beltan, a knight from the otherworld of Eldh. But as Beltan lies unconscious in the ICU of a Denver hospital, a shadowy organization plots to kidnap him for use in its cruel experiments, while sinister forces of dark magic cross the boundary from Eldh in a murderous search for Travis and Grace.  Meanwhile, in Eldh itself, a young baroness, her witch companion, and their mortal and immortal friends journey to a dying city, there to confront a nameless evil that has begun to annihilate the very gods.  Somehow Travis and Grace must save Beltan and themselves, and then make their way back to Eldh, for only in this realm of gods and monsters, myth and runecraft, can they hope to defeat a demonic ene  From the Back Cover Don't miss Books One and Two of The Last Rune  Beyond The Pale Named the Best First Fantasy Novel by the Rocky Mountain News  The Keep Of Fire Offers a diverse cast of characters and a well-realized world in which the expected does not happen. Anthony is unsparing of the details of castle life, enriching the book with a solid sense of place and time. -- Robin Hobb  A stunningly rich novel filled with magic, intrigue, great character, horror and humor. -- Michael Stackpole  Available wherever Bantam Spectra Books are sold  Excerpt.   Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. One   It was in the final, burnished days of summer -- when cool mornings gave way to languid afternoons under hazy skies, when the wheat bowed in the fields, shafts heavy with fruit, and all the land was still as if drinking in one last, long draught of gold -- that the Mournish came to Ar-tolor.  Through the window of her chamber, Aryn watched the line of wagons creep along the road that led to the castle. At this distance the wagons were smaller than toys, but the young woman's blue eyes were sharp, and she could make out many of the fantastical shapes into which they had been wrought.  There were swans with high, curving prows and snowy wings folded against their sides, and snails painted pink with small round windows set into their spiraled shells. A lion crouched low to the road, as if ready to pounce on a hart crowned by tree-branch antlers, while an emerald frog bounced behind. More wagons rolled into view: tortoises, fish cresting carved blue waves, lizards, tawny hares, and a dozen other creatures that Aryn had never seen before, except perhaps coiled along the edges of pages in old books.  One by one the wagons vanished beneath the green curve of the hill, and the road was empty again. But even at that moment, Aryn knew the wagons were coming to halt in the field outside the village, opening painted doors to release the spicy scent of incense, the cool clink of silver, and the undulating rhythms of music.  The young woman turned from the window, her sapphire eyes bright. Let's go see the Mournish!  Lirith, who sat in a chair on the other side of the small sitting room, did not look up from her embroidery. And then let's get tossed in the dungeon and make the acquaintance of a few dozen rats. For you know as I do, sister, that Queen Ivalaine has made it plain she wishes no one in her court to associate with the wandering folk. Their entertainments are for villagers and farmers.  Annoyed, but not surprised, Aryn indulged herself in a particularly noxious frown.  And what a fine baroness you'll make after your face freezes that way, sister, Lirith mused, her dark eyes still focused on the embroidery hoop in her lap. Even bold dukes and proud knights will quail before you.  As well they should, Aryn said. Although she smoothed her features and made a quick glance at a silver mirror on the wall nearby to be sure she hadn't done permanent damage.  I saw that, Lirith said.  Rather than reply, Aryn gazed back out the window. The most interesting sight she saw now was a flock of sheep dotting the side of a distant hill like flowers. She amused herself for a few moments, imagining plucking tiny sheep from the grass, weaving them into a squirming, bleating chain, and placing them around her neck. Then she considered the smell, and that fancy passed.  I'm bored, she said, not caring how petulant she sounded. She felt petulant.  All the better reason for you to stay and work on your embroidery.  Aryn scowled at the black-haired witch. I know perfectly well that you loathe embroidery, Lirith.  Indeed. And my loathing keeps me well occupied, so that I do not become bored. Now sew. Sister Tressa will be here soon, and she'll expect to see some progress.  Aryn turned from the window, pulled close the wooden stand that held her embroidery hoop steady for her, and did her best to pretend that sewing unicorns was really more fascinating than buying packets of sugared nuts, laughing at performing monkeys, and watching men who swallowed knives and burning brands.  Yrsaia knows, you should be more grateful for your boredom, Aryn of Elsandry, she scolded herself. Where are Grace and Goodman Travis and Lord Beltan now? Sitting in a comfortable chair in a safe castle with a cup of sweet wine at hand?  She sighed, and Lirith looked up, an expression of concern on her face.  I am certain they are well, sister. It is to their homeland they have journeyed. And no one has power to heal as does Lady Grace. I imagine Sir Beltan is telling bawdy jokes and drinking ale even as we speak.  Aryn wished she had such a good imagination.  It had been a month since they had begged their leave of Queen Inara and set out from Castle Spardis. They had left the seat of Perridon in good order. The young queen had rescinded all of the usurper Dakarreth's proclamations, and with the help of the Spider Aldeth -- who was making a steady recovery from his injury -- had cemented her position as regent to her infant son, Prince Perseth. While there would continue to be plots against the queen -- this was Perridon, after all -- Aryn expected Inara to rule long and well.  After only a day of traveling they had bid farewell to Melia and Falken, for the bard and the lady intended to journey north to find their friend Tome -- who, like Melia, was a former god. Aryn would have liked to see the golden-eyed old man again; he had the power to make her laugh no matter the sorrow she felt. However, Inara had already sent a messenger to Ivalaine. Aryn and Lirith were expected in Ar-tolor, and Durge had agreed to escort them there.  Although Lirith was her friend and teacher, and Durge was good -- if sober -- company, the ride across Perridon and Toloria seemed lonely. Grace and Travis had returned with Beltan to their world in hopes of healing the knight's old wound. Melia and Falken had their own journeys. Even Tira was gone.  Except that wasn't true, was it? For sometimes, when Aryn woke in the gray dawn, she glimpsed a star as red as fire low in the southern sky. She still didn't understand what had happened in Spardis, when Travis gave Tira the Stone of Fire. But Melia said the red-haired girl was a goddess now, and Melia should know. Aryn supposed that, in a way, Tira would always be with them.  They had reached Ar-tolor with little event, and Aryn had been more glad than she expected to see its seven spires soaring over fields of jade. Queen Ivalaine had welcomed them with a rare smile, and at once dispatched a man to Calavere to inform King Boreas that Aryn would be visiting at the court of Ar-tolor for a time.  You shall resume your instruction with Sister Lirith at once, Ivalaine told her that first day in the castle, and Aryn had not disagreed.  The weeks since had passed pleasantly -- walking the castle grounds, sewing under Tressa's attention, reaching out with the Touch to grasp the magic of the Weirding as Lirith whispered calm instructions in her ear. And if at times it all seemed dull compared to their desperate journey east to the Keep of Fire, Aryn knew she should be grateful for that dullness.  With the Necromancer Dakarreth's scourge of fire ended, the land had recovered more quickly than she had believed possible. Crops had been hastily resown, flourishing under golden sun and gentle rain. Now Keldath was nearly over, and there would be a good -- if late -- harvest this year. It seemed a wonder, but perhaps there was a lesson in it; perhaps she should never underestimate the power of life.  Then don't underestimate Beltan's life. Or Grace's or Travis's. They're going to be fine. So you might as well stop worrying.  However, Aryn might as easily prevent the stars from spinning in the night sky. And she knew it gnawed at Lirith and Durge as much as it did her. They all feared for the others, who were beyond their reach now.  Which was precisely why a diversion like the Mournish caravan was in order.  A knock sounded at the chamber door. Aryn bit her lip. She had hardly sewn three stitches all morning. What would she tell Tressa? The queen's counselor seemed to have a vastly inflated notion of the importance of sewing.  The door opened. It was not Tressa who stepped into the room, but rather a short, deep-chested man with drooping mustaches and somber brown eyes.  Lirith rose from her seat. Good morrow, Lord Durge.  He nodded to her. My lady.  Aryn thought about it for less than a moment, then leaped to her feet.  Durge, we're going to see the Mournish.  Lirith glared at her, but Aryn ignored the look. It was a mean trick, but she had learned a bit about tactics from her days as ward to King Boreas of Calavan. When blocked on one front, advance on another.  Durge's perpetual frown deepened. That is a perilous idea, my lady. The Mournish are a queer folk. They make no homes save the wagons they travel in, and it is said the music of their flutes can drive a man to wildness.  Aryn groaned. That was hardly the response she had hoped for.  Lirith folded her arms over the bodice of her rust-colored gown and glanced at Durge. She has it in her head to go down and see the wandering folk, even though Ivalaine has forbidden it.  She didn't forbid it, Aryn countered. Not precisely, anyway. Ivalaine merely discouraged us from going. Besides, I'm weary of moping about this castle. I think we all are. It would do us good to get some fresh air. She held her breath, looking from knight to witch.  Durge stroked his mustaches and gazed at Lirith. I believe she means to go no matter what we say, my lady.  Lirith sighed. Aren't chains an option?  A temptation, to be sure, but I fear not. It is best if you and I accompany her to see that she does not fall into trouble.  If she had possessed two good hands instead of one, Aryn would have clapped. Now that's the sensible Durge I know. She stepped forward and kissed his craggy cheek.  The knight blinked, his expression bewildered, and Lirith's brow furrowed with displeasure. Aryn didn't care if she had been too familiar. For the first time in days she felt her spirits lift. The others would see that she was right -- this was exactly what they needed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41812129546314,"sku":"1225s","price":9.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/1225s.jpg?v=1764202434"},{"product_id":"sea-green-magic-by-elisabeth-beresford-1249ai","title":"Sea-green magic by Elisabeth Beresford","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41812185022538,"sku":"1249ai","price":6.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/1249ai.jpg?v=1764203699"},{"product_id":"kender-gully-dwarves-and-gnomes-by-margaret-weis-tracy-hickman-editors-2044l","title":"Kender, Gully Dwarves And Gnomes by Margaret Weis,Tracy Hickman (Editors)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe second book in a series of classic Dragonlance tales, now with a new cover.This re-release of the second volume of Dragonlance short stories ever published features a dramatic new cover treatment. It includes stories by some of the best-loved authors writing in the Dragonlance world, including a novella by New York Times best-selling authors and Dragonlance setting co-creators Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41812250493002,"sku":"2044l","price":8.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/2044l.jpg?v=1764205599"},{"product_id":"the-sword-and-the-satchel-by-elizabeth-h-boyer-2045ad","title":"The Sword and the Satchel by Elizabeth H. Boyer","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41812250918986,"sku":"2045ad","price":7.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/2045ad.jpg?v=1764205629"},{"product_id":"oksa-pollock-the-forest-of-lost-souls-by-anne-plichota-cendrine-wolf-2059g","title":"Oksa Pollock: The Forest of Lost Souls by Anne Plichota, Cendrine Wolf","description":"\u003cp\u003eOksa Pollock has made some pretty incredible discoveries in the last few months, not least that she's the queen of the lost magical land of Edefia. As if that wasn't enough for any thirteen-year-old to be dealing with, her mother is still desperately ill after being attacked by Edefia's unscrupulous enemies, and now her best friend in the whole world, Gus, has become trapped in the Forest of Lost Souls. Entering that terrifying place is the rescue party: Oksa and a few fellow Runaways-including the moody, mysterious Tugdual. In the forest the group must all face their own personal demons, not to mention an assortment of horrific creatures, in a desperate attempt to bring Gus back alive. But even if Oksa and her group make it through the wastelands and the monsters, there are greater threats to face: betrayal, grief, and the end of the world itself. And it's only just beginning ... The Forest of Lost Souls is the second book in the phenomenal Oksa Pollock series, following on from The Last Hope. The third in the series, The Heart of Two Worlds is coming soon.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41812262879306,"sku":"2059g","price":7.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/2059g.jpg?v=1764206103"},{"product_id":"wolves-of-the-gods-the-timura-trilogy-volume-2-by-allan-cole-2069ae","title":"Wolves of the Gods. The Timura Trilogy Volume 2 by Allan Cole","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe triumphant epic fantasy inspired by Omar Khayyam's The Rubaiyat, The Wolves of the Gods is a world of breathtaking beauty and savagery, of noble sacrifice and base betrayal, a world where the most powerful magic of all, for good and evil, lies in the divided hearts of humans and demons . . .   A nameless evil stalks the land, preying on all that lives, human and demon alike. Only one man has the power to stem the ravening tide: Safar Timura, greatest wizard of the age, whose matchless magic once raised Iraj Protarus to the throne of all Esmir . . . and then, when king turned tyrant, destroyed him.  Now Safar is done with the deadly intrigues of courts and kings. Back in his mountain home of Kyrania, he wants only to be left alone. But when a brutal murder smashes his solitude, Safar must lead his people on a desperate trek to safety--a perilous journey to fabled, far-off Syrapis guided only by a magical vision and the words of a sorcerer long dead.  The road leads straight through dark Caluz, a once-proud land now fallen beneath the sorcerous yoke of an unspeakable darkness. But there is no going back. Close at Safar's heels another evil follows like a rapacious wolf: Iraj Protarus. For the King of Kings has returned from the dead, hideously transformed--and thirsting for Safar's blood.  Editorial Reviews  From Publishers Weekly Magic and battle flourish as Safar Timura, great wizard and hero, is pursued by his former friend, now nemesis, Iraj Protarus, who has come back from the dead as a wolven shape-changer. Safar must lead his people to safety from their native Kyrania; secretly, he is also following a vision from the master-wizard Lord Asper and hoping to stop the blight affecting his world. In his quest, he is aided by Leiria, a female soldier; Palimak, a half-demon, half-human child whom Safar is raising as a son; and Khysmet, the perfect steed whom Safar was destined to find along the way. These and a variety of striking secondary characters journey through the ensorcelled land of Caluz on their way to a new home in fabled Syrapis across the sea. Not only Iraj, but others, such as the circus-troupe Safar joined as a youth, return; but even so this second volume in the series remains very accessible to new readers. The book strikes a good balance between action and character development and provides a rich mixture of demons, sorcery, swordplay and political intrigue. Cole also manages more moments of real horror than most fantasy writers while still hitting the high notes of wonder, romance and fellowship. (Mar.) FYI: A sample chapter will be bound into 127,000 issues of Realm of Fantasy magazine. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.  From the Publisher After years of traditional quest fantasy, I've gotten a bit tired of the same old same old. So when Allan Cole turned in his outline for the Timura trilogy, which began with Wizard of the Winds and continues with Wolves of the Gods, I was thrilled. It swept me right back to the days when I devoured books such as Mary Renault's The King Must Die, and although I hardly ever edit fantasy, I just had to sign up this series. A vast world, great magic, neat characters, and thoroughly nasty villain--what more could I ask to make work feel like a vacation? --Shelly Shapiro, Executive Editor --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.  Review A rich mixture of demons, sorcery, swordplay, and political intrigue. --Publishers Weekly  ALLAN COLE IS A SKILLED, COMPELLING STORYTELLER. --TERRY BROOKS  COLE PROVES ONCE AGAIN HIS MASTERY OF SETTING AS WELL AS PACING. --Booklist  From the Paperback edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.  From Booklist Cole says his current major project, begun in Wizard of the Winds and of which this is the second volume, is based on The Rubaiyat, and certainly a Middle Eastern flavor is present in abundance. As to plot, Wolves picks up the conflict between the wizard Safar Timura and the supposedly dead King of Kings, Iraj Protarus, where its predecessor left it. Iraj was once Safar's friend but was afterward destroyed by Safar when power turned Iraj to evil. Now Safar has to lead his people on a grim quest for ancient magic, which contains their only hope of safety, across the hostile land of Caluz, which Cole depicts most vividly, thanks to abundant, well-chosen detail. Cole proves once again his mastery of setting as well as pacing, and the characterizations are more than acceptable, with the apparent return of Iraj from the dead, more bloodthirsty than ever, providing a cliffhanger ending and promising well for the remainder of the saga. Roland Green --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.  From the Back Cover A rich mixture of demons, sorcery, swordplay, and political intrigue. --Publishers Weekly  ALLAN COLE IS A SKILLED, COMPELLING STORYTELLER. --TERRY BROOKS  COLE PROVES ONCE AGAIN HIS MASTERY OF SETTING AS WELL AS PACING. --Booklist --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.  From Kirkus Reviews Round two of the struggle between the wizard Safar Timura and King of Kings Iraj Protarus, once boyhood friends, now the deadliest of enemies. Indeed, Safar thought he'd killed Iraj at the end of Wizard of the Winds (1997), but instead Iraj has returned from the dead; now, supported by his spell-brothers who can all transform themselves into huge and terrible wolves, he's more powerful than ever. But Safar, his beloved Leiria, and his son Palinak have another problem: An evil Something, active beneath the surface of the Earth, threatens to break through at Caluz and destroy everything. This force is mediated by a massive machine that churns out mechanical magic; somehow, Safar must destroy it. One for the fans. The publishers are pushing the series hard, but it just isn't sturdy enough to withstand pressure. -- Copyright  1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.  From the Inside Flap The triumphant epic fantasy inspired by Omar Khayyam's The Rubaiyat, The Wolves of the Gods is a world of breathtaking beauty and savagery, of noble sacrifice and base betrayal, a world where the most powerful magic of all, for good and evil, lies in the divided hearts of humans and demons . . .   A nameless evil stalks the land, preying on all that lives, human and demon alike. Only one man has the power to stem the ravening tide: Safar Timura, greatest wizard of the age, whose matchless magic once raised Iraj Protarus to the throne of all Esmir . . . and then, when king turned tyrant, destroyed him.  Now Safar is done with the deadly intrigues of courts and kings. Back in his mountain home of Kyrania, he wants only to be left alone. But when a brutal murder smashes his solitude, Safar must lead his people on a desperate trek to safety--a perilous journey to fabled, far-off Syrapis guided only by a magical vision and the words of a sorcerer long dead.  The road leads straight through dark Caluz, a once-proud land now fallen beneath the sorcerous yoke of an unspeakable darkness. But there is no going back. Close at Safar's heels another evil follows like a rapacious wolf: Iraj Protarus. For the King of Kings has returned from the dead, hideously transformed--and thirsting for Safar's blood. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.  Excerpt.   Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Up, up in the mountains.  Up where Winter reigns eternal and her warriors bully earth and sky.  Then higher still. Climb to the reaches where even eagles are wary.  Where the winds cut sharp, paring old snowfields of their surface to get  at the black rock below. Where moody skies brood over a stark domain.  Yes, up. Up to the seven mountain peaks that make the Bride and Six  Maids. And higher ... still higher ... to the highest point of all: the  Bride's snowy crown where the High Caravans climb to meet clear  horizons. Where the Demon Moon waits, filling the northern heavens  with its bloody shimmer.  It was the cusp of a new day: the sun rising against the Demon Moon's  assault, the True Moon giving up the fight and fading into nothingness. It  was spring struggling with late winter. A time of desperation. A time of  hunger.  Just below the Bride's crown a patch of green glowed in defiance of  all that misery. The green was a trick of nature, a meadow blossoming from  a bowl of granite and ice. The winds sheared off the bowl's peculiar  formation, making a small, warm safe harbor for life.  But safety is in the eye of the beholder. Safety is the false  sanctuary of innocent imagination.  And in that time, the time that came to be known as the Age of the  Wolf, safety was not to be trusted.  Three forces converged on that meadow.  And only one was innocent.  * * * * *  The wolf pack took him while he slept.  He was only a boy, a goatherd too young to be alone in the mountains.  He'd spent a sleepless night huddled over a small fire, fearful of every  sound and shadow. Exhausted, he'd fallen asleep at first light and was now  helpless in his little rock shelter, oblivious to the hungry gray shapes  ghosting across the meadow and the panicked bleating of his goats.  Then he jolted awake, sudden dread a cold knife in his bowels.  The pack leader hurtled forward, eyes burning, jaws reaching for his  throat.  The boy screamed and threw up his hands.  But the ravaging shock never came, and he suddenly found himself  sitting bolt upright in his bedroll, striking at nothingness.  He gaped at the idyllic scene before him--the meadow glistening with  dew under the early morning sun, his goats munching peacefully on tender  shoots. Not a wolf in sight.  The boy laughed in huge relief. It was only a dream! he chortled.  What a stupid you are, Tio.  But speaking the words aloud did not entirely still Tio's thundering  heart. Nor did it lessen his sense of dread. He stared about, searching  for the smallest sign of danger. Finally his eyes lifted to the heights  surrounding the small meadow. All he could see was icy rock glittering  beneath cheery blue skies.  The boy laughed again, and this time the laughter rang true. You see,  Tio, he said, seizing comfort from the sound of his own voice. There's  nothing to harm you. No wolves. No bears. No lions. Don't be such a child!  Tio and his older brother, Renor--a big strapping lad who was almost a  man and therefore, Tio believed, feared nothing--had brought the goats up  from Kyrania a few days before. Then one of the animals had been badly  injured and Renor had left the herd with Tio while he hurried down the  mountainside for help with the goat strapped to his back.  You only have to spend the one night alone, Renor had reassured him.  I'll be back by morning. You won't be afraid, will you?  Tio's pride had been wounded by the question. Don't be stupid. Of  course I won't, he'd said. What! Do you think I'm still a child?  Tio's boldness had departed with his brother. Soon he was agonizing  over the slightest unfamiliar stir. Then at dusk he'd had the sudden  feeling he was being watched. His imagination had conjured all sorts of  monsters intent on making a meal of a lonely boy. He knew this was  foolish. Kyranian boys had been guiding the herds up into the Gods' Divide  for centuries. The only harm any had ever suffered was from a bad fall,  and that occurred so rarely it wasn't worth thinking about. As for  voracious animals--there weren't any. At least none who lusted for human  flesh. So there was nothing at all to fear.  Tio had repeated these things to himself many times during the night,  as if chanting a prayer in the warm company of his friends and family in  the little temple by the holy lake of Felakia. It did no good. If  anything, the dreadful feeling of being watched only intensified. Now,  however, with the sun climbing above the peaks and flooding the meadow  with light, Tio's boldness returned.  Such a child, he said again, shaking his head and making his voice  low in imitation of his brother's manly tones. Didn't I say there was  nothing to be afraid of? What did you think, stupid one? That the demons  would come and get you? He snorted. As if Lord Timura would allow such a  thing! Why, if a demon ever showed his ugly face in Kyrania, Lord Timura  would snap his fingers and turn his nose into a ... a ... a turnip! Yes,  that's what he'd do. Make his nose look like a turnip!  He giggled, imagining the poor demon's plight. He held his own nose,  making stuffed sinus noises: Snark! Snark! More giggling followed. The  demon couldn't even breathe! Snark! Snark!  Then he had a sudden thought, and his laughter broke off. Tio  remembered his dream hadn't been about demons, but wolves. He glanced  nervously about the meadow again, but smiled when he saw it was peaceful  as ever.  Wolves don't eat people, he reassured himself. Just goats. Sick  goats. Or little goats. But never people. He picked up the thick cudgel  by his side and shook it in his most threatening manner. Wolves are  afraid of this! he said bravely. Everybody says so.  Satisfied, he munched a little bread and cheese, then settled back on  his bedroll to await his brother's return, the stout cudgel gripped in his  small fists.  A few moments later exhaustion took him once again. He fell into a  deep sleep, and the stick fell from his hands and rolled onto the grass.  Graymuzzle was anxious for her cubs. Her teats were aching and swollen  with milk, and she knew her pups would be whining for her in their cold  den. Graymuzzle's hollow belly rumbled, and it wasn't only in sympathy for  her young. Weeks had passed since the pack had made a decent kill.  It had been a hard winter, the hardest and longest in Graymuzzle's  memory. First disease and then fierce storms had wiped out the herds in  her old hunting grounds. The wolf pack, with Graymuzzle leading them, had  ranged for miles searching for food. They'd been reduced to digging deep  into the snow to claw up maggoty roots. When winter had finally ended,  spring brought scant relief. The weather remained treacherous, going from  calm to storm with no warning. Vegetation was sparse, and there was little  meat on the bones of the few deer and goats they'd found.  Graymuzzle used all her skills, won over many hunting seasons, to feed  her pack. She took them high into the mountains, looking for meadows with  sweet grass and fat herds. None of her old tricks worked, and by the time  her cubs were born the pack had been reduced to six wolves so scrawny  their faces seemed to consist entirely of muzzles and teeth. The rest had  died on the trail--her mate of many years among them. Still, she'd managed  to eat enough to make milk for her cubs. Her pack mates had seen to that,  checking their own hunger to share their food with her; thus assuring the  pack's future.  They crouched in the heights above the meadow, bellies grumbling at  the promised feast below. The wolves had spent most of the night in their  hiding place, whining eagerly whenever they'd heard a goat bleat. To their  surprise, however, each time they'd risen to move in for the kill  Graymuzzle had leaped to block them, snapping and nipping at their heels  until they obeyed her and sank down onto the cold ground again.  Graymuzzle sensed a wrongness. She didn't know what it was--there was  no smellsign in the air, no sound that couldn't be traced to an innocent  source. Still, she felt as if something was watching. Not her. Not the  pack. But the boy and the goats in the meadow below. Whenever she moved  forward her hackles rose. Graymuzzle was an old wolf, a careful wolf, who  had learned to trust her deepest instincts. So she waited and watched.  Now dawn was breaking. The morning was bright, the air without the  slightest taint of strangeness. Whatever it was that had troubled her was  gone. She could see the goats grazing in the meadow and the sleeping  figure of the boy sprawled behind the low stone walls of the windbreak.  There was nothing to fear. No reason to hesitate.  She yawned. It was a signal to the others, and when she came to her  feet they were waiting.  Graymuzzle slipped out of the hiding place and trotted down the rocky  path, her pack mates at her heels. A moment later she felt the soft wet  meadow grass under her pads, heard the wind sing a hunter's song as she  quickened her stride, smelled the strong goat smell as she rushed her  first bleating victim.  Then lightning cracked--bursting from the ground in front of her,  exploding rock and turf in every direction.  And all she'd feared during the long night of hunger howled out  nothingness to confront her.  Tio could hear the goats bleating. He was awake, but he couldn't open his  eyes. He tried to move, but a heavy weight crushed down on him so hard he  could barely ... --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.  About the Author Allan Cole is a bestselling author, screenwriter, and former prize-winning newsman who brings a rich background in travel and personal experience to his imaginative work. Raised in Europe and the Far East, Cole attended thirty-two schools and visited or lived in as many countries. He's written fifteen novels, many of which have become international bestsellers, as well as numerous screen and television dramas. He currently lives on a ranch in Elephant Butte, New Mexico, with Kathryn, his strongest supporter; Squeak, the cat who rules writer elves; and Acme, a roadrunner who kibitzes at his office window.  Readers who want to correspond with Allan directly can reach him at his home page--http:\/\/www.acole.com--or via e-mail at 75130.2761@compuserve.com  From the Paperback edition. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Book Express","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41812274806858,"sku":"2069ae","price":7.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0618\/9101\/8826\/files\/2069ae.jpg?v=1764206526"},{"product_id":"hunt-for-the-emberteller-by-sharlene-vanessa-bodle-jeff-burnett-2119v","title":"Hunt for the Emberteller by Sharlene Vanessa Bodle, Jeff Burnett","description":"\u003cp\u003eStar-navigating to Ixanza, blasting through a particle port and escaping capture are the least of Ladek's problems. He and his friends have become prime targets as evil strikes from every direction. Time is short and so is their list of options. 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