This is the story of Lord Otori Shigeru — who has presided over the entire series as a sort of spiritual warrior-godfather — the man who saved Takeo and raised him as his own and heir to the Otori clan. This sweeping novel expands on what has been only hinted at before: Shigeru's training in the ways of the warrior and feudal lord, his relationship with the Tribe of mysteriously powerful assassins, the battles that tested his skills and talents, and his fateful meeting with Lady Maruyama.Heaven's Net Is Wide is an epic tale of warfare, loyalty, love, and heartbreak. This book leaves off where Across the Nightingale Floor begins, finally bringing the Otori series full circle. And while it both completes and introduces the Tales of the Otori, it also stands on its own as a satisfying, dramatic novel of feudal Japan.

    When a handsome, longhaired hippie shows up outside Ernie's Poolroom, Annie is smitten by his exotic good looks and long black hair. The local boys just want to beat him up, but before they can, the stranger suggests an irresistible contest, which reveals that he may be even more mysterious than he appears.

    What if an unfamiliar species should approach? Now an impressive guide highlights nineteen different dragon species, many seen here for the first time. Focused on species from the obscure tree-climbing monkey dragon to the better-known wyvern and amphithere, each entry details size, shape, coloration, habitat, the appearance of eggs and young, and (most important) form of attack. To help readers recognize dragons in the wild, mini models of twelve of the species await assembly, each tucked in its own pocket and complete with its own stand.

    Gerry Weiss & Helen S. Weiss; Tor Books, 2007.Set in Newford during 1967's Summer of Love, Beirut-born teen Dharma, runs away from his Muslim home and reinvents himself as a hippie poet-musician. Street-busking one day at an impromptu music jam, Dharma meets a lovely young hippie girl called Button. Love is in the air. Button and Dharma share a gorgeous, magical night at a huge music festival. But is this newfound love as perfect it seems?

    . . ."A rich combination of enchanting verse and magical color illustrations make this a truly unusual and attractive book for younger children. The easy and accessible poems--all of them written by major literary figures--share a common theme: fairies and fairyland. Ingenious paper engineering produces illustrated images that change in their details as kids turn the pages. For example, a morning woodland scene becomes a moonlit fairy party when its gatefold is opened. The verses are by Robert Graves, Laura Ingalls Wilder, and several other memorable writers. Robert Graves offers the short, delightful verse, "I'd Love to be a Fairy's Child," and several poets, including Steven Kroll and Thomas Hood, present poems about fairies that visit children in their dreams. Laura Ingalls Wilder's "The Sunshine Fairies," and Juliana Horatia Ewing's "The Rainbow Fairies" associate fairy activities with nature and the weather. These are just a few of the many poems that adorn this fine little volume. It will delight and enchant younger children each time they turn its pages.

    Labour strife, shifting allegiances, and now a deadly plague threaten to bring a close to Egypt's Golden Age. Amidst these troubles, a raging fire takes the life of the high priest of Karnak Temple. Neferure's love, Sahu, also dies in the flames, and she is convinced that their deaths were no accident. With the country divided, and none acknowledging the deaths as mysterious, Neferure alone hunts to uncover answers. What she will find is that a promise can defy death, and that a sinister plot threatens all of Egypt - one that reaches into the realm of the gods.

    His skill supports him and his squire, but his dream of a manor and wife and family seems impossibly distant. Then he hears of a wealthy baron in Cornwall who is looking for a champion to slay the dragon that is terrorizing his lands. The reward will be a manor by the sea. Kenrick believes dragons are only a legend—but the prize makes the story worth investigating.But there really is a dragon—and a dozen knights have failed to vanquish it. And when he finds a luminous lady in distress, the real challenge is protecting her and her dragon…The Dragon and the Dark Knight novella was originally published in the Dragon Lovers anthology.

    The waters of the Caribbean are a haven for pirates; the most feared of them all is Bess O'Bedlam, known as the Water Witch. With a cutthroat crew and a fleet of ships at her command, Bess' lust for riches knows no bounds. She is on the trail of the greatest prize ever taken - silver, gold and jewels beyond imagining, plundered from a Spanish galleon by the infamous freebooter Fancy Tom Carew. His ship, the Deceiver, and her crew have been thought lost for twenty-five years, but an encounter in an Antiguan alley leads Bess to Marguerite de Vries, a Dutch thief who does not know she is the key to a king's ransom. The Water Witch will use any means to find Deceiver's grave, including seduction, however she had not reckoned on a fiery-tempered opponent determined to protect her heart at any cost. A search for lost treasure becomes a race against time as the women are pitted against a deadly magical curse, and must overcome many enemies in their quest for Deceiver... and each other's love.

     Born in exile, Aelida will witnesses the rise and fall of kings and fight for her people’s very existence. For she holds a great secret… Only one man knows of it, and he will do anything to possess it—he who has brought about her family’s destruction, he who brought about the death of all Britain held dear…

    Only Samurai were permitted to carry swords, which is why it comes as a shock to many of the characters that the medicine seller would be carrying a sword.