Homer's poems occupy, as Adam Nicolson writes "a third space" in the way we relate to the past: not as memory, which lasts no more than three generations, nor as the objective accounts of history, but as epic, invented after memory but before history, poetry which aims "to bind the wounds that time inflicts."The Homeric poems are among the oldest stories we have, drawing on deep roots in the Eurasian steppes beyond the Black Sea, but emerging at a time around 2000 B.C. when the people who would become the Greeks came south and both clashed and fused with the more sophisticated inhabitants of the Eastern Mediterranean.The poems, which ask the eternal questions about the individual and the community, honor and service, love and war, tell us how we became who we are.

    The story’s focus is not on drama but on a bitter truth: both armies want nothing more than to stop fighting and go home. Achilles—the electrifying hero who is Homer’s brilliant creation—quarrels with his commander, Agamemnon, but eventually returns to the field to avenge a comrade’s death. Few warriors, in life or literature, have challenged their commanding officer and the rationale of the war they fought as fiercely as did Homer’s Achilles.Homer’s Iliad addresses the central questions defining the war experience of every age. Is a warrior ever justified in challenging his commander? Must he sacrifice his life for someone else’s cause? Giving his life for his country, does a man betray his family? Can death ever be compensated by glory? How is a catastrophic war ever allowed to start—and why, if all parties wish it over, can it not be ended?As she did in The Endurance and The Bounty, Caroline Alexander has taken apart a story we think we know and put it back together in a way that reveals what Homer really meant us to glean from his masterpiece. Written with the authority of a scholar and the vigor of a bestselling narrative historian, The War That Killed Achilles is a superb and utterly timely presentation of one of the timeless stories of our civilization.

    Such age-old stories as the tragic love of Orpheus and Eurydice or Demeter’s loss of her daughter, Persephone, resonate strongly with readers even today. In this book the rousing adventures of the heroes Herakles, Theseus, and Perseus are intertwined with the tragedies of immortal Prometheus and mortal Oedipus, the amorous escapades of Zeus, the trickery of Hermes, and the ecstasy of Dionysus. In-depth introductions to each section deepen your understanding of the myths—and heighten your reading pleasure.Presented in simple yet elegant prose, these tales emerge in brilliant new life. From the creation battle of the gods and Titans to Odysseus’ return home from the Trojan War, this indispensable volume contains fifty-six legendary stories—handed down from generations past—that will continue to captivate readers for generations to come.

    A great and terrible evil threatens the druids' future in Iron Age Britain. Their only hope is a child who will be born under an untimely comet and who is destined to protect them. As the fated star-shower lights up the sky, the druids are watching. They believe the prophesied boy has arrived. But down in the village, the midwife has just delivered a perfect little girl. Her name is Tegen - and she is the Star Dancer. Tegen is rejected by Witton, the Chief Druid - but when a visitor gives her a green silk shawl, she begins to work real magic. Near death, Witton acknowledges Tegen, forcing her to abandon her family and learn the spells and rituals of the white-robes. But there are those, close by, who secretly plot to destroy her and take power. In the great battle to overcome her enemy, Tegen is triumphant - but the cost is terrible. Now the Star Dancer must continue - alone - to fight against the evil that threatens her world ...

    Earth has entered a golden age of technology, and man and artificial intelligence share the world in peace. For those that aren't satisfied with the physical humdrum of Earth, the Singularity's people eagerly welcome humans into their home of Incipere. But new golden age or not, the world keeps on turning as it always has, and it still isn’t always datum and daisies. Just ask Athos Aramis. After being mugged, stabbed, and left with a critical spinal injury, Athos’s last option is to trade one machine-supported life for another and let his mind be downloaded into the world of Incipere. Thanks in part to some outdated guide books, his journey is less than ideal, and as the newest alchemist of Incipere, Athos must learn to survive as he goes. His biggest lesson? Incipere - and its denizens - shouldn't be taken lightly.

    Craving something creepy? Explore the Cirque Du Freak, an underworld of grotesque creatures and bizarre beings--truly A Living Nightmare! Want another blood-curdling morsel? Uncover the gruesome untold history of Larten Crepsley, the Cirque's head vampire, and find out what led to the Birth of a Killer. Still have a taste for terror? In the Demonata's dark world, werewolves roam, and Lord Loss, a powerful demon, feeds on the pain and suffering of others. And stick around for dessert, because in a bonus sneak peak of Shan's next series, zombies invade. There's plenty of stomach-turning gore to go around!

    So when he comes across teenage runaway Chancy Deel sleeping in his garage, he sees an opportunity for both of them. Giving Chancy a home just might keep him from losing his. But in securing a place to live, these lonely hearts discover a place to belong.

    She’s rather unique, and doesn’t have a choice. She’s different, enhanced, and modified. Highly intelligent, faster reflexes, enhanced proprioception, and enhanced spatial awareness, all together make her deadly, and a force to be reckoned with. She’s also virtually a slave, and running would just end in her death. She was working on a way to escape, it wasn’t as simple as just avoiding her handlers. Except, everything changes when she’s taken. Abducted by aliens, and enslaved. Those poor bastards have no idea what they’re in for…   Content Warning:  This is an Erotic Sci-Fi Space Opera, with a polyamory theme, and contains some scenes of an explicitly sexual nature, both MF and FF.

    Both a thriller and a Jewish woman's memoir, Hadassah takes readers to ancient Persia (now known as Iran), into the inner sanctum of the palace and back out into the war zones of battle and political intrigue. This gripping drama of a simple peasant girl chosen over many more qualified candidates to become Esther, Queen of Persia, captures the imagination and fires the emotions of men and women alike.

    M. Ironside's saga of the Thutmosides of ancient Egypt. This set contains: The Sekhmet Bed: Book 1 Thirteen-year-old Ahmose is given as Great Royal Wife to the new king, to legitimize his rule. But her elder sister Mutnofret has been raised to expect the privileged station. As Ahmose fights the currents of Egypt's politics and Mutnofret's vengeful anger, her youth and inexperience carry her beyond her depth and into the realm of sacrilege. To right her wrongs and save Egypt from the gods' wrath, Ahmose must face her most visceral fear: bearing an heir. But the gods of Egypt are exacting, and even her sacrifice may not be enough to restore the Two Lands to safety. The Crook and Flail: Book 2 Hatshepsut longs for power, but a woman on the throne defies the sacred order. As God's Wife of Amun, she believes she has found the perfect balance of peace and order. But when the powerful men of Egypt plot to replace her, she must decide whether to surrender her birthright to a man, or take for herself the throne of the Pharaoh. Sovereign of Stars: Book 3 Never in Egypt's long history has a woman reigned as king. As Hatshepsut wrestles with foreign enemies and domestic politics, her heart grows ever more troubled, for her daughter Neferure is haunted by a brutal and demanding god. Hatshepsut's fight to retain her hold on power, peace, and Neferure will carry her on an incomparable journey to the legendary kingdom of Punt. There, in the god's own valley, she must confront the bleakness of fate and the terrible frailty of eternity. The Bull of Min: Book 4 Conspiracy and treason simmer in the Two Lands. When an unexpected challenger to the succession arises, the royal family must face impossible choices. To protect what she most loves, the young queen Meryet will match wits against a demon from the past. Hatshepsut stands on the brink of the ultimate sacrifice. And Thutmose, torn between throne and family, must commit an unthinkable act against Hatshepsut...or allow Egypt to fall into the hands of an unpredictable killer.

    She confesses to him that she is fleeing for her life, and Falco makes the rash decision to rescue her—a decision he will come to regret. For Sosia bears a heavy burden: as heavy as a pile of stolen Imperial ingots, in fact. Matters just get more complicated when Falco meets Helena Justina, a Senator's daughter who is connected to the very same traitors he has sworn to expose. Soon Falco finds himself swept from the perilous back alleys of Ancient Rome to the silver mines of distant Britain—and up against a cabal of traitors with blood on their hands and no compunction whatsoever to do away with a snooping plebe like Falco….The Silver Pigs is Lindsey Davis' classic novel which introduced readers around the world to Marcus Didius Falco, a private informer with a knack for trouble, a tendency for bad luck, and a frequently inconvenient drive for justice.

    The people who know him, know that Ole is never hesitant to speak his mind — and this book is no exception. Combining facts and opinion, Ole's biography is a straightforward look at the many phases of his career in the wild, if somewhat seedy, world of professional wrestling. From his days in amateur wrestling, to the time when he hooked up with Gene and Lars Anderson as the Minnesota Wrecking Crew, Ole relates 30-plus years of never-before-told stories. Ole tells of his feuds, both inside the ring and out, with people like Ric Flair, Wahoo McDaniel, Mr. Wrestling, Dusty Rhodes, and Bill Watts. However, his biggest feuds took places behind the scenes in the halls and offices of corporate giant, Superstation WTBS. The matches in the ring were nothing compared to his battles with The Suits, corporate executives like Vince McMahon, Jim Barnett, Bill Shaw, Jim Herd, and Eric Bischoff. In Ole's own words, "The wrestling matches may have been staged and scripted, but there was nothing `fake' about the corporate and legal battles." As a former wrestler, booker, promoter, owner, and executive producer, Ole goes deeper in the inner workings of professional wrestling than anyone ever has. He tells the stories about financial, legal, and drug problems that plagued the wrestling business. It doesn't matter whether you hate wrestling or love it. This is a powerful story about a man who stood up to the establishment. His insight, humor, and colorful use of the English language makes this a "no-holds barred" book that you won't be able to put down.

    She is also failing chemistry. Her teacher gives her a second chance in the form of a written test that only one other student has passed so far.Wesley Black, a boy crazy about chemistry, is known at school as The White Coat Freak. He's never seen without a lab coat on and spends most of his time in a mysterious storage room.Reyna needs his help if she has any hope of passing the test. With his cold personality, working with him is more of a challenge than the class she's failing. Then she begins to see another side to Wesley and wants to know more about him. Together they learn about a different kind of chemistry. That is, if Wesley can survive her best friend and over-protective brother...For Reyna and Wesley, chemicals will collide and the attraction will be strong as they form a bond sweeter than candy.

    This was the epoch of Alexander’s vast expansion of the Greco-Macedonian world, the rise and fall of his successors’ major dynasties in Egypt and Asia, and, ultimately, the establishment of Rome as the first Mediterranean superpower.The Hellenistic Age chronicles the years 336 to 30 BCE, from the days of Philip and Alexander of Macedon to the death of Cleopatra and the final triumph of Caesar’s heir, the young Augustus. Peter Green’s remarkably far-ranging study covers the prevalent themes and events of those centuries: the Hellenization of an immense swath of the known world–from Egypt to India–by Alexander’s conquests; the lengthy and chaotic partition of this empire by rival Macedonian marshals after Alexander’s death; the decline of the polis (city state) as the predominant political institution; and, finally, Rome’s moment of transition from republican to imperial rule.Predictably, this is a story of war and power-politics, and of the developing fortunes of art, science, and statecraft in the areas where Alexander’s coming disseminated Hellenic culture. It is a rich narrative tapestry of warlords, libertines, philosophers, courtesans and courtiers, dramatists, historians, scientists, merchants, mercenaries, and provocateurs of every stripe, spun by an accomplished classicist with an uncanny knack for infusing life into the distant past, and applying fresh insights that make ancient history seem alarmingly relevant to our own times.To consider the three centuries prior to the dawn of the common era in a single short volume demands a scholar with a great command of both subject and narrative line. The Hellenistic Age is that rare book that manages to coalesce a broad spectrum of events, persons, and themes into one brief, indispensable, and amazingly accessible survey.

    Viscount Easton, wounded and sent home, falls for the unrefined beauty on the voyage home. Can Easton help her overcome her aversion to men? Can Elinor conquer her fears and give love a chance? Seasons of Change Cruel pranks motivated by jealousy spoil her betrothal and send Lady Beatrice Chalcroft, daughter of a Duke, into rustication at an orphanage in Scotland. Lord Vernon decides to move on and forgo love, until a chance meeting awakens his heart to Beatrice, but he isn't sure love is enough to overcome her shrewish ways. Seeking Redemption Lady Lydia Markham and Lord Nathaniel Fairmont find love in a whirlwind season, but a tragic incident caused by his wild behaviour force him to leave abruptly and join Wellington. He comes home and unexpectedly runs into Lady Lydia—but will secrets and war spell disaster for rekindling their romance? Shadows of Doubt Gwendolyn Lambert's finds her life reduced to penury and homelessness after her father is killed in a duel, and her invalid mother dies. Her godmother, the Dowager Duchess of Loring, is determined to see Gwendolyn taken care of and restored to her rightful place, and schemes to bring her handsome grandson up to scratch as Gwendolyn's perfect love match. But will they be able to overcome being separated by oceans, storms, and the interference of scheming mamas? Second Chance The Dowager Duchess of Loring has a chance meeting with a flame from the past—Luca Faranese, Conte de Salerno—a man who was never able to forget the woman who stole his heart. Fate gives them a second chance, but will their love be enough to keep them together forever the second time around?