First he had to win admission when only one hundred applicants would be selected from over four hundred. Then Jamie had to learn how to use the power of a Dragon belt and learn to fly with a Dragon. Added to all of this, against all tradition, Jamie has been bonded to a Dragon in his first year. But Jamie overcomes all of those difficulties and even helps his bonded Dragon, Tomith, whom he has nicknamed Tommy, to learn how to fly. Now Jamie and Tommy face the second semester, and in this semester they will continue to struggle— but not only with their classes. They have now been caught up in the Stonebriar House Championship. Each year, the five Houses—Blackburn, Warwick, Aubondale, Waverly, and Pembroke—all compete for the coveted House Championship. Jamie’s and Tommy’s House, Aubondale, has finished in last place for the previous seven years. The overriding passion of every student in Aubondale is to finally get their house out of last place. To help accomplish this, Jamie and Tommy will have to compete in the school’s Dragon races, something they know nothing about. Even as Jamie and Tommy settle into the day-to-day struggles of school life at Stonebriar, they have been marked for capture or assassination by a shadowy organization known at the Sisterhood. For decades, the Sisterhood has been seeking to fulfill a prophecy that will grant the sisters total control over all the nations of Aurellius—along with immortality. But, in order to achieve their goal, they must eliminate Jamie and Tommy. Jamie’s and Tommy’s greatest challenge will not be helping get their House out of last place—their greatest challenge will be to simply survive.

    The sharp corners and twists are taken at speed, leaving you to grip the edge of your seat! Continue your journey now,Go beyond Time itself...

     To who, Michael 'Ward' Miller isn't exactly sure. Whoever killed his partner was a pro. She was shot at an impossible distance, by a weapon that isn't supposed to exist. But Sadler wasn't just his partner, she was the best person he knew. Now she's dead, and Ward won't rest until he finds out who was responsible. But on Mars, 2342 AD, anyone could be the killer. The Solar System is awash with spies, mercenaries and powerful, unaccountable corporations. After powerful aliens arrived a hundred years before, colonizing the red planet, our system was thrown into chaos. The Martians were stronger, more advanced, and remorseless. They could have wiped us out. Instead we struck a fragile, uneasy truce. And now someone wants to blow the whole thing up. And maybe, take humanity with it. Ward was supposed to be out of the espionage business. Now he has seven days to uncover the conspiracy that killed his partner. Or let the entire system go up in flames...

    You might have heard the rumours—whispers of an evil plot involving time travel, dangerous experiments, a secret fortress, a terrible book, famous authors and, regrettably, murder. You might also have heard of heroes who were caught up in this plot, fighting to do the right thing. That sounds a lot more impressive than it actually was. My name is Boone Shepard. I’m here to set the record straight.”Boone is taking a break from writing for The Chronicle newspaper to hunt down and destroy every last copy of a very rare, very dangerous book. But then his editor calls to demand he investigate a missing persons case deep in the Scottish Highlands—in the company of his rival, photographer Promethia Peters—and he is forced to abandon his personal goals and get back to work. Restless and begrudging, Boone is unprepared when this hunt leads him back to the one story that won’t stop chasing him—his own. Boone Shepard is the first in a series of young adult novels following the adventures of an Australian expat, errant journalist and accidental hero.

    89 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more – everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of The Diamond Age, or, Young Lady's Illustrated Primer.

    Pages: 48. Chapters: Altheda, Altheda's potion, Altheda's wand, Amata, Amata's lover, Antioch Peverell, Antioch Peverell's first wand, Antioch Peverell's killer, Asha, Babbitty, Babbitty Rabbitty and her Cackling Stump, Brigade of Witch-Hunters, Cadmus Peverell, Cadmus Peverell's girlfriend, Cadmus Peverell's wand, Captain of the Brigade of Witch-Hunters, Charlatan, Cloak of Invisibility, Crystal casket, Death, Elder Wand, Enchanted garden, Evil sorcerer, Fountain, Gold statue of Babbitty, Grumble the Grubby Goat, Hairy Heart, Ignotus Peverell, Ignotus Peverell's son, Ignotus Peverell's wand, King, Kinsfolk, Maiden, Never-Ending Hill, Old man's donkey, Old man's family, Old man, Peasant woman's granddaughter, Peasant woman, Poisonous toadstool, Poultice for warts, Resurrection Stone, Sabre, Silver chalice, Sir Luckless, The Fountain of Fair Fortune, The Hopping Pot, The Tale of the Three Brothers, The Warlock's Hairy Heart, The Warlock's friends, The Wizard and the Hopping Pot, Warlock, Wizard's father, Wizard, Young woman's child, Young woman. Excerpt: Altheda was one of the three female protagonists in The Fountain of Fair Fortune, written by Beedle the Bard. Altheda was a witch who came to the Fountain in the hope of finding relief from poverty and despair, as her home, money, and wand had all been stolen by a Dark Wizard. After completing three trials, Altheda arrived at the Fountain with her companions Asha, Amata, and Sir Luckless. Before the four could decide who would get to bathe in the Fountain, however, Asha collapsed from exhaustion. Altheda quickly gathered some of the herbs that grew around the Fountain and prepared a potion for Asha. The potion not only saved Asha's life, but also cured her of the malady she suffered, which she had believed only the Fountain could heal. In curing Asha's sickness, Altheda realized that she had the means to earn a living, and thus had no need to...

     After the unfortunate events that took place in Britain, Jacob Hunter is no longer certain of many things, but this ill-fated truth is one he understands implicitly. Having spent months battling his addiction to the all-powerful blue orb, a device capable of traveling through time but equally adept at breaking a man’s mind, Jacob has finally succumbed to it. Once aided by loyal companions and the woman he loves, Jacob has abandoned everyone he has ever trusted, his mind warped by the orb’s influence. However, recently given new clues concerning the orb’s potential, Jacob departs for Rome, where he now knows a second orb lay hidden, waiting to be reunited with the orb he already possesses. Accompanied only by Rome’s manipulative empress, Agrippina the Younger, the pair journey to Rome where they hope to discover the secret to the orb’s power, but a destructive truth lies behind what they seek, one he may not be fully prepared to combat… But Jacob is not the only one about to embark on a daring quest. Having been abandoned and left without direction in the hinterlands of ancient Britain, Jacob’s sister, Diana, must find it in herself to rally Jacob’s jilted friends and corral an enraged Helena, the woman he loves, who carries her own mysterious secret after her life was miraculously saved at the brink of death. Unprepared for the responsibility suddenly thrust on her by Jacob's disappearance, Diana understands that she and her friends must find him before it's too late. Clouded and perverted though his mind may be, she knows her brother all too well. Jacob, tormented and driven beyond rationality, is prepared to sacrifice everything to find the lost orb. Including his life...

    Kiara Lacroix has become one of Earth’s foremost exobiology experts. Her research brings her to the attention of the Global Space Federation, which has a top-secret mission for her: an advanced alien civilization has been discovered in the depths of an icy planet five light-years from Earth, and Kiara is expected to join the crew making first contact.Kiara has her hesitations, but as usual her scientific curiosity gets the better of her. She and her crew will be using experimental technology which establishes long-distance contact via a dream-reality beamed through a wormhole: the spacetime sequence. It’s even riskier than it sounds.Of course, Kiara’s not the only one with hesitations about the GSF’s actions. And some of those people have the resources—and the access to GSF’s classified mission information—to do something about them.A Spacetime Tale is high-concept hard science fiction at its finest.

     The Final Life of Nathaniel Moon - Nathaniel is born with unimaginable powers and insight. When he tries to use his abilities to help the world, he and his family must go into hiding. In time, he is faced with an impossibly choice - reveal himself to the world or let the unthinkable happen. The Emancipation of Veronica McAllister - Veronica lived a quiet, almost-wasted life. When she died in 2018, she opened her eyes in her eighteen year old body in 1958 with all her memories intact. If you think you know what is coming, can you live your perfect life? The Changing Lives of Joe Hart - Joe wants to make the world a better place. Stop John Lennon from being killed, do the same for his friends who died in the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. Before he can save others, he needs to save himself.

     Nothing stands between Kael and the last of the Wandering Stars, yet his location may be obvious to those watching from the Eternal Realm, making his presence a danger to everyone around him. With his allies and family centralized in Orud, and the city under threat of imminent assault from the most dangerous and technologically advanced enemies, Kael must decide whether to stay and ambush them or leave to confront them alone. Which is the wiser path? The answer depends upon his interpretation of an ancient prophecy and the depth of his faith in it; meanwhile, the lives of everyone he loves hang in the balance. In book seven of the bestselling Awakened series, Jason Tesar’s epic saga forges a new world from the remnants of three disparate civilizations, fusing the genres of sci-fi, fantasy, and military fiction.

    They weren't alone, either. Something had rendered every piece of technology useless, from wristwatches to refrigerators. Their entire state - perhaps the entire country - was thrust into a modern stone age as everything with a microchip was rendered unusable. But they had an advantage over their fellow citizens. Being 'preppers', they realized that the cause was almost certainly an electromagnetic pulse from a detonating nuclear warhead. The problem was, they were far from home in an increasingly hostile countryside as society began its inevitable collapse. They needed to get home to their supplies before others figured it out. But getting there was going to be difficult, and once home, staying alive was going to be equally challenging. The result is story of modern survival, following two ordinary people as they learn to source water & food, protect themselves from looters using what little armaments they have, communicate silently, and form a neighborhood alliance to stay alive in this cutthroat new world. Yet, despite this, the two keep their offbeat senses of humor and human approach to a situation for which they thought they were prepared - but it turns out they weren't. And just when you think they've mastered this new, unwelcoming world, everything changes. The story will entertain traditional lovers of apocalyptic fiction, but also entices a wider, more contemporary audience to the genre who want more than endless action scenes or two-dimensional characters. Unprepared is an urban disaster story for normal people, just like you.

    One Indian GirlHi. I’m Radhika Mehta and I’m getting married this week. I work at Goldman Sachs, an investment bank. Thank you for reading my story. However, let me warn you: you may not like me too much. One, I make a lot of money. Two, I have an opinion about everything. Three, I have had a boyfriend before. Okay, maybe two. Now, if I was a man, one might be cool with it. But since I am a girl, these three things I mentioned don’t really make me too likeable, do they? Half Girlfriend Once upon a time, there was a Bihari boy called Madhav. He fell in love with a rich girl from Delhi called Riya. Madhav didn’t speak English well. Riya did. Madhav wanted a relationship. Riya didn’t. Riya just wanted friendship. Madhav didn’t. Riya suggested a compromise. She agreed to be his half-girlfriend. From the bestselling author Chetan Bhagat comes a simple and beautiful love story that will touch your heart and inspire you to chase your dreams. Revolution 2020 Revolution 2020 is the story of three childhood friends, Gopal, Raghav and Aarti, who struggle to find love, happiness and success in Varanasi, none of which is easily attainable in a society that favors unfairness and corruption. Gopal gives into the system, Ravi continues to fight it. Who will win? 2 States: The Story of My Marriage Welcome to 2 States, the story of Krish and Ananya, who are from two different states of India, deeply in love with each other and want to get married. Of course, their parents don't agree. To convert their love story into a love marriage, the couple has a tough battle ahead of them; for it is easy to fight and rebel, but harder to convince. Will they make it? From the bestselling author Chetan Bhagat comes another witty tale about inter-community marriages in modern India. The 3 Mistakes of My Life In late 2000, a young boy in Ahmedabad dreams of owning a business. To accommodate his friends’ passion, he opens a cricket shop. However, nothing comes easy in a turbulent city. To realize their goals, they will have to face it all religious politics, calamities, unacceptable love and, above all, their own mistakes. Will they make it? Can an individual’s dreams overcome the nightmares of real life? Can we succeed despite mistakes? One Night @ the Call Center In the winter of 2004, a writer meets a young girl on an overnight train journey. To pass the time, she offers to tell him a story. However, she has one condition: that he make it his second book. The writer hesitates, but asks what the story is about. The girl replies that the story is about six people working in a call center one night. It was the night they got a phone call. A phone call from God. One Night @ the Call Center is the second of bestselling author Chetan Bhagat’s novels. Five Point Someone This is not a book that will teach you how to get into IIT or even survive it. In fact, it describes how bad things can get if you don't think straight. Funny, dark and entertaining, Five Point Someone is the story of three friends whose measly five point something GPAs come in the way of everything their friendships, their love life, their future. Will they make it?

    Swiftly, the aliens take control of Britain’s cities and force the remainder of the British military to go on the run. With the government destroyed, the population must choose between fighting and collaborating with the alien overlords. This is truly Britain’s darkest hour. Caught up in these events are a handful of ordinary people, struggling to survive. The Prime Minister, forced into hiding, and an unscrupulous politician looking to find fame and power by serving the aliens. Soldiers fighting an insurgency and senior officers trying desperately to find the key to driving the aliens away from Earth; police officers faced with a choice between collaboration or watching the aliens brutalise the civilian population. And ordinary citizens, trying to survive a world turned upside down. But resistance seems futile and the aliens appear unstoppable – and the entire population is caught in the middle. As the alien grip tightens, the last best hope for freedom lies with those who will never surrender...and are prepared to pay any price for the liberation of Earth.

    Hopeful to save one of her best friends, she joins the fight against the Capitol while finding solutions to her romantic dilemmas. Suzanne Collins implements elements of science fiction, romance, and action to craft a compelling conclusion to the highly rated trilogy. Read this all-encompassing review of "Mockingjay" first to get a complete overview of the book's style, plot, and characters. Explore the dark themes presented in "Mockingjay" while finding deeper meaning in Katniss' fight against a corrupted government. This expert review offers critical opinions and covers the book's positive and negative aspects. Despite the futuristic setting of "Mockingjay," Suzanne Collins employs deeper messages that are relevant to modern audiences. The good pacing and short yet poignant sentences make this novel accessible to teens as well as adults. Read how Katniss uses her survival instincts to fight for not only her own life but the lives of everyone in Panem. Sprinkled with hopeful moments, "Mockingjay" portrays a dark story that superbly wraps up the "Hunger Games" trilogy.

    That puts Ensign Jacob Renselaer on the spot. Can he find out why the aliens killed his ship’s officers? Can he take command of the Battlestar? Does he want to be the leader of ten heavily armed starships that never expected to encounter aliens? Deep in the Kepler 22 star system, mutual misunderstanding between two peoples who cannot speak to each other leads to multiple space battles. Somehow Jacob becomes the leader he never wanted to be. His close friend Daisy the pilot helps him, as do other friends on the Battlestar. On the alien side, Hunter One is determined to kill the invaders who threaten his new colony world. His people the Swarm have never been defeated. Now, he faces Soft Skins who do not flee at the loss of their leaders. In a distant star system, people human and alien die, scheme, and fight for survival. None of them have ever faced combat before. But now, both sides learn what it is like to have someone seek your death and the death of your friends!