Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series creates a world from whole cloth-its language and classes of people, its cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals. It's a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both two thousand years past and two thousand years into the future, as untold thousands gather for a crusade. Among them, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus - part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence - from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.

    What ensues is a journey of redemption, unexpected friendships and an unwanted, turbulent romance with Harry Potter.

    each) : analog.Part Two Of Two Parts It is 30,000 years ago, the final Ice Age of the Pleistocene Epoch. The earth is peopled by Neanderthals -- squat, bow-legged, nonverbal, they live in clans, exist by foraging, and are ruled by taboos. The Cro-Magnons, the people who will replace them, are just emerging. When an earthquake destroys a Cro-Magnon dwelling, they tame the prairie, to the sudden fortune of a lucky few. "A ripping yarn...a gorgeous piece of work." (Saturday Review of Literature)

    Using a playful parallel-universe structure, The Post-Birthday World follows one woman's future as it unfolds under the influence of two drastically different men.Children's book illustrator Irina McGovern enjoys a quiet and settled life in London with her partner, fellow American expatriate Lawrence Trainer, a smart, loyal, disciplined intellectual at a prestigious think tank. To their small circle of friends, their relationship is rock solid. Until the night Irina unaccountably finds herself dying to kiss another man: their old friend from South London, the stylish, extravagant, passionate top-ranking snooker player Ramsey Acton. The decision to give in to temptation will have consequences for her career, her relationships with family and friends, and perhaps most importantly the texture of her daily life.Hinging on a single kiss, this enchanting work of fiction depicts Irina's alternating futures with two men temperamentally worlds apart yet equally honorable. With which true love Irina is better off is neither obvious nor easy to determine, but Shriver's exploration of the two destinies is memorable and gripping. Poignant and deeply honest, written with the subtlety and wit that are the hallmarks of Shriver's work, The Post-Birthday World appeals to the what-if in us all.(jacket)

    Then they killed her best friend. She never fit in with the Syndicate crowd, her compassion mixed with a knack for inappropriate snarkiness, didn’t make her too many friends. It made her fiercely loyal to the few she had.Losing one would not go unpunished.But she couldn’t do it alone.He was handsome, stubborn, and believed in honor above all else, but he was also broken. When she met Dominic, a panther shifter, they shared a common goal. The Syndicate killed his entire family, and he needed payback. Could she get him to trust her?It wouldn’t be easy.The Council ruled with an iron hand.You’ll adore this Urban Fantasy, because vampires and shifters make for the best thrill rides, and you’ll love the twists.

    She's strong and unpredictable, and just about as stubborn as you can get. But she has also spent years being abused and tortured by her own father. The man that was supposed to love her. The day she is told that her father called her school, she thinks it's her death sentence.Emelie soon learns that she's being shipped off to a boarding school. There she meets people who will become great friends, traitors, and flat out enemies. Then there's Drake. And he doesn't fit into any of those categories. Questions arise as Emelie discovers that she was born with unusual gifts. She learns that there are people in the school similar to her, each with a specialized talent.Her feelings might also confuse her as she doesn't know what to call her relationship with Drake. They're both stubborn and refuse to admit to what they don't believe is true. However, they've become attached and grown to need each other in times of peril. But what happens when things become too much for either of them?

    You're not a damsel. You're just in distress but I won't be saving you. Save yourself."

    Who could be better suited for the position than her best friend Reece? The two of them have been inseparable since they first met, moving in together isn't such a big deal. But both of them have a secret that they're keeping, and the close quarters make it harder to keep those secrets hidden inside. Faye's done something she wasn't supposed to, and now she's afraid that she's waited too long to be forgiven.Reece is in love with someone who doesn't love him back. And she now lives down the hall.

    But wealth and esteem came second only to the passionate, albeit illicit, love she felt for Princess Anima. Their secret liaison came to an abrupt end when Anima’s duty to her father and the Kingdom tore them apart; triggering an ancient curse. Heartbroken and cast in stone, Maxima was left yearning for her paramour. Finding Anima’s soul was the only way to break the curse and reclaim her lover. Rich and beautiful, Sara Laramie grew up as one of the most sought after socialites in Boston’s elite circles. A failed relationship caused her to retreat from the social scene and instead focus all her attention on starting a private gallery. Finally, with a purpose in life, she thought she had enough to keep her busy. That was until she received an unexpected request to showcase the statue of a formidable ancient Greek female warrior in her gallery. The arrival of the statue coincided with the appearance of a gorgeous flint-eye stranger who with a single kiss spun Sara’s life out of control.

    He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage. The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed shields in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars. High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Some are skeptical, fighting their own border skirmishes against pirates and giants. But prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind’s hopes and dreams will fall to dust.