This study guide includes the following sections: Plot Summary, Chapter Summaries & Analysis, Characters, Objects/Places, Themes, Style, Quotes, and Topics for Discussion.

    This science fiction adventure blends magic and technology with the adventures of Ruth, a normal human, pushed into extraordinary situations. Ruth’s transformation takes her from Earth to worlds and situations of which she never dreamed.

    An examination of Le Guin's career, from her obscure beginnings in the science fiction magazines to her rapid rise to the top in the 1970's.

     Mankind's oldest question is, 'Are we alone' has been answered. A typing error changes the area of space NASA's Kepler probe searches for Earth-like planets. It records a very bright light, an anomaly that doesn't match anything in NASA's files. It records something heading towards Earth at a speed so high as to be unbelievable. Earth has just over four years to prepare. The outgoing US President spends months before he believes there really is something heading to Earth. NASA's code word for the object is unicorn. The mythical horned horse is coming. The President forms a committee to figure out what to do, he hands the hot potato to his successor who takes the leaders of only six other countries into his. confidence. The unicorn committee begins preparations, they decide to build shelters and arm the military with the most advanced weapons they can design and build in four years. Supply shortages ripple through the economy, rumors spread across the web. The government decides to take a drastic act in order to control the flow of information. As the unicorn speeds towards Earth, the government tries a unique way to spread what they hope is lifesaving information to the population, they hire survivalists, without telling them why, to spread information that something is coming and everyone needs to prepare.An amateur stargazer captures the bright light heading towards the planet. As the object draws closer, it begins to slow down, the bright light becomes additional lights, more than a single ship is coming. Panic spreads across the world. Everyone with a grievance attacks their enemies. When the objects arrive at Jupiter to refuel, their first act is to clear everything orbiting the planet, increasing the stress when GPS, communications, intelligence and debris is destroyed, leaving everyone on Earth without a lot of their toys. Their second act is to turn the world’s grid off.The United States President decides to attack the aliens with ground-based rail guns, striking a couple of the ships orbiting the planet, the alien’s respond by shutting off all electrical energy, including batteries. Earth is slapped back two hundred years. A small group of survivalists tries to apply their knowledge to build a new life. This is book 1 of a new series. It tells the story of the unicorn sighting, arrival, attack and the beginning of the rebuilding.

    Concealment. In the shadow of Dimmingwood, she finds temporary protection with a band of forest brigands led by the infamous outlaw Rideon the Red Hand. * * * * * Book 2: Betrayal of Thieves -- Ilan has narrowly escaped her last encounter with the soldiers of the evil Praetor but many of her outlaw friends have not been so fortunate. When her closest companion is dragged off to Selbius for execution, Ilan has no choice but to defy the captain of the forest brigands and journey to the stronghold of her enemies. * * * * * Book 3: Circle of Thieves -- In the wake of a painful betrayal, Ilan abandons her friends among the river people to return to the peace of shadowy Dimmingwood. But things in the forest are not as she left them. A deadly new enemy is attacking the local villagers, threatening the very existence of the forest outlaws. * * * * * Book 4: Redemption of Thieves -- Compelled to join forces with her life-long enemy, the Praetor, Ilan sets out to defend her friends in Dimmingwood from the murderous raiders across the border. But when Ilan, Terrac, and the Fists in their command enter Skeltai territory through a magic portal, they find themselves in more danger than they bargained for.

    (Can supply own time travel machine if required.)When Horace Tweed places an advertisement in a national magazine, the last thing he expects is to be commissioned to travel back through time in search of the long extinct Holey* Snail.But this isn’t just any old snail. The helix pertusa is possessed of an extraordinary and highly desirable property, and Horace’s quest leads him and his co-adventurers to Ancient Greece and a variety of near-death encounters with beings both mythological and not so mythological.Meanwhile, Detective Chief Inspector Harper Collins has her hands full trying to track down a secret order of fundamentalist monks whom she suspects of committing a series of murders – the same monks who are determined to thwart Horace in his... ...Quest for the Holey Snail. (* This isn’t a spelling mistake. The Holey Snail is so called because there are hundreds of tiny holes all over its shell.)PLEASE NOTE: Quest for the Holey Snail is not part of Rob Johnson’s Lifting the Lid series.

    Under social media pressure, NASA sends David Anderson to the island to investigate the death and vindicate the agency. But Anderson is not the only newcomer to the island. More people are dying. Anderson and his team must figure out what is killing everyone before they, too, become victims. But how do you stop a killing machine that keeps evolving?Michael Crichton and Douglas Preston fans will enjoy the hard science fiction in this action-packed thriller.“Scary as hell.”“Bone-chillingly frightening.”

     After killing three dead gods—again—you’d think I’d get a break. Some time off to lick my wounds in a very cat-like fashion. But my stalker has other plans. And after discovering who my stalker is—or rather, was—I miss the good old days when my enemies were dead gods and world armies. My name is Katrina Darling, and my stalker just had to be one of the most powerful creatures in all of creation, didn’t he? Encantado Dreams, Book 8: Katrina Darling hasn’t been back for the start of the semester, leaving a void in her seat and in her boyfriend’s heart. Luckily for both, I’m a shapeshifter who specializes in pretending to be a long-lost lover. And Justin is just too yummy to not indulge in. But when you’re a 500-year-old shapeshifter who’s broken her fair share of happy homes, you tend to make enemies. And one of my mine just showed up, making things a bit more complicated than I’d like. My name is Isabella Ramirez, and what was supposed to be a harmless little fling has turned into something far more deadly. If you like the Dresden Files, Mercy Thompson or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, then you’ll be helplessly addicted to the Mortality Bites series. "Mythology, satire, and brutal honesty. Vance delivers a knockout punch of fun and fearlessness in every last one of his books. Not only does he make you laugh, he makes you think. That's a rare combination that few authors ever achieve, and Vance does it splendidly." — John P. Logsdon, author of the Paranormal Police Department series. What Amazon readers are saying: ★★★★★ ‘Urban Fantasy at its best.’ ★★★★★ ‘Irritatingly unputdownable.’ ★★★★★ ‘Refreshing in its uniqueness.’ ★★★★★ ‘Boy was this long overdue! I was just whining to my husband about how everyone seems to be working from the same book outline when this little gem popped up.’ ★★★★★ ‘Great world building.’ ★★★★★ ‘Really enjoyable story. I went directly to Book 2.’ ★★★★★ ‘Genuine giggles on every page.’ ★★★★★ ‘Oh I needed that ... Something different.’ ★★★★★ ‘Ex-vampires, avatars, fae, and humans just trying to get along… Make time to sit down and read through in one sitting.’ The Mortality Bites Series takes place in the GoneGod World... an inspiring and unique setting of myths, magic and mischief. But what is the GoneGod World? Four years ago, the gods left. All of them. Their last message to humanity was "Thank you for believing in us, but it is not enough. We're leaving. Good luck." At first no one took them seriously. Until, that is, all the denizens of all the heavens and hells started showing up on people's doorsteps.

    The Marines of Ghost Squadron are humanity’s foremost black ops specialists who strike without warning and vanish without a trace.  They will do whatever is necessary to protect humanity anywhere in the known galaxy.  With the Commonwealth increasingly unstable thanks to venal politicians, greedy financiers, and power-hungry revolutionaries, they don’t lack for missions.When an undercover Constabulary officer vanishes after uncovering a massive cartel-run human trafficking operation, the Commonwealth’s interstellar police force calls for help from Naval Intelligence.  Because the cartel’s operations could upend the delicate political balance between the older core worlds and the more recently colonized outer star systems, Ghost Squadron gets the job.  Its mission: find the missing Constabulary officer and choke off the growing slave trade bedeviling humanity’s perilous galactic frontier.Ghost Squadron’s commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Zachary Thomas Decker, spent the last ten years as a Naval Intelligence agent.  His job was thwarting plots and terminating the Commonwealth’s internal enemies alongside his partner, a trained assassin.  Now, with several hundred of the deadliest Marines ever fielded at his back, Zack Decker will change the course of history and usher in a new era. Humanity's interstellar empire ended in "Ashes of Empire."  Witness its birth a thousand years earlier in Eric Thomson's new series "Ghost Squadron."

    For almost three years, the Federation and the Klingon Empire, allied under the Khitomer Accords, have contended with the nascent coalition on a predominantly cold-war footing. But as Starfleet rebuilds itself, factions within the Typhon Pact grow restive, concerned about their own inability to develop a quantum slipstream drive to match that of the Federation. Will leaders such as UFP President Bacco and RSE Praetor Kamemor bring about a lasting peace across the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, or will the cold war between the two alliances deepen, and perhaps even lead to an all-out shooting war? Raise the Dawn After the disastrous events in the Bajoran system, Captain Benjamin Sisko must confront the consequences of the recent choices he has made in his life. At the same time, the United Federation of Planets and its Khitomer Accords allies have come to the brink of war with the Typhon Pact. While factions within the Pact unsuccessfully used the recent gestures of goodwill—the opening of borders and a joint Federation-Romulan exploratory mission—to develop quantum-slipstream drive, they have not given up their goals. Employing a broad range of assets, from Romulus to Cardassia, from Ab-Tzenketh to Bajor, they embark on a dangerous new plan to acquire the technology they need to take control of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. While UFP President Bacco and Romulan Praetor Kamemor work feverishly to reestablish peace, Captains Sisko, Jean-Luc Picard, and Ro Laren stand on the front lines of the conflict...even as a new danger threatens the Bajoran wormhole as it once more becomes a flashpoint of galactic history. Brinkmanship The Venette Convention has always remained independent, but it is about to become the flashpoint for a tense military standoff between the two power blocs now dominating interstellar space—the United Federation of Planets and the recently formed Typhon Pact. The Venetan government turns to the Typhon Pact’s Tzenkethi Coalition for protection in the new order, and has agreed to allow three of their supply bases for Tzenkethi use. But these bases—if militarized—would put Tzenkethi weapons unacceptably close to Federation, Cardassian, and Ferengi space. While Captain Ezri Dax and the crew of the U.S.S. Aventine are sent to investigate exactly what is happening at one of the Venette bases, Captain Jean-Luc Picard and the U.S.S. Enterprise are assigned to a diplomatic mission sent to the Venette homeworld in order to broker a mutually acceptable resolution. But the Cardassian delegates don’t seem particularly keen on using diplomacy to resolve the situation, which soon spirals out of control toward all-out war. . .

    It was also prophesied that this night would witness the return of Emperor Kellanved, and there are those prepared to do anything to prevent this from happening…Ian C. Esslemont co-created the world of Malaz with his friend Steven Erikson, and Esslemont’s Novels of the Malazan Empire are set in the same world as Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen.Other Tor books by Ian C. EsslemontPath to Ascendancy Dancer’s Lament Deadhouse Landing Other books in the world of Malaz by Steven Erikson Malazan Book of the Fallen Gardens of the Moon Deadhouse Gates Memories of Ice House of Chains Midnight Tides The Bonehunters Reaper’s Gale Toll the Hounds Dust of Dreams The Crippled God The Kharkanas Trilogy Forge of Darkness Fall of Light Walk in Shadow* At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    The Empire, the structure that held civilization together for a thousand years, is collapsing. Trying to hold things together is the Corps of Imperial Gladius, one of the pillars originally created to support and protect the Empire throughout its long life. A Gladius is a genetically bred ultimate soldier, the best soldier that ever existed. Despite that, the Emperor, a deeply paranoid sociopath, fears the Corps and is trying to destroy them, regardless of what that will do to the Empire's security.A surviving portion of a devastated Gladius legion arrives on the isolated and decadent world of Cauldwell to be confronted with the fact they must once again take up their ancestral trade, war. The appearance of the legion is probably the most newsworthy event on Cauldwell for the last century and star reporter Shana Ettranty decides to do a series of stories about them for her network. That decision radically changes her life when she decides to undergo Gladius recruit training to get a better perspective on the Corps. As she continues, Shana learns deeply buried secrets about Cauldwell... and about herself. Those secrets will change the course of human history. In the end, they destroy the Empire.This is a military science fiction book written by a retired Army officer whose viewpoint has ranged from being in the ranks to general staff, not just an action book. The story asks some very tough questions about survival and sacrifice made to let humanity survive. In it, the Corps and Shana are forced to make some hard decisions. Are their answers right or wrong? In the end, only the reader can decide.

    At the birth of the universe, a new species, man, has been created by the Gods. What path will man take in this new world? Thanos has been home of elves, dwarves, and orc: the sentient races. Magic, fae, and mystical creatures live side by side as the Gods introduce man to see what path will be taken. When the palace of the Kingdom of Gratu is overrun by the three traitor brothers, the only thing that the sho-ka, protectors of royalty, can do is escape with the king and queen amidst the bloodbath. They must survive in the wild and lay low, keeping their anonymity and preparing for when they can return and take back their kingdom.

    Both his heart and his mind will forever be with the woman he loves. Before he settles down, he must prove to himself that, despite being a novice time traveler from the 21st century, he can make it on his own in the Yellowstone wilderness of 1835. Confident he will learn everything he needs to know from his trusted companion Elk Runner, Chase is surprised to discover through a vision that it is actually others who put their confidence in him. When he is abruptly left completely isolated in an unfamiliar vastness, he must dig deep within himself to find what it takes to survive and return to Sarah, his only reason for living. Other Titles in the YELLOWSTONE ROMANCE SERIES (in Recommended Reading Order) Yellowstone Heart Song (Book 1) Return to Yellowstone (Sequel to Yellowstone Heart Song -novella) A Yellowstone Christmas (novella) Yellowstone Redemption (Book 2) Yellowstone Reflections (novella) Yellowstone Love Notes (short story) A Yellowstone Homecoming (novella) A Yellowstone Season of Giving (short story) Yellowstone Awakening (Book 3) Yellowstone Dawn (Book 4) Yellowstone Deception (Book 5) A Yellowstone Promise (novella) Yellowstone Origins (Book 6) Yellowstone Legacy (Book 7) Yellowstone Legends (Book 8) - coming 2018 Related books and Series: TETON ROMANCE SERIES Teton Sunrise Teton Splendor Teton Sunset Teton Season of Joy Teton Season of Promise WILDERNESS BRIDES SERIES Cora’s Pride Anna’s Heart Caroline’s Passion Josie’s Valor (coming soon)

    Rock mining in space was all she knew. It was all she was good at doing. She was comfortable living alone as the captain of her mining ship the Sedona. Normally she managed with only infrequent trips to the planetoid Ceres for resupply. She didn’t want to have to make extra trips back to base because of equipment failure. She didn’t want to become a mining tutor for a group of newcomers from Earth. And she certainly didn’t want to get entangled in corporate conspiracies, piracy, kidnapping, murder and worst of all…politics.