All stats against them. It’s fight or die.When Caleb reported for his normal shift, he never expected to go from the front seat of his ambulance to a bloody battlefield in a medieval Fey Realm.Kidnapped and beaten unconscious, he wakes up with a concussion and a fresh tattoo. While this might not be totally unusual for him,having the tattoo project the image of his stats and equipment like an old school tabletop RPG kind of is.He finds himself thrown into a cell with three strangers who’ve also been abducted. Even worse, they’re all from different time periods due to the disjointed flow of time between the real world and this realm,hardly able to understand each other.They’ll have to learn to work together. Months of training will lead to a yearly battle they were kidnapped to fight in. It’s law.But Caleb has other plans. Outnumbered and under-armed, but lured by freedom, he can either stay and fight in the games, or try to lead the escape to the only gate back to their world. Either way, it’s live or die.

    That's an odd way to begin a work of popular science . . . . but amusing.Please heed the warning from the Introduction by Bruce Sterling: "If you are examining Saucer Wisdom imagining that Rudy (or some fictional 'Frank Shook') has been actually logging a lot of on board saucer time, well, you can knock that off right now. Rudy Rucker made up the flying saucer part. There is no actual flying saucer. The saucer is not an interplanetary faster-than-light device. Its what we professional authors like to call a narrative device."I'm going to spill the beans as directly as I can here: Saucer Wisdom is a work of popular science speculation. Its a nonfiction book in which Prof. Rucker takes a few quirky grains of modern scientific fact, drops them into the colorful tide pool of his own imagination, and harvests a major swarm of abalones, jellyfish, and giant anemones."Pop-science writers didn't used to treat 'science' in this boisterous way, but there might well be a trend here, there may be a real future in this. Saucer Wisdom is a book by a well-qualified mathematician and computer scientist, a veteran pop science writer, in which 'science' is treated, not as some distant and rarefied quest for absolute knowledge, but as naturally great source material for a really long, cool rant."Rucker, in character, describes, and illustrates with delightful cartoon sketches (the way he would use chalk and a blackboard while talking science), the world of the progressively more distant future as it is transformed by computer technology, biotechnology, and human evolution. He also describes a hell of a party in Berkeley. Popular science writing will never be the same.

    All this seems far removed from Kami, a boy who quietly goes about his everyday life in his farm village until one day he trips over the unconsious body of a warrior hidden in the long grass.That discovery will lead him on an adventure across the warring kingdoms, facing assassins and enemy soldiers as he journeys to the capital to face the new Shogun. Through his travels he aspires to become a samurai, and in his many challenges he eventually comes to understand what it means to be one.

    Sea Serpents. Pirates. Dragons. Follow Darek of the Red Claw Clan through this three book box set, a young sailor crossing blades with ruthless pirates and warring clans. As his hidden powers grow, first in his natural ability to commune with sea dragons, so too does his uncanny dragon-riding skill and sudden bursts of psi power. Yet a foul wind blows across the serpent deeps, bringing with it a former apprentice, Cyrus, a forsaken sorcerer who wields terror and death. The Dragonclaw Islands are thrust into the brink of war as Darek struggles to find his path, unlock his skills, though alienated from his sister and parents. Is he destined to become the Mage Reborn? Ever more does he realize he must stop the tides of war, bring order to clan and family while the rising menace of Cyrus lurks unseen. Taken under the wing of the ailing Dragon Mage Agrippa, Darek uses his powers to unite the Dragon Riders against the growing swarm of sea serpents controlled by Cyrus’s forbidden magic. The fires of rebellion, stoked by a Pirate Queen, plunge the Islanders into an all-out war among dragons, sea serpents, and monsters of the deep. But are Darek’s powers enough to combat these foes, especially when he is linked to the pirates by blood bond and their beautiful queen? Dive into this world of adventure, imagination, and danger that fans of Dragonriders of Pern, Eragon, Dragonlance, Dragon Blood, Dragonvein, Temeraire, and Dragon School will love. Scroll up and one-click to buy this box set today while the introductory price lasts!

    

    Thishas prompted Queen Mildred to give Jonthan the title of Champion of Kirby, the first time a commoner has ever held the title. Despite his detractors Jonathan has been able to secure a place as the first official commoner to instruct at the Tower of Magic. Jonathan has made many enemies on his way to fame, some minor, some at the highest levels of mage culture. Many people want Jonathan stripped of both titles. It is only when the Downian Dragonknights decide to launch a full scale invasion that even Jonathan's detractors are willing to admit they need help. Join Jonathan as he transitions from Initiate on his quest to become Archmage.

    He had decided he wanted a fresh start, and that was exactly what he got. Life has never been better for Seattle’s most storied detective. But Grant knows better than anyone that all good things come to an end, and peace of mind has an expiration date.

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

    No job. No prospects. He lives in one of the most crime-ridden apartment blocks on the west coast. His girlfriend uses him for a place to stay. His father is on life support. Rent is due next week… Games are Nick’s passion. He's played them all - well, the old screen ones anyway. He's never been able to afford an Immersion tank and the amazing games that come with them, but he's seen the web casts. He knows the names of every superstar pixel runner. His heroes. So when he's picked out of the crowd to participate in a competitive, quest-driven dark fantasy RPG, his brain melts. Could this be his opportunity to get ahead? Or will he be chewed up by the machine, just another failed pixel runner by the side of the road? STRENGTH BUILD is a LitRPG serial. The Fields of Durandor is the first episode, with more to come in the coming weeks!

    When an opportunity to join the Mechanized Infantry presents itself, Pete is first in line. He knows that he's going to get shot at one way or another, but the idea of sitting in a warm and more importantly, dry mechanized suit appeals to him almost beyond reason. While still training in the jungle, Pete's squad is called out to intervene in a skirmish in a nearby village. Of course, the Marines haven't seen fit to certify his squad with ordnance. The fact that they'll be up against a platoon of squishies doesn't convince him that's it's any better of an idea and things turn quickly to crap when they discover the squishies are protected by grav-tanks. Pete, Popeye and Olive is a fast paced, short-story with plenty of action.

    They chronicle the origin of Scott Hunter and show his journey through what amounts to an expanded tutorial in a perverted reality designed like a real-life virtual reality role playing game. Sexy monster girls, murderous rabbits, and burning biscuits abound!This story is slightly related to the story series known as Origin A.R.S.The connection is a minor thing, but it is part of a related concept that will include several different world settings with a similarly named main character. Consider these stories to be 'alternative universe settings' with a similar main lead. They are a collection of "What if" stories with a main character that has a lot in common with the other similarly named main characters, but each is their own existence with their own unique back story. Each story will also have their own 'litrpg' style of telling, but the 'game' concept is different in each one.

    Heartwarming Friendships. Epic Adventure. From USA Today bestselling author, Sarah K. L. Wilson, comes an epic tale of a cynical teen and the dragon who teaches him how to be a hero. Dragon Chameleon is the epic dragon rider series you don’t want to miss. Combining dramatic dragon battles, breath-taking adventures, magical creations, and heart-pounding suspense, this tale will warm your heart and keep you flipping pages. This omnibus edition contains Episodes 5-8 of the popular novella series: Dragon Chameleon: Silver Eyes How far would you go to help a friend? Dragon Chameleon: World of Legends When you don’t know the rules, how do you play the game? Dragon Chameleon: Chase the Moon Am I really a hero? That can’t be right. Dragon Chameleon: Shadow Quest How many chances does one guy get? Binge-read the series reviewers are calling " just as fun, exciting and special as Dragon School" when you one-click today!

    Ten years before… When a fly-on-the-wall documentary crew drops in on a night shift in Bath city centre, PC Ellie Grange and her team are fuelled with anticipation at the thought of becoming TV reality stars. They need it real. They want it uncensored – and they crave a true-to-life experience of the demands faced by Britain's cops on our streets. It's a beautiful evening – the first night shift of a set in the historic Georgian city… what could possibly go wrong? The exhilarating prequel to the first Detective Deans novel, STORM LOG-0505.

    Archer's ASSASSINS GUILD series in a single volume at one low price. Each book in this box set is available separately, but by buying them in this bundle, you're getting a better deal! Contains THE CHARMER, THE REBEL, THE SAINT, THE SINNER. Praise for the books in THE ASSASSINS GUILD series: "as i started reading this book i thought i had made a huge mistake...as i am NOT a lover (usually) of 1598 time period! BUT...C. J. Archer not only pulled me into this book but the three books after this one. she had me "hook, line and sinker" by the end of the first chapter." ~ reviewer Ev "If you like well developed characters, colorful situations and lots of intrigue you'll love this series of books as much as I did. Buy them all, because you'll have to in the end." ~ reviewer Marcella THE CHARMER Orlando Holt has never assassinated a woman before. The lovely, feisty Lady Lynden will be his first. She's supposed to be a vicious murderess, but when Orlando begins to have doubts, he sets out to discover the identity of the person who hired him. What he learns will turn his world upside down, and propel him headlong into love with a woman who's immune to his charms. THE REBEL Cole is a mystery, even to those closest to him in the Assassins Guild. All anyone really knows for sure is that he's ruthless, grim, and cares little for his own life. So when he loses his memory during an attack and thinks himself a naive eighteen year-old again, no one can really believe the transformation. But as his memory returns, so do the nightmares and the dark reality of who he has become. When gentle-natured Lucy falls in love with the damaged stranger, she thinks him a smiling, amiable gentleman. But rumors of a murder in the nearby village have her suspecting that her patient may be hiding a terrible secret. THE SAINT Elizabeth Buckley has been in love with Edward Monk for most of her life. Unfortunately he's only ever had eyes for her older, prettier sister. Five years after he left the village to make himself worthy of a Buckley, their lives intersect. This time, she's determined to make him see her and bed her. All Edward has to do is convince the girl he loves to set aside her betrothed and wed him instead. When her betrothed becomes tangled in a web of lies and murder, it's up to Edward to untangle him. If only he could keep his mind on the task, and not get distracted by the wrong Buckley girl. THE SINNER Guilt and desire battle within Hughe's soul. When the enigmatic leader of the Assassin's Guild learns that the widow of one of his targets is at the mercy of a cruel man, he does the only thing left in his power to do. He marries her. Then the worst thing happens. He falls in love with her. With more than one person trying to kill him and a family to rescue, Hughe needs the help of all his Assassins Guild friends to stay alive and keep his wife from learning the truth. Because he knows, and dreads, what will happen when she discovers what he did.

    As far as his eyes could see, he was the only one left alive. You might think he was pretty upset about the whole situation and he was, for awhile. There were dead bodies and nothing but desolation and it's true that he sat around a lot and wished that he was dead, too. For a long time he wondered why he remained and all the others were taken. Then he thought, it doesn't matter. It just is. Anyway, sitting around just got boring. So he equipped himself with tools and weapons and set out with his faithful sidekick so see what there was left to see and do what there was left to do. He wasn't disappointed, because since the fall of Humanity, the world had changed in a thousand different ways too small to notice at first and some so fantastic he couldn't believe it. As the days passed into weeks, he discovered something amazing: there really are monsters in the dark." What if a pandemic plague struck the planet and when you woke up one morning, everyone else was dead? What if you were a fourteen year old boy with an excellent imagination and the will to survive? What if you found that something else was out there, hunting you? This is the story of Brady, a teenager who quickly discovers that although people may be scarce in the world of the Abandonment, other things are arising to take their place. He is master of all he surveys but discovers that the world has changed and that he has gained some new exciting abilities. With no adults to tell him what to do and no peers to judge him, Brady discovers that he is capable of great deeds and this is a good thing, because things long quiet are waking up from the sleep of ages. With his faithful dog, Max, and a host of non-human assistants, Brady discovers that there are monsters in the dark and that deep within his own heart, a hero dwells. This post-apocalyptic novel straddles the line between fantasy and magic surrealism and is intended for teenage audiences and beyond. Half survival tale and half magical odyssey, this is a hero's journey into the darkness of the monster's lair and back out again. Action, horror, and mystery blend together with a sense of wonder and loss at a world gone forever. If the world ended tomorrow and you were still alive, then what? In this novel, the main character decides to survive and finds that, aside from food, water and a safe place to sleep, his most necessary tool for survival is imagination and a good, sharp sword! This novel is lavishly illustrated with 50 beautifully crafted drawings by Brian Estes. The story is set in the present-day cities of Bangor and Brewer in central Maine after the advent of an airborne virus has destroyed all but a few humans on earth. Unless these people can find each other, the species is doomed to extinction. This reconnection of the few straggling survivors becomes one of the central themes of the story. Perfect for readers looking for adventure, ghosts, werewolves, and things coming to life that were never meant to do so. A ripping good tale!