It takes place prior to the events of Kissed by Darkness and is Morgan's origin story. You've read the series, now read the story that started it all...Morgan Bailey is living in London, minding her own business, when she's attacked by a vampire. Suddenly she finds herself thrust into the world of the supernatural, and she isn't happy about it. When the mysterious Kabita Jones insists on training Morgan as a vampire hunter, it's all she can do not to run straight to the psych ward.Unfortunately, turns out vampires are actually real, and if Morgan wants to survive this new world, she's going to have to learn to fight. Or die trying.

    From day one, the magazine has maintained a Tokyo bureau, which today also encompasses a Monocle shop and radio studio.Over the past decade, the magazine and its team have continued to build upon their appreciation for and understanding of the nation of Japan. Monocle’s stories have covered everything from a live journey on the emperor’s jet and the tastiest places to eat in Kagoshima to the fashion designers challenging conventions and the businesses with remarkable stories untold outside Japan.The Monocle Book of Japan reveals the best of the country in the run-up to the 2021 Olympics. Complete with striking photography and captivating essays, this volume showcases some of Japan’s most intriguing splendors.

    Not only was it the first decisive victory for British troops against the Japanese, more significantly, it demonstrated how the Japanese could be defeated. The lessons learned in this tiny and otherwise insignificant corner of the Far East, set up the campaign in Burma that would follow, as General Slim’s Fourteenth Army finally turned defeat into victory.It is an amazing and thrilling story: more gripping than that of Rorke’s Drift, with a more justifiable enemy, and with every bit as many moments of extreme heroism. In this fifteen-day battle of terrifying violence, there was incredible human drama: bloody-hand-to-hand fighting, daring airborne drops, valiant attempts to break the siege, increasingly desperate and suicidal charges by the Japanese, repeated breakthroughs that needed counter-attacking, tragedy, black humour and the ultimate triumph of the defenders.

    In The Essence of Karate, Funakoshi creates, in his own words, a narrative of modern karate. He explains the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings and includes memories of his own training, as well as recollections of other karate masters and the history of the martial art. He also discusses the importance of winning without fighting, and the reason why many great martial artists improve with age.The preface has been contributed by Hirokazu Kanazawa, President of the Shotokan Karate-do International Federation (and Funakoshi's disciple). He fondly writes of his memories of Gichin Funakoshi during his youth and what he learned from the master. In the afterword, the founder's great-nephew, Gisho Funakoshi, shares previously unknown personal anecdotes about his "Uncle Funakoshi."

    From his humble beginnings as a son of Korean immigrants living in a shack in southwest Japan, to his aim to become No. 1 in the world as CEO of one of Japan’s largest Internet companies, Inoue richly details Son’s inspiring journey and the challenges he faced along the way. Told from the viewpoint of those who know him best—relatives, friends and business partners from around the world—the story reveals the truth about “rising Son,” the man who made “Information Revolution – Happiness for Everyone” his life’s mission.Son was born in 1957 as a third generation Korean resident in Japan’s Saga Prefecture. He entered one of the Prefecture’s most prestigious high schools, attending for just the first semester before dropping out to venture to the US. He was only 16 years old. In the US, he acquired high school graduate equivalency in just three weeks through accelerated study and then entered the University of California, Berkeley. As a college student, he earned his first million dollars for the invention of an automatic voice translator. Then he came back to Japan to found SoftBank. Continuously realizing his aspirations, he made SoftBank into a multibillion dollar enterprise. He attributes his success to making decisions with extraordinary speed and by leveraging his friendships with innovators, including his close friend Steve Jobs. “I will create a self-sustaining enterprise that lasts over 300 years.” Such bold statements have garnered Son attention from all over the world. But who is the real Masayoshi Son? The author Atsuo Inoue has covered Son’s career closely as a journalist and his insightful observations vividly paints an intimate portrait of the charismatic business revolutionary, who blends cool rational thought with fiery passion and genius. “I’ve never seen such a comprehensive account of my life.”–Masayoshi Son, Chairman & CEO of SoftBank Corp. Atsuo Inoue is a Japanese writer and translator. He established his reputation by depicting figures vividly and in depth through penetrating insight. He is regarded as an expert on works covering America and has authored Political Sex Appeal – U.S. President and Hollywood, published by Shincho Shinsho, 2008 Michelle Obama – An American Story by David Colbert, 2009 (Japanese translation)Making it Happen: the New 30 Year Vision of Masayoshi Son, published by Jitsugyo no Nihon Sha, 2010How Wonderful, Frank Capra, published by Shueisha Shinsho, 2011Fragments: Poems, Intimate Notes, Letters of Marilyn Monroe, published by Seigensha Art Publishing, 2012 (Japanese translation)

    

    For over 70 years, Aokigahara, Japan has been a source of mystery for both investigators and paranormal researchers. This beautiful stretch of unkempt woodland, while maintaining the illusion of beauty, harbours a secret which few people are willing to acknowledge. Aokigahara, known to many as the Sea of Trees, is the suicide capital of Japan. Every year, hundreds of people visit the forest with no intention of ever leaving. People who no longer wish to be a part of this world find solace in the isolation of Aokigahara, and willingly take their own lives against its backdrop of chaotic forestry. However, the legend of Aokigahara goes a lot further that simply being alluring scenery for suicide. Its lore is rooted in ancient legend, literature and a historical association with death. Its impact on Japanese culture has been so prominent that Japanese officials rarely acknowledge the forest’s existence in an effort to disassociate it from its macabre infamy. But despite this, Aokigahara’s prominence in not just Japanese culture, but world over, cannot be understated.

    The planet is on the brink of destruction and Haru must finally face the evil Lucia once and for all.   Haru’s only hope is to enter Endless and fight Lucia on his own turf, but even Haru can’t destroy Endless on his own.  Only Elie’s Etherion is powerful enough to stop Endless and save the planet.  Haru is perfectly willing to sacrifice his own life in order to conquer the forces of evil, but Elie refuses to unleash Etherion until Haru is out of harm’s way.  The future of all humanity hangs in the balance and time is running out.  Will Elie launch Etherion in time to save the human race?  Find out in the final volume of Rave Master!

    In the Pacific, Japan's soldiers had seemed unstoppable. However, the tide was about to turn.On Sunday, 6 September 1942, Japanese land forces suffered their first conclusive defeat at the hands of the Allies. At Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea, a predominantly Australian force - including 75 Squadron (fresh from their action in 44 Days) - fought for two weeks to successfully defend a vital airstrip against a determined Japanese invasion. The victorious Australian army units were crucially supported by two locally-based squadrons of RAAF Kittyhawks.The Battle for Milne Bay and victory for the Allies was a significant turning point in the Pacific War, but while it received worldwide publicity at the time, it has since been largely forgotten... It deserves to be remembered. Michael Veitch, actor, presenter and critically acclaimed author, brings to life the incredible exploits and tragic sacrifices of these Australian heroes in another fast-paced and thrilling tale.

    Beautifully written and steeped in folklore - this suspenseful story is told with warmth, wit and charm." Niamh Boyce (The Herbalist) A beautiful and mysterious tale from the author of The Heirloom and The Mysterious Bakery On Rue De Paris. When Harold Krauss, an Oxford scholar, arrives in the small village of Thornwood, he finds a land full of myth, folklore and superstition. He hires a local farm girl, Anna, to help him collect stories and first-hand accounts from the locals who believe in the fairy faith. However, their discoveries will set off a chain of events that will see him accused of another man's murder murder. One hundred years later, Sarah Harper finds Anna's diary and unearths Thornwood's dark secrets, that both enchant and unnerve.Treading a line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen, The Story Collector is a magical tale with unforgettable characters."The writing is bright and fluid with the warmth and charm of a fairy tale." THE IRISH TIMES"The kind of book to lose yourself in" NUDGE BOOKS MAGAZINE"An intriguing novel" HISTORICAL NOVEL SOCIETY

    Berserk has conquered the worlds of manga and anime, and now comes the essential roadmap to the sprawling Berserk universe, exploring the characters, creatures, settings, and stories of Berserk's first 38 volumes.Profusely illustrated and including never-before-seen art (including an eight-page color section) and author notes by Kentaro Miura, the Official Guidebook is a comprehensive tour through the epic adventure, shocking horror, and graveyard humor that can be only Berserk!

    In this guide, he provides trekkers of all standards with up-to-date and reliable information on the region, including health and safety advice, notes on eco-tourism and detailed route descriptions.

    The Commission of Counter Ghoul is the only organization fighting the Ghoul menace, and they will use every tool at their disposal to protect humanity from its ultimate predator. Their newest weapon in this hidden war is an experimental procedure that implants human investigators with a Ghoul’s Kagune, giving them Ghoul powers and abilities. But both the procedure and the newly formed Qs Squad are untested. Will they become heroes…or monsters?!

    In keeping with the popular but off-beat anime, the manga begins a series of original stories that take the action to a whole new level. Spike, Jet and Faye all end up after the same bounty, Spike goes after a convict who's already in prison, and Faye (the con-artist she is) ends up the victim of a con not once, but twice.

    For only in Tokyo could an impressionable young man fresh out of college find, in one stroke, a new job, a new family, and a society that lavishes attention on Japanese-speaking gaijin. Yet, even as Alec claims a place in this new world, he is haunted by memories of the one he left behind—a world once infinitely secure but which disintegrated with the breakup of his parents' marriage.In this incandescently observed novel, John Burnham Schwartz introduces readers to one of the most appealing protagonists in contemporary fiction while enchanting them with the keenness of his eye and the aptness of his voice. Through its exquisitely rendered scenes—a fishing trip of Zen-like serenity; a night at a sex club where giggling businessmen dive into the action—and vividly imagined characters—the laughing mother who taught Alec to ride a bicycle; the beautiful sad Japanese woman who teaches him how to love—Bicycle Days surprises, moves, and enlightens us as very few books do.