Cardinal Boregy's murder has proven a catalyst for dangerous new politcal games among the Great Houses. As intrigues begin to unwind, the death toll slowly mounts, shifting control in many of the Houses. To some this seems the perfect opportunity to dispose of Mondragon, and framed for a murder he didn't commit, Thomas will need the help of Jones and all his allies if he is to have any hope of escaping this deadly trap.
And with Cardinal Willa Exeter as Boregy's replacement, Revantist fanaticism is strengthening, and Merovingen may soon find itself drowning in an unstoppalbe reign of terror which not even Janist and canaler conspiracies can avert...
Includes:
"Flood Tide" novelette by C.J. Cherryh
"The Testing" novelette by Nancy Asire
"Don't Look Back" novelette by Mercedes Lackey
"Walking on the Waves" novelette by Leslie Fish
"Where's the Fire" short story by Roberta Rogow
"Wheels within Wheels" short story by Bradley H. Sinor
"Marriage" novelette by Lynn Abbey
"With Friends Like These" short story by Mercedes Lackey
"Rapproachment" novella by Janet Morris and Chris Morris
Appendix: "Merovingian Folklore 102" essay by Mercedes Lackey
Appendix: "Merovingian Songs" essay by Mercedes Lackey Views: 1 029
The way we create and organize knowledge is the theme of From the Tree to the Labyrinth, a major achievement by one of the world's foremost thinkers on language and interpretation. Umberto Eco begins by arguing that our familiar system of classification by genus and species derives from the Neo-Platonist idea of a "tree of knowledge." He then moves to the idea of the dictionary, which—like a tree whose trunk anchors a great hierarchy of branching categories—orders knowledge into a matrix of definitions. In Eco's view, though, the dictionary is too rigid: it turns knowledge into a closed system. A more flexible organizational scheme is the encyclopedia, which—instead of resembling a tree with finite branches—offers a labyrinth of never-ending pathways. Presenting knowledge as a network of interlinked relationships, the encyclopedia sacrifices humankind's dream of possessing absolute knowledge, but in compensation we gain the freedom to pursue an infinity of new connections and meanings.
Moving effortlessly from analyses of Aristotle and James Joyce to the philosophical difficulties of telling dogs from cats, Eco demonstrates time and again his inimitable ability to bridge ancient, medieval, and modern modes of thought. From the Tree to the Labyrinth is a brilliant illustration of Eco's longstanding argument that problems of interpretation can be solved only in historical context. Views: 1 027
**Harlan Coben's first novel, now back in print. **
No sooner had supermodel Laura Ayers and Celtics star David Baskin said "I do" than tragedy struck. While honeymooning on Australia's Great Barrier Reed, David went out for a swim-and never returned. Now widowed and grieving, Laura's search for the truth will draw her into a web of lies and deception that stretches back thirty years... Views: 1 023
From the author of The Ice Master comes the remarkable true story of a young Inuit woman who survived six months alone on a desolate, uninhabited Arctic island
In September 1921, four young men and Ada Blackjack, a diminutive 25-year-old Eskimo woman, ventured deep into the Arctic in a secret attempt to colonize desolate Wrangel Island for Great Britain. Two years later, Ada Blackjack emerged as the sole survivor of this ambitious polar expedition. This young, unskilled woman--who had headed to the Arctic in search of money and a husband--conquered the seemingly unconquerable north and survived all alone after her male companions had perished.
Following her triumphant return to civilization, the international press proclaimed her the female Robinson Crusoe. But whatever stories the press turned out came from the imaginations of reporters: Ada Blackjack refused to speak to anyone about her horrific two years in the Arctic. Only on one occasion--after charges were published falsely accusing her of causing the death of one her companions--did she speak up for herself.
Jennifer Niven has created an absorbing, compelling history of this remarkable woman, taking full advantage of the wealth of first-hand resources about Ada that exist, including her never-before-seen diaries, the unpublished diaries from other primary characters, and interviews with Ada's surviving son. Ada Blackjack is more than a rugged tale of a woman battling the elements to survive in the frozen north--it is the story of a hero. Views: 1 018
SKINNY LEGS AND ALL:
An Arab and a Jew open a restaurant together across the street from the United Nations....
It sounds like the beginning of an ethnic joke, but it's theaxis around which spins this gutsy, fun-loving, and alarmingly provocative novel, in which a bean can philosophizes, a dessert spoon mystifies, a young waitress takes on the New York art world, and a rowdy redneck welderdiscovers the lost god of Palestine--while the illusions that obscure humanity's view of the true universe fall away, one by one, like Salome's veils.
Skinny Legs and All deals with today's mostsensitive issues: race, politics, marriage, art, religion, money, and lust. It weaves lyrically through what some call the "end days" of our planet. Refusing to avertits gaze from the horrors of the apocalypse, it also refuses to let the alleged end of the world spoil its mood. And its mood is defiantly upbeat.
In the gloriously inventive TomRobbins style, here are characters, phrases, stories, and ideas that dance together on the page, wild and sexy, like Salome herself. Or was it Jezebel? "From theHardcover edition." Views: 1 016
This breathtaking, reverberating survey of human nature finds Kundera still attempting to work out the meaning of life without losing his acute sense of humour. It is one of those great unclassifiable masterpieces that appear once every twenty years or so.
'It will make you cleverer, maybe even a better lover. Not many novels can do that.' Nicholas Lezard, GQ Views: 1 016
HER ENEMY, HER LOVE...
Perhaps if she'd stayed in Atlanta, Michele Logan would never have had to face Ian Stuart, the ruggedly handsome architect whose family had feuded with hers for centuries. But in the sultry paradise of Martinique fate threw them together and tempted them to end the deadly struggle that had caused so much tragedy. Shocking, urgent desire swept away reason on a tide of need, and suddenly Michele lay in the arms of her enemy, the last man in the world she must ever love. Ian vowed that she could trust him, insisted that the war was over, but could this consuming madness, this sweet ecstasy, be the ultimate revenge, the perfect betrayal of those she cherished most? Bound by ties of love to opposite sides, they struggled to believe in each other's promises, but both were haunted by shadowy evil that seemed determined to destroy all they had. Could it be that love was stronger than hatred, that destiny had joined their hands to heal old wounds? Views: 1 016
"By turns sarcastic, tender, and irreverent, this will quickly make its way into the hands of readers who loved Walk Two Moons." *—Kirkus***
This beloved prequel to bestselling author Sharon Creech's Newbery Medal winner Walk Two Moons chronicles the life of a thirteen-year-old during her most chaotic and romantic summer ever via journal entries, filled with hilarious observations on love, death, and the confusing mechanics of holding hands.
Mary Lou is less than excited about her assignment to keep a journal over the summer. Boring! Then cousin Carl Ray comes to stay with her family, and what starts out as the dull dog days of summer quickly turns into the wildest roller-coaster ride of all time.
Named one of the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing! Views: 1 002
In #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen’s gripping novel of romantic suspense, a man’s lust for revenge turns into an obsession with his brother’s wife.
Beautiful actress Mallory Thane endured the harsh, unforgiving glare of publicity during the trial in which she stood accused of murdering her husband. But even the acquittal that set her free couldn’t ease the heartache of her ordeal. Desperate to get back her life, her career, and her sanity, she accepts a new movie deal on an island paradise–only to realize that she has walked into a trap.
Her captor is power player Sabin Wyatt, a dark, enigmatic man who still holds Mallory responsible for his brother Ben’s death. But at the root of his scheme is his obsessive need to possess the woman who haunts his dreams, no matter what truth she’s hiding.
From the Paperback edition. Views: 995
As spring comes to Scotland and the hills burst into life, a dance is planned for September. The invitations summon home the group of people Violet Aird has cared for most in her long life. The oldest, strongest and wisest of them all, she sees Alexa, her vulnerable granddaughter, find love for the first time, while the decision to send her little grandson away to school is driving parents Edmund and Virginia even further apart. Far from them all is Pandora, the glamorous, exciting girl who ran away twenty years before. All will converge on Scotland this September. Views: 993
An intellectual thriller putting forth the supposition that Christ did not rise from the dead. It questions what effect this revelation would have on the individual believer, on the Church as a whole and on the political stability of the world. Read has also written "A Season in the West". Views: 991
Young Japanese seaman Hiro Tanaka, inspired by dreams of the City of Brotherly Love and trained in the ways of the samurai, jumps ship off the coast of Georgia and swims into a net of rabid rednecks, genteel ladies, descendants of slaves, and the denizens of an artists' colony. In the hands of T. Coraghessan Boyle, praised by Digby Diehl in Playboy as "one of the most exciting young fiction writers in America," the result is a sexy, hilarious tragicomedy of thwarted expectations and mistaken identity, love, jealousy, and betrayal. Views: 982
A sequel to Rusalka, set in the magical world of pre-Christian Russia. Petyr and Eveshka, now married and living in domestic bliss in Uulemet's cottage, begin to realize that the past is not truly buried. Premonitions lead to a sense of unease that is terrifyingly realized.
Publisher's Weekly
In this strong sequel to Rusalka, Cherryh continues her fantasy series based on ancient Russian folklore. During the hoary time of the book's setting, wizards have power to influence events by wishing things to happen--but sometimes unlooked-for side effects occur. Here the former destructive rusalka (ghost) Eveshka, killed by the sorcerer Chernevog in the earlier volume and resurrected when her father sacrificed his life in her stead, is living with her husband Pyetr and the young wizard Sasha. Both Sasha and Eveshka worry about the power of their often unconscious wishes, concerned that their thoughts are being influenced by still-functioning wishes remaining in the atmosphere from a former time. When Eveshka suddenly leaves home without reason, Sasha and Pyetr feel sure someone has been wishing or magicking her, and set out in search of Chernevog. Cherryh's lyrical, vivid depiction of lonely northern forests and their supernatural inhabitants creates a believable backdrop for her three-dimensional characters and their emotionally involving story.
Library Journal
A young wizard, his best friend, and a woman magically restored to life find their idyllic forest existence shattered by the dark machinations of an old and implacable enemy in this sequel to Rusalka. Forest spirits, "yard things," and other magical creatures drawn from Russian folklore add a unique flavor to this story of loyalty and courage. Recommended for fantasy collections. Views: 979
Zoe is wary when, in the dead of night, the beautiful yet frightening Simon comes to her house. Simon seems to understand the pain of loneliness and death and Zoe's brooding thoughts of her dying mother.
Simon is one of the undead, a vampire, seeking revenge for the gruesome death of his mother three hundred years before. Does Simon dare ask Zoe to help free him from this lifeless chase and its insufferable loneliness?
From the Paperback edition. Views: 979
"I need no further proof that you are despicable!" Lilith Davenant's sensibilities were appropriately offended. How dare the brazen Lord Julian Brandon kiss her when he knew full well the man she was to marry was in the next room! It mattered not that the cad was handsome, charming and witty...unlike the staid, auburn-haired young widow's fiance. Lilith's repute meant all. Never did she imagine the blackguard's amorous pursuit was the result of a wager to sully her flawless reputation. Nor did she dream that one day she would yearn for Julian's irresistible embrace-and that a reckless gamble would cause the notorious rake to lose his heart...just as Lilith discovered her own! Views: 978
