LARRY NIVEN'S KNOWN SPACE IS AFLAME WITH WAR! Once upon a time, in the very earliest days of interplanetary exploration, an unarmed human vessel was set upon by a warship from the planet Kzin -- home of the fiercest warriors in Known Space. This was a fatal mistake for the Kzinti, of course; they learned the hard way that the reason humanity had decided to study war no more was that humans were so very, very good at it. And thus began THE MAN-KZIN WARS. Now, several centuries later, the Kzinti are about to get yet another lesson in why it pays to be polite to those hairless monkeys from planet Earth. Views: 43
From Holly Black and Cassandra Clare comes the second installment in the New York Times bestselling series that defies what you think you know about the worlds of good and evil. Callum Hunt's summer break isn't like other kids'. His closest companion is a Chaos-ridden wolf, Havoc. His father suspects him of being secretly evil. And, of course, most kids aren't heading back to the magical world of the Magisterium in the fall. It's not easy for Call . . . and it gets even harder after he checks out his basement and discovers that his dad might be trying to destroy both him and Havoc. Call escapes to the Magisterium — but things only intensify there. The Alkahest — a copper gauntlet capable of separating certain magicians from their magic — has been stolen. And in their search to discover the culprit, Call and his friends Aaron and Tamara awaken the attention of some very dangerous foes — and get closer to an even more dangerous truth. As the mysteries of the Magisterium... Views: 43
When Petty Potts turns up on the beach, Josh and Danny decide to "borrow" her new S.W.I.T.C.H. spray—the formula that will turn them into turtles! A squirt and a spritz later, the boys cut loose completely, diving through the waves and slurping on jellyfish...until they swim into serious danger. Views: 43
“Fantastic . . . an honest, beautifully detailed book and an entertaining read.”
—DIANA GABALDON, THE WASHINGTON POST
“Simultaneously sweeping and intricate . . . Tompkins’s amazing debut novel conjures an epic battle for the soul of Ireland. Filled with papal machination and royal intrigue, magic and mayhem, faeries, Vikings, legates, kings and queens, angels and goddesses, this is one wild and breathless ride.”
—KAREN JOY FOWLER**
“Plundering the treasure chest of human myths, from mysterious biblical giants to ferocious Celtic faeries, Tompkins has created a fantasy adventure with the shifting perspectives of dreamscape. A novel rich and strange.”
—GERALDINE BROOKS
What became of magic in the world? Who needed to do away with it, and for what reasons? Drawing on myth, legend, fairy tales, and Biblical mysteries, The Last Days of Magic brilliantly imagines answers to these questions, sweeping us back to a world where humans and magical beings co-exist as they had for centuries.
Aisling, a goddess in human form, was born to rule both domains and—with her twin, Anya—unite the Celts with the powerful faeries of the Middle Kingdom. But within medieval Ireland interests are divided, and far from its shores greater forces are mustering. Both England and Rome have a stake in driving magic from the Emerald Isle. Jordan, the Vatican commander tasked with vanquishing the remnants of otherworldly creatures from a disenchanted Europe, has built a career on such plots. But increasingly he finds himself torn between duty and his desire to understand the magic that has been forbidden.
As kings prepare, exorcists gather, and divisions widen between the warring clans of Ireland, Aisling and Jordan must come to terms with powers given and withheld, while a world that can still foster magic hangs in the balance. Loyalties are tested, betrayals sown, and the coming war will have repercussions that ripple centuries later, in today’s world—and in particular for a young graduate student named Sara Hill.
The Last Days of Magic introduces us to unforgettable characters who grapple with quests for power, human frailty, and the longing for knowledge that has been made taboo. Mark Tompkins has crafted a remarkable tale—a feat of world-building that poses astonishing and resonant answers to epic questions.
**Review
Praise for *The Last Days of Magic*
“Reading The Last Days of Magic is like playing a well-constructed video game. There’s a fantastic world . . . and an exciting storyline. Set as a battle between wild-and-free ancient Magic and aggressive Religion bent on absolute control, the action focuses on Ireland, designated as the last place on Earth where real magic (known as Ardor) still flourishes in its natural form. . . . An honest, beautifully detailed book and an entertaining read.”
—Diana Gabaldon, *The Washington Post*
“A heady brew of Celtic and Biblical mythology with late medieval political intrigue and warfare. . . . Tompkins combines deft characterization with treachery, battle, magic, and hints of Dan Brown.”
—*Publishers Weekly*
“Simultaneously sweeping and intricate, reaching all the way back to the Dead Sea Scrolls and all the way forward to now, Tompkins’s amazing debut novel conjures an epic battle for the soul of Ireland. Filled with papal machination and royal intrigue, magic and mayhem, faeries, Vikings, legates, kings and queens, angels and goddesses, this is one wild and breathless ride.”
—Karen Joy Fowler
“Plundering the treasure chest of human myths, from mysterious biblical giants to ferocious Celtic faeries, Tompkins has created a fantasy adventure with the shifting perspectives of dreamscape. A novel rich and strange.”
—Geraldine Brooks
“A wild grab bag of myth, history, folklore, and the fantastical, The Last Days of Magic is the perfect read for a frozen evening by the fire or a summer night in firefly country. It fills Ireland with blood, monsters, and witchcraft, and fans of Deborah Harkness and Erin Morgenstern will delight in it.”
—Maria Dahvana Headley
“An epic adventure . . . If you are a fan of Game of Thrones, then this will certainly delight you. One of the best aspects of this book is that there are wonderful female characters. . . . All of the different stories are woven together to create a rich tapestry of Ireland and a time gone by.”
—Pondering the Prose
“The Last Days of Magic reminds me why I started to read fantasy. Read it and get lost in the green woods of Eire and in the mist of legends that still permeate Irish hills.”
—Libretto Reviews
“A half-goddess, a Vatican mercenary, kings, queens, warriors, and faery creatures battle for control of Ireland in this historical fantasy adventure. . . . Tompkins creates an intriguing world stocked with colorful characters and rich with biblical and mythological allusions.”
—Kirkus Reviews
About the Author
Mark Tompkins is the founder of the Aspen Writers’ Network and serves on the board of Aspen Words, a program of the Aspen Institute. Born in Texas of Irish ancestry, Tompkins lives in Boston, Houston, and Aspen. The Last Days of Magic is his first novel. Views: 43
"A master of her craft." --Maggie Shayne"Amanda Ashley is a master storyteller." --Christine FeehanRT BOOK REVIEWS Career Achievement winner in Paranormal Romance!Aspiring actress Abbey Marie Cordova knows more than most people do about vampires--she was born among them, the only human child in a centuries-old family of the undead, and determined to stay that way. But a chance encounter with dark, mysterious Niccola Desanto rocks her to the core. Nick is a vampire, and he's the only man who has ever made her feel so beautiful, so cherished, and so passionately desired ... Nick has spent hundreds of years on his own, and the decadent pleasures of the world have lost their appeal. Rumor has it the vampire who made him has regained her humanity--the temptation to find her and demand to know the secret is overwhelming. But one glance at innocently alluring Abbey changes everything. Drawn to her with... Views: 43
Gambler, rogue, and con-artiste, Lando Calrissian was born with a well-developed taste for the good life. More comfortable at the dealer's end of a fast shuffle than at the rear end of a blaster, Lando always had his sensors scanning for the chance to pick up easy credits. So when he heard that the planets of the Rafa System were practically buried in ancient alien treasure, he hopped aboard the Millennium Falcon and brushed up on his rusty astrogation. He never stopped to think that someone might be conning the con man! Views: 43
