Russian novelist Victor Pelevin is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most brilliant young writers at work today. His comic inventiveness and mind-bending talent prompted Time magazine to proclaim him a "psychedelic Nabokov for the cyber-age." In his third novel, Buddha's Little Finger, Pelevin has created an intellectually dazzling tale about identity and Russian history, as well as a spectacular elaboration of Buddhist philosophy. Moving between events of the Russian Civil War of 1919 and the thoughts of a man incarcerated in a contemporary Moscow psychiatric hospital, Buddha's Little Finger is a work of demonic absurdism by a writer who continues to delight and astonish. Views: 39
Mankind is strung out across interstellar space, and human consciousness is digitally freighted between the stars and downloaded into bodies, but some things never change, so when Takeshi is downloaded into the body of a ex-thug and presented with a catch-22 offer he shouldn't be surprised.
Awards Philip K Dick Award Views: 39
A woman with a green thumb is married by proxy to a noble who has a secret life commanding shadows. Gardener versus Guardian.
Rowen went along with her niece to apply for the Volunteer project, and when she is asked to participate, she has to decide if the stars are for her. When they offer her an entire world full of gardens, she is hooked. There is only one problem, no alien can work on the surface of Irudan; they must be married to a local to work there.
Skorin Nakkua wants to get his family to stop asking him to get married, so when a marriage of convenience is requested by the Alliance, he agrees. His wife will live on Irudan and take on his social responsibilities with the community, leaving him free to focus on his life as Walking Darkness, the head of the Irudan Guardian Base.
He had never expected their paths to cross while he was on duty, but the new Lady Nakkua is far more than he imagined and the convenience of their marriage begins to chafe. Views: 39
As a decorated soldier, the young General Tao knows only one kind of honor—to his people. But when his own king betrays him, he discovers that his sacrifices, his successes, may not have been for the good of the country at all.Fate—and his enemies—throw him together with Elsabeth, a red-haired beauty who has served as the royal tutor. Her loyalties, though, remain with her father's people, the rebellious Kurel, who worship the old ways, even harboring the forbidden arks that brought the Kurel to this planet ages ago. When a threat greater than their peoples' war looms, intent on destroying the world they both know, the fierce warrior and the sensitive scholar must unite. Together, they must fight for their planet, for their world and for their love. Views: 39
In March 1987, Mercedes Lackey, a young author from Oklahoma, published her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. No one could have envisioned that this modest book about a magical land called Valdemar would be the beginning of a fantasy masterwork series that would span decades and include more than two dozen titles. Now the voices of other authors add their own special touches to the ancient land where Heralds “Chosen” from all walks of life by magical horse-like Companions patrol their ancient kingdom, dispensing justice, facing adversaries, and protecting their monarch and country from whatever threatens. Trained rigorously by the Herald?™s Collegium, these special protectors each have extraordinary Gifts: Mindspeaking, FarSeeing, FarSpeaking, Empathy, Firestarting and ForeSeeing, and are bonded for life with their mysterious Companions. Travel with these astouding adventurerers in sixteen original stories. Views: 39
CONQUEST is the next chapter in the great interstellar war between all living creatures and the machines. Star Force must stop the machine invaders once again--but how?
In the fourth book of the Star Force series, Kyle Riggs has freed Earth from the chains of the Macros--but at what cost? The Macros no longer trust him. He is a mad dog that must be put down--and all Star Force must be stamped out with him. The war expands in this story, and mankind is once again faced with annihilation. Views: 39
Teaching the visitors about the holiday stars is fun until a man who burns brighter than the sun enters Vixen’s orbit. Vixen chooses life with astronomy, and she ends up as an educator and a researcher for a tiny observatory struggling to make ends meet. When Vi arrives, she makes an impression and takes over most of the day-to-day operations, which is fine until an elf comes calling. Xander has been sent to bring Vixen home, but he doesn’t know how he will go about convincing her that it is a good idea, until he asks her out and she tells him what she wants. Magic and wonder are the hallmarks of Christmas, and these two have it in spades. Views: 39
Her name was Adelei.
She was a master in her field, one of the feared Order of Amaska. Those who were a danger to the Little Dozen Kingdoms wound up dead by her hand. The Order sends her deep into the Kingdom of Alexander, away from her home in Sadai, and into the hands of the Order's enemy.
The job is nothing short of a suicide mission, one serving no king, no god, and certainly not Justice. With no holy order to protect her, she tumbles dagger-first into the Boahim Senate's political schemes and finds that magic is very much alive and well in the Little Dozen Kingdoms.
While fighting to unravel the betrayal surrounding the royal family of Alexander, she finds her entire past is a lie, right down to those she called family. They say the truth depends on which side of the sword one stands, but they never said what to do when all the swords are pointing at you.
Amidst her enemies, in a land from the darkest reaches of her past, she must decide if she is to be more than another brainwashed puppet. No matter her choice, she must fight to do what is just and right to save the people of the Little Dozen.
Set in the land of Boahim, Amaskan's Blood is an epic fantasy novel full of adventure, magic, assassins, and political intrigue. This first book in a series by author Raven Oak explores the themes of family and what it means to both find and lose one's self.
"With a ferocious-yet-fragile heroine, resonant themes, and a sweepingly gorgeous backdrop, Amaskan's Blood delivers food for thought and frank enjoyment."
--Maia Chance, author of the Fairy Tale Fatal series
**Review
"An exciting epic fantasy filled with intrigue and layers upon layers of well crafted secrets and lies." 4/5 stars.
Stephanie Hildreth of 100 Pages a Day
"[A] fantasy novel in its truest form...these well-developed individuals held me captive. It was a very strong start to a fantasy series that Ivery much look forward to following."
Pure Jonal Reviews
"Adelei undertakes to save the kingdom, protect Margaret, and discover what truth, loyalty, duty, and family really mean--a tall order for any heroine...."
Publisher's Weekly
"With a ferocious-yet-fragile heroine, resonant themes, and a sweepingly gorgeous backdrop, Amaskan's Blood delivers food for thought and frank enjoyment."
Maia Chance, author of the bestselling Fairy Tale Fatal series
"The prose itself is...a cut above the rest as Raven Oak playfully dances with the reader. It's the addition of just enough detail, and the right amount of it, that makes this read. Oak is loquaciously talented and the writing in the book shines. [She] crafts [her] words carefully, in order to pull the reader in, and once he's hooked, reels him in."
Open Book Society
"If George R. R. Martin wrote Tangled, it might be a bit like this."
Noor Jahangir, author of *The Adventures of Some Kid*
"Holy crap, this is good!"
Seattle Geekly
From the Author
**Notes from the Author on the Writing of *Amaskan's Blood:
Amaskan's Blood* has been the most personal novel I've written thus far. Sounds weird considering the main character is a holy assassin of sorts. Writing Adelei through her familial struggles helped me with my own. I didn't realize it at the time, but I owe several relationships to Adelei.
While writing this novel, I also discovered an intense joy in writing Ida. She's an old, cantankerous warrior who doesn't take anything from anybody. She reminds me of old veterans, only her war stories didn't stop when she hit fifty. I enjoyed her character so much, she's going to get her own novel soon enough.
Amaskan's Blood will continue with Book II, Amaskan's War. Views: 39
