Books with category đź”± Epic
Displaying books 433-480 of 780 in total

The Memory of Running

2005

by Ron McLarty

Smithson "Smithy" Ide is by all accounts, especially his own, a loser. An overweight, friendless, chain-smoking, forty-three-year-old drunk, Smithy's life becomes completely unhinged when he loses his parents and long-lost sister within the span of one week.

Rolling down the driveway of his parents' house in Rhode Island on his old Raleigh bicycle to escape his grief, the emotionally bereft Smithy embarks on an epic, hilarious, luminous, and extraordinary journey of discovery and redemption.

This novel captures the public's imagination with a story that sweeps readers up and takes them on a thrilling, unforgettable ride.

Underworld: Evolution

2005

by Greg Cox

The war is over. But the true horror has only just begun...

For more than six hundred years, Selene was a Death Dealer, a vampire warrior dedicated to the destruction of her people's savage enemies: the werewolves. But then she learned the shocking truth behind the ancient conflict and turned against her undead masters.

For all of his mortal life, Michael was an ordinary human, ignorant of the night's darkest mysteries — until he found himself caught in the middle of a shadow war between immortal rivals. Bitten by both a lycan and a vampire, he has now become a hybrid creature whose ultimate potential remains unknown.

Together, Selene and Michael have become outcasts — and targets, for a long-buried menace has risen from the depths of history in search of unholy vengeance. Now, in order to survive, Selene must uncover a terrible secret hidden deep within the shadows of her own forgotten past...

Désirée

The stunning, massively bestselling story of Napoleon's first fiancé

First published in 1953, this riveting true-life tale comes to life in diary form, giving readers an inside glimpse at the young Napoleon and his family. Désirée is enchanted by the young officer, and he asks her to marry him. But he must leave for Paris, where he meets his eventual wife Josephine. A heartbroken Désirée is unsure she'll ever find anyone again.

A love story, but so much more, Désirée is the tale of a simple merchant's daughter who ends up with a kind of royalty she never expected: an unforgettable story just waiting to be reborn.

Chainfire

2005

by Terry Goodkind

Chainfire, the first book in a trilogy within Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, sets the stage for an epic saga. After being gravely injured in battle, Richard awakes to discover Kahlan missing. To his disbelief, no one remembers the woman he is frantically trying to find. Worse, no one believes that she really exists, or that he was ever married. Alone as never before, he must find the woman he loves more than life itself....if she is even still alive. If she was ever even real.

The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian

Conan is one of the greatest fictional heroes ever created—a swordsman who cuts a swath across the lands of the Hyborian Age, facing powerful sorcerers, deadly creatures, and ruthless armies of thieves and reavers.

“Between the years when the oceans drank Atlantis and the gleaming cities . . . there was an Age undreamed of, when shining kingdoms lay spread across the world like blue mantles beneath the stars. . . . Hither came Conan, the Cimmerian, black-haired, sullen-eyed, sword in hand . . . to tread the jeweled thrones of the Earth under his sandalled feet.”

In a meteoric career that spanned a mere twelve years before his tragic suicide, Robert E. Howard single-handedly invented the genre that came to be called sword and sorcery. Collected in this volume, profusely illustrated by artist Mark Schultz, are Howard’s first thirteen Conan stories, appearing in their original versions—in some cases for the first time in more than seventy years—and in the order Howard wrote them.

Along with classics of dark fantasy like “The Tower of the Elephant” and swashbuckling adventure like “Queen of the Black Coast”, The Coming of Conan the Cimmerian contains a wealth of material never before published in the United States, including the first submitted draft of Conan’s debut, “Phoenix on the Sword”, Howard’s synopses for “The Scarlet Citadel” and “Black Colossus”, and a map of Conan’s world drawn by the author himself.

Here are timeless tales featuring Conan the raw and dangerous youth, Conan the daring thief, Conan the swashbuckling pirate, and Conan the commander of armies. Here, too, is an unparalleled glimpse into the mind of a genius whose bold storytelling style has been imitated by many, yet equaled by none.

Don Quijote de la Mancha I

Don Quijote de la Mancha I es una obra maestra de la literatura escrita en español, adaptada para que los lectores puedan disfrutar de su esencia original.

Incluye:

  • Una breve presentaciĂłn de la vida y obra del autor, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
  • El texto adaptado con una selecciĂłn de partes significativas de la obra en su versiĂłn original.
  • Una lista de palabras agrupadas por familias lĂ©xicas.
  • Una guĂ­a de comprensiĂłn lectora para elaborar un resumen de la lectura.
  • SelecciĂłn de momentos principales del relato en V.O.

Esta colecciĂłn permite al lector descubrir el placer del texto original y seguir los momentos principales del relato.

The Dark Tower Series Collection: The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, The Dark Tower

2005

by Stephen King

The Dark Tower Series Collection by Stephen King encompasses the entire journey through The Dark Tower series, from The Gunslinger to The Dark Tower. This epic collection is a must-have for fans of Stephen King and the series. It includes all seven books: The Gunslinger, The Drawing of the Three, The Waste Lands, Wizard and Glass, Wolves of the Calla, Song of Susannah, and The Dark Tower.

The Warrior Prophet

2005

by R. Scott Bakker

Book Two of The Prince of Nothing finds the Holy War continuing its inexorable march southward. But the suspicion begins to dawn that the real threat comes not from the infidel but from within...

Steering souls through the subtleties of word and expression, Kellhus strives to extend his dominion over the Men of the Tusk. The sorcerer Achamian and his lover, Esmenet, submit entirely, only to have their faith - and their love - tested in unimaginable ways. Meanwhile, the warrior Cnaiur falls ever deeper into madness. Convinced that Kellhus will betray their pact to murder his father, Cnaiur turns to the agents of the Second Apocalypse and strikes an infernal bargain.

The Holy War stands on a knife edge. If all is not to be lost, the great powers of the world will have to choose between their most desperate desires and the end of the world. Between hatred and hope. Between Anasurimbor Kellhus and the second apocalypse.

The Color of Magic

2005

by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett's profoundly irreverent, bestselling novels have garnered him a revered position in the halls of parody next to the likes of Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Carl Hiaasen. The Color of Magic is Terry Pratchett's maiden voyage through the now-legendary land of Discworld. This is where it all begins -- with the tourist Twoflower and his wizard guide, Rincewind.

On a world supported on the back of a giant turtle (sex unknown), a gleeful, explosive, wickedly eccentric expedition sets out. There's an avaricious but inept wizard, a naive tourist whose luggage moves on hundreds of dear little legs, dragons who only exist if you believe in them, and of course THE EDGE of the planet...

Loamhedge

2005

by Brian Jacques

The sixteenth full-length Redwall novel sheds light on the Abbey's ancient origins in a thrilling adventure. Loamhedge, the deserted Abbey, has been forgotten for countless seasons. What secrets do its ruins hold?

When it becomes clear that wheelchair-bound Martha might be cured by a formula buried there, two old warriors are inspired by the spirit of Martin the Warrior himself to go on a quest for the ancient Abbey, and three young rebels are determined to go with them.

Meanwhile, the giant badger Lonna Bowstripe thirsts for vengeance as he relentlessly pursues Raga Bl and his murdering crew of Searats... who are on their way to attack Redwall itself. The valiant Abbeybeasts must defend their home, but how can they, when their boldest warriors are away on their quest?

Will Redwall fall to vermin invaders at last? A rare glimpse into Redwall's history makes this volume a memorable addition to Jacques' epic. Fans will not be disappointed, and new readers will be eager to jump on board.

Black Sun Rising

2005

by C.S. Friedman

On the distant world of Erna, four people—a Priest, Adept, Sorcerer, and Apprentice—are drawn together to battle the forces of evil. These forces are led by the demonic fae, a soul-destroying force that preys on the human mind.

Blending science fiction and fantasy, the first book of the Coldfire Trilogy tells a dark tale of an alien world where nightmares are made manifest. Over a millennium ago, Erna—a seismically active yet beautiful world—was settled by colonists from far-distant Earth. But the seemingly habitable planet was fraught with perils no one could have foretold.

The colonists found themselves caught in a desperate battle for survival against the fae, a terrifying natural force with the power to prey upon the human mind itself, drawing forth a person's worst nightmare images or most treasured dreams and indiscriminately giving them life.

Twelve centuries after fate first stranded the colonists on Erna, mankind has achieved an uneasy stalemate, and human sorcerers manipulate the fae for their own profit, little realizing that demonic forces which feed upon such efforts are rapidly gaining in strength.

Now, as the hordes of the dark fae multiply, these four individuals are about to be drawn inexorably together for a mission which will force them to confront an evil beyond their imagining, in a conflict which will put not only their own lives but the very fate of humankind in jeopardy.

The System of the World

2005

by Neal Stephenson

The System of the World, the third and concluding volume of Neal Stephenson's shelf-bending Baroque Cycle (Quicksilver and The Confusion), brings the epic historical saga to its thrilling - and truly awe-inspiring - conclusion.

Set in the early 18th century and featuring a diverse cast of characters that includes alchemists, philosophers, mathematicians, spies, thieves, pirates, and royalty, The System of the World follows Daniel Waterhouse, an unassuming philosopher and confidant to some of the most brilliant minds of the age, as he returns to England to try and repair the rift between geniuses Sir Isaac Newton and Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. After reluctantly leaving his family in Boston, Waterhouse arrives in England and is almost killed by a mysterious Infernal Device. Having been away from the war-decimated country for two decades, Waterhouse quickly learns that although many things have changed, there is still violent revolution simmering just beneath the surface of seemingly civilized society. With Queen Anne deathly ill and Tories and Whigs jostling for political supremacy, Waterhouse and Newton vow to figure out who is trying to kill certain scientists and decipher the riddle behind the legend of King Solomon's gold, a mythical hoard of precious metal with miraculous properties.

Arguably one of the most ambitious -- and most researched -- stories ever written, Stephenson's Baroque Cycle is set in one of the most turbulent and exciting times in human history. Filled with wild adventure, political intrigue, social upheaval, civilization-changing discoveries, cabalistic mysticism, and even a little romance, this massive saga is worth its weight in (Solomon's) gold.

The Algebraist

2005

by Iain M. Banks

It is 4034 AD. Humanity has made it to the stars. Fassin Taak, a Slow Seer at the Court of the Nasqueron Dwellers, will be fortunate if he makes it to the end of the year.

The Nasqueron Dwellers inhabit a gas giant on the outskirts of the galaxy, in a system awaiting its wormhole connection to the rest of civilization. In the meantime, they are dismissed as decadents living in a state of highly developed barbarism, hoarding data without order, hunting their own young & fighting pointless formal wars.

Seconded to a military-religious order he's barely heard of—part of the baroque hierarchy of the Mercatoria, the latest galactic hegemony— Taak has to travel again amongst the Dwellers. He is in search of a secret hidden for half a billion years. But with each day that passes, a war draws closer—a war threatening to overwhelm everything & everyone he's ever known.

Eragon & Eldest

Eragon & Eldest are the first two books in the Inheritance Cycle series, weaving an epic tale of destiny and adventure.

In these bestselling novels, fifteen-year-old Eragon discovers his destiny as a Dragon Rider. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and his dragon, Saphira, must navigate the dangerous terrain and face dark enemies within an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Eragon's journey begins with the discovery of a mysterious stone that hatches into a dragon, thrusting him into a world of magic and power. As he travels to Ellesmera, the land of the elves, for training in magic and swordsmanship, he encounters awe-inspiring places and people. Each day brings fresh adventures, filled with chaos and betrayal.

With the rebel state saved from destruction, Eragon must now face even greater challenges, as his cousin Roran fights a battle back home. Can Eragon rise to the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders and fulfill his destiny?

Furies of Calderon

2005

by Jim Butcher

For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies - elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal. But now, Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, grows old and lacks an heir. Ambitious High Lords plot and maneuver to place their Houses in positions of power, and a war of succession looms on the horizon.

Far from city politics in the Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans' most savage enemy - the Marat - return to the Valley, he will discover that his destiny is much greater than he could ever imagine. Caught in a storm of deadly wind furies, Tavi saves the life of a runaway slave named Amara. But she is actually a spy for Gaius Sextus, sent to the Valley to gather intelligence on traitors to the Crown, who may be in league with the barbaric Marat horde. And when the Valley erupts in chaos - when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies - Amara will find Tavi's courage and resourcefulness to be a power greater than any fury - one that could turn the tides of war.

The Lions of Al-Rassan

2005

by Guy Gavriel Kay

The ruling Asharites of Al-Rassan have come from the desert sands, but over centuries, seduced by the sensuous pleasures of their new land, their stern piety has eroded. The Asharite empire has splintered into decadent city-states led by warring petty kings. King Almalik of Cartada is on the ascendancy, aided always by his friend and advisor, the notorious Ammar ibn Khairan — poet, diplomat, soldier — until a summer afternoon of savage brutality changes their relationship forever.

Meanwhile, in the north, the conquered Jaddites' most celebrated — and feared — military leader, Rodrigo Belmonte, driven into exile, leads his mercenary company south.

In the dangerous lands of Al-Rassan, these two men from different worlds meet and serve — for a time — the same master. Sharing their interwoven fate — and increasingly torn by her feelings — is Jehane, the accomplished court physician, whose own skills play an increasing role as Al-Rassan is swept to the brink of holy war, and beyond.

Hauntingly evocative of medieval Spain, The Lions of Al-Rassan is both a brilliant adventure and a deeply compelling story of love, divided loyalties, and what happens to men and women when hardening beliefs begin to remake — or destroy — a world.

Brilliance of the Moon

2005

by Lian Hearn

Brilliance of the Moon is the third book in the Tales of the Otori series by Lian Hearn. Set in the beautifully imagined medieval Japan, this thrilling follow-up to Grass for His Pillow and Across the Nightingale Floor delves deeper into the complex loyalties that bind its characters from birth.

Filled with adventure and surprising twists of plot and fortune, this final volume travels beyond the Three Countries, exploring the outside influences that threaten to intrude upon this isolated realm. Join Lord Otori Takeo and Lady Shirakawa Kaede as they navigate the challenges posed by the corrupt Otori lords, the newly-risen lord, and the Tribe, who have honed their supernatural skills to see Takeo defeated.

It is a climactic end to the trilogy, as painful and beautiful as all the rest. Experience the magic and intrigue of the Otori clan in this captivating tale.

Dragon Prince

2005

by Melanie Rawn

When Rohan became the new prince of the Desert, ruler of the kingdom granted to his family for as long as the Long Sands spewed fire, he took the crown with two goals in mind. First and foremost, he sought to bring permanent peace to his world of divided princedoms. And, in a land where dragon-slaying was a proof of manhood, Rohan was the sole champion of the dragons, fighting desperately to preserve the last remaining lords of the sky and with them a secret which might be the salvation of his people.

Sioned, the Sunrunner witch who was fated by Fire to be Rohan’s bride, had mastered the magic of sunlight and moonglow, catching hints of a yet to be formed pattern which could irrevocably affect the destinies of Sunrunners and ordinary mortals alike. Yet caught in the machinations of the Lady of Goddess Keep, and of Prince Rohan and his sworn enemy, the treacherously cunning High Prince, could Sioned alter this crucial pattern to protect her lord from the menace of a war that threatened to set the land ablaze?

This Thing of Darkness

2005

by Harry Thompson

The year is 1828. Brilliant young naval officer Robert FitzRoy is given the captaincy of HMS Beagle, surveying the wilds of Tierra del Fuego, aged just twenty-three. But FitzRoy hides a dark secret: hereditary manic depression that can strike at any time. He is seized by two ambitions — that he can prove, contrary to the spirit of the age, that black and white men are equal; and that he can prove the truth of the Book of Genesis.

To this end, he takes a passenger: a young trainee cleric and amateur geologist named Charles Darwin. This is the story of a deep friendship between two men, and the twin obsessions that tore it apart, leading one to triumph and the other to disaster.

This Thing of Darkness is not just an epic historical novel. By turns gripping, funny, satirical and heartbreaking, it is also a novel about race, religion, science, and colonialism that sheds many a light on the state of our world today. It is also one of history's great untold true stories, a tale of men under sail who were prepared to risk their very lives to get at the truth.

Lord Brocktree

2005

by Brian Jacques

The young haremaid Dotti and the badger-warrior Lord Brocktree—unlikely comrades—set out for Salamandastron together, only to discover the legendary mountain has been captured by the wildcat Ungatt Trunn and his Blue Hordes. To face them, the two must rally an army—hares and otters, shrews and moles, mice and squirrels—and execute a plan that makes up in cleverness what it lacks in force!

Perfect for fans of T. A. Barron’s Merlin saga, John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice series, and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings series.

The Half Brother

This Nordic Prize-winning novel is a truly gripping epic that relates the lives of four generations of a unique and strange family with touching intimacy and surreal comedy.

It traces four generations of a family marked by the untimely birth of Fred, a misfit and boxer conceived during a devastating rape. Fred forges an unusual friendship with his younger half-brother, Barnum. The story unfolds as Barnum, now a screenwriter with a fondness for lies and alcohol, narrates his family’s saga. He chronicles generations of independent women and absent and flawed men whom he calls the Night Men.

Among these characters is his father, Arnold, who bequeaths to Barnum his circus name, his excessively small stature, and a con man’s belief in the power of illusion. Filled with a galaxy of finely etched characters, this novel is a tour de force and a literary masterpiece richly deserving of the accolades it has received.

The Legend of Luke

2005

by Brian Jacques

The Legend of Luke is a captivating tale from the Redwall series, penned by the masterful storyteller Brian Jacques. This twelfth installment takes readers back in time, unveiling the legend of the first of the magnificent Redwall warriors—Luke, father of Martin.

Accompanied by Trimp the Hedgehog, Dinny Foremole, and Gonff—the ever-mischievous Prince of Mousethieves—Martin embarks on a perilous journey to the northland shore. It is here that his father abandoned him as a child.

Within the remains of a great red ship, broken and wedged high between stone pillars, Martin uncovers the story he has long sought: the tale of the evil pirate stoat, Vilu Daskar, and the valiant mousewarrior who pursued him relentlessly over the high seas, determined to destroy Vilu at all costs, even if it meant deserting his only son.

This story is a perfect adventure for fans of T. A. Barron’s Merlin saga, John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice, and J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. It's a swashbuckling adventure told with great gusto, immersing readers in a world of bravery and epic battles.

The Darkness That Comes Before

2005

by R. Scott Bakker

The Darkness That Comes Before is the enthralling first book in R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series. It masterfully crafts a world from scratch, complete with its own language, classes of people, cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals.


This world is scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both two thousand years past and two thousand years into the future. As untold thousands gather for a crusade, four individuals—a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus, part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerer, and a charismatic presence—ensnare two men and two women in their journey.


The Darkness That Comes Before is a gripping history of this great holy war, where like all histories, the survivors will write its conclusion.

The Never War

2005

by D.J. MacHale

Bobby Pendragon has visited the alternate dimension of Denduron and waded through the endangered underwater territory of Cloral. Now Bobby once again finds himself thrust beyond the boundaries of time and space into a place that seems somewhat familiar: First Earth.

Bobby and the Traveler from Cloral—Spader—have flumed to New York City, 1937, where they must uncover the evil Saint Dane’s newest plot. But is Bobby ready for the difficult choices ahead?

To Green Angel Tower

2005

by Tad Williams

To Green Angel Tower is the third book in Tad Williams' epic fantasy series, Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. As the evil minions of the undead Sithi Storm King prepare for the kingdom-shattering culmination of their dark sorceries, King Elias is drawn ever deeper into their nightmarish, spell-spun world.

Meanwhile, the loyal allies of Prince Josua desperately struggle to rally their forces at the Stone of Farewell. With time running out, the remaining members of the now devastated League of the Scroll have gathered there to unravel mysteries from the forgotten past in an attempt to find something to strike down their unslayable foe.

Whether or not they are successful, the call of battle will lead the valiant followers of Josua Lackhand on a memorable trek to the haunted halls of Asu'a itself - the Sithi's greatest stronghold.

Zorro

2005

by Isabel Allende

A swashbuckling adventure story that unveils for the first time how Diego de la Vega became the masked man we all know so well. Born in southern California late in the eighteenth century, Diego de la Vega is a child of two worlds. His father is an aristocratic Spanish military man turned landowner; his mother, a Shoshone warrior.

At the age of sixteen, Diego is sent to Spain, a country chafing under the corruption of Napoleonic rule. He soon joins La Justicia, a secret underground resistance movement devoted to helping the powerless and the poor. Between the New World and the Old, the persona of Zorro is formed, a great hero is born, and the legend begins.

After many adventures — duels at dawn, fierce battles with pirates at sea, and impossible rescues — Diego de la Vega, a.k.a. Zorro, returns to America to reclaim the hacienda on which he was raised and to seek justice for all who cannot fight for it themselves.

Eragon

One boy...
One dragon...
A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.

Paladin of Souls

In a land threatened by treacherous war and beset by demons, royal dowager Ista, released from the curse of madness and manipulated by an untrustworthy god, is plunged into a desperate struggle to preserve the endangered souls of a realm.

Three years have passed since the widowed Dowager Royina Ista found release from the curse of madness that kept her imprisoned in her family's castle of Valenda. Her newfound freedom is costly, bittersweet with memories, regrets, and guilty secrets — for she knows the truth of what brought her land to the brink of destruction.

Now, the road — escape — beckons. A simple pilgrimage, perhaps. Quite fitting for the Dowager Royina of all Chalion. Yet something else is free, too — something beyond deadly. To the north lies the vital border fortress of Porifors. Memories linger there as well, of wars and invasions and the mighty Golden General of Jokona. And someone, something, watches from across that border — humans, demons, gods.

Ista thinks her little party of pilgrims wanders at will. But whose? When Ista's retinue is unexpectedly set upon not long into its travels, a mysterious ally appears — a warrior nobleman who fights like a berserker. The temporary safety of her enigmatic champion's castle cannot ease Ista's mounting dread, however, when she finds his dark secrets are entangled with hers in a net of the gods' own weaving.

In her dreams, the threads are already drawing her to unforeseen chances, fateful meetings, fearsome choices. What the inscrutable gods commanded of her in the past brought her land to the brink of devastation. Now, once again, they have chosen Ista as their instrument. And again, for good or for ill, she must comply.

Stone of Farewell

2005

by Tad Williams

The second book in the trilogy that launched one of the most important fantasy writers of our time. It is a time of darkness, dread, and ultimate testing for the realm of Osten Ard, for the wild magic and terrifying minions of the undead Sithi ruler, Ineluki the Storm King, are spreading their seemingly undefeatable evil across the kingdom. With the very land blighted by the power of Ineluki’s wrath, the tattered remnants of a once-proud human army flee in search of a last sanctuary and rallying point—the Stone of Farewell, a place shrouded in mystery and ancient sorrow.

And even as Prince Josua seeks to rally his scattered forces, Simon and the surviving members of the League of the Scroll are desperately struggling to discover the truth behind an almost-forgotten legend, which will take them from the fallen citadels of humans to the secret heartland of the Sithi—where near-immortals must at last decide whether to ally with the race of men in a final war against those of their own blood.

The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour

This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.

With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire.

All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur’s vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history.

In the tradition of naval epics, James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history—and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory.

The Dragonbone Chair

2005

by Tad Williams

A war fueled by the powers of dark sorcery is about to engulf the peaceful land of Osten Ard—for Prester John, the High King, lies dying. And with his death, the Storm King, the undead ruler of the elf-like Sithi, seizes the chance to regain his lost realm through a pact with the newly ascended king. Knowing the consequences of this bargain, the king’s younger brother joins with a small, scattered group of scholars, the League of the Scroll, to confront the true danger threatening Osten Ard.

Simon, a kitchen boy from the royal castle unknowingly apprenticed to a member of this League, will be sent on a quest that offers the only hope of salvation, a deadly riddle concerning long-lost swords of power. Compelled by fate and perilous magics, he must leave the only home he’s ever known and face enemies more terrifying than Osten Ard has ever seen, even as the land itself begins to die.

Vampire War Trilogy

2005

by Darren Shan

The nightmare continues... Vampire War Trilogy comprising: Hunters of the Dusk, Allies of the Night and Killers of the Dawn. Join Darren Shan's descent into the darkness.

In Hunters of the Dusk, Darren Shan leaves Vampire Mountain on a life or death mission. Darren scours the world in search of the Vampaneze Lord, but the road ahead is lined with the bodies of the damned.

In Allies of the Night, Darren Shan faces his worst nightmare yet - school! But bodies are piling up, and the past is catching up with the hunters fast!

In Killers of the Dawn, Darren Shan becomes public enemy Number One. As the vampires prepare for deadly confrontation - is this the end for Darren and his allies?

Black: The Birth of Evil

2005

by Ted Dekker

Enter an adrenaline-laced epic where dreams and reality collide. Fleeing his assailants through deserted alleyways, Thomas Hunter narrowly escapes to the roof of a building. Then a silent bullet from the night clips his head...and his world goes black.

From the blackness comes an amazing reality of another world—a world where evil is contained. A world where Thomas Hunter is in love with a beautiful woman. Then he remembers the dream of the chase as he reaches to touch the blood on his head.

Where does the dream end and reality begin? Every time he falls asleep in one world, he awakes in the other—both facing catastrophic disaster. Thomas is being pushed beyond his limits...even beyond the limits of space and time.

Black is an incredible story of evil and rescue, betrayal and love, pursuit and death, and a terrorist's threat unlike anything the human race has ever known.

Some say the world hangs in the balance of every choice we make. Now the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance of one man's choice.

Marlfox

2005

by Brian Jacques

A villainous new presence is aprowl in Mossflower Woods—the Marlfoxes. Stealthy and mysterious, they are out to plunder and destroy everything in their path. And when they reach Redwall Abbey, they ruthlessly steal the most precious treasure of all—the tapestry of Martin the Warrior.

It takes Dann Reguba and Song Swifteye, children of warrior squirrels, to follow in their fathers' heroic footsteps. Together with the young shrew Dippler, and Burble the brave watervole, they embark upon the seemingly impossible quest...

Gardens of the Moon

2005

by Steven Erikson

The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.

For Sergeant Whiskeyjack and his squad of Bridgeburners, and for Tattersail, surviving cadre mage of the Second Legion, the aftermath of the siege of Pale should have been a time to mourn the many dead. But Darujhistan, last of the Free Cities of Genabackis, yet holds out. It is to this ancient citadel that Laseen turns her predatory gaze.

However, it would appear that the Empire is not alone in this great game. Sinister, shadowbound forces are gathering as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand... Conceived and written on a panoramic scale, Gardens of the Moon is epic fantasy of the highest order--an enthralling adventure by an outstanding new voice.

The Fall of Lucifer

2005

by Wendy Alec

Three Archangels...Three Brothers...One turned renegade

A sweeping epic of origins and mysteries, The Fall of Lucifer tells a tale older than the universe itself. Set in opulent palaces and frightening hell worlds, this is a timeless saga of doubt, of demons and angelic warriors, of obsessive love and treason, and of an ancient evil that knows no bounds.

Soon the universe itself will be rocked by war...

A war between three angelic brothers. A war fought for the greatest prize in the universe: the race of men.

Stonehenge

Bestselling author Bernard Cornwell takes us back four thousand years, to a vibrant world of ritual and sacrifice that is at once timeless and wholly original. This historical novel unlocks the mystery of Britain's most haunting and puzzling structure and tells a tale of three brothers—fierce rivals—who are uneasily united in their quest to create a temple to their gods.

Lengar, the eldest brother, kills his own father to become chief of his tribe. Camaban, the illegitimate middle brother, is determined to have a massive temple built in his own honor. And Saban, the youngest, who actually builds Stonehenge, must act as mediator between the other two.

Stonehenge is the enthrallingly dramatic story of patricide, betrayal, and murder; of bloody brotherly rivalry; and of the never-ending quest for power, wealth, and spiritual fulfillment.

Fool's Fate

2004

by Robin Hobb

In the final book in the Tawny Man Trilogy, Fitz and the Fool are tested more severely than ever in a book the Monroe News-Star calls “a breathtaking ride from beginning to end.” FitzChivalry Farseer has become firmly ensconced in the queen’s court. Along with his mentor, Chade, and the simpleminded yet strongly skilled Thick, Fitz strives to aid Prince Dutiful on a quest that could secure peace with the Out Islands—and win Dutiful the hand of the Narcheska Elliania.

The Narcheska has set the prince an unfathomable task: to behead a dragon trapped in ice on the isle of Aslevjal. Yet not all the clans of the Out Islands support their effort. Are there darker forces at work behind Elliania’s demand? Knowing that the Fool has foretold he will die on the island of ice, Fitz plots to leave his dearest friend behind. But fate cannot so easily be defied.

The Bloody Crown of Conan

In his hugely influential and tempestuous career, Robert E. Howard created the genre that came to be known as sword and sorcery—and brought to life one of fantasy’s boldest and most enduring figures: Conan the Cimmerian—reaver, slayer, barbarian, king.

This lavishly illustrated volume gathers together three of Howard’s longest and most famous Conan stories—two of them printed for the first time directly from Howard’s typescript—along with a collection of the author’s previously unpublished and rarely seen outlines, notes, and drafts.

The People of the Black Circle
Amid the towering crags of Vendhya, in the shadowy citadel of the Black Circle, Yasmina of the golden throne seeks vengeance against the Black Seers. Her only ally is also her most formidable enemy—Conan, the outlaw chief.

The Hour of the Dragon
Toppled from the throne of Aquilonia by the evil machinations of an undead wizard, Conan must find the fabled jewel known as the Heart of Ahriman to reclaim his crown... and save his life.

A Witch Shall Be Born
A malevolent witch of evil beauty. An enslaved queen. A kingdom in the iron grip of ruthless mercenaries. And Conan, who plots deadly vengeance against the human wolf who left him in the desert to die.

Test of the Twins

Defying the fate that claimed his evil predecessor, Raistlin opens the Portal to the Abyss and passes through. With Crysania at his side, he engages the Queen of Darkness in a battle for the ultimate prize—a seat among the gods.

At the same time, Caramon and Tasslehoff are transported to the future. There, they come to understand the consequences of Raistlin's quest—and Caramon at last realizes the painful sacrifice he must make to prevent his brother's success. Old friends and strange allies come together to aid him, but Caramon must take the last, greatest step alone: the first step into the Abyss.

White: The Great Pursuit

2004

by Ted Dekker

White: The Great Pursuit takes readers on a thrilling adventure as Thomas, the leader of a small ragtag group known as The Circle, faces new enemies and never-ending challenges. In this epic tale, Thomas battles on two different worlds - one threatened by a deadly virus and the other by a forbidden love that could destroy everything The Circle stands for.

Join Thomas on a heroic journey filled with love and sacrifice, where the lines between good and evil blur, and every decision could mean life or death. This gripping story is sure to captivate anyone who loves epic quests and tales of heroism.

The General in His Labyrinth

Gabriel García Márquez's most political novel is the tragic story of General Simón Bolívar, the man who tried to unite a continent.

Bolívar, known in six Latin American countries as the Liberator, is one of the most revered heroes of the western hemisphere; in García Márquez's brilliant reimagining, he is magnificently flawed as well.

The novel follows BolĂ­var as he takes his final journey in 1830 down the Magdalena River toward the sea, revisiting the scenes of his former glory and lamenting his lost dream of an alliance of American nations. Forced from power, dogged by assassins, and prematurely aged and wasted by a fatal illness, the General is still a remarkably vital and mercurial man.

He seems to remain alive by the sheer force of will that led him to so many victories in the battlefields and love affairs of his past. As he wanders in the labyrinth of his failing powers—and still-powerful memories—he defies his impending death until the last.

The General in His Labyrinth is an unforgettable portrait of a visionary from one of the greatest writers of our time.

Moloka'i

2004

by Alan Brennert

This richly imagined novel, set in Hawai'i more than a century ago, is an extraordinary epic of a little-known time and place---and a deeply moving testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. Rachel Kalama, a spirited seven-year-old Hawaiian girl, dreams of visiting far-off lands like her father, a merchant seaman. Then one day a rose-colored mark appears on her skin, and those dreams are stolen from her. Taken from her home and family, Rachel is sent to Kalaupapa, the quarantined leprosy settlement on the island of Moloka'i. Here her life is supposed to end---but instead she discovers it is only just beginning. With a vibrant cast of vividly realized characters, Moloka'i is the true-to-life chronicle of a people who embraced life in the face of death. Such is the warmth, humor, and compassion of this novel that "few readers will remain unchanged by Rachel's story" (mostlyfiction.com).

The Long Patrol

2004

by Brian Jacques

The murderous Rapscallion army is on the move. Dealt a humiliating defeat by Lady Cregga Rose Eyes, the Badger Lady of Salamandastron, who still pursues them, the Rapscallions are heading inland to take an even greater prize: the peaceful Abbey of Redwall.


The elite fighting unit of hares, the Long Patrol, is called out to draw them off. At the forefront is the young hare Tammo, the lead sword in one of the most ferocious battles Redwall has ever faced, ready to fight to the death!


An absorbing plot, robust characterization, and detailed description make this novel a page-turner.

Triss

2004

by Brian Jacques

Triss is a brave squirrelmaid, enslaved by the evil ferret King Agarnu and his daughter, Princess Kurda. Along with Shogg the otter and Welfo the hedgehog, she plans a daring escape by sea.

In her flights, Triss happens upon Redwall, where the abbey creatures discover a new hero in her. Someone bold enough to carry the sword of Martin and confront the evil that threatens them.

This tale is filled with scrumptious feasts, rollicking humor, swashbuckling heroes, faithful friends, and treacherous villains. These elements magically combine through three intertwined action-packed plots into one unforgettable, spellbinding story.

Birds Without Wings

In his first novel since Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernières creates a world and populates it with characters as real as our best friends, launching it into the maelstrom of twentieth-century history.

The setting is a small village in southwestern Anatolia in the waning years of the Ottoman Empire. Everyone there speaks Turkish, though they write it in Greek letters. It’s a place that has room for a professional blasphemer; where a brokenhearted aga finds solace in the arms of a Circassian courtesan who isn’t Circassian at all; where a beautiful Christian girl named Philothei is engaged to a Muslim boy named Ibrahim. But all of this will change when Turkey enters the modern world.

Epic in sweep, intoxicating in its sensual detail, Birds Without Wings is an enchantment.

Fire and Ice

2004

by Erin Hunter

Deep in the heart of the forest, four clans of warrior cats coexist in uneasy harmony -- but uncertain times are upon them, and dangers threaten the precarious balance of the forest. Fireheart is a ThunderClan warrior cat now, but his troubles are far from over. As the chill of winter sets in, the cats of rival RiverClan grow restless, while WindClan is weak and facing threats from all sides. As tensions build to an explosive climax, Fireheart faces not only imminent battle, but betrayal from within his own Clan.

Naked Empire

2004

by Terry Goodkind

Naked Empire is a thrilling continuation of Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, which has captivated millions worldwide. In this broad-canvas adventure, we delve into a world of epic intrigue, violent conflict, and terrifying peril.

The story follows Richard Rahl, who has been poisoned. The price of the antidote is nothing less than saving an entire empire from annihilation. With the shadow of death looming near and the empire crumbling before invading hordes, time is running out.

Richard is offered not only his own life but the salvation of a people, in exchange for delivering his beloved wife, Kahlan Amnell, into bondage to the enemy. This heart-wrenching choice forms the crux of a tale filled with magical intrigue and heroic quests.

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