Ancient Saga

In the dark of night, a covert group of bandits enters the village of Rekeem and kidnaps Rasha, daughter of the great Abdali-ud-din leader, Zafir. They seek a hefty ransom, and know Zafir will sacrifice everything to win back the safety of his beloved daughter. But it's not just Zafir who wants to find her. Bassam, Zafir's young protégé in the caravans, is deeply in love with Rasha. And he will let nothing stop him from finding her - even a perilous journey - even death.

While wandering the market at The Thing, Elin Korisdottir encounters a mysterious and handsome man. The attraction is strong, rousing recollections of girlhood fantasies of a brave warrior who would make her his own. Was he the one? Her hopes are soon dashed by the news her father has arranged a marriage to another in order to make an alliance. Desperate to find a way out, Elin determines she has one chance to break the agreement. Will it work?

While wisdom is something to be accrued through experience and knowledge, "500 Quotes to Learn Wisdom from Classical Greek Philosophers" offers a shortcut. Dipping into the minds of some of the most revered thinkers of Ancient Greece, this book is packed with insights, reflections, and observations sure to inspire and stimulate thought. A superb gift for anyone with an inquiring mind. Considered one of the founders of Western and Greek philosophy, Plato (243 BC – 347 BC) was born in Athens. Many of his works are still studied to this day.

In this gripping historical fiction dating back to the first millennium, follow the journey of the Amalekites, a persecuted people forced to flee their homeland in the face of brutal oppression from the Saracens. Led by the charismatic Prince Oduduwa, who rises to become their spiritual leader after the brutalisation of his wife and slaughter of his family, the Amalekites embark on a perilous journey across the unforgiving Sahara Desert in search of a promised land where they can freely practice their Orisha faith. Guided by his mentor, Priest Asara, and aided by the enigmatic Priestess ...

First published in 1752, "Micromegas" is one of Voltaire’s best-known works. It is a tale of mordant irony, and actually the original science-fiction short story. Arriving on Earth from the star Sirius, the gigantic explorer Micromegas discovers the people of Earth, so small compared to him that he first believes that no creature this size can hope to achieve any degree of intelligence; he will soon discover the ways and thoughts of these diminutive people, who clearly have an over-inflated idea of their own importance in the universe. Voltaire's extrapolations of sun-powered interstellar flight, alien civilizations, and the two moons of Mars, are designed to make us see ourselves in a new light and laugh at what we find.

In the twilight of the Roman Empire, treachery lurks as close as the city’s marble halls, and danger waits at the gates. A disillusioned centurion clings to his sense of duty, a resourceful noblewoman risks everything to protect her family’s legacy, and a fierce gladiator fights for freedom in the blood-soaked arena. Their fates collide when whispers of an ancient relic—rumored to hold the key to Rome’s salvation—ignite a desperate race against time.

From the dark corners of his throne to the troubled heart of his kingdom, 'Sword and Stone' is a gripping saga chronicling the reign of King Okanbi, a monarch whose fury and power knew no bounds. King Okanbi's tempestuous rule is marred by cruelty and bloodshed. The narrative takes us on a harrowing journey through forbidden romances, internal strife, spiritual awakenings, and revelations of blood. High Priestess Mariami carries the heavy mantle of guiding a kingdom divided by the king's cruel edicts. In this brutal world, rebellion simmers against the tyrant king's regime, pitting family ...

Though the world came to know of the Norse and their legends through Roman interaction at about the time of Christ, most of what we came to know were handed-down from folk tales gathered by native writers like Snorri Sturluson (c. 1179 - 1241). This was from a time when the Norse had already been converted to Christianity.

They may have won the prize, but will any of them make it home alive? Jason has fulfilled the mission set for him by his uncle, the scheming King Pelias of Iolkos: he and the Argonauts have won the fabled Golden Fleece of Colchis. Jason dreams of glory – of taking his uncle's throne, rightfully his – and, like his warrior shipmates, of home. But it is not only Pelias who wishes Jason ill. Before the Argonauts can make it back to Iolkos, they must contend with a legion of foes who would see them dead – and a web of allies who are not quite what they seem.

"Les fleurs du mal", in english "The Flowers of Evil", is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire. The poems deal with themes relating to decadence and eroticism. The author and the publisher were prosecuted in France under the regime of the Second Empire as an "outrage aux bonnes mœurs" ("an insult to public decency"). Because of this prosecution, Baudelaire was fined 300 francs. Victor Hugo announced that Baudelaire had created "un nouveau frisson" (a new shudder, a new thrill) in literature.

India, 3400 BCE. A land in tumult, poverty and chaos. Most people suffer quietly. A few rebel. Some fight for a better world. Some for themselves. Some don't give a damn. Raavan. Fathered by one of the most illustrious sages of the time. Blessed by the Gods with talents beyond all. Cursed by fate to be tested to the extremes. A formidable teenage pirate, he is filled with equal parts courage, cruelty and fearsome resolve. A resolve to be a giant among men, to conquer, plunder, and seize the greatness that he thinks is his right.

Was haben die Römer sich dabei gedacht, als sie zu Beginn des 2. Jahrhunderts n. Chr. ihre Welt buchstäblich mit Brettern vernagelten und ihr Weltreich, mit Türmen, Palisaden, Gräben und Mauern umfriedeten? War es die Angst vor den wilden Barbarenhorden, eine Beschäftigungstherapie für gelangweilte Soldaten in Friedenszeiten oder eine monumentale Machtdemonstration? Oder war der Limes vielleicht nur der größte Gartenzaun der Welt?

Discovering that his Sheen lady has been sadistically killed, Kyre sets out to avenge her death, equally pitilessly. But will the quarrelling members of the ruling Volko family allow him to have his own way in anything? Is the path he treads a defiant whim, or the destiny his star has chosen for him? Can he find which of the stars is his? Or is he – as all tell him – truly from The Pit? The demands of the Rua Sisterhood mount up, and he has to find ways to satisfy them, while attempting to hold out against the massing enemies of the Lordlands realm – the rebellious provincial lords; ...

As Kyre returns to Lordstown, what awaits him? If he can escape the riotous charms of Lind-on-Hill, will it be his Troop of high-born guerrilla fighters, bent of ridiculing him, betraying him, or begging him to lead them into battle again? Or will the lord's powerful, scheming wife, the Lady Delfindiana have tasks for him? Tasks that could break him, or make him a fortune in silver, or lord of a second province within the Lordlands? Is it violence and vengeance that await him in Sabri Province? And in Bati? Lost children; thieving travelling entertainers; a doomed wedding; meeting an old/...

Last seen in the bar at Bowfield Spring, warily surrendering to Kellimar Sord’s challenging invitation to go through the doors to the bedroom areas, Kyre felt akin to a sinking ship, recalling the Blood Eagle, the EagleWing that had been hovering over the buildings when he entered. ‘It wasn’t out there for no purpose,’ he was thinking. And now, he awakens, not knowing where he is, trying to piece together the happenings that almost killed him. If he recovers from his injuries, what might await him should he return to Lordstown? the voluptuous, but perfidious arms of the Rua ...

Since being publicly betrayed, Hradi has despaired of ever finding a woman to trust. He is suspicious of the arrival of the Völur, the group of witches claiming to bring blessings from the gods. Because the young maiden faints at the sight of him, he is certain she fears him, even as he is drawn to her innocence.

"The Iliad" tells the epic story of the war of Troy and its ten-year siege, bloody battles and great heroes. The mighty warrior Achilles, whose mother held him by the heel while immerging him in the river Styx to make him invulnerable, his brave companion Patroclus, kings and gods compete alike for the glory of ancient Greece, which is still resonating today.

"Les Fleurs du mal", in english "The Flowers of Evil" is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire. First published in 1857 it was important in the symbolist and modernist movements. The poems deal with themes relating to decadence and eroticism. Baudelaire dedicated the book to the poet Théophile Gautier, describing him as a "parfait magicien des lettres françaises" ("a perfect magician of French letters").The author and the publisher were prosecuted under the regime of the Second Empire as an "outrage aux bonnes mœurs" ("an insult to public decency").

Caecilia, Roman born but Etruscan wed, forsakes Rome to return to her husband, Vel Mastarna, exposing herself to the enmity of his people while knowing the Romans will give her a traitor's death if Veii falls. Semni, a reckless Etruscan servant in the House of Mastarna, embroils herself in schemes that threaten Caecilia's son and Semni's own chance for love. Pinna, a destitute Roman prostitute, uses coercion to gain the attention of Rome's greatest general at the risk of betraying Caecilia's cousin.

Across continents and centuries, will Petra and Raya be able to protect their wolf pack from dangerous rivals...and even from extinction? Petra, the younger sister of Eleanor of Aquitaine, flees the country to escape the judgment of royal society for her broken marriage and fall from grace with the Church. Her life, now in shambles, takes an unexpected turn when a werewolf attack marks the beginning of a new adventure—and a love affair with Raya, the former lover of the bloodthirsty Elizabet Bathory, from whom he’s fleeing. Together, these two unlikely shifters bond to form a formidable...