First Cycle

In the autumn of 2020 Ned Boulting (ITV head cycling commentator and Tour de France obsessive) bought a length of Pathé news film from a London auction house. All he knew was it was film from the Tour de France, a long time ago. Once restored it became clear it was a short sequence of shots from stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France. No longer than 2.5 minutes long, it featured half a dozen sequences, including a lone rider crossing a bridge. Ned set about learning everything he could about the sequence – studying each frame, face and building – until he had squeezed the meaning from it.

It’s the 22nd century. The galaxy has opened up to humanity as a hyperactive beehive of stargates and new technologies, and we suddenly find ourselves in a vast playground of different races, environments, and cultures. There’s just one catch: We are pretty much at the bottom of the food chain.

The town of Northfall, Minnesota, will never be the same. Meteors cratered hardwood forests and annihilated homes, and among the wreckage a new metal was discovered. This “omnimetal” has properties that make it world-changing as an energy source…and a weapon. John Frontier returns for his sister’s wedding to find his family embroiled in a cutthroat war to control mineral rights and mining operations. His father rightly suspects foreign leaders and competing corporations of sabotage, but the greatest threat to his legacy might be the US government.

Riding a motorcycle offers a sense of freedom unlike any other. But there's a lot you need to know before heading out on your first trip. Your First Motorcycle is a beginner's guide to the best, safest, and most cost-effective ways to start riding motorcycles. Experienced instructor and enthusiast Lee Heaver takes new bikers from zero to 60. Filled with entertaining anecdotes, this audio takes all the difficulty out of learning to ride, and gives listeners the confidence to safely hit the highways and meet new amazing people.

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union's most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union's citizenry. Except for Jessica Francis. Not only is she the newest Peacemaker, Jessica is also the first Human Peacemaker, and she commands the respect of few, both inside and outside the Peacemaker's Guild. No one believes humanity is ready to take on the mantle of being a Peacemaker, and Jessica is stuck flying a desk. That is, until a species-induction mission comes along, and she is in the right time and place to get assigned to it.

Every winter—a season that lasts a decade and a half - the Earthmen have neighbours: the humanoid hilfs, a nomadic people who only settle down for the cruel cold spell. The hilfs fear the Earthmen, whom they think of as witches, and call the farborns. But both peoples have common enemies: the hordes of ravaging barbarians called gaals, and eerie preying snow ghouls. Can the hilfs and the farborns overcome their mutual suspicions and join forces? Or will they both be annihilated?

In the tradition of The Boys in the Boat and Seabiscuit, a fascinating portrait of a groundbreaking but forgotten figure - the remarkable Major Taylor, the Black man who broke racial barriers by becoming the world’s fastest and most famous bicyclist at the height of the Jim Crow era.

Peacemakers. The Galactic Union's most capable enforcers and resolute negotiators, their name alone elicits fear and awe among the Union's citizenry. Having completed a harrowing confirmation mission, Jessica Francis stands ready to become Earth's first Peacemaker and believes obtaining her commission is a mere formality. However, certain members of the Guild question her ability. Worried that she'll fall back on her mercenary ways, they want Jessica to prove her mettle.

“What’s wrong?” The bigger geroo asked, twisting Kanti’s helmet free. “Can’t breathe?” The commissioner accidentally let his last cleaning crew starve to death. So now, Kanti and 49 of his teammates will have to spend the rest of their lives in a one-room barracks, with only a single airlock protecting them from the planet’s poisonous atmosphere. Surrounded by towering monsters, on a world where the very air is lethal, mysterious burrowing strangers are pushing the crew into a panic. Will Kanti be able to keep them from tearing each other apart?

The comet, Cain, came from beyond our solar system, its debris containing elements unknown. Now, in the isolated region of Fairbanks, Alaska, the skies shift and stretch as an interstellar dust cloud seeds the atmosphere. When a plane shudders its way through pulpy, swirling, bruise-shaped clouds, lit with sudden cracks of lightning, the sky opens and the aircraft vanishes…but only for a minute. When the flight lands, everyone on board and in the community will be changed forever.

Kanti had spent many sleepless nights torturing himself with thoughts of the day when he would give up on returning to Tish. Old and grey, back-stooped from decades of labor, he would try to get up out of bed, and change his mind. Why bother? He couldn’t have been more wrong. He was still young, his pelt still tanned, and his back didn’t hurt when he rose. Everything had conspired to keep the two lovers apart: rivals, foes, distance. Now, he needs his friends’ help more than ever if he wants his old life back.

Five hundred years have passed, and Earth is but a distant memory, a story told to children. Bellatrix is humanity’s home now, as well as its future. When the alien race responsible for mankind’s rescue returned, humanity found that its rescue came at a price—it had to serve its alien masters to repay that act, and the Chosen were formed.

We use words like "honor", "loyalty", and "tradition" to talk about our families. But behind closed doors, if you listen closely enough, you can hear the muffled sounds of suffering. If you are one of those people, take heart in knowing you are not alone. The good news is that you have a choice. You can decide to do things differently, even if it means being the first in your family to do so. Join Felicia Harris and unburden yourself of the weight of family ideals, influences, and imperfections by choosing to believe that what you've always known is not all there is.

A Door Once Closed… Now Waits to Open Again. Every year, on the same night, at precisely 3:33 AM, someone vanishes from the town of Black Hollow—without a trace. No bodies. No explanations. Just whispers of an ancient phenomenon known as The Vanishing Hour. Investigative journalist Evelyn Cade never believed in ghost stories. But when she receives a cryptic message from Cassandra Moore, a woman who disappeared a year ago, she is thrust into a mystery darker than anything she has ever uncovered. The message is simple, chilling, and impossible: "Find the Vanishing Hour." Determined to ...

Introducing "Life Cycle of Martins," your comprehensive guide to the captivating, yet often overlooked world of these incredible avian creatures. Immerse yourself in the pages of this engaging Kindle eBook and soar to new heights as you uncover the intricate life cycle, migration patterns, and unique behaviors of Martins. Delicately crafted, this enthralling narrative embarks upon a journey into the enchanting life of these winged wonders, ensuring it caters to every curiosity. From the basics of the various types of Martins to the stunning and incredible transformation of their life cycle,...

"Tour de France Basics: The Essential Guide for First-Time Spectators, 2nd Edition" is the ultimate resource for North American enthusiasts eager to delve into the world's most famous cycling race. This extensively revised and expanded 2nd edition is meticulously crafted to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the Tour de France, ensuring you can relish every moment of the race. Whether you're a devoted cycling aficionado or a casual observer, this upgraded guide equips you with all the essential knowledge required to follow the race with heightened appreciation. From delving ...

After three long years in exile, Nalia is ready to return to her homeland and sit on the throne that is rightfully hers. But the gods might have other plans. Forced to endure untold horrors on the journey to Arjinna, Nalia learns that it will take more than cutting down the tyrant Calar to get her crown.

Agent Terrence Kovacs has worked for the New Petersburg Counter-Intel Department propagating fake UFO stories for so long that even he has a hard time separating fact from fiction. Especially when he's approached by a beautiful woman named Vita, who claims she's been sent from another planet to liberate Earth.

Book One of the Tharion Cycle In the mist-drenched marshes of a dying empire, the land begins to forget—and so do the people. As Rome crumbles in Britain’s farthest province, a hidden girl with starlit blood begins to dream of a Bell that tolls not in sound, but in memory. Caelwyn has lived her whole life in Elderglen, veiled from the world, raised by a seer who speaks in silence. But when the mists thicken and the rune-stones begin to hum, she’s forced from hiding—into a world where names vanish, roads shift, and even time no longer flows as it should.

This authorised biography places Maurice Burton at the forefront of the British sporting narrative as a pioneer in our collective cultural history. It traces his experiences as the child of a Windrush-generation father and an English mother growing up in London, before moving across to the European six-day circuit, and his eventual return to South London in 1984, where he became a successful business owner and community leader.