High Medieval

In this indispensable volume, one of America's ranking scholars combines a life's work of research and teaching with the art of lively narration. Both authoritative and beautifully told, The Middle Ages is the full story of the thousand years between the fall of Rome and the Renaissance - a time that saw the rise of kings and emperors, the flowering of knighthood, the development of Europe, the increasing power of the Catholic Church, and the advent of the middle class.

In a 2010 terrorist plot, Al-Qaeda hid a bomb in a FedEx shipment addressed to Reynald de Chatillon, a knight who had died centuries ago in the Crusades. A reviled figure in Islamic history, often portrayed as the very epitome of brutality, Reynald remains as controversial - and as vividly present in the minds of many in the Middle East - as the story of the Crusades themselves.

Falstaff is both a comic and tragic central protagonist in Shakespeare's three Henry plays. He is companion to Prince Hal (the future Henry V), who loves him, goads him, teases him, indulges his vast appetites, and commits all sorts of mischief with him. Award-winning author and esteemed professor Harold Bloom examines Falstaff with the deepest compassion and sympathy and also with unerring wisdom. He uses the relationship between Falstaff and Hal to explore the devastation of severed bonds and the heartbreak of betrayal.

This Long Form Edition includes all 3 parts of The Brall Empire: +Fred series.Fred's life was on autopilot, but that abruptly changed. He finds himself in a new world, with strange people and fearsome monsters. The Brall take one look at Fred and expect him to die within hours. However, there is more to Fred than even he knows. He struggles to stay alive, as he uses his knowledge from Earth to strengthen the fragmented Brall Empire. Along the way, he gains powerful allies and inadvertently provokes and inspires a ruthless General. Can Fred save the Brall and bring stability to the Empire? ...

Harmony can be hard to achieve. As the spell inside Elaria begins to burn out, taking her with it, she becomes desperate to find the third lover the spell needs to fuel itself. But love isn't the only thing eluding her. Someone is setting monsters loose on Earth, and even her spellsinging seems to be failing her. Can she stop the attacks before the spell stops her heart? Playlists for every book in the Spellsinger Series can be found on Spotify under Amy Sumida, or by searching for the book title.

War is a forge that melts the strongest steel. The saga continues in WRATH AND RUIN, where destinies collide and empires tremble, leading to a breathtaking climax that will change the world forever. As Bethany steps into her role as house diviner to the powerful Conways, long-buried secrets resurface, threatening not only her new life but the fragile balance of power. She will have to choose—between her growing bond with Xander and her desire to keep her two lives separate, while the backdrop of war thrusts her into the spotlight and a realm of battles and mortal danger. With Queen Zhuana...

"Magic and other races really add to the magnificent story!" –Auburn, Vine Voice "Great dark fantasy!" -Vine Voice "If you love Tolkien, as I do, you will love this book." -Veronica Richards "Fantasy done right!" -Kindle Reviewer Ancient evil crawls from the dark. The great river of magic threatened. An epic struggle to prevail. Wielding the strongest magic ever known to Astura, Crystalyn faces the hooded man’s ruthless determination to annihilate a peaceful race dwelling within the vibrant beauty of an ancient vale. Ultimately, she faces a desperate choice: hunt down a former dear ...

Book One. A bedtime story about the Adventures of the Abbey Mice. For children who love to allow their imaginations to run free.

A thrilling tale of seduction, power, and betrayal, Master Nicolo plunges readers into a world where survival demands ruthless choices, and nothing is as it seems. Master Nicolo, known as "The Unbreakable," is more than a legend—he's an unstoppable force with a deadly reputation. As protector to Prince Balduin, Nicolo’s skill in combat and his preternatural instincts make him a man you don’t cross. But beneath his terrifying exterior lies a haunted past, where his friendship with a dying prince lifted him from poverty and set his fate in motion. For me, an assassin with orders to kill...

The World-Strider goes to Heaven! As a Queen, Seren has been able to do a lot of good for her people, both humans and fairies. She's especially proud of her Fairy Fostering Program which places orphaned or abandoned children with childless fey couples. So when children who have been selected for the program go missing, Seren immediately launches an investigation. But while she searches for the missing children, Angels are searching for her. A cave carving in Hell gave Seren the title of World-Strider, foretelling her visit to each of the known worlds. She has set foot on all but one, and ...

Everything hinges on the success of Dougray and Robbie, orphaned brothers and fugitives, to lead King Morgran’s soldiers on a wild goose chase to the Groaning Rocks, a place of demented souls. Attacked by a black dragon, they are rescued and given shelter by Alysam, an exile from Alpinia. But all is not well. Dougray is infected with dragon venom and begins to turn to stone. A desperate race for survival begins as the dragon pursues them through the underground passageways. Found by Navarre, last of the Healers, Dougray is restored to health and the brothers are then offered a place of ...

Cleopatra is one of the most famous women in history - and thanks to Shakespeare, one of the most intriguing personalities in literature. Award-winning writer and beloved professor Harold Bloom delivers exhilarating clarity and invites us to look at this character as a flawed human who might be living in our world. He also explores his own personal relationship to the character: Just as we encounter one Anna Karenina or Jay Gatsby when we are in high school and college and another when we are adults, Bloom explains his shifting understanding of Cleopatra over the course of his own lifetime.

Profoundly poetic yet gloriously accessible, this is the best way to experience a work that has remained a centerpiece of Western civilization for 2,000 years. Fitzgerald's rendering speaks directly to the modern listener, inviting us to share the excitement, adventure, and human tears as Aeneas, the warrior hero, escapes from the burning city of Troy, embarks on a long and perilous journey, and eventually, triumphantly establishes a new nation: Rome.

Book Three. The Abbey Mice and the Haunted Castle. For children who love to let their imaginations run free. With a haunted Castle in Cornwall, smugglers, ghouls and ghosts.

This is the first book in The Devil's Gambit, an epic fantasy series. Demons are humans. They are the forgotten. The war has raged for centuries, and the story has remained unchanged. The Devil sends his army to eradicate humanity and claim the kingdom he once swore to protect. However, Candelux—the priest guild—stands in his way, forcing him to cower in hiding. That cycle is about to be broken. The humans bask in serenity as evidence of the demon threat seems to wane, but terror looms on the horizon. A demon lord rises to lead the Devil’s cursed soldiers to victory, and in his wake, ...

Late December, 1389. Ordered to undertake a grueling three-day journey to bleak Whitby Abbey in the Far North of England in a bid to purchase the Abbey's priceless holy relic - a lock of St. Hild's hair, said to be 700 years old - Hildegard of Meaux and her three companion monks arrive to find the abbey a decidedly unwelcoming place, a place of strange customs and practices very different from their modest lifestyle at Meaux. Nor, as Hildegard discovers, is she the only visitor intent on acquiring the relic.

The idea of the sword-wielding samurai, beholden to a strict ethical code and trained in deadly martial arts, dominates popular conceptions of the samurai. As early as the late 17th century, they were heavily featured in literature, art, theater, and even comedy. This book gives listeners access to the real samurai as they lived, fought, and served. Much as they capture the modern imagination, the samurai commanded influence over the politics, arts, philosophy, and religion of their own time, and controlled Japan from the 14th century until their demise in the mid-19th century.

Enter the world of Stonecrest through the eyes of Lady Chantalle of Winsham—magistrate by day, mystic by night. This collection of short stories follows her journey from courtroom intrigue to clandestine dealings as Madame Celeste at the Mystic Parlor. When the realm’s most feared assassin leaves a baby in her care, Chantalle’s life takes an unexpected turn. As she balances motherhood and duty, danger follows close behind. From royal matchmaking and demon encounters to tense trials and fragile alliances, each tale reveals the heart of a woman forging her own family in a world of ...

The story of the wars and conquests initiated by the first Crusade and its successors is itself so compelling that most accounts move quickly from describing the Pope's calls to arms to the battlefield. In this highly original and enjoyable new book, Christopher Tyerman focuses on something obvious but overlooked: the massive, all-encompassing, and hugely costly business of actually preparing a crusade.

Argonautika is the story of Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. This epic story of gods and goddesses, mythical beasts, thrilling adventures, and narrow escapes may be the oldest surviving Greek myth, which Homer referred to as something "familiar to all." Listen to this masterpiece of classical literature in an all-new translation that captures the timeless magic and quiet humor of this ancient legend.