Showing results by narrator "Adriel Brandt" in All Categories

During a long and illustrious career, William H. Taft served as governor, secretary of war, president, and chief justice. In Taft's inaugural address, key issues in the US at the beginning of the 20th century, including international and domestic affairs, tax and commerce, war, immigration, infrastructure, and more are discussed.

Horatius Bonar shows himself as a very passionate hymnist in this sermon focusing on the Fig-Leaves Adam and Eve use to cover themselves after acquiring the knowledge of shame. He shares his views on how a fig-leaf, a pure and beautiful form of vegetation, can’t possibly shield Man from his loss of innocence. In Bonar’s mind, the one thing that can save us from the anger and wrath of God, is the rituals we now associate closely with the Catholic faith.

Balaam looks around at the Israelis who have suffered and wandered, but are now so close to glory. Horatius Bonar describes a man overlooking the encampment and feeling a certain conflict rise within himself. We see, along with him, the weary Israelis on one side and on the other, the land of milk and honey within their grasp.

When a young man squanders his inheritance and scornfully refuses the help of a family friend, he descends into miserable fury. At his lowest point, upon a jagged beach overlooking a sea suddenly violent with storm, he encounters a twisted deity that offers him wealth and revenge...for an unconscionable price.

When I was moved to the Kingdom of Taviel, I didn’t really understand what was happening. I know now that it was to bring peace between my father and King Castilian, although I don’t think it is doing much good at the moment. I have my own issues to worry about, though. Merlin has been talking about a magic sword that he currently has in his possession, and I just have to try and see if I can wield it. There’s just one problem...it’s cursed.

In The Science of Being Great, the motivational author Wallace D. Wattles contends that in order to become great, the individual must become a creator, not a competitor. He believes that the best thing one can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself. The author covers various important aspects of living well, like having a positive mental outlook, maintaining a cohesive concept of self, and leading an exemplary life. The text contains illuminating explanations, quotes, and examples from history on how to align one’s thinking to become the best that you can be.

Horatius Bonar’s exegesis of the Old Testament is a voluminous work of 84 chapters. It deals with passages from the Book of Genesis to the Book of Malachi, covering themes like sin, despair, holiness, blessing, and deliverance.

First published in 1887, Ten Great Events in History explores certain historical events that the author considered to be inspiring, based on the advance of individual freedom. These events include the Greek struggles against the Persian Empire, the Crusades, Columbus and the New World, the defeat of the Spanish Armada, the Dutch struggle against Spain, and Britain’s conquest of India. Although many may argue that certain of these were in fact acts of oppression, the book contributes an informative perspective and an engrossing narrative.

When the narrator accompanies a withered old Yankee back to his house, he is intrigued by the many old curiosities he finds around it - including precolonial furniture. One of these curiosities, an engraving, brings the old man on a terrifying reminisce about eating things that he was not allowed to have, and the narrator realizes that he could next on the plate. As blood drips from the ceiling onto the book, the narrator narrowly escapes when a bolt of lightning strikes the house, finally ending his streak of immortality.

In this story by H.P. Lovecraft, the line between man and beast is blurred. The Beast in the Cave follows the story of a man who gets separated from his group of tourists. They’ve all come to see the mammoth cave, but the man fears that it might be the last wonder he sees as he continues to wander further from his group. Eventually, his torch runs out of fuel and he is left with no other choice but to fend off approaching inhuman footsteps with the toss of a rock.

In the wake of Governor Derek Fisher's bold proposal to secede from the Union, Texas finds itself in the throes of a political maelstrom. As Fisher strives to carve an independent future, Senators Dodson and Newell pursue their own agendas. Amidst the intensifying power struggles and covert dealings, five ordinary citizens - Burl the farmer, Ava the schoolteacher, Alex the businessman, Gavin the lineman, and Lisa the single mom - are unexpectedly thrust into a vortex of life-altering challenges. They must navigate the ever-changing political landscape that threatens to upend their lives.

It’s not the 1930s you were taught. Trench fighting of "The Great War" has raged on for decades. During the carnage of a German/Russian counter-offensive, Pvt. Pepper witnessed the slaughter of his comrades. When death presses in on him, he is saved by a mysterious Knight with a magical shield.

The tomb is the story of Jervas, a little boy whose whole life begins to revolve around the tomb of the Hyde family. A childhood spent sneaking out to sleep beside the tomb eventually turns into a young adulthood of sleeping in a tomb with his name on it. After a stormy night and after heading for the tomb, he turns back and sees the Hyde mansion, which had been burnt down in previous years, aglow with splendor. Once Jervas went inside, the spectral mansion sets ablaze, and his vision is broken by his father. Jervas comes to find out he had never been inside the tomb at all.

Jason Marlez, an orphan who lives with his grandparents in New York City, has never had any friends. He is often seen by people as a freak, but things change when he is visited by a man who tells Jason that he’s a Nydarian, or a wizard, and that dragons, goblins, and all of those creatures are very much alive.

After being guarded for centuries by the Order of Light, the map to the Grail of Fate falls into the hands of Darco, sovereign of all evil. He knows of the prophecy about the unborn Destined One—who is meant to put an end to Darco’s reign—and he has to get his hands on the Grail of Fate to prevent that from happening. On the day of the Five Shields’ 14th birthday, they discover the World Beyond yet again, and are sent by Melvyn, leader of the Forces of Light, to train ahead of their most important mission yet—to reach the Grail of Fate and destroy it before it’s too late.

In a world where aesthetics is simply an expression of the human soul and there is no differentiation between internal and external beauty, a kindhearted businessman struggling over a difficult breakup decides to join a unique beauty pageant, which will grant the beauty king the prize of a lifetime—tickets to the Beatles’ reunion concert. This is the story of a man who embarks on an adventure—a mental and emotional journey in pursuit of the concept of internal beauty, which will change the way he sees the world and his place in it forever.

Brigit is dealing with the loss of her mother and brother while trying to run her mother’s shop of magical oddities. She used to believe in magic and had hopes for a great future. When fate took her family away before she was ready, all of her belief in happiness and love died with them. When a mysterious man named Ildanach appears and is everything Brigit is not - happy, fun, adventurous, and extremely handsome - she feels her stable life of hiding being threatened as he calls her out into a vulnerable relationship. There is more to this man than meets the eye.

Reglon Emperor Jarlod sends Commander Michael Camdus and his team to the Q’Aron Empire on a mission to exact revenge on the Q’Aron Emperor Hellritch. Easier said than done. To Camdus’ dismay, the mission is interrupted by the need to visit long-abandoned Castle Dunmyrr in Ireland on Earth. What they find there leads them into an enchanted forest filled with dark magic. These brave men and women face trials unlike anything they could have imagined. Will they lose their minds? Will they succeed? Or, better question, will they survive?

Commander Michael Camdus, Dr. Simon Slogar, and the team set out to recover their stolen trizactl. They have to face the evil Q'Aron Emperor Hellritch and his cadre of bizarre minions, gigantic troops, and massive weapons. Then Queen Alora and her precocious daughter Amielle show up - in a WayFarer no less. Christmas is coming, but Camdus and his team don't have time to celebrate. They have press on.

Dr. Simon Slogar and Commander Michael Camdus have been given the task of stopping an epidemic on Creedor. It is only after they arrive on the windswept planet, that they discover there’s a much greater threat. Creedorians are being snatched from their homes, leaving survivors to fend for themselves. One brave woman, Mara Tonlin, decides to find her husband and rescue him, or die trying. Her story intertwines with the original mission, leading Camdus and his men into even greater danger.