Opar...the Atlantean colony in the heart of Tarzan's Africa. Opar...in the words of Edgar Rice Burroughs, a hidden city of "gold and silver, ivory and apes, and peacocks." Opar...is the starting point of this fabulous novel of twelve thousand years past, when Africa had in inland sea and a high civilization bloomed along its forgotten shores, when lost empires flew their time-vanished banners, and deeds of daring were commonplace.

After surviving ancient booby traps, deadly puzzles, and torture-happy imperial marines, cryptanalyst Tikaya Komitopis can’t wait to return home, even if that means explaining to her family how she came to love Fleet Admiral Rias Starcrest, the empire’s most notorious commander and the man responsible for the decimation of her people during the war. Tikaya and Rias believe they’ll have several calm weeks at sea to mull over the problem of irate citizens and horrified parents, but the ship they board is on the run. The captain has acquired a mysterious stolen artifact… and the owners want it back. When he learns of Tikaya’s background, he urges her to decode its secrets, implying her life—and everyone else’s—might be forfeit if she fails. Engima is a 15,000-word short story set after the events in Encrypted.

This document is a Primer designed to familiarize the author's readers with the universe, background and characters of Mass Effect. It is intended to be read before downloading and reading the author's novel - "EndShard: A Mass Effect Fan Novel."This Primer was written and assembled by Karen E. Politte, the author of "EndShard: A Mass Effect Fan Novel".This document is a Primer designed to familiarize the author's readers with the universe, background and characters of Mass Effect. It is intended to be read before downloading and reading the author's novel - "EndShard: A Mass Effect Fan Novel."A detailed description and history of the Mass Effect universe created by Bioware is outwith the scope of a Primer - nevertheless, this document will assist those wishing to read the author's fan novel "EndShard" who are new to the story. This document functions as both a textual and pictorial Primer. Inside, you will find images of various places, people and things central to the Mass Effect universe and story. It should be noted that documents containing images are difficult to convert into eBook/digital versions - as such, some formatting issues may exist.

Rich in magic, mystery and humour, the Wychetts series of books are stories for 9-12 year olds which adults will also enjoy. Wychetts (pronounced “Witch-etts”) is an ancient timber framed cottage which, although derelict and crumbling, contains an amazing magic power that is awoken accidentally by Bryony and her stepbrother Edwin, sparking a series of incredible adventures!The fourth book in the Wychetts series.“The Tome Terriblis is different to most spell books,” explained Inglenook. “Instead of reading the spells, you have to write them yourself. The power in the Tome takes the words and turns them into magic.”Bryony’s lips curved into a smile. “So whatever I write would actually happen?”“Indeed. But as I said, the book is not for lending. If the Tome Terriblis fell into the wrong hands, the results could be catastrophic.”Secretly ‘borrowing’ the Tome from the Wychetts library, Bryony uses its magic to make her the brainiest pupil in her class, and unwittingly wins a place at a special new school for intellectually gifted children.Suspecting Bryony of cheating, the jealous Edwin discovers the Tome and takes Bryony’s place. All seems to be going well when he makes a new friend, but Edwin soon realises the green haired girl called Maddy is not all she seems, and that the Schrunkopf Institute is hiding a sinister secret.Unable to use Wychetts' magic, Bryony and Edwin must stop the crazed Professor Schrunkopf conducting his twisted experiments and prevent the power of the Tome Terriblis being unleashed by a vengeful witch...

What if I told you that the only reason you were safe, was because of the stars that shine in the sky? Ailey knew nothing about the world which fate has thrown her into. The guardians that have stood watch over humanity for countless years are now in danger. Ailey will have to fight alongside the man who has captured her heart but who also the hatred of an enemy more powerful than any before.What would you say if I told you there was more to the stars than meets the eye? What if I told you that the only reason you were safe, was because of those stars?Ailey Grant had a plan, she was going to graduate and go to college. Life doesn't always follow your plans though. After losing her parents, Ailey is throwing away her plans and taking time for herself. She's going to travel the country and figure out what she is going to do now that she is alone. She almost achieves this before life throws her through another loop and into the arms of a man she just met. Tossed into a world she didn't even know existed, with beings as old as time itself, she will have to adjust her plans once again. After hundreds of years of being on top, these ancient beings are finding that they are not invincible, and that they have an enemy that is far more cunning and powerful than they have ever seen before. Ailey is caught in the middle and has to choose to either run away or stand with them as they face this new threat. Finding a new purpose, she embraces this new life full of powerful beings that have stood watch over humanity for countless years. Trying her best to help, Ailey will have to rely on her instincts and put her trust in these timeless guardians if she hopes to save the man who seems to have captured her heart.

After being forced to leave HMS Dolphin and Jaimy, her true love, Jacky Faber is making a new start at the elite Lawson Peabody School for Young Girls in Boston. But growing up on the streets of London and fighting pirates never prepared Jacky for her toughest battle yet: learning how to be a fine lady. Everything she does is wrong. Her embroidery is deplorable, her French is atrocious, and her table manners--disgusting! Then there's the small matter of her blue anchor tattoo. . . . Despite her best efforts, Jacky can't seem to stay out of trouble long enough to dedicate herself to being ladylike. But what fun would that be, anyway?

Time is almost out for the Keepers of the School in this fifth Keepers adventure from Andrew Clements, the master of the school story.The Keepers of the School—known to their friends as Ben, Jill, and Robert—have one last chance to save their school before it's torn down to make room for a seaside amusement park. But their nemeses, Janitors Lyman and Wally, are just as determined to keep the kids out of the way and the demolition on schedule.One way or the other, this battle is about to come to a head. When all is said and done, will the school still be standing? Or will everything the Keepers have fought for be destroyed?

World War II has just ended, and in the chaos of Postwar Germany, Private Jim Colling finds that the occupation affords opportunities for significant financial gain to a resourceful American soldier with the ability to speak the local language. Elizabeth Hamilton, a beautiful American civilian, enlists his aid to rescue her relatives from Soviet-controlled Poland, Colling reluctantly agrees.World War II has just ended, and in the chaos of Postwar Germany, Private Jim Colling finds that the occupation affords opportunities for significant financial gain to a resourceful American soldier with the ability to speak the local language. Elizabeth Hamilton, a beautiful American civilian, enlists his aid to rescue her relatives from Soviet-controlled Poland, Colling reluctantly agrees. So begins the Jim Colling Adventure Series. Don't miss the rest of the Jim Colling Adventure Series!

Ryan Butler has a gift. When he shuts his eyes at night his mind is connected to every sleeping person on the planet. But he is not the only one, and there are those who would use this gift for all manner of unsavoury deeds. Can Ryan stop them? And can he keep his gift a secret while retaining his sanity?Ryan Butler is a lazy, selfish individual. At 14 years old he would rather sit in his room playing computer games than put any effort into achieving the grades he is capable of at school. Deep down he is actually quite sensitive, but he puts on a brash façade to ensure he maintains his popularity. He has known his neighbour, Daisy, all his life, but since starting secondary school he has avoided her as all the other kids think she's a bit strange.Through a series of dreams, during which the same man keeps cropping up, Ryan discovers that he has the staggering ability to contact other people in the waking world and influence their thoughts. He soon finds out that Daisy also shares this gift, along with two other kids from his school. Sophie is the object of Ryan's affection, a constant overachiever who accepts his friendship because her numerous gifts are met with resentment among her other classmates. Billy is her twin brother, whose arrogance leads him to constant conflict with Ryan, and whom Sophie can't stand the sight of. Together they enrol at the Academy – a facility established to maintain order within the sleeping world, and inhabited by a bizarre group of dreamers. The man Ryan kept seeing, Tristram, is a senior Dreamweaver and is charged with helping them to develop their skills. They soon discover that the Academy is engaged in a bitter struggle with a mercenary group, led by the enigmatic Rasputin, who use their skills to manipulate the minds of powerful businessmen and world leaders to fulfil the designs of the highest bidder. Their Dreamweaving lessons provide an enjoyable diversion from school life, which is often fickle and cruel, but then Sophie goes missing in a dream and Tristram heads off to find her. The others recklessly choose to follow, and events take a gruesome twist when they finally locate Sophie and discover that the world around them is a terrifying distortion of reality, and one that they cannot readily wake up from.

John Mackinac learns that the creation of a space-time rip threatens the multiverse with increasing instabilities, dangerous paradox loops and disastrous changes to the Family’s past and future. Mackinac and Scott travel over a billion years into the past to the center of the Milky Way, to discover the truth behind the legend, stop the impending rip and restore the Family’s timeline. (ver 2.0)Fractime’s story tells of key times surrounding the Universal War, a conflict pitting humanity against machine and itself throughout time.John Mackinac learns that the creation of a space-time rip during their attack on the ancient machine ship threatens the multiverse with increasing instabilities, dangerous paradox loops and disastrous changes to the Family’s past and future. Scott and John must travel over a billion years into the past to the center of the Milky Way, and a ship built by the first enemy of the machines to discover the truth behind the legend, stop the impending rip and restore the Family’s timeline. (ver 2.0)

“The one story that could destroy all the gods!”When Hercules saves Sparta from the human devouring one hundred foot tall four faced fire breathing monster-Haderus, the jealous gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus become infuriated with Greece's favorite praise stealing demigod. King Zeus retaliates by blessing all Greece with four deadly curses.“The one story that could destroy all the gods!”When Hercules saves Sparta from the human devouring one hundred foot tall four faced fire breathing monster-Haderus, the jealous gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus become infuriated with Greece's favorite praise stealing demigod. King Zeus retaliates by blessing all Greece with four deadly curses that will surely turn the desperate citizens back to worshiping the true gods. Heartbroken Hercules races to find the cures that will save his people, but finds a deep hidden secret along his journey that could doom all the deity of Mount Olympus. Humble Hercules only desires to win his father's affection, but the quest to save his people turns in to his most dangerous rescue mission; to steal and heal his father's ailing heart.

I have spent thousands of years in this earthly world, it would appear, and the spiritualistic component of my own being must have been successively transmitted in the continuity of human creatures, before it became my privilege to be one of the denizens of the planet of Mars, my present dwelling. "How happy he will be," will exclaim those unfortunate mortals who still weep on earth, "for has he not left our vale of tears?" No such thing! You are entirely mistaken, for I feel very dull here, in spite of the evident superiority, as a place of residence, of the planet I am now exploring. Indeed, I frequently suffer from fits of depression, and often glance back longingly on a past which was not unmixed with bliss. That is why you behold me now with pen in hand, calling up the most pleasurable recollections of my earthly life and trying to retrace them to the reader

What if love lasts for all time? Love can be amazing but also frustrating. It can also be profound and mysterious. Dr. Kate O'Leary's life is about to be turned completely upside down. Her basic beliefs about existence, love, and who she is are about to explode like an atomic bomb. This intense, paranormal, and epic romance will have you journeying through many twists and turns.Book One in the adult epic fantasy series.When your family, your home, and the very land you stand on are destroyed, what do you do? If you are a shifter of Massa, you turn around and fight. You fight, because the blood oath will have it no other way. The idyllic lives of four elemental shifters living in the exiled land of Pyraan are shattered when a tour of legion duty gives witness to a brutal enemy invasion. Despite the heroic efforts of the shifters, the land falls to the invaders. As the only survivors, the four friends are forced to flee south into the lands from which they were banished to warn of the invasion. Heartbroken and weary, the shifters soon learn that the safe haven they hoped to find is cloaked in danger. Throughout a journey fraught with prophesy, betrayal and peril, an enduring friendship prevails, love blossoms, and a riveting saga unravels.

"Seriously one of the greatest things I've ever read." - - Wil Wheaton - - Mysterious ancient artifact from a lost civilization of giants is somehow connected to series of deadly solar storms beginning to hit earth."Seriously one of the greatest things I've ever read." - - Wil WheatonIn 50 hours, the world as we know it will end!Like a celestial alarm clock, our Sun is about to enter a cycle of giant solar storms that will short circuit our planet's magnetic field. Overwhelmed into a weakened discontinuous state, the natural protection of the Earth will take two centuries to fully regenerate. The solar storm damage will be so great, it will decimate life on Earth and destroy our modern technological civilization. It could drive us close to extinction... again. It has happened before, but it was long before humans had writing. The cycle is so long, and the magnetic field event occurs for such a short time frame, very little geological evidence is left after. There is no way we could know it was coming.Now it will occur again in 50 hours. Amid this imminent catastrophe is The God In The Clear Rock, a mysterious ancient artifact from a lost civilization of giants. She is somehow connected to the series of deadly solar storms beginning to hit earth. And she has a secret. Fast-paced scenes jump across centuries and millennia of time as the mystery of The God In The Clear Rock deepens. Unforgettable characters come together over the years and are suddenly thrust into an unknown countdown in a race against the sun.The God in The Clear Rock has everything you could want in an epic adventure story – ancient civilizations, giant humans, high technology, military combat, artificial intelligence, and a timeline that covers 78 millennia. Engaging, imaginative, and believable writing will drag you into the intrigue and drama as it begins to unfold across the planet. First in a six-book series covering the entire 50 hour countdown to the end, The God in The Clear Rock presents the initial eight and a half hours. But 78,000 years of tragic human history lead up to this first exciting book. The story blends the hour-by-hour style of the TV drama ‘24’ and the intelligent storytelling of Asimov with the twisted plots of George R.R. Martin. It’s filled with science, technology, history and adventure, plus a cliff-hanger ending that will have fans jumping into the second book in the series.

Innocent abroad Stuart Ward becomes a backpacker in peril when he travels to French Polynesia and the island of Bora Bora as the first stop on a Round-the-World itinerary. Arriving hopeful of adventure and romance, instead Stuart is unwittingly drawn into a conspiracy and he quickly discovers that the beautiful paradise islands are no Eden as one by one his fellow travellers begin to disappear...Big Fish fits neatly into the expanding genre of 'backpacker in peril' novels, which perhaps began with Alex Garland's The Beach and which found further commercial success with Emily Barr's Backpack. Stuart Ward - the innocent abroad protagonist of Osmond's novel - is far less cocksure than Garland's traveller, though.On a Gap Year from work, Stuart arrives in French Polynesia as the first stop on a Round-the-World itinerary. Hopeful of adventure and romance, instead he finds himself unwittingly drawn into a conspiracy to cover up a fatal road accident, and he quickly discovers that the beautiful, paradise islands are no Eden. Events take an even more perilous turn for Stuart, when one-by-one his co-conspirators begin to disappear...The descriptions of the Polynesian islands - and later of New Zealand, where the dramatic climax of the story occurs - are particularly evocative, and make the reader want to immediately contact their nearest travel agent to check on the latest flight availability, but the beauty of the surroundings are countered by the ever-present threat of menace which appears to stalk the young backpacker. Parents beware! It is probably best not to know what horrors await your Gap Year travelling offspring!Andrew Osmond proves to have both a light, comic touch in his observations of the discomforts and embarrassments of travel, but also reveals a darker side, reminiscent of some of the writings of J G Ballard, when he explores the isolation associated with travelling alone in a far flung country, many thousands of miles from home.A must for wannabe globe-trotters, armchair travellers and mystery fans, alike.Read it on the beach on your iBook reader.