"One pantheon desperate to keep power. Another desperate to seize it. Two teenage gods stuck in the middle."  Year 2302 On the Continent of Origin, deep in the deserts of the High Heat, rises one of the last remaining Citadels of the humans. Defiant and well-defended, it is known as Sol. And in this epic third installment of the Guardians of Illyria series, it will be the stage for one of the greatest conflicts yet waged between the oppressive forces of Illyria and the rebel human race. Now 14 years old, Ionikus Reaves, Thunder Lord of the Endari, is plagued by the darkness of his past and future. His powers grow stronger by the day, as do the doubts in his plans for revenge. But when the Endari scheme to forge an alliance with an unlikely foe—the humans of Sol—Ion must set aside his uncertainties. One misstep and his allies could become his enemies, his ultimate plan never come to fruition. Lady Lillian of Illyria has only recently settled into her new position amongst the pantheon she long feared and respected. But soon, she finds her elven blood a problem for the pureblooded gods of Illyria. On top of navigating their foreign customs, backstabbing, and searing whispers, she must also endure their wrath…and the dark secrets behind the fall of the previous pantheon.

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award.Twenty-five years after its initial publication, The Making of the Atomic Bomb remains the seminal and complete story of how the bomb was developed, from the turn-of-the-century discovery of the vast energy locked inside the atom to the dropping of the first bombs on Japan. Few great discoveries have evolved so swiftly—or have been so misunderstood. From the theoretical discussions of nuclear energy to the bright glare of Trinity, there was a span of hardly more than twenty-five years. What began as merely an interesting speculative problem in physics grew into the Manhattan Project, and then into the bomb, with frightening rapidity, while scientists known only to their peers—Szilard, Teller, Oppenheimer, Bohr, Meitner, Fermi, Lawrence, and von Neumann—stepped from their ivory towers into the limelight. Richard Rhodes gives...

Grav N’gol is many things. Murderer…ex-con…Alien half-breed… And a Protector. More than just a bodyguard, a Protector chooses a female to ward for life and swears an oath to die for her if necessary. Enter Leah Roth. The luscious little Earth female is supposed to be just a quick surveillance gig for Grav. He’ll check on her and report back that she’s okay—it should be easy. Only she’s not okay. When Grav sees Leah’s abusive husband hurting her, he swings into action. Before he knows it, he has Leah aboard his ship. When he’s given a dangerous and difficult mission, Leah volunteers to come along and help…and somehow Grav can’t say no. But as much as he feels drawn to the lovely little human, Grav knows it can never be between them. For in his past lurks a bloody and savage secret that would turn even the most forgiving heart against him. From his past and from his true nature Leah must be... Protected at all costs.

In Ann Aguirre's award-winning novel, Enclave, humans have taken refuge in colonies below ground. Here is the story of what drove them there, told through the eyes of a teen who would later have vast influence over the fate of many, and who gave his heart to the one person who needed him most.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The tramp-freighter spaceship Solar Queen had exclusive trading rights to Sargol and its fabulous gems. But the crew's bravery and resourcefulness strained to the breaking point as they met Sargol's three challenges: the enigmatic obstinacy of the planet's catlike natives, ruthless incursions of an illegal competitor, and worst of all -- an invisible, undetectable stowaway whose presence branded the Solar Queen a plague ship . . . off limits to the rest of the galaxy!

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

A woman with no identity or name keeps waking up during bizarre and often violent experiences, sometimes murder. With few allies and many enemies, she struggles to figure out who she is, what is going on, and how to stop the chaos around her.A little girl’s body has been found in the wilderness near the desert community of Rubicon Ranch. Was it an accident? Or . . . murder! But who would want to kill a child? Everyone in this upscale housing development is hiding something. Could Kourtney and Jeff Peterson have killed their daughter, mischievous nine-year-old Riley, to protect their secret? Moody Sinclair had once killed an eight-year-old boy. Has she killed again? Fifteen-year-old Dylan McKenzie is a straight A honor student. By day. Did Riley discover the other Dylan, the one who prowls at night? Cooper Dahlsing does strange things while sleepwalking. Could he have killed and not known it? Mark and Jamie Westbrook, self-styled private investigators, show up to help solve the murder, but perhaps they had a hand in creating the crime? Eighty-two-year-old Eloy Franklin sits on his porch and watches. But does he do more than watch? Forty-three-year-old Melanie Gray found Riley’s body stuffed in a television console that had been dumped in the desert. But is she as innocent as she seems? Sheriff Seth Bryan is bitter and cynical at having lost everything he values. Is he manufacturing crimes to bring him the notoriety he craves? Nine Second Wind Publishing authors collaborated to write Rubicon Ranch: Riley’s Story.

It’s the first day of Starflight Academy and Hannah Stowe has her eye on the prize. Captain Stowe has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? That’s why she’s not going to be distracted by the spectacular Keltair male who just stepped off the ship next to hers. That would be dangerous with a capital D.It’s the first day of Starflight Academy and Hannah Stowe has her eye on the prize. Captain Stowe has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? That’s why she’s not going to be distracted by the spectacular Keltair male who just stepped off the ship next to hers. That would be dangerous with a capital D.But how can she stay away?With his quarters just across the hall, and the sexual tension between them building at every glance, the real question is which will be more difficult: Passing her classes or staying away from him?**** “To Kiss a Warrior” is Part One of a 5-part serialized novel. ****Check out the entire series:Book 1- To Kiss a WarriorBook 2- To Touch a WarriorBook 3- To Protect a WarriorBook 4- To Trust a WarriorBook 5- To Love a Warrior

A mission to Mars has left Earth but more may be at work behind the mission than there first seems.A short story.Burned in a house fire a few days before losing his father, college student Shawn Carpenter has spent years working, caring for his family, and paying penance. When an acquaintance introduces him to God and invites him to a college youth group, the changes in his life are immense and unsettling. The most unsettling part is Jenny Clearwater, his boss's daughter. He can't deny his attraction, but she courts instead of dating, and courting seems all about keeping the Shawn Carpenters of the world away from the Jenny Clearwaters.Danger and heartache seem to come around every bend, from a cave trip gone wrong to a friendship that goes up in flames to an accusal of crime at work. Seems God has put events in motion to lead Shawn back into a life of community and growth, assuming, of course, they don't kill him first.Get set for this first book of the Christian series Boys of Summer, for teens and anyone else who appreciates the challenges of stepping into adulthood.

A soldier is trapped deep in enemy territory and assumes the disguise of a beggar in order to make it back to his own lines.A soldier in an invasion force trying to conqueror a planet has his entire company wiped out and is stranded deep in enemy territory. Without knowledge of the language or customs and different in appearance from the locals, he disguises himself as a beggar in order to work his way back to his own lines without being captured and probably killed. He blends into the enemy society and sees the enemy from a different perspective.

Alien artefacts were discovered on the Moon during a survey. The purpose of them was surprising, at the very least.Fate rips Kaie from the life he planned and thrust him into a world of slavery and casual brutality. Faced with the destruction of everything he knew and hiding from a society that turns those born with magic into mindless creatures called Hollows, he'll have to discover the difference between being a good man and surviving a bad situation.The gods themselves turned their true attention to teaching him the true meaning of sacrifice, in all it's horrible forms. He will be forged in fire and death, and everything he loves is up for grabs. For he is the Catalyst...

The Zrilkons had travelled millions of miles through space when their engines failed and the craft fell towards Earth, crashing in the Arizona desert. When the UFO was discovered, it was hoped that its secrets could be unfolded. Things didn't work out quite so well as expected....For 17 year old Alex Constance, high school has had its hardships. With her parents’ divorce, her brother leaving for the Marines, and not fitting in with the popular crowd at school, Alex thought her life couldn’t get any more difficult than it already was. That is, until her entire world is turned upside down when she sees a man in black and no one else does. A whole new world of weird has been added to her life. Nathaniel, a dangerous man with many secrets, may be her only hope to save her life. Caught in the middle of an on-going war between fallen angels and angels, Alex begins to learn the truth about herself and her unique family; but will it be enough to save her life or will she become her biggest fear yet? One thing is certain. Alex will not be given a choice, and she may still end up in a psychiatric ward or a body bag.

A cover-up hides a deadly plague which has been confined to the deep jungle for many years. A film crew of survivalists from the Archive Channel accidentally stumbles across a village of the undead and records some unbelievable findings. If they can avoid being infected themselves, the fate of an unsuspecting world may lie in their hands.A cover-up hides a deadly plague which has been confined to the deep jungle for many years. A film crew of survivalists from the Archive Channel accidentally stumbles across a village of the undead and records some unbelievable findings. If they can avoid being infected themselves, the fate of an unsuspecting world may lie in their hands.Is it more important to escape with their lives, or to bring this deadly infection back to civilization for a cure to be discovered?

Dave Anderson, 'Acquisistions Agent', must help his friend stop a murderer at the library!“The wicked flee where no man pursueth: but the righteous are as bold as a lion.." Proverbs 28:1 A young fighter, Billy Hope is a promising talent, but any ambition he has is shrouded in the shadow of his father. Terry is a failed fighter, whose world title dream was never realised. But as time passed there was another way he could keep his dream alive, through the next generation, his son. Realising winning his fights lit up the flames in his father’s eyes, Billy yearned to please his father above all else but one explosive day in the gym changes everything. With the biggest fight of his life looming Billy must make the decision to stand up to the only person he has ever respected and feared, finally realising the price he has to pay to forsake his own dreams, and the reality he feels obliged to cultivate for another. A son will rise. A father will fall. A short story as featured in Boxing Insider, MMA Uncaged and Martial Arts Illustrated Magazines. Based On The Short Movie 'The Pugilist's Son' directed by Chris Fretwell.

Fiction Vortex publishes science fiction and fantasy short stories for the discerning reader, if by "discerning" you mean someone who likes solid plots, great characters, and fascinating technologies and cultures. This issue includes all the short stories that appeared on FictionVortex.com during August 2013.the Last One offers the reader a hopeful and possible way forward to a better world. A world leader, a woman of extraordinary leadership skills, brings the nations of the world together. Moving them beyond fear and distrust she gains their cooperation, to commit to an act that changes everything.