Shaila will soon become the first woman to join a deeply guarded guild of warriors, The Men of the Mark. Together, they fight to end the civil war that’s left half their country to die of starvation and disease. But Shaila’s presence in the guild stirs a long-hidden corruption within their ranks, and she soon finds herself fighting for her life on two fronts. She’s determined to smite both evils but must do so while guarding a deep and dangerous secret: her love for her Master and mentor, Drauses. Master Drauses is one of the most notorious Men of the Mark in history. His comrades wish him to lead someday, but he doubts himself, especially after he violates the guild’s strict moral codes by falling in love with his new ward. When their enemies move to strike them down at their weakest moment, Drauses must choose to step up or step aside as he struggles to balance honor and heart in a world that lacks both. Each book in this series is a standalone romance, but conflicts, side characters, and plot elements often carry over into future books. Though these books can be read individually, you'll get the best experience if you read them in order.

Gaul, 37 AD Seasoned imperial officer Marcus Sempronius Gracchus leads the 9th Roman Legion into bloody battle against a fierce barbarian rival. It’s a battle he won’t survive. When he awakens three days later, clawing his way from a hastily dug grave, Marcus realizes he cannot be killed—but that won’t stop him from dying time and again over the next 2,000 years. Burdened with a debt he cannot pay, is he cursed to walk this world without end? But others like Marcus plan to bring the world crashing to its knees. Can he prevent the inevitable and find redemption? The Last Roman lies somewhere between fantasy, historical drama, and a techno-thriller. Don’t miss the debut novel from B.K. Greenwood, and part one of an exciting new trilogy that will have fans of historical fiction and modern-day thrillers on the edge of their seats.

A pair of convicts wash up onshore, the stone-faced Lavinia DeWitt and the manipulative Zavier Nicholas. Branded with a mysterious symbol, they have no recollection of their arrival. Freezing and afraid, their memories are hazed with the sins of their long-lost lives. Only they’re not alone. Life is hard on the frontier of Ta’er Fraedinn. The creatures in the dark forests are fierce. The native Fenrir are hungry for war. And a gang of rogue arsonists struggle to survive on the fringes of the barren waste they’ve created. But the moment Lavinia sees the mysterious brand on the face of a beautiful woman, she realizes what atrocities she must commit to stop the pangs of hunger in their hearts and bellies. Perhaps her efforts can redeem her soul after a lifetime of sin . . . Or perhaps she’ll become the worst sinner there is.

In the time of the great King Arthur, there was an island in the mists called Avalon where, in the shadows of history, the much greater force of magic was used to shape the course of humanity. Anna and Bronwyn, two young Priestesses-in-training, don’t know it yet, but they will rule Avalon someday. The only problem? They can’t stand each other. Needing the girls to not only be civil to each other but also to learn the essence of teamwork is of the utmost importance to the current High Priestesses. In order to teach the girls to work together, they bind Anna and Bronwyn in magic, then release them into the world and away from Avalon. Their first Camelot, and upon arrival, they find that something nefarious is going on that may endanger King Arthur’s life. The girls must resolve their differences in order to save the king and possibly all of England.

Return to Thedas, the setting of BioWare's award-winning Dragon Age dark fantasy rpg, and discover what dark, forgotten secrets lurk in the history of the legendary Grey Wardens. The Grey Wardens are heroes across Thedas once the Archdemon has been defeated with relative ease and the scattered darkspawn are being driven back underground. The Blight is over. Or so it seems. Valya, a young elven mage recently recruited into the Wardens, has been tasked with studying the historical record of previous Blights in order to gain insight into newly reported, and disturbing, darkspawn phenomena. Her research into the Fourth Blight leads her to an encoded reference scrawled in the margins of an ancient map, and to the hidden diary of Issenya, one of the last of the fabled griffon riders. As the dark secrets buried in Isseyna's story unfold, Valya begins to question everything she thought she knew about the heroic Grey Wardens. . . . A division of Electronic Arts, the world's leading electronic entertainment publisher, BioWare is the award-winning creator of some of the world's best-selling video games, including the Baldur's Gate ™ and Neverwinter Nights ™ series, Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™ and Mass Effect.

Empress Celene of Orlais rose to the throne of the most powerful nation in Thedas through wisdom, wit, and ruthless manipulation. Now, the empire she has guided into an age of enlightenment is threatened from within by imminent war between the templars and the mages even as rebellion stirs among the downtrodden elves. To save Orlais, Celene must keep her hold on the throne by any means necessary. Fighting with the legendary skill of the Orlesian Chevaliers, Grand Duke Gaspard has won countless battles for the empire and the empress. But as the Circle fails and chaos looms, Gaspard begins to doubt that Celene's diplomatic approach Orlais' problems will keep the empire safe. Perhaps it is time for a new leader, one who lives by the tenets of the Chevalier's Code, to make Orlais strong again. Briala has been Celene's handmaid since the two of them were children, subtly using her position to help improve the lives of elves across Orlais. She is Celene's confidante, spymaster, and lover, but when politics force the empress to choose between the rights of the elves and the Orlesian throne, Briala must decide where her true loyalties lie. In this thrilling tie-in to the award-winning Dragon Age™ games, alliances are forged and promises broken as Celene and Gaspard battle for the throne of Orlais. But in the end, the elves who hide in the forests or starve in the slums may decide the fate of the masked empire. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

From bestselling author Danny Danziger and medieval expert John Gillingham comes a vivid look at the signing of the Magna Carta and how this event illuminates one of the most compelling and romantic periods in history.Surveying a broad landscape through a narrow lens, 1215 sweeps readers back eight centuries in an absorbing portrait of life during a time of global upheaval, the ripples of which can still be felt today. At the center of this fascinating period is the document that has become the root of modern freedom: the Magna Carta. It was a time of political revolution and domestic change that saw the Crusades, Richard the Lionheart, King John, and—in legend—Robin Hood all make their marks on history.The events leading up to King John’s setting his seal to the famous document at Runnymede in June 1215 form this rich and riveting narrative that vividly describes everyday life from castle to countryside, from school to church, and from hunting in the forest to trial by ordeal. For instance, women wore no underwear (though men did), the average temperatures were actually higher than they are now, and the austere kitchen at Westminster Abbey allowed each monk two pounds of meat and a gallon of ale per day. Broad in scope and rich in detail, 1215 ingeniously illuminates what may have been the most important year of our history.

Only an experienced blacksmith with genuine care for his craft and the livelihood of all blacksmiths could produce such a wonderful guide. Holmstrom provides not just practical instruction for all manner of small-scale blacksmith work, but intersperses his guidance with more general life lessons for blacksmiths, such as not falling prey to “habits of intemperance.” More than a snapshot of a bygone era, the style and the content of Traditional Blacksmithing will appeal to readers of today, thanks to Holmstrom’s generous and patient approach. Topics covered setting up shop, building your own machinery, repairing horse hooves, fixing your tools, and even building a strong reputation in the community.

This vintage book contains a comprehensive treatise on horseshoeing and the anatomy of the foot of the horse designed for equestrians, veterinarians, farriers and the amateur horseshoer. It contains twelve lessons in elementary blacksmithing together with tables, rules and receipts useful to manufactures, machinists, engineers, and blacksmiths. Contents include: "Introductory", "Horseshoeing", "Wagonmaking", "The Sledge", "The Fire", "Iron", "Steel", "Annealing", "Welding Cast Iron", "Hardening", "Brazing", "Forging", "Making Rings and Links", "Welding", "The Different Kinds of Welds", "Fagot-Welding", "Lap-Weld", "Butt-Weld", "Jump-Weld", etc. Many vintage books such as this are increasingly scarce and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction on metal work.