Bound to Gods

Kaleb Holten's father's debt to an underground group The Association has just been called in, and the man can't pay the loan. Instead of turning over his wealth, he releases his son and Kaleb finds himself thrown into a world where a class of men see themselves as untouchable. Going so far as to call themselves gods. After the Great Economic Collapse there are no laws that cannot be broken. And Kaleb is forced into a ten-year sentence of servitude where he will have no say, no rights, no value and yet be coveted and protected as if he were a priceless treasure. Leo Roan, has slipped the noose the Association bound him with by breaking his addiction to ambrosia and Kaleb Holten was supposed to be his last assignment as a doxie Master. But something about the boy begins weaving a new net that will not only ensnare him but the conscious darkness inside, that craves pain, agony, suffering, and death.

One minute I was a courier for criminals, making ends meet so I could take care of my little brother. The next, four stunningly hot Norse gods had brought me back from the dead with wings sprouting from my back and a whole set of valkyrie powers. I guess that's just how life goes sometimes. Too bad our victory over our supernatural enemies turned out to be a farce. The divine home I thought I'd receive is a trap instead. A trap that's slowly closing in on us, dredging up every painful moment from our pasts. Can I trust these tempting godly men now that I've seen how many secrets they've kept from me? And what am I going to do if I have to face my own darkest horrors all over again? I'd better figure that out fast. Because I'm Aria Watson, and I will not be broken.

A breathtaking talent makes her debut with this first book in a dark epic fantasy trilogy, The Bound Gods, in which a mismatched band of mortals led by a violent, secretive man must stand against a pair of resentful gods to save their world. Part Patrick Rothfuss, part Joe Abercrombie, magic and warfare collide in this powerful struggle for a broken world. Eons ago, a pair of gods known as the Twins grew powerful in the world of Fiatera, until the Divine Mother and Almighty Father exiled them, binding them deep in the earth. But the price of keeping the fire lands safe is steep. To prevent these young gods from rising again, all twins in the land must be killed at birth, a safeguard that has worked until now. Trapped for centuries, the Twins are gathering their latent powers to break free and destroy the Parents for their tyranny—to set off a fight between two generations of gods for control of the world and the mortals who dwell in it. When the gods make war, only one side can be victorious. Joros, a mysterious and cunning priest, has devised a dangerous plan to win. Over eight years, he gathers a team of disparate fighters—Scal, a lost and damaged swordsman from the North; Vatri, a scarred priestess who claims to see the future in her fires; Anddyr, a drug-addled mage wandering between sanity and madness; and Rora and Aro, a pair of twins who have secretly survived beyond the reach of the law. These warriors must learn to stand together against the unfathomable power of vengeful gods, to stop them from tearing down the sun . . . and plunging their world into darkness.

A mismatched band of mortals and their violent, secretive leader must stand against a pair of resentful gods to save their world in this second volume in Rachel Dunne's breathtaking dark epic fantasy trilogy, The Bound Gods, which began with In the Shadow of the Gods. To win the coming battle for control of the world and the mortals who dwell in it, the cunning priest Joros secretly assembled a team of powerful fighters—Scal, a lost and damaged swordsman from the North; Vatri, a scarred priestess who claims to see the future in her fires; Anddyr, a drug-addled mage wandering between sanity and madness; and Rora and Aro, a pair of twins who have secretly survived beyond the reach of the law. But the war is only beginning for these disparate warriors and victory is far from certain when the enemy is a pair of vengeful gods. As the bound Twins strengthen in force against their parents—the Divine Mother and Almighty Father—who exiled them, a shadow begins to spread across the land, threatening to engulf all in its wake. As deadly magic takes hold, the tenuous bonds tying these uneasy allies begins to unravel. If they cannot find a way to keep their band together, each of their lives—and the entire world—will be lost to the darkness, leaving nothing but the bones of the earth. . . .

The epic sword-and-sorcery Bound Gods fantasy series comes to its dark conclusion in this thrilling story of a vibrant world whose fate lies in the hands of vengeful gods and bold warriors. The world has been plunged into darkness . . . and only the scheming priest Joros might be able to bring back the sun. With his ragtag band of fighters—a laconic warrior, a pair of street urchins, a ruthless priestess, and an unhinged sorcerer—Joros seeks to defeat the ancient gods newly released from their long imprisonment. But the Twins have champions of their own, and powers beyond knowing . . . and the only sure thing is that they won’t go down without a fight. The fate of the world hangs in the balance as the Twins aim to enact revenge on the parents that imprisoned them, and the world that spurned them. The Long Night has begun, and the shadows hide many secrets—including that the Twins themselves may not be as powerful as they would have everyone think. Joros and his allies must strike now—before the Twins can consolidate their power . . . and before they are allowed to shape the world in their vision.

In Rio de Janeiro, the spiritual home of world football, and Buenos Aires, where a popular soccer club president was recently elected mayor, the game is an integral part of national identity. Using the football stadium as an illuminating cultural lens, Temples of the Earthbound Gods examines many aspects of urban culture that play out within these monumental architectural forms, including spirituality, violence, rigid social norms, anarchy, and also expressions of sexuality and gender. Tracing the history of the game in Brazil and Argentina through colonial influences as well as indigenous ball courts in Mayan, Aztec, Zapotec, Mixtec, and Olmec societies, Christopher Gaffney's study spans both ancient and contemporary worlds, linking the development of stadiums to urbanization and the consolidation of nation building in two of Latin America's most intriguing megacities.

Wherever you are in life, wherever you are in the world, God’s promises remind you that He is always near. God wants us to know He is in the midst of wherever we are, whatever we’re doing. And He does this by speaking directly to us through His Word. The Bible was written to each of our needs, our hopes, and our dreams. With over 1.2 million copies sold, God’s Inspirational Promises is a classic seller now with a brand-new, updated look. The compilation of verses speak specifically to topics we all relate to: living in a lost world, strong personal relationships, wisdom, guidance, worry, grace, and many more. Heartwarming writings from Max’s bestselling works accompany each selection of Scripture.

Selene DiSilva, goddess of the hunt, squares off against a killer who threatens the very existence of the gods themselves in this stunning sequel to Jordanna Max Brodsky's The Immortals, "a lively re-imaging of classical mythology." (Deborah Harkness) Winter in New York: snow falls, lights twinkle, and a very disgruntled Selene DiSilva prowls the streets, knowing that even if she doesn't look for trouble, it always finds her. When a dead body is discovered sprawled atop Wall Street's iconic Charging Bull statue, it's up to Selene to hunt down the perpetrators. Her ancient skills make her the only one who can track a conspiracy that threatens the very existence of the gods, including Selene, who was once known as Artemis. Olympus BoundThe ImmortalsWinter of the GodsOlympus Bound The Wolf in the Whale

Experience historic events through the eyes of Maximilian P. Mouse, Time Traveler! Maximilian P. Mouse has become quite the time traveler. He is happy to learn he is getting closer to the right time period _ he has landed in 1963! Maximilian and his new friend Marian Moleana witness the famous ñI have a dreamî speech of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The new civil rights mouse leader is ready to save his home. Maximilian decides he must try again. Luckily, his final attempt is a success! Now Maximilian uses all of the lessons he learned during his journey to devise a plan. Can he save TannerÍs Glen and his familyÍs home? Calico Chapter Books is an imprint of Magic Wagon, a division of ABDO Group. Grades 3-6.

THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING ELDER RACES SERIES! Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful—and passionate—of the Elder races. As the most feared and respected of the wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they’ve ignited in each other. Pia knows she must repay Dragos for her trespass, but refuses to become his slave—although she cannot deny wanting him, body and soul...

Grace means the free and unmerited favor of God. When we realize that we are bound by that Grace, we understand that no matter what happens, God is always right there with us. Bound by God's Grace is a 21-day interactive devotional designed to help you change your mindset. Relatable short stories are shared to encourage introspection and self reflection. Along with reminders of God's truths and challenges to make you better. It takes 21 days to build a new habit and Bound by God's Grace is the perfect tool to help!

The weather, for some days previous, had been unusually boisterous for the time of year, and had culminated, on the morning on which my story opens, in a “November gale” from the south-west, exceeding in violence any previous gale within the memory of “the oldest inhabitant” of the locality. This is saying a great deal, for I was at the time living in Weymouth, a most delightful summer resort, where, however, the feelings are likely to be more or less harrowed every winter by fearful wrecks on the far-famed and much-dreaded Chesil Beach, which connects the mis- named island of Portland with the mainland. We had dined, as usual, at the primitive hour of one o’clock; and with Bob Trunnion—about whom I shall have more to say anon—I had turned out under the verandah to enjoy our post-prandial smoke, according to invariable usage. My sister Ada would not permit us the indulgence of that luxury indoors, and no conceivable disturbance of the elements could compel us to forego it altogether. We were pacing the verandah side by side, quarter-deck fashion, with our hands behind our backs and our weeds between our teeth, making an occasional remark about the weather as the sheeted rain swept past us, and the trees in the distance and the leaf-denuded shrubs in the garden bowed before the fury of the blast, when a coastguard-man, whom I had occasionally encountered and spoken to in my rambles, came running past, enveloped in oilskins and topped by a sou’-wester. As he went by, seeing us, he shouted, “Ship coming ashore in the West Bay, sir!” and was the next minute at the bottom of the hill, en route, as fast as his legs could carry him, for the town. Our house was situated in a pleasant suburb called Rodwell; the high- road which passed our door led direct to the Smallmouth Sands, at the farther extremity of which was the Chesil Beach; and we conjectured that the coastguard-man had come from the beach along this road to give notice to the chief officer stationed in the town.

In this modern-day "lively re-imagining of classical mythology" (Deborah Harkness), when a string of women are murdered in an ancient pagan ritual, Selene DiSilvia -- known by some as the goddess Artemis -- hears their cries for help and takes up her bow once more. Manhattan has many secrets. Some are older than the city itself. The city sleeps. In the predawn calm, Selene DiSilva finds the body of a young woman washed ashore, gruesomely mutilated and wreathed in laurel. Her ancient rage returns, along with the memory of a promise she made long ago -- when her name was Artemis. Jordanna Max Brodsky's acclaimed debut sets Greek Gods against a modern Manhattan backdrop, creating an unputdownable blend of myth and mystery. The Olympus Bound series:The ImmortalsWinter of the GodsOlympus Bound For more from Jordanna Max Brodsky, check out:The Wolf in the Whale

August Vallory had it all. A modeling career, a man he loved, and the extended family he'd acquired in the business. Then the world he knew was torn away when the plane he was on crashed en route to a photo shoot. Lost in the Alaskan wilderness, August doesn't stand a chance. No sane man would choose to live in the Alaskan bush unless he had something to hide. And Keegan Brooks has secrets darker than night, more dangerous than wolves, more brutal than an Alaskan winter. Every day was a fight for his life until he stumbled upon a downed plane with a lone survivor. Now it's no longer just Keegan's life teetering on the edge of survival.It's his heart.

Adventure.It's what my boring life is missing, so when I fall through a portal into another world, I'm excited. Here, I'm important. Here, I'm special.I find out just *how* special when I meet Death.Yup. That guy. He's been exiled to the mortal realm to work through his flaws, and he's just as spoiled and awful as you'd think. Rhagos, the Shadow Lord, is arrogant and rude and controlling and demands to get his way. He's selfish. He's impossible.He's also utterly gorgeous. Magnetic. Lonely. And strangely protective of me.Thanks to a magic bond, I now serve him as his anchor to the mortal realm. It means that I'm his conscience, his guide...and the target for any assassin or glory-seeker. After a few days of this, I'd rather go home than continue on this 'adventure'. I need a way back to Earth, and fast.As the world falls down around us and we're hunted simply for existing, I find myself wondering what it'd be like to serve the lonely god of death...in all ways. To kiss him. To touch him. To bed him.Except...I'm supposed to be finding a way home, not trying to kiss Rhagos. No matter how tempting he is. No matter how much he stares at my lips.No matter how much I want it.

AN ACCLAIMED, EMMY-NOMINATED TV SERIES ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO WINNER OF THE HUGO, LOCUS AND BRAM STOKER AWARDS 'To give him his full title: Neil Gaiman, Architect of Worlds, Svengali of Plot, Shaman of Character, Exploder of Cliché, Master Craftsman of Style, Dreamer Laureate of the Republic of Letters' DAVID MITCHELL 'Original, engrossing, and endlessly inventive' GEORGE R.R. MARTIN 'Brilliant and unique' GUARDIAN --- 'This is about the soul of America, the idea that everyone came here from somewhere' NEIL GAIMAN --- After three years in prison, Shadow Moon is free to go home. But hours before his release, his beloved wife is killed in a freak accident. Numbly, he boards a plane where he meets an enigmatic stranger who seems to know Shadow and claims to be an ancient god - and king of America. Together they embark on a profoundly strange road trip across the USA, encountering a kaleidoscopic cast of characters along the way. But all around them a storm of unnatural proportions is gathering. War is coming, an epic struggle for the very soul of America. And Shadow is standing squarely in its path. NEIL GAIMAN. WITH STORIES COME POSSIBILITIES.

The gods walk among us. And they just might steal your soul... or your heart. I thought I'd survived everything life could throw at me. All I wanted was to keep my distance from the criminals I work for and get my little brother out of the hell that is our mother's house. Then I died and woke up to four stunningly hot gods telling me I'm now a valkyrie. Sly, sharp Loki. Jovial but ferocious Thor. Dreamily compassionate Baldur. Grim and secretive Hod. They all have something to teach me. And around them, my walls start to crack. But the gods didn't summon me just for kicks. Their king is missing, and they need me to find him. The first three valkyries they sent on the job never made it back. More power is awakening in me than I could ever have imagined--and the gods' enemies are more devious than even they knew. It's going to take every trick in the book for me to save myself, my brother, and these divine men who're getting under my skin in the most alluring way. I'm Aria Watson, and Valhalla ain't seen nothing yet.

When a young peasant girl is injured while hunting, she meets a strange, magical man who is a member of a despised race - Mujar. Truemen scorn the shape-shifting unmen for their odd, humble ways, and envy their power over the elements. Mujar do not use their powers for good or evil, they simply exist, immortal and apparently purposeless. Now a scourge is sweeping the land, armies of mounted warriors who cannot be defeated are wiping out Truemankind without mercy. They are known as the Black Riders, but no one knows where they come from or why they seem bent on exterminating every man, woman and child. Talsy traps the Mujar with gold, which has an odd effect on them, to make him help her, but her father intends to throw him in a Pit, from which he will be unable to escape. Talsy does not believe the Mujar deserves such a fate, so she frees him and begs him to take her with him on his journey. He agrees, and they set off across Shamarese, continuing his quest to find an old hermit's lost son. There is far more at stake than Talsy realises, however, and she has innocently stumbled upon the last free Mujar, who has the power to decide the fate of her race.

Albert Einstein, the creator of both the Special and General Theories of Relativity, spent his golden years in search of the answer to the question; what is the nature of everything? The "Unified Field Theory" represents the quest to discover how everything is related in the universe; "Love Is the Nature of Existence" answers that question. The Jew determines how the rest of nature behaves; that includes you, your neighbor across the street, every molecule, as well as every atom. . Once anybody realizes this truth, he also becomes acquainted with the fact that he is no different from anything else; which would necessarily include the stars in the sky, not to mention the galaxies that spin around one another within the furthest dimensions of space. Be here, be now, believe in Love; nothing in existence is, can, or ever will be, beyond, behind, or outside, the truth. In other words, when there is no relativity, there can be no beginning or end within the confines of the Truth. Time, hence, can neither progress nor recede, but remains static, constant. Those who have achieved Self-realization describe the experience as living in the moment. Once it is recognized that time is non-existent, then it can be concluded that space cannot exist also; the elimination of time eradicates the possibility of space; then what is left? The answer is nothing; or nothingness, or, as He is more commonly referred to, God. Norman Mailer, the highly regarded novelist, journalist, playwright, among numerous other things, once described evil as God in exile; his description is absolutely one hundred percent correct. The Jew represents God's love, the way He connects with mankind. Man can choose to ignore, disregard, defame, defile, or eliminate the possibility of him having the chance to make an impression on the lives of others; on the other hand, The Lord, in all His wisdom, for the benefit of mankind, can extract him from the human population on Earth; either way, evil will then rule, and man will ruin himself as a consequence. Power is derived through understanding; the possibilities for humanity are now endless; that which mankind once described as indecipherable, ethereal, the unfathomable unknown, is no longer a mystery.

Can a forest that is reputed to be haunted come to life through the hard work and endeavour of one man with a plan? Tom Bay sees the potential to create a fantastic leisure project for a town that has not got much going for it, and he also comes up against a lot of obstacles. Has he got the patience, nerve, enterprise and most of all, can he finance the scheme to make a dream into reality? It is a massive task but Tom with the help of his son Edward makes a decision that changes his life forever.