Author: Drac Von Stoller
Publisher: Drac Von Stoller
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 10
Book Description
It was a dark and stormy night as the carriage rattled along the narrow, winding road leading to Blackwater Castle. The driver held the reins tightly, trying to steer the horses through the driving rain and the howling wind. Inside the carriage, the young bride-to-be, Evelyn, clutched her diamond necklace, thoughts racing through her mind. Was she making a terrible mistake? Marrying Lord Blackwater, a man she barely knew, in a remote, foreboding castle? The carriage finally pulled up to the entrance of Blackwater Castle, the imposing gate creaking open to reveal the dark, looming structure. Evelyn shivered, her breath catching in her throat as she stepped out and hurried up the stone steps to the front doors. The heavy wooden doors swung open, revealing the dimly lit interior of the castle. A group of servants, their faces haggard and tired, ushered Evelyn inside. "Welcome to Blackwater Castle, my lady," one of the servants said, her voice soft and barely audible over the howling wind outside. Evelyn forced a smile, trying to mask her unease. "Thank you," she replied, her voice trembling. "Is Lord Blackwater here to greet me?" The servants exchanged glances, their eyes clouded with an unspoken fear. "Lord Blackwater will join you at dinner, my lady," another servant said, bowing slightly. "In the meantime, please make yourself comfortable in your chambers."
The Bloodied Bride of Blackwater Castle
Author: Drac Von Stoller
Publisher: Drac Von Stoller
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 10
Book Description
It was a dark and stormy night as the carriage rattled along the narrow, winding road leading to Blackwater Castle. The driver held the reins tightly, trying to steer the horses through the driving rain and the howling wind. Inside the carriage, the young bride-to-be, Evelyn, clutched her diamond necklace, thoughts racing through her mind. Was she making a terrible mistake? Marrying Lord Blackwater, a man she barely knew, in a remote, foreboding castle? The carriage finally pulled up to the entrance of Blackwater Castle, the imposing gate creaking open to reveal the dark, looming structure. Evelyn shivered, her breath catching in her throat as she stepped out and hurried up the stone steps to the front doors. The heavy wooden doors swung open, revealing the dimly lit interior of the castle. A group of servants, their faces haggard and tired, ushered Evelyn inside. "Welcome to Blackwater Castle, my lady," one of the servants said, her voice soft and barely audible over the howling wind outside. Evelyn forced a smile, trying to mask her unease. "Thank you," she replied, her voice trembling. "Is Lord Blackwater here to greet me?" The servants exchanged glances, their eyes clouded with an unspoken fear. "Lord Blackwater will join you at dinner, my lady," another servant said, bowing slightly. "In the meantime, please make yourself comfortable in your chambers."
Publisher: Drac Von Stoller
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 10
Book Description
It was a dark and stormy night as the carriage rattled along the narrow, winding road leading to Blackwater Castle. The driver held the reins tightly, trying to steer the horses through the driving rain and the howling wind. Inside the carriage, the young bride-to-be, Evelyn, clutched her diamond necklace, thoughts racing through her mind. Was she making a terrible mistake? Marrying Lord Blackwater, a man she barely knew, in a remote, foreboding castle? The carriage finally pulled up to the entrance of Blackwater Castle, the imposing gate creaking open to reveal the dark, looming structure. Evelyn shivered, her breath catching in her throat as she stepped out and hurried up the stone steps to the front doors. The heavy wooden doors swung open, revealing the dimly lit interior of the castle. A group of servants, their faces haggard and tired, ushered Evelyn inside. "Welcome to Blackwater Castle, my lady," one of the servants said, her voice soft and barely audible over the howling wind outside. Evelyn forced a smile, trying to mask her unease. "Thank you," she replied, her voice trembling. "Is Lord Blackwater here to greet me?" The servants exchanged glances, their eyes clouded with an unspoken fear. "Lord Blackwater will join you at dinner, my lady," another servant said, bowing slightly. "In the meantime, please make yourself comfortable in your chambers."
Race for the Iron Throne: Political and Historical Analysis of a Game of Thrones
Author: Steven Attewell
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781980635932
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 537
Book Description
A GAME OF THRONES How would you like to read A Game of Thrones with a PhD by your side?Steven Attewell, creator of Race for the Iron Throne (racefortheironthrone.wordpress.com), is one of the most insightful scholars in political theory and history, but instead of devoting his talents to academia, he's delving into George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga to give the most comprehensive deconstruction - and explanation - yet offered.Each one of Thrones's 73 chapters is broken down in meticulous detail in four key areas. The Political and Historical Analyses explore the political ramifications that each character's decisions entail while digging into the real-world historical incidents that inspired Martin's narrative twists and turns. What If? offers up a tantalizing look at how these political and historical elements could have played out in dozens of alternative scenarios, underscoring the majesty and complexity of Martin's storytelling. And Book vs. Show looks at the key differences - both good and bad - between the story as originally conceived on the printed page and as realized in HBO's Game of Thrones.At nearly 204,000 words, it's almost literally impossible to imagine a more exhaustive or authoritative reading companion for any novel ever before published.Note: there are spoilers for all five published novels in the Song of Ice and Fire series. About the author Steven Attewell is the author of Race for the Iron Throne, a blog that examines the history and politics of the Song of Ice and Fire series and HBO's Game of Thrones. He has a PhD in History from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he studied the history of public policy and was a political and union activist. In addition to Race for the Iron Throne, Steven is also a co-podcaster on Game of Thrones at the Lawyers, Guns, and Money podcast, writes about public policy at the Realignment Project, and is a co-author of the Tower of the Hand: A Hymn for Spring anthology book.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781980635932
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 537
Book Description
A GAME OF THRONES How would you like to read A Game of Thrones with a PhD by your side?Steven Attewell, creator of Race for the Iron Throne (racefortheironthrone.wordpress.com), is one of the most insightful scholars in political theory and history, but instead of devoting his talents to academia, he's delving into George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire saga to give the most comprehensive deconstruction - and explanation - yet offered.Each one of Thrones's 73 chapters is broken down in meticulous detail in four key areas. The Political and Historical Analyses explore the political ramifications that each character's decisions entail while digging into the real-world historical incidents that inspired Martin's narrative twists and turns. What If? offers up a tantalizing look at how these political and historical elements could have played out in dozens of alternative scenarios, underscoring the majesty and complexity of Martin's storytelling. And Book vs. Show looks at the key differences - both good and bad - between the story as originally conceived on the printed page and as realized in HBO's Game of Thrones.At nearly 204,000 words, it's almost literally impossible to imagine a more exhaustive or authoritative reading companion for any novel ever before published.Note: there are spoilers for all five published novels in the Song of Ice and Fire series. About the author Steven Attewell is the author of Race for the Iron Throne, a blog that examines the history and politics of the Song of Ice and Fire series and HBO's Game of Thrones. He has a PhD in History from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he studied the history of public policy and was a political and union activist. In addition to Race for the Iron Throne, Steven is also a co-podcaster on Game of Thrones at the Lawyers, Guns, and Money podcast, writes about public policy at the Realignment Project, and is a co-author of the Tower of the Hand: A Hymn for Spring anthology book.
Invisible Boys
Author: Holden Sheppard
Publisher: Fremantle Press
ISBN: 1925815579
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 345
Book Description
An emotional tale of identity, sexuality and suicide derived from personal experience about three teenage boys who struggle to come to terms with their homosexuality in a small Western Australian town. On the surface, nerd Zeke, punk Charlie and footy wannabe Hammer look like they have nothing in common. But scratch that surface and you'd find three boys in the throes of coming to terms with their homosexuality in a town where it is invisible. Invisible Boys is a raw, confronting YA novel that explores the complexities and trauma of rural gay identity with painful honesty, devastating consequences and, ultimately, hope.
Publisher: Fremantle Press
ISBN: 1925815579
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 345
Book Description
An emotional tale of identity, sexuality and suicide derived from personal experience about three teenage boys who struggle to come to terms with their homosexuality in a small Western Australian town. On the surface, nerd Zeke, punk Charlie and footy wannabe Hammer look like they have nothing in common. But scratch that surface and you'd find three boys in the throes of coming to terms with their homosexuality in a town where it is invisible. Invisible Boys is a raw, confronting YA novel that explores the complexities and trauma of rural gay identity with painful honesty, devastating consequences and, ultimately, hope.
A Game of Thrones
Author: George R. R. Martin
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0553897845
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 835
Book Description
NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES—THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season. Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen’s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister—the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms. Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki—whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys.
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0553897845
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 835
Book Description
NOW THE ACCLAIMED HBO SERIES GAME OF THRONES—THE MASTERPIECE THAT BECAME A CULTURAL PHENOMENON Winter is coming. Such is the stern motto of House Stark, the northernmost of the fiefdoms that owe allegiance to King Robert Baratheon in far-off King’s Landing. There Eddard Stark of Winterfell rules in Robert’s name. There his family dwells in peace and comfort: his proud wife, Catelyn; his sons Robb, Brandon, and Rickon; his daughters Sansa and Arya; and his bastard son, Jon Snow. Far to the north, behind the towering Wall, lie savage Wildings and worse—unnatural things relegated to myth during the centuries-long summer, but proving all too real and all too deadly in the turning of the season. Yet a more immediate threat lurks to the south, where Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, has died under mysterious circumstances. Now Robert is riding north to Winterfell, bringing his queen, the lovely but cold Cersei, his son, the cruel, vainglorious Prince Joffrey, and the queen’s brothers Jaime and Tyrion of the powerful and wealthy House Lannister—the first a swordsman without equal, the second a dwarf whose stunted stature belies a brilliant mind. All are heading for Winterfell and a fateful encounter that will change the course of kingdoms. Meanwhile, across the Narrow Sea, Prince Viserys, heir of the fallen House Targaryen, which once ruled all of Westeros, schemes to reclaim the throne with an army of barbarian Dothraki—whose loyalty he will purchase in the only coin left to him: his beautiful yet innocent sister, Daenerys.
Blind Kiss
Author: Renée Carlino
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501189638
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
From the national bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers, Swear on this Life, and Wish You Were Here comes a powerful story of two people who spend years denying their scientifically proven chemistry. Penny spends her afternoons sitting outside a sandwich shop, surrounded by ghosts. Fourteen years ago, this shop was her childhood dance studio—and she was a dancer on the rise. Now she’s a suburban housewife, dreading the moment her son departs for MIT, leaving her with an impeccably decorated McMansion and a failing marriage. She had her chance at wild, stars-in-her-eyes happiness, but that was a lifetime ago. After The Kiss. Before The Decision. The Kiss was soulful. Magical. Earth-shattering. And it was all for a free gift card. Asked to participate in a psych study that posed the question, “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny agreed to be blindfolded, make polite conversation with a total stranger, and kiss him. She never expected The Kiss to change her life forever and introduce her to Gavin: tattooed, gorgeous, and spontaneous enough to ask her out seconds after the blindfolds came off. For a year, they danced between friendship and romance—until Penny made The Decision that forced them to settle for friendship. Now, fourteen years later, both of their lives are about to radically change—and it’s his turn to decide what will become of their once-in-a-lifetime connection.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501189638
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 275
Book Description
From the national bestselling author of Before We Were Strangers, Swear on this Life, and Wish You Were Here comes a powerful story of two people who spend years denying their scientifically proven chemistry. Penny spends her afternoons sitting outside a sandwich shop, surrounded by ghosts. Fourteen years ago, this shop was her childhood dance studio—and she was a dancer on the rise. Now she’s a suburban housewife, dreading the moment her son departs for MIT, leaving her with an impeccably decorated McMansion and a failing marriage. She had her chance at wild, stars-in-her-eyes happiness, but that was a lifetime ago. After The Kiss. Before The Decision. The Kiss was soulful. Magical. Earth-shattering. And it was all for a free gift card. Asked to participate in a psych study that posed the question, “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny agreed to be blindfolded, make polite conversation with a total stranger, and kiss him. She never expected The Kiss to change her life forever and introduce her to Gavin: tattooed, gorgeous, and spontaneous enough to ask her out seconds after the blindfolds came off. For a year, they danced between friendship and romance—until Penny made The Decision that forced them to settle for friendship. Now, fourteen years later, both of their lives are about to radically change—and it’s his turn to decide what will become of their once-in-a-lifetime connection.
Everyday Violence in the Irish Civil War
Author: Gemma Clark
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139916505
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 251
Book Description
Everyday Violence in the Irish Civil War presents an innovative study of violence perpetrated by and against non-combatants during the Irish Civil War, 1922–3. Drawing from victim accounts of wartime injury as recorded in compensation claims, Dr Gemma Clark sheds new light on hundreds of previously neglected episodes of violence and intimidation - ranging from arson, boycott and animal maiming to assault, murder and sexual violence - that transpired amongst soldiers, civilians and revolutionaries throughout the period of conflict. The author shows us how these micro-level acts, particularly in the counties of Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford, served as an attempt to persecute and purge religious and political minorities, and to force redistribution of land. Clark also assesses the international significance of the war, comparing the cruel yet arguably restrained violence that occurred in Ireland with the brutality unleashed in other European conflict zones.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139916505
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 251
Book Description
Everyday Violence in the Irish Civil War presents an innovative study of violence perpetrated by and against non-combatants during the Irish Civil War, 1922–3. Drawing from victim accounts of wartime injury as recorded in compensation claims, Dr Gemma Clark sheds new light on hundreds of previously neglected episodes of violence and intimidation - ranging from arson, boycott and animal maiming to assault, murder and sexual violence - that transpired amongst soldiers, civilians and revolutionaries throughout the period of conflict. The author shows us how these micro-level acts, particularly in the counties of Limerick, Tipperary and Waterford, served as an attempt to persecute and purge religious and political minorities, and to force redistribution of land. Clark also assesses the international significance of the war, comparing the cruel yet arguably restrained violence that occurred in Ireland with the brutality unleashed in other European conflict zones.
Don't Wait for Tomorrow
Author: Geri Hemer
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing
ISBN: 1625160569
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 151
Book Description
In the second book of a trilogy, Jane R has lived a humble life until now. Suddenly she is having strange dreams and memories. When she encounters Lord Keith Gerald, he says a magical phrase she remembers from a game she used to play as a child with her nanny. The phrase was, "Don't Wait for Tomorrow," and Jane knows the answer: "It may never come." This phrase that Lord Keith uses is the sign that Jane is the girl he is seeking, the person who is the rightful owner of a valuable parcel he has brought. When Lord Keith comes to find her, in doing so, he has managed to rescue her from being sold in marriage to a man she loathes.
Publisher: Strategic Book Publishing
ISBN: 1625160569
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 151
Book Description
In the second book of a trilogy, Jane R has lived a humble life until now. Suddenly she is having strange dreams and memories. When she encounters Lord Keith Gerald, he says a magical phrase she remembers from a game she used to play as a child with her nanny. The phrase was, "Don't Wait for Tomorrow," and Jane knows the answer: "It may never come." This phrase that Lord Keith uses is the sign that Jane is the girl he is seeking, the person who is the rightful owner of a valuable parcel he has brought. When Lord Keith comes to find her, in doing so, he has managed to rescue her from being sold in marriage to a man she loathes.
The Life and Adventures of William Buckley
Author: William Buckley
Publisher: Text Publishing
ISBN: 1921776595
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 134
Book Description
‘Flannery has done us a service first by reissuing the story of a fascinating adventure from 200 years ago, and then by setting these events in perspective with his lucid introduction.’ Canberra Times ‘At 2.00 pm on Sunday, 6 July 1835, a giant of a man shambled into the camp left by John Batman at Indented Head near Geelong...’ In 1803 the convict William Buckley, a former soldier, escaped from the first official settlement in Victoria, near Sorrento on Port Phillip Bay. For three decades the ‘wild white man’ lived with Aborigines around the bay, before giving himself up in 1835. First published in 1852, The Life and Adventures of William Buckley is the ultimate survival story of early Australia and provides an extraordinary insight into pre-contact indigenous society. Tim Flannery has published over thirty books, including the award-winning The Future Eaters, The Weather Makers and Here on Earth and the novel The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year and in 2007 Australian of the Year. In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council. In 2011 he became Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, and in 2013 he founded the Australian Climate Council. ‘This account, in Buckley’s words...has all the elements of a Boy’s Own yarn: convicts, savages, privations, wars, cannibalism, survival, treachery and the founding of a colony.’ Herald Sun
Publisher: Text Publishing
ISBN: 1921776595
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 134
Book Description
‘Flannery has done us a service first by reissuing the story of a fascinating adventure from 200 years ago, and then by setting these events in perspective with his lucid introduction.’ Canberra Times ‘At 2.00 pm on Sunday, 6 July 1835, a giant of a man shambled into the camp left by John Batman at Indented Head near Geelong...’ In 1803 the convict William Buckley, a former soldier, escaped from the first official settlement in Victoria, near Sorrento on Port Phillip Bay. For three decades the ‘wild white man’ lived with Aborigines around the bay, before giving himself up in 1835. First published in 1852, The Life and Adventures of William Buckley is the ultimate survival story of early Australia and provides an extraordinary insight into pre-contact indigenous society. Tim Flannery has published over thirty books, including the award-winning The Future Eaters, The Weather Makers and Here on Earth and the novel The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year and in 2007 Australian of the Year. In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council. In 2011 he became Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, and in 2013 he founded the Australian Climate Council. ‘This account, in Buckley’s words...has all the elements of a Boy’s Own yarn: convicts, savages, privations, wars, cannibalism, survival, treachery and the founding of a colony.’ Herald Sun
Fast Forward, Play, and Rewind
Author: Michael Oberman
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493050931
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 469
Book Description
The Doors, James Brown, the Grateful Dead, the Sir Douglas Quintet, David Bowie—the list goes on. . . . From 1967 to 1973, Michael Oberman interviewed more than three hundred top musical artists. Collected together for the first time, Fast Forward, Play and Rewind presents more than one hundred interviews Oberman conducted with the most important musical artists of the day Along the way, Oberman touches on the influence of his brother, who interviewed the Beatles and other top artists from 1964 to 1967. He also recounts stories from his later career working for the major Warner-Elektra Atlantic recording company and producing concerts for Cellar Door Productions and managing recording artists. Want to know the true story of how David Bowie became Ziggy Stardust? That and dozens more true tales that might seem like fiction are waiting inside the pages of Fast Forward, Play and Rewind. Each short interview is an invitation for readers to relive (or live for the first time) one of the greatest periods in rock 'n' roll history.
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1493050931
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 469
Book Description
The Doors, James Brown, the Grateful Dead, the Sir Douglas Quintet, David Bowie—the list goes on. . . . From 1967 to 1973, Michael Oberman interviewed more than three hundred top musical artists. Collected together for the first time, Fast Forward, Play and Rewind presents more than one hundred interviews Oberman conducted with the most important musical artists of the day Along the way, Oberman touches on the influence of his brother, who interviewed the Beatles and other top artists from 1964 to 1967. He also recounts stories from his later career working for the major Warner-Elektra Atlantic recording company and producing concerts for Cellar Door Productions and managing recording artists. Want to know the true story of how David Bowie became Ziggy Stardust? That and dozens more true tales that might seem like fiction are waiting inside the pages of Fast Forward, Play and Rewind. Each short interview is an invitation for readers to relive (or live for the first time) one of the greatest periods in rock 'n' roll history.
A Clash of Kings
Author: George R. R. Martin
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0553897853
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 769
Book Description
THE BOOK BEHIND THE SECOND SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES, AN ORIGINAL SERIES NOW ON HBO. A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: BOOK TWO In this thrilling sequel to A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin has created a work of unsurpassed vision, power, and imagination. A Clash of Kings transports us to a world of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare unlike any we have ever experienced. A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel . . . and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 0553897853
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 769
Book Description
THE BOOK BEHIND THE SECOND SEASON OF GAME OF THRONES, AN ORIGINAL SERIES NOW ON HBO. A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE: BOOK TWO In this thrilling sequel to A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin has created a work of unsurpassed vision, power, and imagination. A Clash of Kings transports us to a world of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare unlike any we have ever experienced. A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel . . . and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.