Showing results by author "V.V.A.A." in All Categories

An orphan with a tragic past and a penchant for wicked deeds, Rose Wolff has never been accepted by her people. She's learned to live in the darkness, content with her Alchemy magic and her quiet apothecary. When a terrible curse sweeping the land forces her to enter the Decemvirate, a magical tournament among the strongest of the empire, Rose is pulled from the shadows and thrown into a world of power games, deadly trials, and entanglements with a handsome, mysterious rebel. With divisions in the empire worsening, there may be more at stake than becoming the champion.

The sun is setting on humanity. The night now belongs to voracious demons that prey upon a dwindling population forced to cower behind half-forgotten symbols of power. Legends tell of a Deliverer: a general who once bound all mankind into a single force that defeated the demons. But is the return of the Deliverer just another myth? Perhaps not. Out of the desert rides Ahmann Jardir, who has forged the desert tribes into a demon-killing army. He has proclaimed himself Shar’Dama Ka, the Deliverer and he carries ancient weapons - a spear and a crown - that give credence to his claim.

Alone and far from home in the big city, Violette is on a mission to find a missing man, a war hero who never made it home, and she doesn't want a chaperone. Though she refuses to reveal who she is, or what the man means to her, the chivalrous Aubrey Russell doesn't care. Accidentally thrust into the headstrong young lady's path, he decides she needs a protector. Determined that the girl should not ruin herself in pursuit of the truth, Aubrey dogs her every step... and finds himself in a spot of bother.

Kyle Riggs has been away from Earth for a long time.... What’s happening back home? In Empire, the sixth book of the Star Force Series, the story moves in a new direction. Earth falls quiet, and the few reports coming out of the homeworld are increasingly strange. Isolated in the Eden system, Riggs realizes his enemies are forming an alliance against him. Crushed between two monstrous fleets, the last defenders of Star Force must forge their own alliance with the biotic aliens. But which alien race can Riggs truly trust?

What is Ship of Theseus, and who is its mysterious author V.M. Straka? Conceived by filmmaker J.J. Abrams and written by acclaimed novelist Doug Dorst, Ship of Theseus is the central novel within the experience that is S., a multi-faceted narrative of love and mystery. Ship of Theseus is at its core and is the final book written by a man shrouded in deception and violence. It tells the mystical adventure of an equally mysterious figure, who is struggling to discover his own identity.

I married a space elf, but now a space demon is after me. After making a big family with the most influential species in the galaxy, life was pretty sweet. I had a powerful ship, powerful allies, and all the variety a man could ever ask for. But when the beings responsible for the fertility-killing mutagen I was born to counter re-emerge, it’s up to me to step up and do what I do best. And that includes boldly loving what no man has loved before.

To the tourists and summer residents, Kentwater County is a picturesque community of small-town charm, fruitful farmland, and gorgeous freshwater beaches. To middle-aged widow Isabel Puddles, it's where she preserves pickles, bakes pies, works the counter at her cousin's hardware shop, and occasionally helps "fix up" the hair of corpses at the local funeral parlor. When Isabel discovers a two-inch nail embedded in the skull of Earl Jonasson, it seems the octogenarian may not have died of a stroke.

Vector Databases for Generative AI Applications" provides a comprehensive overview of how vector databases empower generative AI applications. It begins by explaining the core concepts of vector embeddings and vector databases, highlighting their advantages over traditional databases for storing and retrieving data based on similarity. The document then details the process of designing and implementing a vector database workflow, including data preprocessing, database selection, and integration with generative AI models.

In this Very Short Introduction audiobook, marine biologist Philip Mladenov provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of marine biology, offering a tour of marine life and marine processes that ranges from the unimaginably abundant microscopic organisms that drive the oceans' food web to the apex predators that we exploit for food; from polar ocean ecosystems to tropical coral reefs; and from the luxurious kelp beds of the coastal ocean to deep-ocean hydrothermal vents where life exists without the energy of the sun.

When Jack Hammond gets locked up in a top secret facility, he thinks he's finally stopped the nightmare that's been following him. But she isn't the only thing that goes bump in the night. As the newest inmate in a co-ed prison, Jack must conquer beauties and bullies alike. There's just one problem: the facility holds far worse things than he can imagine. He might have a tenacious tomboy and bold bombshell in his corner, but he has to escape if he wants to keep them.

Beyond the din and dancing lights of the Las Vegas strip, a young woman has mysteriously gone missing. All the facts point to something sinister - even paranormal. Quentin Draith, supernatural crime investigator, is hired to assist. However, the deeper Draith digs, the more otherworldly his assignment gets. Assassins, human and otherwise, put a target on Draith’s head and a ravenous alien beast starts rampaging through the city. The clues point Draith to Sin City’s infamous “Bone Triangle,” a neighborhood marked for its dark happenings and disappearances.

Humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction. Each night, the world is overrun by demons - bloodthirsty creatures of nightmare that have been hunting and killing humanity for over 300 years. A scant few hamlets and half-starved city-states are all that remain of a once proud civilization, and it is only by hiding behind wards, ancient symbols with the power to repel the demons, that they survive. A handful of Messengers brave the night to keep the lines of communication open between the increasingly isolated populace.

Kandri Hinjuman was never meant to be a soldier. His brother Mektu was never meant for this world. Rivals since childhood, they are drafted into a horrific war led by a madwoman-Prophet, and survive each day only by hiding their disbelief. Kandri is good at blending in, but Mektu is hopeless: impulsive, erratic - and certain that a demon is stalking him. Is this madness or a second sense? Either way, Kandri knows that Mektu's antics will land them both in early graves. But all bets are off when the brothers' simmering feud explodes into violence, and holy blood is spilled.

Everything changed when I witnessed an alien crash near my home. It carried two things: a beautiful blue-skinned woman who can fly, and an artifact capable of granting superpowers. The government got the ship, I got the girl...and the power. Now men are mutating into monsters, and only I can stop them. Well, myself and a trio of superheroines created to counter me and my extraterrestrial roommate. I need to find that ship, because something worse is coming.

Humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction. Each night, the world is overrun by demons - bloodthirsty creatures of nightmare that have been hunting the surface for over 300 years. A scant few hamlets and half-starved city-states are all that remain of a once proud civilization, and it is only by hiding behind wards, ancient symbols with the power to repel the demons, that they survive. A handful of Messengers brave the night to keep the lines of communication open between the increasingly isolated populace.

Une nuit de 1714, dans un moment de désespoir, une jeune femme avide de liberté scelle un pacte avec le diable. Mais si elle obtient le droit de vivre éternellement, en échange, personne ne pourra jamais plus se rappeler ni son nom ni son visage. La voilà condamnée à traverser les âges comme un fantôme, incapable de raconter son histoire, aussitôt effacée de la mémoire de tous ceux qui croisent sa route.

Life at Hopgood Hall is never boring, but Alexi Ellis hopes that there will be no more murders for the time being – she’s solved four already and is getting a reputation in the local area for being bad luck. So when local gossip Polly Pearson arrives at Hopgood hall, Alexi knows this can only mean bad news. Polly has made it clear that she dislikes Alexi, and has campaigned for her to leave Hopgood Hall forever – so what could Polly want? Then Polly reveals that her partner, Gerry has been found murdered in her B&B and that she is the main suspect!

Through five editions, The 36-Hour Day has been an essential resource for families who love and care for people with Alzheimer disease. Whether a person has Alzheimer disease or another form of dementia, he or she will face a host of problems. The 36-Hour Day will help family members and caregivers address these challenges and simultaneously cope with their own emotions and needs. Featuring useful takeaway messages and informed by recent research into the causes of and the search for therapies to prevent or cure dementia, this edition includes new information.

Layton Foxx works hard for what he has. The condo, the career, the chance to make his mark are all down to the sacrifices he has made. With tragedy in his past, he doesn’t want or need love. Then he meets Adler Lockhart, the extroverted, sexy winger for the Harrisburg Railers, and abruptly he can’t avoid love even if he wanted to.

Corporate learning and development programs play an undeniable role in successful business endeavors, but only when they're done right. The significant revisions in the third edition of The Six Disciplines of Breakthrough Learning add fresh, timely elements to a resource that has become known globally as a trusted guide for professionals determined to get the most of their companies' training and development programs.