Showing results by narrator "Ryan Burke" in All Categories

Long ago some of our ancestors were marked by gods. These mythological kings are found in lists all over the world. The Sumerian Kings list. The Egyptian Kings List. The Biblical Kings List.

After receiving the title of Margrave de Valier, Max has set off on campaign as part of the royal army commanded by the Duke de Clairmont, Marshal of Vestonia. Max's assignment is to take control of his new lands, which are known popularly as Shadow Pass and which are being held by the Knights of the Order of the Scarlet Shield.

Heinrich de Gramont's petition to the king to release Max Renard from his duty to serve at Westerly Fort has been signed. Max's debt to the crown has been paid. And now his "doting" uncle expects his wayward and petulant nephew to come to the capital at once so he can be wed to Viscountess Aurelie de Marbot. Max knows there's no getting out of a trip to the capital this time. Also, beyond personal affairs, he has a lot of questions both for his father's brother and a number of maternal relatives.

A new ruler is ascending to the throne of Vintervald, and his army is heading to the North to give battle to the Frost Knights. And meanwhile, Princess Astrid is desperate to find new allies. The King of Astland dreams of an Imperial Crown, and he's waiting for the right moment to hurl his legions into Vestonia. In Atalia, a shift in the balance of power is already well underway, and the Golden Lion is hungry for revenge. The King of Claron, Olgerd III the Proud, has fixed his eyes on Bergonia and the Margraviate de Valier.

We've discovered Terra, but the cost is bitter. All that remains is the Vagrant Fleet, carrying the refugees from every world. Earth is our only hope, but their leaders don't even believe in magic. We also have to convince the Earth flight protecting them that we're not hostiles. Did I mention the dread fleet is right behind us led by a dark god who seems to have a real hate-boner for Xal'Aran? If we're going to win, then we must harness the most powerful Catalyst in existence, the Eye of Om.

No one knows for certain what caused the Shadow to come into existence. Clerics say it was the gods laying a curse upon this world. Philosophers maintain that the Shadow of Strix is nothing short of a blessing and new milestone in human progress. But both sides agree that the Shadow will eventually swallow up this world and change it beyond recognition. However, there are also the mages, and they think the whole debate is just so much hot air. They accept the Shadow as is with all its horrors and wonders.

Ero Bright’Lor, an outcast krey noble, has a mad plan to form an alliance from the outlaw clans. If he can overcome centuries of enmity, their combined might would threaten the entire fleet of the Krey Empire. But the cause needs a leader.

After 26,000 years the Void Wraith have returned. The Eradication has begun. Mankind’s outer colonies are disappearing. Without warning. Without a trace. Fleet command chalks the attacks up to pirates, but Captain Dryker of the UFC Johnston isn’t buying it. Humanity cannot stop them. Not without help. Captain Dryker’s only hope is to forge an alliance with mankind’s greatest enemy, the savage Tigris. One maverick captain, an unlikely crew, and an aging vessel are all that stand between humanity and the Eradication.

Bad luck seems to follow navy officer Archer Devereaux like toilet paper stuck to his shoe. Even when he tries to do the right thing, he ends up in hot water—or behind bars. Hemmed in by circumstances beyond his control, his reputation, particularly among graduates of the Phlegraean Naval Academy, has become a mess. Fortunately, one of his superior officers knows that Devereaux is more than his mishaps. She sees that he's a clever young officer. Cool under fire.

The Ganog have arrived. Their fleets are endless. Their will implacable. They cannot use magic, but that isn't stopping them from wiping out mages. Behind them lurks a worse foe, the Gorthians, those holding the Ganog's leash. They have devoured countless galaxies, harvesting them over and over to create more monstrosities.

The Golden Lion has retreated to Atalia with the remnants of his army. An anxious calm has settled over war-torn Bergonia, but it doesn't seem likely that things will stay quiet for very long. With the burden of command finally removed from his shoulders, Max is headed to northern Bergonia. To the lands of the Margraviate de Valier, which were conferred on him by King Carl III.

In this hilarious and highly practical book, author and professional speaker Scott Berkun reveals the techniques behind what great communicators do, and shows how anyone can learn to use them well. For managers and teachers - and anyone else who talks and expects someone to listen - Confessions of a Public Speaker provides an insider's perspective on how to effectively present ideas to anyone. It's a unique, entertaining, and instructional romp through the embarrassments and triumphs Scott has experienced over 15 years of speaking to crowds of all sizes.

A soldier returning from war is supposed to be a time of peace and relaxation. But that just isn’t the case for Lost Lord Max Fowler. The weight and responsibility of his title push Max to new challenges, larger battles, and more magic. There’s always a threat around the corner, especially as winter nears and monsters start to surge, renowned organizations start to show their true colors, and those who wish to destroy start looking for targets.

The dragon-boy once known as Vetch has returned to his homeland of Alta to reclaim his birthright, only to discover that Alta is under the thrall of evil Priest-Kings. Gathering troops of dragon riders by his side, Vetch raises an army in the sanctuary of the desert to rid his land of both war and magical domination once and for all.

Two civilizations clash. A rebellion grows. The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. Technical Chief "Pappy" Gunther is a grizzled, burning-out commando in the United Earth Armed Forces. He ponders a return to civilian life, yet feels a strong sense of belonging to his elite team. When colonists on a far-flung world request aid, a task force from several allied systems is assembled. Pappy and his crack unit are sent to investigate and to engage a mysterious alien force from beyond.

That fiancee? She’s married—to another guy. The family business? His parents sold it. Jack Bennet returns from the war to find the life he left behind has moved on without him. The only option he has to make ends meet lies in a military surplus junkyard starship. What’s a former Combat Search and Rescue soldier to do?

Dillon Mackey has always wanted to travel the stars.... When brilliant scientist and inventor Sherisza Rousilarru offers him an apprenticeship aboard her starship, he leaps at the chance to escape a boring future in the law.

Morgan used to be a pretty normal guy. He went to college by day and played online games by night, leading his guild into new conquests - until he got hit by a car and a dude wearing a wet suit appeared in front of him. The man offered him a new chance at life in a world he had created, a world with similar rules to the games Morgan loved to play. There is the promise of great rewards and power, he says, if Morgan manages to complete the Tower of Power.

Nate didn't want to die. But after years of battling a sickness that had left him a mere shell of what he once was, he wasn't exactly clinging to life either. Then everything changed. His final breath was just a new beginning, one that led to him waking up in a world almost identical to his own. He has the same parents, the same name, and even the same face in the mirror. But this Earth is different. Stranger. Better in some ways, and so much more dangerous in others.

Kiron has secretly gathered an army of dragon riders to seek refuge in the abandoned desert city they have named Sanctuary, where they join with other dragon riders to rid their world of both war and magical domination. But now it is time to build a new society in Aerie: an ancient city that seems to have been designed for dragon riders and their dragons.