Showing results by narrator "Ryan Burke" in All Categories

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.

Blade & Sheath is a fully immersive VRMMORPG game where some folks complete quests, while others develop their magic and battle monsters. Then there are players like Josh. He needs to earn some cash, so when he gets a job as a town builder for Blade & Sheath, he can't believe his luck. However, it won't be easy. The land he needs to build on is as untamed as the critters that prowl it. That's not all—he also starts with no skills and no resources.

Join Josh, Linc, and Hilly one last time as they put the finishing touches on the settlement of Blade's Rest. Brick by brick, plank by plank, they have built up their little haven until their dream is within reach: Blade's Rest might soon be recognized as a town.

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.

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.

War on a scale not seen in this sun-cycle has begun. Nox and his demonic army were thwarted at the Proto-Ark, but not before forging the tool that will hasten the destruction of the world. The Grey Men have a Primary Access Key, and are ready to bring their masters home. The Builders are coming. Millions of deathless surround Jordan in the broken Ark of the Mother. The only thing standing between Lima and destruction is the last god anyone wants to trust...Irakesh. Jordan follows Sobek to Australia in search of allies, but what lurks there predates humanity.

Attorney Cameron Thorne is thrust into a bloody tug-of-war involving secret societies, treasure hunters, and keepers of the secrets of the Jesus bloodline. Joined by Amanda, an enchanting British researcher with secrets of her own, Cam races around New England with only two choices - unravel the 600-year-old mysteries encoded in the ancient artifacts, or die trying.

Efrem "Coleslaw" White is a video game tester and college student. He was on a tropical vacation with a diverse group of strangers, classmates, and friends when disaster struck. The next thing he knew, he was standing before a huge, floating man introducing himself as the god Dolos, and being given a second chance at life. There was a catch, though. There is always a catch.

Aran awakens in chains with no memory. He’s conscripted into the Confederate Marines as a Tech Mage, given a spellrifle then hurled into the war with the draconic Krox and their Void Wyrm masters. Desperate to escape, Aran struggles to master his abilities while surviving the Krox onslaught. Fighting alongside him are a Major who will do anything to win, a Captain who will stop at nothing to see him dead, and a woman whose past is as blank as his own.

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?

Congo already faced the extreme ravages of war before the outbreak. Deep within the militia-controlled jungles, Captain Dominic Holland and his covert group, the Hunters, follow a lead in a desperate race to uncover who is responsible for the biological weapon turning humans into the monsters known as Skulls. But what they uncover may be far more dangerous and frightening than they ever expected. Back in the US, a lost member of Dom's team faces a relentless tide of Skulls alone. The fate of the Hunters and their mission may rest in his hands.

Wonderbook has become the definitive guide to writing science fiction and fantasy by offering an accessible, example-rich approach that emphasizes the importance of playfulness as well as pragmatism. The book features sidebars and essays from some of the biggest names working in the field today, including George R. R. Martin, Lev Grossman, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and Karen Joy Fowler. For the fifth anniversary of the original publication, Jeff VanderMeer has added writing exercises, creating the ultimate volume of inspiring advice.

A fanatical organization led by a rogue Russian biowarfare expert continues to expand its arsenal of biological weapons. Each design is more diabolical than the last. Now, the group plans to launch a new airborne agent that will destroy every last pocket of humanity eking out an existence in this horror-filled world. Captain Dominic Holland and his team of elite covert mercenaries are assigned to stop the launch of this terrifying new weapon. In a desperate race against time, they must navigate the treacherous waters and cities around Europe to save humanity.

Marco Morelli, a rookie marine private, botches his first op and gets transferred to the most rough-and-tumble outfit in the Merged Earth Colonies: Cygni Corps. Though the Corps is filled with the military’s rejects, Marco soon learns it’s also the testing ground for a new serum that will make him and his comrades the finest soldiers in the galaxy.

Nationally best-selling fantasy legend Mercedes Lackey created a vivid, dynamic fusion of the Upper and Lower Kingdoms of ancient Egypt with the most exciting, authentic and believable portrayal of dragons ever imagined. In the second novel in Mercedes Lackey's richly conceived Dragon Jousters series, the dragonrider Vetch escapes to Alta, the subjugated land of his birth. There, he hopes to teach his people to raise and train dragons - and build an army that will liberate his homeland.

Modern-day markets do not arise spontaneously or evolve naturally. Rather they are crafted by individuals, firms, and most of all, by governments. Author Steven Vogel builds his argument upon the recognition that all markets are crafted then systematically explores the implications for analysis and policy. In modern societies, there is no such thing as a free market. Markets are institutions, and contemporary markets are all heavily regulated. The "free market revolution" that began in the 1980s did not see a deregulation of markets, but rather a re-regulation.

In Morocco, tourists and merchants once packed the winding alleys and expansive markets of Tangier. Now there are only Skulls. Captain Dominic Holland and the Hunters pursue the mysterious organization responsible for the Oni Agent straight into the ravaged city. But something more frightening than anything they’ve encountered awaits. Across the Atlantic, Colonel Jacob Shepherd is tasked with delivering a key enemy scientist to the United States Government. But no journey at the end of the world is without disaster. Faced with a mission derailed by catastrophe, Shepherd must make an impossible choice to save his country—and the world.

Humanity faces extinction. A few stubborn governments fight back, caught on the defensive. But even their concerted efforts may not be enough to stem the tide of the biological weapon sweeping the world. As people succumb to this genetically engineered weapon, they devolve into weaponized monstrosities hell-bent on destruction. But humanity hasn’t breathed its last breath yet. Those that are determined to vanquish these abominable creatures and the fanatical organization behind them still fight.

Who knew that getting a second chance for life on another world - after you died - could turn out to be the best thing that ever happened to you? Morgan has been living on this new world for quite some time. He has made friends, found love, been betrayed, formed a guild, fought off a goblin horde, and become an adventurer. His life is perhaps a bit strange now compared to what he had been used to on Earth, but hey, he has an energy sword now.

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.