Showing results by narrator "Mark Rice Oxley" in All Categories

The Empire rules with an iron fist. The Valeroot elves have barely managed to survive, but at least they’re not Arthali witches like Elmerah. Her people were exiled long ago. Just a child at the time, her only choice was to flee her homeland, or remain among those who’d betrayed their own kind. She was resigned to living out her solitary life in a swamp until pirates kidnap her and throw her in with their other captives, young women destined to be sold into slavery.

Life has the capacity of great moments and attainment, of lives well lived, fulfilling for ourselves and for those we touch. But for others life is arduous. There is no spark to ignite the curiosity, to explore and achieve a stability and a growth to their lives. Indeed their lives, in their own eyes, become almost meaningless, their sense of themselves subsumed under a myriad of problems, whether real or imagined. Seismic events in a life might crush them; the loss of a loved one for instance. Coping is difficult, support hard to find and isolation abounds.

The heartbeat of the land thrums louder and faster, like soldiers charging into war. Finn drew a line in the sand when she used the faie to attack her enemy. There is no going back from what she has become. And she’s done running.

One of the greatest cities has fallen, betrayed by its own people. Yet Saida’s loss is even greater, and for her pain, someone must pay. Though the events of the battle were orchestrated by the Emperor, her heart casts blame on only one elf. While Elmerah and Alluin work toward the next step in their plan, Saida can think of only him.

Faerune is running out of time. With the threat of the Dreilore nipping at their heels, our unlikely companions have only one choice: to move forward with Alluin’s mad plan to overthrow the Empire. The emperor must be killed, and the Dreilore defeated, but first, Isara Saredoth must be located. She’s the only rational choice for empress, someone both humans and elves alike can support. Elmerah, Alluin, and Saida will brave the Akkeri temples to find their empress, but Isara may not be exactly what they expected. In fact, some think her quite mad.

For centuries England has always had a leading and admired reputation for its poets and poetry. In this volume we explore those born in the North-West who created such revered, enduring and respected verse.

Stefan Zweig was born on the 28th November 1881 in Vienna, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and into a wealthy Jewish family with interests in banking and textiles. Zweig first published in 1900 and two decades later was a popular and highly regarded author in many parts of the world, although not in England. He was also the librettist with Richard Strauss of two operas and a keen collector of autographed musical manuscripts. His collection of over two hundred pieces was later donated to the British Library.

A storm is brewing, pitting dragons against mortals, gods against Faie, and in the middle is Finn. Her magic is changing. Traps seem to lurk around every corner. The greatest trap of all, perhaps, is making a deal with a dragon, but she sees no other choice. If she doesn’t stand against the gods, no one will. Even if it means destroying who she is to become something else in the process.

Finn thought she had found her happy ending, but she hadn’t considered the consequences of breaking the barrier to the in-between. The land is in chaos. Mages are pitted against non-magical humans, and the Faie are a threat to all. A powerful magic as old as time itself has returned to the land, and its sole intent to is to restore balance...and to punish those who threw everything off to begin with. Finn is one such person. Will she be powerful enough to stand up to an ancient god, or will the ones she loves pay the price for her actions?

This audiobook is written for startup founders to prepare them for successful fund raising for their company. From working on the core components of the startup to preparation of right documents and pitching to the investors, this audiobook covers all key aspects of fund raising. Atal Malviya, the founder of Spark10 has built and exited VC funded companies and has also helped hundreds of startups in raising investment globally.

The Russian novel has a reputation that is immense, both in narrative and in length. Unquestionably though the ideas, themes and characters make many novels rightly revered as world class, as icons of literature. The Russian short story is, in many respects, in a genre of its own. It is at its captivating best whether it’s an exploration of real-life experiences, through fantasy and fables and on to total absurdity.

Conversations happen everywhere. A few words to pass the time or a detailed examination of views. But on trains they seem to be different. Speaking whilst in motion gives the whole discussion a momentum that often takes us into uncharted territory.

Franz Kafka was born on 3rd July 1883 in Prague, then in Bohemia, the eldest of 6, into a middle-class Jewish family. Life for the young Kafka and his passion for literature was often made an ordeal by his over-bearing and domineering entrepreneur of a father. His literary works are few in number but towering in influence. His masterpieces include ‘The Trial’, ‘The Metamorphosis’ as well as a number of short stories which reveal facets of humankind that truthfully could only be born from Kafka’s brain and pen.

Life in a Martian colony can be tough for a 12-year-old! You can’t just go outside to hang out because, well, you’d suffocate and die. Elliot lives a regular Martian life. He goes to school, plays football, and tries to avoid the mean kids. But he never gets to leave the colony buildings. That is, until he goes on a science trip where he makes a discovery that could change the course of humanity forever: a strange doorway in a volcanic cave! Who put it there? What’s on the other side?

When you find out your best friend and business partner is secretly sleeping with your wife, it may be time to move on.... From your job and your marriage.... Which is precisely what happened to Jamie Newgent. A change of lifestyle is what’s needed, and a bachelor pad on the fourth floor of a jutting tower provides a new home, a fresh start, and a new chapter in his life.

Trains have always held a special place for most of us. We’re intrigued by the mere fact that we can sit down in one place and arrive in another and enjoy the adventure and time in between. In this volume we explore both the journeys and the workers who run and maintain the railway network.

Do you believe in ghosts? If you do you probably treat any rendezvous with them with more than a fair share of caution. If you don’t then you’re probably keen to disprove their existence and find a rational explanation for whatever is going on and immediately make plans to enter the haunted house. In this volume our authors are very keen to show why the latter is not the wisest of moves.

Spies come in all shapes and sizes but all of the spies in this volume are decidedly not like the urbane British agent James Bond, who regularly saves the world. These spies are on a missionand whether that’s saving their own lives, or the lives of many others imperilled by their Nation’s foes.

For centuries England has always had a leading and admired reputation for its poets and poetry. In this volume we explore those born in the East of England who created such revered, enduring and respected verse.

For centuries England has always had a leading and admired reputation for its poets and poetry. In this volume we explore those born in the West Midlands who created such revered, enduring and respected verse.