Showing results by narrator "Eric Martin" in All Categories

Nox had hoped a successful alchemy business would mark the end of his financial troubles. He couldn't be more wrong. City taxes, labor and material costs, and his competitors now threaten to do what cultists and his step families failed to do—cripple him. Mysterious and concerning dreams also plague his nights as he struggles to stay afloat. But all hope is not lost! A fungal plague threatens the continent's residents and the farmland that feeds them.

Things are heating up on Earth, and Rico is doing his best to keep a lid on the chaos. But it’s not easy to help deal with the threats at home when you’re randomly summoned away at a moment’s notice. From exploring a haunted mansion, protecting goblin trains, to a crooked card game, Rico does what he can to help his summoners that call upon him. The rewards for each summoning are nice, but a new arena challenge awaits Rico, and if he can come out on top, he just might gain the power he needs to keep our world safe.

Nox’s time at Woodson University didn’t just come with progress in academia, artisanry, and magic. He’s swiftly grown into one of the richest people in the city and holds political influence. The rapid developments haven’t gone unnoticed, and not all attention is positive. Business is booming. Nox is in a healthy relationship. His academic accolades are adding up. And familial tears are in the mending process. But he can feel something big is coming to ruin everything. Nox’s friends and family call it paranoia, but he disagrees and his preparations don't feel swift enough.

One of the most revered names in sf and fantasy, the incomparable Roger Zelazny was honored with numerous prizes—including six Hugo and three Nebula Awards—over the course of his legendary career. Among his more than fifty books, arguably Zelazny’s most popular literary creations were his...

Sarno's casinos - and his ideas about how to build casinos - created the template for Las Vegas today. Before him, Las Vegas meant dealers in string ties and bland, functional architecture. He taught the city how to dress up its hotels in fantasy, putting toga dresses on cocktail waitresses and making sure that even the stationery carried through with the theme. He saw Las Vegas as a place where ordinary people could leave their ordinary lives and have extraordinary adventures.

Daniel Chai only ever wanted to be an Adventurer. Born with a Gift of Healing that steals his memories and past experiences as its fuel source, Daniel must weigh his heart's desire with his gift as he attempts to clear his first ever dungeon. Along the way, he'll meet true friends like the Catkin Asin and the Northerner Omrak as he learns what it truly takes to be a professional Adventurer in Brad.

Rico Kline is finding that the life of a summoned being isn’t an easy one. At any moment he could be summoned to another world and ordered to participate in a battle, be experimented on by strange species, or even babysit a deadly monster. His life on Earth isn’t any easier, as mysterious people and organizations try to track him down for their own nefarious purposes. Despite the dangers, Rico’s power continues to grow as the system rewards his efforts.

With the mine reopened and his farm under construction, Falkor and his party go exploring in the tunnels below the village. Though he defeated the first contender that had hunted him down, Falkor was sure that more would be coming for him, and he needed to get stronger as quickly as possible. Fighting and defeating the monsters of the underground seemed to be the fastest way to accomplish that goal. But unexpectedly strong monsters from the deep depths of the underground are appearing closer to the surface than they should be.

In a world of monsters, dungeons, and dragons, Chod has finally found a place to call home. More than that, he’s found a tribe worth fighting for. A colossal battle is brewing, and the fate of Mythos hangs in the balance. With the forces of darkness primed to make their move, Chod finds himself in a race against time. The Mythos Rehabilitation Program will soon be terminated, and the era of heroes is coming to an end. As the clock ticks down, Chod must make a stand if he wants to prevent a future cast in perpetual shadow.

Balancing a broad array of archaeological, botanical, and historical evidence, Fruit from the Sands presents the fascinating story of the origins and spread of agriculture across Inner Asia and into Europe and East Asia. Through the preserved remains of plants in archaeological sites, Robert N. Spengler III identifies the regions where our most familiar crops were domesticated and follows their routes as people carried them around the world. Vividly narrated, Fruit from the Sands explores how the foods we eat have shaped the course of human history.

In China and the World, one of the world's leading China specialists, David Shambaugh, has assembled 15 leading international authorities on China to create the most comprehensive and up-to-date scholarly assessment of China's foreign relations and roles in international affairs.  

Having returned from their time with the Army, Daniel and Asin must now complete the dungeon in Karlak. To do so though, they will need to get better gear, more skills, and higher levels. Taking a quest, the pair must leave Karlak to travel across the Kingdom of Brad and learn a few life lessons along the way.

Without our domesticated plants and animals, human civilization as we know it would not exist. We would still be living at subsistence level as hunter-gatherers if not for domestication. It is no accident that the cradle of civilization - the Middle East - is where sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, and cats commenced their fatefully intimate associations with humans.

Somalia was Tom Pecora's first deployment as a CIA Protective Operations Cadre (POC) officer, responsible for providing protective operations support in hostile areas of the world. He later headed up a series of the Agency's undisclosed protective operations teams. From 1989 until his retirement in 2013, he was assigned to multiple war zones across Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, doing the kind of work few are even aware exists.

Eric lives a normal life. He has a job. A girlfriend. He owns an apartment. He matters. And then he dies. A couple of centuries later, Eric wakes up inside an advanced infantry robot whose AI core harbors his consciousness. Eric is soon thrust into an experimental army unit known as the Bolt Eaters. Thrown into the latest cesspools of war and conflict across the world, the Bolt Eaters make short work of any opponents. When aliens decide to invade, stranding his unit in the middle of nowhere, Eric is forced to face the ultimate test with the machines he has come to know as brothers.

James Howard Kunstler's critically acclaimed and best-selling The Long Emergency, originally published in 2005, quickly became a grassroots hit, going into nine printings in hardcover. Kunstler's shocking vision of our post-oil future caught the attention of environmentalists and business leaders alike, and stimulated widespread discussion about our dependence on fossil fuels and our dysfunctional financial and government institutions.

Calron is turning eight soon... will he awaken as an accursed Lightning Cultivator or does fate have something else in store for him? Over a millennium ago, the Lightning Gods ruled Heaven and Earth with their destructive lightning magic. No other Elementalist or Martial Artist could contend against their overwhelming power. Until the fated day . . . when the seven Primordial Thrones broke their slumber.

The tale of St. Josaphat, a prince who gave up his wealth and kingdom to follow Jesus, was widely told and read in the Middle Ages, translated into a dozen languages, and even cited by Shakespeare in The Merchant of Venice. Only in the 19th century did scholars note the parallels between the lives of Buddha and Josaphat. In Search of the Christian Buddha traces the Buddha’s story from India to Persia to Jerusalem and then throughout Europe, as it was rewritten by Muslim, Jewish, and Christian authors, illustrating its unsuspected integration into European culture.

So you want a brilliant cut for your rough diamond? In that case, you should get on with the cutting! That’s how I found myself looking for a suitable lapidarist. Since I was anything but your run-of-the-mill little rock, the master crafter also had to be special. The one fitting the bill happened to be truly excellent, but, alas, he did have his quirks, too. A recluse living on top of a tall, barren mountain, he did not take kindly to most uninvited intruders, sending them back rolling down the hill in the most unceremonious of manners. And he had plenty of secrets, too.

Rumor has it that this year's leaders will receive an unusual reward from the Emperor himself. The exact nature of that reward is a mystery to everyone. What is absolutely clear, though, is that the number of prizes is limited, and just about everyone wants them. So let the battle begin—in the hearts and minds, within the school walls, on training grounds, and even in the streets of the capital city. This will be the ultimate test of one's strength and cunning. It will be fair, and not. It will be bloodless and the stuff of one's worst gory nightmares. And the winner will take all.