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A CEO in Her Stocking: An Anthology (The Accidental Heirs)
by Elizabeth Bevarly Janice MaynardAll this single mom wants for Christmas is one sexy CEO! Only from New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Bevarly! With the reading of a will, single mother Clara Easton's life is upended! Turns out the carefree beach bum who fathered her son was really Park Avenue gold, and he's left his fortune to little Hank. Now she's spending the holidays in dazzling New York City with the man's family, including his sexy twin brother. But Grant Dunbarton is not like the fun-loving charmer who swept Clara off her feet. No way should she fall for a workaholic who knows nothing of comfort and joy. So why can't she tell him goodbye? Enjoy a special Texas Cattleman's Club: Lies and Lullabies bonus prequel short story from Janice Maynard Reclaimed by the Rancher
A CONSPIRAÇÃO PARA SALVAR SÓCRATES
by Paul Levinson Vasco BentoUma jovem académica recebe um fragmento de um diálogo que refere um encontro entre Sócrates e um estrangeiro, que o visitou na prisão antes de beber a cicuta. Este propõe-lhe resgatá-lo e deixar um clone no seu lugar. Outras personagens entram também em contacto com esse diálogo , entre eles um inventor que criou uma cadeira para viajar no tempo. Irá Sócrates ser salvo? Quem vai sobreviver àquela corrida contra o tempo?
A Cab Called Reliable
by Patti KimWhen Ahn Joo is nine years old, and has lived in America for two years, her mother takes her younger brother, and flees their home and her drunken, violent husband, leaving Ahn Joo alone with him. This book is the story of the next few years of Ahn Joo's life, and how she copes with having been abandoned by her mother.
A Cabana
by Sky CorganÉ o sonho de toda garota, ser resgatada por um estranho lindo. Quando acordo e vejo Kit Green parado em cima de mim, achei que ele fosse um anjo. Eu não vi suas asas sombrias. O que ele está fazendo aqui completamente sozinho? Eu não questiono no começo. Estou ocupada demais sendo cegada pela intriga e pelo desejo. Se não fosse por ele, eu estaria morta. Quero recompensá-lo com o meu corpo. Mas as coisas rapidamente começam a não fazer sentido. Esta cabana cheia de segredos. Está frio lá fora, mas estou começando a achar que ele veio aqui para queimar seus pecados. Disclaimer: A Cabana é um romance sombrio único. Esta estória lida com as lutas do Transtorno de Estresse Pós-Traumático e em encontrar um motivo para viver quando tudo ao seu redor parece não fazer sentido.
A Cabinet of Curiosity (Conjunctions #71)
by Peter Straub Diane Ackerman Howard Norman John Edgar Wideman Rick Moody Bradford Morrow Joanna Scott Dinaw Mengestu Robert Kelly Karen Russell David Shields Mei-Mei Berssenbrugge Peter Gizzi Norman Manea Brian Evenson Ann Lauterbach Martine Bellen Mary CaponegroJoyce Carol Oates, Ann Beattie, Diane Ackerman, and more explore the double-edged sword of curiosity . . . Curiosity is as central to life as breathing. And like breath itself, when it ceases, the vibrancy of life fades and disappears. Curiosity leads to discoveries both beneficent and, at times, destructive. It often occasions wonderment, but also terror. It prompts the precise scientist, but also the nosy gadfly. A double-edged sword, curiosity has forever held a crucial role in myth, literature, science, philosophy, history—nearly every field of human endeavor. While most of us know the old saying about curiosity killing the cat, we must also remember that “satisfaction brought it back.” Curiosity incites and compels, taketh away and giveth. In this issue, curiosity impels a personal assistant to learn hidden truths about her deceased employer—a famed playwright—and his relationship with the woman who directs an Italian arts foundation to which he donated his priceless library of first editions. A novelist, inspired by a different kind of curiosity, studies the traditional teachings of his Cherokee forebears after reading the notebook his beloved grandfather possessed when he died. Elsewhere, a young boy removes his clothes and, driven by dangerous curiosity, crawls into the gaping darkness of a sewer pipe, where he mysteriously vanishes, altering the lives of everyone who knew him. While most of the stories, poems, and memoirs here investigate the places where curiosity transports us—from forgotten burial grounds to natural history museums, from alluring lakes to postapocalyptic seaside shanties—A Cabinet of Curiosity also features a singular visit to an archetypal curiosity cabinet in Amsterdam with its treasury of specimens, of oddities in jars and on shelves, of things pinned and things afloat. Curiosity in all its guises is the wellspring of revelation. It is a prime mover behind our deeds, good or evil, simple or complicated. While the thirty-one writers gathered here individually explore many of the ways in which curiosity drives and defines us, together they propose that the realms of curiosity are, finally, inexhaustible. A Cabinet of Curiosity includes contributions from Laura van den Berg, Ann Beattie, Brandon Hobson, Eleni Sikelianos, Greg Jackson, Julianna Baggott, Jeffrey Ford, Joyce Carol Oates, William Lychack, Joanna Scott, Catherine Imbriglio, Dave King, Lauren Green, Can Xue (Translated by Karen Gernant, Chen Zeping), Nathaniel Mackey, A. D. Jameson, Quintan Ana Wikswo, Lynn Schmeidler, Samuel R. Delany, Kelsey Peterson, Sarah Blackman, Gerard Malanga, Martine Bellen, Maud Casey, Gregory Norman Bossert, Stephen O’Connor, Matt Bell, Madeline Kearin, Bin Ramke, Diane Ackerman, Elizabeth Hand.
A Caccia del Cacciatore: Sotto il Ghiaccio dell'Artico
by Richard M. AnkersUn mondo fatto di oscurità circonda Jean e la Principessa Linka. La famiglia reale Nordica - Eterni albini che sembravano esistere solo nelle leggende - trasportano i loro ospiti nelle profondità del ghiaccio Artico, fino alla leggendaria città di Hvit. Viene loro offerto rifugio, ma non tutto va per il verso giusto. La mente di Jean è più buia che mai, e il mondo proverà la sua furia. Rinnovando vecchie conoscenze, deve risolvere il mistero su chi lo manipola, e la ragione della morte dei suoi genitori. Aiutato da Merryweather e dalla misteriosa Principessa Aurora, Jean cerca vendetta. Intrappolato fra i lupi di terra e di mare, ora combatte non più solo per se stesso: combatte per amore.
A Cadence Creek Christmas
by Donna AlwardIt's Christmas in Donna Alward's Cadence Creek...Taylor Shepard has come to Cadence Creek to organize her brother's Christmas wedding. Organizing such a special event might be a little bit stressful-but she can't deny she's swept away by the town's holiday charm...and by brooding rancher Rhys Bullock.Loner Rhys has been burned far too many times in the past. He's sure he has city girl Taylor all figured out-she'll be hightailing it straight back to the city in a few days! But as the snow starts to fall, Rhys and Taylor embark on a tentative winter romance. Could Taylor be the Christmas present Rhys never even knew he wanted?
A Cadenza for Caruso (The Opera Mysteries #1)
by Barbara PaulHistory&’s greatest tenor hunts a killer at the Metropolitan Opera in this &“hilarious&” and &“thoroughly delightful&” mystery from a Shamus Award nominee (Publishers Weekly). Giacomo Puccini has always been a flirt. When he isn&’t writing the most popular operas the world has ever known, he has an eye for the ladies, and he doesn&’t care if his wife, Elvira, knows it. But after the composer participates in a harmless bit of chitchat with a servant girl, Elvira explodes with jealousy, driving the girl from the house and spreading lies so terrible that the innocent young woman takes her own life. Puccini is left shattered, driven nearly to suicide, and only Enrico Caruso can save him. The legendary tenor lures Puccini to New York to premiere his new opera on the Metropolitan stage. At first, all goes well. But when a member of the Metropolitan family is found murdered, all signs point to Puccini as the killer. To avert a real-life tragedy, the great Caruso takes on the most challenging role of his career: detective. A Cadenza for Caruso is the 1st book in the Opera Mysteries, but you may enjoy reading the series in any order.
A Cage Of Crimson
by K. F. BreeneOf all the people in the world, why her? It was supposed to be easy: find the drug maker. Find her, and drag her back to the dragons to deal with. She deserves death for what she's done. For someone like Weston, the best alpha in the world, the one who shuts people up just by walking in the room, it would've been. Until he learns what she is... Finding a fated mate is nearly impossible. Very few are able to do it. But the call of their bond is unmistakable. Against all odds, and in the worst situation imaginable, he's found his true mate. Her. Worse? If there could be anything worse than a true mate that has brought the world to its knees - she doesn't seem to realize what she is. Her animal is suppressed. Locked away, leaving her nearly without magic. She doesn't know what the feeling is, and she doesn't care. She claims innocence. She thinks he's the villain in this story, and she aims to kill him before he destroys her. It doesn't change his duty. He must bring her in, nature be damned. Regardless of how much it hurts, he'll resist the sweet taste of her lips and the heaven between her thighs. She must pay for what she's done. He just hopes he doesn't die inside for the part he's forced to play in the destruction of his true mate.
A Cage So Gilded (Healer of Kingdoms)
by Ingrid SeymourDon't miss this sensational romantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast that gets steamier with every book! Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout!_________________________THE PRINCE WOULD CHOOSE TO SAVE HIS REALM.BUT THE BEAST WOULD FOLLOW HIS HEART . . . TO ME.After Daniella, a human with magical healing powers, saved fae Prince Kalyll's life - and his kingdom - he released her back to her own life, choosing his duty over the passion that burned between them.But when the darkness in Kalyll takes over once more, Daniella is kidnapped from her world for a second time. This time, she truly is a prisoner in the fae realm, held in a high tower above the Seelie capital of Elyndell.As Kalyll battles with the good and evil within, both his kingdom and heart stand at risk - and Daniella must choose between the prince who left her behind, and the beast who wants her back. Meanwhile, the beautiful façade of the fae court has begun to crack, revealing a web of deceit and manipulation that could change everything . . .Don't miss the other books in this series, A PRINCE SO CRUEL and A COURT SO DARK . . ._________________________⭐ Readers can't get enough of this series! ⭐'If you are looking for something darker than your average Disney Fairytale, with captivating and enticing happenings, interesting and intriguing characters, lots of spice, and an ending that begs you to jump right into book 2, then you just have to read A Prince So Cruel!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I couldn't put this first book down, it was full of intrigue, fae fantasy world so beautifully described and romance. Just brilliant!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I was totally hooked' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'This was the perfect mix of everything I wanted when looking for my next read and Ingrid did indeed deliver.' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐'I loved every single second of the story it was like a dream coming true' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
A Cage Went in Search of a Bird: Ten Kafkaesque Stories
by Keith Ridgway Helen Oyeyemi Joshua Cohen Ali Smith Yiyun Li Naomi Alderman Elif Batuman Tommy Orange Charlie Kaufman Leone RossA collection of brand-new short stories written by prize-winning, bestselling writers and inspired by Kafka - published to commemorate the centenary of his death*Chosen as a 2024 highlight in the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, New Statesman, Esquire and the New European*Franz Kafka is widely regarded as one of the great geniuses of twentieth-century literature. What happens when some of the most original literary minds of today take an idea, a mood or a line from his work and use it to spark something new?From a future society who ask their AI servants to construct a giant tower to reach God; to a flat hunt that descends into a comically absurd bureaucratic nightmare; to a population experiencing a wave of unbearable, contagious panic attacks, these ten specially commissioned stories are by turns mind-bending, funny, unsettling and haunting. Inspired by the visionary imagination of a writer working one hundred years ago, they speak powerfully to the strangeness of being alive today.
A Cage Went in Search of a Bird: Ten Kafkaesque Stories
by Keith Ridgway Helen Oyeyemi Joshua Cohen Ali Smith Yiyun Li Naomi Alderman Elif Batuman Tommy Orange Charlie Kaufman Leone RossA collection of brand-new short stories written by prize-winning, bestselling writers and inspired by Kafka - published to commemorate the centenary of his death*Chosen as a 2024 highlight in the Guardian, the Financial Times, the Daily Mail, New Statesman, Esquire and the New European*Franz Kafka is widely regarded as one of the great geniuses of twentieth-century literature. What happens when some of the most original literary minds of today take an idea, a mood or a line from his work and use it to spark something new?From a future society who ask their AI servants to construct a giant tower to reach God; to a flat hunt that descends into a comically absurd bureaucratic nightmare; to a population experiencing a wave of unbearable, contagious panic attacks, these ten specially commissioned stories are by turns mind-bending, funny, unsettling and haunting. Inspired by the visionary imagination of a writer working one hundred years ago, they speak powerfully to the strangeness of being alive today.
A Cage Went in Search of a Bird: Ten Kafkaesque Stories
by Helen Oyeyemi Ali Smith Naomi Alderman Elif Batuman Tommy OrangeWhat happens when Kafka&’s idiosyncratic imagination meets some of the greatest literary minds writing in English across the globe today? Find out in this anthology of brand-new Kafka-inspired short stories by prizewinning, bestselling writers.Franz Kafka is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most enigmatic geniuses of European literature. He&’s been hailed a profit and a diagnostician, and a century after his death, his unique perspective on the anxieties, injustices, and rapidly shifting belief systems of the modern world continues to speak to our contemporary moment. From a future society who ask their AI servants to construct a giant tower to reach God; to an apartment search that descends into a comically absurd bureaucratic nightmare; to a population experiencing a wave of unbearable, contagious panic attacks, these ten specially commissioned stories are by turns mind-bending, funny, unsettling and haunting. Inspired by a twentieth-century visionary, they speak powerfully to the strangeness of being alive today.
A Caixa 1 (A CAIXA #Volumen 1)
by Camilla Läckberg Henrik FexeusCamilla Läckberg, autora bestseller com mais de 30 milhões de livros vendidos em todo o mundo, e Henrik Fexeus, um dos mais respeitados especialistas em linguagem e comunicação corporal, unem forças e criam a trilogia mais fascinante, envolvente e impactante dos últimos tempos. Atreva-se a descobrir a verdade. Quando uma mulher é encontrada morta numa caixa de madeira, com o corpo perfurado por espadas, a polícia de Estocolmo fica perplexa: é difícil saber se é um truque de magia que acabou em tragédia ou um ritual macabro. As investigações são confiadas a uma equipa especial: um grupo heterogéneo de agentes selecionados —e alérgicos a procedimentos institucionais —, entre os quais se destaca, pela sua competência como investigadora, Mina Dabiri. É a própria Mina que sugere envolver neste caso o famoso mentalista Vincent Walder, profundo conhecedor da linguagem corporal e do mundo do ilusionismo. Juntos, partem na caça ao assassino, mas a personalidade de ambos, marcada por pequenas e grandes obsessões e segredos indescritíveis, dificultaa investigação, também porque o seu próprio passado acaba por estar perturbadoramente ligado ao caso. Com o aparecimento de mais um corpo, Mina e Vincent percebem que enfrentam um implacável assassino em série e dão início a uma emocionante corrida contra o tempo, para decifrarem os códigos numéricos e truques de ilusionismo de uma mente brilhante e perversa. Antes que a situação se agrave, a única arma de que dispõem para evitar que o assassino volte a matar é antecipar os seus movimentos: só compreendendo plenamente a sua loucura poderão acabar com ela. Uma emocionante viagem à parte mais obscura da alma humana e que não deixará nenhum leitor indiferente Os elogios da crítica: «Läckberg e Fexeus sabem perfeitamente como escrever uma história impactante e envolvente.»Göteborgs Posten «Quando Läckberg une forças com Fexeus, o entretenimento torna-se descaradamente impressionante.»Ystads Allehanda «Romance muito perturbador, que, inevitavelmente, leva a roer as unhas. Não vai querer mais nada para além de ler a história de uma só vez. [...] Mina Dabiri e Vincent Walder são uma dupla de investigadores comoventes.»De Telegraaf «Um enredo sofisticado e personagens das quais quer sempre saber mais.»denglers-buchkritik.de «A dupla Läckberg/Fexeus conseguiu criar um emocionante e extraordinário começo para a sua trilogia. Assusta, emociona e entretém.»krimi-couch.de «Fazia muito tempo que não lia um romance tão impressionante e enigmático, tão cheio de truques e reviravoltas como este.»Literaturbühne «Dramático e divertido, com investigadores não convencionais, mas muito interessantes.»Rádio Mühlheim «Arrastei por toda a parte este livro, porque era simplesmente tão excitante, que, se eu tivesse apenas cinco minutos, os aproveitava para ler algumas páginas. Há uma explosão de psicologia, conhecimento e diagnóstico no livro A caixa, o primeiro de uma trilogia de Läckberg em colaboração com Henrik Fexeus. O conhecimento profissional de Henrik e as habilidades de escrita de Läckberg transformam esta dupla numa equipa de redação brilhante... O livro é GENIAL. 6 estrelas.»Hverdags_psykologi.dk «4estrelas. Pode parecer demasiado extenso para um thriller, mas tanto o enredo quanto as análises comportamentais que servem como fio condutor da história deste crime cativam, sem sombra de dúvida, o leitor. O bom artesanato de crime de Läckberg e os novos ingredientes relevantes de Fexeus garantem uma experiência de leitura muito satisfatória.»Jyllands-Posten
A Cajun Christmas Killing: A Cajun Country Mystery (A Cajun Country Mystery #3)
by Ellen ByronMaggie Crozat is back home in bayou country during the most magical time of the year. In Pelican, Louisiana, Christmastime is a season of giant bonfires on the levee, zydeco carols, and pots of gumbo. Except, this year, the Grinch has come to stay at the family-run Crozat Plantation B&B. When he floods travel websites with vicious reviews, Maggie thinks she’s identified him as rival businessman Donald Baxter. That is, until he’s found stabbed to death at Maggie’s workplace. And Maggie and her loved ones become top suspects.The Crozats quickly establish alibis, but Maggie’s boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, remains under suspicion. With Bo sidelined during the investigation, Maggie finds herself forced to work with an unlikely ally: longtime family enemy Rufus Durand. Her sleuthing uncovers more suspects than drummers drumming, and lands her in the crosshairs of the murderer.The sleigh bells are jingling, and the clock is ticking for Maggie and Rufus, who must catch the killer or it will be the opposite of a Joyeux Noël in A Cajun Christmas Killing, the recipe-stuffed third installment of USA Today bestselling author Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country mysteries.
A Cake for Gran: Independent Reading Blue 4 (Reading Champion #467)
by Damian HarveyThis story is part of Reading Champion, a series carefully linked to book bands to encourage independent reading skills, developed with Dr Sue Bodman and Glen Franklin of UCL Institute of Education (IOE)For Gran's birthday, Asha decides to make a cake from Dad's cookbook, but it doesn't go to plan ...Reading Champion offers independent reading books for children to practise and reinforce their developing reading skills.Fantastic, original stories are accompanied by engaging artwork and a reading activity. Each book has been carefully graded so that it can be matched to a child's reading ability, encouraging reading for pleasure.
A Cake for Millicent (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom, Guided Reading)
by Catherine Nichols Joe SutphinNIMAC-sourced textbook
A Cake to Bake (Step into Reading)
by Apple JordanMerida, Rapunzel, Aurora, and the rest of the Disney princesses bake cakes, cookies, and other sweet treats in this Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader. Perfect for girls ages 4 to 6 who are just learning to read—and bake!
A Cake to Bake (Step into Reading)
by Apple JordanTiana, Merida, Rapunzel, and the rest of the Disney princesses bake cakes, cookies, and other sweet treats. This Deluxe Step 2 Step into Reading leveled reader is perfect for children ages 4 to 6 who are just learning to read—and bake!
A Calamity of Souls
by David BaldacciSet in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci. Jack Lee is a white lawyer from Freeman County, Virginia, who has never done anything to push back against racism—until he decides to represent Jerome Washington, a Black man charged with brutally killing an elderly wealthy white couple. Doubting his decision, Lee fears that his legal skills may not be enough to prevail in a case where the odds are already stacked against both him and his client. He quickly finds himself out of his depth when he realizes that what's at stake is far greater than the outcome of a murder trial. Desiree DuBose is a Black lawyer from Chicago who has devoted her life to furthering the causes of justice and equality for all. She enters a fractious and unwieldy partnership with Lee in a legal battle against the best prosecutor in the Commonwealth. Yet DuBose is also aware that powerful outside forces are at work to blunt the victories achieved by the Civil Rights era. Lee and DuBose could not be more dissimilar. On their own, neither one can stop the prosecution&’s deliberate march towards a guilty verdict and the electric chair. But together, the pair fight for what once seemed impossible: a chance for a fair trial and true justice. Over a decade in the making, A Calamity of Souls breathes richly imagined and detailed life into a bygone era, taking the reader through a world that will seem both foreign and familiar.
A Calculated Demise
by Robert SpillerBonnie Pinkwater returns in this second book in the series that follows a math teacher with a knack for solving mysteries in her small Colorado town. When the wrestling coach is found murdered, Bonnie enlists the help of a student to find out what really happened. Original.
A Calculated Risk
by Katherine NevilleWhy not steal a billion dollars, invest it to earn 30 million in 3 months, and then put it back before anyone notices?
A Calculated Risk (Thriller 2: Stories You Just Can't Put Down #1)
by Sean ChercoverPrepare for edge-of-your-seat suspense in this Thriller Short.Originally published in THRILLER 2 (2009),edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Clive Cussler.In this Thriller Short, bestselling author Sean Chercover displays his knowledge of the sea, diving and illegal trafficking. Two men with shady backgrounds come together on a fishing boat in the middle of the Caribbean. One of them is Tom Bailey, a mysterious people smuggler, The other—operating under the alias Diego—is willing to pay Bailey generously to carry out a job that Diego will not discuss. Thankfully for Diego, Bailey wants to retire from his illegal ways and go straight, and this job will nudge him closer to his goal. But things don’t go as planned for either man. Risks must be taken. Sometimes they pay off. Other times…not so much.Don’t miss any of these exciting stories from Thriller 2: The Weapon by Jeffery DeaverRemaking by Blake CrouchIced by Harry HunsickerJustice Served by Mariah StewartThe Circle by David HewsonRoomful of Witnesses by R.L. StineThe House on Pine Terrace by Phillip MargolinThe Desert Here and the Desert Far Away by Marcus SakeyOn the Run by Carla NeggersCan You Help Me Out Here? by Robert FerrignoCrossed Double by Joe HartlaubThe Lamented by Lawrence LightVintage Death by Lisa JacksonSuspension of Disbelief by Tim MaleenyA Calculated Risk by Sean ChercoverThe Fifth World by Javier SierraGhost Writer by Gary BraverThrough a Veil Darkly by Kathleen AntrimBedtime for Mr. Li by David J. MontgomeryProtecting the Innocent by Simon WoodWatch Out for My Girl by Joan JohnstonKilling Time by Jon LandBoldt’s Broken Angel by Ridley Pearson
A Calculated Risk: A Novel
by Katherine NevilleA female computer expert at the world's largest bank plans the perfect heist in this New York Times Notable Book from the #1 international bestselling author of The Eight Verity Banks is the one of the most powerful women in finance, but she still reports to a man. Her boss not only refuses to implement her security plan to safeguard customers' deposits, he also sabotages her shot at becoming director of security at the Federal Reserve. Outraged, Verity decides to take revenge by hitting her boss where it will hurt the most: right in his company's balance sheet. She is about to begin her assault when she hears from the last person she ever expected to see again, Zoltan Tor. A brilliant computer scientist who taught Verity everything she knows, Zoltan will help her if she agrees to an outlandish wager: Which of them can steal $1 billion, invest it to make $30 million in three months, and return it before anyone notices? Verity can use a computer; Zoltan will do it the old-fashioned way. To beat Zoltan at his own game, Verity will risk her fortune, her professional reputation--and her life. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Katherine Neville including rare images from her life and travels.
A Calculus of Angels
by J. Gregory Keyes1722: A second Dark Age looms. An asteroid has devastated the Earth, called down by dire creatures who plot against the world of men. The brilliant-- some say mad--Isaac Newton has taken refuge in ancient Prague. There, with his young apprentice Ben Franklin, he plumbs the secrets of the aetheric beings who have so nearly destroyed humanity.But their safety is tenuous. Peter the Great marches his unstoppable forces across Europe. And half a world away, Cotton Mather and Blackbeard the pirate assemble a party of colonial luminaries to cross the Atlantic and discover what has befallen the Old World. With them sails Red Shoes, a Choctaw shaman whose mysterious connections to the invisible world warn him that they are all moving toward a confrontation as violent as it is decisive . . .From the Paperback edition.