Baghdad, 927 C.E.

Deep in the heart of the famous House of Wisdom hides a terrible secret, ready to unleash a destructive force on humanity. But the truth will be revealed only to those deemed most worthy. As murder and terror lurk amongst shadows of the Abbasid world, a visitor from the twenty-first century seeks to tap into its deadly powers.

There is no stopping Devon Pearson-or so he thinks.

Meanwhile, far into the future, sophomore Jackie Tempo is finally starting to adjust to life at her new high school after the disappearance of her parents. As she struggles with her research on the Golden Age of Islam, she must rely on the wisdom of ancient books to help her. But when she and an unlikely friend suddenly find themselves catapulting back into the past, Jackie soon discovers that the books are not books at all, but instead, portals to a secret world. With the help of a scholar, a harem woman, and a jinni, Jackie begins a dangerous journey to uncover the truth and find her parents.

In the third book in the Jackie Tempo series, a teenager risks everything-including the fate of humankind-in her quest to find her way back home.

For the first time ever, Robert Stanek's In the Service of Dragons IV is available in a high-quality, hardcover edition with a dust jacket. This uniquely collectible edition features: two full-color cover illustrations; a special introduction to Ruin Mist's inhabitants, history, and languages; 20 full-page illustrations; an illustrated guide to people, places and things in Ruin Mist; and deluxe illustrated maps. About the Author: Robert Stanek is the award-winning, international best-selling author of more than 65 books for young people and adults. He lives with his wife and children in the Pacific Northwest in the United States, and is intensely fascinated with our natural world. He loves the outdoors and frequently takes his family on short trips to see the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest, including Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, the Columbia River Gorge, and Puget Sound. About the Book: A dark shadow has been cast across the known lands. War sweeps through the divided nations of men and elves. There is great despair for the future of men, for if the greatest of all kingdoms can fail there can be no hope in tomorrow's tomorrow for any man in any land. Yet there is deeper despair amongst the elven peoples where for the first time in recorded history the elves of the West and East are at war with each other. In such a dark time, there can be little hope, and yet there are those who do hold out hope. Hope that the righteous and just will prevail. Hope that tomorrow's tomorrow will bring a better day. But turning back the tides is as unlikely as turning back time. What's done is done. The Alder King is dead, murdered by his enemies-the very enemies that have taken the heart of his kingdom and with it the kingdom itself. There can be no doubt that an enemy king has extended his reach and taken the prize he so coveted. Yet the thing he prized above all else-the thing that spurned him-has escaped his grasp. Other things have escaped his grasp as well. In those things lies the hope for a future without tyranny-a hope for the peoples of Ruin Mist; and to win freedom is to win the future for everyone and everything. But what of the elves far across the great sea? Is their hope folly and their folly hope? If men succumb to the darkness, the light of the elves must surely succumb as well, and then darkness will rule forever. Who can know for certain, but surely the fallen sons of ages past and present must have the final say. Get ready to enter In the Service of Dragons Book 4 by Robert Stanek.

When fifteen-year-old Kyle Dunlop discovers two gold coins near the entrance to a seaside cave, he can hardly wait to look inside to find the rest of the treasure. However, instead of unearthing a pirate's hoard, Kyle and his three friends stumble upon a secret, subterranean world inhabited by goblins, elves, trolls, and other fantastic creatures.

As strangers in this unusual world, Kyle and his companions are detained by goblins until they are able to convince the Goblin King that their intentions are honorable. With his suspicions allayed, the king holds a feast for his guests and, afterwards, he presents Kyle with a gift and a golden opportunity. Seemingly overcome by greed, Kyle exchanges one like gift for another and unwittingly unleashes a curse that sends him on a journey like no other he has ever been on. It's a race against time and Kyle has to either break the curse or forfeit his life.

Join Kyle and his companions as they come face to face with a carnivorous razorback, encounter gigantic, man-eating spiders, battle a sea serpent, play havoc with an army of invading giants, and flee from an angry, fire-breathing dragon-all intent on stopping them from reaching Darkalfheim in time.

Grocia and his friends have grown up in the kingdom of Davergen knowing as good a life as the times allow. Taxes are high. The soldiers are rough. The earl and the two kings are arrogant, ruthless, and cruel. But the teens don't know any better, and they understand that's just how their world works.When Grocia is approached by a mysterious man bearing a cryptic message about rebellions, deserts, a Hooded One, and magic swords, Grocia begins to understand that something big is on the horizon. Ferlenn Dri wants to prepare him for what's to come and what his role will be.There's a rebellion growing, and dark magic is about, turning day into night. Its agents are raising an army of untold wrath. Two swords of an old, forgotten legacy are about to meet, and war with the kings looms. And Grocia, a boy who never passes on a dare, is caught in the middle of it. He must choose a side and decide how much he's willing to sacrifice for people he has just met and for a larger world he's never truly known.

When they travel to Anthropos to search for their missing uncle and his bride, the cousins become part of a fierce battle between Gaal and the evil sorcerer who seeks to destroy him.

The earth has been uninhabitable for decades, but now humanity has returned to the planet. Mankind, though intellectually advanced has become spiritually sightless and bound by fear and insecurity and mankind's survivors have grown apart into two tribes: the spiritually enlightened Otom, living in brotherhood with the ocean-dwelling Mers, and the unemotional, strangely youthful Scientists, who live in their city beneath the ground. The Otom and the Scientists have the opportunity to meet and learn from each other. But the Otom must reach enlightenment if they are to survive, and some of the Scientists have plans that threaten their goal.

Swept away into a court of magic and beauty, she discovers she is Tania, the lost princess of Faerie. Since Tania's mysterious disappearance five hundred years before, Faerie has been sunk in darkness and gloom. With her return, Faerie comes alive again as a land of winged children, glittering balls, and fantastic delights. But Tania can't forget Anita's world, or the boy she loved there.

Torn between two loves and between two worlds, Tania slowly remembers why she disappeared, and realizes that she is the only one who can stop a sinister plan that threatens the entire world of Faerie.