"It's about sex, and cruelty, and forgiveness."

Thus begins a sweeping historical adventure about two dueling swordsmen and the plot to kill a king in the grand tradition of Dorothy Dunnett and Alexander Dumas.

The year is 1610. Continental Europe is briefly at peace after years of war, but Henri IV of France is planning to invade the German principalities. In England, only five years earlier, conspirators nearly succeeded in blowing up King James I and his Parliament. The seeds of the English Civil War and the Thirty Years War are visibly being sown, and the possibility for both enlightenment and disaster abounds.

But Valentin Rochefort, duelist and spy for France's powerful financial minister, could not care less. Until he is drawn into the glittering palaces, bawdy back streets, and stunning theatrics of Renaissance France and Shakespearean London in a deadly plot both to kill King James I and to save him. For this swordsman without a conscience is about to find himself caught between loyalty, love, and blackmail, between kings, queens, politicians, and Rosicrucians -- and the woman he has, unknowingly, crossed land and sea to meet.

Abandoned and alone, the fosterling Ilario grows up as the King's Freak, surrounded by all the pomp, intrigue, and danger of the Iberian court. Fleeing a failed treacherous attack, Ilario crosses the sea to Carthage, where the mysterious Penitence shrouds the sky in darkness. There, a strange and awful destiny awaits the would-be painter, one that spans continents and kingdoms.

Filled with intrigue, sex, and mystery, "Ilario: The Lion's Eye" is a stunning tale of secret histories and self-discovery. The adventure continues in Book Two: "The Stone Golem."

Parents, teachers, carers - whatever our role in a child's life, we all want them to thrive. There are many moments of joy in our relationships with our children: but what about those times we're faced with defiance, disruption and seemingly endless cycles of negativity? Miserable for the child and exhausting for those around them - and almost all completely avoidable. From everyday frustrations to more extreme manifestations, these behaviours may present differently but they are all rooted in one common thread: a need for emotional safety. When a child feels secure and truly heard, their behaviour is transformed. Marie Gentles draws on her decades of expertise supporting children across the behavioural spectrum, along with their parents and teachers, to show us how to establish positive relationships that bring out the best in our children. Using evidence-based research, case studies and her proven methodologies, this book shows you how to: * Establish connection, in order to give the emotional security every child needs to flourish * Take a step back to better understand the feelings behind the behaviour * Embrace even the most 'negative' of emotions * Actively listen to the child and in turn, be heard * See setbacks as positive learning and teaching tools With practical examples of how to prevent struggles before they emerge as well as detailed advice on resetting when you're fire-fighting one explosion after the next, this reassuring guide empowers parents and educators alike. Learn to equip children of all ages to deal with anything life throws at them, building their emotional security in the process - whether they are fifteen months or fifteen years, it's never too late to start.

The usual last battle of Good against Evil is about to begin?and Orc Captain Ashnak and his war-band know exactly what to expect. The forces of Light are outnumbered, full of headstrong heroes devoid of tactics, but the Light's still going to win. Orcs will die by the thousands, and no one cares. No even the Nameless Necromancer who hired them.

Who is the Blessed Virgin Mary? Why is she significant for all people? How is she at work alongside her Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in redeeming and bringing us into union with the Blessed Trinity in this life and the next? De Maria Numquam Satis considers these and other questions through a collection of essays that explain the primary truths of the Catholic Faith regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary in a way that is at the same time "ever ancient and ever new."