Power is a dangerous game, and in the kingdom of Vryndal, the stakes are higher than ever. Dalen Thorne, the charismatic advisor to the sorcerer-king Malkor, has seized the throne through cunning and betrayal, his victory echoing in the imposing shadow of the Spiritwood. He stands amidst the ashes of a broken kingdom, hailed as a liberator, but the spectral whispers of his victims haunt his every waking moment. The serpent wears the saint's shroud, and the kingdom is poised to pay the pric...

During the Cold War, many believed that the superpowers shared a conception of strategic stability, a coexistence where both sides would compete for global influence but would be deterred from using nuclear weapons. In actuality, both sides understood strategic stability and deterrence quite differently. Today’s international system is further complicated by more nuclear powers, regional rivalries, and nonstate actors who punch above their weight, but the United States and other nuclear po...

Human Resource Management in Public Service: Paradoxes, Processes, and Problems offers thought-provoking and thorough coverage of the complex issues faced by employees and managers in the public sector, including managing under tight budgets with increasing costs, hiring freezes, contracting out, and the politicization of the civil service. Continuing the award-winning tradition of previous editions, the authors encourage hands-on skill building and problem solving.

Informative and entertaining essays on the accents, dialects, and speech patterns particular to AlabamaThomas E. Nunnally’s fascinating volume presents essays by linguists who examine with affection and curiosity the speech varieties occurring both past and present across Alabama. Taken together, the accounts in this volume offer an engaging view of the major features that characterize Alabama’s unique brand of southern English.Written in an accessible mann...

Human Resource Management in Public Service: Paradoxes, Processes, and Problems offers provocative and thorough coverage of the complex issues faced by employees and managers in the public sector, including managing under tight budgets with increasing costs, hiring freezes, contracting out, and the politicization of the civil service. Continuing the award-winning tradition of previous editions, authors Evan M. Berman, James S. Bowman, Jonathan P. West, and Montgomery R. Va...

In "The Story Girl" and its companion piece, "The Golden Road," Lucy Maud Montgomery presents a richly woven tapestry of childhood adventures set in the picturesque Prince Edward Island. The narratives unfold through the eyes of young Sara Stanley, whose captivating tales spark the imaginations of her friends. Montgomery'Äôs prose is characterized by its lyrical quality and deep emotional resonance, capturing the innocence of youth against the backdrop of the changing seasons. The books de...

Arthur Machen (1863-1947), who achieved significant fame in the 1920s, was a general man of letters with echoes of Samuel Johnson, an important influence on later fantasy writers from H. P. Lovecraft to Ray Bradbury, and a great adventurer of the spirit. Montgomery Evans II, a wealthy book collector and one of a small circle of Machen's friends and benefactors, carefully collected and mounted in two notebooks nearly 200 letters he had received from the Welsh writer. Sue Strong Hassler and ...

In "The Complete Short Stories of Lucy Maud Montgomery," readers are invited into a rich tapestry of human emotion and vivid imagery that reflects the author's keen understanding of character and setting. Montgomery's stories, woven with a lyrical prose that embodies the cadence of nature and the intricacies of rural life, often explore themes of youth, identity, and the passage of time. This anthology not only showcases her masterful storytelling but also positions her work within the con...

The relationship between established powers and emerging powers is one of the most important topics in world politics. Nevertheless, few studies have investigated how the leading state in the international system responds to rising powers in peripheral regions—actors that are not yet and might never become great powers but that are still increasing their strength, extending their influence, and trying to reorder their corner of the world. In the Hegemon's Shadow f...

In this prequel to "5 Blondes," we follow Mick Dire, a young LAPD detective, through one of his earliest cases. As his investigation begins, he is sent on a mysterious secondary mission at the request of his captain. Dire is soon divided between the intrigue of solving a murder and listening to the confessions of the highest ranking Catholic priest in Southern California, Archbishop Evans.

This second edition of an award winning title has been thoroughly updated by a team of world leading head and neck surgeons, oncologists and allied healthcare professionals. Principles and Practice of Head & Neck Surgery and Oncology, 2nd edition is a comprehensive evidence-based account of the current scientific knowledge about head and neck t