Showing results by narrator "Neil Hellegers" in All Categories

The gods should have agreed to fight the giants and let Ragnarök run its course and bring about the end of time. For a new world could only rise from the ashes of the old. But because the gods prophesied to die refused to take part, Yggdrasil - the World Tree - was forced to act before the stalemate led to the annihilation of the nine worlds and its very existence.  And so I was born. One of the many seeds dispersed by the mighty World Tree, I was teleported through different planes and universes to find a new home where to settle. 

Erik and Rugrat’s abilities will be pushed to the limit, honing their skills and allowing them to grow in new ways, ways they might not have thought of before. They stand to gain more than simple strength, and more power. Here they might learn the purpose of the realms, how it was formed, why it was formed, and the three races that weaved their fates together against the darkness.

Strength comes not in victories. It comes from standing up after defeats, in reaching out a hand and pulling others to their feet. Of pushing others ahead of one’s self. Alvans must dig deep. They have paid a heavy price, a price felt in the hearts of every member. They started as a small group fighting to just survive in the first realm to a nation that challenged the combined United Sect Alliance. Instead of crumbling, they bared their teeth, they fought forces from the seventh realm. They bled their enemy every step of the way.

Charles' crazy wager paid off. After facing near annihilation, he managed to upend Nicos the warmonger and secure a new strip of land near the coast. With Tine growing steadily, he can now turn his attention to developing this new village and turning it into a new powerhouse. But as always, nothing ever goes as planned. For one, the borders of his new territory do not quite reach the water, so he cannot build a Seaport until he levels up his village. He cannot even access the resource tiles such as the fish, making this place completely depend on Tine for food.

In his Locus review of Two Worlds and in Between - the first volume of The Best of Caitlín R. Kiernan - Gary K. Wolfe wrote, “...it makes you wish the second volume were here now.” Well, the long wait is over. This second volume completes this ambitious undertaking, collecting the finest of Kiernan’s stories from 2004 to 2012, selected by the author herself. The book includes 25 short stories and one poem, plus the short novel Black Helicopters - more than 200,000 words of fiction, including the World Fantasy Award-winning “The Prayer of 90 Cats”.

Design doesn't have to complicated, which is why this guide to human-centered design shows that usability is just as important as aesthetics. Even the smartest among us can feel inept as we fail to figure out which light switch or oven burner to turn on, or whether to push, pull, or slide a door...

Ben just wants time with the scientist's daughter who got him into this, but when he's rooked into competing in a chronothon - an Amazing Race through time - getting the girl means he'll need to make the finish line. When he finds out this competition is more than just a sprint through history, winning takes a back seat to surviving. To save the people he loves, he'll have to conquer the real dangers hidden in the shadows of the chronothon.

The invaders are continuing to strengthen their hold over an America still reeling. But in the hills, woods, and countryside small sparks of rebellion are taking hold, fanning the fires of patriotism that will unite the country against a common enemy. Finally free from the clutches of Fen Shu, President Madeline Tanner refuses to leave her fellow countrymen to their fate. She is their leader and will stop at nothing to protect her people

Was there any particular reason that, near the end of your lives, you suddenly stopped buying Bounty paper towels? So begins the first question from Bounty’s market research representative to Paul and Maggie. In this unique short story, a couple who died suddenly in their 50s recounts their use of Bounty paper towels and their sudden switch to a bargain brand near the end of their lives. What appears to be a run-of-the-mill spat between spouses at the Stop & Shop is revealed to be a defining moment of a marriage years in decline.

You'd think being isekai'd to a new existence would be fun, especially when you find out you're the lord of a new kingdom. Except this kingdom is at war, and the stakes are the fate of humanity. Now, Matt’s going to have to figure out how to rule a Magic Kingdom at War, with magical elemental creatures, buildings that form out of the very fabric of reality and Heroes at his command against a never-ending horde of monsters. Not the reincarnation that he expected, but it's still better than working in an office cubicle.

"Effortless mindfulness" is a new way to immediately enter an optimal flow state available to us in the midst of our busy lives. In The Way of Effortless Mindfulness, Kelly teaches that when you "unhook" awareness from chattering thoughts, you can access a peaceful mind and a naturally embodied wakefulness. From this heartful space, students report they find that right action comes easily and a loving tenderness for all of life is freely available. This book outlines practical and supportive material from neuroscience, psychology, and the wisdom of various spiritual traditions.

Against all odds, Rob and the Deserters have survived their second encounter with the eldritch abomination–known as the Blight–only for Rob to make first contact with the gods of Elatra in a very...aggressive way. His enemies keep on piling up, and things are looking to get even tougher from here on out. If Rob and his friends want to survive their upcoming trials, they'll need to gain Levels, make new allies, and travel to the ends of the world and back again. 

Is it still WFH when you're now just binary code? Whilst working on a spreadsheet for a New York-based PR firm, Gerald has his consciousness uploaded into his company's Slack channel. He posts for help, but his colleagues assume it's an elaborate joke to exploit the new working-from-home policy...

Birmingham detectives Kerri Devlin and Luke Falco arrive at the scene of a double homicide to discover that nothing makes sense. A woman and her child are dead, and though the husband says he killed them, the evidence says otherwise. Why would a man confess to unspeakable murders he didn’t commit? What starts as an open-and-shut case explodes into a web of new leads. Devlin and Falco get to work tracking down every single one - including a disturbing connection between the murders and Falco’s dark past.

When a top secret, undercover mission goes wrong for one of the company's operatives, Ballantine must call on Team Grendel and the crew of the Beowulf III to take down a drug lord and stop Southern California from being overrun by a new substance more addictive and deadly than any drug on the planet. But things are never that simple as Team Grendel find they are under siege by cloned Megalodon sharks that developed a taste for the new substance, sending the monsters on a drug fueled rampage of bloody violence along the Baja Mexico coastline.

Team Grendel has made some enemies. The team may have saved countless lives, but they are now paying for their heroism. Pursued relentlessly across the globe by an unknown group, Team Grendel finds themselves disavowed by the United States and other sovereign nations for their work outside legal channels. Across the South Pacific ocean, Team Grendel must flee, headed for a sanctuary only their boss and benefactor knows about, fighting for their lives the entire way. But, as is the luck of Team Grendel, there is more than just human enemies chasing them down. 

Matt's journey from desperate survivor to Dungeon Lord has forged him in blood and terror. With the Coronaught Queen vanquished and his domain flourishing, the days of scavenging scraps are over. But as his towers pierce the sky and his followers multiply, the drums of war beat ever louder.

Hard Reset is a fast-paced, unpredictable, and clever take on the LitRPG genre, blending beloved sci-fi and apocalyptic themes to create an intricate new reality. In this world, life begins in a coffin, cars float, a good ray gun is your best friend, and computer displays are activated with a...

Running from the world, their ship crippled, their supplies dangerously low, Team Grendel follow Ballantine's lead to a promised paradise. A place where they can hide and regroup, rest and plan the next step in their lives. If only life were so simple. Within hours of arriving at their idyllic island, Team Grendel and the crew of the Beowulf III quickly realize that once again they have been thrust into a nightmare of gigantic proportions. One might say it is a behemoth of a bad dream! 

From the depths of despair to the pinnacle of power, Matt's ascension to Dungeon Lord has been a crucible of blood and terror. But the higher he climbs, the more precarious his perch becomes. As winter's fingers close around his hard-won domain, Matt and his beleaguered allies yearn for respite. Instead, they face a nightmare beyond imagining. The Coronaught infection sweeps through the land like wildfire, twisting human flesh into abominations that defy sanity. Grotesque mutations stalk the shadows, their hunger insatiable. In this maelstrom of horror, Matt must be more than a leader.