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Action and adventure fiction

  • The elephant mountains
    Author:
    Ely, Scott
    Summary:

    An unprecedented series of hurricanes has swollen the Mississippi River to unheard-of levels and is threatening to put New Orleans and most of the low-lying areas of the South under water. Fifteen-year-old Stephen is spending the summer with his father near a small town north of Lake Pontchartrain when another powerful hurricane arrives and the levees on the Mississippi River completely fail. In the anarchy and chaos that results, Stephen's father is killed, and the boy is left to fend for himself. Stephen soon encounters Angela, a college student whose parents have also been killed. Navigating the labyrinth of flooded fields and towns in an airboat, the two set out in search of Stephen's mother and higher ground.
  • The effects of isolation on the brain
    Author:
    Rummel, Erika
    Summary:

    There are many forms of isolation, and Ellie is becoming an expert on them: unloved and ignored as a child in Vienna, up against cultural barriers in Canada, holed up in a cabin in the north. What are the effects of isolation on the brain? Is it loneliness and boredom that makes Ellie take risks and say yes to Vera, her glamorous but deeply disturbed friend? Vera has been abused as a child and is now putting her trust in a charlatan healer. Together they entangle Ellie in a murderous game of fantasy and revenge. Marooned on the shores of a frozen lake, Ellie must make her way out of the Canadian bush and the wilderness of her own soul. It is a journey through hostile territory – neglect, deceit, confusion, betrayal – but Ellie is a fighter. All she needs to survive is a soulmate. Don’t we all?
  • The edge of the abyss
    Author:
    Skrutskie, Emily
    Summary:

    Three weeks have passed since Cassandra Leung pledged her allegiance to ruthless pirate-queen Santa Elena and set free Bao, the sea monster Reckoner she'd been forced to train. The days as a pirate trainee are long and grueling, but it's not the physical pain that Cas dreads most. It's being forced to work with Swift, the pirate girl who broke her heart. But Cas has even bigger problems when she discovers Boa is not the only a monster swimming free. Other Reckoners illegally sold to pirates have escaped their captors and are taking the NeoPacific by storm, attacking ships at random and ruining the ocean ecosystem. As a Reckoner trainer, Cas might be the only one who can stop them. But how can she take up arms against the creatures she used to care for and protect' Will Cas embrace the murky morals that life as a pirate brings or perish in the dark waters of the NeoPacific' The exciting sequel to The Abyss Surrounds Us
  • The dwarves
    Author:
    Heitz, Markus
    Summary:

    Abandoned as a child, Tungdil the blacksmith labors contentedly in the land of Ionandar, the only dwarf in a kingdom of men. Although he does not want for friends, Tungdil is very much aware that he is alone - indeed, he has not so much as set eyes on another dwarf. But all that is about to change.
  • The dragonfly pool
    Author:
    Ibbotson, Eva.
    Summary:

    Tally, a twelve-year-old English girl, and her classmates at Delderton, a progressive boarding school, help Karil, the young prince of Bergania, escape into England after the Nazis invade Bergania and kill the king.
  • The doom of Ravenswood
    Author:
    Rutledge, Archibald, Casada, Jim, Waring, Charles W.
    Summary:

    Archibald Rutledge's story "The Doom of Ravenswood" is a harrowing account of the power of the natural world and of the dangers for humans and animals alike to be found in the ominous swamps of the South Carolina Lowcountry. As the narrator of this cautionary tale is riding home astride his faithful horse, Redbird, to Ravenswood Plantation, he is compelled to stop along the isolated road to pick wildflowers. But the untamed wilderness has laid a trap for the traveler, and he quickly finds himself sinking helplessly into the inescapable pull of the morass. With Redbird his only ally in this deadly predicament and with fate and nature set squarely against him, the narrator must use his wits if he is to survive. The short story "The Doom of Ravenswood" was written for publication in an early  20th century boy's magazine and was first collected in the privately printed Eddy Press edition of Old Plantation Days (c. 1913). Limited to just a few hundred copies, the Eddy Press edition is highly prized by Rutledge collectors and includes five stories "Claws," "The Doom of Ravenswood," "The Egre's Plumes," "The Heart of Regal" and "The Ocean's Menace” not found in the more widely available 1921 Stokes edition of Old Plantation Days. A project of the Humanities Council SC benefiting the South Carolina Book Festival, this new edition of The Doom of Ravenswood is illustrated in handsome charcoal etchings by southern artist Stephen Chesley. Award-winning outdoors writer and noted Rutledge scholar Jim Casada provides the volume's introduction and Lillian Smith Award — winning writer William Baldwin offers an afterword.
  • The dogs of war
    Author:
    Forsyth, Frederick
    Summary:

    A shadowy mining magnate schemes a coup d'état in the small West African dictatorship of Zangaro, where a secret source of platinum lies waiting to be exploited.
  • The directive : a novel
    Author:
    Quirk, Matthew
    Summary:

    Mike Ford's brother is in over his head in a conspiracy to steal a secret worth billions from the little-known but unbelievably influential trading desk at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In an effort to help, Mike soon finds himself trapped by the dangerous men in charge.
  • The Deadly Conch Tara Trilogy
    Author:
    Narsimhan, Mahtab
    Summary:

    After the conclusion of The Silver Anklet, Taras triumphant return to Morni is short-lived. Taras deceased former stepmother, Kali, seeks revenge through her daughter, Layla. And so begins a series of carefully orchestrated events to cast suspicion on Tara: a dead dog in the village temple, contaminated well water, and whispers that Tara is still possessed. Layla fuels the villagers blind superstitions and fears. Soon all of Morni is against Tara, even her own family. Death seems to be the only way to stop her evil stepsister. Tara turns to Lord Yama and his deadly conch for help. He takes her to the Underworld to seek advice, but when she returns, she has only 24 hours to prove her innocence and to save the village before she must go back to the World of the Dead. Forever. Can Tara believe in herself once more to defeat Layla, or will Lord Yama and his deadly conch claim their next victim? The harrowing conclusion to the thrilling Tara Trilogy answers these questions and more.
  • The dead lands : a novel
    Author:
    Percy, Benjamin
    Summary:

    A super flu and nuclear fallout have made a husk of the world we know. A few humans carry on, living in outposts like the Sanctuary, a shielded community that owes its survival to its militant defense and fear-mongering leaders. A small group led by Lewis Meriwether and Mina Clark sets out beyond the walls--but the Sanctuary will not allow them to escape without a fight.
  • The daykeeper's grimoire : prophecy of days book one
    Author:
    Raedeke, Christy
    Summary:

    Can one (super smart) girl (who just wants to be discovered) decipher the cryptic Mayan calendar prophecy and SAVE THE WORLD' When her safe-cracker mom and code-breaker dad inherit a dreary Scottish castle, sixteen-year-old Caity Mac Fireland is not happy. Ripped from her cushy life and friends in San Francisco, Caity's secret fantasy of being discovered by a Hollywood agent, talent scout, or even just a pageant coach seems more unlikely than ever. But when Caity stumbles across a hidden room in the castle, its walls covered in strange symbols, her life takes a bizarre turn. She finds herself center stage in an international conspiracy involving warring secret societies, assassins, the suppressed revelations of the Mayan Calendar and the year 2012, plus the fate of humanity. With the help of her friend Justine back home, and Alex, a gorgeous and mysterious Scottish boy, Caity must race to decipher the code and reveal its message to the world before time runs out.
  • The day the angels fell
    Author:
    Smucker, Shawn
    Summary:

    It was the summer of storms and strays and strangers. The summer that lightning struck the big oak tree in the front yard. The summer his mother died in a tragic accident. As he recalls the tumultuous events that launched a surprising journey, Samuel can still hardly believe it all happened. After his mother's death, twelve-year-old Samuel Chambers would do anything to turn back time. Prompted by three strange carnival fortune-tellers and the surfacing of his mysterious and reclusive neighbor, Samuel begins his search for the Tree of Life'the only thing that could possibly bring his mother back. His quest to defeat death entangles him and his best friend Abra in an ancient conflict and forces Samuel to grapple with an unwelcome question: could it be possible that death is a gift' Haunting and hypnotic, The Day the Angels Fell is a story that explores the difficult questions of life in a voice that is fresh, friendly, and unafraid. With this powerful debut, Shawn Smucker has carved out a spot for himself in the tradition of authors Madeleine L'Engle and Lois Lowry.
  • The Darwin expedition
    Author:
    Tullson, Diane
    Summary:

    Tej and Liam are going snowboarding. When they take a shortcut over a treacherous logging road and have an accident, their adventure becomes more about survival than fresh powder. Tracked by a hungry bear, while trying to outrun the weather without any food, Tej and Liam learn about their friendship and what it will take to survive. When Tej is hurt, Liam decides he has to go for help alone.
  • The daredevil snared
    Author:
    Laurens, Stephanie
    Summary:

    To prove his worth, Caleb Frobisher, hedonistic son of a seafaring dynasty, joins a covert mission his brothers have been pursuing at Freetown, where he helps complete the mission's next stage. He stays on to rescue captives--among whom is Katherine Fortescue, and thus is a daredevil snared.
  • The curse of the lost white city
    Author:
    Gray, James
    Summary:

    Former war correspondent Jacques Legris is recovering from a bad case of career burnout and decides to escape the system. He buys a sailboat and heads south to discover a new way of life in the Caribbean. However, his journalistic impulses quickly plunge him into an even more dangerous adventure. In Honduras, he befriends a dubious character who claims to have found the legendary Ciudad Blanca, or the Lost White City, a Mayan stronghold rumored to contain immeasurable riches and precious artifacts. Influenced by a passionate encounter with an exotic archaeologist, the cash-strapped sailor finds himself signing on for an expedition into the heart of the jungle. But mysterious and deadly forces are at work and his curiosity may cost him his life, his love and everything he cares about.
  • The cruel prince
    Author:
    Black, Holly
    Summary:

    Jude becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, she will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters--and Faerie itself.
  • The crimes of Hector Tomás
    Author:
    Colford, Ian
    Summary:

    Enrique Tom's lives a quiet life with a large, loving family in an unnamed South American country. But Enrique has secrets. When his second eldest son, Hector, and Hector's beloved friend Nadia uncover one of Enrique's secrets, the course of Hector's life is irrevocably altered. Exiled by his parents to the isolated countryside, Hector is accused of terrorism'a crime of which he is innocent, yet ruthlessly punished. As he struggles to extricate himself from the clutches of a brutal and paranoid military regime, he learns that freedom comes at a terrible price.The Crimes of Hector Tom's is an epic novel about disappearance and deception, family and nation. Enrique, Hector, and Nadia are trapped in a nightmare world where innocence counts for nothing and justice is a dream. Once they make their choices, they can never go back.
  • The Count of Monte Cristo
    Author:
    Dumas, Alexandre
    Summary:

    Edmund Dantès is your typical nice guy, until he loses everything to a ruthless rival. Six years of truly creative torment turn him into the dazzling and dangerous Count of Monte Cristo, who descends on fashionable Paris to enact what has to be the most elaborate and satisfying revenge in literary history.
  • The corsican shadow
    Author:
    Cussler, Dirk
    Summary:

    Intrepid adventurer Dirk Pitt must unravel an enduring historical mystery in the latest novel in the beloved New York Times bestselling series created by the "grand master of adventure" Clive Cussler. In May 1940, as the German army blitzes Europe and Parisians flee their city, the chief curator of the Musée de l'Armée is ordered to get a mysterious piece of cargo out of the country. When he arrives at the port of Le Havre and learns that his intended ship has been sunk, he places the object on a decrepit steamer that sails out under German fire.In the present day, National Underwater and Marine Agency Director Dirk Pitt is on a diving expedition in the English Channel when he discovers a cache of uncut diamonds on a shipwreck. When the diamonds are stolen, Pitt and the NUMA agency find themselves up against a murderous cabal that soon reveals far more destructive plans than mere theft. Vital water treatment facilities around the globe are being targeted--placing the world's population in grave peril. From the shadow of the Eiffel Tower to the depths of the Irish Sea to the islands of the Caribbean, only Dirk Pitt and his children, Summer and Dirk Jr., can locate the treasure that will preserve the soul of a nation...and save the world from catastrophe.
  • The core : Demon cycle, book 5
    Author:
    Brett, Peter V.
    Summary:

    New York Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett brings one of the most imaginative fantasy sagas of the twenty-first century to an epic close. For time out of mind, bloodthirsty demons have stalked the night, culling the human race to scattered remnants dependent on half-forgotten magics to protect them. Then two heroes arose--men as close as brothers, yet divided by bitter betrayal. Arlen Bales became known as the Warded Man, tattooed head to toe with powerful magic symbols that enable him to fight demons in hand-to-hand combat--and emerge victorious. Jardir, armed with magically warded weapons, called himself the Deliverer, a figure prophesied to unite humanity and lead them to triumph in Sharak Ka--the final war against demonkind. But in their efforts to bring the war to the demons, Arlen and Jardir have set something in motion that may prove the end of everything they hold dear--a swarm. Now the war is at hand, and humanity cannot hope to win it unless Arlen and Jardir, with the help of Arlen's wife, Renna, can bend a captured demon prince to their will and force the devious creature to lead them to the Core, where the Mother of Demons breeds an inexhaustible army. Trusting their closest confidantes, Leesha, Inevera, Ragen, and Elissa, to rally the fractious people of the Free Cities and lead them against the swarm, Arlen, Renna, and Jardir set out on a desperate quest into the darkest depths of evil--from which none of them expects to return alive. Look for Peter V. Brett's complete Demon Cycle: THE WARDED MAN, THE DESERT SPEAR, THE DAYLIGHT WAR, THE SKULL THRONE, THE CORE Praise for the novels of Peter V. Brett The Warded Man "There is much to admire in Peter Brett's writing, and his concept is brilliant. There's action and suspense all the way."--Terry Brooks "[A] fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable dark fantasy."--The Miami Herald The Desert Spear "Inspired, compelling, and totally addictive: the most significant and cinematic fantasy epic since The Lord of the Rings."--Paul W.S. Anderson, director of Resident Evil: Afterlife "Fans of epic fantasy in the tradition of Robert Jordan and George R.R. Martin will enjoy the arrival of a strong voice in multivolume epic fantasy."--Library Journal The Daylight War "Highly entertaining, fast-paced, and action-packed."--SF Site "[Brett is] at the top of his game."--Tor.com The Skull Throne "Heart-thumping, adrenaline-pumping. The crescendo is near perfect."--Book Frivolity "A page-turner, and quite possibly the best so far."--Starburst Magazine.

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