Mark Barber

The fragile alliance between Basilea and the Order of the Brothermark is holding together, but increasingly under strain. With the Order of the Brothermark suffering both the demons of the Abyss and from the influence of their former comrades from the fractured Brotherhood, the Basilean Duma knows that it is time to act. Even a simple gesture could symbolically prove their good faith and intentions for the future of this vital alliance. Paladin Defender Kateryn is charged with leading a small force to escort a relic of deep spiritual importance from Spartha, back to its rightful home in the Brothermark. With her is Paladin Defender Orion, freshly promoted and still in the limelight after the heroic stand against the forces of the Abyss at the Battle of Andro. With the dead rising within Basilea itself, Kateryn and Orion are left isolated and alone at the head of a small band, desperately attempting to fight off the forces of evil as well as the bitter politics driven between two factions aligned by faith alone.

The fame and success following the Battle of Andro has left ex-Sisterhood mercenary and adventurer Aestelle both wealthy and famous, but also spiritually unfulfilled and disenchanted. Knowing that her actions in the lead up to that battle have awakened an evil in the Mountains of Tarkis, she assembles a group of adventurers from her past to return to the mountains and put right her mistake The fame and success following the Battle of Andro has left ex-Sisterhood mercenary and adventurer Aestelle both wealthy and famous, but also spiritually unfulfilled and disenchanted. Knowing that her actions in the lead up to that battle have awakened an evil in the Mountains of Tarkis, she assembles a group of adventurers from her past to return to the mountains and put right her mistake. At her side are the famed adventurers Ragran the Mighty, a brutal warrior from the Howling Peaks, and Thesilar, an elven archer famed for her role in defeating the orc warlord Thrundak. Also in the band is Z'akke, a gentle and optimistic salamander mage-priest with his own mission, and Valletto, another veteran of the Battle of Andro who is needed once more for his skills as an aeromancer. Braving the ancient corridors and tunnels of the ancient, long forgotten mountain tombs, the band of warriors struggle onward in the face of the undead, simultaneously threatened from within by conflicting motivations and forceful personalities. The situation for Aestelle is complicated further by the arrival of Khirius, a vampire lord forced to flee by the Order of the Brothermark, and now the unwilling ally of a dark, secretive underground alliance of undead operating within the very heart of Basilea.

The first of a new line of novels set in the SF world of Infinty. Four very different soldiers with four completely different views on the conduct of war are left to lead the defence of Alpha Four Four as a full scale offensive is mounted against them, all the while being left in the dark as to what lies beneath MagnaObra's mysterious facility. Sub Officer Kyle Hawkins is two days out of his training as a Knight Hospitaller when he is sent to the jungle planet of Paradiso. After four years of gruelling training as a warrior of the NeoVatican, criticised by his superiors for his liberal, pacifistic theological views, he volunteers for the Paradiso assignment in an attempt to prove his worth. However, after arriving he finds that it is little more than a simple security detail, attached to a platoon of Fusiliers of the PanOceanian Light Infantry, guarding a sleepy MagnaObra research facility not far from the border of Yujingyu territory known as Alpha Four Four. The platoon Hawkins works alongside is led by Lieutenant Priya Shankar, a driven, serious minded officer whose professionalism makes her popular with her seniors, but seemingly cold and unapproachable to the soldiers under her command. Experienced with peacekeeping, disaster relief operations and ceremonial guard duties, Shankar has done everything expected of a Fusilier officer - except actual combat. Shankar is assisted by her veteran deputy, Sergeant Jim Cochrane, a brash, gregarious ex-Indigo SpecOps soldier whose charisma and respected combat experience holds the loyalty of the platoon. When the sleepy research facility is probed by an unseen enemy force, Hawkins is propelled into action alongside the Fusiliers as political tension between PanOceania and Yu Jing quickly mounts. The secrets of what is hidden beneath the research facility are rumoured to hold information vital to the delicate relations between the Human Sphere, the mysterious alien Tohaa and the deadly forces of the EI. Major Lisette Beckmann, a beautiful but explosively violent operative of the PanO Strategic Security Division is sent to Alpha Four Four just as the fighting begins in earnest to act as a 'defence consultant'. Four very different soldiers with four completely different views on the conduct of war are left to lead the defence of Alpha Four Four as a full scale offensive is mounted against them, all the while being left in the dark as to what lies beneath MagnaObra's mysterious facility.

A story based on the new game from Mantic featuring sea battles in a fantasy setting "Lieutenant Jaymes Ellias is ready to leave the Basilean Navy. A career spent in coastal defence and administrative positions has left him dejected and resentful, and he has a plan for life outside the military. But when he is suddenly sent to the ship's company of the HW Pious, an elohi-class frigate, he is propelled into action under the command of the harsh, sardonic Captain Charn Ferrus. Ferrus and his squadron are employed in pirate hunting duties in the sun-drenched Infant Sea, combating the increasingly aggressive exploits of the self-styled orc admiral, Ghurak. Fighting alongside Jaymes are Karnon Senne, a newly appointed Basilean marine captain experienced in warfare on land, and Caithlin Viconti, a privateer captain whose expert knowledge of sailing does not match her inexperience in warfare. Jaymes and the crew of the Pious must brave deadly orc warships and their violent pirate crews across the idyllic, green seas of the Infant Sea and the sandy island chains south of the Basilean mainland to put a stop to the brutal, deadly fleet of Ghurak."

The first novel based in the Kings of War universe Over a decade after violating his ruthless orders from his superiors in the Basilean military, ex-legion captain Dionne emerges from hiding in the Mountains of Tarkis, leading a force of rebels against the dark forces of the Abyss. Desperate to clamp down on the popular rebel leader, the Basilean Duma dispatches a force to bring the former legion officer to justice. Leading the paladins of this force is Tancred, freshly promoted and harboring political ambitions of his own. Under the brutal leadership of Hugh, the commander of the force, Tancred must struggle to find the balance between obeying orders, following the path of righteousness, and advancing his own ambitions. Assisting Tancred is Orion, a violent and dangerous paladin carrying a personal vendetta with Dionne; Constance, a tough and determined mercenary sharing a dark history with Hugh; Aestelle, a lone adventurer whose unique skills betray a mysterious past, and Valletto, a veteran legion mage thrown into the front line against his will. Tancred and Orion must fight the rebels and their sympathizers whilst battling against the politics threatening to tear their force apart from within. They must do battle from the open plains of northern Basilea to the ancient caves below the Mountains of Tarkis, fighting all who cross their path as they give chase to a deadly and determined rebel. And all the while, the dark and deadly influence of the demonic forces of the Abyss continues to play its hand, manipulating events and people alike from afar...

A small combat group are stranded on a hostile planet Markov's Prize is an isolated planet within the Determinate, cut off since the 6th Age. Its human population have thrived and advanced over the centuries but now, recently rediscovered, they find themselves simultaneously invaded by the aggressive and bloodthirsty Ghar Empire and the expansionist PanHuman Concord. The Ghar are looking to plunder the planet for resources and slaves while the Concord desire to assimilate the planet into their collective whole, believing it to be the best course of action for the Concord and the planet's people. Strike Commander Ryen Tahl is a soldier in the PanHuman Concord, responsible for a Company of some sixty troopers who are at the forefront of the invasion. Previously a famous martial arts champion with a deadly reputation, he has softened and matured over the years and now prioritizes the safety of his men and women above all else. Tahl's Company is not Special Forces; there is no secret mission and no universe changing event they will be involved in. They are ordinary people embroiled in the daily operations of a front line war against a vicious adversary and the stoic defenders of Markov's Prize.

The recent 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, combined with the threat of significant cuts to the current RAF, have highlighted the importance of Fighter Command in the early days of World War II once more. The role of the “few”, as described by Churchill, during the Battle of Britain has been the subject of much mythologizing both at the time and in the years since. This title will put Fighter Command in context; describing the lack of funding and attention which it received during the interwar period, until it was almost too late. The myth of the fighter pilot will be humanized, with first-hand accounts quoted which put nervous but brave human beings from all walks of life in the cockpit. Although the Battle of Britain may not have in itself been the decisive encounter that it has historically been portrayed as, the moral victory won by the RAF, the victory that proved that Germany could be defeated, was just as important as a military-strategic victory.

In 1914, the Naval Wing of the Royal Flying Corps was subsumed into the Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS). With the bulk of the Royal Flying Corps engaged in France, the aircraft and seaplane pilots of the RNAS protected Britain from the deadly and terrifying Zeppelin menace. In 1915, the RNAS sent aircraft to support the operations in the Dardanelles, and also gave increasing support to the Royal Flying Corps units engaged on the Western Front, conducting reconnaissance, intelligence gathering and artillery spotting, bombing raids, and aerial combat with German pilots. This book explores all of these fascinating areas, and charts the pioneering role of the RNAS in military aviation.

Intensive Interaction is a highly effective approach for communicating and developing social interaction and engagement with difficult-to-reach individuals. This easy-to-use guide steers readers through the practical application of the approach, showing how positive results can best be achieved. The authors explain clearly how to prepare for, carry out and reflect on the use of Intensive Interaction with a client or family member. A multitude of key questions are addressed, including finding the right setting, evaluating progress and disengaging effectively at the end of a session. In the final section they consider some of the wider implications of the approach, such as developing confidence as a practitioner and incorporating Intensive Interaction into long-term care or educational planning. This practical and accessible book is a useful resource for speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, special school or further education teachers, social care professionals and anyone else caring for or working with people with social or communicative impairments. It will also be useful to practitioners already using the approach.

This is a concise history of the Royal Navy's air arm during World War II, from their Arctic convoys, to the battle of Malta, and the last raids on Japan.

There has recently been dramatic growth in the medium of radio. However, advertisers and agencies too often still use radio for its basic tactical abilities, leaving the emotional power of the medium untapped. This book is a practical guide to understanding and exploiting the true power of radio as the ?brand conversation medium?. Combining theory, listener understanding and practical advice, the authors explore the scale and effectiveness of radio advertising, how the medium communicates, it?s role in emerging brand thinking, and best practice for creating better radio advertising. Overviews, summaries, quotations and checklists are featured throughout, as well as case studies from companies in all sectors including Sainsbury?s, British Airways, Carphone Warehouse, BT and the British Government.