Books with author Benjamin M.

A kingdom in danger. An ancient weapon. And a cryptic secret that could change everything. The closing lines of a farewell poem, written centuries ago by the last great king of the old world, might prove to be more than it seems:The world and all its light shall fade;I'll stay with her beneath the shadeAnd wait until the world's remade...Something is creeping at the fringes of the world. Is it just the talk of frightened villagers? Or is it something more? Enter the entirely new fantasy world of The Banished Lands! Now, for the first time, the complete series is on sale in one collected volume. The Banished Lands combines the best of epic fantasy, fairy tale, mythology, poetry, romance and mystery. If you love a good old-fashioned story, The Banished Lands will deliver on your expectations. Here's what reviewers of the individual books had to say:Carpe Diem:"Lyrically and beautifully written. An extraordinary story that fully engages the reader in the mystery, suspense and adventure found within. This talented author has created an exceptional fantasy world wherein the characters are vividly brought to life as they discover their history is different than they believed, and now face dangers both known and unknown. An excellent read, especially captivating when read aloud as the listeners hang on every word of this enthralling tale!Yes, I have charmed by The Banished Lands – an amazing feat for this reader who doesn’t typically favor the fantasy genre! I am now looking forward to enjoying the continuation of this series!"Deana:"This is a new author to me and I'm glad that I was given the chance to read this book. It is not like the usual genre I read, but I love that it expanded a new genre to me. The writing is awesome and when the poetry is placed in the story, I savored every moment. The author has created a world like no other."Long Time AC:"A brand new to me author, and a series that I've just fallen for."BreAnna Herron:"I think that this is a genre that can become stagnant, many of the stories can start to sound similar to others and lose their individuality but this not the case of this novel. I felt an appreciation for the author’s creativity and plot line, he did a nice job of keeping his work original. I really liked the poetry that was in this novel, as someone who enjoys poetry this was bonus points to enjoying this novel."

Between 1846 and 1873, California’s Indian population plunged from perhaps 150,000 to 30,000. Benjamin Madley is the first historian to uncover the full extent of the slaughter, the involvement of state and federal officials, the taxpayer dollars that supported the violence, indigenous resistance, who did the killing, and why the killings ended. This deeply researched book is a comprehensive and chilling history of an American genocide. Madley describes pre-contact California and precursors to the genocide before explaining how the Gold Rush stirred vigilante violence against California Indians. He narrates the rise of a state-sanctioned killing machine and the broad societal, judicial, and political support for genocide. Many participated: vigilantes, volunteer state militiamen, U.S. Army soldiers, U.S. congressmen, California governors, and others. The state and federal governments spent at least $1,700,000 on campaigns against California Indians. Besides evaluating government officials’ culpability, Madley considers why the slaughter constituted genocide and how other possible genocides within and beyond the Americas might be investigated using the methods presented in this groundbreaking book.

This stunning debut novel about grief and wonder was an instant New York Times bestseller and captured widespread critical acclaim, including selection as a 2015 National Book Award finalist! After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting--things don't just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door. Oddlot Entertainment has acquired the screen rights to The Thing About Jellyfish, with Gigi Pritzker set to produce with Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon.

The how of Pooh? The Tao of who? The Tao of Pooh!?! In which it is revealed that one of the world's great Taoist masters isn't Chinese--or a venerable philosopher--but is in fact none other that that effortlessly calm, still, reflective bear. A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh!While Eeyore frets, and Piglet hesitates, and Rabbit calculates, and Owl pontificates, Pooh just is.And that's a clue to the secret wisdom of the Taoists.

Magic, Myths and the Legend of Hullabee IslandA new fantasy series for the whole family to enjoy. Geneva finally knows her true identity. Her quest for the truth uncovered the legendary Book of Secrets. The fabled tome gave her a name, a family and a destiny to fulfill. But it's much more than she bargained for. Hullabee Island holds more secrets than she ever imagined. The further she and her friends move into the mystical rainforest the more truths they uncover, proving nothing is what it seems. While on the run from the island's evil dark army, a forgotten tribe offers unexpected refuge to Geneva and friends, bringing new allies into her life. They teach her how to access magic beyond her wildest dreams. But can she trust them with the mysterious secrets of her destiny? Geneva isn't the only one determined to solve the mysteries the book holds. With the enemy closing in, her powers will be tested. Is she strong enough to harness the legendary power the Book of Secrets grants, or will it fall into the wrong hands?Book #2 in the Geneva Sommers Series.The perfect read for fans of Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase and Harry Potter.

Geneva Sommers, a young orphan girl on a quest to know who she is, has always wished for a different life. Since the great flood and the untimely death of her parents, she’s lived a captive life at the orphanage, barely surviving the dangerous predators that patrol the prison-like walls of the Troian Center. One day, Nova, a brave orphan boy claiming to know the truth, speaks up. He tells her an impossible legend and that she’s the key to unlocking it. Not only does he believe she’s the daughter of a long-lost goddess, but he thinks she holds the magic necessary to save their island. If the myths are true, not only will Geneva learn her true identity but she could be the only one able to prevent Hullabee Island from falling into the hands of a dark and mysterious enemy. With the help of Nova and her fellow outcast friends, Geneva plans to escape the Troian Center to uncover the truth and save her island. But first, she must learn to master her newly acquired magic powers. Will she master her magic in time or will her quest for the truth be her fatal flaw?The perfect read for fans of Percy Jackson, Magnus Chase and Harry Potter.

Pirate Flotilla One is doing well in the Badlands. A fourth squadron is about to be formed under the command of Llewellyn Terrant. Four new freighters will improve the flotilla’s logistics capabilities. In concert with the Royal Navy Badlands Squadron, they continue to enforce Measure 200, the anti-slavery law, throughout the region. The pirate settlement on Agra 5 will be used by all squadrons and, for the first time, a permanent home is envisioned for all the pirate families. However, events in the war between the Aurora Empire and the Orion Confederation will impact Raferty Hawkins and his flotilla yet again. Hawkins learns of the death of a close friend in a costly defeat for the Royal Navy at Excandor. This defeat changes the immediate future for Raferty and his flotilla. Queen Alexis, monarch of the Aurora Empire, is tired of the incompetence and the losses. She issues a Call to Service that a peer is required to obey. That peer is Raferty Hawkins. His given mission is easy… and hard. All he has to do is win a victory over Orion forces. The Royal Navy has suffered many defeats but the most recent one at Excandor is the costliest on both a personal and a professional basis for Alexis. The Queen is tired of it and tasks her favorite pirate with reversing the trend. As a peer of the realm, Hawkins will command Royal Navy ships and personnel for the first time. He must produce and execute a plan that achieves the elusive win Queen Alexis wants. The two earlier forays into this war by Flot 1 had been for revenge against the OrCons for their destruction of the pirate settlement on Ulatar. It will be different this time. Raferty Hawkins, the Duke of Black Hallow, must answer a summons, but this is not flotilla business. He will let the ships in Flot 1 decide whether to support his mission. With or without them, he must go to the Aurora Empire. With help from his trusted friends and companions, Hawkins takes on his biggest task yet. After the battles are over, he will get an even greater mission, one that will last for a long, long time.

In the spirit of Loving Frank and The Paris Wife, acclaimed novelist Melanie Benjamin pulls back the curtain on the marriage of one of America’s most extraordinary couples: Charles Lindbergh and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. “The history [is] exhilarating. . . . The Aviator’s Wife soars.”—USA Today NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFor much of her life, Anne Morrow, the shy daughter of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, has stood in the shadows of those around her, including her millionaire father and vibrant older sister, who often steals the spotlight. Then Anne, a college senior with hidden literary aspirations, travels to Mexico City to spend Christmas with her family. There she meets Colonel Charles Lindbergh, fresh off his celebrated 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic. Enthralled by Charles’s assurance and fame, Anne is certain the aviator has scarcely noticed her. But she is wrong. Charles sees in Anne a kindred spirit, a fellow adventurer, and her world will be changed forever. The two marry in a headline-making wedding. Hounded by adoring crowds and hunted by an insatiable press, Charles shields himself and his new bride from prying eyes, leaving Anne to feel her life falling back into the shadows. In the years that follow, despite her own major achievements—she becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States—Anne is viewed merely as the aviator’s wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life’s infinite possibilities for change and happiness. Drawing on the rich history of the twentieth century—from the late twenties to the mid-sixties—and featuring cameos from such notable characters as Joseph Kennedy and Amelia Earhart, The Aviator’s Wife is a vividly imagined novel of a complicated marriage—revealing both its dizzying highs and its devastating lows. With stunning power and grace, Melanie Benjamin provides new insight into what made this remarkable relationship endure.Praise for The Aviator’s Wife “Remarkable . . . The Aviator’s Wife succeeds [in] putting the reader inside Anne Lindbergh’s life with her famous husband.”—The Denver Post“Anne Morrow Lindbergh narrates the story of the Lindberghs’ troubled marriage in all its triumph and tragedy.”—USA Today “[This novel] will fascinate history buffs and surprise those who know of her only as ‘the aviator’s wife.’ ”—People “It’s hard to quit reading this intimate historical fiction.”—The Dallas Morning News “Fictional biography at its finest.”—Booklist (starred review)“Utterly unforgettable.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “An intimate examination of the life and emotional mettle of Anne Morrow.”—The Washington Post“A story of both triumph and pain that will take your breath away.”—Kate Alcott, author of The Dressmaker

A kingdom in danger. The old world is gone and barely even histories remain. But something from that time is returning. The closing lines of a farewell poem, written centuries ago by the last great king of the old world, might prove to be more than they seem:The world and all its light shall fade;I'll stay with her beneath the shadeAnd wait until the world's remade...Something is creeping at the fringes of the world. Is it just the talk of frightened villagers? Or is it something more? Join us in this entirely new fantasy world. The Banished Lands combines the best of epic fantasy, fairy tale, mythology, poetry, romance and mystery. If you love a good old-fashioned story, The Banished Lands will deliver on your expectations.A mysterious fog blankets the forest just outside the town of Suriya. A dark plot unfolds as Durian and his friends discover ties between a strange wanderer and the warlike barbarian kingdom far to the north. Are the mysterious things happening in the forest a prelude to invasion? What happens next will propel Durian and his friends into the middle of an unsolved riddle a dozen centuries in the making. This book is safe for kids of all ages.

This stunning debut novel about grief and wonder was an instant New York Times bestseller and captured widespread critical acclaim, including selection as a 2015 National Book Award finalist! After her best friend dies in a drowning accident, Suzy is convinced that the true cause of the tragedy must have been a rare jellyfish sting--things don't just happen for no reason. Retreating into a silent world of imagination, she crafts a plan to prove her theory--even if it means traveling the globe, alone. Suzy's achingly heartfelt journey explores life, death, the astonishing wonder of the universe...and the potential for love and hope right next door. Oddlot Entertainment has acquired the screen rights to The Thing About Jellyfish, with Gigi Pritzker set to produce with Bruna Papandrea and Reese Witherspoon.