Books with author Nick Richardson

Their power is in the strength of their bond. But deceit threatens to break it.It’s official. Kaelan Younger has finally been accepted as a dragon tamer at the Akademy. Yet even as she begins to learn the extent of her powers, a mysterious illness stalks the dragons and threatens Prince Lasaro.More than her bond with the prince is endangered when Kaelan seeks help from a most unlikely source. As a result, the lies to cover her deception mount. But with the enemy’s armies gathering at Alveria’s borders, Kaelan will do whatever it takes to save those she has sworn to protect—even if it means sacrificing herself.Now Kaelan and Lasaro must find a way to heal the dragons and harness the depth of their connection in order to stop the treachery from within.If not, a once great nation will fall.This novel contains some sexual content and violence.

Serenity War imagines a colony world not quite as Earth-like as the original colonists hoped and explores what would happen to their descendants when they find themselves reverting back to living on the land. Only the land is trees, there is war brewing, and teenagers are able to shift the tide with bows and arrows and swords. Throw in someone who still has access to ancient technology and you have a future science fiction novel where decisions are made with swords and bows.Kahlo, a child of the Solo cluster, is forced into a journey for which he is not prepared. He uncovers secrets about his Father, watches his home tree burn, finds himself in the middle of a battle and the start of a war, and discovers his worth along the way. Caught up in the war are two young women, both with distinct ties to Kahlo. One with a conflicted past and one with a conflicted future. Yet, both Rayne and Artemis share a bond that pulls them together and throws doubt into everything they have ever known.This is their journey of discovery on a world where the main source of metals comes from the centuries old Colony ship, scavenged for parts, and where aging and ancient machinery are maintained at well below capacity. Where candles and fading solar lights combine with scavenged metal swords and bows and arrows. But the one man who controls the ancient Arc technology is stepping out of the shadows and onto the world stage.

The new world is calling... Neill Torvald is desperate to prove himself—his father’s warlord kingdom depends on him. When a vicious attack on the way to the Draconis Order monastery nearly kills him, it becomes clear that grave trials await him on this path. Jodreth, the wise monk who saves his life, advises caution upon entering the sacred halls. His mission is to learn arcane magic from the monks that will help to cement his father’s power, but Neill will need more than magical arts alone to navigate the challenges before him. Among the monks’ students, Neill meets the lovely and mysterious Char, who senses evil deep within the ranks of the Draconis Order’s members. She takes him to a dragon she has raised, Paxala, and the three of them become fast friends. Neill soon grows in strength as he and his fellow students gain ancient knowledge, and his closeness to Char blossoms into something more. But when Neill ’s brothers grow impatient and attack the monastery in a bid to seize power, he will have to decide where his loyalties lie: with his warlord father’s domain, or the new friends he has made in the wider world.

In a time of darkness, unlikely heroes will rise.The once-peaceful kingdom of Torvald has been ravaged by evil magic, forcing Riders to forget their dragons and their noble beasts to flee to the wilds. Now, anyone who dares to speak of dragons is deemed insane and put to death. Into this dark and twisted land, Saffron was born sixteen years ago. Blessed with the gift of dragon affinity, she has been forced into a life of exile, secretly dreaming of a normal life and the family she lost.Scholarly and reclusive, Bower is the son of a noble house on the brink of destruction. His mission is to fulfill a mysterious prophecy and save his kingdom from the rule of the evil King Enric, but all he wants is to be left alone. When he meets Saffron, Bower gains a powerful ally—but her magic is too wild to control.Their friendship might just have the power to change the course of history, but when the Dark Mage King Enric makes Saffron a tempting offer, their alliance will be shaken to the core.

To unite a fractured kingdom, a reluctant hero must rise. Neill has been charged with the impossible task of bringing the Middle Kingdom together to fight the burgeoning threat posed by the rogue sorcerer Ansall and his dragon Zaxx. Neill longs for his old life as a mere foot soldier for his father responsible only for his family’s wellbeing, and is unsure about whether he is fit to lead an army. Neill’s contemplative nature forces him to consider every aspect of the problems he faces, but often makes it difficult for him to take action—and failure to act could mean the deaths of many. Now, echoing Char and their dragon Paxala, his duty beckons him to lead the Dragon Riders—and take his rightful place as king—but with doubt and new enemies creeping in, his resolve will be tested. When the mysterious Dark Prince arrives with an offer, Neill will have to make a decision that could change the course of history. As Ansall grows in strength by harnessing black magic, Neill must choose between his own desires and the welfare of the entire kingdom. Can he rise to the challenge before it’s too late?

Looking in the common Scriptures, one can find the phrase "they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks". This overlooks the obvious problem of dealing with the folks that decided to keep their swords and spears.It also shows that in the low-tech days of old, the tools used to make swords, or plowshares, were themselves also low tech. Hammers, fire and the odd anvil seemed to be pretty much the toolkit needed. Now that modern times are here, the days of hammers and anvils are long over. This story looks at what might happen should aliens show up on our doorstops, so as to speak. Not exactly 'bug-eyed monsters', these aliens appear to be helpful. Ending pollution, providing medical care and in general, improving the neighborhood. What happens if those aliens decide they like the neighborhood so much, they want it all for themselves?

The battle for Torvald begins. As the young heir of a noble house fallen into decay, Bower has reluctantly shouldered the mantle he was born with—that of Torvald’s rightful king. It is his destiny to throw off the shackles of King Enric and lead his people to freedom, or so he’s been told. With the help of the wild and untamed Dragon Rider Saffron, he hopes to unite his downtrodden people. It will take an uneasy alliance with a rogue band of Dragon Riders and their charismatic leader, Ryland, to challenge the Dark Mage king, but distrust threatens to tear apart the force that he’s risked everything to build. Now, on the eve of battle, Bower will have to fulfill a mystical prophecy and become the leader he was born to be, or risk his future kingdom falling apart. Surrounded on all sides by deadly foes, he must face not only the evil king, but his deep doubts about himself.

In this convenient flip-chart guide, you can easily find prompts, discussion starters, and teaching points to use when you want students to process more effectively, think more deeply, and express their ideas more thoughtfully. The self-standing guide with sturdy pages makes it convenient to use while working with small groups. Instantly, you can use these tools as starting points for in-depth inquiry based on behaviors you’re noticing in students. There are also recommendations on how to revise them as necessary to meet every reader’s needs.

Nothing prepared me to die at 17 years of age and return as a ghost. I will do everything I can to return from the afterlife to be with my true love. Except there is a catch. Actually there are a few catches.Trapped in a cabin in the woods with two cursed ghosts my only company, when one of these ghosts tells me that magic can reunite me with my true love, I jump at the chance. But here are the catches:#1 I'm not a witch, I'm Ruby Parker, a singer in an all-girl band, so I know nothing about magic.#2 Even if I did know magic, my ghostly friend tells me I can't leave the afterlife in my own body.#3 The only person who can help me is someone I haven’t talked to in years.#4 And lastly, there is a huge chance that everything will backfire, and I'll end up as dust.But I must return from the afterlife to discover if what Leo Culver and I had was true love. Because it matters. It matters in a way that nobody has any idea about.“Brilliant paranormal read.”“LOVE THIS!”“This was a marvelous book.”“Great book for teens and adults.”"Previously published as Little Red Gem by D L Richardson."

Alexa has a very big problem. She’s dead.Worse, instead of meeting her maker, she’s pulled into the world of the Guardian Angel Legion—a secret band of angels dedicated to protect mortal souls from demons.But Alexa’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she’s sent back to the mortal world to investigate a series of murders and missing souls and is attacked by a demon. But are demons responsible for the killings? Or is it something else?To make matters even worse, an ancient, evil shadow grows over the world, and with it a force more terrible and destructive than the world has ever seen. Can Alexa find a way to stop it or will it doom the mortal world forever?A fiercely entertaining fantasy filled with adventure, intrigue, and romance, the rich world of The Soul Thief is perfect for fans of The Mortal Instruments and The Dark Artifices.

She sacrificed her freedom to save the kingdom from a tyrannical ruler—and may have doomed them all.No sooner has Narissea successfully recovered the Stone Crown and used its power to fend off Inyene, the evil Metal Queen, she discovers the crown can’t be removed. And it’s consuming her mind with its poisonous whispers. Irrational commands and uncharacteristic rage burst forth before she considers their impact. Unwittingly dragons across the land are enslaved by forced obedience to her every word. Not even her own dragon, Ymmen, is spared from the Crown’s powers. But it’s the voices that drive Narissea toward madness. Voices of the world’s dragons that never cease thundering through her skull—until one breaks through the rest: urging her to take up the throne as High Queen and destroy. In desperation, Narissea seeks Torvald’s scholar king to help unravel the mysteries of the crown’s creation and crush its growing control over her. With her dragon, Ymmen, and her friends, Abioye and Montfre by her side, she can resist…for now. But the Stone Crown has a will of its own—and it will use whatever means necessary to accomplish its evil goal.Now Narissea must find a way to destroy the crown.Before it destroys her.This novel contains violence.