Books published by publisher Aurora Book Company

In 1930, the American historian and philosopher Will Durant wrote that Britain s conscious and deliberate bleeding of India... [was the] greatest crime in all history . He was not the only one to denounce the rapacity and cruelty of British rule, and his assessment was not exaggerated. Almost thirty-five million Indians died because of acts of commission and omission by the British in famines, epidemics, communal riots and wholesale slaughter like the reprisal killings after the 1857 War of Independence and the Amritsar massacre of 1919. Besides the deaths of Indians, British rule impoverished India in a manner that beggars belief. When the East India Company took control of the country, in the chaos that ensued after the collapse of the Mughal empire, India s share of world GDP was 23 per cent. When the British left it was just above 3 per cent. The British empire in India began with the East India Company, incorporated in 1600, by royal charter of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth I, to trade in silk, spices and other profitable Indian commodities. Within a century and a half, the Company had become a power to reckon with in India. In 1757, under the command of Robert Clive, Company forces defeated the ruling Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula of Bengal at Plassey, through a combination of superior artillery and even more superior chicanery. A few years later, the young and weakened Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II, was browbeaten into issuing an edict that replaced his own revenue officials with the Company s representatives. Over the next several decades, the East India Company, backed by the British government, extended its control over most of India, ruling with a combination of extortion, double-dealing, and outright corruption backed by violence and superior force. This state of affairs continued until 1857, when large numbers of the Company s Indian soldiers spearheaded the first major rebellion against colonial rule. After the rebels were defeated, the British Crown took over power and ruled the country ostensibly more benignly until 1947, when India won independence. In this explosive book, bestselling author Shashi Tharoor reveals with acuity, impeccable research, and trademark wit, just how disastrous British rule was for India. Besides examining the many ways in which the colonizers exploited India, ranging from the drain of national resources to Britain, the destruction of the Indian textile, steel-making and shipping industries, and the negative transformation of agriculture, he demolishes the arguments of Western and Indian apologists for Empire on the supposed benefits of British rule, including democracy and political freedom, the rule of law, and the railways. The few unarguable benefits the English language, tea, and cricket were never actually intended for the benefit of the colonized but introduced to serve the interests of the colonizers. Brilliantly narrated and passionately argued, An Era of Darkness will serve to correct many misconceptions about one of the most contested periods of Indian history.

"Shifting supernatural borderlands inspire awe and ancient gods mirror very human desires in a fear fable that balances complex philosophy with relentless, image-packed action. Tobler creates a fluid, transformative universe that’s equal parts exhilaration and terror."— Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)"Richly experimental horror."— Locus MagazineSynopsis:Fifteen-year-old Jackson is different from the other children at the foundling hospital. Scales sometimes cover his arms. Tentacles coil just below his skin. Despite this Jackson tries to fit in with the other children. He tries to be normal for Sister Jerome Grace and the priests. But when a woman asks for a boy like him, all that changes. His name is pinned to his jacket and an orphan train whisks him across the country to Macquarie’s.At Macquarie’s, Jackson finds a home unlike any he could have imagined. The bronze lions outside the doors eat whomever they deem unfit to enter, the hallways and rooms shift and change at will, and Cressida – the woman who adopted him – assures him he no longer has to hide what he is. But new freedoms hide dark secrets. There are territories, allegiances, and a kraken in the basement that eats shadows.As Jackson learns more about the new world he’s living in and about who he is, he has to decide who he will stand with: Cressida, the woman who gave him a home and a purpose, or Mae, the black-eyed lion tamer with a past as enigmatic as his own. The Kraken Sea is a fast paced adventure full of mystery, Fates, and writhing tentacles just below the surface, and in the middle of it all is a boy searching for himself.

Would you save a life if all you had to do was Believe? In 'the realm', Belief is a requirement. Belief is powerful, and Belief is dangerous. Simply put, Belief is everything. Belief is also the driving force in this magical young adult novel: MAGI: Commencement. When fourteen year old Louisiana native Rowan Dupard falls into 'the realm', he learns that he is a member of the magi community. In this new world, Rowan faces many challenges. However, his greatest challenge is learning to believe in himself.

"Shifting supernatural borderlands inspire awe and ancient gods mirror very human desires in a fear fable that balances complex philosophy with relentless, image-packed action. Tobler creates a fluid, transformative universe that’s equal parts exhilaration and terror." — Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) Fifteen-year-old Jackson is different from the other children at the foundling hospital. Scales sometimes cover his arms. Tentacles coil just below his skin. Despite this Jackson tries to fit in with the other children. He tries to be normal for Sister Jerome Grace and the priests. But when a woman asks for a boy like him, all that changes. His name is pinned to his jacket and an orphan train whisks him across the country to Macquarie’s. At Macquarie’s, Jackson finds a home unlike any he could have imagined. The bronze lions outside the doors eat whomever they deem unfit to enter, the hallways and rooms shift and change at will, and Cressida — the woman who adopted him — assures him he no longer has to hide what he is. But new freedoms hide dark secrets. There are territories, allegiances, and a kraken in the basement that eats shadows. As Jackson learns more about the new world he’s living in and about who he is, he has to decide who he will stand with: Cressida, the woman who gave him a home and a purpose, or Mae, the black-eyed lion tamer with a past as enigmatic as his own. The Kraken Sea is a fast paced adventure full of mystery, Fates, and writhing tentacles just below the surface, and in the middle of it all is a boy searching for himself.

War has come in this sequel to the best-selling novel THE LOST LEVEL. The snake-like Anunnaki have always been a blight for the people living in the hidden dimension known as the Lost Level, but now, the denizens are fighting back. After their community is decimated and their loved ones are enslaved in the aftermath of a devastating Anunnaki attack, Aaron Pace leads a diverse group of warriors — including the bow-woman Tolia, the mighty Karenk, a baby Triceratops, and a time-displaced Ambrose Bierce — on a trek through primordial jungles, dark forests, and a sun-blasted desert while battling pterodactyls, man-eating worms, and other dangers. Can their small band lay siege to the Anunnaki city and rescue their friends, or will they suffer the same cruel fate so many others have before them? Find out in Brian Keene's RETURN TO THE LOST LEVEL. Includes the bonus short story "The Chinese Beetle."

Close to 150 years after he was born, how relevant is Mahatma Gandhi? In our country, he is revered as the Father of the Nation; his face still adorns currency notes, postage stamps and government offices; streets and welfare schemes continue to be named after him but has he been reduced to a mere symbol? Do his values, message and sacrifice have any meaning for us in the twenty-first century? In Why Gandhi Still Matters, the Mahatma's grandson and award-winning writer and scholar Rajmohan Gandhi, appraises Gandhi and his legacy by examining some of his most famous (and often most controversial) ideas, beliefs, actions, successes and failures. He analyses Gandhi's commitment to democracy, secularism, pluralism, equality and non-violence, his gift to the world of satyagraha, the key strategies in his fight for India's freedom, his opposition to caste discrimination, and his equations with Churchill, Jinnah and Ambedkar, as also his failings as a human being and family man. Taken together, the author's insights present an unsentimental view of aspects of Gandhi's legacy that have endured and those that have been cast aside by power-hungry politicians, hate groups, casteist organizations, venal industrialists, terrorists, and other enemies of India's promise.

Close to 150 years after he was born, how relevant is Mahatma Gandhi? In our country, he is revered as the Father of the Nation; his face still adorns currency notes, postage stamps and government offices; streets and welfare schemes continue to be named after him but has he been reduced to a mere symbol? Do his values, message and sacrifice have any meaning for us in the twenty-first century?In Why Gandhi Still Matters, the Mahatma’s grandson and award-winning writer and scholar Rajmohan Gandhi, appraises Gandhi and his legacy by examining some of his most famous (and often most controversial) ideas, beliefs, actions, successes and failures. He analyses Gandhi’s commitment to democracy, secularism, pluralism, equality and non-violence, his gift to the world of satyagraha, the key strategies in his fight for India’s freedom, his opposition to caste discrimination, and his equations with Churchill, Jinnah and Ambedkar, as also his failings as a human being and family man. Taken together, the author’s insights present an unsentimental view of aspects of Gandhi’s legacy that have endured and those that have been cast aside by power-hungry politicians, hate groups, casteist organizations, venal industrialists, terrorists, and other enemies of India’s promise.

Time is running out… but fortunately, Mackenzie Mortimer has few more minutes than anyone else.Mackenzie Mortimer is a typical junior high geek: shy, awkward, late with his homework, and always late for class. But when Mac finds his grandfather's pocket watch, he discovers his days have an extra hour. The eccentric inventor's journal reveals the watch can add up to 60 minutes to a single day by freezing time around whomever controls it.After the events of The Tomorrow Paradox (Book 2 in the series) Mac has left Gramps' diary behind in the future and Victoria Carmichael's ex-husband, Jeremy Bentaine, has stolen it along with Gramps' journals. Now, Bentaine Industries seeks to be the sole possessor of time travel technology... and that means eliminating Mackenzie Mortimer before he discovers the pocket watch! But Mac has followed Gramps' trail to WWII Nazi-occupied Belgium, where he must use his future technology to stay alive, locate Gramps, and unite a pair of star-crossed lovers. The horrors of WWII that Mac encounters will change him forever, but if the Bentaine family has its way, forever will be a very short time for Mackenzie Mortimer!

A fast-paced YA sci-fi adventure novel set on a colonized Mars that is a heady mix of Ursula K. Le Guin's imagination and Amie Kaufman's high-tech escapades. "Mary Turzillo has crafted an extraordinary tale of teenaged adventure on a harsh planet. Heroines Nanoannie and Kapera use bravery and ingenuity to survive on a vividly imagined future Mars." —Brenda Cooper, author of Edge of Dark "Mars Girls delivers real-feeling characters in a fast-moving, exciting space adventure." —Kij Johnson, author of The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe "Great fun! A rollicking adventure across a uniquely imagined Martian landscape." —S Andrew Swann, author of Dragon Princess "Uniquely qualified to write about both Mars and humanity, Mary Turzillo has conjured up an intriguingly intricate plot filled with plenty of adventure, engagingly fresh and memorable characters, and provocative ideas." —Stanley Schmidt, Hugo Award-winning editor Nanoannie is a bored teen stuck on Mars. She wants to go to clubs, wear the latest Earth fashions, and dance with nuke guys. But her life is not exciting. She lives on her family’s Pharm with her parents, little sister, and a holo-cat named Fuzzbutt. The closest she gets to clubs are on the Marsnet. And her parents are pressuring her to sign her contract over to Utopia Limited Corp before she’s even had a chance to live a little. When Kapera—a friend from online school—shows up at her Pharm asking for help, Nanoannie is quick to jump in the rover and take off. Finally an adventure! What Nanoannie and Kapera find at the Smythe’s Pharm is more than the girls bargained for. The hab has been trashed and there are dead bodies buried in the backyard! If that wasn’t bad enough, the girls crash the rover and Kapera gets kidnapped by Facers, who claim her parents are murderers! Between Renegade Nuns, Facers, and corp geeks, Nanoannie and Kapera don’t know who to trust or where to go. Kapera only wants to find her parents so they can get to Earth Orbitals and she can be treated for her leukemia. Nanoannie wants to help her friend and experience a little bit of Mars before selling her contract to the first corp that offers to buy it. Life isn’t easy when you’re just a couple of Mars Girls looking for excitement, fun, and adventure and trouble follows you around...

A moonlit night, a young couple strolling hand-in-hand along a deserted country road. It seems like a perfect date night until he leans over to kiss her and instead sinks his fangs into her throat. The vampire drains his prey, sating his hunger, and releases the lifeless corpse. He wipes the blood from his lips, content to leave her body in the field to be found in the morning by the humans. He's momentarily blinded by a harsh light from above. He feels a vibration around him, a powerful wind, and a tremor in the ground. He opens his eyes and sees a spaceship has landed.The aliens notice the vampire. They're confused because their sensors indicated there were no life forms in the area. But their sensors are calibrated for humans and other life forms... Not the undead. The vampire learns that the aliens are setting up secret plants in isolated areas with the ultimate goal of stealing the Earth's water, a scarce but necessary resource they need to survive. Escaping from the aliens, he warns other vampires of the arrival of the aliens and their plans which, if carried to fruition, would doom the human race... And with no humans or other life left on earth, the planet's furtive vampire population would be deprived of its sole food source. Now the vampires must wage a secret war against the invaders while keeping the fact of their own existence from the humans, just as the aliens don't wish for the humans to learn of their invasion that's already underway.

They came from a dying world to steal the Earth's water... but they didn't anticipate resistance from the vampires, who realize the aliens' plans which, if carried to fruition, would doom the human race... And with no humans or other life left on Earth, the planet's furtive vampire population would be deprived of its sole food source. Now the vampires must wage a secret war against the invaders while hiding their own existence from the humans, as the aliens also conceal their presence from the humans so they will not learn of their invasion that is already underway.Sebastian arrives. He’s a mysterious Elder vampire sent by the Conclave of Elders, who disapprove of Gaunt’s decision to handle the alien threat without consulting the Conclave. But Sebastian has his own deadly secrets...Hailey Rumson arrives to start classes at the local college in the fall. She had moved away two years ago, before Courtney Cartwright came to town. Hailey is old friends with Brandon but has never met Courtney, who had become her cousin's BFF. Hailey wants to learn more about her cousin's death and distrusts Courtney because she spends so much time around her cousin's killer.The military intercepts Brexa as she enters the Earth’s stratosphere to warn Kira and Kevian their lives are in danger. Saskia, an alien rebel, takes over the Neptune Corporation while Kevian and Kira are on the run from Quill. A hermit-alien monk aids a renegade vampire. Of course, the vampires — Young Bloods (Misha, Scarlett, Jaxson, and Nicholas), Old Bloods (Zachary & Audrey), Elders (Gaunt, Talia, Tobias, Marcus, and Francesca) — are back.Oh, and remember that message Jansa sent to the home world? Someone got the message. And they’re coming. But not who anyone expects.