The Cast Iron Forest

by Richard V. Francaviglia
The Cast Iron Forest
Author: Richard V. Francaviglia
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Total Pages: 424
Release: 2010-06-28
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0292789025
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“A thoughtful, thorough, and updated account of this bio-region” from the author of From Sail to Steam: Four Centuries of Texas Maritime History, 1500-1900 (Great Plains Research). Winner, Friends of the Dallas Public Library Award, Texas Institute of Letters, 2001 A complex mosaic of post oak and blackjack oak forests interspersed with prairies, the Cross Timbers cover large portions of southeastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, and north central Texas. Home to indigenous peoples over several thousand years, the Cross Timbers were considered a barrier to westward expansion in the nineteenth century, until roads and railroads opened up the region to farmers, ranchers, coal miners, and modern city developers, all of whom changed its character in far-reaching ways. This landmark book describes the natural environment of the Cross Timbers and interprets the role that people have played in transforming the region. Richard Francaviglia opens with a natural history that discusses the region’s geography, geology, vegetation, and climate. He then traces the interaction of people and the landscape, from the earliest indigenous inhabitants and European explorers to the developers and residents of today’s ever-expanding cities and suburbs. Many historical and contemporary maps and photographs illustrate the text. “This is the most important, original, and comprehensive regional study yet to appear of the amazing Cross Timbers region in North America . . . It will likely be the standard benchmark survey of the region for quite some time.” —John Miller Morris, Assistant Professor of Geography, University of Texas at San Antonio

The Iron Flower

by Laurie Forest
The Iron Flower
Author: Laurie Forest
Publisher: Harlequin
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2018-09-18
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1488030502
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The New York Times bestselling series! Dark forces are on the rise in this sweeping sequel to The Black Witch by critically acclaimed author Laurie Forest. Elloren Gardner and her friends were only seeking to right a few wrongs when they rescued a Selkie and freed a military dragon. The last thing they expected was to be thrust into a realm-wide underground resistance against Gardnerian conquest. While the Resistance fights the harsh rulings of the Mage Council, Gardnerian soldiers descend upon the University…led by none other than Lukas Grey, now commander of the nearby military base. Though Elloren tries to keep him at arm’s length, Lukas is determined to tie himself to her, convinced that she’s the heir to the power of the Black Witch, a legacy that will decide the future of Erthia. As his magic calls to her, Elloren finds it more and more difficult to believe she’s truly powerless, as her uncle always claimed. Critics are raving about Laurie Forest’s incredible debut, The Black Witch: “Forest uses a richly imagined magical world to offer an uncompromising condemnation of prejudice and injustice.” —Booklist, starred review “Exquisite character work, an elaborate mythology, and a spectacularly rendered universe make this a noteworthy debut, which argues passionately against fascism and xenophobia.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review “This briskly paced, tightly plotted novel enacts the transformative power of education, creating engaging characters set in a rich alternative universe with a complicated history that can help us better understand our own.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review Books in The Black Witch Chronicles: The Black Witch The Iron Flower The Shadow Wand The Demon Tide Wandfasted (ebook novella)* Light Mage (ebook novella)* * Also available in print in The Rebel Mages anthology

A Darkness Forged in Fire

by Chris Evans
A Darkness Forged in Fire
Author: Chris Evans
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 662
Release: 2008-12-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1847375928
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Rejected by their own kind for bearing the mark of the Shadow Monarch, the Iron Elves chose instead to serve with the human armies of the Calahrian Empire, hoping through their dedication and discipline to wipe out the stain of their birth. Their reputation is legendary -- until their commander, Konowa Swiftdragon, takes it upon himself -- for the best of reasons -- to assassinate the Viceroy. Court-martialled and exiled to the forest he despises, his beloved regiment disgraced, dishonoured and disbanded, Konowa finds himself suddenly recalled and ordered to re-form the Iron Elves for one last reconnaissance mission. But the new Iron Elves are not at all the same as they were before, and the mission is a suicidal one, with more at stake than Konowa could possibly have imagined. For the Shadow Monarch and her allies have harnessed destructive forces with the power to tear worlds apart -- and those who bear her mark have a destiny greater than they know. So begins an heroic journey in the company of a motley band of misfits, rebels and outcasts, with a central character whose engaging, brilliantly realised blend of cynicism, dry humour, duty and anguish make him unlike any other in fantasy fiction.

Annual Report ...

by Portland (Me.). Portland Water District
Annual Report ...
Author: Portland (Me.). Portland Water District
Publisher:
Total Pages: 250
Release: 1912
Genre: Water-supply
ISBN:
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The Consolations of the Forest

by Sylvain Tesson
The Consolations of the Forest
Author: Sylvain Tesson
Publisher: Rizzoli Publications
Total Pages: 245
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0847841405
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A journalist embarks on the adventure of a lifetime—living in a remote cabin in Siberia—in this Thoreau-esque meditation on escaping the chaos of modern life and rediscovering the luxury of solitude. “…wry, exuberant, and a perfect balm for anyone who dreams of running away to the middle of nowhere.” —San Francisco Chronicle No stranger to inhospitable places, journalist Sylvain Tesson exiles himself to a wooden cabin on Siberia’s Lake Baikal—a full day’s hike from any “neighbor”—with his thoughts, his books, a couple of dogs, and many bottles of vodka for company. Writing from February to July, he shares his deep appreciation for the harsh but beautiful land, the resilient men and women who populate it, and the bizarre and tragic history that has given Siberia an almost mythological place in the imagination. Rich with observation, introspection, and the good humor necessary to laugh at his own folly, Tesson’s memoir is about the ultimate freedom of owning your own time. Only in the hands of a gifted storyteller can an experiment in isolation become an exceptional adventure accessible to all. By recording his impressions in the face of silence, his struggles in a hostile environment, his hopes, doubts, and moments of pure joy in communion with nature, Tesson makes a decidedly out-of-the-ordinary experience relatable. The awe and joy are contagious, and one comes away with the comforting knowledge that “as long as there is a cabin deep in the woods, nothing is completely lost.”

The Door in the Forest

by Roderick Townley
The Door in the Forest
Author: Roderick Townley
Publisher: Bluefire
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2012
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0375847421
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While trying to outwit the soldiers who are occupying their small town, Daniel, who cannot lie, and Emily, who discovers she has magical powers, are drawn to an island in the heart of the forest where townsfolk have been warned never to go.