From the author of the global phenomenon Ranger's Apprentice!

Hal and the Herons have done the impossible. This group of outsiders has beaten out the strongest, most skilled young warriors in all of Skandia to win the Brotherband competition. But their celebration comes to an abrupt end when the Skandians' most sacred artifact, the Andomal, is stolen--and the Herons are to blame.

To find redemption they must track down the thief Zavac and recover the Andomal. But that means traversing stormy seas, surviving a bitter winter, and battling a group of deadly pirates willing to protect their prize at all costs. Even Brotherband training and the help of Skandia's greatest warrior may not be enough to ensure that Hal and his friends return home with the Andomal--or their lives.

Perfect for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, T.H. White’s The Sword in the Stone, Christopher Paolini’s Eragon series, and George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire series.

From the author of the global phenomenon Ranger’s Apprentice!

They are outcasts. Hal, Stig, and the others – they are the boys the others want no part of. Skandians, as any reader of Ranger’s Apprentice could tell you, are known for their size and strength. Not these boys. Yet that doesn’t mean they don’t have skills. And courage – which they will need every ounce of to do battle at sea against the other bands, the Wolves and the Sharks, in the ultimate race. The icy waters make for a treacherous playing field . . . especially when not everyone thinks of it as playing. John Flanagan, author of the international phenomenon Ranger’s Apprentice, creates a new cast of characters to populate his world of Skandians and Araluens, a world millions of young readers around the world have come to know and admire. Full of seafaring adventures and epic battles, Book 1 of The Brotherband Chronicles is sure to thrill readers of Ranger’s Apprentice while enticing a whole new generation just now discovering the books.

During the World War II bombings of London, four English siblings are sent to a country house where they will be safe. One day Lucy finds a wardrobe that transports her to a magical world called Narnia. After coming back, she soon returns to Narnia with her brothers, Peter and Edmund and her sister, Susan. There they join the lion, Aslan, and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of the mystical lion. This box set includes all seven titles in The Chronicles of Narnia: The Magician's Nephew; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe; The Horse and His Boy; Prince Caspian; The Voyage of the Dawn Trader; The Silver Chair; and The Last Battle.

In The Hidden Heroes Andrew and Eve must travel to Elizabethan England (16th century) to find Dr. Howard, a man from the present, who travelled there accidentally. They are immediately thrown into the danger of that time, as Queen Elizabeth and her notorious Privy Council attempt to imprison faithful Catholics. On the run, they must evade "hunters" while searching for Dr. Howard. Along the way, they meet the Hidden Heroes of the Catholic faith – Edmund Campion, Robert Persons, Ralph Sherwin and the many other priests who journeyed through England to encourage and minister to the suffering Catholics there. Andrew and Eve soon experience the harrowing lives of fugitives, persecution as Catholics, and the remarkable grace that comes in the midst of trouble. Through Andrew and Eve, readers will learn the amazing history of the English martyrs who bravely served Jesus and His Church in conditions few of us can imagine.

The Hidden Heroes is the third book on the Virtue Chronicles series.

SERIES SUMMARY

Written for 10-14 year olds, The Virtues Chronicles follows the adventures of 12 year-olds Andrew Perry and Eve Virtue as they deal with the mysterious Radiant Stone – an ancient jewel with the power to send them back in time. The legends of the Stone, and the remarkable history of its discoverer, Alfred Virtue, unfold from story to story in a series that explores the many saints and sinners who have impacted history.

In a world grown cold without wonder, how do we reimagine the drama and joy of Christianity? For C. S. Lewis, the answer was to invite us into a different world that would help us see this one with fresh eyes. That world was Narnia, and when Lewis wrote that world into existence in his Chronicles, he created a land where courage would be tested and character forged; he created the possibility for a moral and spiritual journey.

The spiritual benefit of these stories is not intended for children alone. The benefit redounds to all who are child-like, as well as those who will allow themselves to become so again. This includes adults who have become weighed down by life, and those who have become too intellectually "puffed up" or too spiritually sophisticated to easily immerse themselves in chronicles like these.

Narnia is a world with a history and especially a redeemer that allows the child-like to better imagine this world and this life as a world and a life that matter because our world and our lives do in fact have a Redeemer, who is even now working in and among us. This volume leads readers to take the world of Narnia seriously in the best of all possible ways––that is, by enjoying Lewis's chronicles and contemplating what is found therein. As the collaborative work of scholars and artists, this volume benefits all readers by leading them to wonder, understanding, and joy.

A truly one-of-a-kind work, it features an essay for each of the seven chronicles plus an introductory essay about how to approach reading the chronicles, alongside original illustrations for each chronicle and an original poem cycle. This book speaks directly to readers interested in finding spiritual sustenance, inspiration, and joy.