Blaine and Kitka are Ultra Team 7, the best operatives that genetic science could create. The two are ruthless killers and thieves for a dying US government waging war on global corporations. Section Ex commands their every move until the overt hostilities end. Some secrets won't die and Ultra Team 7 is called back to hunt down a terrifying weapon that can throw the planet into the dark ages.Deckard Blaine wanted to left alone with his grief, but his draft notice changed that. He had resigned himself to life in Army, but instead of the infantry, he found himself in the infamous Section EX. Subjected to a multitude of twisted sciences, Deckard’s very DNA is altered to turn him into a ruthless thief and killer—the ultimate secret agent. Paired with his feline partner, Channelle Kitka, they form Ultra One-Seven, Section EX’s most successful stealth retrieval team. After years of service, Deckard and Kitka think they can now quietly fade into the background and live a life of peace. Their past, however, has different plans, and Deckard and Kitka are called out of retirement to track a madman and his super weapon across a fractured United States, into forbidden territories, and ultimately into space in a desperate attempt to avert an EMP attack on the world. Their journey will be fraught with deception and intrigue where their most ardent foes from their Section EX days now turn into allies and they must battle their Section EX brethren to complete the mission. It will take all of Deckard and Kitka’s skills as they face their ultimate opponent—a genetic experiment gone terribly wrong—in a savage battle that may be their last.

This gripping sequel to Forgotten City is a twist-filled survival adventure that's Mad Max for tweens. Everything Kobi once believed was a lie. Not only are there other survivors of the Waste that devastated the world thirteen years ago, but beyond the wasteland of Old Seattle lies a gleaming new city where thousands are desperate for a cure. To put an end to the Waste—and bring justice to those responsible–Kobi and his new friends will have to return to the heart of Old Seattle, where the outbreak began. It's a dangerous journey. But Kobi knows what lies ahead. And he's ready to fight. Nail-biting suspense and nonstop thrills make this action-packed adventure perfect for young readers who love survival adventures like Gary Paulsen's Hatchet or dystopian series like Jeanne DuPrau's City of Ember.

Lysander thought he left his roots as a Helot slave far behind when he discovered his true identity as the descendant of a Spartan warrior. His training at the academy has been ruthless, but now he must face his toughest challenge yet: being sent to the mountains with two other boys to prove they can survive the harsh conditions on nothing but their Spartan strength and wits. Facing starvation, wild animals, and the elements, Lysander discovers that his real enemy is in fact one of the other boys, who's bent on sabotaging him. And when war with Persia threatens, Lysander must decide where his allegiance truly lies. This sweeping, dramatic adventure story is an exciting follow-up to The Fire of Ares, and its action and intrigue will not disappoint.

Survival is just the beginning in this action-packed middle grade adventure that's Mad Max for kids. Thirteen years ago, the world ended. A deadly chemical called Waste began to spread across the globe, leaving devastation in its wake. Millions died. Cities fell into chaos. Anything the Waste didn't kill, it mutated into threatening new forms.Kobi has always believed he and his dad were the only survivors. But when his dad goes missing, Kobi follows his trail—and discovers a conspiracy even deadlier than the Waste itself.Nonstop action, chilling dangers, and edge-of-your-seat twists make this gripping, fast-paced read perfect for young readers who love survival adventures like Gary Paulsen's Hatchet and dystopian series like Jeanne DuPrau's City of Ember.

Lysander is a slave in ancient Sparta - the lowest of the low. But a chance meeting reveals his noble heritage and soon Lysander is training to be a Spartan warrior, alongside boys who once despised him. But there's a twist when an amulet - the Fire of Ares - is stolen from Lysander. Can Lysander live up to his true destiny and can he stand up for the things he believes in - truth, equality and justice? With loyal friends by his side, Lysander hopes he can make his grandfather proud of him and prove to that anyone can be a true hero.

Life can be cruel for a servant girl in 1850s London. Fifteen-year-old Abi is a scullery maid in Greave Hall, an elegant but troubled household. The widowed master of the house is slowly slipping into madness, and the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs.Cotton, punishes Abi without mercy. But there's something else going on in Greave Hall, too. An otherworldly presence is making itself known, and a deadly secret will reveal itself---a secret that will shatter everything Abi knows.ReviewStarred Review "The year is 1855 and orphaned serving girl Abigail Tamper, 14, tries to escape Greave Hall, an austere London mansion, in the dead of night. She is hauled back and forced to work for Mrs. Cotton, cruel and devious housekeeper to senile Lord Greave. It isn't just the dreary residents who frighten Abi; there's something terribly amiss in the house. Glasses crash to the floor, rooms are turned topsy-turvy and then righted again when no one is looking, handprints appear in impossible places. Deepening Abi's dread is the upcoming anniversary of her mother's death. She pins her hopes for brighter days on the heir to the house, handsome Samuel Greave, who is returning as an injured hero from the Crimean War. The two played together in childhood, when Abi's mother was Master Samuel's nurse, and they share a brother/sisterlike bond. But the eerie occurrences only increase on his return. Is Abi's dead mother trying to tell her something? Every gothic trope is put to use here: the silent butler, a séance gone wrong, messages via Ouija board, secret alliances, out-of-wedlock pregnancies (two of them), and a last-minute will that changes everything. This ghost story is light fare, chilling, and suspenseful. Readers who ask for "more like this book" might well be primed for something more substantial, like Henry James himself." -School Library Journal, August 2011 review From the Inside FlapAbigail is a maidservant in Greave Hall, an elegant London household governed by the tyrannical housekeeper, Mrs Cotton. As Mrs Cotton's malice intensifies, a ghostly presence distracts Abi with clues to a deadly secret.

After victory against the Persians, Lysander and the other young warriors from Sparta are weary from battle. But then a messenger brings news that Taras, a distant outpost of the Spartan empire, is under siege. Sparta is in danger of losing a vital trading port to a local uprising. Lysander and his barrack set sail immediately for southern Italy.They quickly discover that the locals will not be easily beaten. In the midst of battle Lysander finds himself in front of the great statue in the main square, and is shocked to see that the figure is wearing the Fire of Ares. Is this Lysander's ancestor? He must find out his connection to this town and its people, and in so doing reveal more of his mysterious heritage, hidden from him for so long.