From Award winning author, Ellie Raine, comes the exciting Epic Finale of her Necromancer "Sword and Sorcery" Fantasy Series, the NecroSeam Chronicles. The End of Existence is near. Prophecy says only the ShadowBlood can stop it. But what if the prophecy is wrong? What if the ShadowBlood twins will actually be the ones who destroy the world? With the Death King now dead, the crown has been passed to Willow and Xavier. It's time to return to Grim and claim the throne. Their journey home takes a detour to the Gyle Islands with Queen Anabelle where the Land's realm's relic, the Blossom of Gold, is hidden. But the Lightcaster has kidnapped the young Ocean Prince Fuérr and dragged him back to his home in Marincia. Macarius plans to barter the boy's life in exchange for the location of the Ocean realm's relic, the Pearl of Emerald. Xavier and Alexander, who already possess the magic Hallows from Dream, Ocean, and Sky, are reluctant to gain more Hallows, afraid that they will be the ones to bring the End of Existence. But the brothers can't afford to quit no. For if Macarius beats them to the relics, he will destroy the ones they love. The Shadowblood champions only pray they've made the right choice! Get ready to embark on a fascinating journey with epic adventures, thrilling action, addictive world-building, intricate magic systems, and unpredictable plots. Blossom of Gold is the explosive conclusion to the NecroSeam Chronicles series you won't want to miss! ***** Five Star Review from Readers' Favorite Blossom of Gold is a work of epic fantasy fiction with plenty of action and conceptual delights and was penned by author Ellie Raine. The fifth and final novel in the NecroSeam Chronicles series,this ending to the saga contains some mild profanity and graphic violence, which makes it largely suitable to adult and mature YA readers alike. In this darkly conceptualized world, we are introduced to Reapers and the undead alike - though the undead are mutated demons from whom the seam of life (the titular NecroSeam) has been left uncut. Theundead are about to be unwittingly enslaved to fight a war that could bring about the End of Existence, with twins Xavier and Alexander standing right in their path. Author Ellie Raine has developed a truly superb and fully engrossing fantasy world like nothing I've ever read before. The concept of Grim Reapers and undead demons may not seem new, but through Raine's intelligent revisioning and extensive work in lore and world building,this world filled with dark realms, nature, life, and death is one that is completely realized and totally unique. The action for twin brothers Xavier and Alexander comes thick and fast as the end draws near, and the use of prophecy and magical quests feels apt and authentic, not trope-like or overdone. This makes for a truly compelling adventure novel with dark twists everywhere, and some truly frightening images that stay with you long after reading. Overall, Blossom of Gold is a superb work that is highly recommended for fantasy fans everywhere. Review by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Cherry Blossom Epiphany - the poetry and philosophy of a flowering tree - a selection, translation and lengthy explication of 3000 haiku, waka, senryû and kyôka about a major theme from I.P.O.O.H. (In Praise Of Olde Haiku)by robin d. gill 1. Haiku -Translation from Japanese to English 2. Japanese poetry - 8c-20c - waka, haiku and senryû 3. Natural History - flowering cherries 4. Japan - Culture - Edo Era 5. Nonfiction - Literature 6. Translation - applied 7. You tell me! If the solemn yet happy New Year's is the most important celebration of Japanese (Yamato) ethnic culture, and the quiet aesthetic practice of Moon-viewing in the fall the most elegant expression of Pan-Asian Buddhism=religion, the subject of this book, Blossom-viewing - which generally means sitting down together in vast crowds to drink, dance, sing and otherwise enjoy the flowering cherry in full-bloom - is less a rite than a riot (a word originally meaning an 'uproar'). The major carnival of the year, it is unusual for being held on a date that is not determined by astronomy, astrology or the accidents of history as most such events are in literate cultures. It takes place whenever the cherry trees are good and ready. Enjoyed in the flesh, the blossom-viewing, or hanami, is also of the mind, so much so, in fact, that poetry is often credited with the spread of the practice over the centuries from the Imperial courts to the maids of Edo. Nobles enjoyed link-verse contests presided over by famous poet-judges. Hermits hung poems feting this flower of flowers (to say the generic "flower" = hana in Japanese connotes "cherry!") on strips of paper from the branches of lone trees where only the wind would read them. In the Occident, too, flowers embody beauty and serve as reminders of mortality, but there is no flower that, like the cherry blossom, stands for all flowers. Even the rose, by any name, cannot compare with the sakura in depth and breadth of poetic trope or viewing practice. In Cherry Blossom Epiphany, Robin D. Gill hopes to help readers experience, metaphysically, some of this alternative world. Haiku is a hyper-short (17-syllabet or 7-beat) Japanese poem directly or indirectly touching upon seasonal phenomena, natural or cultural. Literally millions of these ku have been written, some, perhaps, many times, about the flowering cherry (sakura), and the human activity associated with it, blossom-viewing (hanami). As the most popular theme in traditional haiku (haikai), cherry-blossom ku tend to be overlooked by modern critics more interested in creativity expressed with fresh subjects; but this embarrassment of riches has much to offer the poet who is pushed to come up with something, anything, different from the rest and allows the editor to select from what is, for all practical purposes, an infinite number of ku. Literary critics, take note: Like Rise, Ye Sea Slugs! (2003) and Fly-ku! (2004), this book not only explores new ways to anthologize poetry but demonstrates the practice of multiple readings (an average of two per ku) as part of a composite translation turned into an object of art by innovative clustering. Book-collectors might further note that while Cherry Blossom Epiphany may not be hardback, it takes advantage of the many symbols included with Japanese font to introduce design ornamentation (the circle within the circle, the reverse (Buddhist) swastika, etc.) hitherto not found in English language print. It is a one-of-a-kind work of design by the author.

Southeast China is a traditional stronghold of Buddhism, but little scholarly attention has been paid to this fact. Brian Nichols’s pioneering book, Lotus Blossoms and Purple Clouds, centers on a large Buddhist monastery in Quanzhou and combines ethnographic detail with stimulating analysis to examine religion in post-Mao China. Nichols conducted more than twenty-six months of field research over a fourteen-year period (2005–2019) to develop a re-description of Chinese monastic Buddhism that reaches beyond canonical sources and master narratives to local texts, material culture, oral history, and living traditions. His work decenters normative accounts and sheds light on how Buddhism is lived and practiced. It introduces readers to Quanzhou Kaiyuan Monastery and its community of clergy striving to revive traditions after the turmoil of the Maoist era; the lay Buddhists worshiping in the monastery’s courtyards and halls; the busloads of tourists marveling at the site’s buildings and artifacts, some dating as far back as the Tang Dynasty (ninth century); and the local officials dedicated to supporting—and restricting—the return of religion. Using gazetteers, epigraphy, and other archival sources, Nichols begins by tracing the history of Quanzhou Kaiyuan Monastery from the Tang Dynasty to the present, noting the continued relevance of preternatural events like the lotus-blooming mulberry trees and auspicious purple clouds associated with the founding of the monastery. The contemporary monastery is then explored through ethnographic participation/observation and interviews. Nichols uncovers a number of unexpected features of Buddhist religious life, making a case for the fundamentally liturgical nature of Buddhist monastic practice—one marked by a program of daily dharaṇi (sacred text) recitation, esoteric traditions, and ancestor veneration. Finally, he presents an innovative spatial analysis of the Quanzhou Kaiyuan Monastery temple that reveals how different groups engage with the site to create a place of religious practice, a tourist attraction, and a community park.

Plum Blossom Love Poetry: Between Dragon Village and Gold Mountain is made up of romantic gems in eclectic poetry by Raymond Douglas Chong (aka Zhang Weiming). His lyrical verses sensitively bridge America and China, a fusion of two dynamic worlds. His moody poetry covers themes about China, ancestors, and love, in the context of plum blossom, a traditional Chinese symbol of winter. The poems are passionate yearnings with vibrant and vivid lyrical imagery of love. They will uniquely connect the heart of the poet with the heart of the reader. Plum Blossom Love Poetry: Between Dragon Village and Gold Mountain is richly illustrated with watercolors, calligraphy, photos, and graphics.