The North Caucasus, specifically Chechnya and Ingushetia, is a region that has experienced some of the deadliest and most protracted conflicts in Europe. By examining the relationship between state and society, this book considers how state-building has unfolded in a region with highly complex social structures, a history of colonialism, Soviet authoritarianism, and later post-Soviet wars and trauma. Focusing on a systematic analysis of subnational state-building in post-Soviet Chechnya and Ingushetia, and the role of teips (clans) in this process, this study responds to the widely accepted academic claim that governance and ethnic consolidation in the North Caucasus is shaped by the politics of teips. Through socio-anthropological analysis of the clans and how they function towards political systems, Sokirianskaia shows how the teips lost their organizational structure and roles, becoming incapable of mobilizing for political action. While teip symbolism has remained politically relevant, and the bonds of kinship are highly important, they do not form the basis of politics and subnational statebuilding in Chechnya and Ingushetia. Consequently, subnational authoritarianism is not the result of the pre-existing social composition of the society, but a reflection of the rules of the game imposed by Moscow and political choices of the Kremlin-installed local elites.

Disowned by his family for preferring men to women, a naive nobleman's son is forced to sell his body on the streets to survive. Until an elite mercenary band takes pity on him... because they were all like him once. First they adopt him. Then they train him. Bonds quickly form, deeper than any he's ever known--but he dreads his first real battle. Will he lose his place among them when they discover he's still a weak coward? The real threat, though, may come from within. Because not everyone in their band values the bonds between them above all else. His most important battle may be against the very people who saved him. This short story is 14,000 words long. It is also available in Queerdark, a dark queer fantasy collection.

The history of the Aztecs has been haunted by the spectre of human sacrifice. Reinvesting the Aztecs with a humanity frequently denied to them, and exploring their spectacular religious violence as a comprehensible element of life, this book integrates a fresh interpretation of gender with an innovative study of the everyday life of the Aztecs.

Saving his sister’s life means facing magic that could destroy his. Jovian Neferis is content to live a life free of magic. Talk of angels, demons, and sorcerers is little more than myth. It certainly isn't anything as close to him as his own family. Or so he thinks. That is, until his sisters exhibit gifts of prophecy and sorcery. When his sister Amber is abducted, his remaining sisters and he give chase. Their journey across the Great Realms is filled with danger, intrigue, and magic. With every step they unearth more mystery surrounding their family. With every turn, Jovian questions what he's always believed. But something far worse than myths and legends awaits. An ancient darkness has risen, and its goal is the total destruction of his family. The Bonds of Blood is the first in an epic sword and sorcery adventure brimming with dark magic, majestic elves, and wistful fae.

Caroline Riley's perfectly stable life with her live-in fiancé is suddenly turned upside down when vampires raid her small town. Killing hundreds of innocent humans in their wake, vampires devastate her hometown in search for one human: her. Amidst the chaos, there is one vampire that wants her for more than just her blood. Henry watches her from the shadows and protects her from the others. He keeps a safe distance so that he doesn't harm her, until he can't stay away any longer and forcibly thrusts himself into her world, changing both of their lives forever. From the moment she saw him, Caroline is intoxicated by Henry's presence. She craves and desires him in ways she never imagined, despite his mysteriousness. She knows that Henry has secrets, but she is inexplicably drawn to him and just can't stay away. The clock is ticking for Caroline to make a choice as she is forced to choose between Henry and her fiancé of ten years. Will she risk it all to be with Henry? And if she does, will she survive?

Learning how to be a vampire is only half of Beatrice's problems. Adjusting to life as a vampire noble is harder than Beatrice thought it would be, even if she has a handsome and charming vampire to teach her history. But even as Beatrice and Linc grow closer, the pressures of the Vampire Court start closing in. - Rite Of Blood And Bonds is book two of House Of Blood And Roses. It is a romantasy series full of vampires, court intrigue, and a slow burn hidden identity arranged marriage m/f romance.

Written from the perspective of vampires in 19th Century English Court. A tale of forbidden love, secret affairs, consequences of one's choices, the pain of being duty-bound, and that life isn't fair. Sebastian Piper is vampire royalty. As a role handed down to every generation of his family for many centuries, he takes it with nothing but loathing and contempt. Selfish and a non-conformist, he settles in, ready for a life of utter boredom... until he meets the stunning Miss Seraphine Yale, a beautiful fiery-haired recluse who is betrothed to his friend. In an instant, his world is turned upside down, and suddenly she is all he wants, and only one thing is certain. He will break every rule in the book to have her… Seraphine Yale, a beautiful, duty-bound woman, lives a reclusive life with her father, a well-known merchant. Together, they keep a family secret. One kept for centuries, and, if known, it would put into question the power of the Pipers'...

Two is Trapped. She’s hooked on heroin, held as property, forced to sell her body to feed the addiction. Time brings her ever closer to what seems an inevitable death and Two waits, uncaring, longing only for the next fix. That’s when Theroen arrives, beckoning to his Ferrari and grinning his inscrutable grin. He is handsome. Confident. Eager to help lift her out of the life that’s grinding her down. The only problem? Theroen is a vampire. His blood can cure her addiction, grant her powers she has never had, change her forever into something greater than she was. But when he sinks his teeth into her neck, Theroen also thrusts Two into a world of danger, madness and despair. The powerful elder Abraham will use her arrival to shatter the uneasy peace that exists in his mansion, bringing an end to the dark game he has been playing for centuries.

Twelve stories of wayward travelers. Twelve stamps on the passport of the soul. Walter struggles to see past his disfigurement, but a trip to Thailand and a mysterious woman may challenge his quest for perfection. Married to a workaholic, Leslie is accustomed to solitude until her overbearing Indian mother-in-law turns her kitchen into a verbal battlefield. A woman looks for the perfect souvenir in the Turkish Bazaar and instead finds a passionate love affair. From ice storms in Maine to swimming pools in Vera Cruz, errant souls must grapple with past baggage to forge profound connections and a new sense of direction. At home and abroad, solitary travelers embark on journeys that take them where they never expected to go. Bonds of Love & Blood is a poignant collection of award-winning stories featuring life’s unexpected arrivals and departures. If you like intimate accounts of lives at the crossroads, vibrant portrayals of global locales, and elegantly-crafted prose, then you'll love Marylee MacDonald's compelling tales of travel. Buy Bonds of Love & Blood to embark on a heart-wrenching journey of love, loss, and redemption today!

“Special Forces is harsh. It could be a lot harsher.” Treason takes many forms. Once trust is broken, it is hard to reforge. Thorrn discovers this all too clearly, much to his detriment. But someone wants Thorrn dead, and they don’t care how many lives they ruin in the process. Meanwhile, there is a spate of murders targeting Oberrotian officials, and Thorrn’s contingent is sent to investigate. Back to being the lowest of the low, Thorrn struggles to trust again – especially when he finds two of the most powerful mages in the world working together, and one of them is the woman he loves. "A damn fine read... Becky James has now officially become one of my auto-buy authors." - The Magic Book Corner "What are you doing if you aren't reading this goddamn masterpiece." - My Fair Fiction "It's a world I want to be immersed in a lot longer, and I can't wait to see what else Becky James can come up with!" - Brey's Reviews