Newcomer Jay Schiffman adds his own spin to the science fiction genre in Game of the Gods, an epic debut of a man willing to tear a corrupt society apart in order to save his family.Despite his prowess as a military commander and judge, Max Cone longs for a life outside of the political spotlight. His wish turns to dust when the world descends into a cataclysmic global war. Every nation wants Cone on its side, but his only priority is rescuing his kidnapped wife and children. In order to find his family, free his friends, and save his people, Cone becomes a lethal killer willing to destroy anyone who stands in his way. He and his ragtag band of warriors--a thirteen-year old girl with special powers, a mathematical genius, a religious zealot blinded by faith, and a former revolutionary turned drug addict--are the only hope of saving the world.

The gods have gotten bored, and humanity is the answer. Charles earns the ultimate surprise one morning when he awakens to discover the world has ended, or rather the gods of old were bored and decided to redesign how it worked. Everyone else got a nice little message that showed up their vision, everyone else woke up when the gods decided to make their decision known. Only Charles gets cursed by the gods, and only Charles gets a visit from one as well. The Game of the Gods has begun and the monsters of old are returning to our world, and all it took was the death of half the worlds population and counting.

THE LIFE OR DEATH GAME CONTINUES. Warterria is still in full effect. Many have passed away and new faces have taken center stage. But the suffering and struggles within the game has remained the same. However, the humans aren’t out of the fight yet. With a new fiery passion to avenge those that have been lost to Warterria so far, Rift tries to use the clues left behind by the fallen to find a way for the remaining players to survive. However, with the gods’ immense power looming over and the chances of death at an all-time high, humans uniting is proving to be more than difficult. Can the humans rally together to find a nearly impossible alternative way to survive or will Warterria continue to be played exactly how the gods designed?

"Smart, propulsive and gripping, THE GOD GAME is an ambitious thriller and a terrifying examination of what could--and probably already is--happening in the world of artificial intelligence."—Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Run Away A technological thriller with an all-too-believable premise, award-winning author Danny Tobey's The God Game follows five teenagers obsessed with an online video game that connects them to their worst impulses and most dangerous desires. They call themselves the Vindicators. Targeted by bullies and pressured by parents, these geeks and gamers rule the computer lab at Turner High School. Wealthy bad boy Peter makes and breaks rules. Vanhi is a punk bassist at odds with her heritage. Kenny's creativity is stifled by a religious home life. Insecure and temperamental, Alex is an outcast among the outcasts. And Charlie, the leader they all depend on, is reeling from the death of his mother, consumed with reckless fury. They each receive an invitation to play The God Game. Created by dark-web coders and maintained by underground hackers, the video game is controlled by a mysterious artificial intelligence that believes it is God. Obey the almighty A.I. and be rewarded. Defiance is punished. Through their phone screens and high-tech glasses, Charlie and his friends see and interact with a fantasy world superimposed over reality. The quests they undertake on behalf of "God" seem harmless at first, but soon the tasks have them questioning and sacrificing their own morality. High school tormentors get their comeuppance. Parents and teachers are exposed as hypocrites. And the Vindicators' behavior becomes more selfish and self-destructive as they compete against one another for prizes each believes will rescue them from their adolescent existence. But everything they do is being recorded. Hooded and masked thugs are stalking and attacking them. "God" threatens to expose their secrets if they attempt to quit the game. And losing the game means losing their lives. You don't play the Game. The Game plays you....

Shows how the cornerstone of the earliest Olympic Games directly influenced the modern techniques of today's fiercest mixed-martial arts fighters. This book contains such topics as submissions and counters, grappling escapes, sweeps and reversals, take downs and take down defense, as well as the myths and traditions of the Hellenic combat arts.

The truth is, when you banish the gods from the world, they eventually come back—with a vengeance. In the near future, Justin March lives in exile from the Republic of United North America. After failing in his job as an investigator of religious groups and supernatural claims, Justin is surprised when he is sent back with a peculiar assignment—to solve a string of ritualistic murders steeped in seemingly unexplainable phenomena. Justin’s return comes with an even bigger shock: His new partner and bodyguard, Mae Koskinen, is a prætorian, one of the Republic’s technologically enhanced supersoldiers. Mae’s inexplicable beauty and aristocratic upbringing attract Justin’s curiosity and desire, but her true nature holds more danger than anyone realizes. As their investigation unfolds, Justin and Mae find themselves in the crosshairs of mysterious enemies. Powers greater than they can imagine have started to assemble in the shadows, preparing to reclaim a world that has renounced religion and where humans are merely gamepieces on their board.

In an ultimate feat of manipulation, the exceptionally talented chess player Malik is turned into a human pawn in a game of warfare which will decide the outcome of World War II.