万本电子书0元读

万本电子书0元读

The Secretary:A Novel
The Secretary:A Novel
Knight, Renée
¥149.48
Renée Knight follows up her international sensation Disclaimer with this shivery tale of psychological suspense, featuring a character as disturbing and compelling as Mrs. Danvers in Daphne Du Maurier’s Rebecca.From her first day as Personal Assistant to the celebrated Mina Appleton, Christine Butcher understands what is expected of her. Absolute loyalty. Absolute discretion. For twenty years, Christine has been a most devoted servant, a silent witness to everything in Mina’s life. So quiet, you would hardly know she is there. Day after day, year after year, Christine has been there, invisible—watching, listening, absorbing all the secrets floating around her. Keeping them safe. Christine is trusted. But those years of loyalty and discretion come with a high price. And eventually Christine will pay.Yet, it would be a mistake to underestimate such a steadfast woman. Because as everyone is about to discover, there’s a dangerous line between obedience and obsession.
St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets:A Novel
St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets:A Novel
Noblin, Annie England
¥95.39
If you love Susan Mallery and Jill Shalvis, you won’t want to miss this new novel of second chances, dogs, and knitting, from the author of Pupcakes and Sit! Stay! Speak! Laid off, cheated on, mugged: what else can go wrong in Maeve Stephens’ life? So when she learns her birth mother has left her a house, a vintage VW Beetle, and a marauding cat, in the small town of Timber Creek, Washington, she packs up to discover the truth about her past. She arrives to the sight of a cheerful bulldog abandoned on her front porch, a reclusive but tempting author living next door, and a set of ready-made friends at the St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets, where women knit colorful sweaters for the dogs and cats in their care. But there’s also an undercurrent of something that doesn’t sit right with Maeve. What’s the secret (besides her!) that her mother had hidden?If Maeve is going to make Timber Creek her home, she must figure out where she fits in and unravel the truth about her past. But is she ready to be adopted again—this time, by an entire town…?
The Candida Cure:The 90-Day Program to Balance Your Gut, Beat Candida, and Resto
The Candida Cure:The 90-Day Program to Balance Your Gut, Beat Candida, and Resto
Boroch, Ann
¥99.65
Foreword by David Perlmutter, MD, author of Grain BrainThe cult-classic health book, now revised and updated with a quick start cleanse, easy recipes, and more.It’s not news that Americans are sicker than ever. Seventy million of us suffer from digestive problems like acid reflux, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or gastro esophageal reflex disorder (GERD). Another forty million have been diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression and a staggering fifty million Americans live with an autoimmune disease. But what is newsworthy is that all of these conditions share a common thread you’ve probably never heard of: candida."Candida" is the term for a group of yeast organisms that have lived in our digestive tract for millennia, in harmony with the other thousands of bacteria, viruses, and archaea that make up our microbiome. But due to poor diets, processed foods, overuse of antibiotics, environmental toxins, and increased stress, our microbiome has been under steady and constant attack for decades. Yeast are of a heartier stock than bacterial microbes, and as bacteria die off, yeast begins to overgrow in the digestive tract, a condition known as candidiasis. Mild and moderate cases of candidiasis present with fatigue, IBS, eczema, depression, brain fog, migraines, and weight gain. Severe cases allow the afflicted to develop autoimmune disease (such as Multiple Sclerosis), cancer, and Alzheimer’s.Ann Boroch’s self-published book, The Candida Cure, has been the #1 resource in candida treatment since 2008. Her program—which she used to heal herself from a life-threatening autoimmune disorder—has stood the test of time, and has become a life-changing resource for more than 65,000 people. Now, in this revised edition,  readers have even more tools, with updated information and case histories, a quick start cleanse, and all-new recipes and eating plans.
Knights vs. the End (of Everything)
Knights vs. the End (of Everything)
Phelan, Matt
¥95.39
The third action-packed story in Matt Phelan’s acclaimed Knights vs. series! Five daring heroes face their most difficult challenge yet: saving Camelot itself. Can the band of friends survive an evil queen, a powerful Faerie King, and one nasty dragon? This heavily illustrated middle grade adventure is a hilarious tale of derring-do, perfect for reluctant readers as well as fans of The Terrible Two and The Wild Robot. A year has passed since the knights battled monsters on the mist-covered Orkney Isles. The knights have searched high and low for the elusive Queen Morgause, who is bent on destroying King Arthur and all of Camelot. Finally, a tip from the legendary Green Knight sends the heroes searching for the Faerie Realm, an eerie world where nothing is what it seems. Together, the knights will lose an old friend, discover a new ally, face a dangerous dragon, and learn what it means to be a legend. With art on nearly every page, including an epic fight scene depicted in several graphic-novel–style spreads, this engaging story is ideal for reluctant readers, aspiring knights, and action-adventure fans. Camelot may never be the same after these heroes come to the rescue!
The Lost Rainforest #3: Rumi's Riddle
The Lost Rainforest #3: Rumi's Riddle
Schrefer, Eliot
¥99.64
The action-packed conclusion to the Lost Rainforest series by award-winning and bestselling author Eliot Schrefer delivers one last thrilling adventure as the shadowwalkers are pushed to the limit to protect Caldera. Perfect for fans of Warriors and Spirit Animals. When the shadowwalkers were victorious in their battle against the Ant Queen, they hoped their work to save Caldera was done. But the rainforest has begun to rumble.Rumi, a scholarly tree frog who can control the wind, must bring his band of animal friends to face the greatest danger they’ve yet encountered—the giant volcano beneath the jungle itself. While the volcano roars, rumors of a mysterious evil blanket Caldera—the Elemental of Darkness has emerged and is building a legion of followers.When the shadowwalkers are forced to divide and conquer, Rumi finds himself an unlikely leader and must grapple with his own secrets before he can unlock the full scope of his magical powers. Can Rumi rally the shadowwalkers to save their rainforest home?
Watch Hollow: The Alchemist's Shadow
Watch Hollow: The Alchemist's Shadow
Funaro, Gregory
¥95.39
“There is magic, there is good and evil, and there is love all woven into a suspenseful and entertaining mystery.”—School Library Journal (starred review)New York Times bestselling author Gregory Funaro brings us the second installment of the thrilling Watch Hollow series, where magic exists, monsters roam, and wooden animals come to life. Having defeated the Garr, a vicious tree monster who lived within the enchanted woods of Watch Hollow, Lucy and Oliver Tinker now have the home they’ve always dreamed of: Blackford House. Powered by a magical clock and full of curious rooms and improbable knickknacks, Blackford House brims with the promise of new adventures.Yet when a strange governess arrives from England—bringing with her the Kojima twins, Agatha and Algernon—the Tinker children’s once bright future quickly begins to dim. The Kojimas claim to be the rightful heirs to Blackford House, and soon after their arrival, a great evil enters the Tinkers’ new home, cursing it and turning it into an ever-changing labyrinth.As a result, Lucy and Oliver, along with their clock animal friends, must now join forces with the twins to escape this labyrinth and save Blackford House, all while a new monster lurks around the corner.
When Death Becomes Life:Notes from a Transplant Surgeon
When Death Becomes Life:Notes from a Transplant Surgeon
Mezrich, Joshua D.
¥157.15
外科医生讲述器官移植这一精密手术创造奇迹的过程。 "With When Death Becomes Life, Mezrich has performed the perfect core biopsy of transplantation—a clear and compelling account of the grueling daily work, the spell-binding history and the unsettling ethical issues that haunt this miraculous lifesaving treatment. Mezrich's compassionate and honest voice, punctuated by a sharp and intelligent wit, render the enormous subject not just palatable but downright engrossing."—Pauline Chen, author of Final Exam: A Surgeon’s Reflections on Mortality A gifted surgeon illuminates one of the most profound, awe-inspiring, and deeply affecting achievements of modern day medicine—the movement of organs between bodies—in this exceptional work of death and life that takes its place besides Atul Gawande’s Complications, Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies, and Jerome Groopman’s How Doctors Think. At the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Mezrich creates life from loss, transplanting organs from one body to another. In this intimate, profoundly moving work, he illuminates the extraordinary field of transplantation that enables this kind of miracle to happen every day.When Death Becomes Life is a thrilling look at how science advances on a grand scale to improve human lives. Mezrich examines more than one hundred years of remarkable medical breakthroughs, connecting this fascinating history with the inspiring and heartbreaking stories of his transplant patients. Combining gentle sensitivity with scientific clarity, Mezrich reflects on his calling as a doctor and introduces the modern pioneers who made transplantation a reality—maverick surgeons whose feats of imagination, bold vision, and daring risk taking generated techniques and practices that save millions of lives around the world.Mezrich takes us inside the operating room and unlocks the wondrous process of transplant surgery, a delicate, intense ballet requiring precise timing, breathtaking skill, and at times, creative improvisation. In illuminating this work, Mezrich touches the essence of existence and what it means to be alive. Most physicians fight death, but in transplantation, doctors take from death. Mezrich shares his gratitude and awe for the privilege of being part of this transformative exchange as the dead give their last breath of life to the living. After all, the donors are his patients, too.When Death Becomes Life also engages in fascinating ethical and philosophical debates: How much risk should a healthy person be allowed to take to save someone she loves? Should a patient suffering from alcoholism receive a healthy liver? What defines death, and what role did organ transplantation play in that definition? The human story behind the most exceptional medicine of our time, Mezrich’s riveting book is a beautiful, poignant reminder that a life lost can also offer the hope of a new beginning.
Odd Gods: The Oddyssey
Odd Gods: The Oddyssey
Slavin, David
¥78.55
Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Percy Jackson in Odd Gods, the critically acclaimed and hilarious illustrated series about the middle school gods you never hear about in myths. In book two, Oddonis must embark on the strangest odyssey ever to save Zeus from the world’s cutest curse. Sometimes it feels like Oddonis can’t do anything right. Especially compared to his literally perfect twin brother, Adonis. But this time, Oddonis has really messed up by accidentally turning his father, the all-powerful king of the gods, Zeus, into a giant baby. Now it’s up to Oddonis to assemble a team of his odd friends—Mathena, Gaseous, and Puneous—and journey to the underworld to get the curse reversed. Along the way, Oddonis will have to overcome a series of dangerous obstacles, his obnoxious brother, his own self-doubt, and the horrible scents of his best friend Gaseous.Can Gods as unlikely, unusual, and unheroic as Oddonis and his friends really save the day?Get ready to overcome the odds in the second hilarious book about the Odd Gods from author David Slavin, filled with dozens of black-and-white illustrations by award-winning artist Adam Lane. 
Trouble at Table 5 #2: Busted by Breakfast
Trouble at Table 5 #2: Busted by Breakfast
Watson, Tom
¥33.18
From the author of Stick Dog comes the second book in a highly illustrated early chapter book series about three best friends whose plans, missions, and schemes are sure to shake up their school. Featuring two-color art on every page and fun activities at the end of each book!Simon always has a lot to say. And sometimes he can’t stop talking–even in the middle of class. When Simon gets in trouble for jabbering at school, his best friends, Molly and Rosie, think up a plan to keep him from getting grounded at home! It involves cars, suds, and pink plastic flamingos! But will their big plan turn into an even bigger disaster? Each hilarious friendship story in this series is designed to set independent readers up for success—with short, fast-paced chapters, black-and-red art on every page, and progress bars at the end of each chapter!
Trouble at Table 5 #1: The Candy Caper
Trouble at Table 5 #1: The Candy Caper
Watson, Tom
¥33.63
From the author of Stick Dog comes the first book in a highly illustrated early chapter book series about three best friends whose plans, missions, and schemes are sure to shake up their school. Featuring two-color art on every page and fun activities at the end of each book!Molly gets things stuck in her head sometimes. When she sees a jar of candy on Principal Shelton’s desk, she absolutely needs to know how many candies are in that jar! Luckily, her two best friends, Simon and Rosie, are ready to help her find the answer—even if it means detention for all of them!Each hilarious friendship story in this series is designed to set independent readers up for success—with short, fast-paced chapters, black-and-red art on every page, and progress bars at the end of each chapter!
The Keepers #4: The Starlit Loom
The Keepers #4: The Starlit Loom
Sanders, Ted
¥44.85
Don’t miss the epic and heart-pounding conclusion to Ted Sanders’s Keepers series!For centuries, the Keepers and the Wardens have been guarding the mysterious Mothergates, a source of incredible power. But now the Mothergates are dying, and Horace and his fellow Keepers know that the weakened gates may unleash a dangerous force that will consume the world—and destroy everyone in it.While their enemies are willing to take this careless risk, Horace and his friends are prepared to sacrifice themselves for the preservation of the world. With their strongholds destroyed and many of their friends captured, the Keepers’ chance of succeeding hangs by a thread.But all hope is not lost, as a mysterious talisman of power is discovered. It may hold the key to saving the universe . . . if they can unlock its secret in time.This fourth and final book in Ted Sanders’s gripping Keepers series brings Horace and Chloe’s story to a heart-pounding conclusion, where friendships are tested, dangers are faced, and the ultimate sacrifice must be made.
TURBO Racers: Trailblazer
TURBO Racers: Trailblazer
Aslan, Austin
¥44.25
In Turbo Racers: Trailblazer, twelve-year-old Mace Blazer gets the chance to pilot a state-of-the-art vehicle that transforms at the touch of a button from race car to jet plane to single-person sub, in the biggest race in the world.The roar of the crowd, the glow of the spotlight, the thrill of the race—Mace Blazer dreams of going TURBO.TURBOnauts thrive on the thrum of trimorphers’s rocket engines as the vehicles morph from super-powered race cars to speeding jet aircrafts to torpedo-fast submarines, while they race full-throttle around every bend. And Mace believes he’s got what it takes to join their ranks—he only needs the chance to prove it.So when a reclusive retired racer chooses Mace to try out to be part of the next generation of TURBOnauts, Mace knows that this is his moment to show what he can do. But the path to his big shot means facing down the best and the brightest from around the world. Mace will have to live more fearlessly, hone quicker reflexes, be revolutionary—but will it be enough?Mace quickly realizes that everything he’s ever hoped for comes at a price. He’ll have to decide between what is right and what is easy. Every morph counts in the first book in this exhilarating new adventure series by the acclaimed author of The Islands at the End of the World, Austin Aslan.This is the first title in a high-stakes middle-grade two-book series!
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle
Connor, Leslie
¥44.85
From the critically acclaimed author of Waiting for Normal and All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook, Leslie Connor, comes a deeply poignant and beautifully crafted story about self-reliance, redemption, and hope.Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read or write. Mason’s learning disabilities are compounded by grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason’s best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family’s orchard.An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can’t understand why Lieutenant Baird won’t believe the story Mason has told about that day. Both Mason and his new friend, tiny Calvin Chumsky, are relentlessly bullied by the other boys in their neighborhood, so they create an underground haven for themselves. When Calvin goes missing, Mason finds himself in trouble again. He’s desperate to figure out what happened to Calvin and, eventually, Benny. But will anyone believe him? National Book Award Finalist * ALA Schneider Family Book Award * 2019 ALSC Notable Children’s Book * Publishers Weekly Best Books of 2018 * 2019-2020 Nebraska Golden Sower Award * Amazon Best Books of 2018 * Kirkus Best of Children's 2018 * New York Public Library Best Books 2018 * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books 2018 * 2018 Nerdy Book Club Middle Grade Winner * South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee * 2020 Colorado Children's Book Award Nominee * Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year 2019 (9-12) * 2020 Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee * 2020-2021 Missouri Association of School Librarians Mark Twain Readers Award Preliminary Nominee * 2020-2021 Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee *
The Lost Rainforest #2: Gogi's Gambit
The Lost Rainforest #2: Gogi's Gambit
Schrefer, Eliot
¥56.08
The second book in New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Eliot Schrefer’s Lost Rainforest series will thrill fans of Warriors and Spirit Animals with action and humor as the shadowwalkers battle to save their magical rainforest home.Caldera always existed in harmony between the creatures who walk by day and those who walk by night—until an ancient evil awakened. In the year since the shadowwalkers’ narrow escape from the Ant Queen, the ants’ destruction has only spread.Gogi, a shadowwalker monkey still learning to wield his fire powers, embarks on a quest with his friends—including a healing bat, an invisible panther, and a tree frog who controls the winds—for a powerful object that can harness the magic of the eclipse to defeat the Ant Queen.But with just weeks before the next eclipse, Gogi must race to prove that he can control the mighty depths of his talent if he is to protect his friends, save the rainforest, and return home unsinged.
Riders of the Realm #3: Beneath the Weeping Clouds
Riders of the Realm #3: Beneath the Weeping Clouds
Alvarez, Jennifer Lynn
¥94.10
From the author of the Guardian Herd series comes the final book in a thrilling fantasy adventure trilogy that SLJ called “perfect for fans of Erin Hunter’s Warriors series.” Echofrost, Shysong, and all of Storm Herd are finally free, but their freedom came with a price. Sandwen Rider Rahkki Stormrunner has been captured by the Gorlan giants, who are quickly losing their patience with the Fifth Clan. With Rahkki in grave danger, Storm Herd must join forces with the humans they have long feared to save him.And as sweeping monsoon rains threaten to ravage the region, enemies and friends, tame steeds and wild, will have to engage in one final battle to decide the fate of all three groups—the Sandwens, the giants, and the pegasi.
That's What Friends Do
That's What Friends Do
Barnhart, Cathleen
¥95.39
A heartfelt and powerful debut novel for fans of Erin Entrada Kelly and John David Anderson, That’s What Friends Do is a book for anyone learning how to have the hard conversations about feelings, boundaries, and what it means to be a true friend. Samantha Goldstein and David Fisher have been friends ever since they met on their town’s Little League baseball team. But when a new kid named Luke starts hanging out with them, what was a comfortable pair becomes an awkward trio. Luke’s comments make Sammie feel uncomfortable—but all David sees is how easily Luke flirts with Sammie, and so David decides to finally make a move on the friend he’s always had a crush on.Soon things go all wrong and too far, and Sammie and David are both left feeling hurt, confused, and unsure of themselves, without anyone to talk to about what happened. As rumors start flying around the school, David must try to make things right (if he can) and Sammie must learn to speak up about what’s been done to her.
The Unteachables
The Unteachables
Korman, Gordon
¥44.85
A hilarious new middle grade novel from beloved and bestselling author Gordon Korman about what happens when the worst class of kids in school is paired with the worst teacher—perfect for fans of Ms. Bixby’s Last Day. The Unteachables are a notorious class of misfits, delinquents, and academic train wrecks. Like Aldo, with anger management issues; Parker, who can’t read; Kiana, who doesn’t even belong in the class—or any class; and Elaine (rhymes with pain). The Unteachables have been removed from the student body and isolated in room 117.Their teacher is Mr. Zachary Kermit, the most burned-out teacher in all of Greenwich. He was once a rising star, but his career was shattered by a cheating scandal that still haunts him. After years of phoning it in, he is finally one year away from early retirement. But the superintendent has his own plans to torpedo that idea—and it involves assigning Mr. Kermit to the Unteachables.The Unteachables never thought they’d find a teacher who had a worse attitude than they did. And Mr. Kermit never thought he would actually care about teaching again. Over the course of a school year, though, room 117 will experience mayhem, destruction—and maybe even a shot at redemption.
Notorious
Notorious
Korman, Gordon
¥95.39
A funny, suspenseful mystery and unlikely friendship story from New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman—perfect for fans of Swindle and Ungifted.Keenan has lived all over the world but nowhere quite as strange as Centerlight Island, which is split between the United States and Canada. The only thing weirder than Centerlight itself is his neighbor Zarabeth, aka ZeeBee.ZeeBee is obsessed with the island’s history as a Prohibition-era smuggling route. She’s also convinced that her beloved dog, Barney, was murdered—something Keenan finds pretty hard to believe.Just about everyone on Centerlight is a suspect, because everyone hated Barney, a huge dog—part mastiff, part rottweiler—notorious for terrorizing the community. Accompanied by a mild-mannered new dog who is practically Barney’s opposite, ZeeBee enlists Keenan’s help to solve the mystery.As Keenan and ZeeBee start to unravel the clues, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that dates back to Centerlight’s gangster past. The good news is that Keenan may have found the best friend he’s ever had. The bad news is that the stakes are sky-high.And now someone is after them. . . .
IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD
IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD
Russ
¥112.23
Instant National Bestseller! Wall Street Journal bestseller; USA Today bestseller; Publishers Weekly bestseller; international bestseller.An inspirational book by self-made musical superstar, Russ, reminding you that it starts with YOU, to believe in yourself, and to get out of your own way.  Twenty-seven-year-old rapper, songwriter, and producer Russ walks his own path, at his own pace. By doing so, he proved that he didn’t need a major label to surpass over a billion streams on Spotify/Apple Music, get on Forbes’ 2019 “30 Under 30,” make the Forbes‘ “30 Under 30 Cash Kings” at number 20 for most earned, sell out arenas across the U.S. and around the globe, and become one of the most popular and engaged rappers right now. His method was simple: love and believe in yourself absolutely and work hard no matter what. In this memoir, Russ inspires readers to walk to their individual rhythms and beat their biggest obstacles: themselves. With chapters named after his most powerful and popular songs, IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD will reflect on the lessons he’s learned from his career, family, and relationships. He’ll push readers to bet on themselves, take those leaps of faith, and recognize struggles as opportunities. With illustrations throughout consistent with the brand Russ has built and his fan base loves, IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD will give readers an inside-look at the man and the motivation behind the music. A lover of books like The Alchemist and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Russ delivers a short, potent, inspirational, raw, and honest book that gives readers a way to find self-belief and unlock their potential. Fans already rely on Russ as an inspiration of confidence; now, he is taking it to the next level with this book, which will contain lyrics from his music and visuals that reflect his inimitable style.
Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss
Fame, Fate, and the First Kiss
West, Kasie
¥60.87
Fan favorite author Kasie West delivers an effervescent story about chasing your dreams and following your heart, perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Huntley Fitzpatrick. Lacey Barnes has dreamed of being an actress for as long as she can remember. So when she gets the opportunity to star in a movie alongside one of Hollywood’s hottest actors, she doesn’t hesitate to accept the part.But Lacey quickly learns that life in the spotlight isn’t as picture perfect as she imagined. She’s having trouble bonding with her costars, her father has hired the definition of a choir boy, Donavan Lake, to tutor her, and somewhere along the way she’s lost her acting mojo. And just when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, it looks like someone on set is deliberately trying to sabotage her. As Lacey’s world spins out of control, it feels like the only person she can count on—whether it’s helping her try to unravel the mystery of who is out to get her or snap her out of her acting funk—is Donavan. But what she doesn’t count on is this straight-laced boy becoming another distraction.With her entire future riding on this movie, Lacey knows she can’t afford to get sidetracked by a crush. But for the first time in her life Lacey wonders if it’s true that the best stories really do happen when you go off script.
Circle of Shadows
Circle of Shadows
Skye, Evelyn
¥72.93
A thrilling new fantasy series full of magic and betrayal—from Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of the Crown’s Game series.Sora can move as silently as a ghost and hurl throwing stars with lethal accuracy. Her gemina, Daemon, can win any physical fight blindfolded and with an arm tied around his back. They are apprentice warriors of the Society of Taigas—marked by the gods to be trained in magic and the fighting arts to protect the kingdom of Kichona.As their graduation approaches, Sora and Daemon look forward to proving themselves worthy of belonging in the elite group—but in a kingdom free of violence since the Blood Rift Rebellion many years ago, it’s been difficult to make their mark. So when Sora and Daemon encounter a strange camp of mysterious soldiers while on a standard scouting mission, they decide the only thing to do to help their kingdom is to infiltrate the group. Taking this risk will change Sora’s life forever—and lead her on a mission of deception that may fool everyone she’s ever loved.Love, spies, and adventure abound as Sora and Daemon unravel a complex web of magic and secrets that might tear them—and the entire kingdom—apart forever.