The Cloak Society has risen and heroes will fall in the epic conclusion to the Cloak Society series—a thrilling middle grade trilogy that's perfect for fans of the Alex Rider Adventures and the 39 Clues. The Cloak Society has finally risen to power—by posing as the saviors of Sterling City. As long as the people believe Cloak's lies, Alex and his friends are all that stand in the way of total Cloak domination. But to bring Cloak to justice, Alex must make a final stand against his parents, his past, and the life of supervillainy he's always known. Praised by Publishers Weekly for its "rapid-fire, comic book–style action" and by School Library Journal for having "the same wide appeal as Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books," the Cloak Society trilogy delivers high-stakes battles, extraordinary superpowers, and an original twist on the superhero stories readers know and love. Can a villain ever truly become a hero? In this explosive series finale, the stakes are higher than ever—and the answer will be decided once and for all.

The first in a thrilling, action-packed middle grade trilogy, which School Library Journal declared "will likely find the same wide appeal as Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books. The Cloak Society: An elite organization of supervillains graced with extraordinary powers. Ten years ago the Cloak Society was defeated by Sterling City's superheroes, the Rangers of Justice, and vanished without a trace. But the villains have been waiting for the perfect moment to resurface. . . . Twelve-year-old Alex Knight is a dedicated junior member of Cloak who has spent years mastering his telekinetic superpowers and preparing for the day when Cloak will rise to power again. Cloak is everything he believes in. But during his debut mission, Alex does the unthinkable: He saves the life of a Junior Ranger of Justice. Even worse . . . she becomes his friend. And the more time he spends with her, the more Alex wonders what, exactly, he's been fighting for.

Alex Knight struggles to find a place between superheroes and supervillains in this explosive sequel to The Cloak Society, which School Library Journal says has "the same wide appeal as Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books." The Cloak Society has just pulled off the greatest takedown in Sterling City's history—but twelve-year-old Alex Knight has turned his back on the supervillains who raised him, and is fighting for the other side. Working with the superheroes is easier said than done, though . . . especially when your new teammates aren't sure your days as a villain are over. Praised by Publishers Weekly for its "rapid-fire, comic book–style action," the Cloak Society trilogy delivers high-stakes battles, extraordinary superpowers, and an original twist on the superhero stories readers know and love. Fans of the 39 Clues and the Alex Rider Adventures will be hooked!

Ryan Van Loan's The Sin in the Steel is a sparkling debut fantasy set in a diverse world, featuring dead gods, a pirate queen, shapeshifting mages, and a Sherlockian teenager determined to upend her society. Heroes for hire. If you can pay. Buc: Brilliant street-rat Her mind leaps from clues to conclusions in the blink of an eye. Eld: Ex-soldier Buc’s partner-in-crime. No. Not in crime—in crime-solving. They’ve been hired for their biggest job yet—one that will set them up for a life of ease. If they survive. Buc and Eld are the first private detectives in a world where pirates roam the seas, mages speak to each other across oceans, mechanical devices change the tide of battle, and earthly wealth is concentrated in the hands of a powerful few. It’s been weeks since ships last returned to the magnificent city of Servenza with bounty from the Shattered Coast. Disaster threatens not just the city’s trading companies but the empire itself. When Buc and Eld are hired to investigate, Buc swiftly discovers that the trade routes have become the domain of a sharp-eyed pirate queen who sinks all who defy her. Now all Buc and Eld have to do is sink the Widowmaker's ship.... Unfortunately for Buc, the gods have other plans. Unfortunately for the gods, so does Buc. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Costume defines the superhero, disguising and distinguishing him or her from the civilian alter ego. The often garish garb expresses a hero's otherness and empowers its wearers to seek a primal form of justice. This book provides the first interdisciplinary analysis of the superhero costume and investigates wide-ranging issues such as identity, otherness, ritual dress and disguise. Analysis focuses on the implications of wearing superhero costume, exploring interpretations of the costumed hero and the extent to which the costume defines his or her role. Using examples across various media (comic books, film, and television) with case studies including The X-Men, Watchmen, real-life superheroes such as Phoenix Jones and Pussy Riot, and audience activities such as cosplay, The Superhero Costume presents new perspectives on the increasingly popular genre. A lively and thorough account of superhero fashions throughout history, The Superhero Costume will be essential reading for students of visual culture, popular culture, fashion and cultural studies.

A book examining the strange terrain of Nazi sympathizers, nonintervention campaigners and other voices in America who advocated on behalf of Nazi Germany in the years before World War II. Americans who remember World War II reminisce about how it brought the country together. The less popular truth behind this warm nostalgia: until the attack on Pearl Harbor, America was deeply, dangerously divided. Bradley W. Hart's Hitler's American Friends exposes the homegrown antagonists who sought to protect and promote Hitler, leave Europeans (and especially European Jews) to fend for themselves, and elevate the Nazi regime. Some of these friends were Americans of German heritage who joined the Bund, whose leadership dreamed of installing a stateside Führer. Some were as bizarre and hair-raising as the Silver Shirt Legion, run by an eccentric who claimed that Hitler fulfilled a religious prophesy. Some were Midwestern Catholics like Father Charles Coughlin, an early right-wing radio star who broadcast anti-Semitic tirades. They were even members of Congress who used their franking privilege—sending mail at cost to American taxpayers—to distribute German propaganda. And celebrity pilot Charles Lindbergh ended up speaking for them all at the America First Committee. We try to tell ourselves it couldn't happen here, but Americans are not immune to the lure of fascism. Hitler's American Friends is a powerful look at how the forces of evil manipulate ordinary people, how we stepped back from the ledge, and the disturbing ease with which we could return to it.