Best of
High-Fantasy

2009

The Night Angel Trilogy


Brent Weeks - 2009
    3 volumes in one giant omnibus edition."Way of Shadows", "Shadow's Edge", "Beyond the Shadows" all in one beautiful hardcover edition

The Many Deaths of the Black Company


Glen Cook - 2009
    Journeying there under terrible conditions, they arrive just in time for a magical conflagration in which the bones of the world will be revealed, the history of the Company unveiled, and new worlds gained and lost… all at a terrible price.And in Soldiers Live, no Black Company member has died in battle for four years. Croaker figures it can’t last. Then a report arrives of an an old enemy newly active again. It attacks them at a shadowgate — setting off a chain of events that will bring the Company to the edge of apocalypse and, as usual, several steps beyond.

Warbreaker, Part 3 of 3


Brandon Sanderson - 2009
    Their world is one in which those who die in glory, return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandrens capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

The Malazan Book of the Fallen - Collection 1: Gardens Of The Moon, Deadhouse Gates


Steven Erikson - 2009
    Sinister forces gather as the gods themselves prepare to play their hand... DEADHOUSE GATES In the Holy Desert Raraku, a long prophesied uprising has begun and an untried commander battles to save the lives of thirty thousand refugees. War and betrayal, intrigue and roiling magic collide as destines are shaped and legends born... 'Homeric in scope and vision...a story that never fails to thrill and entertain...a saga that lives up to its name, both intellectually and in its dramatic, visually rich and lavish storytelling' SFSITE

The Children of Hurin / The Silmarillion / Unfinished Tales


J.R.R. Tolkien - 2009
    

Warbreaker, Part 2 of 3


Brandon Sanderson - 2009
    Their world is one in which those who die in glory, return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandrens capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

Warbreaker, Part 1 of 3


Brandon Sanderson - 2009
    Their world is one in which those who die in glory, return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandrens capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people.

What the Storm Means: Prologue to The Gathering Storm


Robert Jordan - 2009
    What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the Shadow. In the Prologue to The Gathering Storm, the first volume of the last trilogy of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time epic, Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn, struggles to unite a fractured network of kingdoms and alliances in preparation for the Last Battle. As he attempts to halt the Seanchan encroachment northward---wishing he could form at least a temporary truce with the invaders---his allies watch in terror the shadow that seems to be growing within the heart of the Dragon Reborn himself.As with the previous three titles in the Wheel of Time series, this prologue from Robert Jordan's The Gathering Storm, completed by Brandon Sanderson, is available for sale before the book's official release date (October 27, 2009).

The Demon King


Cinda Williams Chima - 2009
    Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can't sell—the thick silver cuffs he's worn since birth. They're clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.One day, Han and his clan friend, Dancer, confront three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to keep him from using it against them. Soon Han learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of freedom in the mountains—riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But her mother has other plans for her...The Seven Realms tremble when the lives of Hans and Raisa collide, fanning the flames of the smoldering war between clans and wizards.

Naamah's Kiss


Jacqueline Carey - 2009
    But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts—the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow.Moirin has a secret, too. From childhood onward, she senses the presence of unfamiliar gods in her life—the bright lady and the man with a seedling cupped in his palm. Raised in the wilderness by her reclusive mother, Moirin learns only when she comes of age how illustrious, if mixed, her heritage is. The great-granddaughter of Alais the Wise, child of the Maghuin Donn and a cousin of the Cruarch of Alba, Moirin learns her father was a D'Angeline priest dedicated to serving Naamah, goddess of desire.After Moirin undergoes the rites of adulthood, she finds divine acceptance... on the condition that she fulfill an unknown destiny that lies somewhere beyond the ocean. Or perhaps oceans. Beyond Terre d'Ange, where she finds her father, in the far reaches of distant Ch'in, Moirin's skills will be a true gift when facing the vengeful plans of an ambitious mage, a noble warrior-princess desperate to save her father's throne, and the spirit of a celestial dragon.

World of Warcraft: Ashbringer


Micky Neilson - 2009
    "Micky Neilson and World of Warcraft" artist Ludo Lullabi present a tale of Azeroth that ties directly to the smash-hit World of Warcraft expansion pack, "Wrath of the Lich King"!

The Malazan Book of the Fallen - Collection 2: Memories Of Ice, House Of Chains


Steven Erikson - 2009
    But something more malign threatens this world. The Warrens are poisoned and rumours abound that the Crippled God is unchained and intent on revenge... HOUSE OF CHAINSIn Northern Genabackis, a raiding party of tribal warriors descends from the mountains into the southern lands. For one among them - Karsa Orlong - it is the beginning of an extraordinary destiny...'Homeric in scope and vision...a story that never fails to thrill and entertain...a saga that lives up to its name, both intellectually and in its dramatic, visually rich and lavish storytelling'SFSITE

The Dragon Whisperer


Lucinda Hare - 2009
    . . It made me laugh, cry and remember exactly what's so special about the time when you or your child live in hope of finding a dragon of your own" (Amanda Craig The Sunday Times)A tale hatched from Hare’s real-life experiences and devotion to all kinds of animals, The Dragon Whisperer follows Earl’s daughter (and dragon whisperer), eleven year old Quenelda. Her best friend is a battle-dragon with the comically cautionary name of Two Gulps and You’re Gone, who she can command through thought alone. Hare offers a headstrong heroine in Quenelda that chooses dragons over dresses, battles over boys and ultimately dreams of joining her father’s side as a warrior in the Stealth Dragon Services.Shortlisted for the Royal Mail Scottish Children's Book Award 2010

The Malazan Book of the Fallen - Collection 4: Reaper's Gale, Toll The Hounds


Steven Erikson - 2009
    And the Edur fleet draws ever closer. Warriors, gods and wanderers converge. Soon there will be a reckoning - and it will be on an unimaginable scale...TOLL THE HOUNDSThe Lord of Death stands at the beginning of a conspiracy that will shake the cosmos, but at its end there waits another. For Anomander Rake, Son of Darkness, has come to right an ancient and terrible wrong...

A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 3


Steven Erikson - 2009
    But ancient forces are awakening and the impending struggle is but a pale reflection of a far more profound, primal battle... THE BONEHUNTERS The prospect of laying siege to the ancient fortress of Y'Ghatan makes the Malaz 14th army uneasy, however this is but a sideshow. The Crippled God has been granted a place in the pantheon - a schism threatens and mortal blood will be spilled... 'Homeric in scope and vision...a story that never fails to thrill and entertain...a saga that lives up to its name, both intellectually and in its dramatic, visually rich and lavish storytelling' SFSITE

Visions and Shadows


Michelle Horst - 2009
    My name is Alchera and I have to save ten chosen humans, while fighting the shadows growing in my mind. ‘Hope is the heartbeat of the soul’ WARNING: This book is recommended for 18+ It contains scenes with sex and violence.

Seasons of War


Daniel Abraham - 2009
    Otah, Khai of the Winter City of Machi, has tried for years to prepare his people for a future in which the andat can no longer be safely harnessed. But his warnings have been ignored, and now it's too late. A ruthless, charismatic Galtic general believes he has found a way to strip the andat of their power. If he is wrong, Galt will be destroyed. If he is right, the Khaiem will fall. Only one thing is certain: conflict is inevitable, and Otah and his old friend and enemy the disgraced poet, Maati, must fight a desperate battle to protect their cities from slaughter. These two men, bound together by shadow and betrayal, will bring the world to the edge of a cataclysm unlike anything either side had imagined. For if the cost of war is high, the price of peace may be unimaginable ...

Transitions Gift Set


R.A. Salvatore - 2009
    The orc tribes united under Obould begin to fight each other, and Bruenor is determined to finish the war that nearly killed him and almost destroyed everything he's worked to build. But it will take more than swords and axes to bring a lasting peace to the Spine of the World. Powerful individuals on both sides may have to change the way they see each other. They may have to start to talk. But it won't be easy.THE PIRATE KINGThe Arcane Brotherhood has long held the city of Luskan in their power, but when corruption eats away at their ranks, Captain Deudermont comes to the rescue of a city that has become a safe haven for the Sword Coast's most dangerous pirates. But rescuing a city from itself may not be as easy as Deudermont thinks, and when Drizzt can't talk him out of it, he'll be forced to help.THE GHOST KINGWhen the Spellplague ravages Faerûn, Drizzt and his companions are caught in the chaos. Seeking out the help of the priest Cadderly--the hero of the recently reissued series The Cleric Quintet--Drizzt finds himself facing his most powerful and elusive foe, the twisted Crenshinibon, the demonic crystal shard he believed had been destroyed years ago.

Fairies Fantasy: Learn to paint the enchanted world of fairies, angels, and mermaids


Meredith Dillman - 2009
    Embodying all that is feminine, sparkly, and magical, these fantastic creatures have found their ways into countless stories, films, and works of art that appeal to people of all ages. And now anyone can discover how to bring them to life in watercolor with this delightful 64-page guide. Inside, artist-author Meredith Dillman shares the methods of her unique artistic style, which is influenced by Pre-Raphaelite paintings, turn-of-the-twentieth-century book illustrations, and modern-day Japanese manga—a combination that results in beautiful, contemporary artwork. Meredith provides instruction specific to creating the mythical beauties and their whimsical surroundings, showing readers how to draw and paint faces, bodies, hair, clothing, and more. The author also guides readers through several inspiring projects, demonstrating how to re-create the magic step by step.

The Hole in the Sky


Barbara A. Mahler - 2009
    When an unusual visitor appears and transports them to a land ensnared in a terrible curse - a curse that only Kaela can break - her mother's words become all too real.

A Practical Guide to Vampires


Lisa Trumbauer - 2009
    Sink your teeth into today's hottest fantasy topic with the next book in the New York Times best-selling series...How old is a vampire fledgling? Why do vampires avoid mirrors? What's the best way to slip into a vampire's home? New York Times best-selling author Lisa Trumbauer illuminates the twilight world of vampires in the next edition in the Practical Guide family of fantasy essentials.Book Details: Format: Hardcover Publication Date: 8/11/2009 Pages: 80 Reading Level: Age 6 and Up

Sygillis of Metatron


Ren Garcia - 2009
    Only the League's ruling body, the Sisterhood of Light, has been able to counter their evil. When a Black Hat is taken prisoner aboard Captain Davage’s ship, the Sisters have every intention of executing her, to put her to a slow, painful death. That is what's done to Black Hats. And no one dares challenge the Sister's authority. They are astounded when the Captain refuses to allow it. Using his Gift of Sight, Captain Davage, the Lord of the Great House of Blanchefort, has gotten a glimpse of the Black Hat’s face, and is shocked. Though no one but a Sister would ever willingly face a Black Hat and hope to survive, he enters her cell. The woman sitting there bears an exact resemblance to a beloved friend of the Captain’s—a friend who is dead, murdered, lost in space along with her ship and her crew. There she sits, Captain Davage's friend, apparently reborn as a Black Hat murderess, identical in every way except for the Black Hat's mark on her face. The Black Hat known as Sygillis of Metatron, vile and evil, immediately plots Captain Davage’s killing and, though the Sisters are near, none can protect him from her fury. She will come for his soul.

Dragon's Ring


Dave Freer - 2009
    Tasmarin is a place of dragons, a plane cut off from all other worlds, where dragons can be dragons and humans can be dinner. It’s a place of islands, forests, mountains and wild oceans, filled with magical denizens. Fionn—the black dragon—calmly tells anyone who will listen that he’s going to destroy the place. Of course he’s a joker, a troublemaker and a dragon of no fixed abode. No one ever believes him. He’s dead serious. Others strive to refresh the magics that built this place. To do so they need the combined magics of all the intelligent species, to renew the ancient balance and compact. There is just one problem. They need a human mage, and dragons systematically eliminated those centuries ago. Their augury has revealed that there is one, and they seek her desperately. Unfortunately, she’s fallen in with Fionn, who really doesn’t want them to succeed. He has his own reasons and dark designs. The part he hadn’t worked out is that she will affect his plans too. Chaos, roguery, heroism, theft, love, kidnapping, magic and war follow. And more chaos.

The Lion, The Unicorn And Me


Jeanette Winterson - 2009
    As his journey unfolds, he is touched by the magic and mystery of the Nativity. Stunning illustrations by Rosalind Macurrach and twinkling gold detail make this the perfect Christmas book.

Myla by Moonlight


Inez Kelley - 2009
    She has always been content to do her duty until one night of forbidden passion leaves her longing to experience life and love as a mortal woman. Yet the risk is too great. Even if her blood runs as red as his, she can never give him the one thing he needs: a child.Taric s blessing and his curse is knowing the kingdom s future depends on his producing an heir to continue the bloodline. His bond with Myla has always been that of protector and protected. When it suddenly becomes something much more, he unwittingly sentences his people to certain death.An old enemy is plotting to destroy all he holds dear: his lands, his people, his father, and his lover. And this time, even if they fight tooth and blade, their shared magic may not be enough to save them "

The Voices of Ire


Aubrie Dionne - 2009
    It follows Azalin, a young wishcaster as she battles to win her place as ruler of the Eaglecrest Kingdom while the dark forces of Ire seek to destroy all.