Not one to be deterred by this setback, he quickly puts into motion a plan for revenge—one that will use every dirty trick in the book.But things are never simple for mastermind Tyvian, especially not after he uncovers a sinister plot: evil wizard Banric Sahand is planning to decimate the city of Freegate. Now Tyvian must learn to work with—and rely on—his motley crew of accomplices, including an adolescent pickpocket, an obese secret-monger, a fearsome gnoll, and a Mage Defender…who is also trying to get him arrested. Time is running out for Tyvian's plan for revenge—while the fate of the city hangs in the balance.

    But a real wizard intervened, and the students found themselves in a world where magic worked-too well-and caught up in a battle between the forces of slavery and freedom. Years later, Jason Cullinane, son of the now-legendary Karl Cullinane, has taken up his mysteriously vanished father's role as baron when reports reach him of an attack in his realm by a wolfpack that seems to be more than an ordinary wolfpack. When he and his comrades investigate, they find a rift into the world Faerie from which evil creatures are entering the mortal world to kill and conquer. Cullinane now must not only battle his father's old enemies in the Slavers' Guild, but somehow defeat this powerful supernatural menace. And the greatest danger to the band may come from one of their own who has seemingly switched sides in the struggle . .

     For ten long years young Dirk Blackthorn has followed his drunken father from one city to another, always having to cheat and steal for his next meal, and never knowing what the future might hold. A magician turned con artist, Dirk’s father Thad has taught him everything he knows. After being driven out of just about every southern city in Agora, they have come to Kell-Torey in search of a new beginning. With winter on its way, and all but a rusty coin spent on his father’s drinking, Dirk must make full use of his skills if they are to survive the harsh northern cold. As Thad descends deeper into his drunken delirium, Dirk becomes determined to make a name for himself in the city’s criminal underworld. Featuring two of Legends of Agora’s most beloved characters, Blackthorn Rising is a fast-paced coming of age tale wrought with sword and sorcery, it is a story of failure and triumph, and a testament to the unrelenting spirit of defiance and adventure within us all. FROM THE EDITOR Blackthorn Rising is a book that sticks with you. Michael Ploof’s stimulating prose and evocative cast of characters are incapable of boring you on any single page. The plot is sharp, charged with dark wit, adventure, intrigue, and emotion. Enjoy Dirk Blackthorn’s bumbling journey to manhood as he rises to become a great thief, and an even greater man. I loved every minute of editing this tale, and I know you’ll love every minute of reading it. --Holly M. Kothe, espressoeditor.com

    Rowling or secretly want to be Harry Dresden, Jinx Hamilton may be the witch for you. She's new to magic, with one option: learn fast. For the first time in a single ebook collection, enter the world of Briar Hollow, North Carolina, with the first six books of The Jinx Hamilton Mysteries. Set in a fictional town near the Blue Ridge Mountains, Jinx, a former waitress, inherits a store -- and more -- from her eccentric Aunt Fiona. The series begins with a sweet “cozy” note in the first novel Witch at Heart, but evolves into a full-blown paranormal urban fantasy. From shapeshifting werecats and ancient Fae to baseball playing ghosts and paramilitary fairy troops, the Jinx Hamilton books have it all. Listen to what readers have to say about Jinx and her world: “Absolutely terrific! The characters are great, the story is griping and you never want to end.” “The Jinx Hamilton Mysteries, are full of surprise, fantasy, and feeling.” “From the first book, right on through, you feel like you can become friends with each character.” “Plot twists and new characters keep her work fresh and exciting. Lots of humor and romance. Love the series. Want MORE!!!!” “The story has progressed -- we have a full bodied urban fantasy with a well thought out world, well developed characters of all descriptions, and a great and complex story line.” “Great storyline and dialogue, lots of action and drama. The author has great imagination and insight into human behavior.” If you’re ready for magic, adventure, humor, family, and friendship, come with us to Briar Hollow and beyond in this special boxed ebook collection!

    There will be 5 books in total for the Healers of Meligna series. Concealed Power Adenine is blind and isolated in her small attic bedroom. Haunted by the recent deaths of her uncle and father, she is alone and afraid. Believing she is a carrier of the incurable Death Plague that ravished the lands twenty-five years ago, she never goes outside. When her mother falls ill, Adenine begins to starve. Despite her terror of infecting others, she goes in search of the town's doctor. Friends are made, enemies are discovered and every secret unravels. Pursued by the country's exiled healers, Adenine's life now depends on who she trusts. Blood Healing Banished to the healer city of Meligna, fourteen year old Adenine must adapt to the strange customs and fickle personalities of its citizens. The Queens have but one goal: to create a perfect city. But when Adenine pulls at the loose threads that bind the city together, what she unravels shocks and angers her. The populace is brainwashed and delusional. When Jemely, her loyal friend, becomes a victim, Adenine takes a stand against the Queens. But Adenine has no power, and her strong ideals injure the few friends she has. When she stumbles upon the Queens' most shocking secret, she risks everything to save the lives of those she loves. Blood Sacrifice With the threat of the Queens' army increasing, only blood healing can save South Senya. Adenine continues her journey alone, encountering constant danger and tragic loss. Clutching at the strands of her sanity, Adenine barely makes it to Juxon City where the king proves untrustworthy and hostile. The Queens quickly destroy all Adenine's hope for the kingdom of Senya. Under their rule, the people are doomed. She has allies, but they are too few to take back the city. The only one who can challenge the Queens is the emperor of Bivinia: a monster responsible for the deaths of hundreds of healers. She must convince him to invade Senya, replacing one evil for another.

    While the political landscape for this new world is yet to form, intrigues, conspiracy, daring raids, and sabotage are the main weapons of the Hounds, and his evaluation has just begun. To complete it successfully and become a full-fledged member of the clan, Stan will have to adapt to working side-by-side with the most unique people with shady backgrounds — even if he is not a team player by nature and has already failed at the very beginning by choosing the least suitable class for teamwork: Battle Monk. Stan is rebellious, free-spirited, and daring. He risks his life every day just to avoid getting bored of the daily grind. Normally, an expelled student has no hope of entering the virtual world of Artar, an expensive online VR project, but when a suspicious organization offers to pay all expenses to let Stan in for a special purpose, Mongoose gets his chance to become one of the select few. However, to successfully complete his trial, Stan will have to face his main enemy — himself, while finding peace and mastering all five styles of the Battle Monks of Artar. *** The Steel Hounds is the first book of the highly popular Russian LitRPG series The Chronicles of Artar by Vladimir Vasilenko. The brightest representative of a new wave of gamelit writers, Vladimir has created the story of Mongoose, a reckless teenager kicked out of college, who has to struggle with following strict discipline and finding inner harmony while traversing the difficult path of a Battle Monk.

    It was a chance to bring prosperity to his family’s farm. But something was waiting there among the gold and jewels—something that would take him from the safety of his home and change his life forever.

    Brave, unwavering in his devotion to the queen, his courage knows no bounds. But it was not always so. Every story must begin somewhere, but some beginnings are darker than others.The Shadow is a prequel to the Legend of the Gate Keeper series. Although this installment features the early years of one of the main characters in the series, it is a standalone, and can be enjoyed with no prior knowledge of the series.Book 1: Land of Shadows - Our story begins here. A blacksmith from the small town of Bryer, Eric believed he would live out his days leading a peaceful life doing the work he loved. But it seems fate had other plans for him. When his home town is attacked, Eric is uprooted from his familiar surroundings and forced to embark on a journey for answers. Only one thing is certain to him now. It's painfully clear that his whole life has been nothing more than a series of lies.Book 2: Siege of Night - Whispers of the Gate Keepers return rage through Tarmerria like a forest fire. Could it be true? Has this mystical figure actually returned? Some have embraced the idea while others want to see Eric dead. Lines have been drawn, sides have been taken. There is only one way to stand for what you believe in. Tarmerria must go to war.Book 3: Lost Empire - The war is over and the city of Taron is still recovering from one of the darkest days in its history. With one battle over, another is about to begin. Our heroes must leave their familiar lands to embark on a journey by sea, far away from Tarmerria.Book 4: Reborn - Is the Gate Keeper some sort of demon? The people of this new land seem to think so. For years they have been tormented by a being with abilities similar to Eric's. So how is this foreigner who washed up on their shores any different? The Gate Keeper must prove himself and transform before their very eyes. In the eyes of the Gods and in those of the people, he must be...reborn.Book 5: The Trials of Ashbarn - The world has seen what Eric can do. Is this the one man who can take down the demon Krytoes? He has proven himself to the mortals, but must now establish himself in the eyes of the Gods themselves. Let the trials begin.Book 6: End of Days - The Gate Keeper has been named... The prophesies have come true... The world as we know it will never be the same...End of Days is the exciting conclusion to "The Legend of the Gate Keeper" series. Join Eric and his friends as they make their final push against the forces of evil.Warning Graphic Content: These books are intended for mature audiences

     Crying Havoc The Five Kingdoms are in chaos. Armies march to war led by the Master of the Torr, a powerful wizard who will stop at nothing to bring Zollin, a young wizard from the northern kingdom of Yelsia, under his control. Meanwhile, a rogue sorceress is bewitching every man who sees her, each one pledging his life and death to her cause. She sends men north to find the young wizard and bring him into her army. As kings strive for greater power among the Five Kingdoms and magical beasts awaken across the land, Zollin, the Wizard of Yelsia, is nowhere to be found. Fierce Loyalty War! Kings have fallen and wizards battle magical creatures all across the Five Kingdoms. Zollin pursues his nemesis south, but he isn’t the only one focused on changing the Five Kingdoms. Offendorl, Master of the Torr limps home in hopes of regaining his former glory. Armies from Falxis and Ortis march toward Osla, intent on taking the wealthy kingdom’s treasures for themselves. King Zorlan dreams of conquering the Five Kingdoms and creating an Empire. And Gwendolyn the Sorceress Witch has returned to the tower of the Torr and taken her old master’s place. But will the feverish grasping for power reshape the Five Kingdoms for the better, or unleash something much, much worse? Dark Tide Evil in the Five Kingdoms has struck a devastating blow. A tide of evil rolls northward as a monstrous army moves across the land like a wicked plague, forcing the young wizard Zollin to race back to the frozen highlands in hopes of recruiting the magical races of dwarves, dragons, and giants to help fight the dark sorceress Gwendolyn’s horde. Brianna and what remains of her pride of dragons, returns to Yelsia to convince King Felix to take a stand with Zollin’s magical army, but not everyone sees the devastation of the other kingdoms as a threat. Farther south, Quinn and Mansel battle for survival against wicked creatures bent on sweeping them away. The Five Kingdoms stand poised on the cusp of darkness, and through it all Zollin and his friends must find a way to turn the tide of evil as the future of the Five Kingdoms hangs in the balance.

    Anything. Even marry a mysterious prince she knows nothing about in order to rally the strength to arrange a rescue. During her journey to Torian's foreign castle, Emariya comes face to face with her mother's killers--and a deadly secret.Not only does Emariya possess a powerful but unexpected magical gift passed down through each of her families, the prince she's promised to marry possesses a third, and an ominous prophecy has warned the three gifts must never be combined.If she breaks her promise to marry Torian, she won't be able to save her father and if she keeps it, she may bring a curse upon everything she holds dear. Determining which choice is best won't be easy, but when she meets the gorgeous prince who may desire more than just her heart, she realizes she will have to fight just to have a choice at all.Her heart wants him desperately. Her head begs her to run. If she doesn't want to share her mother's fate, she'll have to find a way to untangle the truth from the lies in time to save herself.Discover the heartbreaking betrayals, fascinating magic and fated love of Cornerstone.

    The Four Horsemen ride. And ancient prophecy rushes to fulfillment… Gil will be king one day – if his enemies don’t kill him first. To protect himself, he learns what he must. History teaches him to understand people. The warrior arts offer protection against assassins. And the secrets of the mystic armor him against dark spells. His enemies are strong, and they have hated him since before he was born. The blood in his veins makes it so. His great ancestor defeated them in ages past, and he seeks to discover his dangerous heritage. They seek to kill him before he fulfills his destiny. Ploys unfold, armies march and traps are set. Prophecies vie with secrets hidden in the past. It is a time of battle, a time of chaos, and a time where gambles could triumph – or destroy worlds. Gil must defeat the Four Horsemen, embodiments of ultimate evil, or the sorceress who commands them will gather a vast horde and begin a bloody trail of world-spanning conquest… This boxed set contains the entire Son of Sorcery trilogy.

    A mysterious teacher. A kingdom on the brink of collapse. In the ancient kingdom of Havenglade, a brutal enemy is ravaging the countryside making his way closer to Gradur Castle. An aging king seeks protection from a council of loyal wizards. A peasant girl finds herself at the center of it all after bonding with a magical crystal and absorbing its magical essence. After losing her parents, Laurena was given the chance of a lifetime to study wizardry under the mysterious and renowned teacher Unai. Can she learn to harness the powers inside her before it's too late?