But legends sometimes forget the true history of things and Claire’s eyes are soon opened to a world she never knew. One that has been kept from her for most of her life. All Claire wants to do is return home and start looking for her mother, the only family she ever had. But the elves have different plans. The mysterious mark that appeared on her arm isn’t a curse, at least not to them anyway, and before she knows it, she is whisked away on a mission she never agreed to, unless they help her in return.Now she is stuck on an adventure with the perverted elf, Aeron, and one with an attitude, Farron. But there is more to this adventure than she’d ever hoped for.

    Together Galen and Rose will search for a way to break the curse that forces the princesses to dance at the midnight balls. All they need is one invisibility cloak, a black wool chain knit with enchanted silver needles, and that most critical ingredient of all—true love—to conquer their foes in the dark halls below. But malevolent forces are working against them above ground as well, and as cruel as the King Under Stone has seemed, his wrath is mere irritation compared to the evil that awaits Galen and Rose in the brighter world above. Captivating from start to finish, Jessica Day George’s take on the Grimms’ tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses demonstrates yet again her mastery at spinning something entirely fresh out of a story you thought you knew.

    Their leader has chosen Thalia as the test subject for a torture device of untold power, designed to change and twist her into something that is neither human nor Denai.Escaping, Thalia finds an unwilling warrior to protect her and an unlikely Denai to befriend her. After finding a home at the Citadel as a servant, Thalia’s worst nightmare comes to life and she begins to show signs of power. Scared and unable to control her gifts, she tries to hide her past to fit in among the Denai. But the Septori want their latest test subject back and will stop at nothing to retrieve her, dead or alive.

    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

    Mikol watches helplessly as his brothers take up arms against a warlord that has united the Savage Kingdoms. Discovering a secret 3000 years forgotten, Mikol must choose between the immediate safety of his apprenticeship and a quest that will take him deep into the Savage Kingdoms that could change the world forever.

    Trained from a young age to destroy those who wield it. The First of the Blade Series begins.Trained to destroy sorcery from a young age, Imogen Inaratha left that life behind, having come to see magic differently. When her brother asks for help, she embarks on a dangerous journey—and must face a part of her past she wanted to forget.An encounter with one of the mythical Porapeth changes the course of the journey. Protecting him forces her to face dark magical creatures and a powerful sorcerer determined to destroy the Porapeth in his quest for even more power.To succeed, she must learn the truth of the blade she’d long thought she’d mastered.She must truly become the First of the Blade.

    Struggling to survive in a place where nothing seems to grow and ashes are everywhere, Green retreats into the ruined realm of her garden. But in destroying her feelings, she also begins to destroy herself. It is only through a series of mysterious encounters that Green relearns the lessons of love and begins to heal as she tells her own story.As she heals, Green lives every day with feelings of loss. Her family is gone, the boy she loves is missing, and the world she once knew has been transformed by tragedy. In order to rediscover the truth about love, hope, and magic, she must venture away from her home, collecting the stories of a group of women who have been branded witches for their mysterious powers. Only through their stories will Green find her own heart's desire.

    Lily’s visions could stop a killer… if she’ll trust a reclusive aristocrat with her darkest secret.A monster stalks the gaslit streets of Edwardian London, draining the blood of the city’s mediums. Lily Albright knows who’s next.Lily is plagued by visions of the future she can never change. When a mysterious fiend threatens someone she loves, she’s determined this time will be different.But she can’t do it alone. To save a life, Lily must reveal her darkest secrets to someone she has little reason to trust—the reclusive Lord Strangford, a man haunted by his own unusual powers.From the glittering galleries of Bond Street to the rookeries of Southwark, Lily and Strangford plunge into a dark conspiracy that lies at the heart of England’s rising eugenics movement. To thwart it, Lily must face a past rife with betrayal—and embrace the power she has spent her entire life trying to escape.

     Embark on a deeper dive into the mermaid lore of Born of Water, An Elemental Origins novel. New mermaid, Targa MacAuley, has just sat down to read the diary of an ancestor, join her as she uncovers secrets from the past resulting in a tragic shipwreck. More than one-hundred-fifty years later, the wreck gives up her secrets.Born of Water is the first book in The Elemental Origins, a series of captivating YA urban fantasy novels. If you like new twists on mermaid lore, simmering romance, and close-knit mother-daughter bonds, then you’ll love A.L. Knorr’s nautical adventure. Embark on a deeper dive into the story's lore with The Wreck of Sybellen, a companion novelette. Read Born of Water and The Wreck of Sybellen to submerge yourself in an enchanting coming-of-age tale today.

     After a lifetime spent in the deep forest, Alyssa has no idea what to expect on the other side. What she finds is two unruly young princesses and one very handsome prince. When Alyssa accepts the job of Princess Companion she knows her life will change. What she doesn’t know is that the royal family is about to be swept up in unexpected danger and intrigue and that she just might be the only thing standing between her kingdom and destruction. This retelling of the classic fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea, reimagines the risks and rewards that come when one royal family goes searching for a true princess. Danger and romance await a woodcutter’s daughter in a royal palace.

    The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I? Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves?

    It lurks in the shadows, spreading fear and icy cold – and it carries a sharp and very solid dagger...The headmaster wastes no time in enlisting the help of ghost-hunters Anthony Lockwood, Lucy Carlyle and George Cubbins.Can Lockwood & Co. survive the night and save the day?

    There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou's, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou's most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.And love makes fools of us all.This is a previously published edition of ISBN 9780062878021. An alternate cover edition can be found here.

    That promise leads them into a war for which they are ill prepared, a war that threatens the homes and lives of the very people they are trying to protect. But war is simple compared to what follows, when the bloody fighting is done and a fragile peace is at hand. Although she wants to turn her back on politics and the crown, Meliara is summoned to the royal palace. There, she soon discovers, friends and enemies look alike, and intrigue fills the dance halls and the drawing rooms. If she is to survive, Meliara must learn a whole new way of fighting--with wit and words and secret alliances. In war, at least, she knew whom she could trust. Now she can trust no one. The Firebird edition of Crown Duel combines the hardcover editions of Crown Duel and Court Duel-and features a never-before-published story by Sherwood Smith!

    In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn't automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.