Jamie and his mother have returned to his mother’s home, Aurellius—a world where dragons, dwarves, elves, and other so-called mythological creatures actually exist. It is a world created by the leader of the Dragons, Dragonith, and his mate, Gwenith. Even though life on Aurellius is not the ideal that Dragonith and Gwenith had envisioned, it is still far better than Earth, where the nine races have wreaked havoc and exploited Earth’s people. But now a movement, led by a group called The Sisterhood, would seize the powerful “Dragon’s Heart” in order to gain total control of Aurellius. Jamie is unwittingly being drawn into this struggle, with his very life at stake. In order to survive, he must learn many skills that he can only learn in Stonebriar Academy. However, competition to enter Stonebriar Academy is grueling, and only one hundred students will be granted admission. And gaining admission is Jamie’s only hope if he is to survive against the Sisterhood. Jamie desperately wants to be admitted to Stonebriar, not only to give himself a fighting chance against the Sisterhood but also so that he might learn something that a few short months ago he didn’t even know existed—how to fly with a Dragon.

    First he had to win admission when only one hundred applicants would be selected from over four hundred. Then Jamie had to learn how to use the power of a Dragon belt and learn to fly with a Dragon. Added to all of this, against all tradition, Jamie has been bonded to a Dragon in his first year. But Jamie overcomes all of those difficulties and even helps his bonded Dragon, Tomith, whom he has nicknamed Tommy, to learn how to fly. Now Jamie and Tommy face the second semester, and in this semester they will continue to struggle— but not only with their classes. They have now been caught up in the Stonebriar House Championship. Each year, the five Houses—Blackburn, Warwick, Aubondale, Waverly, and Pembroke—all compete for the coveted House Championship. Jamie’s and Tommy’s House, Aubondale, has finished in last place for the previous seven years. The overriding passion of every student in Aubondale is to finally get their house out of last place. To help accomplish this, Jamie and Tommy will have to compete in the school’s Dragon races, something they know nothing about. Even as Jamie and Tommy settle into the day-to-day struggles of school life at Stonebriar, they have been marked for capture or assassination by a shadowy organization known at the Sisterhood. For decades, the Sisterhood has been seeking to fulfill a prophecy that will grant the sisters total control over all the nations of Aurellius—along with immortality. But, in order to achieve their goal, they must eliminate Jamie and Tommy. Jamie’s and Tommy’s greatest challenge will not be helping get their House out of last place—their greatest challenge will be to simply survive.

     After struggling with the death of her lifemate of over a century, Tara spends what the leaders of her clan considers an unreasonable amount of time in finding another. The clan needs offspring, they insist. While soaring over a meadow, Tara sees a dragon intruder attack a shepherd. Outraged, she intervenes and saves the young man from certain death. Breaking a two hundred year old pact between man and dragon forbidding any contact between the two, a powerful yet dangerous bond slowly grows between the dragon and her boy. This is a fun short story, at 5300 words. Stories two and three are already written. They continue the series and will be available shortly! I hope you enjoy them all.

    A dashing dragon rider in the right place at the wrong time. And an unlikely pirate captain with nothing left to lose.Being a dragon rider is not in Anakisha’s plans. And Anakisha’s stubborn. She’s not giving up her dreams anytime soon.When Anakisha’s brother is murdered by a gang, she joins the Night Wings, a team of local vigilantes, and takes to the streets to avenge him. With a soft spot for defending underdogs, she’s found her niche.The Night Wing’s leader is the dreamy golden-haired son of the village arbitrator — a fine catch. If she can impress his father, she can marry him and improve her family’s fortune. But the underbelly of Fieldhaven is rife with politics and deceit. Although Anakisha is good with a bow and a dagger, she’s not always the best judge of character…And her plans do not include a dragon.But then, the King’s Rider appears on his sleek onyx dragon.And a bloodthirsty pirate captain rises to power, spreading terror on the Naobian Sea.Leaving Anakisha torn between her dream and her duty…

    It was also prophesied that this night would witness the return of Emperor Kellanved, and there are those prepared to do anything to prevent this from happening…Ian C. Esslemont co-created the world of Malaz with his friend Steven Erikson, and Esslemont’s Novels of the Malazan Empire are set in the same world as Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen.Other Tor books by Ian C. EsslemontPath to Ascendancy Dancer’s Lament Deadhouse Landing Other books in the world of Malaz by Steven Erikson Malazan Book of the Fallen Gardens of the Moon Deadhouse Gates Memories of Ice House of Chains Midnight Tides The Bonehunters Reaper’s Gale Toll the Hounds Dust of Dreams The Crippled God The Kharkanas Trilogy Forge of Darkness Fall of Light Walk in Shadow* At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

    Illustrator and writer's Carolyn Marie Castagna's first shared short story.A small icicle hanging from a roof peers inside a window at a small reading room, and learns about magical human qualities, and the importance of the one most special human feeling.

    Though Vay, the Evil One tastes defeat, her rage and wrath only increases. She thirsts for revenge and vows to find Hooper, the Gem Guardian and Golden Wind to reclaim the golden dragon, and deal death to Hooper for daring to challenge her. The quest continues in book two, Queen’s Vow, as the company seeks a safe haven from Vay’s wrath. But there is no sanctuary. They are the hunted, the pursued. Outcast from all they know, they feel the heavy weight of the condemned just waiting for Death to write the last sentence in their book of life. As the company flees from Vay’s tempest, even Hooper has to question whether one dragon is worth the pain and suffering. Indeed, is a dragon worth dying for, or for that matter, is there ever any one thing worth the ultimate price? For Hooper, it may well be the question that decides his ultimate fate.

    All this seems far removed from Kami, a boy who quietly goes about his everyday life in his farm village until one day he trips over the unconsious body of a warrior hidden in the long grass.That discovery will lead him on an adventure across the warring kingdoms, facing assassins and enemy soldiers as he journeys to the capital to face the new Shogun. Through his travels he aspires to become a samurai, and in his many challenges he eventually comes to understand what it means to be one.

    He is warned by night whispers to flee from his tiny mountain village of Dun Mare. The stolen egg of a dragon will pay his way, if he manages to live long enough to sell it. However there are forces against him far beyond his understanding. All he believes he knows about his life and home is false, but the egg of the black dragon is the key. Many believe black dragons do not exist or have gone extinct. Gareth finds himself alone in a strange world of tempest seas, flying dragons, and powerful foes vying for the mental powers he may possess, and for control of the egg. Telepathic teachers a secret sisterhood, and the king's armies willing to kill for a black dragon are only the beginning of Gareth's story. The second book of the series is expected to be published by October of 2015.

    For those caught in the middle, it means death. For centuries humans and dragons existed side by side in Alveria, bonded by their care of one another. But no longer. After decades with no viable eggs, humans far outnumber dragons, and the survival of the species appears bleak. The outlook for everyday humans is little better as rogue dragons raid and torment villages. Yet it’s far worse for the tamers, beaten and killed simply for serving the noble dragons. But eking by at the bottom of Alverian society isn’t any easier for seventeen-year-old Kaelan Younger. Harder still when her loyalty to the dragon crown is no secret. But when her dying mother reveals a horrifying truth about her identity, Kaelan is thrust into a world for which she is ill prepared. Faced with a new life at the proving grounds for humans and dragons alike, Kaelan must reconcile not just her past but embrace the future laid out before her. When her responsibilities as an Akademy tamer collide with her feelings for a powerful dragon shifter, it will take everything she has to prepare for the danger threatening them both. The fate of the dragons she has sworn to serve rests in her hands.

    She is given the made up title of Progenna, because she can't be in line for the throne and therefore, can't be a Princess. All her life, she is reminded that she isn't quite good enough. When her father decides she is to marry Pir Leo Valentine, an eighty-four year old man with a scar across his face that took his eye and only one hand, she runs away from the palace.Orlando of Talla is a pig farmer and former soldier who served the King until he watched his Sovereign burn an entire harbor town rather than lose a battle. Now he tries to live a quiet life while leading a band of rebels who steal from the nobility to bring prisoners home from that war.Orlando is also the bastard son of a nobleman, and therefore, he has a Sensitivity, one of Blood that allows him to feel the Sensitivities of others. He finds the injured Progenna in the forest and immediately realizes that the stories about Mariana aren't true. Ra-ther than being an Insensitive, Mariana may be the most powerful Sensitive in Valborough.

     Short stories set in the world of Benjamin Ashwood told from the point of view of supporting characters like; Rhys, Mathias, Lady Towaal, Corinne, and Lord Jason. These stories shed light on the history of the characters, or interact with Ben's story in insightful or funny ways. Eight of the nine stories were previously released in AC Cobble's newsletter. These are written for fans of Benjamin Ashwood, and you should really read a few of those books prior to digging into these. Happy reading!

    As the wife of a magistrate, mother to a good family, and an important member of the community, she's never had any reason to defy authority. But when the death of her infant daughter leaves her questioning her people’s beliefs about the origins and evils of magic, Lucilla is forced to defy the laws of God and man in order to save her next child from an unthinkable fate. (A Bound world short story)