For those who haven't met Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater (otherwise known as Riyria) this sampler will provide a brief introduction to them and the world of Elan. This sampler contains short stories previously published as well as a new excerpt from the upcoming book.The Thieves: A band of thieves sets upon two lonely riders in the middle of the night. They had a larger party. They had the element of surprise. There was no reason to be concerned, but they didn’t realize who they were dealing with. Origin: This was a scene written, and cut, for Nyphron Rising (the first novel in the Rise of Empire omnibus). Eventually, it became the opening of Theft of Swords when Orbit purchased and republished the series as three, two-book volumes.The Viscount: Eleven years before they were framed for the murder of a king, before even assuming the title of Riyria, Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater were practically strangers. Unlikely associates, this cynical thief decides to teach his idealist swordsman partner that no good deed goes unpunished. Will Royce wind up proving his point or be schooled himself? Origin: This was published in the fall of 2011 under the title The Viscount and the Witch. It was written to provide a gift to my fans after my books were removed from the market to make room for Orbit’s versions. It’s also the seed that later became The Riyria Chronicles, and this short now appears as the second chapter of The Rose and the Thorn.The Jester: Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A thief, a candlemaker, an ex-mercenary, and a pig farmer walk into a trap…and what happens is no joke. When Riyria is hired to retrieve a jester’s treasure, Royce and Hadrian must match wits with a dwarf who proves to be anything but a fool. Difficult choices will need to be made, and in the end those who laugh last do so because they are the only ones to survive. Origin: First released in the Unfettered anthology (edited by Shawn Speakman and published by Grim Oak Press), I did something a bit unusual with this short story. Faced with a word count restriction, I wrote what is essentially the climax for what could have been a full-length novel. I throw the reader into the middle of the action and make only brief allusions to what had come before. It’s an interesting experiment and seems to have worked out well based on the high praise it has received.The Death of Dulgath: When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and the cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start their thieves-for-hire enterprise. Things have gone well enough until this odd assignment to prevent a murder. Now they must venture into a forgotten corner of southern Avryn—a place whose history predates the First Empire. As usual, challenges abound as they try to anticipate the moves of an unknown assassin before it’s too late. But that’s not their only problem. The Countess of Dulgath has a dark secret she’s determined to keep hidden. Then there’s the little matter of Riyria’s new employer…the Nyphron Church. This sample is an excerpt, not a short story. It’s the opening scene to my new novel, which will be coming out before the end of 2015. It hasn’t yet been copy edited (I’m still writing the novel), so please forgive any minor mistakes you may find. I do think it’s in pretty good shape, but I often find my opinion and my editor’s opinion are two different things.

    An immensely powerful being, Henry Phage has spent his lifetime as a conqueror, using his immense psychic powers and his ability to manipulate wormholes in order to take over planets across galaxies and feed upon the suffering of the denizens within, effectively making himself a god. From The Phage Building, located on the planet Kahlighoul, The Teknophage plots and plans the expansion of his intergalactic empire. However, when he turns his sights towards Kahlighoul's sister planet, Earth, the Teknophage encounters a source of resistance that he did not expect.

    Follow the adventures and trials of Rand as he learns about his destiny to become the Dragon Reborn, the prophesized leader who will save the world, but at a heavy cost that drives him to reject his given fate. Dark forces surround the characters with an inevitable confrontation between good and evil that captivates every audience. Sparkled with continuous action, adventure, and fantasy, this box set is a sure winner for epic fantasy fans guaranteed! Over 15 Hours of listening time! The Shadow Rising The Dark One is inflicting evil on to the hero, Rand, who must enter the Aiel Waste and the forbidden city of RhuideanÛwhere he may perish. Perrin must confront the Whitecloaks who are sworn to assassinate him while Elayne and Nynaeve must battle the Black Ajah. Listen to find out what develops. The Fires of Heaven Rand is at the forbidden city of Rhuidean where he must keep his current mission a secret. Simultaneously, the Forsaken Rahvin is plotting a victory over Rand. Morgase becomes captivated with the handsome Lord Gaebril, and in the White Tower, Amyrlin, Flaida do Avriny a ÎRoihan, is concocting new plans. There is no doubt why The Fires of Heaven became a New York Times bestseller! Lord of Chaos Rand struggles as he attempts to unite the nations for the Last Battle while The White Tower, under the Amyrlin Elaida, decides that he must be controlled. In addition, a search for the fabled terÌangreal is conducted by Nynaeve alÌMeara and Elayne to restore the incongruous weather conditions. Book six of this series is sure to satisfy. A Crown of Swords Listen as Rand faces the dead Forsaken Sammael in Shadae Logoth! The struggle with the worldÌs brutal and endless heat wave rages on, and Engeu calls together all women who are able to channel including Sea Folk Windfinders and Wise Ones. DonÌt miss this seventh book of non-stop epic adventure!

    Hideous monsters, ravenous daemons, even the landscape itself threaten him every step of the journey. What price must a mortal pay to steal the treasure of a god?

    

    What plans has the Red Hulk been hiding from everyone? And what does all of this have to do with the Cosmic Hulk robot? This tale by Jeff Parker and Carlos Rodrigues reveals all!Collects Fall Of The Hulks: Red Hulk #1-4 and material from Incredible Hulk #606-608.

    Beagle and published in 1968. It follows the tale of a unicorn, who believes she is the last of her kind in the world and undertakes a quest to discover what has happened to the others. It has sold more than five million copies worldwide since its original publication, and has been translated into at least twenty languages. In 1987, Locus ranked The Last Unicorn number five among the 33 "All-Time Best Fantasy Novels", based on a poll of subscribers. The story begins with a group of human hunters passing through a forest in search of game. After days of coming up empty-handed, they begin to believe they are passing through a Unicorn's forest, where animals are kept safe by a magical aura. They resign themselves to hunting somewhere else; but, before they leave, one of the hunters calls out a warning to the Unicorn that she may be the last of her kind. This revelation disturbs the Unicorn, and though she initially dismisses it, eventually doubt and worry drive her to leave her forest. She travels through the land and discovers that humans no longer even recognize her; instead they see a pretty white mare. She is taken captive by a traveling carnival led by witch Mommy Fortuna, who uses magical spells to create the illusion that regular animals are in fact creatures of myth and legend. There are many more adventures and the book is a delight, as well as thought-provoking. A good read!!

    In Carrie Vaughn's "The Thing about Growing Up in Jokertown," a group of teenage jokers yearn to explore outside the confines of their strange little neighborhood and get a real taste of the Big Apple.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

     Day 2: Use my newfound superpowers to stop a giant mutant Allosaurus. Day 3: Fall in love with both the world's greatest superhero and the hot ex-Marine with a dark past. Day 4: Realize that I have to unite the four greatest superheroes in history to stop said supervillain. Day 5: Save the day and make my wildest dreams come true.

    "I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of way, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract."A tesseract (in case the reader doesn't know) is a wrinkle in time. To tell more would rob the reader of the enjoyment of Miss L'Engle's unusual book.

    Jason Aaron brings you Doctor Strange and Wong's secret history and the ultimate sacrifice that Wong makes! Gerry Duggan shows Brother Voodoo's stand against the evil magic-eaters. James Robinson introduces a new magic figure in the Marvel U just in time for her last stand!

    These gorgeous, painted pages originally appeared in Epic from 1979 to 1982, and introduced audiences to Vance Dreadstar and the other characters whose saga would be continued in the Dreadstar series.

    Like the flaming projectiles his protagonists often launch into the sky, these stories crackle with energy and violence and a furious beauty. Benjamin Percy is a force. -- Anthony Doerr

    KornbluthThe Human Equations - Dave CreekThe Gun - Philip K. DickNot Stupid Enough - George H. ScithersJackpot - E.C. TubbThe Killing Streets - Colin HarveyCharon’s Curse - John GlasbyMoon Dive - Sydney J. BoundsThe Hunted Heroes - Robert SilverbergNight of the Squealers - Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlinChaos - John Russell FearnAnd Happiness Everlasting - Gerald WarfieldSeeds of Invasion - Philip E. HighThe 7th Order - Jerry SohlMonkey on his Back - Charles V. De VetThe Calm Man - Frank Belknap LongAlien Still Life - John Gregory BetancourtA Question of Courage - J.F. BoneAngels and Moths - Costi GurguSecond Landing - Murray LeinsterThe Einstein-Rosen Hunter-Gatherer Society - George S. WalkerWind - Charles L. FontenayStar Mother - Robert F. YoungThe Sky Is Falling - Lester Del ReyLittle Fuzzy - H. Beam Piper

     Yancy Lazarus—bluesman, gambler, mage, and professional fix-it man—has been working for the Guild of the Staff for over twenty-five years. Handling ugly problems no one else wants to touch. Mostly by breaking things, blowing ’em up, or otherwise meting out Guild-sanctioned justice, Rambo-style. His next assignment will be his last. A Guild operative, with a headful of dangerous secrets, has gone missing inside the court of the High Tuatha De Danann: ye olde Irish gods of badassery. Yancy—along with fellow wet-works man James Sullivan and Judge Ailia Levchenko—is dispatched to retrieve the missing operative or, barring that, make the perpetrators behind the operative’s disappearance pay a steep, bloody price for crossing the Guild. But with pissed-off godlings gunning for him on every side, a little kidnapping might be the least of Yancy’s worries. The Guild investigators are gonna have to navigate the murky waters of court politics, ferret out a traitor, and devise a way to put the kibosh on an inter-dimensional invasion if they want to avoid being murdered horribly. And even if they do get to the bottom of the diabolical mystery, nothing will ever be the same, because one of their number isn’t coming home …