No good comes from this book. The story has magic, mayhem, theft, murder, sass talk, demons, animals committing felonies, gleeful revenge, and bad things happening to good people for no particular reason. It won’t encourage good habits and probably fine tune bad ones. The only lesson learned is don’t lie unless you know the rules. Teenager Peter Whistler lives at the Little Angels Home for Orphan Boys. Life in New Jersey is harsh in the Great Depression, but Peter has an exceptional ability to lie. He hones his talent, convinced it’s the ticket to easy fortune. He certainly doesn’t foresee the arrival of a murderous conjurer with mysterious designs on a little blind girl named Esther. Drawn into a nefarious plot to unleash a demon, Peter leads Esther and an enchanted terrier on a desperate escape to New Orleans and meets Amelie Marchand. Like all well-bred southern girls she’s trained in deadly martial arts, but with a murderous stepmother, Amelie has troubles of her own. Peter and Amelie’s one chance for survival is to head deep into the bayou and seek help from a mad shaman known as the Frog King. Welcome to an alternate 1930s where both jazz and magic fill New Orleans’ air. Can a little luck, mystical lies, and a dash of Cajun crazy help Peter harness the power to kill an immortal demon? If not, the Depression will be a picnic by comparison when hell arrives on Earth.

    Due to an accident and his own blunder, Nick Sobolev, an intern of the Space Courier Service, ends up on a mysterious planet tucked away in deep space. The planet is named Terrius and resembles Earth. At the site of his starship wreck, Nick meets local hunters. He follows them to the Forest and the City, hoping to find a way to communicate with Earth and to find out why the planet at the level of development of a feudal society is equipped with structures and devices capable of shooting down interstellar vehicles. The events unfold quickly and are full of unexpected turns. Nick finds himself deeply immersed in solving ancient secrets of the local civilization. To save his new friends, he has to participate in the brutal Ritual reminiscent of Earth’s ancient gladiator fights. This does not go unnoticed. Nick’s participation attracts attention of many powerful locals, all of whom have their own plans for the stranger they believe to have come from the wild steppe. Some want to kill him; others see in him the messiah from an ancient prophecy. The Forbidden World book series is written in sci-fi/fantasy fusion, a genre gaining more and more popularity. In the books of this series, the readers will find a whole new world – planet Terrius with its wondrous flora and surprising wild fauna. Its rich social life is full of legends, myths, its own games of thrones, and stories of individuals who are either endowed with a mysterious Gift or cast a powerful wicked Spell by someone unknown.

    Joshua Barstow, raised for twenty years among her town’s holy women, is one of these seventy Tithes. She is joined by the effervescent Lynna, the scholarly Avery, and the amoral Blue, a man who has spent most of his life in total solitude. Each night, an angel swoops down to take one of their numbers. Each night, that is, except the first, when the angel touches Josh… and leaves her. What is so special about Josh? She doesn’t feel special; she feels like a woman trying to survive while finally learning the meanings of friendship, community, and love.How funny that she had to be sacrificed to find reasons to live.

    That was until she was kidnapped and dragged into a world where the monsters and legends of her childhood walked the streets. Certain that a mistake has been made, Sadie struggles to understand what is happening to her and why, but there is one thing that is becoming clear. Despite what she has believed her entire life, she does have family, and her family needs her. Unfortunately, this family could also get her killed.

    But first he'll have to make it across the bloody north and that is easier said than done when there's a price on your head . . . For fans of gritty, action-packed fantasy in the vein of George R. R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie. Bestselling independent author Tony Healey presents The Fallen Crown series, a hard-hitting sword & sorcery epic that will blow you away and leave you gagging for the next installment!

    Pain runs a close second.Jahl must cope with both if he hopes to fulfil his dream of becoming a master wielder.He teams up with the best friend that abandoned him and the girl who ridiculed him. Rouen has a secret to keep and needs Jahl to make it happen. Donya needs Jahl to teach her how to wield, never mind that it could get them killed.And he needs them both if he's to survive the danger he refuses to believe awaits him.It's a relationship that will force them to face both the cruelties of love and the miracles of friendship.When a stranger hires Jahl for a job only a master wielder can perform, it seems the perfect first step to take him to the destiny he is certain is within his grasp.Will the cost of being recognized as a wielder of magic be worth the loss of those he loves most?Read this classic tale of adversity and becoming an adult in a world of magic.

    Now she searches for him and chases down dark magic for her mysterious benefactor, a Sul’toral named Ceran.Her path has led her to the city of Nelar, where she struggles to understand the depths of the power granted to her. Here Jayna finds herself facing a new danger, one greater than any dark magic she’s faced before. When Ceran doesn’t answer her summons, she must stop the Festival of Mourn before it’s too late. But how can a half-trained sorcerer stop a dark god?And can she do it without giving in to her own dark power?

    Then it got a name: The Lethargy. Everyone just gave up, all interest in life relentlessly gnawed away.Marcus was different - he became the most powerful man alive. A man able to bend reality to his will and peel back the layers of the complex world he found himself alone in.His only true desire was to help safeguard mankind's future, so The Commorancy was constructed, a fabled safe haven for those lucky enough to get an invitation after passing his strict and convoluted entry requirements. But there are those out to ensure humanity is wiped from the planet entirely, led by a tattooed red man that will stop at nothing.Three hundred years living a life that was never meant to be means that Marcus' grip on reality is becoming severely warped. When fifteen year old Letje finally gets her invitation she finds herself completely out of her depth. Haughty goats, an almost mythical man obsessed with changing his clothes at every available opportunity, and doors that go whoosh don't help her situation as the very future of mankind hangs in the balance.

    But powerful enemies lie in wait, seeking her destruction and the magical scarab necklace she wields. Will an alliance with another immortal, the handsome and secretive Franklin, help keep her from harm long enough to learn the secrets of the scarab? – Or will he cause her to lose everything – including her heart. This, the first in the Scarab trilogy, will hook you in and leave you gasping - a time-travel romance with mystery, adventure, murder and love.

    They might be Musicians or Artists, gifted with the Elements, like Stone, Light or Air, learn a language in minutes or have Speed, Strength or a million other possibilities. They’re not mutants. They’re not aliens. They’re just extraordinarily talented.One of the rarest gifts is Reading the auras that surround every living thing: understanding the patterns of light that reveal a person’s thoughts and feelings, their very being. The rarest gift of all, though, is the ability to not just Read an aura but manipulate it, control it or even destroy it… to Shape it. It’s no wonder ancient lawmakers decreed Aura Shapers be wiped out or that Shaping is still punishable by death.A Shaper’s Promise begins with Anna. She’s just eighteen and possibly the first Aura Shaper born in The Kingdom in centuries. Her Healer mother's always warned her to never let anyone know what she is, but she's determined to head to Ionantis to try to join the Quorum of Gifted. Fate seems to think she should follow a different path and she soon finds herself embroiled in events beyond her wildest dreams. For there is evil heading towards The Kingdom and Anna's gift might be the only weapon that can save them."An entertaining and exciting tale from a convincing and attractive fantasy world”“The finale is crashingly epic. I read it at the speed of sound. People! This is an excellent read!”“Absolutely loved this book. Cost me some sleepless nights cause I couldn’t drag myself away from it!""The whole concept of this magical world is enchanting. Would thoroughly recommend and can’t wait for the next instalment!!”“The first in a trilogy, that draws you in to a wonderful world of fantasy. Great characters, well thought through plot, page turning.”The Aura Shaper Series is dedicated to the author's friend, Ann Clark, who passed away much too early after a lifetime dedicated to healing others.Please note that Karen MacRae is a British author who writes in British English.

    In Chest of Souls Book 1, we meet nine year old Talon and the adventure begins . Talon and a young man named Nyk end up running for their lives. Talon meets Brenna, a beautiful six-year-old with power beyond the imagination. Talon and Brenna are the only hope to destroy Sogo. Together they would make a formidable team...if they could live long enough to develop their powers. Michelle Erickson does exactly what all authors should do...begin the book with a dynamic, attention grabbing scene. However, she doesn't stop there; she continues with one heart pounding scene after another. There are plenty monsters to fear and battle in Chest of Souls. Brenna was one of my favorite characters. Although only six years old, she already has self confidence and knows she belongs with Talon. This is the first book in a new series; I can hardly wait to see what our two heroes face in the next book.From the back of the book: Brenna doesn't know that her mother is Hi-Sha of Eyes, or that her father was an assassin and he’s supposed to be dead. She doesn't even know her pet is the Queen of all Shee’s. Brenna is safe because she is oblivious to all but Talon. Talon felt safe until he met Brenna. Once he is ordered to protect her, he's had to fight monsters he never knew existed, run away from an assassin, and escape a forest full of carnivores. His father burned down their cottage and left him with people he just met and he isn't sure who to trust. Talon and Brenna are destined to bring down the wickedest city in the world. They've been hunted their entire lives by the very evil they must destroy. They don't know that when they finally meet that evil, they may not win. In the meantime the Chest of Souls waits to be powered and neither child can guess the price.

    But she also bore the birthmark that destined her to marry a Gatekeeper, the “superheroes” of their world. Some called her destiny a great privilege. She called it doomed to a cage with no key.Gatekeepers were born and raised to ensure time remained untainted and unchanged, but Brea saw them as overlords who looked down on her kind… on Seconds.Forced to marry Gatekeeper Jax Winters, Brea vows not to complete the ritual bonding with him until she can talk with council about how Seconds are treated. She plans to use her newfound status to help the plight of those born like her.But she never dreams of the twist her life will take, moving her into a higher position than she’d ever dreamed. Will she and Jax always be at odds, or will their hearts bond together as their souls already have? Will Brea change the future of Lexcon, or will she be forever doomed to live life in the dark?

    This is Stefan Bolz at his best." [Amazon Reviewer] "It's one of those books that leave you desperate for more!" [Amazon Reviewer] "Highly, highly recommend this jewel of a book!" [Amazon Reviewer] "A fantastic story, wonderfully developed characters, and an ending that will leave you on edge and begging for Genesis Part 2" [Amazon Reviewer] "I loved this book's prose, characters and story line. Get this. Read it. Experience the awesome that is Stefan Bolz." [Amazon Reviewer The White Dragon: Genesis is the story of the very beginning of an apocalyptic event as seen through the eyes of an eighteen-year-old girl. Nothing could have prepared her for what is about to happen and she has to face some seriously tough stuff before the end. During the thirty-six hours of terror that turn Kasey Byrne's life upside down and strip her of everything dear to her, something inside her awakens. It is gift and curse alike for it can destroy her or turn her into the most powerful weapon against the evil that has reached the shores of our world.

    As a first year associate at a prestigious Portland law firm, his professional life is on the rise. All that is turned upside-down by a mysterious attack on his life by strange people with stranger abilities. Thrust into an underground world of magic where rival Families are on the brink of war, Allyn wants only to return to his normal life and thriving career. But distancing himself from this new reality is nearly impossible. Haunted by the attack and questioning why he was targeted to begin with, Allyn's questions only deepen with the sudden disappearance of his sister. The only place to turn for answers, and for help, is a Magi Family whose agenda he wants no part of. Yet with his sister's life on the line, he may have no choice but to pick a side.

    As a librarian—a reluctant one—his reports catch the eyes of a powerful nobleman, who selects William for an important mission. As he faces danger after danger, he soon realizes that having the right weapon is one thing, but having the wits to use it is quite another. Because when he faces his ultimate challenge, it's more than just his own life at stake.