. . until he meets Jeopardy. Cleo is a child-bride of a poisoner, until one of Jeopardy's offspring is brought to her home for disposal and she falls in love with both the child and his father. . . Jeopardy. Delilah is orphaned when a berserker named Trajan attacks and kills everyone in her village. She is the only one who is immune to the plague that Trajan carries, and promises to watch over him as he returns to the sanctuary. . . of Jeopardy. Dauntless Javelot is a chivalrous knight of Ixmarity on his last campaign. . . until he joins Cleo on her journey to seek Jeopardy. Lord Pliance is a courtly vampire who accompanies the pilgrims in the hopes for a cure. . . from Jeopardy. And as they all seek the elusive Jeopardy, they are haunted by a ruthless adversary. Wilfish Implexion is an ecclesiarch in the Church of Ixmarity. Threatened by the power of the pagan Jeopardites, he will use any means possible to kill their prophet. . . Jeopardy! And what of Resenence Jeopardy himself? Is he all that he seems? What is the secret of his charismatic power. . . and what will he decide to do with it? This is the first U.S. edition of Sign for the Sacred, and includes a new introduction by the author. Also included is the original first draft of the beginning of the novel, when it was called "Prophet Dancer," as well as the first four chapters of an aborted sequel titled "Death by Sweetness."

    Kol-ha is what the clan called him, which means shame in clannish. Being a half-breed, Cam was not allowed to take the test to become a clan member. Cam decides that rather than not being worthy to be part of the clan, the clan is not worthy of him. Taking nothing, he leaves the clan to find his place in the world. Though ignorant of the ways of the ‘outside’ world, Cam is a quick learner. His first lesson is the outside world is at war, and he is inadvertently drawn into it. Saving the life of a nobleman’s son, from an invading army’s scouts sets him on a path to meet the King of the Eastern Kingdom. As a reward, Cam is given lands and becomes a pawn in the King’s chess game. Cam sees it for what it is and decides he doesn’t want any part of the King’s game. Fate, however, has a different plan. Cam discovers two moored airships in a plague-stricken village with a single survivor, La-mar. He also finds new weapon innovations and information that will change the balance of power in the Kingdoms. With La-mar’s help, Captain Cam finds himself and his ships back in the King’s chess game. This time it’s with more than one King and Kingdom playing, and they’re playing for blood. When they kill some of Cam’s friends, he spoils their chessboard when he starts playing by his rules of fang and claw.

     In Mark of the Cat, Andre Norton presents a novel of magic and adventure- the unforgettable story of a boy’s journey of discovery, from trial to triumph. Hynkkel, commanded by his father to travel into the unknown in a test of survival, starts out with almost nothing, but the red-gold sandcat pendent worn around his neck as a reminder of his slain cat. His trek will bring him to a cave where he will enter the secret world of the cat…to a trail that will mark his destiny. In Year of the Rat, we find the natural water sources of the five queendoms of the Outer Region drying up. Hynkkel, not fully recovered from his previous trials, must now find a way to stop this loss and recover the missing water. To do so he must first find out who, or what, is causing the water loss and where it is going. When he and Murri, his sandcat, set out on their journey they make another, even more startling discovery. A being of ancient evil has returned and has brought with it, hoards and hoards of deadly desert rats, bent on one thing – to destroy the queendoms one by one. Can Hynkkel both find the missing water and stop the rats before all succumb to the Year of the Rat?

    The name of the series is Magium: The Mage Tournament. The individual books of the series do not have names. They only have numbers. Now that this has been cleared up, let us continue with the description of the series' story: Barry is an ordinary guy, with no magical powers whatsoever, who dreamed of becoming a mage for the better part of his life. After dedicating his whole life to studying magic, in the hopes of fulfilling his dream, he finally finds a way to do it. However, in order to become a mage, he must first win a deadly free-for-all tournament against the most powerful mages in the world. The fantasy world that the story takes place in is inspired by Dungeons and Dragons and by classic RPG games such as Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age and Skyrim. The story of Magium starts at the beginning of the tournament, right after Barry and all the other participants are magically teleported to the continent where the contest is taking place. The winner of the competition will be given access to the Magium, which is thought to be the source of all magic. The tournament takes place on a continent hidden from the rest of the world, where there are mythical creatures like dragons and hydras, but also remnants of an old and technologically advanced civilization, whose magically powered devices are still being used in the present day. Due to his lack of magical abilities, Barry will be forced to use one such device, called a stat booster, which absorbs the magical energy around it and converts it into stat points. By leveling up stats such as Speed, Reflexes and Premonition, Barry will gain supernatural abilities that will help him survive against all the experienced mages that are also participating in the tournament. As the series progresses, Barry will meet with other participants, he will make friends and enemies, and he will gradually find out more about the continent he is on, and its inhabitants. He will find out that a person called "The Creator" had established several utopias in this place, six hundred years ago, where animals and humans lived in harmony, and food was created through magic. What Barry will get to see through his travels, however, is the downfall of these utopias, some of them being on the brink of destruction. As he begins to get involved with the people of this land, Barry will need to decide if he can simply ignore what is happening before his eyes, or if he will intervene, at the risk of being banned from the tournament, and forfeiting his dream. Credits for the magic ball image on the cover go to Agnes Landgraf.

    Unfortunately, the Bispham is on duty, and he's taken exception to the Rove Captain and his men."Master of the Winds," by Sharon Lee follows two hopeful young people during their test to become the Kitemaster's apprentice. Only one can succeed.Lee and Miller join forces in "Candlelight," the story of a family-by-intent, and the craft that holds them together.

     Xavier Drake is already an adult when he first travels to Civitas with his grandparents, Aaron and Keira Drake, to track down the source of some disturbing rumors. A chance encounter with Evelyn Talbot, sent to the city to live with an aging uncle, presents Xavier with an unexpected opportunity to discover more about the whispers spreading through the city, but the threat is more ominous than either Aaron or Xavier could have anticipated. The resulting events will reverberate through the entire clan, leaving none untouched, least of all Xavier.

    Instead, he and Hrym live a high life as scoundrels, pulling cons and parting the weak from their gold. When a mysterious woman invites them along on a quest into the frozen north in pursuit of a legendary artifact, it seems like a prime opportunity to make some easy coin—especially if there’s a chance for a double-cross. Along with a hooded priest and a half-elven tracker, the team sets forth into a land of monsters, bandits, and ancient magic. As the miles wear on, however, Rodrick’s companions begin acting steadily stranger, leading both man and sword to wonder what exactly they’ve gotten themselves into...From Hugo Award-winner Tim Pratt, author of City of the Fallen Sky, comes a bold new tale of ice, magic, and questionable morality set in the award-winning world of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game.

    In matters of wealth, culture and technology, it is the envy of a fast-changing world.In these times of conventional prosperity, the people of Voulhire are struggling for a national identity. Faith, science, and magic— each in their own jealous way— offer promises of a perfect world. Each offer an identity to those uncertain of their purpose.But a darkness lingers about the kingdom of Voulhire, this tiny continent adrift in an envious world, filled with powerful people who have plans of their own.In these uncertain times, an immigrant has arrived from a war-torn land, eager to repay the opportunity his new home has given him.As the people around him endure the rising tensions, they can only dream of what their nation will one day mean to the world. But they cannot possibly imagine what this immigrant will one day mean to them.

    Death Devours: With the threat of the First now behind her, Natalie Pierce has little time to celebrate before yet another problem arises. By killing the first vampire ever made, she inadvertently set his ancient enemies free. Ten withered, starving creatures have now been unleashed from forty thousand years of forced entombment.Only Natalie and her vampire kin have the strength and speed to eradicate the inundation of fledgling undead that are about to rise. The last thing Nat ever wanted to do was rule but destiny cannot be denied. In her role as Mortis, she must bring her kin together or the entire human population will be destroyed. Somehow, she must find a way for the Japanese and European vampire nations to put aside their ancient enmity and work together for a common cause.Death Betrays: Having destroyed a horde of fledgling vampires with the help of her friends and allies, Natalie Pierce’s hunt still isn't over. Their foe has fled from Africa with the intention of creating a new army of undead slaves to turn the human race into their cattle. Nat begins to feel uneasy about the fragile alliance between the Japanese and European vampire nations as well as the truce they have with the human soldiers. Both she and Kokoro know that death and darkness awaits their kind. A betrayal is coming that will tear their alliances apart. Their fate has been decided but neither yet knows exactly how or when their dwindling species will be decimated. Death Banishes: Evicted from their own world by the humans that they had twice saved, Natalie Pierce and her few remaining kin float in the void of space inside the ship that has become an icy tomb. Rescue comes in the form of an alien spacecraft and Nat and her friends are soon facing adversaries that they have never encountered before. Their dwindling species is on the brink of extinction and it quickly becomes apparent that their new enemies would be only too happy to finish them off once and for all.

     This Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department box set gives you 7 full novels and three bonus short stories, all filled with action-packed, hilarious adventure! Ian Dex is a genetically engineered man who has abilities from all classes in the spectrum. He's also the chief of the Las Vegas Paranormal Police Department (PPD). His job is to monitor all supernaturals and their involvement in the world of normals. Book 1: The Merging A new breed of supernaturals has turned up and they're a lot tougher to deal with than your run-of-the-mill vampires and werewolves. These are larger, tougher, and stronger...and they laugh at wood and silver bullets. Book 2: Grave Creatures An old necromancer has been summoning the dead. His goal is to overrun the world, one city at a time. Too bad he started in Vegas. Book 3: Blood Bane Tower Ian Dex is no stranger to dealing with death, destruction, and mayhem. But there's something entirely different about chasing a fang-wielding vampire and staring down the throat of a dragon. Even worse is when that dragon is hovering over you on the edge of the Badlands, right next to the entrance of hell. Book 4: London Growl There is a new uberwolf who has taken over the werewolves of London and he's bent on proving that he is the most powerful creature in all of the supernatural community. Book 5: Swarm of Fire A foul-mouthed pixie has hit the streets in Vegas to stir up trouble. He's tiny, angry, and full of magic dust. His primary goal is to wreak as much havoc as possible on the tourists and casinos Book 6: Curse of Fangs When Las Vegas Paranormal Police Chief Ian Dex is injected with a healthy dose of vampire venom, he gains access to power like he's never known. He's faster, stronger, and his ability to do magic is on the rise, too. Book 7: Clash of Flames Four amalgamites are searching for their brother and they're willing to kill the cops in the Las Vegas PPD to get to him. Bonus 1: The Bleeding Even Ian Dex had to go through cadet training in the Netherworld PPD. Bonus 2: The Chief Ian wasn't always the chief of the Vegas PPD. Here's how he got there. Bonus 3: Blind Date Ian's crew sets him up on a blind date. It was was going fantastically well...until she got kidnapped. The Paranormal Police Department has delighted thousands of readers with action, adventure, outrageous (and often offensive) comedy, and tons of snark. Grab your badge and join the legion of fans who keep begging for more...

     The Earth is in ruins. Cities and nations destroyed. Those who survive the onslaught succumb to the cold blackness of winter. A handful of machines finally emerge into the light, lost and directionless. They are the last remnants of civilisation. Brant is a synthetic - a machine who has the appearance and emotions of the humans who made him. He is hunted across the wasteland by cruel scavengers known as Marauders who are intent on cannibalising his body to prolong their own lives. Brant carries a great burden as he tries to return home: a secret that can change the world. Against the unforgiving desert, the twisted denizens of this new world and his own dark past he needs to find a way back at any cost.

    With Hidden Things, author Doyce Testerman immediately takes his place alongside Neil Gaiman, Kim Harrison, and Melissa Marr by viewing modern-day America through a glass darkly and transforming our mundane world into a place where unseen monsters and paranormal beings have long inhabited the shadows. Among the Hidden Things in Testerman’s exceptional first novel are goblins, dragons, a road-weary clown, and creatures that have never been categorized, joining a smart, tough, courageous female protagonist on a wild cross-country thrill ride that readers will never forget.

    Geometric patterns spread across the skin, until you die in agony, or become a Carrier, doing the bidding of an evil intelligence, the Pattern Master. Anyone showing the tell-tale marks is put to death; that is Emperor Beyon's law...but now the pattern is running over the Emperor's own arms. His body servants have been executed, he ignores his wives, but he is doomed, for soon the pattern will reach his face. While Beyon's agents scour the land for a cure, Sarmin, the Emperor's only surviving brother, awaits his bride, Mesema, a windreader from the northern plains. Unused to the Imperial Court's stifling protocols and deadly intrigues, Mesema has no one to turn to but an aging imperial assassin, the Emperor's Knife. As long-planned conspiracies boil over into open violence, the invincible Pattern Master appears from the deep desert. Only three people stand in his way: a lost prince, a world-weary killer, and a young girl from the steppes who once saw a path in a pattern -- a path that might save them all.

    The gods were supposed to preside over Creation with unmatched wisdom and knowledge. Well, that was the idea. But what is Death – a god of terrible majesty and splendour – supposed to do when his daughter asks for a pony? Is he really supposed to just go out and get a mortal one? Like that’s going to work. It’ll keel over and die in a couple of decades. No, his daughter deserves something better, a pony truly worthy of her divine heritage, which means he’s going to have to get a little bit creative. And then there’s Bureaucracy. The Supreme Mother and Supreme Father might have given rise to Creation, but Bureaucracy is the one who has to keep everything running smoothly. But that’s easier said than done when there are hundreds of gods and countless mortals to consider – none of whom understand the importance of filing paperwork in triplicate. Luckily, not even gods can escape the awesome power of divine paperwork. And let’s not forget gods like Mayhem, Mischief, and Rabble. Their names speak for themselves. When the three of them take a holiday in the mortal world at the same time, trouble is right around the corner. Divine Assistance is a collection of fourteen short stories about the gods and their attempts to manage Creation. There are souls to claim, mortals to woo, and even the occasional city to smite. After all, what’s life without a little divine assistance?

    The Winter God has gone mad, dragging the world into an eternal blizzard. Can a band of strangers fulfill a broken prophecy or will the prophecy break them and all they hold dear?