Since she never did find the story she was looking for all those years ago, she decided to write it.In Book I of the trilogy, Tamras arrives in Merin's house to begin her apprenticeship as a warrior, but her small stature causes many, including Tamras herself, to doubt that she will ever become a competent swordswoman. To make matters worse, the Lady Merin assigns her the position of companion, little more than a personal servant, to a woman who came to Merin's house, seemingly out of nowhere, the previous winter, and this stranger wants nothing to do with Tamras.

    Harry Dresden is a wizard who knows firsthand that the everyday world is actually full of strange and magical things-most of which don't play well with humans. Part 1 of Storm Front Vol. 1: The Gathering Storm

    Faith and Magic.Grab yours and get ready, for the enemy is on the move.High fantasy and mighty conflicts go hand-in-hand. In great wars, armies rise to fight evil hordes and heroes struggle to push beyond their imperfections and save the day. These stories include more than just epic landscapes and characters…but also epic battles.Imagine a doctor struggling to identify the spy who has infiltrated his company’s ranks and poisoned his colleagues or a boy suspected of murder by a king yet protected by a princess as he helps her father against his own people. Imagine a butcher discovering that he’s called to lead an uprising, or a First Born knowing that she must betray her own in order to save humanity.The possibilities are endless, but at the heart they have this in common: soldiers—ordinary and otherwise–struggling against extraordinary odds to survive the day. They must withstand dark magic, dodge enemy blades, and defy the odds to survive SHATTERED SHIELDS."SHATTERED SHIELDS pays homage to one of the major sub-genres of science fiction and fantasy with a truly fine batch of stories by old pros and newcomers alike." - Mike Resnick, Hugo/Nebula Winning author of The Doc and The Dinosaurs"In Shattered Shields, editors Brozek and Schmidt bring together both fresh and seasoned voices in settings both familiar and new to fill up this powerhouse anthology with the noise of battle, the mumbling of spells and the heartache of war. I hope to see more from this editorial team in the near future." - Ken Scholes, Award-winning author of the Psalms of Isaak"An inventive and thought-provoking set of tales that capture the bravery and terrors of battle. Carries the banner of military fantasy proudly." – John Marco, author of The Bronze Knight SeriesTable of Contents:Ashes and Starlight (Runelords) by David Farland The Fixed Stars (October Daye) by Seanan McGuire The Keeper of Names by Larry Correia The Smaller We Are by John Helfers Invictus by Annie BelletRising Above by Sarah A. Hoyt A Cup of Wisdom by Joseph Zieja Words of Power by Wendy N. Wagner Lightweaver in Shadow by Gray Rinehart Hoofsore and Weary by Cat Rambo Vengeance (Frost) by Robin Wayne Bailey Deadfall by Nancy Fulda Yael of the Strings by John R. Fultz The Gleaners by Dave Gross Bonded Men by James L. Sutter Bone Candy (Black Company) by Glen Cook First Blood (Paksenarrion) by Elizabeth Moon

    Nicknamed Bessie, the Scottish Bride, she is an overnight celebrity as Christmas approaches.From the dusty vaults beneath the famed bookshops in Charing Cross Road, Shelley’s bibliophile aunt Liza receives crumbling volumes by post, while her friend Jack prefers brand-new books and his brand-new lover. When a small leather-bound book of spells arrives, Liza finds it repellent. But its arcane magic brings Bessie to life, and enthrals Shelley’s posh boyfriend Daniel – literally. It contains the quintessence of evil in the form of a dark bloodstain marking several pages: vampire blood.As Daniel’s power grows, everyone’s lives are infected. Soon the vicious vampire infestation rife in NYC threatens to spread to London – and only the Scottish Bride and her new friends can stop it…

    Taken to the Edge "TM" This setting has hot attitude and a hard-edged style. It deals with the multiverse -- all the planes of existence in the AD&D game. So, explore Sigil, the center of everything, and then take your adventures to the next level of reality -- and beyond

    But soon it’s discovered that Warwick killed dozens of people as he strove to perfect another improved Ticker for Penny, and he’s put on trial for mass murder. On the last day of Warwick’s trial, the Farthings’ factory is bombed, Penny’s parents disappear, and Penny and her brother, Nic, receive a ransom note demanding all of their Augmentation research if they want to see their parents again. Is someone trying to destroy the Farthings...or is the motive more sinister?Desperate to reunite their family and rescue their research, Penny and her brother recruit fiery baker Violet Nesselrode, gentleman-about-town Sebastian Stirling, and Marcus Kingsley, a young army general who has his own reasons for wanting to lift the veil between this world and the next. Wagers are placed, friends are lost, romance stages an ambush, and time is running out for the girl with the clockwork heart.

    A cynical, wise-cracking vampire charged with protecting the Balance between vampires and humans, he is part cop, part spy, and part commando -- James Bond with fangs. Lawson mixes shrewd cunning with unmatched lethality to get his job done. He tries his best to dismantle conspiracies, dispatch bad guys, and live long enough to get home.

    But nothing about this night - or this man - is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly and in that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed - a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite. Her future inextricably bound up with the black-haired stranger's, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction and the darkest pleasures of all...KISS OF CRIMSON: With one reckless, irresistible kiss, Dante binds Tess to himself for eternity...He comes to her more dead than alive, a huge black-clad stranger mortally wounded and rapidly losing blood. As she struggles to save him, vet Tess Culver is unaware that the man calling himself Dante is no man at all but one of the Breed, vampire warriors engaged in a desperate battle. But in a single erotically-charged moment Tess is plunged into his world - a shifting, shadowed place where bands of Rogue vampires stalk the night, cutting a swathe of terror.Haunted by visions of a dark future, Dante lives and fights like there is no tomorrow. Tess is a complication he does not need - and yet his touch has awakened in her hidden gifts and desires and a hunger she never knew she possessed... and bonded by blood, Dante and Tess must work together to overcome the deadliest of enemies.MIDNIGHT AWAKENING: He has resisted temptation for centuries - until he meets someone whose heart is as frozen as his...With a dagger in her hand and vengeance on her mind, Elise Chase prowls Boston's streets in search of retribution against the Rogue vampires who took from her everything she cherished. Using her psychic gift she stalks her prey, well aware that the power she possesses is destroying her. She must learn to harness this gift and for that she can turn to only one man - the vampire Tegan.Tegan is no stranger to loss and he knows fury, but when he slays his enemies it is with ice in his veins. He is perfect in his self-control - until Elise seeks his aid. An unholy alliance is forged, one which will plunge them into a tempest of danger, desire, and the darkest passions of the heart...MIDNIGHT RISING: In a world of shadows and consuming passions, desire is the deadliest weapon...Fuelled by pain and rage over a shattering betrayal, the warrior Rio has pledged his life to the war against the Rogues. He will let nothing stand in his way - least of all a mortal woman who carries a secret power. But now an ancient evil has been awakened and a new darkness is on the rise.For journalist Dylan Alexander, it began in Prague, where suddenly she is at the centre of a gathering storm of violence and secrets. But nothing is as dangerous as the scarred, lethally seductive man who appears from the shadows to plunge her into his world of dark desire and endless night. Very soon Dylan will have to choose: leave Rio's midnight realm, or risk everything for the man who has shown her infinite pleasures of the heart...

    Landing a teaching job alongside her lifelong secret crush makes it even more attractive. While the popular girls didn’t date guys like Ergan Wakefield in high school, there’s nothing stopping Kayla from giving it a shot now. Except her past. Ergan Wakefield knows Kayla Hayward is his true mate, and he thought he’d lost her forever when she left for Boston. When she lands back in Winter Valley, he jumps on the opportunity to realize their destiny. But fate has other ideas, and Ergan must find a way to fight the evil that threatens to ruin his chance at happiness. Ekton ~Mia Maybee arrives at Winter Valley University with one goal in mind - to discover the Silver Lake Wolves’ secret and secure her future as a renowned scientist. But she uncovers much more than that, and the truth teaches her lessons she didn’t know she had to learn. Ekton Wakefield isn’t surprised to find his true mate is a girl who loves science as much as he does. Unfortunately, her passion threatens his existence, and he’ll need to show her that his animal side is worthy of love. Esher ~Andi Thompson’s days are numbered. Her cancer is back with a vengeance, and her only hope for survival pumps through the veins of her ex-boyfriend, Esher Wakefield. Back in college the werewolf saved her with a vial of his blood. But Andi took her good fortune too far, and her actions nearly revealed the Silver Lake wolves for what they really are. Esher Wakefield is a successful pediatrician and respected member of his wolf pack. The only thing missing in his life is his true mate, Andi. Unfortunately curing her years ago jeopardized his very existence and forced them apart. When Andi comes to him as her last hope at survival, he knows he must save her. But cancer isn’t the only thing that threatens to take away the love of his life.

    She's on her honeymoon with a husband who isn't what he seems. They're both in the wacky world of New York Times bestselling author Katie MacAlister's paranormal Otherworld.On his first day of vacation, Jim ended up naked, alone, and banished to limbo. Things went downhill from there.In a wild ride through Finland with very non-Shakespearean Titania, double-dealing Oberon, and a plethora of militant nymphs bent on revenge, The Perils of Effrijim is loaded with quirky characters, a fast-paced story, and an adorable demon who just wants to be with his beloved.In Cat Got Your Tongue Joy Randall thought her honeymoon with husband Raphael was going to fulfill all her expectations, but almost immediately they run into a decades-old curse, a spurned ghostly first wife, and a long-dead randy Scottish Laird. As if the odd inhabitants of their castle wasn't enough, Joy finds she isn't going to get the honeymoon she deserves until she settles an ancient feud...which uncovers some pretty shocking secrets about her new husband.This collection of two short stories and assorted mini short pieces were published previously, and gathered here for the first time. The Perils of Effrijim collection also includes excerpts of the two books that launched the characters in the stories: You Slay Me and A Girl's Guide to Vampires.

    The 39 Clues - 1-11 Book Set - The 39 Clues Card Pack - The Maze of Bones - One False Note- The Sword Thief- Beyond The Grave - The Black Circle - 39 Clues 6: In Too Deep - 39 Clues 7: The Viper's Nest - 06 39 Clues 8 - 39 Clues 9: Storm Warning - 39 Clues 10: Into the Gauntlet - plus new 11th book Vespers rising

    That’s when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story Shawn could sell toward alleviating those bills—and suggested Shawn ask the same of his other friends.Unfettered is the result, an anthology built to relieve that debt, featuring short stories by some of the best fantasy writers in the genre.Every story in this volume is new and, like the title suggests, the writers were free to write whatever they wished. Authors contributing are -Walker and the Shade of Allanon by Terry Brooks (a Shannara tale)-Imaginary Friends by Terry Brooks (a precursor to the Word/Void trilogy)-How Old Holly Came To Be by Patrick Rothfuss (a Four Corners tale)-River of Souls by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson (a Wheel of Time tale)-The Old Scale Game by Tad Williams-Martyr of the Roses by Jacqueline Carey (a precursor to the Kushiel series)-Dogs by Daniel Abraham-Mudboy by Peter V. Brett (a Demon Cycle tale)-Nocturne by Robert V. S. Redick-The Sound of Broken Absolutes by Peter Orullian (a Vault of Heaven tale)-The Coach with Big Teeth by R.A. Salvatore-Keeper of Memory by Todd Lockwood (a Summer Dragon tale)-Game of Chance by Carrie Vaughn-The Lasting Doubts of Joaquin Lopez by Blake Charlton-The Chapel Perilous by Kevin Hearne (an Iron Druid tale)-Select Mode by Mark Lawrence (a Broken Empire tale)-All the Girls Love Michael Stein by David Anthony Durham-Strange Rain by Jennifer Bosworth (a Struck epilogue tale)-Unbowed by Eldon Thompson (a Legend of Asahiel tale)-In Favour with Their Stars by Naomi Novik (a Temeraire tale)-The Jester by Michael J. Sullivan (a Riyria Chronicles tale)-The Duel by Lev Grossman (a Magicians tale)-The Unfettered Knight by Shawn Speakman (an Annwn Cycle tale)and artist Todd Lockwood, who donated artwork as well as a story.With the help of stalwart friends and these wonderful short stories, Shawn has taken the gravest of life hardships and created something magical. Unfettered is not only a fantastic anthology in its own right but it’s a testament to the generosity found in the science fiction and fantasy community—proof that humanity can give beyond itself when the need arises.After all, isn’t that the driving narrative in fantasy literature?

    In the Fifth Millennium, there was no city larger or more corrupt than Illizbuah. The intrigues of its priests and lords, wizards, merchants and thieves were ancient and inbred and as formal as a dance. Here two homeless wanderers would set all their plans at naught and the city--and the world--would never again be the same.

    Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft begins the series, introducing Jane to her magical abilities – as well as to her sexy warder and her quirky, cat-like familiar. The story continues in Sorcery and the Single Girl, when Jane is invited to join her exclusive local Coven. Jane’s story moves on to Magic and the Modern Girl, when she discovers the consequences of letting her powers lie fallow for just a little too long. This omnibus edition contains bonus recipes related to the series!

    She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.Of course, some things are better left dead.