Even the prospect of access to the Royal Library doesn’t seem enough to make up for her sacrifice, but Alison is prepared to do her service to the Crown. What she’s not prepared for is Prince Anthony North, Queen Zara’s playboy brother, who’s accustomed to getting what he wants—including the Countess of Waxwold.When the fallout from an unfortunate public encounter throws the two of them together, Alison has no interest in becoming the Prince’s next conquest. But as the weeks pass, Alison discovers there’s more to Anthony than she—or he—realized, and their dislike becomes friendship, and then something more—until disaster drives Alison away, swearing never to return.Then Alison is summoned by the Queen again, this time to serve as Royal Librarian. A threat to Tremontane’s government, with her treasured Library at stake, draws Alison into the conflict…and into contact with Anthony once more. Can they work together to save the Royal Library and Tremontane? And can she open her heart to love again?

    What awaits them are beasts - huge, hairy and fanged, the Alma, who will not suffer intruders in their domain. When the Vikings slaughter a female Alma they soon find themselves in the middle of a battle with vicious creatures bent on bloody revenge. Now they must stand and be counted, for destiny awaits in the mountains, where the hairy ones dance.Praise for BerserkerI highly recommend Berserker to anyone looking for a fast, fun and exciting horror story that is as well-written as it is original. - SCOTT WHITMOREThe narrative crashes over you like a tidal wave, punches you like a mailed fist, and carries you along with joyful, gory abandon. This book is meant to be consumed with gusto.-INNSMOUTH FREE PRESS...maintains a delicate balance between character development, plot and brutal action. BERSERKER is an intelligent, fast-paced pulp fantasy novel! William Meikle writes to turns conventions on their heads. - PAGE HORRIFICOnce again Willie Meikle has crafted a first class adventure story, the narrative rushes along like a Viking longboat caught in a strong tailwind. That's not to say that Willie skimps on characterisation and plot. The story is peppered throughout with Viking mythology which adds to the reading enjoyment. Not that there was any doubt that this was going to be a great read, I mean Vikings verses Yeti, you know that's going to be a killer book. - GINGER NUTS OF HORROR

    Now the gods need her to save the world!Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis—who holds Daphne's brother's fate in her hands—upends the life she's worked so hard to build. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus, and if Daphne cannot find them, the gods' waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother's life will be forfeit.Guided by Artemis's twin—the handsome and entirely-too-self-assured god Apollo—Daphne's journey will take her from the labyrinth of the Minotaur to the riddle-spinning Sphinx of Thebes, team her up with mythological legends such as Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons, and pit her against the gods themselves.A reinterpretation of the classic Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, Daughter of Sparta, by debut author Claire M. Andrews turns the traditionally male-dominated mythology we know into a heart-pounding and empowering female-led adventure.

    At least not beyond the opulent walls of the opera house.Cast into a well at birth for being one of the magical few who can manipulate memories when people sing, she was saved by Cyril, the opera house’s owner. Since that day, he has given her sanctuary from the murderous world outside. All he asks in return is that she use her power to keep ticket sales high—and that she stay out of sight. For if anyone discovers she survived, Isda and Cyril would pay with their lives.But Isda breaks Cyril’s cardinal rule when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy who throws her quiet, solitary life out of balance. His voice is unlike any she’s ever heard, but the real shock comes when she finds in his memories hints of a way to finally break free of her gilded prison.Haunted by this possibility, Isda spends more and more time with Emeric, searching for answers in his music and his past. But the price of freedom is steeper than Isda could ever know. For even as she struggles with her growing feelings for Emeric, she learns that in order to take charge of her own destiny, she must become the monster the world tried to drown in the first place.

    He is Corpse-maker and Life-quencher, the Bringer of Night, the Son of the Wolf and Brother of the Serpent. He is Grimnir, and he is the last of his kind--the last in a long line of monsters who have plagued humanity since the Elder Days.Drawn from his lair by a thirst for vengeance against the Dane who slew his brother, Grimnir emerges into a world that's changed. A new faith has arisen. The Old Ways are dying, and their followers retreating into the shadows; even still, Grimnir's vengeance cannot be denied.Taking a young Christian hostage to be his guide, Grimnir embarks on a journey that takes him from the hinterlands of Denmark, where the wisdom of the ancient dwarves has given way to madness, to the war-torn heart of southern England, where the spirits of the land make violence on one another. And thence to the green shores of Ireland and the Viking stronghold of Dubhlinn, where his enemy awaits.But, unless Grimnir can set aside his hatreds, his dream of retribution will come to nothing. For Dubhlinn is set to be the site of a reckoning--the Old Ways versus the New--and Grimnir, the last of his kind left to plague mankind, must choose: stand with the Christian King of Ireland and see his vengeance done or stand against him and see it slip away?Scott Oden's A Gathering of Ravens is an epic novel of vengeance, faith, and the power of myth.

    From the chronicles of the History Channel's truly epic series comes a new saga of glory and plunder! A brand new graphic novel featuring Ragnar, Lagertha and their legendary kin!

    Not on any fun planet either, we're in the wilderness.When a huge, rough-scaled beast with enormous wings swoops down from the sky, I'm pretty sure I'm about to become his meal.But the dragon barbarian looks at me with a smoldering fire in his eyes. My knees buckle under his gaze and at the sight of his hard muscles that stretch over his massive body.I know what he wants. Me. And not for lunch.HazeAs future Chieftain of my clan, and with the burden of my upcoming arranged marriage hanging over my head, I don't have time to involve myself with human refugees.But this tiny, round, and soft female is so alluring -- I just can't leave her. Even though taking her to my home is asking for trouble.I'm revered and respected. She's defiant from the start. No one in my tribe dares to disobey me. Yet, she challenges me constantly, and it's this rebellious fire in her that I can't resist.Keeping her will end in disaster for my tribe and my wedding plans, but I don't think I can let her go.She must be MINE.**This book was previously published as Alien Dragon's Hunt. This edition has added and edited content.**HAZE is a full-length standalone sci-fi alien romance. If you love reading books that feature possessive alien dragons from barbarian planets and feisty human heroines who aren't afraid to fight for what they want, you'll adore this novel! No cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happily ever after guaranteed!

    Miss Sophia Landon is the daughter of an impoverished clergyman. Her father’s health is failing fast, but who wants to marry a woman without birth, beauty or wealth? Her prospects are limited indeed - until her friendship with the town’s fae denizens earns her passage to the otherworldly realm of Aylfenhame. Could her fate truly lie beyond the shores of England?There she meets Aubranael, a young man with a warm heart and a ruined face. In Sophy he sees the answer to his loneliness, but how can a disfigured Ayliri hope to win her heart? When a mysterious witch offers him the temporary gift of beauty, he eagerly accepts: and so begins an adventure that could change his life, and Sophy’s, forever.

    And then, very suddenly and without warning, there were three. Even though the fourth person hadn't made any noise at all in several months, the room got very quiet when she was gone. For a long time after that, we sat in silence, in the dark, each of us wondering what this meant for her and for us, and which of us would be the next in the box.NEVER GET IN THE CARFor years, best friends Sarah and Jennifer kept what they called the 'Never List': a list of actions to be avoided, for safety's sake, at all costs. But one night, they failed to follow their own rules.NEVER GO OUT ALONE AFTER DARKSarah has spent ten years trying to forget her ordeal. But now the FBI has news that forces her to confront her worst fears.NEVER TAKE RISKSIf she is to uncover the truth about what really happened to Jennifer, Sarah needs to work with the other women who shared her nightmare. But they won't be happy to hear from her. Because down there in the dark, Sarah wasn't just a victim.NEVER TRUST ANYONE

    Markland... Rand... Prince... Rose... and VIKINGS. Five of the bestselling authors in Historical Romance now bring you a collection of never-before published Viking tales unlike any other. If you like Vikings, and powerful romance, you'll not want to miss SIRENS OF THE NORTHERN SEAS. The pairing of Norsemen and wildflowers may seem an unlikely combination. Vikings evoke images of strong, sometimes brutish men who allow nothing to stand in their way as they journey to the ends of the earth. They're not normally associated with tender feelings.Wildflowers, however,conjure more personal and sentimental images. SIRENS OF THE NORTHERN SEAS brings together these two elements, seamlessly blended, into an unforgettably romantic collection. KINGDOM BY THE SEA by Kathryn Le Veque is a tale based on Edgar Allan Poe's poem "Annabel Lee". In this story, the Bluebell becomes the common thread between the hero and heroine in this deeply romantic and bittersweet tale of two warriors crossing paths in the midst of a Norse raid. In VIKING HEARTS by Violetta Rand, the Purple Saxifrage serves as a testament to the heroine’s Viking lineage and provides vital proof of her connection to a great Norse family. A VIKING'S PROMISE by Elizabeth Rose tells the tale of dainty blue Forget-Me-Nots carrying the weight of the hero's promise to his betrothed as he leaves for a raid across the sea. In THE BRIDE PRIZE by Emma Prince, the yellow Coltsfoot blossom signals the end of winter, but Emma’s hero and heroine must overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles before they can enjoy spring’s sweetness together. In Anna Markland's tale, BANISHED, a simple handful of Bluebells picked from a meadow by childhood sweethearts becomes a symbol and eventually an acknowledgement of a love long denied. Please enjoy these brand-new stories from these bestselling authors.

    While she is chafing against such suffocating traditions, a mysterious man purchases the neighbouring townhouse. Dr Drosselmeier is a charming but calculating figure who wins over the rest of the Stelle family with his enchanting toys and wondrous mechanisms. When Drosselmeier constructs an elaborate set for Marietta’s final ballet performance, she discovers it carries a magic all of its own. On the stroke of midnight on Christmas Eve, she is transported to a snowy forest, where she encounters danger at every turn: ice giants, shadow goblins and the shrieking mist all lurk amidst the firs and frozen waterfalls and ice cliffs. After being rescued by the butterscotch-eyed captain of the king’s guard, she is escorted to the frozen sugar palace. At once, Marietta is enchanted by this glittering world of glamorous gowns, gingerbread houses, miniature reindeer and the most delicious confectionary. But all is not as it seems and Marietta is soon trapped in the sumptuous palace by the sadistic King Gelum, who claims her as his own. She is confined to a gilded prison with his other pets; Dellara, whose words are as sharp as her teeth, and Pirlipata, a princess from another land. Marietta must forge an alliance with the two women to carve a way free from this sugar-coated but treacherous world and back home to follow her dreams. Yet in a hedonistic world brimming with rebellion and a forbidden romance that risks everything, such a path will never be easy.

    She's also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it's a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he's under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her--hopefully proving, once and for all, that she's as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.

    The tunic came off, revealing a long, lean, muscled torso, covered in tattoos. Snakes ran up and down his arms, his pecs and his shoulders. A skull blazed on his chest. Then he was pushing apart my legs, settling between my thighs, leaning over me. He smelled of smoke, leather and musk. It was terrifying, like being at the mercy of an animal.Falsely accused, Wynne is determined to clear her name. However, a trip to petition the Steward at Brighthelme turns disastrous when the Beasts, fearsome warriors from the frozen north, raze the city. When Wynne is carried away, she’s determined to regain her freedom but Rune, her captor, has other ideas. Beast is set in Prydain, an imaginary place that combines Anglo-Saxon England with Medieval England, the Teutonic Kingdom and the Viking Age. Note: this story contains kidnapping, dub-con and graphic violence. It is a standalone novel; no cliff-hangers.

    On the run, with adversaries on all sides and an endless journey ahead, Jinghua hatches a scheme to use the Kipchaks’ exile to return home, a plan that becomes increasingly fraught as her feelings for Khalaf evolve into a hopeless love.Jinghua’s already dicey prospects take a downward turn when Khalaf seeks to restore his kingdom by forging a marriage alliance with Turandokht, the daughter of the Great Khan. As beautiful as she is cunning, Turandokht requires all potential suitors to solve three impossible riddles to win her hand—and if they fail, they die.Jinghua has kept her own counsel well, but with Khalaf’s kingdom—and his very life—on the line, she must reconcile the hard truth of her past with her love for a boy who has no idea what she’s capable of ... even if it means losing him to the girl who’d sooner take his life than his heart.The Bird and the Blade is a lush, powerful story of life and death, battles and riddles, lies and secrets from debut author Megan Bannen.

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