But while his mother can walk the Path of Verdure (to make plants grow faster) and his grandfather the Path of Ash (to move the earth around), Hei Louw is just unable to cultivate Qi in his core and has to make do with his limited abilities. And so the three of them are tending the fields one afternoon, bickering as usual, when they see a black fog descend upon them from the sky. They try to protect themselves from this thing, but the dark miasma kills everything it comes in contact with. As it turns out, every living organism—be it animal, plant or man—that was able to cycle the ambient Qi is slain on the spot. Now alone on his mountain, in a strange world that keeps on mutating, Hei Louw the Qi-cripple has to fend for himself and use his knowledge of plants to survive. Taking it one day at a time, he manages to build a small hut and slowly recreate some semblance of normalcy. However, one night, as he’s eating by the fire, he’s attacked by some monstrosity that seems to have been affected in disturbing ways by what he has come to call the ‘Blight’. Right away he knows that he will be no match for the corrupted beast which is larger, stronger and much more fearsome than the dog it used to be. His life hanging by a thread, Hei Louw decides to go for broke: he opens up his core to the Blight and lets the foul poison fill him up. That suffices to grant him enough power to best the beast. And thanks to his condition as a Qi-cripple, he manages to eject the Blight from his core before it has a chance to reduce him to a pile of rotting meat. That night, Hei Louw makes a promise to himself; he will turn that former weakness of his into absolute power. And so he embarks on a journey to test and master this new ability. He will use the Blight just like former cultivators used Qi, and learn to walk a new, Broken Path. But if the corrupted dog was only one of many dangerous beasts lurking within the mountains, and Hei Louw sets on a mission to hunt them down, he must beware. The mutated creatures are not the sole threat to his existence. Not only can the Blight kill him if he’s not cautious, the vile substance has a tendency to infest the mind and turn people crazy. That will reveal to be all the more problematic when Hei Louw finally stumbles upon other survivors…

     Brand is the youngest bodyguard to ever protect the king, but he may never grow any older. A horde of mankind’s ancient enemies lays siege to Cardoroth city. During the day, the clang of blades, the mad shrieks of the foe and the hiss of swift-flighted arrows cuts the air. At night, the sorcerous chanting begins. Brand ignores it all. His one duty is to guard the king. But the realm teeters on the brink of destruction and the king knows that his bodyguard, touched by fate in ways that neither of them understand, is the only man with the skills to save it. He asks Brand to undertake a last-chance quest to save all that they love. Brand accepts the mission. Soon, enemies track him across strange lands, beasts of foul magic stalk him and an emissary of evil hunts him. Amid it all, he meets a beautiful but deadly girl who aids him – for reasons of her own. She knows secrets that she will not tell, but she does reveal that more is at play than just the fate of kings and realms. Ancient forces, drenched in long-forgotten blood, seek to plunge the world into the dark. The odds pile against him, but not for nothing was he the king’s last hope. This boxed set contains the entire Durlindrath trilogy.

    Traveling to Saltwater's Weep is a dangerous journey. A powerful coterie of adventurers led by the Warlord rules the city. Their dark fingers extend throughout and nothing is as it seems.Taking his time to plan his attack, Jace seeks to gain control of new allies and servants before he sets out on his Quest. Join him as he takes new lovers, fulfills new temptations and gains in immortal power. Watch villains creep from the sidelines with agendas of their own. Can a fledgling Incubus survive in a dangerous world when might makes right?Contains Explicit Content that is meant for 18+ readers, may not be suitable for everyone.

    

    He managed to escape his captivity, but he still yearns for revenge against his previous captors.What he doesn’t know, is things in Nysten are going to take a wild and unexpected turn for the worse. His descendent Jenny isn’t the only one in for a hard time. If that wasn’t enough trouble, he’s about to learn that humans aren’t the only danger to his existence. He’ll learn a new lesson, if he manages to survive being… Besieged.Warning: This book contains adult situations and just a few explicit sex scenes. This is the second book of a trilogy.

    Zhong Yue now finds himself at the border that leads to a world outside of the familiar Great Wilderness. Seeing his people suffering at the hands of the monster race, how will Zhong Yue respond? Will he answer with metal and blood? Or will he use a more delicate approach to strike at their hearts from within?

    In their place, an iron-fisted empire has arisen, one that has finally brought order to the war-torn lands. An empire that has outlawed magick for anyone but itself.At last, it seems that peace has come to Emaneska. Or, that is what the emperor would have Emaneska believe. On the fringes of the Arkan Empire, a different story is being written. Those who show magick talent must join the empire, live as an outlaw, or hang for their crimes.The Last War is still being fought, homestead by homestead, and a young peasant girl is about to be thrust into the violent world that exists beneath the lies of empire.Welcome back to Emaneska.

    There are demons and dragons, magic swords and wizards plus a woodland nymph who will steal your heart, a girl who can fly and some different sorts of knights.

    This power leaves him with newfound responsibilities, and problems, as he struggles to keep important promises to those around him and those long gone as the world around him begins a slow, painful descent into chaos and darkness as demons begin roaming the lands for the first time in an Age. Wes's power might just be able to make the difference and save everyone, but he's just one boy. Beyond demons and darkness, Wes has to come to terms with the fear that magic, especially his own immense new power invokes in the people of the Kingdom of Strata, as well as the class system that leaves the nobility towering over those they deem beneath themselves. Even if he manages to save the Kingdom, and those around him, will he still be a good person when all is said and done?

    Instead, she decided to end it all. Using long forgotten dark magic, she summons sinister forces to eliminate her rival Sages and reshape the world to her liking.Life in the Spirit Wilds is peaceful, tranquil, and safe. Tuni Teal-eye wants more. After apprenticing herself to the Green Sage, she joins the power struggle between near-immortal Sages.Dorrick Vane spent his life working to make his father proud and become a Knight of the Red Flame. When the intervention of Tuni and the Green Sage leads to a tragic first mission, he’s exiled from the knighthood by the Knight Commander himself. His father.Tuni and Dorrick will have to put the past behind them so they can fight back against the Sage ultimately responsible for upending their lives. If they fail, the entire world will pay the price.If you enjoy magical worlds and unforgettable characters, you don't want to miss this epic adventure from bestselling author Jada Fisher.

    A nice safe profession that let him stay behind the town's walls. His mother had other ideas, however. She insisted that he follow in his father's footsteps and become the town's greatest hunter, and as such she refused any and all apprenticeships he tried to secure. Sebastian's one solitary hope was that he possessed magic, and would be accepted into the Mage's Guild as a novice. Sometimes life gives you what you wish for, but in a way you never saw coming.

    Don't let anyone tell you different.My name is Shyla Crowe, and I'm in hock to a demon I never met. My father started me off early, robbing magical antiquities from rich bastards. Thieving was the family business, and business was humming.Until my father got himself dragged to the pits of Hell. Now the only thing staving off his eternal torment is a monthly cash delivery to my new devil employer.Fortunately, not all hellions are evil, and thanks to an old family grimoire, I have the power to summon them. So I'm flush with enemies, sure, but I also have a few friends, like a furry know-it-all gremlin and my staunch gargoyle familiar.Summoning, like thieving, is about tools, technique, and team, and I've got them in spades. So it's only a matter of time until I work my father free.It's a good plan until the discovery of an ancient relic uncovers a sinister plot, rigged from the start. Turns out, I'm not fighting for my freedom... I'm fighting for my destiny.

    Collectively they include explicit violence, explicit sex, explicit language, explicit economic discontent, sorcery, lies, fluff, breaking and entering, premeditated public indecency, analysis of adult film, impersonation of a cow, angel gossip, punching, kicking, stabbing, shooting, defenestration, casual sex, assertive sex, sex in a stranger’s office, sex under the table, awkward shopping encounters, unsafe starship hallways, a jerk throwing a rock at a cat, the same jerk getting stomped for it, outdated sports merchandise, kidnapping, intimidation, judgmental peers, college hook-ups, persistent enabling, incomplete college notes, polyamory talk, hiding things from Mom, Tacoma traffic, snarky book titles, price gouging, the social and emotional trauma of a superior sense of smell, sorcerous inadequacy, rampant speculation, orc civics lessons, passive aggression, insubordination, ambushes, abusive leadership, misuse of medical equipment, betrayal, conspiracy, corruption, looting, espionage, baiting, social engineering, running in socks, weaponized shrooms, home invasion, a surprise snake, and failure to disclose the cult origins of used furniture.

    In Almost Damned, little does Sam know that his most challenging cases are all leading up to one monumental trial, in which he will lay before the Court the visceral complexities of good vs. evil.As Sam navigates his cases in Bennet County, it becomes increasingly apparent that his clients-old and new-are surprisingly interconnected, especially when old clients rise from the dead. Literally. He and his office are besieged by death threats and mysterious invitations, each one a clue that compels him to dig deeper into his own past. With each new discovery, Sam leads himself and his team deeper into a nether world in an attempt to bring redemption to his toughest clients of all-the descendants of the biblical Fallen Angels who have been walking the earth as humans for centuries, unable to find peace.

    0 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more – everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of Dead Witch Walking. This detailed literature summary also contains Topics for Discussion on Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison.