Against this tumultuous backdrop the lives of men and women unfold on the borderlands—where empires and faiths collide.  From the small coastal town of Senjan, notorious for its pirates, a young woman sets out to find vengeance for her lost family. That same spring, from the wealthy city-state of Seressa, famous for its canals and lagoon, come two very different people: a young artist traveling to the dangerous east to paint the grand khalif at his request—and possibly to do more—and a fiercely intelligent, angry woman, posing as a doctor’s wife, but sent by Seressa as a spy.   The trading ship that carries them is commanded by the accomplished younger son of a merchant family, ambivalent about the life he’s been born to live. And farther east a boy trains to become a soldier in the elite infantry of the khalif—to win glory in the war everyone knows is coming.   As these lives entwine, their fates—and those of many others—will hang in the balance, when the khalif sends out his massive army to take the great fortress that is the gateway to the western world...

    THE TRUE HEIR REMAINS HIDDEN. A ROGUE'S SECRET COULD CHANGE EVERYTHING.War has come to Melengar and once more Royce and Hadrian are hired to make a desperate gamble and form an alliance with the Nationalists whom are fighting the Imperialists in the south. As the power of the Nyphron Empire grows, so does Royce's suspicion that the wizard Esrahaddon is using the thieves as pawns in his own grab for power. To find the truth, he must unravel the secret of Hadrian's past--what he discovers may end their friendship and break Riyria in two.

    Two worlds. Last Chance. On the edge of a far frontier rests a place of gentle manners and common civility--Last Chance. Threats of war change all of that. A hero is needed. A Savior. Meet Aaron Turner, the unassuming man who runs the Last Chance General Store. He may not be all that they hoped for. The Turner Chronicles - Traitor - Betrayed - Pawn - Crusade

    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.

    Sam, a mysterious co-worker at The Daily Grind, seems to have taken an instant dislike to her, but for Cassie, the looming specter of the SAT Verbal section is a much bigger concern.After a freak accident nearly leaves Cassie and her co-workers dead, a spell cast in desperation transforms her from a regular teen to a valuable familiar: a magical well a demon can tap. As if she didn't have enough problems, now every demon (and their monstrous minions) seems to be after Cassie's latent magic, and will stop at nothing to possess her.Blending a hint of gothic romance with wry humor, The Problem With Black Magic is a tale of one young woman's struggle for independence in a brand new world of sorcery, intrigue, and wonder.

    Honus is a Sarf, a warrior dedicated to the service of the compassionate goddess, Karm. A Sarf's sole purpose is to serve a holy person called a Bearer. But Honus' Bearer has been killed by the minions of an evil god known only as the Devourer. Masterless and needing someone to bear his pack, Honus purchases Yim for the price of ten coppers—and their fates are forever entwined.

    Then a chance encounter led her to a better life. But it also brought her to danger and destiny. Because Kevla Bai-sha's fevered dreams - looming threats to their land and visions of dragons that had once watched over her people - held the promise of truth.Now Arukan - shadowed by mountains and myths - might be overcome by eternal darkness. Kevla, together with Jashemi-kha-Tahmu, rebel prince of the ruling household, would defy all law, all tradition, to embark on a daring quest for the half-forgotten elementals that will save the world.And so Kevla must sacrifice everything only to be reborn in dragon's flames.

    Revenge, lies and a deadly magical challenge When her parents were murdered eleven years ago, leaving her physically scarred during the event, dragon shifter Astri never learned the identity of their killer. That is until he appears to her in a nightmare. The powerful Duke Jorgen not only rules the city of Rivenna where she lives, he is also responsible for her parents’ death and for the disability she’s had to bear most of her life. When the chance arises for her to compete to become Duke’s assistant, she realises this is her opportunity for revenge. But everything in Astri’s world comes with a price. Can she overcome her disability and make Duke pay?

    Ever since he and his treasure-hunting friends struck it big and called it quits a decade back, it seems like things have slid downhill.It’s hard enough to scrape by in a sprawling mountain city in which elves and dwarves live higher than humans in every way. It’s worse at night, when the groans of the zombies laying an eternal siege to the city provide a ceaseless reminder that the Dragon Emperor himself is the only thing that keeps the hordes of hungry dead from storming the walls.When Max is called in to help invesigate the wholesale slaughter of a long-dead dwarf friend’s family, he thinks maybe he’s finally hit bottom. Then the love of his life — the elf who left him when their careers as adventurers ended — walks back through his door, desperate for his help and with nowhere else to turn.It’s not getting any easier. That’s for sure.Hard Times in Dragon City is the first novel in the Shotguns & Sorcery setting.

    The victim is a high ranking drug cartel member, and the leadership of the organization wants revenge. The mission is given to their most ruthless and effective assassin and the order is clear, track down and eliminate the killer. Matt Brunner, a former US Marine and Gulf War veteran becomes an accidental pawn in the cat and mouse game that follows, and has to use all his expertise and experience to stay alive. But is it enough? The cartel is powerful and has tentacles that reach far and deep, and very few people manage to escape its grip. Shock and Awe is the first installment of the Matt Brunner quadrilogy, which follows the protagonist as his life starts to spiral out of control. A fast paced action thriller that is guaranteed to get your heart pumping!

    A growing evil. To save her family, she'll have to embrace her magical destiny…Seventeen-year-old Eva hopes she can find a normal life at her new school. But when a mysterious book reveals she and her brother are powerful witches with an ill-fated destiny, she's angry at her parents and terrified for her future. And the one boy who seems able to comfort her may be the last person she can trust.With the tyrant mayor going to extreme lengths to crack down on witchcraft, Eva is forbidden to practice magic. But when his evil spreads into her family, Eva may have no choice but to unleash her powers laced with darkness.Can Eva protect her loved ones without sacrificing herself?The Witch Born to Ignite is the first book in the spellbinding Inferno YA witch fantasy series. If you like forbidden magic, simmering chemistry, and page-turning paranormals, then you'll love Tanya Milne's compelling supernatural tale.

    What do you get when you ask 34 of today's top indie authors to each submit a story and then ask a team of judges to scour that ore and pick out the gems? You get All These Shiny Worlds:A world of today, divided, black from white, good from evil, and held apart by the taste of a cookie.A world of griffons and glimmer bunnies, sassy llamas, and the magic of beer.A world of contemplation and serenity, of service and devotion, ruled by a jewel and guarded by children.Plus 12 more, for a total of 15 sparkling worlds to explore.From the brutal curators at ImmerseOrDie.com comes this collection of indie short stories, each a distinct jewel forged in the fires of judgment, and all carrying one simple promise:Guaranteed not to suck.

    Kaya is a political activist in a terrifying prison. They are pen pals. Em's wistful message in a bottle finds its way to Kaya, imprisoned above the molten lava of the Ruby Lake. Both are living precarious lives, at the mercy of societal, natural, and perhaps supernatural forces beyond their control. Kaya's letters inspire Em, and Em's comfort Kaya-but soon this correspondence becomes more than personal. Individual lives, communities, and even the fate of an entire nation will be changed by this exchange of letters. Pen Pal is a story of friendship and bravery across age, distance, and culture, at the intersection of the natural and supernatural world.

    Beasley, he discovers how sinister the world can be, what true friendship means, and that being a hero in 1959 may cost him his life. Grieving from his father's disappearance and his grandfather's death, Andy is nearly hopeless. The intrigue of the secret, and his friendship with Mr. Beasley, give him a renewed sense of purpose. But when the men who used to run with the local mob discover that Andy knows about the "secret", they come out of the shadows and a hunt for the evil truth begins.Andy finds himself fighting for his life, committed to his promise, and searching for answers in a house haunted by a one-handed witch.

    Kendrick the Cold, an infamous crusader turned fugitive, is a villain who knows he can never be a hero. Theron Ward, an aristocrat with a penchant for slaughtering monsters, is a legend in his own mind. When the kingdom of Brynth is threatened by a far greater evil, the unlikely trio must make a choice — seek to escape this land that cries for their execution or find the true heroes within themselves. And then, armed with fire and sword, march together against the forces of darkness. But will they be enough? Catacombs of Time In a world where the Rata Plaga and ghouls feast on the dead, doctor Gaige De’Brouillard believes science, not magic, conquers all. Even death is just an equation to be solved. When De’Brouillard is called upon by the Lord Regent to cure a curse and save one of the damned, he must battle for his career, his faith in science, and even his life. In the darkest slums and deepest catacombs, the doctor finds himself staring death in the eye with no scientific solution at hand. Has the doctor finally come across a question that science cannot answer, and will he pay with his life? The Pyres Theron Ward, Aldous Weaver and Kendrick the Cold must band together and fight again. This time, they are caught in the timeless clash of gods and demons, and led by the dark prophecy of dreams. A ruthless warlord, the Dog Eater, rises out of the rivers of blood from civil war. As friend and foe reach out from futures past, the three will see a city of white stone turn black with ash … and the only way forward is through the fire. One thing is certain, none of them will ever be the same. And one will be transformed in ways he never dreamed. Dare the three depend on the blood ties of the past to carry them through this terrible night? Read all the books in the Sword and Sorcery series! Fire and Sword (Volume 1) Catacombs of Time (Volume 2) I Remember My First Time (short story) The Pyres (Volume 3) Ice and Stone (Volume 4) As They Burn (Volume 5) Black Sun Moon (Volume 6)