It was not at all loud, but the sound a blade would make being slowly pulled from its scabbard. Many years spent in the woods listening to the ambient rhythms of nature had trained his ears to pick up such out of place sounds. His body reacted reflexively, without thought as though he had done so thousands of times before. He jumped back off the steps just in time to see the glint of a sword slice past were his head was and thunk into the railing. He touched the pummel of his sword, feeling the energy surge through him and was about to pull it free when something within urged him to stop. Before he could decipher the reason for this impulse, the dark form leapt down at him. He ducked back, just far enough to let a second blade wisp by his face. The first was still lodged in the railing. This dodge put him in close to his attacker, making it possible for him to easily strike a deadly blow, but again something inside gave him pause. And then, in the soft glow of a nearby lantern, he caught a glimpse of his attacker, and she was absolutely beautiful.”Choices, we all make them, every day moment by moment. What most people do not realize is how a simple choice could very well alter their own life and those of everyone around them greatly. What would you do if you were blessed with the curse of being able to see evil and how they manipulate those around you? Would you choose to run in fear, ignore what you have just seen, or fight against something that no one else can see, and therefore limits their belief? Lucian was chosen to be such a man, much to his dismay. On a path of vengeance he strikes out to find a murderer, unknowing that the world around him is at the brink of war. He pushes on through pain, treachery, despair and even death, only to receive a Revelation that shows him what could very well become the future of his world, and it terrifies him. He is given the ability to see the creatures of shadow, set to destroy the world of the living and manipulate mankind into an evil existence. He is now faced with choices that would change the world forever. The pathways to his destiny are set, but he must choose to follow the correct path, for free will must always be heeded.

    But when Ilan, Terrac, and the Fists in their command enter Skeltai territory through a magic portal, they find themselves in more danger than they bargained for. Their only hope of returning home alive may lie in sacrificing the thing Ilan values most -- her enchanted bow. * * * * *Book 5: Journey of Thieves -- Upon leaving Dimmingwood, Ilan thinks she has finally escaped the influence of her old enemy, the Praetor. But the secrets of her past catch up to her when she and her friends are trailed across the provinces by a mysterious assassin with a haunting connection to her childhood. * * * * *Book 6: Rule of Thieves -- Returning home, Ilan finds nothing is as she left it. After a year of peace, Skeltai raiders are once again threatening the province, even as the Dimmingwood thieves find themselves betrayed by the praetor. From within the castle in Selbius Ilan must guard against an unknown enemy plotting her assassination, while uncovering a mage's secret that could help her protect the province. When old friends turn against her, will a new alliance prove powerful enough to defend against the dark magic of the enemy? Or will the coming battle be Ilan's last? --- Books 1, 2, and 3 sold separately --

    An army of darkness marches from the north, crushing all who oppose it under its muddy black boot. The drums of war echo throughout Kraawn as the struggle between light and dark teeters in the balance, fueled on the one hand by the greed of the Forsworn, and on the other by the ultimate desire for all that is good to survive.Tarsis, the last city in the north, is laid waste, decimated by Malbeck’s army. Kromm, the King of Tarsis, battles for his life as the dark hunters of Malbeck relentlessly pursue him through the Tundren Mountains. His mighty army has been destroyed and its remnants are now scattered throughout the lands. But he is not alone. He is surrounded by his elite guard, along with Addalis, his court wizard, and Allindrian, the half-elf Blade Singer. But will that be enough to thwart that which hunts him?The road to Finarth is now open and few are left to stop the Dark One. The hope of the land rests in the combined power of its last remaining heroes. Jonas Kanrene, cavalier to Shyann, has been given his next mission. He must find King Kromm and bring him to Finarth. The bow of Taleen, cavalier to Bandris, and the sword of Fil Tanrey, warrior of Finarth, accompanies Jonas on this perilous task. Their quest is fraught with death, sacrifice, and courage. But will their courage see them through their mission? Can Jonas and his companions prevail against the Forsworn and protect the king? These are questions that can only be answered by the strength of their blades, and more importantly, the courage in their hearts.

    Our insatiable desire for greatness is shadowed only by our overwhelming hatred for complacency. Whether for fame or fortune, aware of it or not, we strive for the highest rung only for our grasp to instantly crave the next ladder. Yet still we reach, for the void must always be filled. Seventeen-year-old Alrin Turner lives in a place where power is everything, and pursuing it is the only thing that seems to ebb the burning desire. Each person is born with three numbers on their hand that show the might of their strength, magic and intellect, so seeing the full extent of one’s power is as simple as glancing in the mirror. In a world teeming with such illustrious competition, qualities like kindness and humility are in short supply, and Alrin knows it all too well. He cares nothing of power and holds firm to the belief that there is more to life than what is found on your hand, despite the relentless insults he receives for it. While hunting in the woods with his brother, a selfless act forces Alrin off the edge of a cliff only for him to stop feet above the ground by a flash of brilliant light and a mysterious symbol that appears over his hand. The source of this power intrigues a sudden benefactor, who takes Alrin under his wing to train him in his magic guild—an honor never before given to someone so insignificant. When mighty warriors start to appear in his town, Alrin not only learns that the power that saved him has been sought out for thousands of years, but like it or not, he has fallen into a story much larger than himself. Everyone he loves is either taken or cursed and Alrin is faced with an impossible task: delve deeper into the realm of power to unlock the riddle of the void and save his family, yet somehow cling to the part of himself that was worthy of power at the start.

    In desperation, his master arranged for him to study at Heart's Eye University, a former school of magic that has become a university, a place where magicians and mundanes can work to combine their talents and forge the future together.But all is not well at Heart's Eye. The magical and mundane apprentices resent and fear each other, the teaching staff is unsure how to shape the university and, outside, powerful forces are gathering to snuff out the future before it can take shape. As Adam starts his new apprenticeship, and stumbles across a secret that could reshape the world, he finds himself drawn into a deadly plot that could destroy the university ..... And leave Lady Emily's legacy in flaming ruins.

    Not even that aversion, however, will prevent him from finding friends now lost in a land ravaged by strange powers. After all, it was his orders that sent them there.Together with his Sil'ath sword-brother, he retraces the steps of their friends to Keldrin's Landing, the barest toehold of civilization in a land fiercely resentful of the intrusion. They find the city besieged from without and within, swollen with refugees fleeing a countryside plagued by magical forces run amok.Saving a half-breed healer earns the enmity of a powerful man, but sets them on the trail of their missing friends. An enigmatic stranger bearing a name out of dark legend aids them for reasons of his own. A lone huntress dogs their steps, seeking vengeance against a monster from her past.Deeper into the heart of the darkness they go as they begin to uncover the true scope of the threat facing their world. Something is drawing the magic of the land away to the east by force, and blackest evil gathers in the spreading wasteland to the south, as ancient foes prepare to renew a titanic conflict.And no matter which prevails, the world will be destroyed.To save his friends and his world, Amric must unite a small band of misfits and lead them against the destruction of all. In so doing, he will be forced to confront the truth of his own origins, a past he has forgotten but which has never forgotten him.

    Silent. Deadly… Hunted.Recon Marine Conor McCall didn’t expect action during his training op in the icy waters off Norway. But when a bizarre summer fog engulfed his boat, he and his team found themselves in a pitched fight against strange, cruel monsters emerging from the coastal depths of the North Sea.That was just the beginning.Stranded in a barren land of mountains, glaciers, and black pines, far from home and unable to contact the world they came from, the Marines must prepare for war against murderous barbarians, wicked sorcerers, and foul creatures summoned from the oldest, deepest, and darkest pits of hell.When even their allies are enemies, the Recon Marines must do what they have always done: adapt or die. But with a world of ice and monsters seeking to destroy them, every second is mission-critical.

    Their way of life comes to a shocking halt with the smell of smoke. Ott's life plunges down a new path shared with a dragonet possessing a razor wit, a new master cloaked in secrets and mystery, and a destination that will change the world.If Ott can survive....Travel with Ott, Pat, Stain, Mophar, and others as they wander through a world of adventure, magic, and life lessons learned the hard way.

    But before she is ready to take her place, the unthinkable happens. Rhybac's king is dead; the kingdom is in chaos. War breaks out and their enemies out of the Sands are circling for the kill. She chooses to become a Qi'advisor, although still untried.As Qi'advisor to a duke, she must risk her life to negotiate with the greed, the treachery one of the dukes, and the desperation that fuels the war in order to reveal what others cannot or refuse to see. The fate of Rhybac, its people, and even its enemies are in her young hands.

    With the help of her mother, Akira flees her tyrannical father. However, her escape does not go as she planned and Akira finds herself among a group of warriors led by a dashing young leader who encourages her to fulfill her destiny on her own terms. This warrior will test Akira's will and spirit and force her to reconsider her opinions towards men. But Akira's father will stop at nothing to bring her back.

    But when a stranger offers him an unusual coin, he begins to understand alchemy a little better, and suddenly thinks that it could be a way to make a living after all.Marco’s problem is that fate doesn’t plan for his life to fit that plan, at least not at Algornia’s shop in the Lion City. An evil force is rising, and sending its destructive energy out to scour kingdoms and cities for some unknown purpose. Marco becomes an inadvertent pawn in the machinations of the evil, when he is caught up in the violence and drama of a Corsair raid, and taken away from everything – the Lion City, Algornia’s shop, even Constance the model.There are undreamt of allies and friends and opportunities though, and escape is possible. Starting over a new life is not quite as easy however, as Fate starts to hunt Marco down, demanding that he live up to the challenges that are thrown his way, as a champion begins to emerge to face the brunt force of evil.The Gorgon’s Blood Solution is the first volume in Alchemy’s Apprentice, a new fantasy series by Jeffrey Quyle.

    To date, this content has been curated from Wikipedia articles and images under Creative Commons licensing, although as Hephaestus Books continues to increase in scope and dimension, more licensed and public domain content is being added. We believe books such as this represent a new and exciting lexicon in the sharing of human knowledge. This particular book contains chapters focused on Novels by Charlaine Harris, and The Southern Vampire Mysteries.

    His closest friend and mentor, Vincent Raphael, was not so fortunate, and was killed in an explosion in Jordan.Six years later, Raphael is allegedly sighted in Istanbul. Reluctantly, Stroud is drawn back into a life that nearly destroyed him, and so begins a journey that takes him from the Balkans to the Netherlands, from Berlin to Paris, as he hunts down the truth of Raphael's death, or if - in fact - Raphael never existed at all . . .With his every move closely observed by Turkish Intelligence, Mossad, MI6 and Deuxième Bureau, Stroud is on the trail of a revelation that will question everything he has ever believed . . .

    Transported to a dingy basement in Kolkata to identify the body of her murdered husband she has no explanation for his presence in India. As she searches for answers about who the man she married really was she finds his death surrounded by allegations of drug smuggling, child trafficking and murder. Unsure of what is true and who she can trust, Rachel has no idea of the danger her husband's hidden life has put her in.

    The First Galactic Empire has fallen. The Keeper of the Unknowable, Guardian of the Gates, the Eternal Emperor, is dead. Entire star systems have been ravaged by war, planets cracked by powerful weapons, and suns sent into supernova. The infrastructure of an advanced civilization that spanned thousands of stars is ruined. Trillions have died. Instead of liberation and a return to democracy, freedom, and a new golden age, humanity has been plunged into darkness.Eighteen years after the Great Fall of civilization, stranded on the wrecked world Asherho, Keira Kane struggles to make her way. Shattered by war, the climate of the planet has become inhospitable to life and is getting worse with each passing year. The government is a brutal regime, focused on maintaining its own grip on power instead of feeding the few million ragged survivors living upon its surface. What little law and order there is has begun to erode and break down.Adopted, protected, and raised by former Imperial Marines, Keira has been trained as a mechanic and technician. Her skillset is indispensable to maintaining the decaying infrastructure of her dying planet.Sent out on a routine repair job to Hakagi Tower, a seedy apartment block, Keira rapidly finds herself a fugitive, hunted not only by the government she has faithfully served, but by the planetary militia who wants her for their own nefarious reasons. A mysterious battle-damaged warship has also arrived in-system and they want something too.Unbeknownst to Keira, her Imperial Marine companions have been guarding an incredibly valuable secret, one that has the potential to save humanity or see its light extinguished from the galaxy forever.Caught up in a planetary revolt and hunted, Keira is thrust into a life-or-death struggle she never imagined possible. Though she has yet to suspect it, the road ahead is not only dangerous, but a path destined for her and her alone.Does she have the courage to walk it? Does she have the willpower to pick up a fallen standard? Or will she falter and allow humanity to continue its fall into darkness? Only time will tell…Find out why thousands of readers have fallen for Amazon bestselling author Marc Alan Edelheit’s captivating books! The battle to save the galaxy begins here!