Kobold. Sorcerer. Warrior. I am many things and I have many stories to tell. This one is about my home. Home. The word has a special resonance with us all. Great or humble, rich or poor, everyone cherishes their home and if deprived of it loses a piece of themselves. I remember looking back at Atikala, its ceiling collapsed in, the homes of fifty thousand kobolds crushed under unimaginable tonnes of rock and dirt. I remembering the feeling of horror and denial that immediately set in. I wanted to reject that this had happened to me, to scream to the ceiling until the rock receded, until fate changed its mind and restored everything to the way it was. I thought that life could not be so cruel as to take everything I’d known in an instant. Oh, how I now understand that life can be capricious indeed. This is story of how I came to the surface of Drathari and unwillingly traded a life for a life.

    Then we ask a team of ruthless judges to scour that ore and pick out the gems. The result is All These Shiny Worlds II:A world of today where cosplay and stagecraft are bright lights hiding dark shadowsA world of tomorrow, where kitchen appliances fend for themselves and take solace in each other's arms, refugees from indifferent ownersA world of little cogs in big machines, where the humble trash collector is the unsung hero of getting evil doneA world of small magics and big hearts, where a little chaos can go a long, long wayFrom the brutal curators at ImmerseOrDie.com comes another collection of indie short stories, each a distinct jewel forged in the fires of judgment, and all continuing to carry our one simple promise:Guaranteed not to suck.

    Phipps, Rob J. Hayes, Nicholas Eames, Mazarkis Williams, Ben Galley, Michael R. Fletcher, Graham Austin-King, Ed McDonald, Anna Stephens, Anna Smith Spark, RJ Barker, Michael R. Miller, Benedict Patrick, Sue Tingey, Dyrk Ashton, Steven Kelliher, Timandra Whitecastle, Laura M Hughes, J.P. Ashman, M.L. Spencer, Steven Poore, Brandon Draga, D. Thourson Palmer, D.M. Murray, Anne Nicholls, R.B. Watkinson, Charles F Bond, Ulff Lehmann, Thomas R. Gaskin, Zachary Barnes & Nathan Boyce.Foreword by Brian D. AndersonPrint version includes forty black & white interior art pieces.

     Aiden Wainwright wants to become strong to protect his homeland. After a chance encounter with a mysterious and powerful relic, he gives up everything to study the arcane arts. But the small taste of power is not enough, and Aiden’s obsessive search for answers leads him on a journey that he never expected. A dire plot that threatens the lives of thousands… The town of Brackford could hold the answers Aiden is seeking, but his arrival could not have come at a more dangerous time. Forced into a battle for survival, Aiden must marshal his limited resources and ally himself with the desperate locals to discover the dark truth behind the town’s misfortune. He never imagined that he would uncover a greater conspiracy that could destroy his home, the Kingdom of Aielund. A quest for magic, and the search for truth, Soldiers of Avarice is an epic fantasy journey that will capture your imagination. Download now to begin your journey through a land where magical relics are hidden, dragons guard the skies, and the struggle for power knows no loyalty.

    Dragons have returned! Kai is the town drunk. His life is simple, he works every day to pay for the drinks that help drown his sorrow, until one day when a beautiful warrior enters his favorite watering hole and changes his life forever. Raven is a proud warrior sworn to defend Princess Isabella. Her task to take child away from a devious stepfather is interrupted by an ambush that leaves her in desperate need of a tracker. When she goes looking for help she has an altercation with the one man who can help her! Princess Isabella flees one bad situation only to find herself in a much worse one. However, an unlikely character comes to her rescue. One that she had only dreamed about... Author's note: Book two of the Dragonblood Sagas continues the story of the return of dragons. This time on the Isle of Seron.

    Born with a deformed foot, she feigns indifference to the pity and insults that come her way. Wary of all things beautiful, Rae instantly distrusts their latest visitor: an appallingly attractive faerie. Further, his presence imperils the secret her sister guards. But when the local townspeople show up demanding his blood, Rae must find a way to protect both her sister’s secret and their guest. Even if that means risking herself.The Bone Knife introduces Rae, the heroine of The Theft Of Sunlight (March 2021). Look for The Bone Knife at the back of your copy of Thorn (HarperTeen/Hot Key 2020).

    When his last remaining son falls ill, he gives up on his clan's shaman and, amid protests from the clan chief and his neighbors, Tyr sets out to find a cure for his son. His journey takes him to a land of danger and debauchery where he's forced to make the ultimate sacrifice in the hopes of saving not just his son but his entire clan.

    But she had other ideas . . .This ebook contains two stories about marriages affected by supernatural forces. In the title story, FOREVER, David Scarsdale finds himself trapped in an endless void with his wife. Who is controlling it? And will he ever escape?In TWELVE MINUTES Jude must make a painful decision about the fate of his marriage - a marriage in which his wife is conscious for only twelve minutes each day . . .If you are a fan of The Twilight Zone these stories could be for you.The ebook also contains an extended preview of Lee Moan's forthcoming novel, Lazarus Island, a supernatural thriller. *This ebook: 11225 words approx.

    A beckoning mansion in a dark clearing. A short modern-day retelling of Hansel and Gretel by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin.It’s bad enough that Hazel and Gray have defied the demands of Hazel’s foul stepfather. The Monster has forbidden their romance. Now they’ve awakened in the forest, phones dead, hours past curfew. But not far away is a grand estate in the middle of nowhere. The door is open. In this short story about choosing your own path, the fury of the Monster that awaits them back home may be nothing compared to what lies ahead.

    Evidence points to a rebel group trying to stab fear into the very heart of the empire. Inspector Khlid begins a harrowing hunt for those responsible, but when a larger conspiracy comes to light, she struggles to trust even the officers around her.

    When an opportunity to join the Mechanized Infantry presents itself, Pete is first in line. He knows that he's going to get shot at one way or another, but the idea of sitting in a warm and more importantly, dry mechanized suit appeals to him almost beyond reason. While still training in the jungle, Pete's squad is called out to intervene in a skirmish in a nearby village. Of course, the Marines haven't seen fit to certify his squad with ordnance. The fact that they'll be up against a platoon of squishies doesn't convince him that's it's any better of an idea and things turn quickly to crap when they discover the squishies are protected by grav-tanks. Pete, Popeye and Olive is a fast paced, short-story with plenty of action.

    Which one is drinkable? Ayani has definitely been through the worse. One tragic incident turned her life upside down forever, leaving her sister, Kamille, to hate her. Kamille is now out to wreak havoc on her already messed up life. Ayani is trying her best to hold on to her fragile relationship with her longtime boyfriend, Kash, in the heat of it all. She’ll end up paying the ultimate toll for her scandalous and childish behavior. Will she take heed when her reality sets in or will she just be a product of her circumstances?

    Five very dangerous elven women from five very different countries are on a quest to save the world, and when they're not kicking ass, they're driving each other crazy.As Jenavelle and her friends search for a way to stop the coming dragon apocalypse, they'll have to deal with witches and curses, bounty hunters and refugees, portals in time and of course, more than a few dragons. So this is a particularly inconvenient time for Jena to learn she's adopted. And when she returns home and discovers the truth about her parents, it will leave her changed forever. (And that change involves a pair of very large horns.)Explore an epic fantasy world that's as classic as it is bizarre with JENAVELLE, a knight who's sick and tired of fantasy clichés, AMINA, a princess with a fondness for pirates, NIYA, a hard-drinking mercenary in search of a her next ex-girlfriend, TOMOE, a shaman who is coping well with her recent resurrection, and LOZEN, a hunter whose hobbies include fine cuisine, high fashion, and excessive violence.Discover the world of Vaenos, where dragons are weapons of mass destruction, faeries are pests, mermaids are monsters, and everyone has long pointy ears! With five heroines inspired by historical warriors and leaders, this modern twist on old-school fantasy mashes up classics like Lord of the Rings with the funny, sexy, self-aware style of Supernatural, Buffy, Archer, and Rat Queens.Keywords: epic fantasy, sword and sorcery, elves, fairies, unicorns, dragons, women, coming of age, feminist fantasy, lesbian fantasy, funny fantasy, African fantasy, Asian fantasy, Native American fantasy

    Borrow the fabled Gauntlet of Ven-Kerrick, bring it home to prove his worth, marry the princess, and ascend the throne.He had planned for the dangerous terrain and Redolian assassins, but he did not expect the Gauntlet to be missing, nor to find the Kerrick royal family murdered.Luckily, his worst enemy was there to help him out.

    As he approaches to help, he discovers that the lady is a Temple divine, servant to the five gods of this world. Her avowed god is The Bastard, "master of all disasters out of season", and with her dying breath she bequeaths her mysterious powers to Penric. From that moment on, Penric's life is irreversibly changed, and his life is in danger from those who envy or fear him.Set in the fantasy world of the author's acclaimed novels THE CURSE OF CHALION, PALADIN OF SOULS and THE HALLOWED HUNT, this novella has the depth of characterization and emotional complexity that distinguishes all Bujold's work.