- Table View
- List View
Edge of Dark (The Glittering Edge #1)
by Brenda CooperWhat if a society banished its worst nightmare to the far edge of the solar system, destined to sip only dregs of light and struggle for the barest living. And yet, that life thrived? It grew and learned and became far more than you ever expected, and it wanted to return to the sun. What if it didn&’t share your moral compass in any way? The Glittering Edge duology describes the clash of forces when an advanced society that has filled a solar system with flesh and blood life meets the near-AI&’s that it banished long ago. This is a story of love for the wild and natural life on a colony planet, complex adventure set in powerful space stations, and the desire to live completely whether you are made of flesh and bone or silicon and carbon fiber. In Edge of Dark, meet ranger Charlie Windar and his adopted wild predator, and explore their home on a planet that has been raped and restored more than once. Meet Nona Hall, child of power and privilege from the greatest station in the system, the Diamond Deep. Meet Nona&’s best friend, a young woman named Chrystal who awakens in a robotic body….
Last Road (Gods of the Caravan Road #5)
by K.V. JohansenWhen even the gods are dying, the hope of the world may lie in its most feared enemies. A new god proclaimed as the All-Holy has arisen in the west and leads an army eastward, devouring the gods and goddesses of the lands between, forcibly converting their folk and binding their souls to himself. The very fabric of the world appears threatened by forces beyond the understanding of scholars and wizards alike. Even the great city of Marakand, where the roads of east and west converge, seems powerless to resist the All-Holy, though the devils Moth and Yeh-Lin and the assassin Ahjvar, undead consort of the god of distant Nabban, have come to stand with it. That may avail Marakand little, for the shapeshifting Blackdog, once a champion of the gods, follows obediently at the All-Holy's heel and Lakkariss, the sword of the cold hells, is in his master's hand.
The Skinner (A Spatterjay Novel #1)
by Neal AsherThe Skinner is the first book in Neal Asher's Spatterjay series set in a lethal waterworld.To the remote planet Spatterjay come three travellers with very different missions. Janer is directed there by the hornet Hive-mind; Erlin comes to find the sea captain who can teach her to live; and Keech - dead for seven hundred years - has unfinished business with a notorious criminal.Spatterjay is a watery world where the human population inhabits the safety of the Dome and only the quasi-immortal hoopers are safe outside amidst a fearful range of voracious life-forms. Somewhere out there is Spatterjay Hoop himself, and monitor Keech cannot rest until he can bring this legendary renegade to justice for atrocious crimes committed centuries ago during the Prador Wars.Keech does not realize that Hoop's body is running free on an island wilderness, while his living head is confined in a box on an Old Captain's ships. Nor does he know that the most brutal Prador of all is about to pay a visit, intent on wiping out all evidence of his wartime atrocities. Which means major hell is about to erupt in this chaotic waterscape.
Superposition (Superposition Ser.)
by David WaltonA QUANTUM PHYSICS MURDER MYSTERY. A Mind-Bending, Near-Future, Science Fiction Technothriller. Jacob Kelley's family is turned upside down when an old friend turns up, waving a gun and babbling about an alien quantum intelligence. The mystery deepens when the friend is found dead in an underground bunker…apparently murdered the night he appeared at Jacob's house. Jacob is arrested for the murder and put on trial. As the details of the crime slowly come to light, the weave of reality becomes ever more tangled, twisted by a miraculous new technology and a quantum creature unconstrained by the normal limits of space and matter. With the help of his daughter, Alessandra, Jacob must find the true murderer before the creature destroys his family and everything he loves.
Earth Star (Earth Girl Ser.)
by Janet EdwardsRomance, science fiction, action, and a look at the false assumptions we make about others combine in this light-hearted, fun, and well-conceived science fiction future. Only She Can Save the World. Eighteen-year-old Jarra has a lot to prove. After being awarded one of the military&’s highest honors for her role in a daring rescue attempt, she finds herself—and her Ape status—in the spotlight. Jarra is one of the unlucky few born with an immune system that cannot survive on other planets. Derided as an &“ape&”—a &“throwback&”—by the rest of the universe, she is on a mission to prove that Earth Girls are just as good as anyone else. Except now the planet she loves is under threat by what could be humanity&’s first ever alien contact. Jarra&’s bravery—and specialist knowledge—will once again be at the center of the maelstrom, but will the rest of the universe consider Earth worth fighting for?
Creative Fire (Ruby's Song #1)
by Brenda CooperNothing can match the power of a single voice... Ruby Martin expects to spend her days repairing robots while avoiding the dangerous peacekeeping forces that roam the corridors of the generation ship The Creative Fire. The social structure of the ship is rigidly divided, with Ruby and her friends on the bottom. Then a ship-wide accident gives Ruby a chance to fight for the freedom she craves. Her enemies are numerous, well armed, and knowledgeable. Her weapons are a fabulous voice, a quick mind, and a deep stubbornness. Complicating it all--an unreliable A.I. and an enigmatic man she met - and kissed - exactly once--who may hold the key to her success. If Ruby can't transform from a rebellious teen to the leader of a revolution, she and all her friends will lose all say in their future. Like the historical Evita Perón, Ruby rises from the dregs of society to hold incredible popularity and power. Her story is about love and lust and need and a thirst for knowledge and influence so deep that it burns.
An Unnatural Vice (Sins of the Cities #2)
by KJ CharlesIn the sordid streets of Victorian London, unwanted desire flares between two bitter enemies brought together by a deadly secret. Crusading journalist Nathaniel Roy is determined to expose spiritualists who exploit the grief of bereaved and vulnerable people. First on his list is the so-called Seer of London, Justin Lazarus. Nathaniel expects him to be a cheap, heartless fraud. He doesn&’t expect to meet a man with a sinful smile and the eyes of a fallen angel—or that a shameless swindler will spark his desires for the first time in years. Justin feels no remorse for the lies he spins during his séances. His gullible clients simply bore him. Hostile, disbelieving, utterly irresistible Nathaniel is a fascinating challenge. And as their battle of wills and wits heats up, Justin finds he can&’t stop thinking about the man who&’s determined to ruin him. But Justin and Nathaniel are linked by more than their fast-growing obsession with one another. They are both caught up in an aristocratic family&’s secrets, and Justin holds information that could be lethal. As killers, fanatics, and fog close in, Nathaniel is the only man Justin can trust—and, perhaps, the only man he could love.Don&’t miss any of the captivating Sins of the Cities novels:AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION | AN UNNATURAL VICE | AN UNSUITABLE HEIRAnd look for the enticing Society of Gentlemen series by KJ Charles:THE RUIN OF GABRIEL ASHLEIGH | A FASHIONABLE INDULGENCE | A SEDITIOUS AFFAIR | A GENTLEMAN&’S POSITIONPraise for An Unnatural Vice&“Explosive.&”—Publishers Weekly &“Animosity and attraction surge in equal measures when Nathaniel Roy, investigative journalist, faces off against Justin Lazarus, the Seer of London. Their opposing vocations and radically different backgrounds create a powerful and fascinating conflict. Although this book can be read as a stand-alone, [K. J.] Charles continues to build tension and add menace by deepening the overarching mystery introduced in the first novel. The series is definitely building to a firecracker conclusion.&”—RT Book Reviews &“An Unnatural Vice is a tremendous follow-up to the first book in the Sins of the City trilogy. Fans of the series—and of K. J. Charles—will love the romance between Nathaniel and Justin, and the Taillefer family mystery. . . . An Unnatural Vice is exciting, entertaining, romantic—and wonderful.&”—All About Romance Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
Roman: A Cold Fury Hockey Novel (Carolina Cold Fury Hockey #7)
by Sawyer BennettUSA TODAY BESTSELLER • New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett steams up the ice all over again as the Carolina Cold Fury hockey team&’s hottest bad boy gets his first taste of something good. In a league full of troublemakers, Cold Fury defenseman Roman Sýkora stands out—at least when it comes to negative publicity. When he&’s not chilling in the penalty box, the sizzling Czech skate demon is racking up tabloid headlines for his scandalous behavior with the ladies. But now Roman&’s feeling the burn from management to clean up his act, or else. Luckily he&’s got an enticing distraction: a fun-loving barista who plays the ukulele and brings out a side of Roman he didn&’t know he had. Lexi Robertson came to Raleigh, North Carolina, to finally meet her father, Brian Brannon, and her half sister, Gray, both of whom work in the Cold Fury&’s front office. That&’s where she first meets sexy, intimidating Roman—who&’s really a big softie at heart. As one relationship takes off, another begins: Brian seems to be clicking with Lexi&’s boss at the coffee shop. But when the friction between Roman and her new family heats up, Lexi wonders whether she&’s a pawn in their game. Feeling hurt and foolish, Lexi&’s ready to quit while she&’s ahead. Trouble is, Roman&’s not ready to quit on her.The Carolina Cold Fury series from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett can be read together or separately:ALEXGARRETTZACKRYKERHAWKEMAXROMANLUCASVANREEDMAREKAnd don&’t miss her Arizona Vengeance series:BISHOPERIKLEGENDThe Love Hurts series features sexy standalone novels:SEX IN THE STICKSJILTEDAnd the Sugar Bowl series is one treat you&’ll want to read in order:SUGAR DADDYSUGAR RUSHSUGAR FREE &“One of the best voices in contemporary romance.&”—New York Times bestselling author Lauren LaynePraise for Roman&“A quirky ukulele-playing barista bringing the bad boy hockey star to his knees? It&’s like Sawyer Bennett handpicked these characters specifically for me. Roman makes being on ice hot!&”—USA Today bestselling author Lili Valente&“The author did an amazing job. . . . Ms. Bennett pushed these characters; forced them to look within.&”—Shh Moms Reading (five stars) Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
How to Survive a Bear Attack: A Memoir
by Claire Cameron*NATIONAL BESTSELLER**Winner of the 2025 Governor General's Literary Award for Non-fiction*In this debut memoir from the bestselling author of The Bear and The Last Neanderthal, Claire Cameron confronts the rare genetic mutation that gave her cancer by investigating an equally rare and terrifying event—a predatory bear attack.When Claire Cameron was nine years old, her father, a professor of Old English, told her he was dying. In the years after he was gone, she found a way to overcome her grief among the rivers and lakes of Algonquin Park, a vast Canadian wilderness area. Around that same time, in 1991, a couple was killed by a black bear in a rare predatory attack in the park. Claire was shocked and, never fully sure of what happened, the attack haunted her. Now older, with children of her own, Cameron was diagnosed with the same kind of deadly skin cancer as her father. Caught in a second wave of grief, she was told by her doctor, &“the ideal exposure to UV light is none.&” No longer able to venture into the wilderness as she once had, with long scars on her back, she became obsessed with the bear attack in Algonquin Park again. How could terror rip through such a beautiful place? Could she separate truth from fiction? She headed north to investigate. Seamlessly weaving together nature writing with true crime investigation in this unflinching account of recovery, How to Survive a Bear Attack is at once an intimate portrait of an extraordinary animal, a bracing chronicle of pain, obsession, and love, and a profoundly moving exploration of how we can understand and survive the wildness that lives inside us.
Paper Dragons: The Fight for the Hidden Realm
by Siobhan McDermottA 12-year-old girl wins an invitation to train as an apprentice to immortals in the first book of the new must-read magical series destined to take the world by storm—perfect for fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, Skandar and Eragon. Let the competition begin!&“A new classic fantasy adventure.&” — Eoin Colfer, author of the internationally best-selling Artemis Fowl series An outsider in her village above the cloud sea, 12-year-old orphan Yeung Zhi Ging&’s only hope of escape is to win the single invitation to train as a Silhouette: an apprentice to the immortals. After her ill-fated attempt to impress the Silhouette scout leads to a dragon attack on the jade mountain, Zhi Ging is sure that her chances, and her life, are over. But the scout spots her potential and offers her protection and a second chance. She&’s in.In her lessons in Hok Woh, the underwater realm of the immortals, Zhi Ging must face the challenging trials set by her teachers to prove that she&’s worthy of being a Silhouette—despite her rivals' attempts to sabotage her. But as Zhi Ging&’s power grows, so do the rumours of the return of the Fui Gwai, an evil spirit that turns people into grey-eyed thralls.When the impossible happens and the Fui Gwai attack the Silhouettes, can Zhi Ging use her newly uncovered talents to save her friends and the world beyond? Or will the grey-eyed spirit consume them all? &“A soaring, luminous new world." —Jessica Townsend, New York Times bestselling author of The Nevermoor series
Lucas: A Cold Fury Hockey Novel (Carolina Cold Fury Hockey #8)
by Sawyer BennettUSA TODAY BESTSELLER • The Carolina Cold Fury hockey team is stacked with hotshots. But when a new player joins their ranks, he learns that even superstars can&’t go it alone when it comes to love. Lucas Fournier is only serious about one thing: hockey. The league&’s fun-loving charmer, Luc is always up for a good prank or a great lay, and he has no intention of settling down. But being traded to the Carolina Cold Fury—and to play alongside his big brother, Max—is no joke. With another title in sight, the last thing Luc wants is to let his new teammates down. To succeed, Luc will need to keep his head in the game and the most . . . er, demanding member of his anatomy in check. But when temptation hits, Luc hits back harder. Museum curator Stephanie Frazier has always put business before pleasure, which just about explains her nonexistent sex life. But when Stephanie meets Luc at a champagne-fueled gala, she finds herself flirting like crazy—and going home with the uninhibited athlete. For one night, she learns what passion is all about. She just never counted on the little surprise Luc leaves behind. And that&’s when things really start to get . . . interesting.The Carolina Cold Fury series from New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett can be read together or separately:ALEXGARRETTZACKRYKERHAWKEMAXROMANLUCASVANREEDMAREKAnd don&’t miss her Arizona Vengeance series:BISHOPERIKLEGENDThe Love Hurts series features sexy standalone novels:SEX IN THE STICKSJILTEDAnd the Sugar Bowl series is one treat you&’ll want to read in order:SUGAR DADDYSUGAR RUSHSUGAR FREE &“One of the best voices in contemporary romance.&”—New York Times bestselling author Lauren LaynePraise for Lucas&“I love Sawyer Bennett&’s writing—any genre. . . . Her stories always make me smile and feel gooey inside.&”—AC Book Blog &“It is the perfect book if you need a reset to help you through book doldrums.&”—Scandalicious&“It should be noted that this year, I have struggled to find great books and at times even struggled to open my kindle but when a Cold Fury book hits it, I open it immediately. I think that speaks volumes about my love of this series and the author&’s writing!&”—Shh Mom&’s Reading Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
An Unseen Attraction (Sins of the Cities #1)
by KJ CharlesA slow-burning romance and a chilling mystery bind two singular men in the suspenseful first book of a new Victorian series from K. J. Charles. Lodging-house keeper Clem Talleyfer prefers a quiet life. He&’s happy with his hobbies, his work—and especially with his lodger Rowley Green, who becomes a friend over their long fireside evenings together. If only neat, precise, irresistible Mr. Green were interested in more than friendship. . . . Rowley just wants to be left alone—at least until he meets Clem, with his odd, charming ways and his glorious eyes. Two quiet men, lodging in the same house, coming to an understanding . . . it could be perfect. Then the brutally murdered corpse of another lodger is dumped on their doorstep and their peaceful life is shattered. Now Clem and Rowley find themselves caught up in a mystery, threatened on all sides by violent men, with a deadly London fog closing in on them. If they&’re to see their way through, the pair must learn to share their secrets—and their hearts.Don&’t miss any of the captivating Sins of the Cities novels:AN UNSEEN ATTRACTION | AN UNNATURAL VICE | AN UNSUITABLE HEIRAnd look for the enticing Society of Gentlemen series by KJ Charles:THE RUIN OF GABRIEL ASHLEIGH | A FASHIONABLE INDULGENCE | A SEDITIOUS AFFAIR | A GENTLEMAN&’S POSITIONPraise for An Unseen Attraction&“A particular pleasure of [K. J.] Charles&’s work is spending time with her articulate (and often scathing) protagonists, who skewer their interlocutors and make agonizing admissions with fluency that is a joy to behold. Now, in contrast, comes Clem. . . . Rowley has no problem with words; he simply chooses not to reveal his well-armored heart. What they see in each other is a generosity of spirit revealed in everyday gestures.&”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)&“K. J. Charles is a superb storyteller and has once again crafted both an intriguing and engrossing story and a tender romance between two well-drawn protagonists whose unique personality traits inform their emotional and sexual relationships. Add to that the way she so thoroughly immerses the reader in the sights, sounds and smells of Victorian London, and the strong cast of secondary characters—some of whom will star in future books—and it&’s fair to say that she&’s got another winning series on her hands.&”—All About Romance Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times
by Michelle Obama#1 NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • In an inspiring follow-up to her acclaimed memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today&’s highly uncertain world. There may be no tidy solutions or pithy answers to life&’s big challenges, but Michelle Obama believes that we can all locate and lean on a set of tools to help us better navigate change and remain steady within flux. In The Light We Carry, she opens a frank and honest dialogue with readers, considering the questions many of us wrestle with: How do we build enduring and honest relationships? How can we discover strength and community inside our differences? What tools do we use to address feelings of self-doubt or helplessness? What do we do when it all starts to feel like too much? Michelle Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles—the earned wisdom that helps her continue to &“become.&” She details her most valuable practices, like &“starting kind,&” &“going high,&” and assembling a &“kitchen table&” of trusted friends and mentors. With trademark humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness. &“When we are able to recognize our own light, we become empowered to use it,&” writes Michelle Obama. A rewarding blend of powerful stories and profound advice that will ignite conversation, The Light We Carry inspires readers to examine their own lives, identify their sources of gladness, and connect meaningfully in a turbulent world.
Both Sides of the Glass: Paired Cocktails and Mocktails to Toast Any Taste
by Neil Patrick Harris David BurtkaFrom Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka, an innovative cocktail book that caters to a growing trend—mocktails for nondrinkers that are just as delicious and fun as their cocktail counterparts—in a joyful combination of seventy elevated, perfectly paired alcoholic and nonalcoholic recipes that let everyone raise a glass.Neil Patrick Harris loves cocktails. So much that he created the Black Magic Margarita, which is currently served at La Cava Del Tequila in Epcot Center, featured cocktails as a weekly feature in his Wondercade newsletter, and even created a bar in his home that was featured in Architectural Digest. David Burtka is sober. An esteemed chef and entertainer, David did not want to miss out on all of Neil&’s cocktail fun—he just doesn&’t want alcohol. Nor did he want to stop the party. The idea of a virgin version of Neil&’s fabulous cocktails felt depressing to him, so David rose to the challenge to create the most exciting, refreshing, and festive concoctions that he can enjoy while celebrating with others.After seven years of building up their bar and cocktail recipes together, Neil and David are ready to share what they&’ve learned with the world in Both Sides of the Glass, the first guide that combines equally exciting and innovative cocktails and mocktails to suit any mood or event. Together, Neil and David have played with fresh ingredients from their garden, explored flavor profiles from across the globe, and tried almost all the nonalcoholic spirits that have popped up in the past few years to bring you seventy recipes (thirty-five cocktails and thirty-five mocktails) for their very favorite concoctions.With carefully curated beverages organized thematically around the four elements (fire, earth, water, and air), Both Sides of the Glass truly is the cocktail book for the next generation of drinkers and nondrinkers.
Everything I Never Told You: A Novel
by Celeste NgA New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year • A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice • Winner of the Alex Award and the Massachusetts Book Award • Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, Entertainment Weekly, The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Grantland Booklist, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Shelf Awareness, Book Riot, School Library Journal, Bustle, and Time Our New YorkThe acclaimed debut novel by the author of Little Fires Everywhere and Our Missing Hearts&“A taut tale of ever deepening and quickening suspense.&” —O, the Oprah Magazine&“Explosive . . . Both a propulsive mystery and a profound examination of a mixed-race family.&” —Entertainment Weekly&“Lydia is dead. But they don&’t know this yet.&” So begins this exquisite novel about a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. Lydia is the favorite child of Marilyn and James Lee, and her parents are determined that she will fulfill the dreams they were unable to pursue. But when Lydia&’s body is found in the local lake, the delicate balancing act that has been keeping the Lee family together is destroyed, tumbling them into chaos. A profoundly moving story of family, secrets, and longing, Everything I Never Told You is both a gripping page-turner and a sensitive family portrait, uncovering the ways in which mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and husbands and wives struggle, all their lives, to understand one another.
Demon's Bluff (Hollows #18)
by Kim HarrisonRachel Morgan must go on a deadly journey—into the past—in the next thrilling Hollows novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.What&’s a witch to do when the coven of moral and ethical standards demands she untwist a curse—but an essential spell component no longer exists? There&’s only one choice: go back in time.Caught between self-exile and an Alcatraz cell, Rachel must find an Atlantean mirror to reverse the curse and prove to Cincinnati&’s brand-new witch coven that, no, she does not practice illicit magic. Unfortunately, the only mirror of its kind in existence belonged to the insane demon Newt, forcing Rachel to go to the past to bargain with her for it.But the time-travel spell goes awry, dragging Elyse, the young leader of the coven, into the past with Rachel. They expect to land five years in the past but instead arrive two days before Rachel&’s long-lost love, Kisten, dies. Heartbroken and torn, Rachel knows she can't change the past.Even with no allies, Rachel still has one thing going for her: Cincinnati is her city, now and forever. If she can find a way to work with Newt and prevent Elyse from becoming the demon&’s next familiar, they might all get home.
The 33 Strategies of War
by Robert GreeneBrilliant distillations of the strategies of war—and the subtle social game of everyday life—by the bestselling author of The 48 Laws of Power and The Laws of Human Nature Robert Greene&’s groundbreaking guides, The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, and Mastery, espouse profound, timeless lessons from the events of history to help readers vanquish an enemy, ensnare an unsuspecting victim, or become the greatest in your field. In The 33 Strategies of War, Greene has crafted an important addition to this ruthless and unique series.Spanning world civilizations, synthesizing dozens of political, philosophical, and religious texts and thousands of years of violent conflict, The 33 Strategies of War is the I-Ching of conflict, the contemporary companion to Sun Tzu&’s The Art of War.Abundantly illustrated with examples from history, including the folly and genius of everyone from Napoleon to Margaret Thatcher, Shaka the Zulu to Lord Nelson, Hannibal to Ulysses S. Grant, as well as movie moguls, Samurai swordsmen, and diplomats, each of the thirty-three chapters outlines a strategy that will help you win life&’s wars. Learn the offensive strategies that require you to maintain the initiative and negotiate from a position of strength, or the defensive strategies designed to help you respond to dangerous situations and avoid unwinnable wars. The great warriors of battlefields and drawing rooms alike demonstrate prudence, agility, balance, and calm, and a keen understanding that the rational, resourceful, and intuitive always defeat the panicked, the uncreative, and the stupid. An indispensable book, The 33 Strategies of War provides all the psychological ammunition you need to overcome patterns of failure and forever gain the upper hand.
Black Harvest (World of Prime #5)
by M.C. PlanckThe final chapter in the saga of Christopher Sinclair, mechanical engineer turned priest of war. Be careful what you wish for. Christopher finds himself on a throne, squeezing taxes, and guarding against incipient rebellions. This is a far cry from his democratic socialist revolution. But the danger is not limited to self-betrayal. He has seen the face of his true enemy, and it is a face of nightmare. Immortals and nigh-immortals have plans for him, plots that span a hundred thousand years, and traps of unimaginable deviousness. Against all this, what can one reluctant ruler do? The answer, of course: build a bigger bomb.
This Crooked Way (Morlock Ambrosius)
by James EngeTravelling alone in the depths of winter, Morlock Ambrosius (bitterly dry drunk, master of all magical makers, wandering swordsman, and son of Merlin Ambrosius and Nimue Viviana) is attacked by an unknown enemy. To unmask his enemy and end the attacks he must travel a long crooked way through the world: past the soul-eating Boneless One, past a subtle and treacherous master of golems, past the dragon-taming Khroi, past the predatory cities of Sarkunden and Aflraun, past the demons and dark gnomes of the northern woods. Soon he will find that his enemy wears a familiar face, and that the duel he has stumbled into will threaten more lives than his own, leaving nations shattered in its chaotic wake. And at the end of his long road waits the death of a legend.
Butcher Bird: A Novel of the Dominion (Sandman Slim)
by Richard KadreyButcher Bird, an early protoype for dark urban fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of Sandman Slim, is reissued in a special tenth anniversary edition. Spyder Lee is a happy man. He lives in San Francisco and owns a tattoo shop. He has his favorite drinking buddy, Lulu Garou, and other friends all over town. One night a pissed-off demon tries to bite his head off and he's saved by a stranger?a small, blind woman with a sword as wicked as her smile. After that, Spyder&’s life is turned upside down. The demon infected Spyder with something awful?the truth. He can suddenly see the world as it really is: full of angels and demons and monsters and monster-hunters; a world full of black magic and mysteries. These are the Dominions, parallel worlds full of wonder, beauty and horror, of which Spyder&’s is only one. Each Dominion is home to another race of creatures from human myth. If you&’re clever or lucky, you can pass from one Dominion to another, but the Dominions themselves never touch. At least, they&’re not supposed to. The Black Clerks, infinitely old and infinitely powerful beings whose job it is to keep the Dominions in balance, seem to have new interests and a whole new agenda. Dropped into the middle of a conflict between the Black Clerks and other forces he doesn't fully understand, Spyder searches for a magic book with the blind swordswoman who saved him. Their journey will take them from deserts to lush palaces, to underground caverns, to the heart of Hell itself.
Nebula Awards Showcase 2014 (Nebula Awards Showcase Ser.)
by Kij JohnsonThe latest volume of the prestigious anthology series, published annually across six decades! The Nebula Awards Showcase volumes have been published annually since 1966, reprinting the winning and nominated stories in the Nebula Awards, voted on by the members of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America® . The editor selected by SFWA's anthology committee (chaired by Mike Resnick) is American fantasy writer Kij Johnson, author of three novels and associate director of the Center for the Study of Science Fiction at the University of Kansas. This year's Nebula winners, and expected contributors, are Kim Stanley Robinson, Nancy Kress, Andy Duncan, and Aliette de Bodard, with E.C. Myers winning the Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Book.
Prison in Antares (Dead Enders #2)
by Mike ResnickThe Traanskei Coalition&’s greatest weapon is the Q bomb, and after years of failure, the Democracy has come up with a defense against it. The problem is that they killed most of the team that created it. The sole survivor, Edgar Nmumba, was kidnapped by the Coalition. Only Nmumba can duplicate the work fast enough to prevent the loss of another dozen populated planets. Nathan Pretorius and his team of Dead Enders will require all their skills and cunning to rescue him, sane and in one piece, from the Coalition&’s best-hidden and best-guarded prison, somewhere in the Antares sector. But in a game of cross and double-cross, can they find him before it's too late?
Midwinter: Roman (Midwinter Ser.)
by Matthew SturgesWinter comes to the land only once in a hundred years. But the snow covers ancient secrets: secrets that could topple a kingdom. Mauritaine was a war hero, a captain in the Seelie Army. Then he was accused of treason and sentenced to life without parole at Crere Sulace, a dark and ancient prison in the mountains, far from the City Emerald. But now the Seelie Queen – Regina Titania herself – has offered him one last chance to redeem himself, an opportunity to regain his freedom and his honor. Unfortunately, it's a suicide mission, which is why only Mauritaine and the few prisoners he trusts enough to accompany him, would even dare attempt it: Raieve, beautiful and harsh, an emissary from a foreign land caught in the wrong place at the wrong time; Perrin Alt, Lord Silverdun, a nobleman imprisoned as a result of political intrigues so Byzantine that not even he understands them; and Brian Satterly, a human physicist, apprehended searching for the human victims of the faery changeling trade. Meanwhile, dark forces are at work at home and abroad. In the Seelie kingdom, the reluctant soldier Purane-Es burns with hatred for Mauritaine, and plots to steal the one thing that remains to him: his wife. Across the border, the black artist Hy Pezho courts the whim of Mab, offering a deadly weapon that could allow the Unseelie in their flying cities to crush Titania and her army once and for all. With time running out, Mauritaine and his companions must cross the deadly Contested Lands filled with dire magical fallout from wars past. They will confront mounted patrols, brigands, and a traitor in their midst. And before they reach their destination, as the Unseelie Armies led by Queen Mab approach the border, Mauritaine must decide between his own freedom and the fate of the very land that has forsaken him.
The Reign of the Departed: The High and Faraway, Book One
by Greg KeyesA young man looking for death finds purpose in a world beyond our own in this sweeping fantasy from Greg Keyes (The Briar King, Newton&’s Cannon). Errol Greyson hadn&’t intended to commit suicide. Or so he told himself. But waking up after his &“cry for help&” in the body of a wood-and-metal construct magically animated by Aster?the strange girl from school?was not a result he could have imagined. Aster&’s wild explanations of a quest to find the water of health that would cure her father seemed as unreal as her description of Errol&’s own half-dead existence, his consciousness stuck in an enchanted automaton while his real body was in a coma from which it might never wake. And of course, they would need to recruit a girl?a virgin, no less?who had been dead for thirty years, to lead them through something called the Pale, beyond which a bunch of magical kingdoms existed. Plus, the threat that Aster could turn him off like a light switch, sending him into a hellish oblivion, was a convincing incentive to cooperate. It all seemed quite mad: Either Aster was nuts, or Errol was hallucinating. But if it meant a new chance at life, he reckoned it was worth playing along.
The Song of All
by Tina Le Count MyersOn the forbidding fringes of the tundra, where years are marked by seasons of snow, humans war with immortals in the name of their shared gods. Irjan, a human warrior, is ruthless and lethal, a legend among the Brethren of Hunters. But even legends grow tired and disillusioned.Scarred and weary of bloodshed, Irjan turns his back on his oath and his calling to hide away and live a peaceful life as a farmer, husband, and father. But his past is not so easily left behind. When an ambitious village priest conspires with the vengeful comrades Irjan has forsaken, the fragile peace in the Northlands of Davvieana is at stake.His bloody past revealed, Irjan&’s present unravels as he faces an ultimatum: return to hunt the immortals or lose his child. But with his son&’s life hanging in the balance, as Irjan follows the tracks through the dark and desolate snow-covered forests, it is not death he searches for, but life.