For Callista, joining the Elite Guard will give her the means to find the murderer who killed her family. With the sword of her ancestors, she enters the Academy and soon discovers latent powers only heard of in legends. Her uncanny skills do not go unnoticed, and when her first assignment goes terribly wrong, she is saved by a man whose destiny becomes entwined with her own. Soon, she is forced to re-consider who her enemies really are. As her power awakens, she is drawn into a web of deceit that will ultimately shake everything she believes in. With a new sense of her identity, she must confront a dark evil hidden behind an unspeakable secret. This evil threatens to destroy her and the man she has come to love. Will she be strong enough to withstand this power, or will she become the very thing she has sworn to destroy?
She would know the world of vengeful gods and monsters, and the lengths one would go for love. And nothing would ever be the same for her again. Gifted thief Romeria steals jewels under a notorious New York City crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman secures her services at swordpoint, Romeria is wrenched from this world and transported into a realm of opposing thrones, warring elven societies, and elemental magic. Waking up in the body of a treacherous elven princess, Romeria quickly realizes she's entangled in a deadly plot and must hide her identity at all costs - not least from the princess's betrothed, King Zander, who detests her. Romeria is forced to play the smitten princess as the unwilling pair work together to uncover the danger that surrounds them. But with their enemies closing in - and as she fights her growing feelings for the king - it's time for Romeria to find out who she truly is.
As Darren faces the final showdown with his archenemy, Steve Leopard, he seeks a way to trick destiny and avoid the requirement that one of them die and the other become Lord of the Shadows, fated to destroy the world.
Raised to be fierce dragon slayers, two sisters end up on opposite sides of the impending war when one sister forms an unlikely, magical bond with a dragon in this standalone YA contemporary fantasy that's perfect for fans of Slayer and Sorcery of Thorns. Dani and Eden Rivera were both born to kill dragons, but the sisters couldn't be more different. For Dani, dragon slaying takes a back seat to normal high school life, while Eden prioritizes training above everything else. Yet they both agree on one thing: it's kill or be killed where dragons are concerned. Until Dani comes face-to-face with one and forges a rare and magical bond with him. As she gets to know Nox, she realizes that everything she thought she knew about dragons is wrong. With Dani lost to the dragons, Eden turns to mysterious and alluring sorcerers to help save her sister. Now on opposite sides of the conflict, each sister will do whatever it takes to save the other. But the two are playing with magic that is more dangerous than they know, and there is another, more powerful enemy waiting for them both in the shadows.
Would you sacrifice yourself for the world? Ara's found her soul mate and accepted the bond, but now she must journey south with her team, keeping her secret while fighting against the power that's threatening to destroy her and the world at every turn. Though fate is non-negotiable, can she find a way to escape it? Or will she have to do the unthinkable before she becomes the victim? The hunted? It's over for Temir. He's lost everything, including his freedom. His mate, who has refused him, has all the answers but can he escape the king and find a way to get that information from her? How can he save the world when he can't even save himself? It's time for war in Alewyn and fate has decided that no one is safe. One Savior. One Prisoner. One Epic Battle.
Love endures, even in the face of danger and death. As a child, Alexandra Douglas adored her older, wilder friend Roger Trevor, a troubled lad who turned his back on his family. Ten years as a sellsword and pirate have transformed Roger into a darkly handsome but enigmatic stranger. His return to his father's castle ignites a passionate uproar in the bookish and otherwise sensible Alix. Surprised by his unlikely desire for his childhood friend, Roger is determined to encase his heart in ice. Haunted by his past and trapped in a lethal web of intrigue, he fears entangling Alix in a mysterious plot that could doom them both. But destiny has set them on colliding paths, and Roger can no more resist the fire in Alix than she can turn away from his increasingly ardent touch. New, revised edition of a classic, award-winning romance. When the original version was published in 1986, Linda Barlow received the Romantic Times award as New Historical Romance Author of the Year. Fires of Destiny was also a finalist for the Rita Award from Romance Writers of America. This special new edition has been revised and edited by the author, but her beloved characters and their sensuous, suspenseful adventures remain the same. "Linda Barlow's sexy, suspenseful page-turners are pure pleasure to read." --Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Bestselling author Jayne Ann Krentz describes Linda as "a wonderful story-teller. She grabs you on the first page and plunges you straight into the tumultuous lives of her fascinating characters." Bestselling author Catherine Coulter called Fires of Destiny "a bold and clever tapestry, provocative and seductive." Romantic Times said in their 1986 review: "Weaving together a strong historical background, an intriguing mystery subplot, along with a touch of mysticism, Ms. Barlow crafts a marvelously textured novel that mesmerizes the reader on every level. The timeless magic of this outstanding romance will guarantee recognition of Linda Barlow as a powerful writer with the talent to surpass all genre boundaries."
It's the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind-part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven. As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez's newfound power rockets out of control, it's a Narcolym who could change her fate...if she can trust him. Dez's guarded world crumbles when she discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, and she's forced to choose between the race who raised her and the enemy she's feared her whole life.
Four brand-new novellas, from the national bestselling author of the Sons of Destiny series. The slave...Chanson, a privileged Arbran dyara, discovers an unexpected connection with the excitingly different Eduor, a bracingly sexy war-slave who desires his freedom. The knight...The Arbran diplomat Sir Zeilas must turn the Guildaran people from former enemies into allies. But in the case of their intriguingly beautiful leader, perhaps something more intimate is in order. The mage...Gabria never expected to become a Guildaran envoy to Aurul. But the most stunning surprise was what waited for her in His Majesty's winter palace-and why. The pirate...Captain Ellett would do anything for his king-even hunt down the pirates plaguing the Jenodan Isles. But he never counted on the seductive powers of the pirate's captain-beautiful, tempestuous, and impossible to resist.
Xander has spent eleven years running from his past. Only to have it circling around on him in a dangerous matching of wits between him and the ruthless emperor of Jaguria. Finding himself appointed as the leader of a rebellion he never meant to start, he must face his past mistakes if he will have a chance to right those long ago wrongs. With the rebellion's victory against the Southern Palace of Jaguria still echoing through the land, Xander scrambles to pull his people together against the emperor's imperial army. Largely outnumbered, he will have to rely heavily on deception and trickery to overtake the lands that have been plagued with famine and misery. If he can succeed, it will bring a new era of peace to the land he'd forgotten he loves. With his faithful friends by his side, he realizes the rebellion may be his much needed redemption. Steeling himself against the destiny he's always denied, he determines to finish what his father started so long ago. If he can learn to accept who he is and who he must be, he may become the people's Voice of Vengeance.
In 1857 India, 12-year-old Meera escapes a life she has no say in--and certain death on her husband's funeral pyre--only to end up a servant to a British general in the East India Company. When a rebellion against British colonizers spreads, she must choose between relative safety in a British household or standing up for herself and her people. India, 1857 Meera's future has been planned for her for as long as she can remember. As a child, her parents married her to a boy from a neighboring village whom she barely knows. Later, on the eve of her thirteenth birthday, she prepares to leave her family to live with her husband's--just as her strict religion dictates. But that night, Indian soldiers mutiny against their British commanders and destroy the British ammunition depot, burning down parts of Delhi. Riots follow, and Meera's husband is killed. Upon hearing the news, Meera's father insists that she follow the dictates of their fringe religious sect: She must end her life by throwing herself on her husband's funeral pyre. Risking everything, Meera runs away, escaping into the chaos of the rebellion. But her newfound freedom is short-lived, as she is forced to become a servant in the house of a high-ranking British East India Company captain. Slowly through her work, she gains confidence, new friends, new skills--and sometimes her life even feels peaceful. But one day, Meera stumbles upon the captain's secret stock of ammunition, destined to be used by the British to continue colonizing India and control its citizens. Will Meera do her part to take down the British colonists and alert the rebellion of the stockpile? Or will she stay safe and let others make decisions for her? It really comes down to this: how much fire must a girl face to finally write her own destiny?
