Hidden deep in the heart of a snow-covered wilderness lies the secret kingdom of the Kanin—a magical realm as beautiful as it is treacherous... Bryn Aven has never fit into Kanin society. Her blond hair and blue eyes set her apart as an outsider—a half-blood unable to hold a respectable rank. But she's determined to prove herself as a loyal protector of the kingdom she loves. Her dream is to become a member of the King's elite guard, and she's not going to let anything stand in her way...not even her growing feelings for her boss, Ridley Dresden. A relationship between them is strictly forbidden, but Bryn can't fight her attraction to him. And she's beginning to think he feels it too. Meanwhile, there's an attack on the kingdom—one that will test Bryn's strength like never before. Finally, she has the chance to confront Konstantin Black, the traitor who tried to kill her father years ago. It's up to Bryn to put a stop to him before he strikes again. But is she willing to risk everything to protect a kingdom that doesn't accept her for who she really is? And when her mission brings her closer to Ridley, will she be able to deny her heart?
Return to the world of The Bard's Tale in this stand-alone sequel to the smash hit Castle of Deception. Naitachal, the Dark Elf who showed his true heroic nature in Castle, is now a Master Bard with a mystical apprentice. On an adventure to a distant, icy land, the pair rescue three strangers who make for strange companions indeed.
CRYSTAL FROST tells herself she isn’t crazy, but sane people don’t see ghosts. As her psychic abilities manifest, Crystal discovers she can see into the future, witness the past, and speak with the dead. Add blackmail to the list of things she never thought would happen to her, and you basically have her sophomore year covered. After spotting her first ghost, secrets from her family, friends, and classmates begin to surface. Uncovering secrets can be dangerous, but giving up means someone will get hurt. Again.
As one of the genetically enhanced Kyndred, Lilah's mind-reading powers make her vulnerable to a mysterious biotech company willing to murder to acquire her superhuman DNA. But her true fear may come from her own Kyndred brethren...
Chosen as one of hundreds to journey to the top of the glacier in their village, Sabira will embark on a dangerous pilgrimage that will guarantee her a life of importance, but only if she can survive. On Choosing Day, children of Adranna who reach the age of fourteen are finally eligible to undergo the tests to determine if they are worthy of bonding a Frostsliver. Only one in a hundred are destined to succeed. If chosen, they will have to climb to the top of the glacier and cut a piece off for themselves, so that they may be granted the powers they've always dreamed of. When Sabira is chosen, an entire world of possibilities opens up to her. But in order to see it through, she'll have to embark on a dangerous pilgrimage to the top of the glacier. When a huge avalanche traps her on the glacier and destroys the pass, she must face up to the merciless mountain -- but there are dark and fiery secrets hiding in its depths...
For centuries, the people of Tennebrum have been plagued by demons that crawl from the shadows of their very homes. Yet to Kyran, these demons and the hunters that fight them are naught but Isleish fireside tales, until one night in Tennebrum, Kyran wakes to the sounds of screams and flames. Born as a mage with rare magical talent granted by his curse-wrought blood, Kyran rushes into the inferno to find the demons are more than simple stories. Kyran does not stand alone-Barrett, a fire-wielding demon hunter haunted by guilt and regret, rides out of the black of night, sweeping Kyran into the once in a lifetime opportunity to join the tumultuous and deadly life of a Guild-sanctioned hunter. But it doesn't take long for Barrett to sense Kyran isn't telling him everything about his stay in Tennebrum, and Kyran must decide whether to stay shackled by his secrets or chase the chance of becoming a Hunter. As Kyran struggles to choose, a powerful demon from Barrett's past returns to stalk the mage, threatening to devour Kyran as it had his former partner. Barrett fights desperately to keep Kyran safe against the fate that he swore to never allow anyone to suffer again even as the noose of Kyran's secrets tighten around his neck.
A midwinter holiday fantasy romance anthology… A Wynter Fyre by Darynda Jones In a world where vampyres have been hunted to near extinction, the daughter of a demon is sent to save their race. Wynter ends the Blood Wars, but a single drop of vampyre blood accidentally crosses her lips. As punishment, she’s encased in stone for a hundred years. When she awakens, she vows revenge. Even if it means her demise. Her quest leads her to the vampyre prince who supposedly started the wars. He comes to her aid after she’s attacked, and Gareth’s deadly prowess may be exactly what Wynter needs to defeat the woman who created her. Or exactly what she needs to thaw her frozen heart. Of Fate and Fire by Amanda Bouchet The Kingmaker Chronicles meets modern-day New York City! Piers, an exiled warrior from Thalyria, finds himself in the Big Apple just before the holidays. The world and everything in it might be utterly foreign to him, but that won't stop Piers from helping to complete a vital mission for Athena and protect Sophie, a French teacher from Connecticut who's suddenly knee-deep in inexplicable phenomena, danger, and henchmen after an Olympian treasure that should never have ended up in her hands—or remained on Earth after the Greek gods abandoned it. The King of Hel by Grace Draven Castil il Veras, daughter of lesser boyars, attends the gatherings that celebrate her best friend's upcoming marriage to the cursed king of a sorcerous kingdom. She soon learns that even marked by the magic of the Wastelands, Doranis of Helenrisia is everything she's ever desired in a mate—and absolutely forbidden to her. Bound by duty to crown and country, Doranis has traveled to the Caskadan empire to marry a woman who loathes the sight of him. During the prenuptial celebrations, he meets a scribe who finds him fascinating instead of repellent, but Castil is beyond his reach. Fate, however, would have it otherwise, and a beseeching letter from a dying queen will bring them together again in a land gripped by endless winter and old magic. Familiar Winter Magic by Jeffe Kennedy It’s holiday time at Convocation Academy, but best friends Han and Iliana are finding it hard to celebrate. As a familiar, Iliana is facing her assignment to a life of servitude to a wizard, very soon. And Han… despite being tested by the oracle daily, he is still uncategorized. As Iliana and Han face being separated forever, they at last find the courage—or desperation—to break the rules and acknowledge their deeper feelings for each other. But it will take more than true love to save them from the laws of the Convocation…
First published in 1946 by Ray Bradbury, this short story (also known as Frost and Fire) follows Sim - a native of a planet whose inhabitants are fated to die after eight days from the deadly radiation that plaguing the land. His resolve steeled by memories inherited from his ancestors, Sim uses what little time he has left to venture out into the treacherous lands outside his people's caves, and seek out a band of scientists working to lengthen the planet's lifespan. Determined to reach his world's sole remaining rocket, despite the protests of all around him, he journeys across the land to find a way to extend his own life long enough to reach the last hope he has of escape... or die trying.
