Rooted in folklore, medieval ideals of chivalry, and the last gallant struggles of the British against the Saxon invaders, the legends of King Arthur have been told in song and story since the middle ages. The Sword and the Circle by Rosemary Sutcliff tells of the birth of Arthur, the gift of Excalibur, the forming of the Round Table and the first noble quests of its knights until the arrival of Percival . . .
New epic fantasy in the grand tradition—including a never-before-published Song of Ice and Fire story by George R. R. Martin! Fantasy fiction has produced some of the most unforgettable heroes ever conjured onto the page: Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian, Michael Moorcock’s Elric of Melniboné, Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Classic characters like these made sword and sorcery a storytelling sensation, a cornerstone of fantasy fiction—and an inspiration for a new generation of writers, spinning their own outsize tales of magic and swashbuckling adventure. Now, in The Book of Swords, acclaimed editor and bestselling author Gardner Dozois presents an all-new anthology of original epic tales by a stellar cast of award-winning modern masters—many of them set in their authors’ best-loved worlds. Join today’s finest tellers of fantastic tales, including George R. R. Martin, K. J. Parker, Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, Ken Liu, C. J. Cherryh, Daniel Abraham, Lavie Tidhar, Ellen Kushner, and more on action-packed journeys into the outer realms of dark enchantment and intrepid derring-do, featuring a stunning assortment of fearless swordsmen and warrior women who face down danger and death at every turn with courage, cunning, and cold steel. FEATURING SIXTEEN ALL-NEW STORIES: “The Best Man Wins” by K. J. Parker “Her Father’s Sword” by Robin Hobb “The Hidden Girl” by Ken Liu “The Sword of Destiny” by Matthew Hughes “‘I Am a Handsome Man,’ Said Apollo Crow” by Kate Elliott “The Triumph of Virtue” by Walter Jon Williams “The Mocking Tower” by Daniel Abraham “Hrunting” by C. J. Cherryh “A Long, Cold Trail” by Garth Nix “When I Was a Highwayman” by Ellen Kushner “The Smoke of Gold Is Glory” by Scott Lynch “The Colgrid Conundrum” by Rich Larson “The King’s Evil” by Elizabeth Bear “Waterfalling” by Lavie Tidhar “The Sword Tyraste” by Cecelia Holland “The Sons of the Dragon” by George R. R. Martin And an introduction by Gardner Dozois “When fine writer and expert editor [Gardner] Dozois beckons, authors deliver—and this surely will be one of the year’s essential anthologies.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Discover what turned a bunch of outlaws into an elite group of military commandos known as Davids Mighty Menand let God make a hero out of you! In Circle of Swords, Wayde Wilson uses the adventures of Davids Mighty Men, thirty seven of the baddest dudes in the Bible, to talk to guys about God. Using modern-day references and experiences, a friendly-yet-bluntly honest writing style, and interactive questions and challenges, Wilson takes on nine subjects that should matter to every man: leadership, reputation, connecting with God, service, courage, friendship, broken relationships, family, and leaving a legacy. Are you man enough to hang out with Davids Mighty Men? Then grab your sword and let the adventure begin!
Mark and Ben travel deep into the Blue Temple's hidden horde in an attempt to recover whatever gold and Swords they can for the forces of Sir Andrew. Gods, demons and human traitors have other plans for the Swords and for the adventurers. In the game of the gods, no one’s survival is secure, even a god’s.
Vulcan the god has a hard task to perform for his bored and restless colleagues — forge 12 magic Swords, quenched with human blood, and scatter them across the world. Each Sword possesses a different power. With them the gods will play a new, grand, and glorious Game. Mere humans foolishly striving for dominion, wealth and glory, are invited to risk their puny lives by joining in. (Later, the gods realize with horror that something has gone wrong in the forging, and with the Game. The Swords are much too powerful, controlling chance, enhancing fortune, changing destiny. And lethal even to their divine creators.) Jord the Smith, drafted to help Vulcan in his task, loses his right arm in the process (receiving the Sword Townsaver as pay). He is too weak to claim Mala, his bride-to-be, who joins a traditional fertility rite, where her partner might be the enigmatic Emperor, his face hidden by a leather mask. Nine months later, she gives birth to Mark. Thirteen years pass, then Townsaver wipes out a raiding party on orange-furred warbeasts, sent to Mark’s village. It falls to Mark to carry the blade away to hide or destroy it.
In the early years of the seventeenth century, Gerard Thibault--poet, physician, architect, painter, occultist, and master swordsman--astonished the courts of Europe with a new system of swordsmanship based on the principles of sacred geometry and Renaissance occult philosophy. [Thibault] set out to put everything he knew about the way of the sword into a single comprehensive textbook of rapier fencing that could be used by students who had no access to a teacher of his system. Originally published in 1630, The Academy of the Sword is that textbook--the most elaborate manual of swordsmanship ever published in any language, packed with hundreds of clearly described and illustrated techniques.--
Applauded as one of the world's most popular leadership experts, John C. Maxwell distills many of his winning concepts and scriptural meditations into a daily devotional, following the phenomenally popular format of Grace for the Moment and Hope for Each Day. Delivered with his trademark style of confidence and clarity, Maxwell addresses a host of relevant topics including success, stewardship, teamwork, and mentoring.
It doesn't take a legendary sword to make a legendary swordsman, but it certainly helps.Keras Selyrian is already well on the way to cutting his name into the annals of legend. He's fought false divinities, thieving sorcerers, and corrupt demigods - and left them defeated in his wake. But he's a long way from home, and Kaldwyn offers a different brand of danger than he's used to.He's already got a sword of unfathomable power, but it's damaged and leaking world-annihilating mana, so he's in the market for a new one.Possibly six. The more the better, really.The Six Sacred Swords are Kaldwyn's most famous artifacts, forged as the only means to defeat the god beasts. Each sword must be earned by a worthy champion, and no single person has ever managed to collect them all.Not yet, at least.Keras is just getting started.Additional Info: Six Sacred Swords is a light-hearted fantasy adventure inspired by Japanese game series like The Legend of Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Fire Emblem. It takes place in the same universe as the Arcane Ascension novels, but years earlier and with a different protagonist. While the books are interconnected, they can be read on their own in any order
The third and final novel in 'The Book of Swords' trilogy. More stories of the twelve Swords continue with The Lost Swords series. The gods, the creators of the twelve Swords, realize their error in giving powerful Swords to humans. The humans, both good and evil, are ready to fight to the death to acquire and retain the Swords. With the Swords, new ideas and new dreams have entered the world. A change is taking place that threats the gods' very existence.
