In battle's fire, young Jarom became Torin, King of Alson, and now must forge his kingdom from the ruins of an empire. But by recklessly reclaiming the Crimson Sword of Asahiel, Torin reopened a dimensional realm no longer sealed by the power of the Obsidian Key. And now the Illysp have emerged from history's darkest hour—foul spirits that possess men's bodies and enslave their souls. With enemies advancing on all sides, Torin must undertake a perilous voyage to unearth the ancient secrets once used to overcome the vile interlopers. Yet even if Torin can somehow miraculously survive, it may already be too late for his devastated land.
The Age of Man, so quickly heralded, is already under siege. Shaken by the catastrophic war with the Demon Queen Spithaera, Pentania wrestles with a new world of possibility and potential disaster: creatures of wonder and nightmare are returning. And humanity will never be the same. In his epic battle with the Demon Queen, young Jarom became Torin, King of Alson. Now, with bitter foes on all sides, he must forge his kingdom from the ruins of an empire and begin anew. But it is too soon to forget the past entirely. For in recklessly reclaiming the Crimson Sword of Asahiel, Torin reopened a dimensional realm no longer sealed by the power of the Obsidian Key. And now from history's darkest hour pour the terrifying Illysp, foul spirits who possess the bodies and enslave the souls of men. As the enemy advances, Torin must undertake a dangerous voyage to reveal the secrets of an ancient lost people who once overcame these powerful marauders. But both enemies of old and the unknown have different plans for king and country, and even if Torin can return, it may already be too late.
A cruel and powerful prince with ice-blue eyes and the voice of a dagger sheathed in silk - Sigvard of Wintermark will stop at nothing in his quest to find the Key. A peaceful, idyllic island off Okoku is savagely invaded and only Takeshi Senshi survives. Now Takeshi, the boy with the unusual keyhole-shaped eyes, seeks revenge.
""Whispers of Obsidian,"" a captivating blend of fantasy and folklore, young glassblower Zara discovers an extraordinary gift: the ability to hear the secrets of volcanic glass. As her village faces a mysterious blight, Zara must embark on a perilous journey to unravel the truth behind her newfound power and save her home. This coming-of-age tale weaves a rich tapestry of adventure, self-discovery, and ancient magic. Set in a world where ancient stones hold reality-shaping powers, the story alternates between Zara's quest and legends of past glass-speakers, gradually revealing the connection between age-old lore and present-day events. With its unique magic system centered around the art of glassblowing and the mystical properties of obsidian, the novel offers a fresh take on the chosen one trope. Lyrical prose echoing oral storytelling traditions brings to life a diverse cast of characters, each contributing their own cultural folklore to this immersive fantasy world.
Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump: The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin, continues the action-packed Time Castaways trilogy with book two, in which the Hudsons sail across time and history as they embark on a daring rescue mission. With magic, mystery, and adventure, this is perfect for fans of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library and Percy Jackson. Mateo, Ruby, and Corey Hudson have lost their friend Jia to the villainous Captain Vincent’s clutches, and now they’re determined to bring her back to safety. But the Hudson kids don’t have a way to time-travel without the Obsidian Compass, until Mateo figures out the secret component to get his own homemade compass working. Soon the whole family—plus their wacky neighbor, Chuck, and his rusty orange bus, Blossom—are swept up in another epic journey. With their own time-traveling vehicle and some help from history’s most famous young markswoman, Annie Oakley, the Hudsons think they’re prepared to sneak onto the Vermillion. Unbeknownst to them, Captain Vincent already knows they’re coming. In fact, he’s counting on it…
Kicking off a riveting sci-fi trilogy, National Book Award winner Pete Hautman plunges us into a world where time is a tool — and the question is, who will control it? The first time his father disappeared, Tucker Feye had just turned thirteen. The Reverend Feye simply climbed on the roof to fix a shingle, let out a scream, and vanished — only to walk up the driveway an hour later, looking older and worn, with a strange girl named Lahlia in tow. In the months that followed, Tucker watched his father grow distant and his once loving mother slide into madness. But then both of his parents disappear. Now in the care of his wild Uncle Kosh, Tucker begins to suspect that the disks of shimmering air he keeps seeing — one right on top of the roof — hold the answer to restoring his family. And when he dares to step into one, he’s launched on a time-twisting journey — from a small Midwestern town to a futuristic hospital run by digitally augmented healers, from the death of an ancient prophet to a forest at the end of time. Inevitably, Tucker’s actions alter the past and future, changing his world forever.
The obsidian mirror. Its power is great and terrible. Men have been lost in it, the dead brought back to life through it, and the future annihilated by it. Or this is what will happen unless the mirror is destroyed. Three people seek the mirror: the first has been sent from the future to shatter its power; the second will protect the mirror at all costs, obsessed with its power; and the third needs the mirror to find a murdered father and save his life. But only one can succeed. The mirror can send you to the past, but it will not bring you back. With superb world-building that includes the real world, the faery world, and a dystopic future, this hauntingly astonishing adventure is the start of a new trilogy from the master of the sci-fi/fantasy genre, Catherine Fisher. Fans of Orson Scott Card, Dr. Who, Shakespeare, and Blade Runner won't be disappointed.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton offers a sexy, suspenseful novel of human—and inhuman—passions, as vampire hunter Anita Blake must repay a favor to a man almost as dangerous as the ancient evil she's about to face... Edward is a hit man, specializing in monsters, vampires, shapeshifters, anything and everything. There are people like Anita who do it legal, but Edward doesn't sweat the legalities, or, hell, the ethics. He's an equal opportunity killer. Anita may be one of the few friends that Edward has, but it’s like being friends with a tame leopard. It may curl up on the foot of your bed and let you pet its head, but it can still eat your throat out... EXCLUSIVE TO THIS EDITION ONLY: A PREVIEW OF THE LATEST ANITA BLAKE, VAMPIRE HUNTER NOVEL, CRIMSON DEATH
The epic fantasy adventure series continues as great magics change the Fortunate Lands, elves wage war, and one woman tries to unify the Hundred Houses. From the authors of the New York Times bestsellers When Darkness Falls and The Phoenix Transformed, and USA Today bestseller To Light a Candle . . . They thought the war was over. They were wrong. Great magics are changing the world of the Fortunate Lands forever. Elves wage war against friends and family as one woman seeks to unify the Hundred Houses under her banner. Runacarendalur Caerthalien has been a master of battle for hundreds of years, but he found himself on the wrong side—the losing side—in the last war. Betrayed by his brother, trapped in a prophecy he does not understand, Runacar flees the battlefield. Yet Runacar is no coward. In a twist he could never have imagined, the Elven War-Prince finds himself leading a new army into battle—a force of centaurs, merfolk, gryphons, minotaurs, and talking bears who can perform magic. For centuries they have been trying to reclaim their lands from Elven invaders. With Runacar at the helm, they just might manage it . . .
The Outstretched Shadow, the first book in The Obsidian Trilogy from Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory Kellen Tavadon, son of the Arch-Mage Lycaelon, thought he knew the way the world worked. His father, leading the wise and benevolent Council of Mages, protected and guided the citizens of the Golden City of the Bells. Young Mages in training--all men, for women were unfit to practice magic--memorized the intricate details of High Magic and aspired to seats on the council. Then he found the forbidden Books of Wild Magic--or did they find him? The three slim volumes woke Kellen to the wide world outside the City's isolating walls. Their Magic was not dead, strangled by rules and regulations. It felt like a living thing, guided by the hearts and minds of those who practiced it and benefited from it. Questioning everything he has known, Kellen discovers too many of the City's dark secrets. Banished, with the Outlaw Hunt on his heels, Kellen invokes Wild Magic--and finds himself running for his life with a unicorn at his side. Kellen's life changes almost faster than he can understand or accept. Rescued by a unicorn, healed by a female Wild Mage who knows more about Kellen than anyone outside the City should, meeting Elven royalty and Elven warriors, and plunged into a world where the magical beings he has learned about as abstract concepts are flesh and blood creatures-Kellen both revels in and fears his new freedom. Especially once he learns about Demons. He'd always thought they were another abstract concept-a stand-in for ultimate evil. But if centaurs and dryads are real, then Demons surely are as well. And the one thing all the Mages of the City agreed on was that practicing Wild Magic corrupted a Mage. Turned him into a Demon. Would that be Kellen's fate? Deep in Obsidian Mountain, the Demons are waiting. Since their defeat in the last great War, they've been biding their time, sowing the seeds of distrust and discontent between their human and Elven enemies. Very soon now, when the Demons rise to make war, there will be no alliance between High and Wild Magic to stand against them. And all the world will belong to the Endarkened. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
