In the peaceful realm of Tequende, all second-born children at the age of fifteen must journey to the Alcazar to fulfill the mandate of the Oath of Guilds. There they train to earn a place among the queen's legendary Second Guard, or work as indentured servants. Talimendra has always wanted to join the Guard, but there are dark rumors in the queendom that she may not be ready for. Rumors that whisper of greed, traitors, and war. There is very little time and too many unanswered questions, but one thing is for certain: if there is a traitor among the Second Guard, then everyone???including the queen???is in grave danger.
All is not well in Tequende. The Earth Guild, frequently looked down upon by the Sun and Moon guilds, is beginning to demand fairer treatment by the queen, and whispers of revolution are spreading like wild fire. Brindl Tacora of the Zipa Mines, an earth guilder and now Master of Messages for the Princess, might have to choose sides: join the rebellion, or stay loyal to the crown. But their true enemy remains hidden, and Brindl may be the only one who can help unite the rebels against their foe before it's too late.
Archer, a member of the immortal Shadow Guard, arrives in London to eliminate Jack the Ripper, but finds himself distracted from his mission by his beautiful young ward, Miss Elena Whitney, who needs his help in remembering her past--and who just might be the Ripper's next victim. Original.
In nomine maius bonum... In the name of the greater good. That's the motto for St. Michael's Academy, the illustrious and renowned school for future Guardians. Demons roam the earth, terrorizing humans, and it's up to the Shadowguard to stop them. My name is Aspen Van Der Klay. I grew up ignorant of the real world. My mom hid the truth from me, but her death spurred a series of events which landed me right in the middle of Shadowguard Society. Now, I'm determined to be the best Guardian this world has ever seen. I won't let anything stop me. Not the uppity elites, not my bigoted instructors, and certainly not my disapproving mentor who is just as likely to make my heart race as my blood boil. When Guardians start to go missing, it's up to the Shadowguard to figure out what's happening. Our numbers are dwindling, and we can't afford to let the demons discover our weakness. There's a great threat on the horizon, and I fear Guardians might not have what it takes to stop it before it's too late. Fans of Vampire Academy and Shadow Hunters will devour this newest series by USAT Bestselling author Samantha Britt. *This book is intended for readers 16 years of age or older. Demon Guard contains aspects of violence, foul language, and romance.
“Bestseller Vincent returns to a world of syndicates, bindings, magic, and blood in the engaging sequel to Blood Bound . . . an action-packed conclusion.” —Publishers Weekly Kori Daniels is a shadow-walker, able to travel instantly from one shadow to another. After weeks of confinement for betraying her boss, she’s ready to break free of the Tower syndicate for good. But Jake Tower has one final job for Kori, one chance to secure freedom for herself and her sister, even if it means taking it from someone else . . . The job? Recruit Ian Holt—or kill him. Ian’s ability to manipulate the dark has drawn interest from every syndicate in the world, most notably an invitation from Jake Tower. Though he has no interest in organized crime, Ian accepts the invite, because he’s on a mission of his own. Ian has come to kill Tower’s top Binder: Kori’s little sister. Amid the tangle of lies, an unexpected thread of truth connecting Ian and Kori comes to light. But with opposing goals, they’ll have to choose between love and liberty . . . “Fast-paced, action-packed . . . It is very difficult to put this book down . . . Rachel Vincent fans should not miss this one!” —Fresh Fiction
From Kyle Mills, New York Times bestselling author of Vince Flynn's Mitch Rapp novels, comes a story of a professional thief whose latest job could save the world. Brandon Vale is a career thief---the best there is. Or at least he was before he was thrown in prison for a jewel heist gone bad. And even more embarrassing, he had nothing to do with it. His time inside is going fairly quietly until the night he's broken out against his will by Richard Scanlon, the now-retired FBI agent who framed him in the first place. Scanlon, who still has ties to the United States intelligence community, has discovered that a Ukrainian crime organization is auctioning twelve nuclear warheads to the highest bidder, but he can't convince the government that the sale isn't a hoax. The only way he can get his hands on the $200 million necessary to take the warheads off the market is to do something that goes against everything he stands for: steal it. The choice Brandon is given is simple: help Scanlon and hope to live through it, or turn himself in and face the repercussions of his "escape." Suddenly, Brandon finds himself with only weeks to plan a Las Vegas heist that that he's been dreaming about for years, but has always thought was probably impossible. And to make matters worse, Scanlon insists on choosing his team personally. Led by the relentlessly intelligent and undeniably beautiful Catherine Juarez, not a single one of the former government operatives he picks has so much as shoplifted a pack of gum in their lives. As the day of the heist approaches, Brandon's carefully constructed plans begin to break down and he suspects that the elaborate double-cross he's devised to save himself could cost millions of lives. He finally has to ask himself just how far he's willing to be dragged into a game that he can only lose. With The Second Horseman, the heart-stopping, all-too-real novel, Kyle Mills proves once again that he is one of the freshest and most original thriller writers working today.
Raised by the brothers of the Sixth Order, Vaelin Al Sorna, a Warrior of the Faith, must battle the Empire and even his own father in the first book of a new fantasy trilogy.
From young author Coco Ma comes a dazzling tale of adventure, power, and betrayal, weaving together a stunning world of magic with a killer cast in an explosive, unforgettable collection. Shadow Frost Something dark is brewing in the kingdom of Axaria. The young princess and heir to the throne, Asterin Faelenhart, has a unique set of affinities—or powers. So unique, in fact, she is tasked with hunting down the beast which threatens to destroy her kingdom. With the help of her friends, Asterin sets out to destroy the creature, but as they journey deeper into the forest, they unearth a plot to assassinate the young princess. God Storm After defeating her evil mother, newly coronated Queen Asterin Faelenhart’s kingdom is safe. Except Asterin’s triumph has come at a devastating cost—the shadows in Axaria have begun to stir once again. Another realm coexists with the mortal world—the beautiful, nightmarish Immortal Realm ruled by the wicked God of Shadow, King Eoin. When their paths entwine, Asterin realizes that Eoin possesses exactly what—and who—she seeks most.
Gregory's life changed when his aether sparked to life during the Age Day ritual. He left his old friends and his old life behind, and was taken to the Magi Academy to start training to serve the Vela Empire. Suddenly alone and out of place, he prepared for the worst.When the beautiful novice, Yukiko Warlin, asked if they could be friends, his life changed again. After six months of duplicity from the people who they had thought of as friends, Gregory and Yukiko isolated themselves from all the other novices.Gregory chose a path considered impossible for his training, and Yukiko followed, pushing each other to strive ever harder. When Yukiko's betrothal was annulled, the two friends were free to express the deeper feelings that had developed between them. The first tournament for the novices was brutal on the two young lovers. Both of them were pushed to the absolute limit, but they endured. When they took the top two spots, their fellow novices dropped the pretense of friendship, when neither would bow to the machinations of their peers. Now, the rest of their first year stands before them. It's become clear that they should join a clan, but where can they find one that would treat them both fairly and equally?(This book contains some adult themes.)
An extraordinary epic, set a million years in the future, in the time of a dying sun, when our present culture is no longer even a memory. Severian, a torturer's apprentice, is exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his prisoners. Ordered to the distant city of Thrax, armed with his ancient executioner's sword, Terminus Est, Severian must make his way across the perilous, ruined landscape of this far-future Urth. But is his finding of the mystical gem, the Claw of the Conciliator, merely an accident, or does Fate have a grander plans for Severian the torturer . . . ? This edition contains the first two volumes of this four volume novel, The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator.
