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A new near-future science fiction novella by John Scalzi, one of the most popular authors in modern SF. Unlocked traces the medical history behind a virus that will sweep the globe and affect the majority of the world’s population, setting the stage for Lock In, the next major novel by John Scalzi.
Free to read here:
http://www.tor.com/2014/05/13/unlocke...
At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied. Views: 623
Orkise is loose. The snake-god of plague has been awakened by Lucia del Maino, the bastard daughter of the recently overthrown duke of Milan, Phillipo Visconti. With the venomous magic of Orkise at her command, Lucia plots to marry and then murder the usurper who now rules Milan, the condottiere Carlo Sforza—known to friend and foe alike as the Wolf the North.
Other trouble is brewing as well. Sforza has his own bastard, Benito Valdosta, who is returning to Venice after having conquered the Byzantine empire. Benito has a score to settle with his father, and he will have the help of his half-brother Marco, who is the embodiment of ancient Etruria’s mighty Winged Lion of St. Mark.
Adding further to Sforza’s predicament, yet another power has entered the fray. The terrifying sorcerer Count Mindaug has decided to settle in Milan. Will he ally with Sforza, or oppose him? Either will bring trouble, for if Mindaug aids the usurper he will arouse the fury of the Holy Roman Empire and the Knights of the Holy Trinity. Both of those great forces have sworn to destroy Mindaug and anyone who shelters him.
On his side, Sforza has only the skill and cunning of his physician, Francisco Turner—who is on good terms with the Valdosta brothers and may be able to neutralize Venetian hostility. But even if he can, will that be enough to save the Wolf of the North? For out there in the countryside of northern Italy, Orkise is uncoiling all the plagues of hell. Views: 623
Determined to stop a madman who’s already killed three women, P.I. Renata Cordona is undercover when she’s almost attacked by a pack of vicious dogs. A lone wolf saves her—and then swiftly disappears. Then, out of nowhere, Jacob Marshall materializes and, with his electrifying touch, she suddenly knows the truth. Jacob is her destiny. Unfortunately, Renata has a secret that will prevent her from getting close to anyone—not even the man who is her lifemate. What Renata doesn’t realize is that Jacob has a secret too. He’s a werewolf, and he has come to protect her. Because someone is stalking them both. Biding his time. Waiting for the right moment to strike—and wipe them off the face of the earth. Views: 623
The day is finally here!For as long as he could remember, Vasiht'h planned on starting a family, a plan that surviving the war only made more urgent. The temple on Anseahla has summoned him at last to pick up his new kits, an errand he decides will be an excellent opportunity to have some alone-time with his partner, Jahir. But his partner is now an imperial prince-consort, and Vasiht'h himself has more responsibilities than he anticipated, and it isn't long before their private getaway turns into a huge production. And that's before the children join the party!But becoming a father is only one of the changes that Vasiht'h must accept as he moves into this newest phase of his life. For the longest time he's thought of himself as living in an Eldritch shadow. If he wants to thrive—if he wants to lead his contingent of Glaseah to a fuller life themselves—he has to accept that sometimes a supporting role is just an excuse to stay out of... Views: 623
Three short fantasy stories set in different worlds of magic. "Indra’s Return" - Indra returns from exile with one purpose: to take revenge on the Elven King for sending him away. "World of Shells" - When Aima doesn’t returned by nightfall, Jun sets out to find her. "The Wolf Game" - In a world where the undead rule, Mara, a shadow woman, meets a white wolf.Three short fantasy stories set in different worlds of magic Indra’s ReturnIndra returns from exile with one purpose: to take revenge on the Elven King for sending him away. But in a game where nobody is who and what they seem, Indra will find that discovering the truth might be crueler than living a lie. Short epic fantasy story – 3561 words.World of ShellsWhen Aima doesn’t returned by nightfall, Jun sets out to find her. But the World of Shells is a dangerous place when light fades. Weaving his way between giant lizards, aggressive clan members and hungry birds of prey, he will either save Aima, or die trying. Short epic fantasy story – 3960 words.The Wolf GameIn a world where the undead rule, and shape-shifters are owned and kept by mortals, Mara, a shadow woman, acts as a guard for Riffa, a ghoul. When a white werewolf saves Mara in a fight, a bond forms between them. But while Mara wonders what this werewolf wants from her, she has to wonder about her own desires. Short urban fantasy story – 5365 words. Views: 623
This is a few misunderstandings and other problems that begin setting the stage for an unfinished space epic.In the distant future, mercenary Samuel Parker is hired to help out an underground organization on a planet he's never been to. Kreft Way, the representative of these people is faced with unexpected problems brought on partly through his own group's lack of proper planning. Views: 623
Fate is open to intervention. the timekeepers return to the Astro-Marine Institute Explorer (AIME) to stop their nemesis interfering with the departure of an otherworldly being currently residing on Oceane. they agree to regroup one week before the interference is due to take place - but one team member seems to be taking an unofficial detour. An opportunity to prevent the incident altogether arises four years before the rendezvous. But to revisit this instance would be to betray many of the timekeepers and set them at war with one another. to end all the ancient curses at the root of the disputes between star systems, to pave the way for psychic freedom and achieve AMIE's primary objective, one team member will break the principal rule of timekeeping and quantum jump into their history alone. Views: 622
Ghoulies. Ghosties. Long-legged beasties. Things that go bump in the night... The Price family has spent generations studying the monsters of the world, working to protect them from humanity-and humanity from them. Enter Verity Price. Despite being trained from birth as a cryptozoologist, she'd rather dance a tango than tangle with a demon, and is spending a year in Manhattan while she pursues her career in professional ballroom dance. Sounds pretty simple, right? It would be, if it weren't for the talking mice, the telepathic mathematicians, the asbestos supermodels, and the trained monster-hunter sent by the Price family's old enemies, the Covenant of St. George. When a Price girl meets a Covenant boy, high stakes, high heels, and a lot of collateral damage are almost guaranteed. To complicate matters further, local cryptids are disappearing, strange lizard-men are appearing in the sewers, and someone's spreading rumors about a dragon sleeping underneath the city... Views: 622
“THE SORCERER’S RING has all the ingredients for an instant success: plots, counterplots, mystery, valiant knights, and blossoming relationships replete with broken hearts, deception and betrayal. It will keep you entertained for hours, and will satisfy all ages. Recommended for the permanent library of all fantasy readers.”
—Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding A Quest of Heroes)
THE GIFT OF BATTLE (Book #17) is the finale of the Bestselling series THE SORCERER'S RING, which begins with A QUEST OF HEROES (book #1)!
In THE GIFT OF BATTLE, Thor meets his greatest and final challenge, as he quests deeper into the Land of Blood to attempt to rescue Guwayne. Encountering foes more powerful than he ever imagined, Thor soon realizes he is up against an army of darkness, one for which his powers are no match. When he learns a sacred object may give him the powers he needs—an object which has been kept secret for ages—he must embark on a final quest to retrieve it before it is too late, with the fate of the Ring hanging in the balance.
Gwendolyn keeps her vow to the King of the Ridge, entering the tower and confronting the cult leader to learn what secret he is hiding. The revelation sends her to Argon, and ultimately to Argon’s master—where she learns the greatest secret of all, one which may alter the destiny of her people. When the Ridge is discovered by the Empire, the invasion begins and, under attack by the greatest army known to man, it falls on Gwendolyn to defend, and to lead her people on one final, mass exodus.
Thor’s Legion brothers, on their own, face unimaginable risks, as Angel is dying from her leprosy. Darius fights for his life beside his father in the Empire capital, until a surprise twist prods him, with nothing left to lose, to finally tap his own powers. Erec and Alistair reach Volusia, battling their way upriver, and they continue on their quest for Gwendolyn and the exiles, as they face unexpected battles. And Godfrey realizes that he must ultimately make a decision to be the man he wants to be.
Volusia, surrounded by all the power of the Knights of the Seven, must put herself to the test as goddess and discover if she alone has the power to crush men and rule the Empire. While Argon, faced with his end of days, realizes the time has come to sacrifice himself.
As good and evil hang in the balance, one final, epic battle—the greatest battle of all—will determine the outcome of the Ring for all time.
With its sophisticated world-building and characterization, THE GIFT OF BATTLE is an epic tale of friends and lovers, of rivals and suitors, of knights and dragons, of intrigues and political machinations, of coming of age, of broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is a tale of honor and courage, of fate and destiny, of sorcery. It is a fantasy that brings us into a world we will never forget, and which will appeal to all ages and genders. THE GIFT OF BATTLE is the longest of all the books in the series, at 93,000 words!
“Action-packed …. Rice's writing is solid and the premise intriguing.”
—Publishers Weekly (regarding A Quest of Heroes) Views: 622
For a Romany girl in Ireland in 1692 there are no rights, only rules. Who she can marry. Where her family may camp. And a special rule if she can work the tatcho dook, the true magic.This is the first in a series of stories, the Magic of Others. The series explores things that might happen, and what people might do, if magic really worked - in our world. Views: 622
Three kings.
Two queens.
One heir.
Chaos will rule... Views: 622
For years, eager fans have been clamoring for an all-in-one collection of #1 bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon’s novellas. At their enthusiastic behest, we have delivered this brand-new short story collection, including stories previously exclusive to Sherrilyn’s website, as well as an all-new, never-before seen story!
Sherrilyn Kenyon takes readers from the Dark-Hunters to the demigods, from Dream-Hunters to demons, and everything in between. Dangerous and exciting, each story is one thrill ride after the next, proving time and again how Sherrilyn has captivated millions of readers worldwide. Now, readers are invited to go deep into Kenyon’s rich and imaginative world and experience the heart-racing moments that never stop coming!
**Novellas from the World of the Dark-Hunters:**
(links are for original publications of stories)
[Phantom Lover (V'Aidan)](https://www./book/show/84158.Midnight_Pleasures)
[A Dark-Hunter Christmas (Gallagher)](https://www./book/show/6875246-a-dark-hunter-christmas)
[Winter Born (Dante)](https://www./book/show/84149.Stroke_of_Midnight)
[A Hard Day’s Night Searcher (Rafael)](https://www./book/show/84156.My_Big_Fat_Supernatural_Wedding)
[Until Death We Do Part (Velkan)](https://www./book/show/38522.Love_at_First_Bite)
[Fear the Darkness (Nick)](https://www./book/show/3426508-fear-the-darkness)
[Where Angels Fear to Tread (Zeke)](https://www./book/show/2871256-blood-lite)
[Shadow of the Moon (Fury)](https://www./book/show/3262139-dead-after-dark)
House of the Rising Son** ***First time in print*** **
**Unrelated Stories:**
Love Bytes
Santa Wears Spurs
[https://us.macmillan.com/darkbites/She...](https://us.macmillan.com/darkbites/SherrilynKenyon) Views: 622
