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Elena bears the mark of the wit'ch upon her palm, the crimson stain that testifies to an awesome power of unimaginable potency: wild, seductive, difficult to control. Only a mistress of blood magick can stand against the foul minions and all-corrupting evil of the Dark Lord. But Elena is not yet the mistress of her magick. Protected by an ageless warrior and a band of renegades, she quests for a lost city where prophecies speak of a mystic tome that holds the key to the Dark Lord's defeat. But if the Dark Lord finds her first, Elena will become his most fearsome weapon . . . Views: 122
Book 8. The dragon Basilgarrad leads the ultimate battle to save the land of Avalon, and, finally, must decide whether to obey his dear friend Merlin’s request, even though it means giving up his powers as a warrior. Views: 122
NEW ENTRY IN THE DRAGON AWARD–WINNING ARCANE AMERICA SERIES from New York Times best-selling alternate history master Eric Flint. The passage of Halley’s Comet in 1759 is catastrophic. The comet appears to strike the Earth, sundering the New World from the Old. A chain of mountains rises in the Mid-Atlantic. No ship from the Old World arrives in America. No ship from the New World can find a passage to the Old—and most who try simply disappear. The comet has also unleashed magic forces, which soon spread everywhere. Slaves begin using powers derived from African witchcraft, bringing monsters from that continent into the New World. The native tribes begin doing the same. Some European settlers devise ways to couple Old World technology with sorcery. Kraken in the Atlantic, revenants in Jamaica, Dry Hands and Floating Heads in the Hudson valley, African ogres and worse set loose in the streets of New York. Magic of all kinds, emerging everywhere, most of it poorly if at all controlled. The powerful Iroquois Confederacy disintegrates. The Onondaga Council Fire is extinguished; the Seneca and Cayuga follow their own shaman and war leader, and the Mohawks ally with the English. For their part, the English and the French in North America, who had been on the brink of war when the Sundering came, now have to contemplate what would once have been unthinkable. They must not simply forge a military alliance against the rising dark powers but may even have to unite politically behind the young English prince Edward, now the only person of royal blood left in the terrifying world created by the Sundering. About Uncharted: "History and mythology meld admirably, leading to a satisfying conclusion. This hardy adventure establishes a world ripe for many more rousing stories."—Publishers Weekly "With a light and brisk narrative that propels its heroes through a number of increasingly dangerous situations, this combination of alternate history and fantasy should appeal to fans of Eric Flint, Harry Turtledove, and historical fantasy in general."—Booklist “While delivering plenty of action that approximates the best of cinematic fantasy, Hoyt and Anderson also strive for—and achieve—a kind of gravitas that suitably reflects the majesty of an untrammeled continent. Their descriptions of raw nature and its emotional repercussions on the humans are subtly poetic without being overblown. The native tribes are depicted in authentic ways, especially the people of Sacagawea. . . .The characterization of all the cast members is deep and revelatory of human nature. . . . There is also humor amidst the seriousness . . . [Anderson and Hoyt’s] prose is a clear-eyed, sturdy naturalism meshed with flights of vivid unreality . . . filled with not only slambang adventures but also a kind of rational optimism that has become rare in genre works these days. . . Hoyt and Anderson, a kind of de Camp and Pratt for the twenty-first century, convey these ideals without lectures or sermons, embodying them in principled people doing exciting things.”—Locus About Eric Flint: “This alternate history series is … a landmark…”—Booklist “[Eric] Flint's 1632 universe seems to be inspiring a whole new crop of gifted alternate historians.”—Booklist “…reads like a technothriller set in the age of the Medicis…”—Publishers Weekly About Walter H. Hunt: "A compelling and immersive novel in which every word feels authentic and every chapter draws the reader deeper into the dark and terrifying power of the mind.”—New York Journal of Books Views: 122
"Beckland, the colony where the Great War came to an end, has just been overrun by the Earthers and the Denzee. At home, military preparedness has been hijacked by the pacifists in the Senate. It may be up to Harris Gruberg and his cohorts to stop the spread of the truce-world madness before all-out war is declared. The Alien passersby, may not be passing at all.
Beckland's Fall is the fifth exciting book of this epic adventure. If you have yet to begin reading this series you will want to begin with the first book--ARMS War For Eden. Get cracking today!
What are readers saying about this series?
--Arms is highly entertaining, humorous, and fast paced--
--Each page finds you hurrying to get to the next--
--BZ, BZ, BZ, Stephen! Can't wait for the next one, as a former Navy Sniper, I can identify with some of the main characters situations...--
--Everything from Stephen Arseneault is excellent!!!!!!!!!!! Best sci-fi writer to come along in decades!!--" Views: 122
The long-awaited sequel to Janni Lee Simner's breathtaking YA fantasy debut, Bones of Faerie.Liza is a summoner. She can draw life to herself, even from beyond the grave. And because magic works both ways, she can drive life away. Months ago, she used her powers to banish her dangerous father and to rescue her mother, lost in dreams, from the ruined land of Faerie.Born in the wake of the war between humanity and Faerie, Liza lived in a world where green things never slept, where trees sought to root in living flesh and bone. But now the forests have fallen silent. Even the evergreens' branches are bare. Winter crops won't grow, and the threat of starvation looms. And deep in the forest a dark, malevolent will is at work. To face it, Liza will have to find within herself something more powerful than magic alone.Here at last is the sequel to Bones of Faerie, for all those fans of dark fantasy and dystopian adventure who thrilled to Janni Lee... Views: 122
In Rhapsody, a fellowship was forged--three companions who, through great adversity, became a force to be reckoned with: Rhapsody, a singer of great talent and even greater beauty; Achmed, an assassin with unearthly talents; and Grunthor, a giant Sergeant-Major whose jolly disposition stands at odds with his deadly skill at weapons. Having fled the F'dor--an ancient, powerful evil--the three emerged on the other side of the world, only to discover fourteen centuries had passed. Their homeland had been destroyed, their people scattered across several continents, and everyone they ever knew had long since passed away...except, perhaps, the F'dor.Prophecy continues this powerful epic. Driven by a prophetic vision, Rhapsody races to rescue the religious leader of her new homeland while Achmed and Grunthor seek evidence of the F'dor. These three may be their world's only hope, the heroes spoken of in the Prophecy of the Three, but their time is running... Views: 122
She's About To Break Her University's Rules And Date The Bad Boy Who's A Student In Her Class...Cassandra Caldwell wants one thing: to keep her twin brothers safe. After her mother's death, she took them in and relocated to Forbidden Lake, where she's done whatever she could to keep them off the radar of their convict father. She's working two jobs, including as a culinary instructor at the local college, when she finds out he's out on parole. As if she isn't stressed enough, when a man enrolls in her special needs course and refuses to transfer out, Cassie wonders if she should just take her brothers and leave town. Again.But she's tired of running, and Jonathan Addler is drop-dead gorgeous–and good in the kitchen. But the college has had a recent student–teacher scandal and a relationship with him is strictly forbidden…at least if Cassie wants to keep her job. She does, but she also wants Jon, badly.Jon originally signed up for the introductory cooking class to impress another woman and get one step closer to graduating to impress his father. But the moment he lays eyes on Cassie, he's smitten. Any risk is worth being with her, and they agree to keep their budding romance on the down-low.The way down-low, especially once Cassie gets notified that she's up for a promotion at the college that would allow her to give up her second job. As she and Jon carry on their relationship behind closed doors, he falls harder and harder for her. But she can't really commit to a relationship when she has emergency escape bags packed and in the trunk of her car.Can Jon convince her Forbidden Lake is safe and to stay with him? Or will she run again, shattering her heart—and his—in the process? Views: 122
To test his theories of immortality and life after death, Dr. Peter Hobson has created three electronic simulations of his own personality. The first has all knowledge of physical existence edited out, to simulate life after death. The second is without knowledge of aging or death, to simulate immortality. The third is unmodified, a control. Now they are free. One is a killer. Views: 122
The stunning first volume in Janny Wurts’s epic tale of two half-brothers cursed to life-long enmity, now re-released with a striking new cover.The world of Athera lives in eternal fog, its skies obscured by the malevolent Mistwraith. Only the combined powers of two half-brothers can challenge the Mistwraith’s stranglehold: Arithon, Master of Shadow and Lysaer, Lord of Light.Arithon and Lysaer will find that they are inescapably bound inside a pattern of events dictated by their own deepest convictions. Yet there is more at stake than one battle with the Mistwraith – as the sorcerers of the Fellowship of Seven know well. For between them the half-brothers hold the balance of the world, its harmony and its future, in their hands.From Publishers WeeklyWhat promises to be a rather standard epic fantasy commences with this book, volume one in a series called The Wars of Light and Shadow. In this installment, two magic-wielding half brothers are forced by an evil geas (a delayed compulsion spell cast by the incorporeal but sorcerously potent Mistwraiths) to battle each other, nearly ripping their kingdoms asunder in the bloody fray. Arithon, Master Mage and keeper of the shadow-half of the royal magic, is a compassionate man who is constantly battling his sensitive musical nature as he struggles to come to terms with the job of ruler, which he does not want. His brother Lysaer has the power to focus light; a charming man and born ruler, he becomes cunning and devious after the Mistwraith's spell is activated. Events in the heavily foreshadowed plot conspire against the royal duo, until they are forced to pit jaded townsmen against noble barbarians in a punishing and debilitating war. They are aided in their travails by a young enchantress, Elaira, a spunky role model sure to become beloved as the series progresses, and by many wise and quirky sorcerers. Forced to do duty as a harbinger of many volumes, this tale is plot-heavy, but there are hints of the appearance of unicorns and other mythical, crowd-pleasing wonders in later installments. Veteran epic-writer Wurts ( Mistress of Empire ) brings the breadth of her experience to bear in an entertaining and readable--though not outstanding--story. Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalTwo brothers, heirs to lands and locked in a blood feud, are drawn across a dimensional portal into a world where they are hailed as the promised saviors. As Arithon, the Master of Shadows, and his half-brother Lysaer, the Lord of Light, prepare to do battle against the Mistwraith, who has for centuries cloaked the world of Athera in darkness, they face an additional battle born of their mutual distrust of each other. Although fantasy author Wurts breaks no new ground in this series opener, her elaborate and vivid world-building and complex protagonists recommend this title to fans of epic fantasy.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 122
RETURN TO THE WORLD OF UNDER THE NEVER SKYRoar of the Tides has been through it all. The staggering death of the girl he loves. The destruction of the only place he's ever called home by harrowing Aether storms. Now, a year later, finally safe in an idyllic new land, his life should be back on track. Instead, he's haunted by the memory of his beloved's brutal murder by Sable of the Horns-until the day he hears a call for help that changes everything.After fleeing from the tribe that held her hostage, Tempest of the Horns has been in hiding. She wants nothing more than to reunite with her brother, Sable, and return to her true home. When she sends out a distress call hoping to reach him, she doesn't expect a stranger to answer instead.When Roar and Tempest meet, their fate has already been sealed by lies and betrayals. But when they're captured by a common enemy who plans to kill Roar and usurp Tempest's ancestral lands, they'll need to overcome old wounds... Views: 122
Rowena, the youngest of twelve sisters, loves to slip out of the castle at night and dance in a magical forest. Soon she convinces her sisters to join her. When Sir Ethan notices that his daughters' slippers look tattered every morning, he is certain they've been sneaking out. So he posts a challenge to all the suitors in the kingdom: The first man to discover where his daughters have been is free to marry the one he chooses. Meanwhile a handsome young knight named Bedivere is involved in a challenge of his own: to return the powerful sword, Excalibur, to a mysterious lake. While looking for the lake, Bedivere meets the beautiful Rowena and falls for her. Bedivere knows that accepting Sir Ethan's challenge is the only opportunity for him to be with Rowena forever. But this puts both Bedivere and Rowena in a dangerous situation...one in which they risk their lives for a chance at love. Views: 121
Ford McKinney is a devastatingly handsome, successful doctor, raised in an old Savannah family among good breeding and money. His longtime boyfriend, Dan Krell, is a shy hospital administrator with a painful childhood past. When the holidays arrive, they decide it's time to go home together. But the depth of their commitment is tested when Ford's parents cannot reconcile themselves to their son's choices, and Dan's secrets are exposed.Comfort and Joy is a poetic and finely-wrought novel that explores the difficult journey two men make toward love.Amazon.com ReviewQuestion: What could be more terrifying than bringing your significant other home for Christmas? Answer: Bringing home your significant other of the same sex. From the start, it's clear that Jim Grimsley's vision of the holidays holds as much darkness as it does light. Ford McKinney first lays eyes on Dan Crell when he's singing carols at the hospital where they both work, the mournful minor-key tones of "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" seeming to broadcast "the sadness of Christmas" in contrast to the lights and decorations around them. Their attraction is immediate, but the couple must face down several obstacles. For one thing, Dan is a hemophiliac who's HIV-positive. And Ford, a rich doctor from a prominent Savannah family, doesn't even think of himself as gay. That the two manage to meet, date, and fall in love is something of a miracle in itself--perhaps the only one that can sustain them through the season of miracles.Comfort and Joy alternates scenes of Ford and Dan's courtship with their trip to North Carolina to meet Dan's family. Like any couple anywhere, they argue about money and their families; unlike some couples, they also argue about Dan's health and Ford's reluctance to kiss. In chronicling their history, however, Grimsley gets at something fundamental: the strange mixture of love and hate and anxiety at the bottom of every relationship, gay or straight. "You're really not as bright as I am and that's a problem," they both think, being "honest" with themselves, then wonder: "Why do men stay together?" The easy answer, of course, is that they love each other. The more complicated one is that, in living together, they've begun to dream the same dreams, breathe in rhythm, lay down "crevices" inside themselves in the shapes of each other. This, Dan thinks, is enough: "enough, without words, to keep them silent about the fact of their hates and their fears, their deep concerns about each other, and the certainty that one of them would die first and neither of them knew which one it would be."The novel's prose is workmanlike at its best, but Grimsley's understanding of the human heart is deep and rich. His book refuses easy answers and stereotypes; for example, the mysterious trauma in Dan's childhood stays in the background, where it belongs. A lesser writer would have chosen to make its revelation the book's climax--the epiphany that explains Dan's character--but Grimsley knows that childhood pain is only one of many things that make us who we are. Such is the difference between fiction that seeks to tell us who we are and fiction that knows what a mystery we are at our core. Comfort and Joy is not just a book for gay readers: it's a book for everyone who's ever been in love, who's ever had a family, who's ever wanted to find some kind of refuge from the world. --Chloe ByrneFrom Publishers WeeklyContinuing to follow the life of Danny Crell, introduced in his debut, Winter Birds, Grimsley has written his fullest and most humane novel yet, a work whose commendable restraint does not impede its emotional impact. Opening with Danny's plans to visit his family over Christmas holidays with his lover, charismatic pediatrician Ford McKinney, the narrative flashes back to the first meeting between the two men, three Christmases earlier, and evokes the difficulties of their relationship as well as the bonds between them. Both men are survivors who hide their true emotions behind an air of detachment. The novel chronicles their efforts to break through their protective facades, as each slowly realizes that the only way their relationship will endure is through a courageous decision to risk rejection. One source of tension is their vastly different backgrounds. Home for Danny is a trailer in the pungently evoked backwoods of eastern North Carolina. Dan and his mother retain their wounding memories of Dan's father, an abusive alcoholic, and of Dan's dead brother, Grove. Native ground for Ford is patrician Savannah, where his handsome, chilly parents are hardly pleased to find their accomplished son indifferent to the woman they have picked out for him to marry. Further flashbacks show Ford's slow coming-out process and the pair's cautious courtship. But deeper issues intrude. Danny is a hemophiliac and HIV+, and Ford, as a physician, is well aware of the implications of Danny's disease. Scenes where Danny injects a blood-clotting mixture to prevent internal bleeding are bone-chilling and heartbreaking, as Danny rejects Ford's help because he doesn't want his lover to see the messy circumstances of his life. In the strong and moving denouement, Ford finally gains the courage to bring Danny to meet his familyAto disastrous effect, although the novel ends hopefully. Grimsley's survivor's tales are always compelling; this book promises to be his breakthrough to a wider audience. Author tour. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 121
