Dark Ages Literature

The government said the Variants were dying off.... That the beasts would be extinct in a matter of years.... That the Allied States had returned to prosperity and freedom.... The government was dead wrong. Deep under the cities, the Variants weren't just hiding, they were breeding. While the human survivors of the Extinction Cycle built outposts and brought back industries, the monsters were building something of their own.

Set in early 1980s Poland against the violent decline of communism, a tender and passionate story of first love between two young men who eventually find themselves on opposite sides of the political divide - a stunningly poetic and heartrending literary debut for fans of Andre Aciman, Garth Greenwell, and Alan Hollinghurst.

The rising wave of the undead has been stilled, the Lich Lord Daedalus defeated, and the dungeon is safe . . . for now. Now comes a time of growth, of calm and restructuring as the dungeon upgrades and the new alliances settle . . . but not all is peace and love. The gangs are rising, the asuras spread, and the dead never truly rest . . . The Age of Steel has begun.

Late one evening, en route to visit a relative, an accident leaves Tory - the attractive, twenty-something daughter of a prominent history professor – stranded near a ring of stones in Britain. Tory resolves to spend the night at the stone circle and seek help in the morning... But across the vortex of time and space, she is taken back to the Dark Age.

Beyond the reach of the nuclear infernos, the masterminds survived and continue their assault on outposts across the Allied States. Timothy Temper and Sergeant Ruckley narrowly escaped one of those attacks. On the run from hostile forces, they fight to get an urgent message to command - the monsters aren’t the only threat. Their human allies have a nuclear weapon. Refusing to hide underground, President Jan Ringgold heads to New York. Doctor Kate Lovato and her team are there working to infiltrate and sabotage enemy communications.

Tim Newark’s lively narrative answers the most commonly asked questions about the Dark Ages. Who were the Vandals and the Goths? What were Attila the Hun and Charlemagne really like? From surviving contemporary literature and artifacts now shrouded in myth and legend, Newark reconstructs the battles, campaigns, sieges, and legendary leaders of one of the most mysterious eras of European history.

An epic clash between the forces of light and dark, between the Galactic Republic and the Separatists, between brave heroes and brilliant villains, the fate of the galaxy is at stake in the Emmy Award-winning animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In this exciting anthology, 11 authors who are also fans of the series bring stories from their favorite show to life. Gathered here are memorable moments and stunning adventures, from attempted assassinations to stolen bounties, from lessons learned to loves lost.

Matt survived the Dungeon's founding, and managed to gather a small, but dedicated team to him, but when he finds his is not the only Dungeon in the area, he has a choice to make. Attempt friendly co-existence, but lose the element of surprise, or attack, and risk it all? Matt has learned the consequences of being too trusting when the world collapses around you, but is the path of grim dictator any better? Can he trust those around him? When those he left behind seem to be abusing his gift?

The dungeon is surrounded, the refugees have made it to safety, but...they need food, water, space to recover and rest, and none of these things come cheap. That cost must be paid in mana. Mike and Kelly were sent to bring reinforcements from the park, but they're walking into a meatgrinder, one that will strip the life from them, then raise them to besiege those they love. Matt has only one chance...lead the refugees, forge them anew into a force that can face the undead, in their tens of thousands.

With nowhere left to run, the Allied States fortifies their few remaining outposts and relocates Central Command to prepare for their final stand. President Jan Ringgold and her generals know beating the enemy on the battlefield is impossible. The only path to victory seems to be taking down the leader of the New Gods, a sinister Chimera known as the Prophet, before he can complete his campaign to enslave humanity.

Matt and many of his people are alive, and they've found a new ally, more or less, but the damage done to the dungeon and its future are beyond measure. Time and great effort are needed to repair the cracks, to seal the warping and to rebuild, but the world after the fall isn't somewhere anyone can afford to wait around in. Matt and his people must push on, they must grow, they have to rise up if they are to have any chance of surviving.

The Cleverley family live a gilded life, little realising how precarious their privilege is, just one tweet away from disaster. George, the patriarch, is a stalwart of television interviewing, a 'national treasure' (his words); his wife, Beverley, a celebrated novelist; and their children, Nelson, Elizabeth, Achilles, various degrees of catastrophe waiting to happen. Together they will go on a journey of discovery through the Hogarthian jungle of the modern living where past presumptions count for nothing and carefully curated reputations can be destroyed in an instant.

From award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst, a stand-alone epic fantasy set in a brand-new world of towering mountains and sparkling cities, in which a band of aging warriors have a second chance to defeat dark magic and avenge a haunting loss.

Everything changed the night my dad died. The night I met Saint, Galen, Caz, and Theo. Those manipulative a-holes set out to ruin me after our hot night together, but they didn’t realize you can’t destroy something that’s already broken. And it only works if the victim cares. Which I don’t. Because I’ve been in hell for years, and nothing penetrates the steel walls I’ve erected. Until the Sainthood decides I belong to them and cracks appear in my veneer. Their cruel games, harsh words, and rough touch awakens something inside me, and now, I’m in trouble.

Oscar and his dog have made a pretty good life for themselves, despite the fact that Oscar’s family has all but vanished - his father is dead; his mother has a new boyfriend. His older sister, Rachel, fled five years ago...right after Mr. Cigar bit off her hand. Despite the freak accident, Oscar knows his dog is no menace. Mr. Cigar is a loyal protector: a supernatural creature that can exact revenge, communicate telepathically, and manipulate car doors and windows with ease.

Michael returns to fulfill a promise to his love, but the world isn't the same place. Michael just wants a little sleep. The last few days have been a bit of a learning overload after coming back 150 years after he was blown apart by a backpack nuke. The world destroyed itself, there are anti-gravity cars and ships, and his love is in the stars...somewhere. Plus, there is a vampire trying to make Europe his personal fiefdom.

Michael, the Archangel himself, has returned after 150 years rejuvenating in the Etheric Dimension. Now, the most powerful male vampire the world had ever known is back.The problem? The world went through an apocalypse, and what little honor and justice that previously existed is gone. Further, his love has left to the stars somewhere, fighting for those on Earth. Now, Michael has to figure out where he is, where he needs to go, help those who need help, and figure out how to follow in his love's path.

Sally O'Malley made a promise to her daddy before he died. She swore she'd look after her sister, Troo. Keep her safe. But like her Granny always said, actions speak louder than words. And Sally would have to agree with her.

A little deer walks into the wolf’s den. I want answers. I know nothing of love, family, or stability, having been raised in the foster system and spat out at eighteen, pregnant, and with no memory of how that came to be. I try to find my estranged father, a man rumoured to be in the Mafia, hopeful he will use his influence to discover what really happened the night someone took my innocence. But I don’t find my father. I walk straight into the den of his associate, the Don of the Cosa Nostra.

Life is a cruel game where only the most ruthless survive. It’s a truth my mother rebelled against, and she paid for it with her life. Now, I play their game. Publicly accepting the destiny that lies in wait for me when I turn 18. But, behind closed doors, I plot my escape. Trent, Charlie, and my twin, Drew, rule the hallways of Rydeville High with arrogance and an iron fist. I execute my role perfectly, hating every second, but they never let me forget my place in this world. Everyone obeys the rules. Because our families have always been in control.