Epic Adventure Fiction

The goblin invasion is on...and a wizard's work is never done! After facing a hopeless siege, an implacable foe, and an impossible escape, you would think that Minalan the Spellmonger would be able to rest - but the armies of the undead goblin shaman Shereul (known as the Dead God to his human victims) are rolling over the Western reaches of the rustic Duchy of Alshar and is headed toward the heart of the Duchy of Castal. Thousands are fleeing for their lives as hordes of goblins pour out of Boval Vale and devastate the rugged fiefs of the Alshari Wilderlands.

In The Book of Swords, acclaimed editor and best-selling author Gardner Dozois presents an all-new anthology of original epic tales by a stellar cast of award-winning modern masters - many of them set in their authors' best-loved worlds. Join today's finest tellers of fantastic tales, including George R. R. Martin, K. J. Parker, Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, Ken Liu, C. J. Cherryh, Daniel Abraham, Lavie Tidhar, Ellen Kushner, and more on action-packed journeys into the outer realms of dark enchantment and intrepid derring-do.

Arthur Leywin knew well the cold terror of war. Yet, in his past life as King Grey, he had never lost a friend, mentor, or loved one; he had none to lose. Now, though, Arthur must accept that even those closest to him must take up arms to defend their homes as the enemy force seeks new methods to strike at the heart of Dicathen. In his quest to stop the approaching army, Arthur must travel to the dwarven kingdom of Darv, gain mastery of the four elements, battle some of the Vritra’s mightiest champions, and overcome a grievous betrayal.

Lyra and Will, the two ordinary children whose extraordinary adventures begin in The Golden Compass and The Subtle Knife, are in unspeakable danger. With help from Iorek Byrnison the armored bear and two tiny Gallivespian spies, they must journey to a dank and gray-lit world where no living soul has ever gone.

Hadrian Blackwater, a warrior with nothing to fight for, is paired with Royce Melborn, a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Hired by an old wizard, they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most prized possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels that the wizard is after, and if he can just keep them from killing each other, they just might succeed.

The Hayholt is in flames. Once the home of the immortal Sithi, now capital of the kingdom of men, the fabled castle has been set ablaze by vengeful Norns. And as the world is distracted by this devastating attack against humankind, the Norns' deathless witch-queen Utuk'ku reaches out to seize the fateful, ogre-haunted valley called Tanakirú—the Vale of Mists. Fooled by the Norn Queen’s trickery, Simon and the Sitha Jiriki must now leave the burning castle behind to race to the forbidden valley.

Transported from Earth to another world by a temperamental goddess, misanthrope Seiji was suddenly a dark lord of incredible power. Not that he wanted that exactly. He just hated everything and everyone and wanted to be left alone. So as a big baddie, he's tried to hold back on the pure-evil schtick and make life a little better for his people—without being a total wuss, of course. But sometimes baddies gotta be bad. And now Seiji has found himself caught in a military, political, and possibly genocidal conflict with goblins.

Will our friends manage to stop the Immortal Dragon? Will the king be able to discover who is behind the conspiracies? Will Norghana be saved? Will Tremia be saved? Will the Royal Panthers be saved? Enjoy adventures full of action, adventure, magic, and romance!

What happens when you suddenly find yourself in a reality of untold possibilities, in a place where technology and magic are indistinguishable? Every game location is a transformed physical world connected to others through an interstellar network of portals. Every player "avatar" is a living physical body with incredible survival traits. Once in this dreamscape, it would be unwise to not seize the moment! There are, however, a couple of catches.

Winter has stopped the war—almost—yet men are dying, calling out for the Dragon. But where is he? Rand al’Thor has been proclaimed the Dragon Reborn. Traveling to the great fortress known as the Stone of Tear, he plans to find the sword Callandor, which can only be wielded by the Champion of Light, and discover if he truly is destined to battle The Dark One. Following Rand, Moiraine and their friends battle Darkhounds on the hunt, hoping they reach the Heart of the Stone in time for the next great test awaiting the Dragon Reborn.

After dying and being reborn into a world that's built like a video game, Jim has found himself stuck in a very old-world style new-player zone for low-level adventurers. Unfortunately, the zone fell out of use centuries ago, and no one told the monsters they were supposed to take it easy on the Noobs. Even worse, the only new player around is Jim. Jim has been given an opportunity, and he'll do his best to take advantage of it.

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father's inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty - until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk - grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh - Miryem's fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered.

Don't miss the start of this LitRPG adventure about a reincarnated necromancer growing in power and finding his way in a new world where the rules have changed vastly since he last "lived".

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.

Enjoying his time in the evil Order of the Malefic Viper, Jake finds himself unprepared as Earth calls… Out of nowhere, Jake gets his alchemy training interrupted as he is forced back to the first universe to deal with a sudden emergency. Earth has been invaded by another Chosen with plans that do not include a fair fight, assisted by natives unsatisfied with the status quo.

Asha is The Cursebreaker, the one whose job it is to restore balance in the Realm. The attack that almost killed her was only the beginning. It becomes clear that there is a price on her head and the bounty hunters, dark wizards known as the Dusk Reapers, will be happy to deliver it.

The Underdark. A place of brooding darkness, where no shadows exist, and where Drizzt Do'Urden does not wish to go. The noble dark elf must return there, though, he must go back to find his friends in the gnome city of Blingdenstone, and on to Menzoberranzan, the city of drow. Only then can Drizzt discern what perils might reach out from that dark place to threaten his friends in Mithril Hall.

Minalan gets medieval! When you defeat the invading goblin army, get knighted on the field of battle, gifted with lands and gold, usually your happily-ever-after is...happy. But now that Minalan the Spellmonger has been ennobled and enfiefed, Sire Minalan has a task cut out for him that makes defeating goblins seem like child’s play: Moving his very pregnant bride and a few thousand refugees from Boval Vale into the remote, sparsely peopled Domain of Sevendor. But when he arrives, he finds the land withered from neglect, filled with superstition and suspicion.

Ultom stirs and the Era turns. The sector is gearing up for war, unknowing the enemy has already reached their doorstep. The Void Star will become a springboard for their invasion unless Zac can stop them. Meanwhile, a mysterious inheritance is rising from the depths of history, one connected to Zac's origin. Ancient plans are coming to fruition as the Multiverse's elites flock to Zecia. Zac has finally reunited with his old companion, but will it be enough to survive the gathering storm?

Something terrible, unspeakable, immense has come to Menzoberranzan and is leaving death and destruction in its wake. The primordial of Gauntlgrym stirs, sending Cattie-brie and Gromph to Luskan and the ruins of the only power that can keep the beast in check. The damage of the Darkening, of war, and of a demon-ravaged Underdark has sent cracks out across the North. Some of this damage may never be repaired.