Epic Sorcery

Ruwen returns home to discover a civil war he unintentionally ignited 18 months prior. Still haunted by the events on Savage Island, he resolves to rise above the specter of his past mistakes and seeks the counsel of loyal friends to avert a looming descent into tyranny.

For years, Glen Cook's Black Company series has built a major audience among fantasy fans. Told from the "worm's-eye" view of the soldiers and functionaries who fight in the trenches of vast sorceress wars, this epic has riveted a generation of readers. If the Joseph Heller of Catch-22 were to tell the story of The Lord of the Rings, it might read like the Black Company books.

War is coming. With the reappearance of the Tuatha De, the countryside is thrown into chaos. Entire villages have been obliterated. Magic users are suffering persecution along with the Faie, leaving droves of refuges to wait outside the gates of the great cities, hoping for the acceptance that will never come. After a brief reunion with her companions, Finn is stolen away during the night by an unseen foe. Lost and alone, she must put her trust in a stranger if she hopes to reach Migris alive. Yet, nothing is as it seems, and those she trusts most may be the ones to betray her.

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.

Millennia in the dark has left these lost and forgotten monsters hungry for war. The people of Illian can do nothing but rely on their peacekeepers, the Dragorn. Are the dragon riders ready for what has been buried under their feet? Gideon Thorn, Master of the Dragorn, can feel the Third Age coming to an ominous end. With Inara Galfrey and her dragon by his side, they must investigate the return of this ancient evil.

Before Elloren Gardner came to possess the White Wand of myth, the Wand was drawn to another bearer: Sagellyn Gaffney. Sage’s affinity for light magery, a rare skill among Gardnerians, makes her the perfect protector for the one tool that can combat the shadows spreading across Erthia. But in order to keep the Wand safe from the dark forces hunting for it, Sage must abandon everything she once knew and forge a new path for herself...a dangerous course that could lead to either triumph or utter ruin.

Ruwen wants nothing more than to relax in the Third Secret and recover from the terrible damage to his core. Escaping the ambush in the Infernal Realm had come at a steep cost—one that means no Spirit use until he heals. Unfortunately, rest is one more thing that needs to wait, because the Bamboo Viper Master’s trial started days ago, and not participating results in the purging of his Step knowledge. Not something he wants to risk.

Arthur Leywin has experienced two lifetimes of challenge and adventure. He has lived as a swordsman, a mage, an adventurer, and a king. Now his two lives, old and new, will collide, revealing the connection between King Grey and Arthur Leywin, but at what cost? How will this affect the ongoing war between the nations of Alacrya and Dicathen? Enemy forces threaten the coastal cities, the elven forests, and the fortified mountain passes. Dicathen’s most powerful allies have vanished, and the military alliance between men, elves, and dwarves threatens collapse.

A mysterious force transports Noah to a fantasy realm of magic and levels. Unable to return home, he leans into his Blacksmith Apprentice class. By killing creatures in battle, mining ore, and even picking plants, Noah will obtain the ingredients he needs to create items to help him survive. His old life drags on him at first, a fact he doesn't let hold him down, because on Prixa, there's a brutal war between feline warriors and werewolves.

Carmen is a student at Red Assassin School. She's an expert at bladed weapons and poisons; and she's desperate to finish at the top of the class, ahead of her twin brother. The students have been trained to hunt using giant black swans, but Carmen has discovered a dragon. All she has to do is get on his back. One problem: he's killed everyone who gets near him. Then the Emperor declares war on assassins. And there might be a traitor among them. Carmen wants to graduate. But the emperor wants her dead. Her classmates might, too. Graduation night is about to become the fight of her life.

Incursions through the Divided Realms continue to pick up. Ryan seems to have escaped from those who summoned him, but could it be that they're just letting him out on a longer leash? Even if he can escape them, he can't escape the monsters who are spreading through the realms. Worse, his shadow is filled with all types of spidery things, and doesn't want to let him out of her sight. Crazy can be good right?

In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill. Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher—the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

In the aftermath of the war between Pendrath and its neighbors, peace has finally come to Camelot. For Morgan Le Fay and her friends, the calm is short-lived. A storm grows on the horizon. As a terrible evil that has been waiting hundreds of years begins to sweep through the land, Morgan and Draven must race to the aid of their allies, leaving their youngest and most vulnerable new family member in the care of trusted friends.

It turns out that surviving the depths of the labyrinth and helping stop a coup both tend to attract notice. If Hugh had his way, he'd happily go back to being just another anonymous student. He has more than enough to deal with already as he starts his second year, between his crushing load of schoolwork, training as a prospective candidate to the Librarians Errant, and navigating a long distance relationship.

Magic, romance, and adventure collide in Wandfasted, the irresistible prequel to The Black Witch: When they painted Heretics on our barn and set fire to it, I thought that was the worst it could get. Until they sent the dragons. But they didn't count on us having dragons of our own. And they certainly didn't count on Her. Our Great Mage. The Bringer of Fire. The Storm of Death. The Crow Sorceress. Our Deliverance. The Black Witch.

Princess Natasia is the eldest child of the Emperor Andreth, ruler of the Four Realms. If she was a boy, she’d be the unquestioned heir to the throne. But as a girl, her main duty in life is to marry someone her father can shape into his successor. Everything changes when an unknown, would-be assassin nearly takes Tasia’s life. Someone wants to destabilize the Empire - but who? Unsure of whom he can trust, the Emperor realizes that his daughter might be his best option for an heir.

A broke gamer. A deadly online world. Can Dahlia level up fast enough to keep the debt collectors at bay? Dahlia has to pay off her dead father’s bills or risk her life in the lithium mines. Which...no thank you. Besides, the world is run by tech, and this gamer girl is determined to explore the virtual world her father was so obsessed with - and get rich while she’s at it. So, she sells everything and rents a premium VR pod to play Eternal Online. Enter the toughest realm available? Check. Discover the fastest way to loot without dying? In progress.

Follow Asterios as his life of perpetual failure suddenly takes an unexpected turn, after just seconds short of his death, a powerful summon answers his call and saves his life. Wait...doesn't it look like...a girl? Are those beast ears and a tail?

After a year of fighting across three different lands, Dante and Blays have finally brought Gladdic to justice - and in the process, they've unleashed a horror beyond all reckoning. The enemy is known as the White Lich. He is ancient. He is immensely powerful. And Gladdic believes he will soon enslave all of Tanar Atain. Their only chance to defeat him is to strike fast, before the lich has regained his power. But attacking him directly would be suicide.

Jorg would be emperor. It is a position not to be gained by the sword but rather by vote. And never in living memory has anyone secured a majority of the vote, leaving the Broken Empire long without a leader. Jorg has plans to change that - one way or the other. He’s uncovered even more of the lost technology of the land, and he won’t hesitate to use it. But he soon finds an adversary standing in his way, a necromancer unlike any he has ever faced - a figure hated and feared even more than himself: the Dead King. The boy who would rule all may have finally met his match....