Epic Sorcery

The final days of hope have come and gone. The kingdoms of Illian stand on the edge of ruin, threatened by the armies of Valanis. As evil spreads across the land, too few are left to hold the line. A world away, the children of fire and flame may be the only hope for the realm, but the dragons have been defeated before. Now Verda's future hangs in the balance.

Dareena Sellis is a nobody. The orphaned daughter of a no-name farmer, she toils away as a serving girl at Hallowdale Inn. But fate takes a strange turn the day a dragon huntress comes to town. Suddenly, Dareena is swept off to Dragon’s Keep. She is the dragon’s gift - the one woman chosen by the gods every century to bear children for the future king of Dragonfell. None of the princes are willing to cede Dareena to the other, and yet she must choose, for the enemy is knocking on Dragonfell’s door and Dareena’s decision could either mean the kingdom’s salvation...or annihilation.

Ragnarok is near and the Vikings of Midgard have failed to uphold their duty to prevent it. With time running out, the All-Father Odin himself, searches all the worlds for one last warrior who might hold back the destruction threatening Nine Realms and every world created. Magnus’s death caught the All-Father’s one good eye. As an Army Ranger, he knew he was placing himself in the line of fire every day, and knew a day could come that cost him his life. What he didn't want was the rest of his team would be wiped out with him, the worst disaster the Rangers had experienced in decades.

When Minalan the Spellmonger was exiled from his beloved mageland of Sevendor by Prince Tavard, his friend Duke Anguin made him Count Palatine of the Magelaw, a vast realm in the Alshari Wilderlands that Minalan is all too familiar with. After the goblin invasion, the province is devastated, ruined, and peopled almost only by freed slaves. But Minalan has brought his recovering wife and family into exile with him, and he views their impoverished fief as an opportunity to build a new City of Magi in the wilderness.

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.

Kate is a Keeper—a storyteller, magic-wielder, and researcher—but a single mystery has evaded her all her life: What happened on the tragic day when two strangers stole not only the puzzle box that hummed with magic but so much more? She and her brother Bo have searched for twenty years with no luck. Until Venn, a surly elf, shows up on the hidden doorstep of the Keepers' Stronghold with that same aenigma box—and a message that Bo has disappeared. Kate needs a guide back to Venn's homeland to search for him, and Venn needs to find him for reasons of her own.

Angel, a daring adventurer, scours the desert endlessly in search of ancient magic. When he’s given an offer he can’t refuse, he finds out that he’s not the only one seeking lost knowledge. His opponents wield magic that the world has forgotten, and their methods leave cities razed and the innocent in their wake. In a race against a group who has lived in the shadows since the Great War, Angel will have to determine just how far he’s willing to go to accomplish his goals.

Years have passed since the last of the Dark Gods was defeated, and Lothion has entered an age of peace and prosperity. Mordecai’s oldest children have already begun to make a place for themselves, and his youngest are on the cusp of adulthood. By every outward measure, his life has been a success; he has earned his reward. However, Tyrion, the first wizard and brutal liberator of mankind, has returned with an agenda of his own, and dark things continue to stir at the edges of civilization, threatening to undo Mordecai’s accomplishments.

A strange darkness grows in Allward. Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea. She soon discovers the truth: She is the last of an ancient lineage—and the last hope to save the world from destruction. But she won't be alone. Even as darkness falls, she is joined by a band of unlikely companions. Together they stand against a vicious opponent, invincible and determined to burn all kingdoms to ash, and an army unlike anything the realm has ever witnessed.

Bryn’s earliest memory is of watching duels in the arena. His earliest dream is of taking his place there. Amero dal Moreno has no dreams. His life has been about fulfilling the expectations of others. In search of a path of his own, the dreams of others are too tempting to resist. After years of sacrifice and hard work, Bryn Pendollo is finally a professional duellist. Becoming the First Blade of Ostia no longer seems the childish fantasy it once did. To find the man standing in his way is also his best friend will test him in ways he would never have believed.

Destroying the portals between worlds was supposed to force the entity out of Rale. Instead, it's trapped him there. This has cut Nolost off from much of his power, buying some time to try to stop him from annihilating the world. Dante and Blays' last hope lies in finding someone or something called the Burdan rah Saylan. Knowing nothing about the Burdan except for their name, they travel far to the east into lands they've never heard of.

I had a great time during my chaotic first year at the academy, where I learned about my demonic powers and made a few gorgeous friends. My sophomore year is starting early, introducing me to new classes and new girls, including a quiet tomboy named Andie and an obsessive redhead named Emma. The girls aren’t the only ones on my radar though. News of an ancient demonic artifact surfaces for the first time in generations, and somehow, it’s linked to me. It’s going to take every connection I have to find it, and it just might lead to something that can destroy the entire Nine Circles.

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.

Hall had played the VRMMORPG, Sky Realms Online, since beta. During one gaming session, a freak accident traps Hall and other players in the game. They awaken to find out their bodies are comatose and they have been downloaded fully into the virtual world. Even worse, the rules have changed, they've been forced back to level 1, and permadeath might be possible. Join Hall and his growing circle of friends and enemies, both Players and NPCs, as they discover that Sky Realms Online is not the same game they knew. New lands, new foes, and new mysteries.

Shroud of Eternity picks up where Terry Goodkind's New York Times bestseller Death's Mistress left off, promising a thrilling brew of bloodshed, sex, deception, and sorcery. The formidable sorceress Nicci and her companions - the newly powerless Nathan and the youthful Bannon - set out on another quest after driving ruthless Norukai slavers out of Renda Bay. Their mission: restore Nathan's magic and, for Nicci, save the world.

War has broken out in the North. The Corrupt Lord of the Ice has invaded Norghana with a host from the Frozen Continent. Will the king and the Rangers manage to stop him, or will they die in the attempt?

Orcs, an ancient fiend thought lost to history, have risen from The Under Realm. Their hunger for total dominance has plunged Illian into war, pushing the survivors to Namdhor, the last refuge of man at the top of the world. For those who stand up to this foe, they do so in darkness. Ash clouds smother the skies, blocking out the sun as the orcs rampage across the land.

The Immortal Dragon has a secret plan and is close to executing it. The Panthers must stop him as difficulties in Norghana for the rangers increase. Abroad, political relations with other kingdoms are complicated. Will the Panthers be able to stop the unfathomable threat? Will Norghana emerge victorious from the political war?

My place in this world slowly reveals itself to me. Unfortunately, I’m constantly reminded just how magicians truly screwed this place up. The Lord Ruler serves as one of the kingdom’s major problems, though there could be more to it. Tasks: rank up the shop and town, adapt to my ever-increasing strength, and hey, there are foes that are seriously strong out there. So many things happen in my growing tale this time around. Sit. I shall continue…

I can only run from my past for so long. Eventually my Demons always find me. Unfortunately, that Demon has hired three insufferable dragon shifters to bring me back to him. I just have to hide my secrets a little longer. I just have to pretend to help these assholes find the person they're looking for without letting them know the truth. They're on the hunt for a dangerous Mage. Just wait until they find out the Mage they're hunting is actually me...