fantasy

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Summary: First of the Virian Chronicles This is the first of the Virian Chronicles, introducing the sorcerer Odo Babaloney, who features in some of the other novels in this series. Follow his life story from his childhood in an obscure sorcerers' enclave, through his formative years and into his adult life. Experience the joys and sorrows with him as he learns and grows. He was born with a secret gift, which he also considers a curse, and it could be dangerous for him if the wrong people discover his secret. Will he be able to avoid its discovery? Travel with Odo from Viria to Malvania, Sartoria and Varathusia as he embarks on a difficult mission to spread peace and unify the fragmented tribes and societies on these other worlds. Will he succeed in uniting the disparate peoples against a common enemy?

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Summary: Thrust into the role of Prince of the Lycans, Tristan strives to find his footing in a life suddenly rife with secrets and lies—and danger. Betrayed by a Goddess meant to safeguard him, desperate to protect his consort and their growing tribe, he can only prepare for the worst and struggle to hope. And then the worst comes to kill them...

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Summary: Will a daring rescue put a wedding and a future at risk? Lady Claire Trevelyan and renowned scientist Andrew Malvern are looking forward to domestic felicity in London—until a desperate and fugitive Alice Chalmers turns up seeking help. Her ship has been seized in the Duchy of Venice and worse, her navigator Jake has been thrown into the dreaded underwater prison from which no one ever escapes. Even the innocent. Lady Claire is about to embark on her career in Munich at the Zeppelin Airship Works. The Mopsies are beginning their final year at school. Andrew Malvern begins to despair of his fiancée ever choosing a wedding gown. But when help is denied from official quarters, the close bonds of friendship and shared adventure demand that they set sail in the airship Athena. There is a brooding evil waiting for them in Venice … an evil that would put an end to the flock’s interference once and for all. With an innocent friend’s unexpected return and a pair of secret agents who don’t want their help … the situation clearly calls for the inner resources of a lady of integrity.

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Summary: 11 stories of power exchange, love, and magic, including: Fealty Beloved, The baron, my husband, is dead. I am fighting to secure these lands and title in my own right as his widow. If you still feel as you once did, come to me now. I have need of you and your sword both. With all my love, Myrtle, Baroness Fireridge Eryk folded up the well-worn letter and tucked it away in his jerkin. Six months ago Baron Balmont of Cliffside had invited him to swear fealty and become one of Balmont's knights. For the bastard son of the hated Black Baron, the chance to belong was a dream come true. He accepted the lord's invitation without a moment's thought. Three weeks later, Myrtle's letter reached him. Three weeks… ~~~~ I Vant to Suck... Marcus woke unexpectedly, groggy and disoriented. Before he opened his eyes, he knew he had woken early. Even buried in the basement, the sun's weight sapped his strength. Blinking, he strained to bring the world into focus. A huge man with ebony skin stood over him, holding a stake to his chest. So, the ancient vampire mused, there were still things in the world he hadn't seen. The man met Marcus' eyes and froze. Marcus would have laughed if he could. "Go on, hunter." Speaking against the weight of the mid-day sun was like rolling boulders uphill, but then, nothing came easy. "I couldn't stop you if I wanted to. And I am not sure I do." For a long moment, the hunter stared at him. The sun won, sending Marcus back into darkness. ~~~~ A Hole in the Pack The pack gathered at the end of a successful hunt. Flopping down to rest in a clearing, their bellies matched the curve of the full moon overhead. It had been a good hunt, a good night, a good month. They should have been relaxed and playful until the sun sent them on their way. But they weren't. One of their number was missing. The hole in the pack was an ache that pulled at them. Instinctively they left a space where he should be. At the kill, those below him in rank milled about uncertainly when it should have been his turn to eat. Those near him in rank snarled and snapped, seeking to establish precedence around the hole his absence left. He was one of them, but not one of them, and the pack was broken. Sitting apart from the others, the pack leaders surveyed the world, ever alert for possible threat. But the greatest threat came from within. A glance, a flick of an ear, and a decision was made. It was time.

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Summary: A prince without power In a land where magic is commonplace, Prince Llyskel has none. He can’t command spells, he has never been taught to fight, and as the fifth son of the King, he will never rule. Everyone believes he’s a weakling, most of all himself. Powerlessness is Llyskel’s problem—and his pleasure. In his secret fantasies, the prince dreams of nothing more than finding himself helpless at another man’s hands… particularly the hands of Captain Ariv of the Guards. Then Ariv makes Llyskel’s dream a reality, and as the powerless prince surrenders to the soldier’s desire, he finds his own true strength at last. But a web of royal politics is closing around Llyskel, threatening to tear him from his lover, and it will take all his newfound courage to escape… 24,000 words | 76 pages (pdf) contains five shaded black-and-white illustrations by Yana Goya

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Summary: One month after her childhood friend Gilbert appeared on the doorstep of her library seeking help in fleeing from the Blue Crescent Brotherhood, Lenna Faircloth - librarian, self-proclaimed dormouse, and lover of all things alcoholic - finds herself in the unlikeliest of situations: roughing it in the forest with her mother's people, the Freewomen of Laur. With his dying words Gilbert bequeathed to Lenna one of three powerful artifacts, dubiously named the Godjewels, and it had formed a unique psychic bond with her that only the wards of the Freewoman settlement could mask from the other parties interested in acquiring her gem. As for Lenna? She's just interested in taking a bath, having a tall glass of wine, and forgetting the past month even happened. APPRENTICE continues the tale of LIBRARIAN and follows the adventures of a young woman forced to confront and discover what it means to be a hero (albeit a sometimes tipsy one), a friend, and a person with far too much power at their ready disposal.

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Summary: Here you’ll find tales of the supernatural, betrayal and murder; the mistakes that lead to the fall of empires and the constant tug of war that haunts mankind. There’s a blend of science fiction, fantasy and horror - from a modern day detective facing a serial killer to a future utopia filled with disloyalty. Lovers of romance will find a little something for them too, but within these bright sparks of hope shades of darkness lurk.

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Summary: My kid, Romy, says I'm old and she's worried about me. What's to worry about... aside from Jordan, my ex? Really, she didn't have to come all the way home to check on me. It's all good—especially Nova, the girl at the drive-up coffee shop. I keep to my work and surfing the local breaks to keep her out of my head... But it doesn't work. Her perfect skin and brilliant hair crash through my mind and draw me to her—like a super-moon tide. There's something about her... Bodie Catalan knows second chances don't just happen after a hard life, wracked by mistakes. Every now and again, however, the universe throws down a wildcard. Drive-Up is a fabulist, sentimental, 21st century tale. It rides the beach breaks along the shores of several genres and connects the wildcard thrown to entangled, beach-bound lives and the inexorable tidal change that moves all that cross it. Dive into this tale and see what's been served at the Drive-Up.

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Summary: Some time in January of 2011 I wrote to a friend: 'I feel like I am floating in an alternate universe of silver goggles and artificial wombs and look there's Emily Dickinson smoking a cigar.' I was deep inside the process of editing The WisCon Chronicles, Vol. 5: Writing and Racial Identity, surrounded by all those elements and more-- a delightful place." —from the Introduction.; This volume of the WisCon Chronicles celebrates, challenges, and discusses the varied faces of WisCon 34. Its contributors include a mix of writers, scholars, and fans, among whom number Greer Gilman, Nnedi Okorafor, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Nisi Shawl, Nancy Jane Moore, Vandana Singh, Andrea Hairston, Eileen Gunn, MJ Hardman, Maurice Broaddus. It also, notably, includes a handful of short stories. And as with previous volumes, it does not shy away from controversy.

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Summary: Diego and Finn's peaceful life in Montana shatters when Diego unwittingly rips a hole in the Veil to the Otherworld---mysterious prophecies, dying fae, hostile government agents, and there's so much more that could still go wrong. After defeating an evil wendigo, a man and his pooka lover deserve a little quiet. Unfortunately, Diego and Finn's hard-won peace is disturbed when Diego, in a jealous rage, unwittingly rips a hole in the impenetrable Veil to the Otherworld. Separated, stuck on the other side of the Veil where Finn has to face old conflicts and Diego is the only human in a land of fae, the two of them navigate rocky waters between huge egos and ancient feuds. Worse still, some of the fae are dying of a mysterious illness and everyone believes Diego is the key to a cure. Things can't possibly get any worse, can they? Oh, yes---they can when the US government gets involved.

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Summary: The youngest master in the Bards’ Guild, eighteen-year-old Huw Owyn is at the top of his craft. The Spring Conclave is underway, and Huw is late to the ceremonies. While he lingers with his lady, the Bards’ Guild is attacked. Seeking to rule the most powerful clan in the valley, Earl Rann Dwyn hangs the Guild Master, Huw’s father. His thugs torch the hall with everyone still inside, igniting a firestorm and incinerating a quarter of the city. Smuggled out of the burning city in a reeking ale barrel, Huw the Bard is a wanted man. Starving, reduced to begging and worse, he must somehow make his way north to safety. It’s a 200-league walk as the crow flies to the one place he might have a friend, though the path Huw must take is anything but straight. Murder and the taint of treason – a lot can happen to a man on a journey like that.

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Summary: In the ten years since his parents died in a fire he predicted but couldn't prevent, seventeen year old Matt is trying to stay out of trouble, biding his time until he graduates and ages out of foster care. All he wants is for the world to leave him alone so he won't be tortured by seeing someone's future he's powerless to change anyway. But his plans for keeping himself aloof fail when he interrupts a vicious attack on Amara, a girl he recognizes from school. Despite his best attempts to push her away, he can't ignore the connection they've formed. That's when glimpses of Amara's dangerous future start to invade the present -- a future he fears is his fault. Now Matt has something to lose again . . . and something to fight for.

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Summary: Margerit Sovitre did not expect to inherit Baron Saveze's fortunes—even less his bodyguard, a ruthlessly efficient swordswoman known only as Barbara. Wealth suddenly makes Margerit a highly eligible heiress and buys her the enmity of the new Baron. He had expected to inherit all, and now eyes her fortune with open envy. Barbara proudly served as the old Baron's duelist, but she had expected his death to make her a free woman. Bitterness turns to determination when she finds herself the only force that stands between Margerit and the new Baron's greed. At first Margerit protests the need for Barbara's services, but soon she cannot imagine sending Barbara away. And Barbara's duty has become something far more hazardous to her heart than the point of a sword. But greater dangers loom than one man's hatred—the Prince of Alpennia is ill. Deadly intrigue surrounds the succession and the rituals of divine power known as The Mysteries of the Saints.

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Summary: A lady of resources has the power to change the world—if she can stay alive long enough to do it. Lady Claire Trevelyan had been looking forward to glittering balls, congenial society, and relief from pursuit during her stay with Lord and Lady Dunsmuir in the Canadas. Though being pursued by a handsome airship captain is rather satisfying, especially when it appears Andrew Malvern is becoming distracted by a certain blond mechanic. But a shot fired in the night puts an end to such diversions, and instead plunges her and her orphaned band of children into a fight for their very survival. Between secret conversations at the highest levels of society and skullduggery in the diamond mines, Claire must discover who is behind the attempts on her friends’ lives—before her mother is compelled to make funeral arrangements yet again.

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Summary: You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family ... or can you? Now sixteen, Lizzie and Maggie are educated young ladies who have not been called “the Mopsies” in years … except by their guardian, Lady Claire Trevelyan. With the happy prospect of choosing their own future, the girls can leave their dodgy past behind, and Lizzie can bury her deepest childhood memories where they can do no harm. But is she ready to be separated from Maggie and become the woman she believes she was meant to be? Or will old habits tempt her into defiance—like picking the wrong man’s pocket—and plunge her into disaster? But sometimes disaster leads to dreams coming true—dreams of family and a place in the world. Lizzie must decide whether her true family is the one she was born to … or the one she chose long ago when the Lady of Devices steamed into their lives …

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Summary: You can choose your friends, but you cannot choose your family … or can you? Under normal circumstances, Maggie and Lizzie would be delighted to meet their long-lost relatives and be reunited with those who had believed them dead, but when are the Mopsies’ circumstances ever normal? With her half-brother Claude Seacombe, Lizzie travels to Cornwall to meet her mother’s parents. Maggie goes along, too, since she is part of the family … or so one might assume. But the more time she spends in her grandparents’ clifftop mansion, the more she realizes that something is not right, and the events surrounding her own mother’s death are more mysterious—and dangerous—than anyone alive suspects. For an old nemesis is preying on the weak and proud, and she cannot stand by and watch. Maggie must straighten her spine, plunge into danger for Lizzie’s sake … and prove that no matter the name she bears, she is first and foremost what the Lady of Devices believes her to be … a lady of spirit.

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Summary: Have you ever looked at a picture, perhaps a photo of two guys in a tight hug, or two girls holding hands, and wondered, "What happened before that moment? What will they do next?" These fifteen stories were inspired by images from the Young Adult LGBT Books Group. In these pages you'll find LGBTQ teenagers living their lives - experiencing first encounters and long relationships, coming out, staying closeted, questioning, loving, having adventures, dealing with family, with prejudice, with magic. Author Kira Harp provides this collection of Young Adult romantic, fantasy and contemporary short stories. Any author royalties from this book will be donated to The Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and resources for LGBTQ youth. (**This book is a free download in ebook everywhere except Amazon, and also available in print.)

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Summary: First I was a sorcerer. Then I was a hermit. For so long—for years that seemed to go on forever—I couldn't bear to be touched. I put up not just walls but whole stone bunkers to keep everyone out, emotionally, and physically as well. I was protected from people, from ghosts, from specters real and imagined. Sure, I was alone. But I felt safe. Only, after a while, I wasn't sure any longer whether a totally "safe" empty life was really worth living. Then Tobin came along. Out of the blue, out of my past, with a summons from the king that he wouldn't let me ignore. I tried to cling to my isolation, but he wouldn't give up on me. Tobin never believed in walls. This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love Has No Boundaries" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story. 103,000 words

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Summary: Markus a wizard from a parallel Earth travels to our world in a bid to stop a blight that is destroying his own. Here he meets Alcina, a Wiccan Priestess, who is in a custody battle over her son, Tim, against Carl, the boy’s sire, who abandoned her when she was pregnant eight years before. Carl has the backing of a dangerous religious cult in his bid to take Tim. Together Markus and Alcina face the forces of intolerance and hate to save a child and a world and thaw two warm harts too long trapped in the ice of betrayal. Meanwhile, Markus’ best friend and his ex-fiancée, who is now a vampire, battle the authorities who are likely to hang Markus upon his return because he has done research into forbidden magics.

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Summary: Yard Dog is a famously quirky publisher, they\'ve been at this for a long time and continue to bring out great stories.