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ANGEL FIRE My name is Darcy Anderson, and I am cursed with a dark power: Whenever my life is in danger, something inside me summons elemental fire to protect me. I cannot control this. One night, I was attacked in my home. The fire ... it raged out of control. I survived the inferno, but my house burned to the ground - with my parents inside. I was at a loss to explain to the courts what happened, and so they sent me to prison for ten years for manslaughter. Now I'm out on parole, and all I want is to return to my home town and rebuild my life; but the man who attacked me is back to finish the job he started. I can sense the power in me growing. If I can't control it, it will control me and destroy everything - and everyone - I love. _____ ANGEL'S BREATH My name is Richard Riley. All I ever wanted was to lead a normal life. When I was younger, I made some bad choices that ended with me in prison. I served my time, and now I am trying to put my life back together. But someone has framed me for a crime I didn't commit. They want me dead, and they're willing to kill my friends and family to get to me. Even as I try to save the people I love, a dark and ancient power grows inside me. I can feel its anger rising. If it gets away from me, it will rip everything in my life apart. _____ EARTH ANGEL My name is Kyle Chase. I had a bright future as a heart surgeon until an accident brought my world crumbling down. Just as I started to get my life back together, I stumbled onto a conspiracy that began thousands of years ago; a secret my family tried to keep hidden from me. Now, the conspirators want me out of the picture. They will stop at nothing to silence me. As I try to uncover my ages-old legacy, I release a dark power that threatens to destroy everyone I love. _____ ANGEL TEARS My name is Serena Rogers. After escaping from a juvenile detention center, all I wanted was to get as far away from home as I could and never look back. Everything changed when I uncovered the dark secret that's been haunting my family since before I was born. I am not who I thought I was. When I encounter an army of revolutionaries, I am faced with an impossible choice: fight them and risk the lives of everyone I love, or join them and lose my soul. _____ ANGEL OF DARKNESS My name is Frank. I joined the police force to make a difference, but from the first day on the job, everything I've done has made life worse for everyone around me. For twenty-five years, I searched for meaning, to make sense of my life, but I never found any answers. Just when I decide to turn my back on my life's work, I uncover a conspiracy more sinister than anything I ever imagined. As I investigate, I realize that even if I stop the conspirators, the blood of innocents will be on my hands: thousands will die. If I don't stop them, all of mankind will suffer an age of darkness... |
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Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him? |
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“This is one hell of a good book. So many fantasies concentrate on the darkness in humanity these days. There's something to be said for that, if it's well done. Yet this is a book that reminds you that deep down, we want to have courage and honour - and we admire those who do. Hugely enjoyable throughout. 5 stars - well deserved.”—Conn Iggulden The King is dead, the Greatcoats have been disbanded, and Falcio Val Mond and his fellow magistrates Kest and Brasti have been reduced to working as bodyguards. Things could be worse. Their employer could be lying dead on the floor while the killer plants evidence framing them for the murder. Oh wait, that’s exactly what’s happening… Now a royal conspiracy is about to unfold in the most corrupt city in the world. A carefully orchestrated series of murders that began with the overthrow of an idealistic young king will end with the death of an orphaned girl and the ruin of everything that Falcio, Kest, and Brasti have fought for. But if the trio want to foil the conspiracy, save the girl, and reunite the Greatcoats, they’ll have to do it with nothing but the tattered coats on their backs and the swords in their hands, because these days every noble is a tyrant, every knight is a thug, and the only thing you can really trust is a traitor’s blade. |
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The official novelization of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the highly anticipated blockbuster film directed by J. J. Abrams, hitting theaters in December 2015. More than thirty years ago, Star Wars burst onto the big screen and became a cultural phenomenon. Now the next adventures in this blockbuster saga are poised to captivate old and new fans alike—beginning with the highly anticipated Star Wars: The Force Awakens . And alongside the cinematic debut comes the thrilling novel adaptation by New York Times bestselling science fiction master Alan Dean Foster. Set years after Return of the Jedi, this stunning new action-packed adventure rockets us back into the world of Princess Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2,and Luke Skywalker, while introducing a host of exciting new characters. Darth Vader may have been redeemed and the Emperor vanquished, but peace can be fleeting, and evil does not easily relent. Yet the simple belief in good can still empower ordinary individuals to rise and meet the greatest challenges. So return to that galaxy far, far away, and prepare yourself for what happens when the Force awakens. . . . |
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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens “ Star Wars: Aftermath [reveals] what happened after the events of 1983’s Return of the Jedi . It turns out, there’s more than just the Empire for the good guys to worry about.”— The Hollywood Reporter As the Empire reels from its critical defeats at the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance—now a fledgling New Republic—presses its advantage by hunting down the enemy’s scattered forces before they can regroup and retaliate. But above the remote planet Akiva, an ominous show of the enemy’s strength is unfolding. Out on a lone reconnaissance mission, pilot Wedge Antilles watches Imperial Star Destroyers gather like birds of prey circling for a kill, but he’s taken captive before he can report back to the New Republic leaders. Meanwhile, on the planet’s surface, former rebel fighter Norra Wexley has returned to her native world—war weary, ready to reunite with her estranged son, and eager to build a new life in some distant place. But when Norra intercepts Wedge Antilles’s urgent distress call, she realizes her time as a freedom fighter is not yet over. What she doesn’t know is just how close the enemy is—or how decisive and dangerous her new mission will be. Determined to preserve the Empire’s power, the surviving Imperial elite are converging on Akiva for a top-secret emergency summit—to consolidate their forces and rally for a counterstrike. But they haven’t reckoned on Norra and her newfound allies—her technical-genius son, a Zabrak bounty hunter, and a reprobate Imperial defector—who are prepared to do whatever they must to end the Empire’s oppressive reign once and for all. Praise for Aftermath “The Force is strong with Star Wars: Aftermath .” —Alternative Nation “The Star Wars universe is fresh and new again, and just as rich and mysterious as it always was.” — Den of Geek “[Chuck] Wendig neatly captures the current states of the Empire and Rebel Alliance and does so through flawed, real, and nuanced characters. His writing gets you up close and personal. . . . Wendig does wonders with dialogue and voice and carving out space for everyone to breathe. Aftermath is a strong foot forward into unexplored territory and puts down just enough foundation that you can start picturing the Resistance and First Order of The Force Awakens taking shape.” — Nerdist “If the opening chapter of the Wendig’s Aftermath trilogy is any indication, the ‘Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens ’ will be every bit as exciting as the movie.” —New York Daily News “A wonderful Star Wars adventure by a gifted author.” — SF Book Reviews From the Hardcover edition. |
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Omega - a shadowy organization that is synonymous with power in the metahuman world. They have hunted Sienna Nealon since the day she first left her house, have killed countless Directorate agents and operatives, and now they unveil their greatest plot - Operation Stanchion, a mysterious phrase let slip by an Omega operative in the midst of a battle. Now Sienna must track the pieces Omega has in motion to confront her enemy before they can land their final stroke - and bring an end to the Directorate forever. |
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Following his beloved debut, Traitor's Blade (a "swashbuckling romp packed with charisma, camaraderie, quick wit and even quicker swordplay"-NPR), Sebastien de Castell returns with volume two of his fast-paced fantasy adventure series, inspired by the swashbuckling action and witty banter of The Three Musketeers . Knight's Shadow continues the series with a thrilling and dark tale of heroism and betrayal in a country crushed under the weight of its rulers' corruption. A few days after the horrifying murder of a duke and his family, Falcio val Mond, swordsman and First Cantor of the Greatcoats, begins a deadly pursuit to capture the killer. But Falcio soon discovers his own life is in mortal danger from a poison administered as a final act of revenge by one of his deadliest enemies. As chaos and civil war begin to overtake the country, Falcio has precious little time left to stop those determined to destroy his homeland. From the Hardcover edition. |
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Mara’s in hell! Neither one of the guys in her life is talking to her. Paul, her ex-boyfriend, is afraid she’s going to give birth to a baby demon—complete with horns and hooves. He wants proof that he’s actually the father. And her best friend, Gus, is so obsessed with his new boyfriend and his plans for the late, great, Lord Grundleshanks the Poisonous Toad, he has no time for anyone else. After Gus flips the seasons and manages to bring summer into winter, everything starts going weirdly wrong. Summer refuses to leave. Household electronics start going haywire. When J.J., a local boy, vanishes from Mara's car, Mara begins to suspect he's been turned into a rat. But it’s such a crazy idea, who could she possibly talk to abut it? Then, her dead Aunt Tillie shows up to warn her that Gus is in trouble—big trouble—and it’s up to Mara to save him. Before Mara can stop him, Gus opens up a portal to Hell and the Devil comes calling. Now, she’s got her hands full, trying to find out what happened to J.J., assure Paul she’s not going to give birth to a mythological creature, and broker a truce between Gus and the Devil before Gus becomes Hell’s newest resident. |
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All three parts of the epic masterpiece The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers & The Return of the King – available as one download, featuring the definitive edition of the text, hyperlinked footnotes and page references, and 3 maps including a detailed map of Middle-earth. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has gathered to him all the Rings of Power – the means by which he intends to rule Middle-earth. All he lacks in his plans for dominion is the One Ring – the ring that rules them all – which has fallen into the hands of the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as the Ring is entrusted to his care. He must leave his home and make a perilous journey across the realms of Middle-earth to the Crack of Doom, deep inside the territories of the Dark Lord. There he must destroy the Ring forever and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose. Since it was first published in 1954, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ has been a book people have treasured. Steeped in unrivalled magic and otherworldliness, its sweeping fantasy has touched the hearts of young and old alike. Reviews ‘The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit and those who are going to read them.’ Sunday Times ‘A story magnificently told, with every kind of colour and movement and greatness.’ New Statesman ‘Masterpiece? Oh yes, I’ve no doubt about that.’ Evening Standard About the author J.R.R.Tolkien (1892-1973) was a distinguished academic, though he is best known for writing ‘The Hobbit’, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Silmarillion’, plus other stories and essays. His books have been translated into over 40 languages and have sold many millions of copies worldwide. |
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This book is the basis for the first season of T he Expanse, a Syfy Original series coming December 14th 2015! Leviathan Wakes is James S. A. Corey's first novel in the epic, New York Times bestselling series the Expanse, a modern masterwork of science fiction where humanity has colonized the solar system. Two hundred years after migrating into space, mankind is in turmoil. When a reluctant ship's captain and washed-up detective find themselves involved in the case of a missing girl, what they discover brings our solar system to the brink of civil war, and exposes the greatest conspiracy in human history. The Expanse Leviathan Wakes Caliban's War Abaddon's Gate Cibola Burn Nemesis Games The Expanse Short Fiction The Butcher of Anderson Station Gods of Risk The Churn Drive The Vital Abyss |
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BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Terry Brooks's The Measure of the Magic . Twenty-five years ago, New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks wrote a novel that brought to life a dazzling world that would become one of the most popular fantasy epics of all time, beloved by millions of fans around the world. Ten more Shannara books would follow. Now, for the first time in one elegant collector’s edition hardcover, and featuring an introduction by the author, here are the first three novels of that classic series: The Sword of Shannara , The Elfstones of Shannara , and The Wishsong of Shannara —the beginning of a phenomenal epic of good and evil. The Sword of Shannara Long ago, the wars of the ancient Evil ruined the world. In peaceful Shady Vale, half-elfin Shea Ohmsford knows little of such troubles. But the supposedly dead Warlock Lord is plotting to destroy everything in his wake. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness is the Sword of Shannara, which can be used only by a true heir of Shannara. On Shea, last of the bloodline, rests the hope of all the races. The Elfstones of Shannara The magical Ellcrys tree is dying, loosening the spell that bars the Demons from enacting vengeance upon the land. Now Wil Ohmsford must guard the Elven girl Amberle on a perilous quest as she carries one of the Ellcrys’ seeds to a mysterious place where it can be quickened into a powerful new force. But dark on their trail comes the Reaper, most fearsome of all Demons, aiming to crush their mission at any cost. The Wishsong of Shannara An ancient Evil is stirring to new life, sending its ghastly Mord Wraiths to destroy Mankind. To win through the vile growth that protects this dark force, the Druid Allanon needs Brin Ohmsford—for she alone holds the magic power of the wishsong. Reluctantly Brin joins the Druid on his dangerous journey. But a prophecy foretells doom, as Evil nurses its plans to trap the unsuspecting Brin into a fate far more horrible than death. Thus begins Terry Brooks’s thrilling Shannara epic, an unforgettable tale of adventure, magic, and myth. |
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BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from Terry Brooks's The Measure of the Magic . Living in peaceful Shady Vale, Shea Ohmsford knew little of the troubles that plagued the rest of the world. Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revaled that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destory the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara--Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him.... |
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The post-television Deep Space Nine saga continues with this original novel from New York Times bestselling author David R. George III! On the original Deep Space Nine, Captain Kira Nerys watches as the nearby wormhole opens and discharges a single, bladelike vessel. Attempts to contact its crew fail, and the ship is soon followed by another vessel of similar design. When an armada subsequently begins to emerge from the wormhole, it seems clear that DS9 is under attack. Kira orders her first officer, Commander Elias Vaughn, to board the U.S.S. Defiant and defend the station, and alerts Starfleet to send additional forces as her crew prepares DS9’s shields and weaponry for the onslaught to come. Meanwhile, on the lead ship, Iliana Ghemor considers launching an attack on DS9 and finally ending the life of Kira, the fountainhead of all the ills in her miserable life. Her vengeance demands more than mere death, though—it requires pain. Ghemor refocuses, choosing to follow her plan to mete out her revenge on the captain by first decimating the population of Bajor… ™, ®, & © 2015 CBS Studios, Inc. STAR TREK and related marks and logos are trademarks of CBS Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
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A NEW ORIGINAL SERIES, NOW ON HBO. Here is the first volume in George R. R. Martin’s magnificent cycle of novels that includes A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords . As a whole, this series comprises a genuine masterpiece of modern fantasy, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Magic, mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill these pages and transport us to a world unlike any we have ever experienced. Already hailed as a classic, George R. R. Martin’s stunning series is destined to stand as one of the great achievements of imaginative fiction. A GAME OF THRONES Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones. BONUS: This edition contains an excerpt from George R.R. Martin's A Clash of Kings and a preview of A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel. |
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In the exciting new novel in bestselling author Kelley Armstrong's compelling Cainsville series, Olivia realizes that she is at the heart of a tug-of-war between ancient forces--and that everyone around her risks becoming collateral damage. When Olivia's life exploded--after she found out she was not the only child of a privileged Chicago family, but of a notorious pair of serial killers--she found a refuge in the oddly secluded but welcoming town of Cainsville, Illinois. Working with Gabriel Walsh, a precociously successful criminal lawyer with links to the town, she managed to partially clear her parents' name in an investigation that also revealed darker forces at work in the town that had offered her a haven. Fleeing Cainsville after she is almost killed, Olivia finds herself not only the target of the Cainsville elders and of the Huntsmen, but also of her ex-fiancé, James, who stalks her and even tries to have her kidnapped. All this as her feelings for Ricky deepen, and confusingly her feelings for Gabriel too. Visions continue to haunt her: particularly a little blond girl in a green sundress who insists she has an important message for Olivia, and holds out in her palm a black stone and a white stone that swirl together to create a balance of light and dark. Death stalks them all, as Olivia desperately searches to understand whether ancient scripts are dictating the triangle that links her to Gabriel and Ricky, or whether she has the power to change the tragic outcome. |
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In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines—puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. But when Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. |
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Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive sequence began in 2010 with the New York Times bestseller The Way of Kings . Now, the eagerly anticipated Words of Radiance continues the epic story and answers many of your questions. Six years ago, the Assassin in White, a hireling of the inscrutable Parshendi, assassinated the Alethi king on the very night a treaty between men and Parshendi was being celebrated. So began the Vengeance Pact among the highprinces of Alethkar and the War of Reckoning against the Parshendi. Now the Assassin is active again, murdering rulers all over the world of Roshar, using his baffling powers to thwart every bodyguard and elude all pursuers. Among his prime targets is Highprince Dalinar, widely considered the power behind the Alethi throne. His leading role in the war would seem reason enough, but the Assassin’s master has much deeper motives. Expected by his enemies to die the miserable death of a military slave, Kaladin survived to be given command of the royal bodyguards, a controversial first for a low-status "d****yes." Now he must protect the king and Dalinar from every common peril as well as the distinctly uncommon threat of the Assassin, all while secretly struggling to master remarkable new powers that are somehow linked to his honorspren, Syl. Brilliant but troubled Shallan strives along a parallel path. Despite being broken in ways she refuses to acknowledge, she bears a terrible burden: to somehow prevent the return of the legendary Voidbringers and the civilization-ending Desolation that will follow. The secrets she needs can be found at the Shattered Plains, but just arriving there proves more difficult than she could have imagined. Meanwhile, at the heart of the Shattered Plains, the Parshendi are making an epochal decision. Hard pressed by years of Alethi attacks, their numbers ever shrinking, they are convinced by their war leader, Eshonai, to risk everything on a desperate gamble with the very supernatural forces they once fled. The possible consequences for Parshendi and humans alike, indeed, for Roshar itself, are as dangerous as they are incalculable. The doors of the Stormlight Archive first opened to us with The Way of Kings . Read that book – now available in all formats – and then Words of Radiance , and you can be part of the adventure every dazzling step of the way. At the publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management software (DRM) applied. |
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All is lost. Evil will soon consume the D'Haran Empire. Richard Rahl lies on his funeral bier. It is the end of everything. Except what isn't lost is Kahlan Amnell. Following an inner prompting beyond all reason, the last Confessor will wager everything on a final desperate gambit, and in so doing, she will change the world forever. Terry Goodkind's Warheart is the direct sequel to, and the conclusion of, the story begun in The Omen Machine, The Third Kingdom, and Severed Souls. |
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Millions on Earth are shaken by the events set in motion by Zack's final play... Billions on Tygon watch breathlessly as the consequences of his actions ripple through both worlds. Will his girlfriend, still inside the Game, step forward to lead the movement that he created? Billions of lives are in jeopardy of being lost...based on the decisions made by children inside the Game. |
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Just hours after finding Andromeda and crossing paths with her mother, Sienna Nealon finds herself back at the Directorate and up against a bigger threat than ever before. Omega, the organization that unleashed Wolfe and others upon her, has declared war on the Directorate and the first strikes have already landed. Facing the seemingly unstoppable forces of Omega and Sienna’s own mother, the Directorate seems poised for defeat when a new threat rears its ugly head - a traitor in their midst, one that may mean the destruction of everything Sienna has come to care about. |
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The highly anticipated sequel to After The Ending. The Virus changed them, but that was only the beginning... ...death...mutation...insanity...corruption...terror... ...all that remains is hope. In the wake of destruction left behind by the Virus, it took Dani and Zoe months to find each other. But their reunion was short-lived. Dani has been taken, and though little distance separates them, they might as well be worlds apart. From the moment she hears Dani's scream, Zoe's only goal is to save her best friend. She and her companions scramble to come up with a rescue plan, but when a ghost from Jake's past reappears, lines are blurred, decisions become harder, and secrets are revealed...and some secrets are best left buried. To keep heartache and fear from consuming her, Zoe must cling to her determination. She WILL see Dani again. Dani awakens inside the final hold-out of civilization: the Colony. Remnants of the former world surround her--electricity, safety, social order--but all is not what it seems. As she faces her most manipulative adversary yet, she loses sight of who she is and who she can trust. Friends become enemies, enemies become allies, and allies will betray her. Dani will have to decide what she's willing to do and whose lives she's willing to risk if she is to have any chance of breaking free. *contains some mature content and language* The Ending Series: Book 1 - After The Ending Book 2 - Into The Fire Book 3 - Out Of The Ashes (TBR Summer 2014) |
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The hunter is now the hunted. Zoey Daniels is becoming the very thing she once despised. Fae. After Zoey and Ryker finally found their way to each other they are torn apart by an ex-girlfriend, a stone, and mortality. Ryker’s powers have fully adapted to Zoey, slowly killing him. Now the mysterious feared demon, Vadik, has discovered their location in Peru and has taken Ryker and sold Zoey back to DMG. The very place which gave her life now might take it away. Or someone she loves… Dr. Rapava is so obsessed with building an army against the fae he will do anything to control Zoey and her new found powers. Zoey’s has to become an unfeeling brainwashed soldier to survive. But when her survival depends on torturing one to keep another alive, she is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice. And neither choice is one she can live with. |
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In the aftermath of her confrontation with Sovereign, Sienna Nealon finds herself low on allies. The organization Century continues their genocide of the entire race of metahumans unchecked, working toward an ultimate goal that they have yet to reveal. Sienna must race to find the answers before it's too late, because Century's final attacks are beginning...and if Sienna and her allies fall, there will be no one left to stop them. |
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The Romanian and Serbian Canis lupus rest in an uneasy peace. One of their own, Sally Miklos, the young and powerful gypsy healer, aids Perizada in her quest to defeat Volcan, a long forgotten nightmare returned to our world. These two packs watch as their brothers across the world, wolves from Spain, Ireland, and America, join their own forces in the battle against the evil dark fae. At the same time, the packs hope against hope that their presence might reveal a mate bond between a pack member and one of the five recently discovered gypsy healers. While Jacque and Jen miss Sally, their longtime best friend, they have bided their time dealing with their own domestic issues. Jacque and Fane are anticipating the birth of their first child and Jen and Decebel face the challenges of caring for an infant. Both girls are eagerly awaiting Sally’s return, and have Perizada’s word that she will be back in time for the birth of Jacque’s baby. Vasile and Alina, the Alpha pair of the Romanian pack, are enjoying this time of peace. But Vasile did not become the most powerful Alpha in centuries by being a fool. He has lived long enough to know that there is always another battle on the horizon. As long as evil exists in this world, his race must step forward and stand in the gap, shielding those who cannot protect themselves. But the battle he is anticipating is bigger than he could have ever imagined. As Perizada has recently discovered, creatures of the night that have for so long remained hidden from the human realm, have slithered from their underground lairs and begun preying on the young and innocent. The high fae has declared war, and she expects Vasile and his wolves to be the ones to carry out the attack. The Alpha is more than happy to oblige. But with his first grandchild on the way, and the gift of five vulnerable healers coming under the wolves’ protection, he understands that he must be very careful not to place any of them in harm’s way. Such is the job of the Alpha, protector, and provider. He and those he leads must stand as sentinels and warriors to safeguard those they love, and the humans who know nothing of the supernatural world. It will be their job to destroy the creatures that threaten to expose them all. And if they fail, the world as they know it, both human and supernatural, will never be the same. |
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First published in 2001, American Gods became an instant classic—an intellectual and artistic benchmark from the multiple-award-winning master of innovative fiction, Neil Gaiman. Now discover the mystery and magic of American Gods in this tenth anniversary edition. Newly updated and expanded with the author’s preferred text, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece by the one, the only, Neil Gaiman. A storm is coming . . . Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow’s best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself. Life as Wednesday’s bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined—it is a job that takes him on a dark and strange road trip and introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own. Along the way Shadow will learn that the past never dies; that everyone, including his beloved Laura, harbors secrets; and that dreams, totems, legends, and myths are more real than we know. Ultimately, he will discover that beneath the placid surface of everyday life a storm is brewing—an epic war for the very soul of America—and that he is standing squarely in its path. Relevant and prescient, American Gods has been lauded for its brilliant synthesis of “mystery, satire, sex, horror, and poetic prose” (Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World) and as a modern phantasmagoria that “distills the essence of America” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer). It is, quite simply, an outstanding work of literary imagination that will endure for generations. |
