Asher has come a long way for a fisherman's son. Together with his friend Prince Gar, he has defended their kingdom against its bitterest enemy, but at great cost. Now the evil mage Morg is preparing for his most deadly assault. Desperate, trapped in a broken body, Morg has little time and fewer scruples.

To Ethan Cook, a college student studying programming, stasis gaming was a part of his life as much as eating lunch. Stasis froze the body in time and with a proper interface, he could accomplish almost anything in his fantasy world. It was better than real life. However, stasis came with a cost. A body tuned to that physiological state could sometimes relapse, a condition called stasis shock.A cursed prince. A vain beauty. Glory is the seventh daughter of Balthazar, High King of the Twelve Kingdoms. Glory hopes that - of all her sisters - she can escape the fate of a loveless marriage. But on the night she plans to elope with the royal falconer, her world comes crashing down: Her father announces Glory's betrothal to Eoghan of the Blood Realm - a prince no one has ever seen. The prince is said to be a recluse, cursed and deformed by the gods for the sins of his power-hungry father. Yet when Glory is trapped in Blackthorn Keep she discovers that not everything is what she expected. An insulting gryphon, a persistent ghost, and a secret plan to usurp the prince keep Glory reeling. Can she overcome her vanity to learn that what you want isn’t necessarily what you need—and save the cursed prince?

A gate towards a totally new world. Walkers, Jumpers, super powers, anti-aliens wars...... Mixed wonders from Chinese fantasy novels and comics, this book is going to share a story about how human beings fighting against infectees, mutants and aliens.When everyone was telling about their own heroic stories, however, what does it mean? I have got nothing to say, this world exists as it is supposed to be, my story won’t end so far.I used to dream about such a world, totally free, no limitation, excited and exhilarated. Now look at it, I have lost everything...

What if you were told that you could make a fortune just by pushing a button on a box? But pressing this button will simultaneously cause the death of another human being somewhere in the world . . . someone you don't know. Would you still push the button? "Button, Button," Richard Matheson's chilling tale of greed and temptation, is now the basis of The Box, the new film from the director of Donnie Darko. In addition, this outstanding collection also contains many other unforgettable stories by Matheson, the award-winning author of I Am Legend and What Dreams May Come. "The inventive plots and spare but convincing portraits of ordinary men and women caught up in forces beyond their control demonstrate why Stephen King has called Matheson his most significant influence." --Publishers Weekly

Evil will not give up without a fight. . . . Without the Sword of Shannara, the evil Warlock Lord cannot be defeated. Yet the quest for the mysterious talisman lies in ruins. The intrepid company of warriors assembled by the Druid Allanon to recover the magic Sword has been shattered, dispersed by the Dark Lord’s power. And young half-elf Shea Ohmsford, the last, best hope of all the races, is missing, perhaps captured . . . or worse. The Warlock’s fearsome armies are on the march. Tens of thousands of bloodthirsty Gnomes and Trolls are poised to sweep down upon the border kingdom of Callahorn, gateway to the peaceful Southland. In mankind’s darkest hour, as Allanon desperately scours the war-ravaged countryside for a sign of the missing Shea, an extraordinary drama of hardship and courage unfolds on the desolate Streleheim Plains. There, his only companions a brash highwayman and a renegade Troll, Shea will find the Sword of Shannara tantalizingly close–and death terrifyingly near. . . . The Sword of Shannara Part 2: The Druids’ Keep is the newest addition to the Del Rey Imagine program, which offers the best in classic fantasy and science fiction for readers 12 and up. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Before tonight Cassie Tate’s biggest concerns were whether she could pass Algebra and how she was going to keep Elora, her best friend, from dressing her in a skimpy fairy costume for Halloween. Her feet were firmly planted in suburban reality and she had no reason to believe her life would be anything but that of a typical teenager. That is until tonight, when Cassie saw something that no human was ever supposed to see; in the blink of an eye she was thrown into the world of the Light and Dark Elves. He comes from a realm where light and dark have fought for millennia. He is of a race known to humans only in myths and legends. The darkness that lives inside him is a part of both who and what he is and it makes him the most gifted spy and assassin in the history of his time. His life is not his own; he lives in the service of the Dark Elf King. He slays who he must, has mercy on no one, is relentless in his hunt, and never tires of seeing his prey fall. He is Triktapic, assassin, spy, most feared of the Dark Elves. Now, in the midst of his King’s complicated plans to expand the Dark Elves’ holdings into the mortal realm, for the first time, Trik finds his loyalties divided. For no Elf, Dark or Light, can turn away from their Chosen. Unbeknownst to the mortal realm, the battle between Light and Dark is being brought to their doorstep. The only one who can keep it at bay holds darkness in his heart like a lover, and the one who can sway that heart must decide if she can look beyond his black past, beyond his evil nature and see the man he is destined to be. The question must be asked, does love really cover a multitude of sins? Can true love actually conquer all or will his darkness consume those around him until all that stands is an assassin with the blood of the mortal realm on his hands?

Four novellas in one volume—the thrilling science fiction saga of a female robot who becomes sentient and fights to save humanity from destruction. With nearly two hundred published works and more than twenty New York Times bestsellers to his credit, Piers Anthony is without a doubt one of the most prolific and creative authors in science fiction and fantasy. Among his most ingenious literary creations are the four books of his remarkable Metal Maiden saga, collected here in one volume: the breathtaking tale of Elasa, the fembot who desires nothing more than to be human. In “To Be a Woman” we meet Elasa, who is perfect in every way—a female machine created for pleasure, whose newborn consciousness makes her strive for more. The story moves to a distant colony planet in “Shepherd,” in which a young man participating in a student exchange program finds himself in another body and suddenly the caretaker of a herd of telepathic and eminently wise sheep. “Flytrap” brings Elasa’s friend Mona to the colony in the body of a pregnant woman, through which she learns that her work with a young precognitive lamb could have a major impact on more than one existence and more than one world. Finally, in “Awares,” Elasa must work closely with a unique group of environmentally attuned beings in order to protect the earth from an onslaught of gigantic, world-devouring extraterrestrial maggots.

He Might Save Her Former police psychologist Ronni Alexander had it all before a poison attacked her heart and gave her a death sentence. Now, on her last leg, she has an opportunity to live if she mates a vampire. A real vampire. One night of sex and a good bite, and she’d live forever with no more weaknesses. Well, except for the vampire whose dominance is over the top, and who has no clue how to deal with a modern woman who can take care of herself. She Might Kill Him Jared Reese, who has no intention of ever mating for anything other than convenience, agrees to help out his new sister in law by saving her friend’s life with a quick tussle in bed. The plan seems so simple. They’d mate, and he move on with his life and take risks as a modern pirate should. Except after one night with Ronni, one moment of her sighing his name, and he wants more than a mating of convenience. Now all he has to do is convince Ronni she wants the same thing. Good thing he’s up for a good battle.

An apocalypse approaches, and only Matt Bannister and his mother, Bonnie, can stop it. Forced to participate in the demon Tamiel’s scheme, Matt, Bonnie, and Darcy, (Matt’s former foster sister) must travel to seven destinations. Behind each of the seven doors, they find a unique brand of evil that is designed to weaken Bonnie’s soul-healing song and bring about God’s wrath upon the Earth. In the meantime, Matt’s twin sister, Lauren, searches for their father, Billy Bannister, who has been captured by Tamiel’s soldiers. Lauren is accompanied by Walter, Ashley, and the dragoness Roxil in a desperate attempt to rescue Billy before his captors can carry out their plan to kill him. Since Sapphira Adi has also been abducted, Elam, Yereq, Makaidos, and Thigocia travel toward a stronghold designed to keep Sapphira’s fiery powers under control. Along the way, a great disaster strikes that threatens their journey as well as Matt’s and Lauren’s hopes to complete their missions. By the time Matt and his companions face the seventh door, ancient mysteries are solved, dark secrets come to light, and they learn that opening the door will bring doom upon the planet. Yet, a great tragedy befalls the company, and the only remedy is to seek the power that lies behind The Seventh Door.

Wayne G. Hammond (Editor) A classic children's story by the author of The Hobbit Rover should never have bitten the wizard's trousers. His punishment was to be transformed into a toy, and now he is forced to track down the magician so he can be returned to normal. His adventures will take him to the moon and under the sea, introducing him to many fabulous - and dangerous - creatures. Inspired by the loss of his own child's favourite toy, this charming tale was written by J. R. R. Tolkien long before The Hobbit, yet remained unpublished for more than 70 years. This new paperback edition includes a full introduction and detailed notes about the story. This is an old-fashioned story, yet it still speaks freshly today. . . would leap to life when read aloud to a child. - INDEPENDENT Lord of the Rings buffs will enjoy picking out bits of Nordic mythology and will relish Tolkien's fabulous sense of landscape - THE TIMES Cover illustration by J. R. R. Tolkien

Enter the world of the Dark Dynasties. . . For centuries, shapeshifting vampire Tynan MacGillivray has prowled the night as an outcast, valued only for his ferocious hunting skills. When a feud among the immortals escalates into all-out war, he is ordered by his ruthless queen to locate a Seer - a human woman with a special gift - who can secure victory for their clan. Ty's search leads him to a quiet New England town, but once he has the Seer in his grasp, her touch awakens within him a hunger like he's never known. . . Lily Quinn has always been different. Since childhood, she's had vivid nightmares and an eerie sixth sense. When a sexy, silver-eyed stranger demands her help, Lily plunges into a new world of danger and sensuality. With Ty, she discovers sizzling passions she cannot deny and powers she cannot control. Soon, it is clear that Lily is much more than a Seer - she holds the key to ancient secrets and unthinkable destruction. But will a vampire's vow of eternal protection stop these evil forces. . . or unleash her dark destiny?

Writing at the height of her powers, Alice Hoffman conjures three generations of a family haunted by love. Cool, practical, and deliberate, John is dreamy Arlyn's polar opposite. Yet the two are drawn powerfully together even when it is clear they are bound to bring each other grief. Their difficult marriage leads them and their children to a house made of glass in the Connecticut countryside, to the avenues of Manhattan, and to the blue waters of Long Island Sound. Glass breaks, love hurts, and families make their own rules. Ultimately, it falls to their grandson, Will, to solve the emotional puzzle of his family and of his own identity.

The first book in Bernard Cornwell's bestselling Grail Quest series. The year is 1342. The English, led by Edward III, are laying waste to the French countryside. The army may be led by the King, but it is the archers, the common men, who are England's secret weapon. The French know them as Harlequins. Thomas of Hookton is one of these archers. But he is also on a personal mission: To avenge his father's death and retrieve a stolen relic. Thomas begins a quest that will lead him through fields smeared with the smoke of fires set by the rampaging English, until at last the two armies face each other on a hillside near the village of Crécy.

Before he conquered books, comics, and movies, Robert E. Howard's immortal character Conan the Cimmerian was born in the pages of the pulp magazine Weird Tales. Reprinted as they originally appeared in that legendary publication from 1934 to 1936, this ferocious anthology gathers many of the barbarian's most famous adventures. Featured tales include "Red Nails," the tale of a lost city and its corrupt inhabitants; "The Hour of the Dragon," recounting an attempt to depose Conan as king of Aquilonia; and "Beyond the Black River," in which Conan battles the Hyborian Picts. Two additional stories include "The Devil in Iron" and "The People of the Black Circle."

The myriad alien civilizations populating far, distant worlds have many good reasons to detest the blight called "humankind" . . . The only human child living in a work colony on the Martian satellite Phobos, little Margaret Bain has invented six imaginary companions to keep boredom and loneliness at bay. Each an extension of her personality, they are lost to her when she is forced to return to Earth. But they are not gone. The time will come when Margaret, fully grown and wed, must leave this dying world as well—this Earth so denuded by thoughtlessness and chemistry that its only viable export is slaves. For now Margarets are scattered throughout the galaxy. And their creator must bring her selves home . . . or watch the human race perish.