For everyone who has ever wished that unicorns existed .... they do on Refuge!The inhabitants of the fourth planet of one of the last solar systems before leaving this galaxy know their world as Refuge. They know only that a race referred to as the Old Ones brought their ancestors to it, and still, continue to do so.From childhood, all are able to mentally call for small items such as food and it will come to their hand. Some have more power and are able to change the nature of things. They refer to their ability as magic.For the last 10 years groups of people have been awakening to discover their powers are gone. Now World President Merlin is pinning everything on an eighteen year old girl sent to investigate. Why does he think she will succeed where he himself has failed? She is the only witch to have a unicorn as her familiar .. .....

The Elder Races are diminishing. The world is rejecting them. However they must accomplish one final thing before they pass into myth and legend. But first they must learn what this task is and in doing so face their greatest fears.Coming to terms with her grief and despair following the loss of Minervar in ‘A Twist of the Sands’, Nar'Allia seeks solace back home in the great wood. Many years pass and she thinks she is recovered, at least partially. She thinks herself happy at last; well at least she tells herself so. But when someone from the east, someone she once knew seeks her out wanting to return something that belongs to her, something from the past. Then when this someone begs her for aid and once more raises old hopes. Old and painful memories she thought were forgotten and pushed to one side float back to the surface and she finds herself once more deeply embroiled in adventure.This time the whole family are involved, each having to go their own way, each having their own tasks to complete, their own answers to find, their own dangers to face. What awaits them shocks them all to the core, challenges their very beliefs. They must risk everything; even risk the world in which they live for this one chance to accomplish what must be done. To freely offer redemption and unconditional forgiveness for all the transgressions of the past. To right all the wrongs and show compassion to those who are fallen.Will they find the courage to do what is required of them? Will they give up everything and face an uncertain future? Will they gamble the safety and security of the whole world to ensure the future benefit of all? Will they willingly face their nightmares and live through their deepest fears? Will they pay the required price in a currency based on their own blood, sweat and tears?Then if they are successful in all this, if they should survive, then they know they must finally make the greatest choice of all. Make a decision they never in their wildest moments thought they would have to face. Will they be freely willing to give up everything they know? Will they be willing to pass beyond all memory and fade into history, passing finally into myth and legend?

A mysterious toymaker who lives as a recluse in an old mansion, surrounded by the magical beings he has created... A sickly wife locked away in a hidden room... An enigma involving strange lights that shine out from the small island on which an old, disused lighthouse stands... A shadowy creature that hides deep in the woods... These are the elements of a mystery will bind 14-year-old Irene to Ismael during one magical summer spent in Blue Bay when her mother takes a job as a housekeeper for the enigmatic toymaker, Lazarus Jann. A novel of mystery, intrigue and romance from the author of THE PRINCE OF MIST and THE SHADOW OF THE WIND.

Society girls from New York City circa 1890, Dacia and Lou never desired to know more about their lineage, instead preferring to gossip about the mysterious Romanian family that they barely knew. But upon turning seventeen, the girls must return to their homeland to meet their relatives, find proper husbands, and—most terrifyingly—learn the deep family secrets of The Claw, The Wing, and The Smoke. The Florescus, after all, are shape-shifters, and it is time for Dacia and Lou to fulfill the prophecy that demands their acceptance of this fate... or fight against this cruel inheritance with all their might.

From the author of the bestselling The Dangerous Book for Boys *  BONUS: This edition contains excerpts from Conn Iggulden's Genghis: Lords of the Bow and Khan: Empire of Silver.* Genghis Khan was born Temujin, the son of a khan, raised in a clan of hunters migrating across the rugged steppe. Shaped by abandonment and betrayal, Temujin endured, driven by a singular fury: to survive in the face of death, to kill before being killed, and to conquer enemies who could come without warning from beyond the horizon. Through a series of courageous raids, Temujin’s legend grew until he was chasing a vision: to unite many tribes into one, to make the earth tremble under the hoofbeats of a thousand warhorses, to subject all nations and empires to his will.

The eleventh title in this best-selling series brings Hoole to kingship and the legends to fulfilment signaling a return to the adventures of Coryn, Soren and the Band. In this final book of the Legends trilogy Hoole reclaims the thrown of his father and goes on to wage a war against the forces of chaos, greed and oppression led by the powerful warlord-tyrants. Grank, the first collier, uses his skills with fire and metals to forge weapons for battle. With great trepidation Hoole uses the power of the Ember in the final, decisive battle and wins. At the dawn of a new ear of peace, Hoole searches for the ideal place to establish not a kingdom but an order of free owls and finds the Great Tree. (continued) Book Details: Format: Paperback Publication Date: 10/1/2006 Pages: 206 Reading Level: Age 8 and Up

New York Times bestselling author Drew Karpyshyn has long thrilled readers with his kinetic, fast-paced storytelling style. Now he returns with The Scorched Earth, the second novel in his acclaimed series about four young people who will either save the world or bring about its destruction.   The Children of Fire—four mortals touched by the power of Chaos—each embody one aspect of a fallen and banished immortal champion: Keegan, the wizard; Scythe, the warrior; Cassandra, the prophet; Vaaler, the king. Grown to adulthood, the Children are in search of the ancient Talismans that can stop the return of Daemron the Slayer, ancient enemy of the Old Gods. But in acquiring Daemron’s Ring, they unleashed a flood of Chaos magic on the land—leaving death, destruction, and a vengeful queen in their wake. Now, beset on all sides by both mortal and supernatural enemies, they realize that their strength and faith will be tested as never before. And their greatest trial will be finding Daemron’s Sword, the last of the ancient Talismans, before the entire mortal world is engulfed in the war and Chaos that will herald the return of the Slayer. Praise for *The Scorched Earth  * “[Drew] Karpyshyn’s doom-laden spin on myth and magic invigorates ancient archetypes in the second entry of the Chaos Born trilogy. . . . The journey is complicated by unnerving ambiguity, grim imagery, and pessimistic overtones, as if Michael Moorcock’s decadence were filtered through J.R.R. Tolkien’s heroism.”—*Publishers Weekly  * “If you’re a fan of fantasy and looking to try something new, this series continues to shine. . . . [Karpyshyn] writes deep, intriguing characters set in a strange world of unique magic. It’s a place where magic is dangerous but essential.”—Roqoo Depot   “An enjoyable read . . . I recommend this for all fantasy fans.”—Book Reviews & Giveaways From the Trade Paperback edition.

Kali has been working toward her dream of building an airship and escaping the frozen Yukon for so long that she can scarcely believe it’s close to becoming a reality. There’s just one problem. Cedar, her friend and business partner (and maybe a little more), is in jail, and the American authorities are on their way to hang him. The Mounties aren’t listening to reason, so the only way to free him may be to break him out of their headquarters—if she can. Even if she succeeds, she’ll be branded a criminal for the rest of her life.

A woman must repay her family's debt to a shapeshifting magician. Originally published as part of the anthology The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance. Also found in anthology Under Her Skin.

I know it's ridiculous. Lights can't whisper. But I swear I heard a voice calling to me. It sounded like static to begin with, but then it came into focus, a single word repeated over and over. Softly, slyly, seductively, insistently. "Come. . . " The Disciples are being manipulated by beings older than time. Only Kernel Fleck knows that something is wrong. But he is in the grip of a creature who cares nothing for the fate of humanity. Voices are calling to him from the darkness and he's powerless to resist. Kernel has already been to hell and back. Now he's about to go further.

On a journey to meet his fiancé and begin wedding preparations, Prince Diggory is betrayed by his bodyguard, who intends to steal Diggory's life. Left for dead in a river, the last thing Diggory expects is to live. But surviving is only half the battle, and Diggory will have to figure out how to work around the constraints of a terrible curse if he hopes to stop the man who betrayed him.On a journey to meet his fiancé and begin wedding preparations, Prince Diggory is betrayed by his bodyguard, who intends to steal Diggory's life. Left for dead in a river, the last thing Diggory expects is to live. But surviving is only half the battle, and Diggory will have to figure out how to work around the constraints of a terrible curse if he hopes to stop the man who betrayed him and gain back his life. 

Evangeline has spent her teenage years in obscurity. Her foster parents have the emotional aptitude of robots and her classmates barely acknowledge her existence. About to turn eighteen and feeling like a social pariah, she is desperate to connect with someone. Anyone.When Evangeline meets Sofie after literally stumbling upon her café, she believes she’s found that connection. Willing to...Evangeline has spent her teenage years in obscurity. Her foster parents have the emotional aptitude of robots and her classmates barely acknowledge her existence. About to turn eighteen and feeling like a social pariah, she is desperate to connect with someone. Anyone.When Evangeline meets Sofie after literally stumbling upon her café, she believes she’s found that connection. Willing to do anything to keep it, she accepts a job as Sofie’s assistant and drops everything to fly to Manhattan, where she is thrust into a luxurious world of Prada, diamonds, and limitless cash. With such generosity and kindness, it’s easy for Evangeline to dismiss certain oddities . . . like Sofie’s erratic and sometimes violent behavior, and the monstrous guard dogs. She’s even willing to dismiss her vivid dreams of mob-style murders, beautiful homeless people living in caves, and white-eyed demons that haunt her each night as figments of her imagination—especially when one of those figments is the gorgeous Caden. When she wakes up with bite marks on her neck, the fairy tale quickly turns into a nightmare. She slowly unravels the mystery surrounding Sofie and friends, and the reality of the bites and the “dreams.” What she discovers is far more mysterious and terrible than anything she could have imagined. In a world where everyone has motive to lie for personal gain, Evangeline must decide which deception is least likely to get her killed.

THE JESUS TWIN is a comic fiction short story about the nature of faith. Written by Wright Forbucks, the author of THE WALKING MAN, THE JESUS TWIN tells the story of two professors as they struggle to interpret three ancient scrolls that appear to be the Gospel According to Jessup, the younger brother of Jesus Christ.This story takes place after the second Guardians novel "Blood in the Water" and is about the Water Guardian's mother and her unexpected journey into Faerie.

Jake had a strange nightmare about Melissa, one of the "hottest" girls in Jake's school. To prove a friend wrong about the nightmare being a warning, Jake makes is nightmare a reality. Mistake?Oh, yeah.Vistaria(A creature conceived in the book of Hadagery) Zayne is accidentally propelled into a world he can't understand, and since that fateful moment he has been seeing things that can't be possible. Things that bring him closer to death, unless he can discover the secrets of the beast. It began with an accident, as he witnessed a man die right before his eyes, but there was much more to his death than the accident. The dead man's words still resounding fresh in the mind, "It's waiting." Zayne wanted to know, "Whats waiting?" Will he find out in time?

Five Winters have passed since young king Bridei ascended the throne of Fortriu. Five years, in which the people have felt a contentment unknown for generations. But the security of a people can vanish in a heartbeat, for wolves are often drawn to fields filled with fattened sheep. Bridei is determined to drive the Gaelic invaders from his lands once and for all. And so, with his land secure and his house in order, he prepares for war. And one of Bridei's plans to win the war to come involves the beautiful young Ana. A princess of the Light Isles, she has dwelt as a hostage at the court of Fortriu for most of her young life. Despite being a pawn of fortune, she has bewitched all at court and is dearly loved by Bridei and his queen. But Ana understands her duty. And so she will travel north, to make a strategic marriage with a chieftain she has never seen, in the hopes of gaining an ally on whom Bridei's victory relies. For secrecy's sake, Ana must travel at a soldier's pace, with a small band led by the enigmatic spymaster Faolan. Bridei implores Ana to trust see the good in Faolan but Ana cannot see beyond his cold competence and killer's eyes. Then, when she arrives at the chieftain Alpin's stronghold in the mysterious Briar Woods, her discomfort and unease increase tenfold, for this is a place of full of secrets and her betrothed is an enigma himself. The more Ana tries to uncover the truth of her new life, the more she discovers a maze of polite diversions that mask deadly lies. She fears Faolan, but he may prove to be the truest thing in her world. Or her doom. "