The Legend of the Morning Star

      Elizabeth McCoy
     The Legend of the Morning Star

Mortal women have always fascinated gods - and wind-spirits have carried news of a beautiful princess to the sun-god, Allyon. But his servant, sent to investigate, falls in love and defies his master. Narrated by the Wind-priest Ches, this is the story of the Morning Star.(Set in the same universe as "The Bear Prince," this is a fantasy folktale for slightly older ears.)Mortal women have always fascinated gods - and wind-spirits have carried news of a beautiful princess to the sun-god, Allyon. But his servant, sent to investigate, falls in love and defies his master. Narrated by the Wind-priest Ches, who inserts a few personal comments, this is the story of the Morning Star.(Set in the same universe as "The Bear Prince," this (worksafe) story of lovers is a fantasy folktale for slightly older ears.)

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    Refiner's Pyre

      Taylor Strop
     Refiner's Pyre

In his first novel Strop crafts a timely tale- the prophesied time of Jacob’s trouble is here. Like Dorothy's trip to the Land of Oz, this believable 21st century time-traveling tale has something for everybody. A good read!-Glenn NicholasIn these three short, short stories, the God of Love, Victor Valentine, does his best to add to the world's supply of love. Or, at least, to help settle some scores. But even when managed by an expert, love remains what it always is — exciting, unreliable, heartbreaking.

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    Jepaul

      Katy Winter
     Jepaul

Who is this child called Jepaul and why are his looks so different? Was his being found simply chance, or fate? He has to face ordeals of fire, water, earth and air, but he can’t do it alone. He has powerful allies in the form of the Elementals of the world called Shalah. All bring him closer to the frightening truth of who he really is and the knowledge that the fate of a world depends on him.Shalah – a world inhabited by a race once possessed of advanced technologies. Aeons ago, although watched over by benevolent guardian entities, Shalah fell under the onset of malevolent powers. The planet decended into barbarism, the inhabitants’ technologies falling into disuse as knowledge was lost; the guardians’ mental talents were inadequate to stem the influence of malign beings bent on conquest and destruction.Born on Shalah, an abandoned boy with unusual looks, is given life and one chance to face his destiny. Jepaul endures ordeals of air, fire, water and earth, for only he can bring his world back from the brink of the abyss.

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    Poison on my Pretty Lips

      Porphyro
     Poison on my Pretty Lips

A first-time thief breaks into a lonely little place. She didn’t really think things through, though, and finds out too late it’s the Witch’s house. Now trapped inside, she’s desperate to get out.The City of Malva is rife with puritanical hatred for witches. It is said they embody the Seven Deadly sins of mankind. Amelia's only chance of saving her brother Nathaniel, a born witch, is to become a professed nun at Cathedral Reims. Enduring a series of trials including starvation, isolation, physical abuse and blood-sucking leeches, she will sacrifice all that she is to save him. Complicating all of this is the fact that Amelia can see what is lurking in the shadows. Shadowmen, seeking witches like Nathaniel to join their ranks. This group of Shadowmen begins planning. The results could be devastating.Oliver Cromwell, a dashing priest at Cathedral Reims, is the only one who can protect Amelia, her brother and save Malva. Yet, he may prove to be more dangerous than the shadows themselves.

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    Krondor: The Betrayal

      Raymond E. Feist
     Krondor: The Betrayal

The RiftWar is done. But a fearsome army of trolls and renegade humans, emboldened by the drug of destruction, has risen in strength from the ashes of defeat. There is one, however, who defies the call to battle... New York Times bestselling fantasist Raymond E. Feist returns to a beleaguered realm of wonders and magic-where war is an enduring legacy; where blood swells the rivers and nourishes the land. Attend to this hitherto untold chapter in the violent history of Midkemia -- a towering saga of great conflicts, brave acts and insidious intrigues. It is the story of a traitor who rejects the brutality of his warlike kind and casts his lot with the human targets of their fierce aggression. It tells of mysterious deaths and sinister machinations -- and signs of a time when the fate of many civilizations rested in the able, unfaltering hands of RiftWar veterans Squire Locklear and cunning their-turned-squire Jimmy the Hand. It chronicles the powerful awakening of Owyn -- apprentice magician of untried strengths -- and celebrates the selfless achievements of Pug, the great sorcerer of two worlds. Welcome now to astonishing new corners of a world you have not yet fully explored-and prepare to experience true excitement, blood chilling terror...and the triumph born from the doom aimed at the beating heart of a kingdom.

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    Darkhenge

      Catherine Fisher
     Darkhenge

It's been three months since Rob's younger sister, Chloe, fell into a coma after a riding accident, and his life is in disarray. Rob's parents spend most of their time at his sister's bedside, and his best friend is afraid to talk to Rob about Chloe. To distract himself, Rob takes a job working at a secret archaeological site, where workers have uncovered a mystical ring of black timbers. At its center an ancient tree is buried upside down in the earth--a tree with the power to transport Rob to the Unworld, where Chloe lives in a forest of enchanting dreams, trapped between life and death. Catherine Fisher has combined a fascinating exploration of myth with a modern quest for understanding. Where is the land of the imagination? And if we found our way there, would we ever want to come back?

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    Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall

      Wendy Mass
     Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall

When 16-year-old Tessa suffers a shocking accident in gym class, she finds herself in heaven (or what she thinks is heaven), which happens to bear a striking resemblance to her hometown mall. In the tradition of It's a Wonderful Life and The Christmas Carol, Tessa starts reliving her life up until that moment. She sees some things she'd rather forget, learns some things about herself she'd rather not know, and ultimately must find the answer to one burning question--if only she knew what the question was. Written in sharp, witty verse, Wendy Mass crafts an extraordinary tale of a spunky heroine who hasn't always made the right choices, but needs to discover what makes life worth living.

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    The True Deceiver

      Tove Jansson
     The True Deceiver

The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson

 Translated from the Swedish by Thomas Teal

 Introduced by Ali Smith A book of haunting suspense, a dark companion to The Summer Book, introduced by Ali Smith. In the deep winter snows of a Swedish hamlet, a strange young woman fakes a break-in at the house of an elderly artist in order to persuade her that she needs companionship. But what does she hope to gain by doing this? And who ultimately is deceiving whom? In this portrayal of two women encircling each other with truth and lies, nothing can be taken for granted. By the time the snow thaws, both their lives will have changed irrevocably. First ever publication in English, in a translation by Thomas Teal.

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    The Towers of Adrala - Book One, Part One: Saranoda

      Andrew Suzanne
     The Towers of Adrala - Book One, Part One: Saranoda

When magic leaps from fairy-tale to reality at the tips of every person's fingers, chaos unfolds in the world of Adrala. Four unlikely but steadfast friends; Eris, Pird, Zook, and Sye, have their loyalty to one another tested when they find themselves at the center of a conspiracy three-thousand years in the making.In the days before civilization, the days when dark things combed the landscape, three races of people fought for control of their lands. Among them were the elves, smart and blessed with the gift of magic. Their greatest foes, even more hated than the ferocious creatures that preyed upon living flesh, were the dwarves. Steeped in honor and tradition, the dwarves felt that all magic was black magic. Warriors by nature, the cleansed the lands of the monsters and yet the elves looked upon them as little more than animals themselves. Eventually there was war.Caught between the aggressive dwarves and the scheming elves, the humans tried to broker a peace and bring about a society in which all three races could coexist. Some say their ideas were unrealistic . Others feel they were downright foolish. Either way, the idealistic nature of the proposed treaty was mocked by both the dwarves and the elves.Mocked, but not dismissed.While the dwarves laughed at the idea of peace, the elves dissected the humans' proposal bit by bit. A Constitution, they called it. Indeed, there were sensible ideas. But much better to have the elves in charge rather than the soft hearted humans. The elf leaders got together under one banner and formulated a plan. Bringing the full power of their magic to bear against the other two races, they brought the war to a swift conclusion.Some called it peace. Others called it subjugation. A new version of the Constitution was given to all the people of the three races. It granted rights to the dwarves and other rights to the humans and still other rights to the elves. Mostly, though, it brought forth four tenets.All dwarves are created equally.All humans are created equally.All elves are created equally.All people are not created equally.Over the years and decades and centuries, society evolved. Amendments were made to the Constitution. Dwarves, humans, and elves found their places in society. With their combined efforts, the monsters of the world were all but eradicated. But with the long lifespans of both the elves and the dwarves, old grudges remained. While the elves ran civilization and dwarves fed it, it was the humans who drove it. Blessed with no outstanding physical attributes, they were the Earth's best innovators. The telegraph, the radio, television, and computer were all constructs of human innovation. Guns, bombs, cars, and trains all came about from human ingenuity. But for all their creative ability, they held little control or wealth. It was the elves, always the elves, with the keys to the kingdom.Owen Keefe is a policeman who has done his best to keep his place in the human controlled department. When a late call takes him into an unlikely and dangerous situation, his life is changed and he starts down a dangerous and slippery slope that may ultimately shatter the castes forever.

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    Nephilim Wars

      David Pollitt
     Nephilim Wars

Fifth book in series of five: A novel about planet earth years after the rapture during the 1,000 year reign of peace. This is a fascinating look how two light nephilims, Day and Star, try to stop a great dark nephilim plot. this plot is an attempt to kill Jesus in Jerusalem and set Apollyon and his dark angels free from the abyss of the Fernandilian volcano.Fifth book in series of five: A novel about planet earth years after the rapture during the 1,000 year reign of peace. This is a fascinating look how two light nephilims, Day and Star, try to stop a great dark nephilim plot. this plot is an attempt to kill Jesus in Jerusalem and set Apollyon and his dark angels free from the abyss of the Fernandilian volcano. it is a story how day and star uncover their newly discovered supernatural abilities and use them to outwit the dark forces with the help of the angels, especially Caleb, their own angelic father. Sometimes referred to as Christian fantasy.

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    Dreadknights

      Tony Breeden
     Dreadknights

When a teenage girl gets the chance to play her Ogress Bloodskull character for the Dreadknights in Guild Wars, she also finds that she has a shot at a real future playing the game she loves on a terraformed alien world. Through danger, betrayal and impossible odds, Christine must prove she has what it takes both in and out of the game. Shake the pillars of hades! The Dreadknights are coming!Experience the glory and drama of Impworld's Guild Wars! The future can be a dark place, but when a teenage girl gets the chance to play her Ogress Bloodskull character for the Dreadknights in Guild Wars, she also finds that she has a shot at a real future playing the game she loves on a terraformed alien world. Of course, nothing is a sure bet in Guild Wars. To win the prize, Bloodskull and her teammates will have to beat out rival guilds like the Golden Gears, Neverdeath and her old cronies in Doomsmack. Through betrayal, friendly fire, sabotage and impossible odds, Christine must prove she has what it takes both in and out of the game. But will she seize the prize or wind up toiling away in her aunt's earthbound dream of farm life? Shake the pillars of Hades! The Dreadknights are coming!

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    Rise of Dachwald

      Daniel Lawlis
     Rise of Dachwald

Epic-scale warfare, genocide, false flag attacks, and political intrigue sizzle the pages of this action thriller in a fantasy fiction setting replete with historical allegories.The Sodorfians and Dachwaldians love each other dearly. The way a cat loves a bath. The way a lion loves a hyena. The way a rattler loves to have its tail pulled.Epic-scale warfare, genocide, false flag attacks, and political intrigue sizzle the pages of this action thriller in a fantasy fiction setting replete with historical allegories.The Sodorfians and Dachwaldians love each other dearly. The way a cat loves a bath. The way a lion loves a hyena. The way a rattler loves to have its tail pulled.They thought they ironed out their differences during their last all-out war, but disturbing events are about to make that look like a lover's quarrel. When the Dachwaldians discover nearly all the crops in their country have been deliberately poisoned just days before harvest, they realize it's time to get rid of the Sodorfians once and for all. When the Sodorfians discover the remains of several hundred of their brave soldiers looking like they took a dive into a wood chipper, they believe a thank-you note is in order, one that must be hand-delivered by a one-hundred-thousand-man army. But the Dachwaldians have a trick or three up their sleeve that they feel will teach the Sodorfians victory isn't won by superior numbers alone.As these two lovebirds prepare for their encounter, they realize only one can walk away, as one will play the role of the female praying mantis and consume the other like a tasty morsel.Neither side realizes a puppet master sits behind the scenes, provoking each side to action against the other like a director of a well-rehearsed group of actors. A wild card sits uneasily in the puppet master's prison, as anxious to escape as the warden is to get rid of him. But a prophecy tells him he can't. Not until the play finishes.

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    The Blue Train To Heaven

      Charles Harvey
     The Blue Train To Heaven

This short story by Harvey captures the enigmatic relationship of two brothers from Ghana. Listen in as Elijah tells his story to a Reporter who has come for a story on an elaborate burial coffin. Humor, irony, and bitterness all intermingled in this short piece.The people of Ghana are known for their elaborate coffins. Check it out on Google as you read The Blue Train to Heaven.Bonus StoryUnder the backdrop of the wacky world of of Ghana coffin makers, comes this tale of two brothers, Elijah and Ashong.Humor masks the subtle undertones of envy, jealousy, and mockery as Elijah tells the story of how his brother comes to be buried in the elaborate train coffin.Excerpt:Ha! Yes my friend, you want to know what I thought of the train carrying Ashong to heaven.Oh I don’t know, he may be in heaven in the sky. I heard he said his prayers before he died. As his only brother, it was my duty to inspect whatever he was to be buried in whether pine box or big train. So Dede Nunu comes to me—him and his crafty men dress like train conductors and pull what looks like big chunks of blue sky to my house here. The whole village clucked and fluttered like guinea hens with their necks outstretched trying to get a good look. Ha! Then I heard a howl of laughter. Here comes the train with the caboose in front. In front! I said, “Dede, I know Ashong loved the caboose on a train and a woman, but what is this? And you’ve painted everything the color of the sky.”Now featuring a bonus story--The Geegaws. This story is told from the point of view of one of the coffin makers. Paa Joe and Dede Nu Nu race to build Mr Ashong on of the "finest" coffins money can buy. Promise to make you guffaw.Excerpt from The GeegawsMr. Ashong is not a stupid man. Near death, he thought of ways to line his pockets for the hereafter. Most of us carry to our graves a few shells and trinkets. Mr. Ashong was thinking of French Francs. He knew people would be coming from miles and miles away to see what could top Chief Okwonko’s Skyline of Accra. Ashong quickly constructed several leaning Motel complexes and a large concession stand. He knew his Islam would not let him sell beer, so he sent a donation to Minister Oral Roberts and received a Certificate of Christianity by Fed-Ex. He renounced Islam that afternoon. Who would waste a fatwah on a dying man, he reasoned. He had the Council to pass a law that said the only food or drink to be consumed had to come from the Ashong concessions. Hah! That was a foolish law. Three days before March 15 (Ashong picked that day because his daughter had read to him on his sick bed the story of Julius Caesar), People began to assemble a few at a time. Before you could bat your eyes it was multitudes. Women in head wraps carried large pots of warm banana and coconut stew, pea soup, and lamb. Some brought their own goats to sell milk. The Christians roasted pigs over low burning coals. Ashongs men with sapling switches tried to enforce his law about what to eat.“What law is that, that says you can only eat food from Ashong’s boxes?” people yelled. They threw hot peanut oil at Ashong’s men, burning one on the nose. The goons retreated.Bonus Video at End of Story

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