Darren Shan was just an ordinary schoolboy - until his visit to the Cirque Du Freak. Now, as he struggles with his new life as a Vampire's Assistant, he tries desperately to resist the one temptation that sickens him, the one thing that can keep him alive. But destiny is calling... the Wolf Man is waiting.

Anything can happen on Halloween night in Salem—even a human sacrifice.Fairy tales aren’t supposed to be deadly, but anything can happen on Halloween night in Salem … even a human sacrifice. When a supernatural beast murders a sixteen-year-old girl, her soul is reawakened as an OtherWorldly being. Now, as the Seer, she is destined to serve the Order, even as she craves retribution. Invisible, isolated, and confused, she rejects her calling and seeks solace in the one thing she believes is real: her connection to Locke … only he can’t see her, or feel her presence.Determined to find some way to warn Locke of the danger he’s in the Seer sets out to discover the truth behind the clandestine Order. Unfortunately, those who are like her fear her, and only one acknowledges her existence—Tristan, a Guardian sentenced to defend the Order at all costs. Soon Tristan discovers something sinister, something that cannot only destroy the Seer, but every witch in the Order.To protect the one she loves and regain the life she lost, the Seer must join forces with Tristan and save the thing responsible for taking her away from the world to which she desperately wants to return.

A single breath in a lifetime…holds two epic fates. The one before the darkness is revealed. And, the frightening one that comes…during the inevitable, after. Sometimes within a fleeting instant...everything changes. Dare to take the first step into the shadows of an unfolding, unknown destiny. Bravely explore the thrilling supernatural adventures in ...the Double Fated Series!A single breath in a lifetime…holds two epic fates…The one before the darkness is revealed…And, the frightening one that comes…During the inevitable, after…Sometimes all it takes is a fleeting moment for everything to drastically change. Dare to take the first step into the shadows of an unknown destiny. Bravely face off against the darkest shadows. Explore the supernatural adventures in ...the Double Fated Series.

An ancient Hopi legend predicts the birth of a girl with pale skin, blond hair and yellow eyes. When the prophecy is misread the child is abandoned, but unexplained forces ensure she is found by a loving Christian family. As her body and mind undergo a strange metamorphosis she is faced with the revelation that the future of mankind may depend upon her.Have you ever wondered why you were born? You know deep in your soul that life has purpose, but answers to your questions are illusive. We are all searching. A million years before the Florida peninsula existed, a chain of small islands arose from Earth’s primordial oceans. Today, people call it the Florida Ridge. It was there an ancient and highly advanced civilization established a final sanctuary containing an underground library with historical records and remnants of technology. The archaeological site was discovered in 1930 by French explorer Claude Gautier, but remains a closely guarded secret to this day. Sleep was difficult for Haley King. For as long as she could remember, her nights were filled with recurring dreams of a strange civilization. Everyone in her community knew her. They all loved the little blind girl, everyone except Brian. He learned of her true identity from a strange old man with glowing eyes, but he didn’t dare tell anyone; they would laugh at him. She was the biological offspring of two full-blooded Hopi Indians, but her DNA was very different. Her eyes were fluorescent yellow, hair blond, and her skin was pale. An ancient Hopi legend predicted her birth, but the tribe’s partial conversion to Catholicism in the late sixteenth century resulted in a serious misinterpretation of what to do with her. The medicine man took Haley from her mother and gave her to the Catholic Church. Haley was adopted and moved to Florida when she was twelve years old. She became close friends with five boys who had the suspicious happening of all being born on the same day. While the boys were on a fishing trip celebrating their sixteenth birthday, their boat was struck by lightning. Four of them (including Brian) were nearly killed. A tattoo of a leafless tree was burned on their feet. The fifth boy experienced a vision of the future. They were all changed by the incident and their lives became more intermingled with Haley.

The orks are a savage race who live short, hard lives. From the moment they are born to the day they die, life is a struggle for survival and honor.Tooth & Claw is about the coming of age ritual of a young ork boy who wants to become a brun. But to join the ranks of the adults, he must first prove his worth by taming the most dangerous creature in their world.For thousands of years the Dúranaki have lived in relative obscurity, sheltered within their Twilight Forest on the far side of nearly impassible mountains. Ejected from his homeland, T'vance assumes a western name and explores a world few Dúranaki ever see. He soon finds himself in the middle of a conflict that threatens not only the strange land he visits, but casts a spectre of doom even on his own homeland.Five short stories chronicle his journeys.

Woe to all should the abominations breathe the sweet air of the world again. Sweat beaded Casca's brow and a feeling of dread enveloped him as he read the seer's words.The soul eaters were returning, and there were none to stand against them but a seemingly mismatched band of four. Casca knew they would need all the help they could get to save the world from plunging into a new age of darkness.Woe to all should the abominations breathe the sweet air of the world again. Sweat beaded Casca's brow and a feeling of dread enveloped him as he read the seer's words.The soul eaters were returning, and there were none to stand against them but one very frightened tavern owner and a small band of warriors. The abominations and their demonic servants were gathering at the edge of the portal. Casca knew days of blood, chaos and black sorcery beckoned, but even he was unprepared for the true depth of horror awaiting them. They would need all the help they could get to keep their very souls, let alone save the world from plunging into a new age of darkness.

In the Cities of Coin and Spice and In the Night Garden introduced readers to the unique and intoxicating imagination of Catherynne M. Valente. Now she weaves a lyrically erotic spell of a place where the grotesque and the beautiful reside and the passport to our most secret fantasies begins with a stranger’s kiss.…** **Between life and death, dreaming and waking, at the train stop beyond the end of the world is the city of Palimpsest. To get there is a miracle, a mystery, a gift, and a curse—a voyage permitted only to those who’ve always believed there’s another world than the one that meets the eye. Those fated to make the passage are marked forever by a map of that wondrous city tattooed on their flesh after a single orgasmic night. To this kingdom of ghost trains, lion-priests, living kanji, and cream-filled canals come four travelers: Oleg, a New York locksmith; the beekeeper November; Ludovico, a binder of rare books; and a young Japanese woman named Sei. They’ve each lost something important—a wife, a lover, a sister, a direction in life—and what they will find in Palimpsest is more than they could ever imagine. From the Trade Paperback edition.

For as long as she can remember, twelve-year-old Emily Windsnap has lived on a boat. And, oddly enough, for just as long, her mother has seemed anxious to keep her away from the water. But when Mom finally agrees to let her take swimming lessons, Emily makes a startling discovery - about her own identity, the mysterious father she's never met, and the thrilling possibilities and perils shimmering deep below the water's surface. With a sure sense of suspense and richly imaginative details, Liz Kessler lures us into a glorious undersea world where mermaids study shipwrecks at school and Neptune rules with an iron trident - an enchanting fantasy about family secrets, loyal friendship, and the convention-defying power of love.

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance… When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world’s past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

Lauren is visited in her dreams for years by a stranger claiming to be her destiny. Destiny becomes reality when paths cross during a failed robbery attempt. Lauren and the stranger experience chemistry like no other. Soon Lauren is in the middle of a murder investigation and a questionable friendship with the key suspect. Sinister forces are at work and will stop at nothing to destroy Lauren.Note: This book was previously released as The Christmas Wedding Scheme.When Nash Sinclair sees Lady Julianna holding their newborn nephew in her arms, he decides it is time he took a wife. Julianna, however, insists only a man who slays dragons would suit, and since dragons don't exist, neither does her ideal beau. Not one to turn away from a challenge, Nash enlists the aid of his nieces and nephews in a scheme sure to win Lady Julianna's heart.

The dark lord is in the possession of the ring again. He heads to Rivendell and overpowers them, but bringing Rivendell to its knees is not the only thing he wants. It’s the lord of Rivendell he has waited for, or better said the ex-lord.The dark lord ruled over Middle earth. The last hope had fallen when Rivendell fell. The dark lord was fond of ruling over these lands, although there was one activity he liked more than that; that was ruling over people. He had claimed the ex-lord of Rivendell as his, although it wasn't easy for the dark lord to break him. Long had the ex-lord been able to stay sane under the dark lord's power, however this changed once his mind was chattered to pieces. The only palace in Middle earth which was to be conquered still: the palace of the ex-lord's soul. Can they be saved?

The Angel of Death has come to a leafy town in Northern England to take the soul of an old soldier. It appears to be a routine extraction. However, DB Winters is no ordinary old man. Neither was he an ordinary soldier. A tale of love, sacrifice, bloodshed, Tehran and how man can sometimes even make the Angel of Death ponder on the astonishing capacity man has to forge bonds with others.Janus Howard has inherited his recently deceased Uncle’s business empire. His estate is in orbit around Sun-Earth Lagrange 2. Janus’ primary goal is to further his Uncle’s ambition to promote the political and economic influence of space-going people. His direct competition with OraCom has come to a head as each company vies for a world contract for managing interstellar communication. OraCom is Earth based and desires all communication to process through its terrestrial communication center. Howard Industries believes the communications network should be multithreaded and openly shared throughout space, not focused in any particular area.Janus also manages orbital research in materials science and digital electronics. The discovery of a unique fish may lead to profound development in unforeseen areas. Researching this creature occupies Janus as he grows to understand his Uncle’s history and explores his own personal aspirations in love and business.Polly Bergen has completed the Cognitive Mapping Project. Her studies, paid for by OraCom, have established a map of the brain just as the genome project mapped human DNA. Her results have been applied to the creation and optimization of an intelligent horse. This creature represents a preliminary test of intelligence boosting techniques that might someday be used to enhance human intelligence beyond any conception. Polly is excited to be part of such an incredible project but finds her personal qualms being pushed further than even she is comfortable with.Malcolm Koch (owner of OraCom), despises computer intelligence or Ai. His fervent belief is that humankind is God’s greatest and perfect creation, that computer minds are superfluous and dangerous. If he could, he would have them all destroyed or fundamentally limited in capacity to allow human mastery for eternity. He therefore believes that interstellar communication should rightfully be managed from Earth. Only in this way can humans hope to properly manage the actions of all space going people.Janus hopes to find his Uncle’s killer and to win the contract for building an interstellar network of communication nodes, (using entangled particles). His attention is distracted both by an intelligent woman and by the unique properties discovered in a recent acquisition, the Aquagorgon. The Gorgon can kill by destroying the brain cells of its attackers, and then consumes them for food. Discovering the mechanism of this psychic ability may lead to a profound improvement in faster-than-light travel. Should Janus keep the essentials of the experiments secret? Or should he reveal the science to all mankind? The experiments put the Gorgon in harms way. Janus finds his personal relationships interfering with his business and finds it strangely stimulating.Meanwhile Malcolm’s experiment is flourishing as a huge green horse learns to speak and think as a human. His intelligence and potential are grossly underestimated, as are the intelligence and shrewdness of another experiment kept hidden from Polly. The early success with Saxon, the horse, has been expanded in the application of similar techniques with a primate. Singe, the Bonobo has learned to keep his incredible potential secret from the researchers. His mental abilities are beyond measure. He may represent the very intelligence Malcolm wants reserved for man alone. Singe knows that if Malcolm knew his potential he would have him destroyed, so he plots to escape with Saxon. At the end, a well known woman scientist is tasked with making the first ‘contact’ with a new intelligent life form in a meeting place arranged in space.

It is nighttime in Lyndwald, a serene lakeside city tucked into the hills of the Northern Kingdom, but there is no peace for Liam, a captured spy imprisoned in one of the city's towers. With torture and execution already awaiting him in the morning, he learns that Karsa, his mentor, has killed himself in his cell. Hopelessness sets in, that is until Karsa's journal finds its way into Liam's hands.Constantinople. 1910. They hired Wendel to kill first, ask questions later. What a waste of a necromancer's talent. Besides, he's bored to death of being an assassin. This job might be his chance to go rogue..."Serpent's Tower" can be read as a standalone story; it takes place three years before Shadows of Asphodel, the first in a series of dieselpunk novels.

"The dead don't talk. I don't know why." But they do try to communicate, with a short-order cook in a small desert town serving as their reluctant confidant. Odd Thomas thinks of himself as an ordinary guy, if possessed of a certain measure of talent at the Pico Mundo Grill and rapturously in love with the most beautiful girl in the world, Stormy Llewellyn. Maybe he has a gift, maybe it's a curse, Odd has never been sure, but he tries to do his best by the silent souls who seek him out. Sometimes they want justice, and Odd's otherworldly tips to Pico Mundo's sympathetic police chief, Wyatt Porter, can solve a crime. Occasionally they can prevent one. But this time it's different. A mysterious man comes to town with a voracious appetite, a filing cabinet stuffed with information on the world's worst killers, and a pack of hyena-like shades following him wherever he goes. Who the man is and what he wants, not even Odd's deceased informants can tell him. His most ominous clue is a page ripped from a day-by-day calendar for August 15. Today is August 14. In less than twenty-four hours, Pico Mundo will awaken to a day of catastrophe. As evil coils under the searing desert sun, Odd travels through the shifting prisms of his world, struggling to avert a looming cataclysm with the aid of his soul mate and an unlikely community of allies that includes the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His account of two shattering days when past and present, fate and destiny converge is the stuff of our worst nightmares, and a testament by which to live: sanely if not safely, with courage, humor, and a full heart that even in the darkness must persevere.

The Third Novel in the Epic ChroMagic Fantasy Series At last Havoc and Gale are married, having discovered the source of the changelings, but the King and Queen have yet to enjoy a peaceful reign. The knowledge they've gained, as well as their new Glamor status, opens doors to new questions-and new missions for Havoc's loyal friends. While Ennui, Aspect, and Nonce are discovering the source of the enigmatic loom, Aura, Augur, and Ini are sent in search of more altars. And in the midst, the royal family quickly blossoms. With the adoption of three remarkable babies, and the news that Gale will soon add a fourth, the King and Queen find themselves very busy! When the loom points the way to Counter-Charm the whole assemblage makes ready to visit and explore the mysterious sister planet. With the help of the peculiar cloud-like ifrits, the Glamors must find the location indicated by the tapestry and permeate powerful illusion fields to find whatever lies at the center. In the process they just might discover that the key to their destiny may be the smallest among them.