Epic Sorcery

In The Book of Swords, acclaimed editor and best-selling author Gardner Dozois presents an all-new anthology of original epic tales by a stellar cast of award-winning modern masters - many of them set in their authors' best-loved worlds. Join today's finest tellers of fantastic tales, including George R. R. Martin, K. J. Parker, Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, Ken Liu, C. J. Cherryh, Daniel Abraham, Lavie Tidhar, Ellen Kushner, and more on action-packed journeys into the outer realms of dark enchantment and intrepid derring-do.

Just as Ayrion’s priorities are involuntarily split between the Elondrian Lancers and his tribe, Noph - the notably cunning chief of Sandstorm - calls for a secret meeting between himself and Hurricane. The outcome of that meeting forces Ayrion, Reevie, and Sapphire to make a decision that will not only affect their role within the tribes but will test the true strength of their friendship.

A new drug is flooding the streets, capable of giving Magic to humans. It's addictive, powerful... and not what people think it is. I make a powerful new enemy, alienating the other Archons in the process, and she's clever enough to make me regret it, drawing me ever deeper into a web of vice, power, and evil that I struggle to untangle before it's too late. I discover new allies but also new threats and terrors from when humanity was young. Monsters close in from every side, bringing heartbreak, loss, and guilt.

Tavi of Calderon, now recognized as Princeps Gaius Octavian and heir to the crown, has achieved a fragile alliance with Alera's oldest foes, the savage Canim. But when Tavi and his legions guide the Canim safely to their lands, his worst fears are realized. The dreaded Vord - the enemy of Aleran and Cane alike - have spent the last three years laying waste to the Canim homeland. And when the Alerans are cut off from their ships, they find themselves with no choice but to fight shoulder to shoulder if they are to survive.

As if my life wasn't already complicated enough, now the Archons are back, and they're searching for their lost brother. My school is overrun by a new crop of Magicians who can't keep civil tongues in their heads. An ancient group of Shadowborn-hating fanatics has crawled out of the woodwork with a bag of powerful toys—and the ruthlessness required to use them. To top it all off, I've managed to draw the attention of the Fae.

Millennia in the dark has left these lost and forgotten monsters hungry for war. The people of Illian can do nothing but rely on their peacekeepers, the Dragorn. Are the dragon riders ready for what has been buried under their feet? Gideon Thorn, Master of the Dragorn, can feel the Third Age coming to an ominous end. With Inara Galfrey and her dragon by his side, they must investigate the return of this ancient evil.

An appeal has been made to convene The Great Council. The Ranger leaders will meet to study the threat of the dark secret faction and find a way to end the threat. The Snow Panthers will be immersed in the conspiracy and will play a critical role in its resolution. They will also continue their investigations to discover who is trying to end the lives of Lasgol and Egil, and the relationship between the attempts.

The Greatcoats - legendary heroes, arbiters of justice...or notorious traitors? The Greatcoats are travelling magistrates bringing justice to all...or at least they were, before they watched the Dukes impale their King's head on a spike. Now the land's heroes are reviled as traitors, their Greatcoats in tatters. Facio, Kest and Brasti have been reduced to working as mercenaries, but when they find their employer dead - and are forced to watch as the killer plants evidence framing them for the murder - they realise things are about to get even worse.

Kagen Vale is the trusted and feared captain of the palace guard, charged with protection of the royal children of the Silver Empire. But one night, Kagen is drugged and the entire imperial family is killed, leaving the empire in ruins. Haunted and broken, Kagen is abandoned by his gods and damned forever. He becomes a wanderer, trying to take down as many of his enemies as possible while plotting to assassinate the usurper, the deadly Witch-king of Hakkia. While all around him magic—long banished from the world—returns in strange and terrifying ways.

War has broken out in the North. The Corrupt Lord of the Ice has invaded Norghana with a host from the Frozen Continent. Will the king and the Rangers manage to stop him, or will they die in the attempt?

My place in this world slowly reveals itself to me. Unfortunately, I’m constantly reminded just how magicians truly screwed this place up. The Lord Ruler serves as one of the kingdom’s major problems, though there could be more to it. Tasks: rank up the shop and town, adapt to my ever-increasing strength, and hey, there are foes that are seriously strong out there. So many things happen in my growing tale this time around. Sit. I shall continue…

Heaven Commands, the Middle Kingdom Concedes. Or so the story goes. As Wu Ying travels beyond the kingdom of Shen chasing enlightenment, he experiences the truth of that statement. Disparate forms of government, new cultures, and people abound with new ways of cultivating towards immortality.

Destroying the portals between worlds was supposed to force the entity out of Rale. Instead, it's trapped him there. This has cut Nolost off from much of his power, buying some time to try to stop him from annihilating the world. Dante and Blays' last hope lies in finding someone or something called the Burdan rah Saylan. Knowing nothing about the Burdan except for their name, they travel far to the east into lands they've never heard of.

Since waking up from a terrible accident on Earth to find herself in the Kingdom of Bergond almost twenty years ago, Alana has faced more than her fair share of challenges. Most recently, she's been commissioned by Emperor Durin to set up a magical portal that will connect the capital city of Ermath to the far northern reaches of his domain in Linden. Only, the journey to Linden is plagued from the outset. It seems someone knows about the mission and will do whatever it takes to prevent its completion.

On Earth, Hari Michaelson was a superstar. But on Overworld, he was the assassin Caine. Real monarchs lived and died at his hands and entire governments were overthrown...all for the entertainment of millions back on Earth. But now Hari, stripped of his identity as Caine, must fight his greatest battle: against the powerful corporate masters of Earth and the faceless masses who are killing everything he loves.

The world watches the sky with trepidation. The insanity of Xenocide knew no bounds, and all will soon suffer the effects he had planned for a millennium. Though none know what is to come, they all know it isn't going to be easy to survive. The Master has a plan, one that can give the world at large a way to escape the onrushing desolation. It may be on the bleeding edge of morality and what he needs might prove too difficult to secure, but the Master asks for trust. Cal and Dale both have their role to play as the world hurtles toward destruction.

Finally resolving the conflict none of them expected to take part in, Asterios and his companions continue their journey to discover more about his past and his unusual power. The Demon Continent definitely holds at least some answers to their troubles, as long as they can find Grea's father and convince him to aid them. Alongside their newly gained ally, they press on....

Mage Errant: Publisher's Pack contains books one and two of the Mage Errant series: Into the Labyrinth and Jewel of the Endless Erg. Hugh of Emblin is, so far as he's concerned, the worst student that the Academy at Skyhold has ever seen. He can barely cast any spells at all, and those he does cast tend to fail explosively.

After a year of fighting across three different lands, Dante and Blays have finally brought Gladdic to justice - and in the process, they've unleashed a horror beyond all reckoning. The enemy is known as the White Lich. He is ancient. He is immensely powerful. And Gladdic believes he will soon enslave all of Tanar Atain. Their only chance to defeat him is to strike fast, before the lich has regained his power. But attacking him directly would be suicide.

His vengeance against the gods of Olympus years behind him, Kratos now lives as a man in the realm of Norse gods and monsters. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive...and teach his son to do the same. This startling reimagining of God of War deconstructs the core elements that defined the series - satisfying combat, breathtaking scale, and a powerful narrative - and fuses them anew.