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A hulked-out wrath demon who eats gamer rage and loves cats, a shapeshifting lust demon who enjoys their food a bit too much, and a void demon who doesn't see the point of any of this. They're not the sort of mercenaries you hire on purpose, but Bex wouldn't trust her life to anyone else.. Ever since the ancient Mesopotamian king Gilgamesh decided death wasn't for him, killed the gods, and conquered the afterlife, times have been rough for a free demon. But the denizens of the Nine Hells aren't the quitting sort, and Bex and her team have been choking a living out of the Eternal King's lackeys for years. It's not honest work, but when Heaven itself declares you a non-person, you smash-and-grab what you can get. Adrian Blackwood is a witch with a problem. His family has skirted the edges of King Gilgamesh's ire for centuries, but thanks to a decision he made as a child, Adrian is personally responsible for putting his entire coven in Heaven's crosshairs. Determined to set things right, Adrian drags his broom, caldron, and talking cat thousands of miles across the country to Seattle where he can fight the Eternal King's warlocks without bringing the rest of his family into the fray. But witchcraft--like all crafts--takes time, and if the warlocks catch him before his spells are ready, he's dead. So Adrian does what any professional witch would do and hires a team of mercenaries to keep the warlocks off his back. He didn't expect to get demons, but when you're already on the killing-edge of Heaven's bad side, what's a bit more fuel on the fire? Neither Adrian nor Bex knew what to expect when they signed their contract, but witch-plus-demon turns out to be a match made in the Hells. With this much chaos at their fingertips, even impossible dreams start to come back into reach, because Bex wasn't always a mercenary. She used to be the Eternal King of Heaven's biggest nightmare, and now that she's got a witch in her corner, it's time to put the old magics back on the field and show Adrian Blackwood just how much hell he's hired. --from Amazon.

"Overcaptain, the sequel to From the Forest, continues to follow the early life of a man known by many names depending on who you ask--hero, tyrant, emperor. Alyiakal, overcaptain in the Mirror Lancers of Cyador, has completed his tour of duty as officer-in-charge of a small, remote post. He just wants to finish and see his best friend consorted and assume his next post assignment. If only it were that easy. He discovers corruption in the Merchanter Clans of Cyador, but investigating Mirror Lancer officers end up dead. Before he can go on leave, he has to replace one of these officers, close a post, dodge an attempt on his life, and an investigation from Magi-i. At Lhaarat, Alyiakal is assigned as a deputy commander to a post that never had one, and the commander doesn't want one--and that's just the beginning of Alyiakal's problems."-- Provided by publisher.

"Tara Selter, the heroine of On the Calculation of Volume, has involuntarily stepped off the train of time: in her world, November 18th repeats itself endlessly. We meet Tara on her 122nd November 18th: she no longer experiences the changes of days, weeks, months, or seasons. She finds herself in a lonely new reality without being able to explain why: how is it that she wakes every morning into the same day, knowing to the exact second when the blackbird will burst into song and when the rain will begin? Will she ever be able to share her new life with her beloved and now chronically befuddled husband? And on top of her profound isolation and confusion, Tara takes in with pain how slight a difference she makes in the world. (As she puts it: "That's how little the activities of one person matter on the 18th of November.") Balle is hypnotic and masterful in her remixing of the endless recursive day, creating curious little folds of time and foreshadowings: her memories of the past light up inside the text like old-fashioned flash bulbs. The first volume's gravitational pull-a force inverse to its constriction- has the effect of a strong tranquilizer, but a drug under which your powers of observation only grow sharper and more acute. Give in to the book's logic (the thrilling shifts, the minute movements, the slant wit, the slowing of time), and its spell is utterly intoxicating. Solvej Balle's seven-volume novel wrings enthralling and magical new dimensions from time and its hapless, mortal subjects. As one Danish reviewer beautifully put it, Balle's fiction consists of writing that listens: "Reading her is like being caressed by language itself.""-- Provided by publisher.

"The fate of a cursed nation depends on a princess who must outwit a mortal enemy and outlast the trials of a death-defying ritual in a thrilling adventure by USA Today bestselling author Sariah Wilson." -- Publisher annotation.

With the end of Alistair Sorenson's tyrannical reign, ̈Dmi has accepted Jonas's proposal to rule as his Queen with hopes to finally free her people, the magical Oluso. Yet social prejudice, corrupt council members, and the continued distrust of the nonmagical Äjs throughout the kingdom prove seemingly implacable obstacles. To make matters worse, ̈Dmi struggles to control her newly awakened iron blood magic. As Ekwensi's rebel army, led in part by Colin, her best friend and one-time lover, become more triumphant in their mission, war seems inevitable. Before long, a new evil appears that hunts Oluso and Äj alike, promising desolation on a larger level than ever before. When the failed assassination puts the life of ̈Dmi's loved one in danger as well as the future of the Oluso into question, ̈Dmi embarks on a treacherous journey to find an ancestral spirit whose aid could tip the scales in her favor. Whether her new powers will destroy the kingdom or heal the blood-soaked rifts that have pulled it apart, she does not know. Beyond the battles of swords and magic, there is the battle for ̈Dmi's heart. Jonas, the former enemy prince, has divided loyalties despite his love for ̈Dmi. And Ekwensi and Colin have every intention of winning her to their side, while a past pledge hangs over ̈Dmi's head. ̈Dmi is caught between the kingdom, her people, and the spirits, and must decide what sacrifices she is willing to make for peace, and whether she can outrun the greatest danger that constantly puts her in peril, her own heart. Only one thing is for certain? There will be blood.

"One month ago, Bex, the demon Queen of Wrath, and Adrian, witch of the Blackwood, pulled off the upset victory of the century. Now, they find themselves facing the question all unexpected champions must answer: what next? They've declared war on Heaven, but how do you actually bring down a divinely powerful tyrant when your army's still in the single digits and your magical fortress is an illegally modified Winnebago? It seems like a hopeless situation. As always, though, Adrian Blackwood has a plan, and this time, he's going big. He's got an idea to take down the Seattle Anchor, the giant magical fortress that houses the Anchor Market and every other bit of critical infrastructure that connects Heaven to Earth. How the Anchors work is a closely guarded secret, and getting to the good stuff will require going deep into the heart of Gilgamesh's power. There's a reason even the Queen of Wrath has never attacked one directly, but now that Adrian's on her team, Bex thinks they can do it. She's finally got the power she needs to actually move the needle on this war, and she's going to hit that Anchor with all the fire she's got. But the enemies of Heaven aren't the only ones making plans. After the fiery return of his most persistent annoyance, Gilgamesh has ordered his princes to take care of the demon queen problem personally. It's time to roll out the big guns and show these rebels what divine wrath really means, starting with the Hell of a Witch who made it all possible."--Amazon.

"He who controls ichorite controls the world. A malleable metal more durable than steel, ichorite is a toxic natural resource fueling national growth, and ambitious industrialist Yann Chauncey helms production of this miraculous ore. Working his foundry is an underclass of destitute workers, struggling to get better wages and proper medical treatment for those exposed to ichorite's debilitating effects since birth. One of those luster-touched victims, the child worker Marney Honeycutt, is picketing with her family and best friend when a bloody tragedy unfolds. Chauncey's strikebreakers open fire. Only Marney survives. A decade later, as Yann Chauncey searches for a suitable political marriage for his ward, Marney sees the perfect opportunity for revenge. With the help of radical bandits and their stolen wealth, she must masquerade as an aristocrat to win over the calculating Gossamer Chauncey and kill the man who slaughtered her family and friends. But she is not the only suitor after Lady Gossamer's hand, leading her to play twisted elitist games of intrigue. And Marney's luster-touched connection to the mysterious resource and its foundry might put her in grave danger - or save her from it." -- Provided by publisher.

"Fergus Ferguson, professional finder, always knew his semi-voluntary exile wouldn't last, but he isn't expecting a friend to betray him. One of the galaxy's most dangerous space pirates, Bas Belos, wants him, and what Belos wants, he gets. Belos needs help finding out what happened to his twin sister, who mysteriously disappeared at the edges of space years ago, and he makes Fergus an offer he can't refuse. Mysterious disappearances and impossible answers are Fergus' specialties. After he reluctantly joins Belos and his crew aboard the pirate ship Sidewinder, he discovers that Belos is being tracked by the Alliance. Seeking to stay one step ahead of the Alliance, Fergus and Belos find themselves marooned in the middle of the Gap between spiral arms of our galaxy, dangerously near hostile alien territory, and with an Alliance ship in hot pursuit. That's just the beginning of the complications for Fergus' newest--and possibly last--job. The puzzle is much bigger than just Belos's lost sister, and the question of his future, retirement or not, depends on his ability to negotiate a path between aliens, criminals, and the most powerful military force he's ever encountered. The future of entire planets hangs in the balance, and it remains to be seen if it's too big for one determined man and his cranky cat." -- Provided by publisher.

In this volume from the Twelve Tomorrows series, Deep Dream, ten writers imagine the different ways in which art forms might evolve, devolve, shift, and transform in the decades and centuries to come. They consider how the rapid progress of technology will interact with different mediums of art or give rise to new ones, and what the lives and inner worlds of different kinds of artists might look like in the future as they adapt to rapidly shifting eras amidst anthropogenic global threats like climate change and fascism.

"In the first novel in the Daughters of the Empty Throne trilogy, Lorel, a young trans girl, disguises herself in order to join a coven of witches and travels the kingdom in search of a solution to the magical blight that plagues it"-- Provided by publisher.

Collecting nine enchanting stories set in the Immortal Realm--a world of gods, magic and legendary creatures--the beautifully illustrated volume, told from the perspectives of multiple characters, is filled with magic, mythology, friendship and love.

"Angelina Sicco was born and raised in Cadenze, an ugly little mountain town that's dead most of the year. Determined to be content with her lot in life, she walks her mongrel dog, attends her brother's heavy metal concerts, holds court in the local dive bar, and does everything she can to bait hot, queer women to her sleepy, conservative hometown. But on the night of a family party, Angelina runs into the sternly handsome Jagvi, who's back in town for a spell. Upon Jagvi's arrival, an ancient evil is awakened, and a monstrous force infiltrates Angelina's life. Only Jagvi's touch repels it --the final trigger for a secret, passionate romance. But this monster feasts on all the passion, heartbreak and mess that makes up a life, and Angelina Sicco's life has never looked tastier. What will Angelina do to protect her future? And what will it cost her?"--from Amazon.com.

After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an "aunt" she's never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm-the one he is from. Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father-dead or alive.

"Hecate Goodwin, Kate to her friends, has curated the perfect life as a hedge witch, living in a secluded cottage with only a black cat for company. She spends her days foraging herbs from the Ipswich forest, gardening, and creating tinctures to sell at the apothecary she owns. Most evenings pass without her speaking to another human being, an arrangement she quite prefers. Kate's solitude is thrown into disarray when her older sister, Miranda, reaches out and asks her to host their coven's annual Halloween gathering. The day marks the beginning of the new year for witches and is also Kate's birthday. The pressure from her coven to make the evening memorable mounts as the event draws near. To complicate things further, a handsome man from Kate's past turns up at her cottage, asking for sanctuary. It is Kate's duty as a hedge witch to honor this request, much to her dismay. Matthew Cypher is no ordinary lost soul-he's a practitioner of forbidden magic who's tricked Kate once before, and her guard is up.As she juggles Matthew's arrival and the preparations for Halloween, Kate comes across an old tome shrouded in dark magic. She is horrified when she realizes the blood-red inscription is written in familiar handwriting: her recently deceased mother's. Afraid to even touch the dark magic her mother secretly studied, Kate can turn only to Matthew for help. Her idealized memory of her mother begins to distort, and as she and Matthew grow closer, Kate has to reevaluate whom she can really trust. A Dark and Secret Magic is a celebration of the Halloween season and a love letter to anyone who drinks pumpkin spice in August and carries the spirit of a witch inside their heart all year long. " -- Publisher's website.

"A fortune teller finds an unexpected family on her journeys in this heartwarming and charming fantasy debut. Tao, an immigrant fortune teller, lives in a wagon and roams the dusty outskirts of the kingdom of Eshtera. Fleeing a troubled past, she travels between villages telling only small fortunes: whether it will hail next Thursday; what boy will kiss which barmaid; when the cow will calve. Big fortunes come with big consequences...which she wants to avoid at all costs. Life on the road can be lonely but, to Tao's surprise, companionship comes unexpectedly. She encounters Mash and Silt, an ex-mercenary and semi-reformed thief; the oddball pair endear themselves to Tao and enlist her in the search for Mash's lost daughter. Next the trio finds Kina, a brilliant baker, with a knead for adventure. And, finally, Fidelitus rounds out their party, a cat smart enough to mark the travelers as ready suppliers of fish. As they journey together across Eshtera, confronting small-minded villagers and philosophizing trolls alike, Tao's unlikely new friends break down her walls and unravel her secrets. Ultimately, Tao must decide what's more important: her hard-won freedom, or reuniting a family not her own"-- Provided by publisher.

The planet of Kiln is where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and for inmates the journey there is always a one-way trip. One such prisoner is Professor Arton Daghdev, xeno-ecologist and political dissident. Soon after arrival he discovers that Kiln has a secret. Humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there. In the midst a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem are the ruins of a civilization, but who were the vanished builders and where did they go? If he can survive both the harsh rule of the camp commandant and the alien horrors of the world around him, then Arton has a chance at making a discovery that might just transform not only Kiln but distant Earth as well.-- Publisher description.

"Kianthe and Reyna are on the hunt for dragon eggs to save their hometown but it requires making a deal with Diarn Arlon, lord of the legendary Nacean River. Simply capture the river pirate Serina, who's been plaguing Arlon's supply chains, and bring her in for justice. Easy peasy. Begrudgingly, the couple joins forces with Bobbie, one of Arlon's constables determined to capture the pirate. Except Bobbie and Serina have a more complicated history than anyone realized, and it might jeopardize everything." -Back cover

"A young gentlewoman, Margaret de Beauchamp, finds her fate twisted into the lives of the up-timers when she meets the Americans imprisoned in the Tower of London. In exchange for her help, Rita Simpson and Harry Lefferts give her a huge sum of money to keep her family's manor and its woolen trade from falling into the hands of the crown and its unscrupulous minister, Lord Cork. But Margaret's troubles are not at an end. Her family's fortunes are in a downward spiral. Her trip to Grantville brings unexpected dangers and a possible up-time solution. Inspired by books in the Grantville library, Margaret has an idea to restore her family's fortunes with an innovation never before seen in fabric design. With the help of Aaron Craig, an up-timer programmer using aqualators, water-powered computers, they teach her father's craftsmen to create a combination machine loom that can produce a new type of woolen cloth. The ornate and perfect patterns quickly trend among the nobility. However, the Master Weavers of the county's Weaver's Guild aren't happy about being overshadowed by the changes to the status quo, and take their grievance to Lord Cork, who is still looking for the people who helped the Americans escape from the Tower. Cork isn't interested in squabbles between mere tradesmen, but he is very interested in taking over the new calculating machine that is fueling the upsurge in the de Beauchamp fortunes. He sends agents ordered to stop at nothing to secure it for his own ends. Margaret has to protect her new business, and prevent anyone from discovering that up-timers are in the country to assist her, but she still has to deal with an uprising at home"-- Provided by publisher.

Lik-Rifa, the dragon god of legend, has been freed from her eternal prison. Now she plots a new age of blood and conquest. As Orka continues the hunt for her missing son, the Bloodsworn sweep south in a desperate race to save one of their own--and Varg takes the first steps on the path of vengeance. Elvar has sworn to fulfil her blood oath and rescue a prisoner from the clutches of Lik-Rifa and her dragonborn followers, but first she must persuade the Battle-Grim to follow her. Yet even the might of the Bloodsworn and Battle-Grim cannot stand alone against a dragon god. Their hope lies within the mad writings of a chained god. A book of forbidden magic with the power to raise the wolf god Ulfrir from the dead...and bring about a battle that will shake the foundations of the earth.

"The old kingdom of Paicha has been split into city states, but there are those who seek to reunite the shattered realm-by force if necessary. Amidst the turmoil there are three who will find their destinies inextricably tangled. Tesha is a glassblower's apprentice who becomes a tribute bride when her city is conquered by the south. In the enemy's court, she's perfectly placed to sabotage them, but her heart has other plans. Naili is a laundress in the house of an eccentric alchemist who is awakening to strange new powers. When radicals approach her, she faces a choice between keeping her magic to herself and using it to change the world. And in the desolate Shield Mountains, dragon rider Ash protects the cities from the monsters in the Iipao sands beyond. But, soon he'll have to learn how to protect his dragon when hunters unlock the secret to killing them. As war sweeps across the land, Tesha, Naili, and Ash must fight for survival against political enemies, dragon hunters, and monsters both within and without"-- Provided by publisher.