Every year, the empire administers the rite of passage into adulthood. That rite serves to identify those blessed by Aether to become magi. The new magi are shipped to the academy to learn the arts of magic. The academy is a dangerous place; the tournaments held twice each year can cripple or kill the students, and the clans of the empire will go to great lengths to recruit the students they want. Gregory had one dream: to become a magi like the legends of old. Though he was ridiculed by the residents of the village and his unsupportive father, he never wavered from his dream.

Thomas always enjoyed kingdom/city simulation games. When he discovers there is a kingdom building expansion to the hugely popular VRMMORPG Lewd Saga, he is determined to join the sensual fantasy game and build his destiny. Thomas becomes Edric Temple, summoner and adventurer, searching for others to help build a kingdom while a war rages across all of Lukken. The player slowly realizes Lewd Saga is more than just a fantasy game. Dark plots, torn hearts, and medieval politics will place the summoner in the eye of the storm between guilds, troll masters and what his heart truly desires.

Jon had a simple and solitary life as a dock inspector in the city of Southvale. That was until a ship with elves arrived. Now, he must contend with a group of beautiful elves that have no idea how to say no or behave in his world. They take what they want, drink what they want, and party how they want. When Jon discovers they are pirates, his life will be turned into a maelstrom of action, intrigue, romance, and seaside humor from which none of them can steer away.

Nations tremble and dragongods fall, when a hero takes revenge. They should not have touched Alron's women. Alron was the strongest dragon-core warrior of Fivewyrm Ascendancy, a master of his draconic vestiges. Now, a hundred years past his prime, Alron learns of the Ascendancy's betrayal against him and declares war against the entire nation. He faces armies of draconic beasts, legions dragon-core warriors, a powerful military of dragonfire fueled technology, and even the planet-sized dragongods; who fly between stars and end worlds in one breath.

Growing up, she was the girl down the street. Even then, I knew she was different. She was tough, rough, and had the strength to stop a speeding car with her bare hands. We were as thick as thieves, sharing every adventure. Then one day she revealed a secret. She wasn't from Earth. She was from a distant place called the Arcadia Multiverse. Her people lived under the rule of a god-like entity known as the System. That System had its gaze fixed on Earth. And it was only a matter of time before it came for us.

The surface world is a strange place for a young man who grew up in hell. Darren was just a boy when he and his mother were betrayed by paladins and chased beneath the Earth. There, with only his paladin's sigil and his quests to guide him, Darren grew from boy to man. Born in fire and blood, hell itself sculpted the perfect paladin.

I was just a normal guy making his way in the big city—until I found myself transported to another world to train at the Alpha Warlock Academy. Not only do they want me among their ranks, but they want me to train among the most powerful of warlocks at the Academy. I've got a lot on my plate: cramming spells, training for combat, and trying not to get myself killed during my initial challenges. Fortunately, I've also got plenty of friends to help me out, including my hobgoblin neighbor and the smooth-talking genie across the hall.

An experimental ASI with a terminal case of curiosity reached out and tampered with the universe in a way that it should not have, and unleashed a torrent of energy we would call magic into our galaxy. Humans, and every other intelligent lifeform for that matter, were ill-prepared, physically and mentally, for such an eventuality. In an effort to save itself, the ASI hastily created something it called the Framework to shape and codify this magical energy, and usher in a new world. A world of classes, levels, and extraordinary power. But also a world of monsters.

You know, life is funny sometimes. When I stumbled across a strange weather phenomenon in the middle of the woods, I could have sworn that it was just a prank from one of my friends. But the truth was, it was a portal, and as soon as I touched it I found myself in a new world, one filled with orcs and elves and most notably, goblins. The breathtaking beauty of the goblin women was something I never would have expected, but hey. Learn something new every day. They had a problem, though. A serious problem.

When a trio of cute goblins emerged from a silver portal that appeared out of nowhere on my property...things got a bit more complicated all of a sudden. Also, I soon discovered they bite and scratch: mostly each other, but sometimes me.

Convicted for a murder he did not commit, Talum d'Argento du'Pleisse is exiled to the World Below, the endless labyrinth of monster-filled catacombs that lies beneath the human kingdoms. Talum finds himself thrown into the death pits of the dark elves, sentenced to fight till he dies. If he wants to return to the surface and get revenge on the woman who set him up, he will need to train, fight, and survive. He has three weeks to prepare.

I used to think my life would be common, boring even. My online guildies and my friends sure thought so. Yet everything I knew to be true in this world all changed drastically one fateful night... or should I say, it shifted. As it turns out, my father passed on more than his name to me. Something feral and mighty awoke within me, and I knew at once, I would never be the same again. Shortly after, I received an invitation that I didn't expect, a call to attend the mysterious Apex Academy.

It was supposed to be a medical marvel. Instead, it triggered the apocalypse. Half of humanity mutated into mindless zombies. Half the survivors mutated into the inhumans: various new species of people with new appearances and abilities. Some grew scales, some grew fur, some could fly, some could survive only underwater. Decades passed, and from the ashes of the old world, a new patchwork civilization rose. Humans and inhumans lived in tentative peace, and the zombies turned out to be not much of a threat once a few generations of survivors had come and gone.

As one of the downtrodden in Eden’s Meadow, TJ has led a life of scraping by as best he could. With little more to his name than a winning smile, his life takes a turn for the interesting as he befriends Serina, a rebellious young woman among the godlike Devas that control his realm. Being a test subject for her magic seems innocent enough, even if she occasionally tinkers with things she shouldn’t.

Inmate 5313 reached the end of his sentence after 10 grueling years. That is, until the wrong question led to a beating with an exclusive stay in the fridge. Before the badges manage to lock him into cryostorage for a nightmare-fueled nap, several explosions send the prison barge plummeting into a frozen planet in unclaimed space. This is the first day of Seb’s freedom, an ill-starred future that includes banding together with cutthroat mercenaries, bartering with sordid information brokers, and fighting against the galaxy's ruthless corporations.

Thomas always enjoyed kingdom/city simulation games. When he discovers there is a kingdom building expansion to the hugely popular VRMMORPG Lewd Saga, he is determined to join the sensual fantasy game and build his destiny. Thomas becomes Edric Temple, summoner and adventurer, searching for others to help build a kingdom while a war rages across all of Lukken. The player slowly realizes Lewd Saga is more than just a fantasy game. Dark plots, torn hearts, and medieval politics will place the summoner in the eye of the storm between guilds, troll masters and what his heart truly desires.

Five knights tell stories of ancient lands, madness, and terrifying monsters...but no one can top Knight Elric's tale of the Land of Hershel, a monstrous swamp filled with horrifying creatures and an ever-present threat. If you stop moving, you drown. "In the Land of Hershel" is a short story set in the thrilling world of SunRider.

Pro-gamer and eighth grade teacher Chris is preoccupied by thoughts of how to save his brother when he gets an invitation he can't resist: Want to play Euphoria for free? The free pass brings him to a portal for the newest and most awesome game in the universe. Chris agrees to play Euphoria Online in Death March mode, a secret and deadly level of the game.

Niklaus, master swordsman, has not aged a day since being chosen by his mercurial goddess. A slave to her will, he moves from one cryptic mission to the next in the hope of ascending to become her equal. But even a man who has lived for centuries can sometimes find himself out of his depth. When Niklaus is sent to kill a sorcerer of the Tainted Cabal, overconfidence leads to a fatal mistake, and neither experience nor skill with a blade can prevail against the forces unleashed against him.

Before Kelsey there was a girl, raised by a villain, whose love for a hero changed the course of history. Trapped under the thumb of her abusive and powerful father Lokesh, Yesubai struggles to keep her own magical abilities secret while evading his dark powers. When Lokesh promises Yesubai to the prince of a neighboring kingdom, she becomes the central pawn in his plot to destroy the ruling family and take power for himself. Yesubai is trapped by her father's threats and desperate to protect the man she comes to love, but she knows that any decision she makes will have dire consequences. As dark forces gather around her, Yesubai must decide if she's willing to reveal that somewhere deep within her she has the power to change everything.

Outcast and exiled, the demon Tarrik Nal-Valim has long been forgotten by the world of humans. At least, so he thinks. But when he is summoned as a last resort by a desperate sorcerer, it seems as though his past has caught up with him. The sorcerer is Serenity “Ren” Branwen, the daughter of Tarrik’s former master - and friend. Though she seems cold, driven, and ruthless, Tarrik can tell Ren has her back against a wall, and he is compelled by ferocious powers to obey her.

Fourteen-year-old Vega Jane lives in the village of Wormwood, where life is nasty, brutish, and short. Villagers have been told that there is nothing outside of Wormwood except for the Quag, a foul forest filled with terrifying beasts. No one comes, no one goes, and Wormwood has stayed this way for generations. Until Vega's friend Quentin Herms disappears. Quentin leaves Vega a secret message hinting that there's a way out of Wormwood and something extraordinary on the other side.

This latest installment in New York Times best-selling author R.A. Salvatore's beloved fantasy saga, The Companions moves Salvatore's signature hero Drizzt into a new era of the Forgotten Realms. As Drizzt's fate hangs in the balance, he reflects on the lives of the trusted allies who stood by his side throughout his early life - the friends now known as the Companions of the Hall. Meanwhile, the first stirrings of the Sundering begin.

Jen Williams, acclaimed author of The Copper Cat trilogy, featuring The Copper Promise, The Iron Ghost and The Silver Tide, returns with the first in a blistering new trilogy. The great city of Ebora once glittered with gold. Now its streets are stalked by wolves. Tormalin the Oathless has no taste for sitting around waiting to die while the realm of his storied ancestors falls to pieces - talk about a guilt trip. Better to be amongst the living, where there are taverns full of women and wine.

Everyone dreams of marrying a prince - except for me. I am nothing more than a pawn in my adoptive mother's diabolical plot against the seven kingdoms. I was the chosen tool, her sharpened blade that would cut the deepest into the heart of the kingdom of Baist. But like all deadly weapons, my wedding is two-edged sword that could cost me my soul. For I am Rosalie, one of the adopted daughters of Lady Eville, and it is my duty to enter into a loveless and hate-filled marriage with the narcissistic Crown Prince of Baist.

Born in shame. Cast from society. Shape-shifter/elf hybrid Forest must fight for any respect she can get. Targeted in her youth by a vampire noble who placed an illegal slave mark on her, she is forced to obey him no matter what. Slipping the grip of her master and abandoning the prejudice of Regia, her native world, Forest takes a job on Earth, guarding the portal, using her skills as a warrior to enforce Regia's laws. Now, called home for a black ops mission, Forest must put aside her own prejudice to transport the vampire prince, Syrus, through enemy territory in a time of war.

Strike the Anvil of Time! Vanderjack is a mercenary with a troubled past and a sword haunted by ghosts. Hired to rescue a nobleman's daughter from behind enemy lines, the sellsword finds himself a pivotal player in the liberation of Nordmaar from the Red Dragon army. The Chronicler is charged to use the ancient Anvil of Time to travel back along the river of time and find the lost stories that fell between the pages of the history books of Krynn in this new series created and guided by the creative mind of Tracy Hickman.

In one of the last cities standing after the world fell to monsters, best friends Zed Kagari and Brock Dunderfel have high hopes for the future. Zed desperately wishes to join the ranks of the Mages Guild, where his status as Freestone's only half-elf might finally be an asset. Brock, the roguishly handsome son of merchants, is confident he'll be welcomed into the ranks of the Merchants Guild. But just as it seems the boys' dreams have come true, their lives take a startling turn...and they find themselves members of the perilous Adventurers Guild.

It was immediate for Roman. In 3,000 years, he'd never lost control of his emotions, or his heart. But the moment he laid eyes on Evelynne Farrow, he knew she was the woman who haunted his dreams. And everything changed. Everything. Evie Farrow has always loved a good vampire romance. In fact, she makes a living writing them. While sitting in a coffee shop and working on her next mega-hot book, Evie is approached by a tall, dark, and handsome man who could have been pulled directly from one of her novels.

So here’s the plan: Kill the demon, steal the treasure, and retire to a life of luxury! It sounds easy when put like that. However, most unfortunately for warrior-priest Egil and sneak thief Nix, when the demon they kill turns out to have worshippers in high places, retirement is not an option. A wonderfully fast-paced fantasy adventure redolent of the classic tales of swords and sorcery, from New York Times best-selling author Paul S. Kemp.

Thomas always enjoyed kingdom/city simulation games. When he discovers there is a kingdom building expansion to the hugely popular VRMMORPG Lewd Saga, he is determined to join the sensual fantasy game and build his destiny. Thomas becomes Edric Temple, summoner and adventurer, searching for others to help build a kingdom while a war rages across all of Lukken. The player slowly realizes Lewd Saga is more than just a fantasy game. Dark plots, torn hearts, and medieval politics will place the summoner in the eye of the storm between guilds, troll masters and what his heart truly desires.

What if you had a genie who wanted your every last desire to come true? What if you had two? And what if they were competing to see who could do a better job?

Jaryd is a bartender and woodcutter for the Brass Bat Tavern and Inn. When he is not tending bar, chopping down trees, or fighting off simple undead, he often buries himself in books to escape his sordid past. With his friends, they try to lead a simple life on the outskirts of nowhere. When a great evil reaches the lone inn, Jaryd becomes cursed to take on the mantle of Midknight, tasked with protecting a group of powerful undead in a nearby dungeon, whether he wants to or not.

After untold centuries of absence, the evil Ancients have returned. Their magic appears unstoppable and their hunger for conquest is insatiable. To protect the country of Nia, Duchess Nadea and Scholar Paug make a desperate journey to find a human legend: a man known to have destroyed these Ancient foes with a powerful army. But legends can lie. When Paug and Nadea revive their hero from sleep, his virtue is far from clear. Is he really their savior or their destroyer?

Justin Trimble's fantasies come to life when a couple of sexy, middle-aged professors give his virtual world a try and are transformed both in-game and out. As an AI researcher, Justin Trimble already has access to some of the most advanced technology on the planet. On his nights and weekends, he explores the capabilities of the virtual systems to invent an immersive game. To make the game more appealing, he modifies the immersion rigs to stimulate pleasure as reward for achievements.