The Red Swords came with the sunrise and took everything Shawna Llewan held dear. Her family massacred, her home destroyed, she escapes with nothing but her mother’s heirloom and the desire for vengeance. When she’s found by Dormael, a Warlock of the Conclave, she learns that her mother’s keepsake - the very reason her family was killed - holds the power to unleash boundless destruction.

Despite his youth, Declan Idrys knows of the evils of the world. He knows of the bastards and brigands who plague the King's lands, of the monsters skulking in the wooded depths of the realm. Together with his companion, Ryn - a beast of rather peculiar talent - he has spent the last decade of his life beneath the bloody banners of a half-dozen mercenary guilds, hunting precisely such festering wickedness within the borders of Viridian.

In the lower wards of Kahnzoka, the port city of the Blessed Empire, 18-year-old ward boss Isoka enforces the will of her criminal masters with the power of Melos, the Well of Combat. The money she collects goes to keep her little sister living in comfort, far from the bloody streets they grew up on. When Isoka's magic is discovered by the government, she's arrested and brought to the Emperor's spymaster, who sends her on an impossible mission: Steal Soliton, a legendary ghost ship - a ship from which no one has ever returned. If she fails, her sister’s life is forfeit.

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.

Some say that in the city of Orlyn, godhood is on sale to the highest bidder. Thousands flock to the city each year, hoping for a chance at immortality. Lydia Hastings is a knowledge sorcerer, capable of extracting information from anything she touches. When she travels to Orlyn to validate the claims of the local faith, she discovers a conspiracy that could lead to a war between the world's three greatest powers. At the focal point is a prisoner who bears a striking resemblance to the long-missing leader of the pantheon she worships.

Eist was born to be a dragon rider; she just knows it. When fate conspires to take her parents and leave her orphaned and injured, her future appears bleak. Unwilling to back down, she must overcome a system stacked against her. Even if she passes all the tests, there’s no guarantee she will ever fly on a dragon. Can she beat the odds and find her destiny, or will she be stranded on the ground?

For three years, Rixon Caldwell has been the most lethal gamer online. He is undefeated in international play, and his stream is viewed by millions of avid fans each and every day. When an unsigned email arrives inviting him to beta test the newest, most immersive MMO ever, Circuit World, he discounts the offer out of hand. For him, offers like this one are a daily event. He’s a brand, and charity is not his default setting. When he moves to delete the email, his laptop screen vanishes, replaced with a simple question: Do you accept our challenge?

Gabriel Delling might call himself a professional con artist, but when walking superstitions start trying to bite his face off, his charm is shockingly unhelpful. It turns out living nightmares almost never appreciate a good joke. Together with a succubus who insists on constantly saving his life, Gabe desperately tries to survive a new reality that suddenly features demons, legends, and a giant locust named Dale - all of whom pretty much hate his guts. And when an ancient horror comes hunting for a spirit locked in his head, Gabe finds himself faced with the excruciating choice between death...or becoming some kind of freaking hero.

In the beginning, the gods destroyed the world. Five hundred years later, things haven’t gotten much better for humans. The demigods that were left behind to guard over humanity have been using them as fodder for an endless civil war between themselves, and the humans just go on dutifully slaughtering each other, battle after battle. It’s not all bad, though. Perry McGown makes his living off those bloody, stinking battlefields. He works on a crew that reclaims all the spent shell casings. But if anyone found out that he was a deserter from the war, he’d be executed for heresy.

The Shadowborne had always fascinated Will. His grandfather's stories told of mythical warriors wielding dark, ancient magic, defending justice and battling dragons. But that's all they were, bedtime stories...until the Shadows embraced Will himself. Now, propelled from the normal world into the mythical realm of Aeril, Will must learn to control his newfound power while discovering his place in this strange, new world.

Seventeen years have passed since the Necromancer Queen Talia was overthrown and slain, and her capital city destroyed by the Knights of the Order of Eternal Vigilance. Anskar DeVantte, raised in the sacred disciplines of the Order, is now ready to face the brutal initiation trials to become a consecrated knight-sorcerer. But the further Anskar rises in the ranks the more his faith wavers. As troubling powers awaken within him, a schism grows between Anskar and his hallowed Order, and he draws the hungry gaze of the vanquished queen’s fanatical followers.

Once every year, in the city of Sunja, gladiators Baylus, Goll, and Halm meet in the arena known as Sunja’s Pit. Their battles are epic, but deadlier still are the shadowy forces that conspire against them outside the Pit. Only by applying their brutally honed survival instincts can these brave warriors hope to win their freedom and exact grisly revenge upon their enemies.

You define life or it defines you. In Shawn Speakman’s case, it was both. Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011, Shawn quickly accrued a massive medical debt that he did not have the ability to pay. That’s when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story that Shawn could sell to help alleviate those bills—and suggested he ask the same of his other writer friends. Unfettered is the result: An anthology built in order to relieve that debt, featuring short stories by some of the best fantasy writers in the genre.

Chase Berrymore dreams of adventure, excitement, and getting the heck out of her pastoral halven village. But when adventure finds her, she'll be scrambling to save her family and friends from a necromancer's wrath. Outmatched in almost every way, she'll have to use her wits, charisma, and a bit of divine favor to figure out the path to victory. Even worse, she'll have to figure out ways to deal with the weird and nigh-immortal beings that call themselves "playas"...and she'll have to do it with the most powerful weapon she has available: words.

What is a billionaire heiress supposed to do when all of her older siblings take to business like her parents, proving that business is in their blood. But not hers? There are many good choices. Unfortunately, Chloe decided that partying was the right one. Now, to keep her money, she’s required to attend daily meetings with the family psychologist - daily meetings about how she must change her present to change her future.

How would you like to begin an apprenticeship in the mystical craft of artificery? You'll learn things that most people can only dream of. You'll make swords with self-sharpening blades, bows that fire by themselves, and clocks that can read the future. Even better, you'll get to live in the sunlit village of Sunhampton, a sleepy little crafter's village of cobbled streets, cozy taverns, and pleasant bakeries. If this sounds like just the life for you, then grab a beer and a sweet roll, and follow Lewis as he begins his new life as an apprentice.

"Congratulations! You are the last survivor of the Hell Games. You have gained back your freedom." Huh? One moment I was running from demons and other competitors trying to do me in. The next, I was thrown back into yet another realm. Before me, some Princess started explaining that she had asked the gods for champions to help save her world in these dire times… and I was one of the chosen heroes. Yeah, right! I had been in Hell long enough to know I shouldn't trust my senses when it all seemed too good to be true.

Conscription and death. That is the sword of Damocles hanging over every peasant's head. As the realm gets overrun by bloodthirsty Beasts, every family has to pitch in. And so, to spare his father and siblings, Ferren offers to be the one from their household to join the king's army. But during an escort mission, Ferren's convoy is attacked and his right arm ripped off by a ferocious monster.

Prince Azlo and Princess Nadir have always had Tales of Storm Company and their father Zeke constantly looming over the heads. The success of their heritage creating a shadow so large it casts a void-like pall on their very existence.

When Robert’s mother dies, his whole world caves in on him. Fatherless, he has no one, and nowhere to go. The royal mage shows him kindness by putting him on the royal guard as a “boot” to keep a roof over his head. Robert’s quick wit and willingness to help others serve him well in the guard. He becomes friends with the king’s second son, Randal, who was placed in the guard by the king to teach him discipline. As he ages, he develops mage abilities but keeps them secret. While on a weekend pass in the city, Robert saves Randal’s life and is rewarded by being made Randal’s liegeman.

This is it, the day I take over my father’s adventuring shop! Set at the base of Gianskarl mountain, where lies a vast and mysterious dungeon, this is the perfect spot. Many adventurers come to try their hand at the Karl in the hopes of hitting it big. And it’s up to me now to sell them the equipment they’ll need to face the dangers that await them. But where my father was content selling trinkets for a pittance, I want to turn this modest shop into the industry leader.

Chris and his friends had been hearing voices begging for help, but aren’t dreams supposed to stay dreams? When they finally answer the call, they’re pulled into a fantastic world with themes similar to modern role-playing games. The world of Brindolla.

A mysterious force transports Noah to a fantasy realm of magic and levels. Unable to return home, he leans into his Blacksmith Apprentice class. By killing creatures in battle, mining ore, and even picking plants, Noah will obtain the ingredients he needs to create items to help him survive. His old life drags on him at first, a fact he doesn't let hold him down, because on Prixa, there's a brutal war between feline warriors and werewolves.

Hunter was just a normal average guy. Then he died. That's when the problems started. For one, he wasn't heading for heaven. He was on a one-way trip to the other place. Secondly, an angel literally pulled him from the brink of Hell and gave him a choice: Go straight to Hell, don't pass go, don't collect $200. Or, be put inside the body of an alternate version of himself on a completely different Earth where magic, not technology, rules, and get a chance to redeem his soul.

Moments after he hatched, he was thrown into a sack. His pride as a dragon raged against the indignity and he fought back. The wounds he gave his captors earned him the name Nemesis, and the kindness offered at the hand of a half-elf slave earned him a partner. With Harper on his side, the pair set out to earn their freedom. They're determined to never be slaves again.

John, a vampire living for near six thousand years, has gone by many names in his life. Warrior, king, god. Such great age can also be a curse, as his mind has not kept up with the regeneration of his body, and he struggles to even remember his own name. That is until powerful beings called the ascended come to Earth and remove a shield blocking our solar system from the Tree of Life. John is healed, and his mind restored, and he is ready to learn this new way of gaining power, this self-cultivation, and defend his world. But he's no longer the apex predator.

Zalia Taori is well equipped for life in the remote forest valley she calls home. But while tracking a deer through her snowy stomping grounds—armed with her hunting bow and excellent knowledge of wild plants—she comes across a warp in the fabric of reality. She suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar land where she must learn to survive as both predator and prey. As Zalia explores this forbidding new terrain, she encounters peculiar herbs, terrifying monsters, mysterious rituals, and some unexpected friends.

A fantasy tale of war, battle, and love. Ordan is the Slayer of Saina, a fearsome warrior of Frostburn. When a portal to a brand new world opens, Ordan is tasked to march his army through and see what this new land has to offer. As victory is nigh and hopes high, native mages conspire in the confusion. Caught between two worlds, Ordan will stop at nothing to achieve his desires and save his people, no matter the cost.

I used to be the greatest Earth Mage in my world. The head of the entire Order of Architects. But the older you get, the more you come to realize that at some point, you need to retire, so that you can have the chance to enjoy a peaceful life and to cede your place to the young, some of whom have already turned two thousand years old . . .So that's what I did. But I failed to account for one thing: during the course of my long life, I'd accumulated too many enemies, and they had decided to spoil my retirement. So they died along with me. And I hope their deaths were final. But mine was not!

Our retro-tech towns might seem idyllic, yet go beyond the arcades and coffee shops and you'll reach the danger zones roamed by bionic bots. Me? I ran a video store with my cute friend Emiko. She's always been a little different, so I had to look out for her—we usually just watched movies and played games together. One day, a suspicious pink-haired chick burst into the store, warning me not to watch a tape labeled Property of Steelheart—Do Not Watch! So obviously, I did, and a terrifying ghost crawled out of the screen.