Bestselling author Stephen R. Lawhead's Dragon King Trilogy—now available in one volume.

Although born to rule, Aidan lives as a scribe in a remote Irish monastery on the far, wild edge of Christendom. Secure in work, contemplation, and dreams of the wider world, a miracle bursts into Aidan's quiet life. He is chosen to accompany a small band of monks on a quest to the fabled city of Byzantium, where they are to present the beautiful and costly hand-illuminated Book of Kells to the emperor of all Christendom.

The Bright Empires series is a unique blend of epic treasure hunt, ancient history, alternate realities, cutting-edge physics, philosophy, and mystery. The result is a pause-resisting adventure like no other.

When my evil stepfather sold me into slavery, I thought my life was over. Sent to work in the kitchens at Darkstone Academy for the Magical Arts, an isolated reform school filled with dangerous young mages, I quickly learned that survival meant embracing the darkness. Danger shadowed my every step—until I found myself unexpectedly soul-bonded to four powerful men.

The last thing I remember is arriving at the massive gates with a Bounty Hunter staring me down. I have a feeling he was supposed to take me to the monster holding arena to fight. Instead, I’m Fortune Academy’s newest student. I can relate to the monsters in ways the other students can’t. My mentor, who is way too hot for his own good, tells me my behavior is the result of my memory loss and that I’m just trying to identify with a past pain that I’ve buried too far to feel.

Arthur is King - but treachery runs rampant throughout the beleaguered Isle of the Mighty. Darkest evil descends upon Britain's shore in many guises. Fragile alliances fray and tear, threatening all the noble liege has won with his wisdom and his blood. His most trusted counselor - the warrior, bard, and kingmaker whom legend will name Merlin - is himself to be tested on a mystical journey back through his own extraordinary past. So in a black time of plague and pestilence, it is Arthur who must stand alone against a great and terrible adversary. For only this way can he truly win immortality - and the name to treasure above all others: Pendragon.

When Niri’s nuncle dies, the coal girl finds herself suddenly penniless and alone on the streets of Brightburgh. Her already perilous situation is further complicated by her heritage – she’s half Aeldae, a descendant of the people who enslaved the humans of the Splinterlands centuries ago. This alone brands her as both an outcast and a target. Clinging to a glimmer of hope, Niri possesses a special coin that will grant her admission into the prestigious Stormfell Academy, renowned for its magical and martial training.

Hunted like an animal by Norman invaders, Bran ap Brychan, heir to the throne of Elfael, has abandoned his father’s kingdom and fled to the greenwood. There, in the primeval forest of the Welsh borders, danger surrounds him - for this woodland is a living, breathing entity with mysterious powers and secrets. Bran must find a way to make it his own if he is to survive and become King Raven. From deep in the forest, Bran, Will Scarlet, and Friar Tuck form a daring plan for deliverance, knowing that failure means death for them all - and the dreams of the oppressed people of Wales.

Koven never thought he could catch the attention of a god. But after pulling off a daring theft from a noble house, he becomes too irresistible for Celdric—the god of mischief—to ignore. Claimed as one of Celdric's vassals and granted the power to control shadows, Koven is whisked away to the Cenobium, an academy for those marked with the divine blood of the various Athearian deities.

With a ragged peace in place, demons burn farmlands, violent Reivers roam the wilds and plague has spread beyond the Black Meadows. The country is on its knees. In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first magically-skilled draoidh to be named King's Envoy. Now, charged with restoring an exiled foreign queen to her throne, he leads a group of strangers across the ravaged country. But at every step, a new mystery complicates their mission.

Deep in the mountains lies a valley with a secret to immortality—Clairvaux—where the Queen Mother reigns supreme. Hidden within the cliffs and rocky paths and shrouded by waterfalls, the Gallows Tree grows immortal fruit. But only the loyal angel sworn can partake and live forever, weaving magic with grafting wands and bonding to animals to borrow their powers while balancing the good in all living things.

Monsters don’t fear the dark. They fear him. Velik was changed by a childhood encounter he still struggles to understand. Now he’s something else—faster, deadlier, and armed with a unique class built for one thing: hunting monsters. For ten years, he’s braved the frontier alone, cutting down every beast that threatens the border towns. With each kill, he’s grown stronger, gaining levels and sharpening his skills on the thousands of monsters infesting the wild lands.

Felix's life on Earth had become a series of dead-end jobs, ruined relationships, and rotating apartments smaller than most postage stamps. By all accounts, even his own, he was a coward. Too afraid to move forward, to take risks. Yet when given the chance to choose between risking his life or walking away from a deadly encounter, he didn't hesitate. Moments before his untimely demise, Felix was snatched from earth and thrust into a magical world known only as "The Continent". Empowered by the "System", he learns that he can strengthen himself through combat and dedication.

Celeste is about to become one of the thirteen Fées Gardiennes, a centuries-old sisterhood of fairy godmothers. To be granted full status, she must usher her first protégé onto their path of destiny. Where better to find a starry-eyed ward than in the land of magic and illusion called Hollywood? It’s 1927. The moviemaking business is booming when Celeste befriends a young studio seamstress whose dreams outshine everyone else’s. Rose is talented and underappreciated and could use some enchanted intervention in her life.

Even in his past life, Cid’s dream wasn’t to become a protagonist or a final boss. He’d rather lie low as a minor character until it’s prime time to reveal he’s a mastermind…or at least, do the next best thing—pretend to be one! And now that he’s been reborn into another world, he’s ready to set the perfect conditions to live out his dreams to the fullest. Armed with his overactive imagination, Cid jokingly recruits members to his organization and makes up a whole backstory about an evil cult that they need to take down.