Showing results for "Sand" in Science Fiction & Fantasy

So I just found out that Sargo has been abducted to a city eight thousand miles across the Salt. Which means if I ever want to see him again (which I'm pretty sure I do) I'm gonna have to embark on a treacherous voyage to get him back . . . alone. Dangerous? Yes. Insane? Definitely. Necessary? Well, I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with the guy, so . . . yeah. The problem is, I'm still a massive asshole and I haven't really gotten over this drinking thing. And there might be a teleporter inside my head. Oh, and I still don't know how to sail.

On the planet of Taldain, the legendary Sand Masters harness arcane powers to manipulate sand in spectacular ways. But when they are slaughtered in a sinister conspiracy, the weakest of their number, Kenton, believes himself to be the only survivor. With enemies closing in on all sides, Kenton forges an unlikely partnership with Khriss - a mysterious Darksider who hides secrets of her own.

Underpowered and overwhelmed, Kenton tries to hold the Sand Masters together as forces political and personal conspire against them. Now, in one final push, Kenton must tap the most dangerous depths of his own abilities to combat the enemies within his own guild and discover the truth behind the ambush that killed his father and almost destroyed the Sand Masters for good.

Fleeing a life of abuse, Sheri climbs aboard a mail-order-mate spaceship bound for a distant station but never arrives.... Fate intervenes, and her trip takes a quick, deadly turn when she crashes on the planet Atera. She's surrounded by endless sand dunes, dangerous creatures, and alien beings that remind her of Earth lizards. But one particular lizard hardly leaves her thoughts - a sexy, two-legged, muscular male bent on protecting and caring for her at all costs. 

Sands of Time features two intriguing stories that pick up the fortunes of characters from Whispers in the Sand, Barbara Erskine's captivating Egyptian novel. Still haunted by ancient mysteries, and the subject of dark intentions, Anna and Louisa must once more do battle with the past in order to survive the present. Alongside these are a host of other tales, all with a touch of the unexpected.

Aelar, a mighty nation, spreads its tentacles. Its oared galleys storm the seas, and the waters run red with blood. Its legionaries swarm desert ruins, smiting barbarian hordes. Its crosses line the roadsides, displaying the dying flesh of heroes. The powerful Sela family has avoided the empire until now. The family has carved out an idyllic life between sea and desert, ruling a bustling port, a thriving city, and lush vineyards.

Following the loss of most of his colleagues in a violent ambush, Kenton has become Lord Mastrell of the few remaining Sand Masters, magicians who can manipulate sand to do their bidding. With the ruling council poised against him, the hot-headed Kenton must become a diplomat to have any hope of preventing the eradication of his people forever. However, there’s another complication: assassins are coming for him from all directions, and Kenton’s only true ally is Khriss, a visitor from the other side of the planet who has an agenda of her own to pursue.

Recently divorced Anna Fox decides to cheer herself up by retracing a journey her great grandmother Louisa made in the mid-19th century—a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan. Anna carries with her two of Louisa’s possessions: an ancient Egyptian scent bottle and an illustrated diary of the original cruise that has lain unread for over a hundred years. As she follows in Louisa’s footsteps, Anna discovers in the diary a wonderful Victorian love story—and the chilling secret of the little glass bottle. 

The world of Dune has shaped an entire generation of science fiction. From the sand-blasted world of Arrakis, to the splendor of the imperial homeworld of Kaitain, readers and listeners have lived in a universe of treachery and wonder. Now, these stories expand on the Dune universe.

It is the 21st century, and on Mars a dedicated group of pioneers - among them some of Earth's finest brains - struggle to change the face of the planet. Science fiction writer Martin Gibson finally gets a chance to visit the research colony on the Red Planet. It's a dream come true - until he discovers the difficulties and perils of survival on another world...and the very real terror it holds.

Sand. A hostile world of burning sun. Outlines of several once-busy cities shimmer on the horizon. Now empty of inhabitants, their buildings lie in ruins. In the distance a group of people, a family, walk, towards us. Ahead lies shelter: a 'shuck' the family call home and that they know they must reach before the light fails, as to be out after dark is to invite danger and almost certain death. To survive in this alien world of shifting sand, they must find an object hidden in or near water. But other families want it too. And they are willing to fight to the death to make it theirs.

The manhunt has officially begun. Now the target of a game-wide Holy War, Ned is forced to flee the Onyx Sands. The odds are stacked against him; Tyrann has tens of thousands of followers, a religion that’s spreading like wildfire, and a powerful god that will be stepping into the world of EBO in a matter of days. Meanwhile, Ned’s allies are a squirrel-exploding bard, a repurposed home security system who takes her instructions far too literally, and a wildly unreliable talking axe named Frank. But even as the inevitable conflict draws closer, change is coming to EBO.

Five milksops sticking to her heels like horse manure. On a ship with a captain who cannot be trusted. On a voyage into the heart of enemy territory, teeming with cutthroats. In search of a lost legend that could vanish into thin air like a camel fart. Time is crying out for change. A mysterious parchment finally leads Karek and his companions to their destination. But what they find there knows no laws, no faith, no mercy.

Crazy. Brutal. Unpredictable. And those are their good qualities. A pair of foul-mouthed mercenaries go on a suicide mission in this otherworldly fantasy. After accepting a mission that no one wanted, He-Dog and Ballless travel the treacherous Lands of the South to the glittering city of Foust. There, they find the fabled walls under siege. A vicious, seething army of Beastmen surround the city, intent on sacking it and feasting upon every last citizen within.

When the CEO of the world’s leading artificial intelligence company is found murdered in his home, former Army CID officer Valerie Marks is thrust into her first case as a homicide detective. Valerie has a gift for reading people, a gift that has never failed her before. But that gift is put to the test when her instincts point her to an impossible suspect—an AI born from a secret venture with the Pentagon known as Project Nomad. To learn the truth, Valerie must team up with two men she doesn’t trust.

With the Carthaginians pushed inside the walls of Londinium, the Britannians can finally stop reacting and take the fight to them. Hoping to retake the British Isles and even add new allies to the Alliance, legions are dispatched to Ériu, the emerald isle, to push back Carthaginian expansion there. Ky, a test pilot from the future and now Consul for the Britannic Empire, knows that Carthaginian retaliation is coming and prepares an explosive new surprise for the invaders.

“National Velvet with monsters and a big helping of palace intrigue, Race the Sands is monstrous (literally), heartwarming, and empowering in equal measure. An incredibly fun and inspiring read.” – Katherine Arden, New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale In this...

Keera is an exile struggling to survive, forced to rob passing travelers or face starvation. When she steals from the wrong man—a vicious masked warrior named the Viper—his hand around her throat awakens an ancient magic within her, and she uses it to escape his clutches. Now, Keera must master her power to protect the city of Kelvadan—the only place an exile like her can find a home—from the Viper and his growing army.

Mehr is a girl trapped between two cultures. Her father comes from the ruling classes of the empire but her mother's people were outcasts, Amrithi nomads who worshipped the spirits of the sands. Caught one night performing these forbidden rites, Mehr is brought to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, who force her into their service by way of an arranged marriage. She discovers that her new husband is a mysterious, enslaved Amrithi with abilities like her own: together they must use every ounce of cunning, power and will they possess to resist the order's cruel agenda.

Sam Cunningham didn’t set out to work for a gangster, but his job as Mickey Sullivan’s hexmaster seems safe enough… until a gang war puts a target on both of their backs. Cheetah-shifter Alistair Gatti is desperate to keep his family’s speakeasy up and running. But with a brutal assassin killing off the city’s bootleggers, his options are growing slimmer with every passing day. Their one chance to remain safe and keep The Pride afloat lies in the form of an ancient hex looted from an Egyptian tomb.