Showing results for "first" in Sword & Sorcery

Ever since magic stormed the world, the price for human survival is surrendering your firstborn to the monsters. But this year it's Nova's turn, and the monsters better watch their backs. 

With Age of Myth, Age of Swords, and the New York Times best-selling Age of War, fantasy master Michael J. Sullivan riveted fans with a tale of unlikely heroes locked in a desperate battle to save humankind. After years of warfare, humanity has gained the upper hand and has pushed the Fhrey to the edge of their homeland, but no farther. Now comes the pivotal moment. Persephone’s plan to use the stalemate to seek peace is destroyed by an unexpected betrayal that threatens to hand victory to her enemy and leaves a loved one in peril.

Winter blankets the land, and more than just hope has died. Prevented from invading the Fhrey homeland by the tower of Avempartha, the western army seeks a way across the Nidwalden River before the fane obtains the secret of dragons. As time runs out for both humanity and the mystic Suri, the only chance for the living rests with the dead. Having made their fateful choice, can a handful of misfits do the impossible, or are they forever lost to an inescapable grave? Do gods truly exist? Is it possible to know the future? And what lies beyond the veil of death?

Bryn’s earliest memory is of watching duels in the arena. His earliest dream is of taking his place there. Amero dal Moreno has no dreams. His life has been about fulfilling the expectations of others. In search of a path of his own, the dreams of others are too tempting to resist. After years of sacrifice and hard work, Bryn Pendollo is finally a professional duellist. Becoming the First Blade of Ostia no longer seems the childish fantasy it once did. To find the man standing in his way is also his best friend will test him in ways he would never have believed.

With the Slosth and Devil Incursions taken care of, Drew Wright should be settling down for some well-deserved rest. But… the world is still in shambles, survivors are fighting over limited resources, and he no longer has access to magical, gun-wielding minions. So, rest will have to wait. Drew needs to find a new way to control hordes of undead minions without his brain leaking out through his ears. Becoming an undead Lich is certainly an option, but that involves losing certain… assets that he’d rather hold on to, especially with him and Amber considering the option of having children.

After defending the Sanctum, hearth and home of the Jackal Sect, Luca and his disciples have worked hard to establish a foothold on their little island. The Skalds remain undealt with, however, and the Wylish folk face an unforgiving winter. Without the meat and herbs Luca harvested, many would have already died from starvation and sickness. And the cold will only deepen with time. Luca's shouldered a monstrous burden. In addition to extending his protection to the exiles, the cultivator has taken on a most improbable task: raising the nascent Jackal Sect to a position of power.

Mason the survivalist was always preparing for the end of the world. He just didn’t expect a god-like AI to transform it into a damn video game. Now he has to pick a ‘class’, survive a ‘tutorial’ (filled with monstrous creatures trying to murder him), and somehow find his brother Blake before the idiot gets himself killed. OK. Blake’s no idiot. He’s a charming, incredibly lucky, ambitious world-beater. But he was destined for corporate boardrooms, not monster filled forests, and Mason knows he needs to reach him before it’s too late.

Earth had been destroyed by Devils, and as a result, the humans who lived there were transported to Paradise, a new world far vaster than their original planet. Dragons flew across the never-ending skies, roaring toward the heavens. Elves grew trees and tended to the flowers. Dwarves crafted armor and weapons to use for battle. Demons started wars for fun. It was chaotic, yet it was still a home. Then, when things were just starting to look up, the cataclysm struck. Only one man could face the imminent disaster, but he still failed in the end.

For a game, the gods have given the world 12 Swords of Power so that they might be amused as the nations battle for their possession. But Vulcan the Smith has had his own little joke: the Swords can kill the gods themselves. What started out as Divine Jest has become all too serious as the gods fight to recover the Swords, and mortals discover that the mantle of power is more delicious and more terrible than anything they could have imagined.

With magic coming back to Xoran, those with a gift for magic are now able to channel their powers and rise up to defend their fellow man. Powerful mages team up with soldiers and knights to fight the Quell and bring back the rule of Law. A simple sellsword rises up to become a hero, and the kings of Kronos band together to defeat the demon and his followers.

“[Kimberly] Mandindo expertly narrates the supernatural mystery’s twists and turns, keeping the listener guessing until the very end...The narration brings depth to the compelling cast of characters, culminating in the spellbinding and thought-provoking conclusion.” — Booklist One final...

As a young man, Cedric discovers a terrifying defect in his nature. He has no blood loyalty, which means he can defy his king - something that has never happened in recorded history. But what begins as a flaw evolves into a strength. Citizens begin to listen to Cedric, and he discovers that if he leads, others will follow. But there's a catch. The more who follow him, the more famous he becomes. And the more famous he becomes, the more targets he finds pinned to his back.

Jewel ATerafin has never wanted to be a power, but to protect what she built, to protect what she values above all else, she has accepted that power is necessary. But with power comes responsibility. Jewel has forced herself to do what would have once been unthinkable: She has surrendered her den-kin, Carver, to the wilderness, because she must if she is to have any hope of saving the rest of her family, and the city in which they dwell. But she cannot leave him with nothing. Into his hands, she has placed the single, blue leaf that came from the wilderness and the dreaming combined.

Join the Smitey Heroes as they embark on exciting (and ridiculous) adventures. This Smitey Heroes collection includes five stories: "The Four Squires", "A Suitor for the Princess", "The Grossest Dragon", "Dragon Mountain", and "Peasant Poison Pony".

Mirabell Steele has torn her family’s trading business back from the clutches of her unsavory uncle. Now, in an attempt to reclaim her family’s good name, she chooses to enter the first Warlord Games as a Lanistae. With little money to spare, she is left with a ragtag group of warriors and healers who have their own shady reputations.