Showing results by narrator "Michael Ryan" in All Categories

The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death. Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella's village to be their Human Queen. To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she's dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town's only healer. That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives... for her.

Abandoned by her allies, the Republic of Venice holds out as the last beacon of resistance against the hobgoblin armies. Armed with new weapons the Southern Horde drives upon the floating city by land and sea. The Northern Horde drives deep into the heart of Europa and all fall before it. The Horde is vast beyond measure. Assassin daggers lurk in every shadow. Necrotic evil seeps and infects.

The world watches the sky with trepidation. The insanity of Xenocide knew no bounds, and all will soon suffer the effects he had planned for a millennium. Though none know what is to come, they all know it isn’t going to be easy to survive. The Master has a plan, one that can give the world at large a way to escape the onrushing desolation. It may be on the bleeding edge of morality and what he needs might prove too difficult to secure, but The Master asks for trust. Cal and Dale both have their role to play as the world hurtles toward destruction. 

Eric Carter has a lot on his plate. He's hunting the Oracle of Las Vegas, a literal talking head that manipulates the future to make its prophecies come true. But it has a new trick. It can change the past, too. Now Jazz Age Los Angeles is invading the present. Long gone buildings suddenly restored, decommissioned Red Car trains appearing on paved over tracks, miles of the city changing back to orange groves. Throw in a hundred-year-old doomsday cult, time magic, and a terrifyingly powerful spell to raise the dead and it makes for a busy week. 

In the realm of Imphallion, there once was a nightmare - a living nightmare known only as the Terror of the East. Nigh invulnerable in his magical black armor and aided by unholy minions, he laid waste to all in his path on his all-consuming quest to bring order to the land. His order. Then, at what should have been his moment of triumph, his will failed. And his army fell. Taking a young noblewoman as hostage, he escaped, vanishing into darkest memory.

I know it shouldn’t matter what people say about me. But when my parents told me that I would never find love because I liked guys, I was willing to do anything to prove them wrong. So, when the most romantic guy ever asked me to marry him, I had to show him to them immediately. Was I moving too fast? Because as soon as I scored him an invitation to one of our obnoxious family get-togethers, he called things off. Now, I need a fiancé to replace the one I thought I had or my parents will think they were right about me all along.

The dungeon—Cal—knows exactly how much their power has increased and is working daily to become exponentially more powerful. His schemes are becoming more complex and his dungeon—his body—more deadly. Dale works to subvert the plans of the dungeon, but his opponent is onto him. Hearing a voice in his head distracts him in critical moments requiring him to fight his mind even as he battles deadly creatures. Unbeknownst to both, their fight is not with each other—it’s for the continuation of their lives.

Powerful necromancers are on the move, and the dungeon has become a battleground. Without his faithful Wisp, Cal's mind slips—he begins creating traps and monsters that go against his already loose morals. A direct threat from an unexpected force causes Cal's mind to stabilize, but he doesn’t know for how long. Using every resource at his disposal, he works to keep his mind clear while he funds a search for his lost companion. When others fail him again and again, Cal takes matters into his own hands.

Why Shakespeare? What explains our continued fascination with his poems and plays? In Living with Shakespeare, Susannah Carson invites 40 actors, directors, scholars, and writers to reflect on why his work is still such a vital part of our culture.

Sold to the highest bidder? Check. Swept away by a dangerous silver fox? Check. Surprise pregnancy with a side of danger? Oh, honey, you bet. I thought I could fix our problems by giving up my most precious gift. Instead, I landed in a world of trouble, with a target on my back. Meet Valentino Barrone: tattooed kingpin, walking red flag, and now... my baby daddy. He says he's protecting me, but his eyes scream "mine" louder than any mob hit.

On a war torn Earth, the mighty Nova Alliance is the last defense against the treacherous Coalition. At the heart of this defense are the Engines–formidable, genetically enhanced soldiers. Under the command of the legendary Captain Akira Hayashi, the elite Shadow Squad has defended the frontlines for years. But just as victory seems imminent, the Coalition strikes hard, targeting the very sites meant to heal the wounded planet.

I thought it was a joke. Some pompous high-society game meant to play with the children of the elite. But then people started dying. Including the one who invited me to attend. Now I’m the one they all suspect. Because I have blood on my hands. Their blood.

"You're mine now, Sofia. To protect. To cherish. To punish." His whispered words sent shivers down my spine. One day, I'm a struggling single mom designing suits. The next, I'm claimed by New York's most ruthless mafia don. Angelo Pirelli Jr. steps in when a rival threatens everything I love. But his protection comes with a price I'm not sure I can pay. I try to resist. God, do I try. But Angelo's touch sets my world on fire. One reckless night changes everything. Now there's blood on my hands and a secret in my belly.

On a war torn Earth, the mighty Nova Alliance is the last defense against the treacherous Coalition. At the heart of this defense are the Engines—formidable, genetically enhanced soldiers. Under the command of the legendary Captain Akira Hayashi, the elite Shadow Squad has defended the frontlines for years. But just as victory seems imminent, the Coalition strikes hard, targeting the very sites meant to heal the wounded planet.

The necromantic armies are on the warpath and nowhere is safe—even the sanctuary of the flying dungeon has been threatened. The leadership of nearly all the sentient races has been wiped out, and only the people most suited to repelling the advancing darkness have an intact monarchy. Cal learns quickly that the primary threat is not the far-off war, but the actions of those entrusted with protecting the population. As it turns out, the idea of using a flying dungeon as a war machine is very tempting indeed.

When I pulled into Snow Tip Falls, there was nothing about it that made me want to stay. It’s a beautiful small town, but if you stop running, your problems have a way of catching up with you. However, when tragedy strikes, it’s hard not to help. And when the person needing help is a chiseled football player with brooding eyes, dimples, and an endless desire to protect me, I’m reminded of the other purpose of my trip, to have a one night stand that finally rids me of my gay v-card.

As sleepy as Buffalo Peak's been, legendary marshal, Elwood "Firestick" McQueen, and his deputies "Beartooth" Skinner and "Moosejaw" Hendricks never expected a couple of drifters to wake it up—by kidnapping two lovely ladies in town. Hardly the sharpest quills on a cactus, these dim drifters call it courtin'. Firestick doesn't see it that way. Now the woman snatchers are heading for West Texas with their reluctant brides-to-be—and unwittingly plunging trackers Firestick and Moosejaw headlong into a rescue.

Rule number one: Never steal from a mobster. Rule number two: If you break rule one, don't agree to be his fake wife. And the golden rule? Don't fall for the ruthless, irresistible mafia king who now calls you his. Because when you break all these rules, you're left with a shattered heart, a secret child, and years of hiding from the man who thinks you're buried six feet under. Self-preservation was never my strong suit. Marco Barrone wasn't just another mark. He was a predator in Armani, with eyes like winter steel and a smile that promised ruin. Dangerous. Magnetic. Lethal.

Chaiyal ""the Heretic"" North, former intergalactic heavyweight champ, flees the wrath of crimelord Gredok the Splithead by going to a place Gredok can't reach—the Reef. A frontier planetoid where citizens try to scratch a living from the rock, the Reef is a lawless land ruled by the strong and the vicious. For Chai, it's a hardscrabble life vastly removed from his former super-stardom. No more media, no more octagon, no more bright lights, and no more mods. When he hits rock bottom, he must carve out a new existence free from the weight of his past.

Gia I'm a monster, disguised as a princess. Only Lyot has seen pieces of what lurks beneath the circus prodigy, and some shadows are too dark for even my best friend to handle. Gale Shepard, on the other hand, is just my kind of nightmare . . . Lyot I'm in love with a beautiful monster. Just...