New Releases by Alex Irvine

A tale of heroism and exploit in the tradition of Robert E. Howard... Enter Remy, a quick-witted courier whose dangerous freight leads him into the vanguard of an ancient war between forces of light and the rising tide of shadows that threatens to overwhelm the burgeoning civilizations of the Two Rivers Gulf. The story opens with Remy alone and near death after an encounter with several stormclaw scorpions. His horse dead and poison sapping his strength, Remy collapses with his package at his side, undelivered. When he awakes, he is in the company of a band of adventurers who found him by the side of the road and nursed him back to health. Among them is a grim dragonborn paladin named Biri-Daar, whose wariness of the magical seals on Remy’s freight is outweighed by an overwhelming sense of duty to those in need. As they journey on, the nature of Remy’s package becomes a greater and greater curiosity. Soon the party, which has come to comprise some six-strong adventurers, finds itself to be the lynchpin that holds an army of netherworld forces at bay. Award-winning author and veteran shared-world writer Alex Irvine brings his unique characters and considerable storytelling talents to bear in the world of Dungeons & Dragons®.

THE ONLY HOPE AGAINST THE ULTIMATE DECEPTION In the clear blue skies above Long Island, two airplanes collide. Tony Stark watches the scene in horror and wishes he had the technology that is almost within his reach—a new hyperintelligent instant control system that could have given the aircraft advance warning. But Stark, an obsessive, increasingly troubled recluse, doesn’t know that his invention has been compromised. In fact, the collision was a carefully crafted hit on Madame Hydra, the final stage in Arnim Zola’s plan to seize control of HYDRA and get rid of Iron Man once and for all. The cunning adversary has already infiltrated Stark Industries security to develop a version of the instant control mechanism that will take over the armored suit and turn it against Stark and S.H.I.E.L.D. While Tony races to track down the source of the intrusion, Zola unleashes direly ingenious computer viruses and the ultimate secret weapon: a murderous clone army based on Stark’s most trusted friend. A puppet master of self-replicating terror, Zola is plunging a city into a war that threatens to consume all in its wake.

Sam and Dean Winchester know all the secrets their father recorded in his journal. Now you can, too. On November 2, 1983, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a demonic supernatural force. In the wake of the tragedy, their father, John, set out to learn everything he could about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America . . . and how to kill it. In his personal journal, he not only compiled folklore, legend, and superstition about all manner of otherworldly enemies but he also recorded his experiences—hunting the creature that killed his wife even as he raised his two sons. Part prequel, part resource guide, John Winchester''s Journal finally gives fans the ultimate companion book for Supernatural. It''s all here: the exorcism Sam and Dean used in "Phantom Traveler," John''s notes on everything from shape-shifters to Samuel Colt, Dean''s first hunt, Sam''s peewee soccer team . . . and John''s single-minded pursuit of a growing and deadly evil.

From acclaimed author Alexander C. Irvine comes a gritty near-future thriller in the paranoid, prophetic vein of Philip K. Dick and Richard K. Morgan. One hundred years from now, with Americans hooked into an Internet far more expansive and intrusive than today’s, the world has become a seamless market-driven experience. In this culture of capitalism run amok, entrepreneurs and politicians faced with rampant overcrowding in the nation’s penal system turn to a controversial new method of cutting costs: life-term buyouts. In theory, buyouts offer convicted murderers the chance to atone for their crimes by voluntarily allowing themselves to be put to death by the state in exchange for a one-time cash payment, shared among their heirs and victims, based on a percentage of what it would have cost taxpayers to house and feed them for the rest of their natural lives. It’s a win-win situation. At least that’s what Martin Kindred believes. And Martin is a man who desperately needs something to believe in, especially with his marriage coming apart and the murder of his brother, an L.A. cop brutally gunned down in the line of duty, unsolved. As the public face of the buyout program, Martin is a lightning rod for verbal and physical abuse–but he embraces every challenge, knowing his motives are pure. But when evidence comes to light that a felon in line for a buyout may have been involved with his brother’s death, Martin’s professional detachment threatens to turn into a personal vendetta that will jeopardize everything–and everyone–he holds dear. Inspired by today’s politics, Buyout is an unforgettable look at an all-too-believable future . . . and one man’s struggle to do the right thing.

Twenty-three years ago, Sam and Dean Winchester lost their mother to a demonic supernatural force. Following the tragedy, their father, John, set out to teach his boys everything about the paranormal evil that lives in the dark corners and on the back roads of America . . . and how to kill it. Fans of the blockbuster television phenomenon can rejoice! A one-of-a-kind compilation of all of Sam and Dean''s demon-busting knowledge, The Supernatural Book of Monsters, Spirits, Demons, and Ghouls contains illustrations and detailed descriptions that catalogue the more than two dozen otherworldly enemies that most people believe exist only in folklore, superstition, and nightmares:vampires, ghosts, revenants, reapers, and even bloody clowns. You''ll find within these pages Sam and Dean''s notes, observations, and memories interwoven with sections of John Winchester''s invaluable journal, making this book the perfect companion to every thrilling episode—and an essential weapon in the secret war against the hidden creatures of the darkness!

Gotham''s never been so scorching, the Joker''s never been more despicable, and Batman'' s never been in such grave danger. With more than thirty fires raging out of control across the city, Gotham is indeed a hell on earth. But torching the population is small potatoes for the arsonist extraordinaire known as Enfer. The pyromaniac''s mad masterpiece is Arkham Asylum, blazing like a Roman candle and engineered to provide the perfect escape for Arkham''s most infamous inmate, the Joker. But the dire situation goes from bad to beyond monstrous when the archvillain''s path to freedom leads directly to the Dark Knight''s cave. The Joker believes in striking while the iron is hot . . . and now it''s never been hotter. After all, the diabolical villain has devised the ultimate joke: launch the mother of all crime waves, masquerading as the Caped Crusader himself! With Gotham erupting in flames and its #1 crime fighter fast becoming its #1 enemy, the burning question is: Who''s going to get the last laugh?

From award-winning author Alexander C. Irvine comes a compelling, fantastical riff on history and World War II. Spared fighting in Europe because of a bum hand, Jared wishes he could join the cause, instead of mindlessly sifting clay to be made into golems. But there is something that preys on his dreams: the devilish dwarf known as the Nain Rouge. In his youth, Jared once actually saw the Dwarf—a chilling creature that shows itself to individuals just before their demise. Now the Nain Rouge appears to be coming back for Jared himself. Many have a profound interest in Jared’s childhood run-in with the Dwarf—including a German spy, Jared’s hateful foreman at the golem factory, and a shape-shifting Indian shaman. But what could a simple man who earns a meager living possibly have to do with espionage and dark deeds? While Jared toils invisibly in the bowels of Henry Ford’s plant, the answer is about to reveal itself in a cataclysm of mythic and sinister proportions.

The story says that one day a Fisher King will rise to heal the land. In the 1950s, they’re still waiting. . . . “A captivating historical thriller, a great spine-tingling romp through history in search of the Holy Grail. Fans of The Da Vinci Code will love this!”—Kevin Baker, author of Dreamland and Paradise Alley At the turn of the twentieth century, a baseball player named George Gibson embarks upon a mystical journey to the Congo. His mission: to shepherd a powerful relic to its home in Abyssinia. But poet-turned-grail seeker Arthur Rimbaud is after what Gibson possesses—as others before him have been for millennia. A half century later, after receiving an honorable discharge from the Korean War, twenty-year-old Lance Porter vows to put his civilian life back together—which means heading to commie-infested Berkeley to see his high school sweetheart, Ellie. But after Lance gets cold feet, he encounters instead a drunk, gay poet named Jack Spicer, who spews crazy stories about Lance being the Fisher King. It appears that the bearing of the grail has been bequeathed to young Lance, much to his shock and disbelief. Can a legacy born in the deserts of Ethiopia truly be reemerging in the bohemian bars of New York City and San Francisco? And is a vet with a lost soul really worthy of its care? Alexander C. Irvine has breathed a refreshing burst of air into the Arthurian legend. In One King, One Soldier, ancient characters and Irvine’s pitch-perfect historical accuracy merge with a gritty, dark portrait of America in the cold-war ’50s. Here, three stories come brilliantly together in an edgy mix of baseball, imperialism, poetry, and grail mythology.