New Releases by Jacqueline Carey

NAAMAH’S KISS Raised in the wilderness by her reclusive mother, it isn''t until she comes of age that Moirin learns how illustrious, if mixed, her heritage is. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses gifts - the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow. After Moirin undergoes the rites of adulthood, she finds divine acceptance...on the condition that she fulfill an unknown destiny that lies somewhere beyond the ocean. Or perhaps oceans. Moirin''s skills are a true gift when facing the vengeful plans of an ambitious mage, a noble warrior princess desperate to save her father''s throne, and the spirit of a celestial dragon. NAAMAH’S CURSE Far from the land of her birth, Moirin sets out across Tatar territory to find Bao, the proud and virile Ch''in fighter who holds the missing half of her diadh-anam, the divine soul-spark of her mother''s people. After a long ordeal, she not only succeeds, but surrenders to a passion the likes of which she''s never known. But the lovers'' happiness is short lived, for Bao is entangled in a complication that soon leads to their betrayal. NAAMAH’S BLESSING Returning to Terre d''Ange, Moirin finds the royal family broken. Wracked by unrelenting grief at the loss of his wife, Queen Jehanne, King Daniel is unable to rule. Three-year-old Desirée is a vision of her mother and a vulnerable pawn in a game of shifting political allegiances. As tensions mount, King Daniel asks that Moirin become Desirée''s oath-sworn protector. Navigating the intricate political landscape of the Court proves a difficult challenge, and when dire news arrives from overseas, the spirit of Queen Jehanne visits Moirin in a dream and bids her undertake an impossible quest. While also being haunted by her manipulative former lover, Moirin must bear the costs of her mistakes.

KUSHIEL''S SCION Stolen, tortured and enslaved as a young boy, Imriel is now a Prince of the Blood; third in line for the throne in a land that revels in art, beauty and desire. It is a court steeped in deeply laid conspiracies---and there are many who would see the young prince dead. Some despise him out of hatred for his mother, Melisande, who nearly destroyed the entire realm in her quest for power. Others because they fear he has inherited his mother''s irresistible allure---and her dangerous gifts. As he comes of age, plagued by unwanted desires, Imriel shares their fears. The Prince must face his greatest test: to find his true self. KUSHIEL''S JUSTICE After a year abroad to study at university, Imriel returns from his adventures a little older and somewhat wiser. But perhaps not wise enough. What was once a mere spark of interest between himself and his cousin Sidonie now ignites into a white-hot blaze. But from commoner to peer, the whole realm would recoil from any alliance between Sidonie, heir to the throne, and Imriel, who bears the stigma of his mother''s misdeeds and betrayals. Praying that their passion will peak and fade, Imriel and Sidonie embark on an intense, secret affair. When duty calls, Imriel honors his role as a member of the royal family by leaving to marry a lovely, if merely sweet, Alban princess. KUSHIEL''S MERCY Having paid dearly for ignoring Elua''s edict to love as thou wilt, Imriel and Sidonie have finally come forward to publicly confess their love for each other -- only to watch the news ignite turmoil throughout the land. Those who are old enough cannot forget the misdeeds of Imriel''s mother, Melisande, whose self-serving lies plunged their country into war. In order to quell the uprising, Queen Ysandre hands down a decree: she will not divide the lovers, but neither will she acknowledge them. And if they decide to marry, Sidonie will be disinherited. That is, unless Imriel can find his mother and bring her back to Terre D''Ange to be executed for treason.

A USA Today bestseller! The lush epic fantasy that inspired a generation with a single precept: “Love As Thou Wilt." Returning to the realm of Terre d’Ange which captured an entire generation of fantasy readers, New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Carey brings us a hero’s journey for a new era. In Kushiel’s Dart, a daring young courtesan uncovered a plot to destroy her beloved homeland. But hers is only half the tale. Now see the other half of the heart that lived it. Cassiel’s Servant is a retelling of cult favorite Kushiel’s Dart from the point of view of Joscelin, Cassiline warrior-priest and protector of Phèdre nó Delaunay. He’s sworn to celibacy and the blade as surely as she’s pledged to pleasure, but the gods they serve have bound them together. When both are betrayed, they must rely on each other to survive. From his earliest training to captivity amongst their enemies, his journey with Phèdre to avert the conquest of Terre D’Ange shatters body and mind... and brings him an impossible love that he will do anything to keep. Even if it means breaking all vows and losing his soul. “Decadent and dark, Cassiel’s Servant reveals the secrets of the mysterious Cassiline brotherhood. In this gorgeously realized novel, Carey returns to the world of Terre d’Ange and offers us a new and dazzling perspective on a character we thought we knew.”—Nghi Vo, author of The Chosen and the Beautiful and Siren Queen Kushiel''s Legacy #1 Kushiel''s Dart #2 Kushiel''s Chosen #3 Kushiel''s Avatar Standalones Miranda and Caliban Starless The Sundering #1 Banewreaker #2 Godslayer At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Kushiel’s Chosen by Jacqueline Carey is a sweeping fantasy of romance, luxuriance and intrigue – perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout. Phèdre has been trained as a skilled spy, courtesan and strategist under her tutor’s watchful eye. He was the first to see she’d been touched by the god Kushiel’s dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. And above all, Phèdre was taught to observe, remember and analyse – skills that may yet save her life. Once before, Phèdre gave up everything she held dear to save her homeland, but the gods still cast a shadow over her. For while their young queen is well-loved by her people, there are some who believe other heads should wear the crown. It seems factions who previously escaped the wrath of the mighty are not yet done with schemes for power and revenge. To protect and serve, Phèdre must once again leave her beloved homeland. She will meet old friends and new enemies . . . and uncover an earth-shattering plot masterminded by the one person she cannot deny. Start the journey with Kushiel’s Dart, and finish with Kushiel’s Avatar.

The triumphant conclusion to this trilogy, Kushiel’s Avatar by Jacqueline Carey is a sumptuous fantasy of defiance and redemption – perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout. Phèdre nó Delaunay is a woman touched by Kushiel’s dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. Her path has been a strange and dangerous one, and through it all the devoted swordsman Joscelin has been at her side. Her very nature is torturous for them both, but he is sworn to her and he has never forsaken his vow: to protect and serve. Now Phèdre’s plans will put his pledge to the ultimate test. For she hasn’t forgotten her childhood friend Hyacinthe, and has spent ten long years searching for the key to free him from eternal indenture. But this is a bargain he struck with the gods themselves – to take Phèdre’s place as a sacrifice and save a nation. However, Phèdre cannot forgive herself or the gods. She is determined to seize one last hope to redeem her friend, even if it means her death. The search will take Phèdre and Joscelin to the far side of the world, to distant courts where madness reigns and souls are currency. At the end of the their journey, they’ll find a power so mighty that none dare speak its name. Start the journey with Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey.

Winner of the Locus Award for Best First Novel. Kushiel’s Dart is an intoxicating fantasy of intrigue, betrayal and desire – perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout. Phèdre nó Delaunay has a turbulent path before her, one that will touch the lives of queens, princes and nobility. It will change the course of her land, but this all lies ahead . . . After a childhood of indentured servitude, Phèdre’s bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with a very particular mission. He’s also the first to recognize who and what she is: one touched by the god Kushiel’s dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. As talented a spy as she is a courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Her journey will take her to the edge of despair and beyond, as false friends, loving enemies and beloved assassins can all wear the same glittering mask. Navigating a world of deadly courtiers, heroic traitors and a truly Machiavellian villainess, Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear. Continue the journey with Kushiel’s Chosen by Jacqueline Carey.

Following the triumphant success of her Kushiel series (Kushiel''s Dart, Kushiel''s Chosen, Kushiel''s Avatar), Jacqueline Carey now turns her hand to another startling fable, an epic tale of gods waging war in their bid to control an entire universe and the mortals they use as chess pieces in a most deadly game.

Jacqueline Carey is back with an amazing adventure not seen since her New York Times bestselling Kushiel''s Legacy series. Lush and sensual, Starless introduces us to an epic world where exiled gods live among us, and a hero whose journey will resonate long after the last page is turned. I was nine years old the first time I tried to kill a man... Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him. In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity...but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction. If Khai is to keep his soul’s twin Zariya alive, their only hope lies with an unlikely crew of prophecy-seekers on a journey that will take them farther beneath the starless skies than anyone can imagine. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Apex Magazine is a monthly science fiction, fantasy, and horror magazine featuring original, mind-bending short fiction from many of the top pros of the field. New issues are released on the first Tuesday of every month. EDITORIAL Words from the Editor-in-Chief-Jason Sizemore FICTION Suzie Q - Jacqueline Carey Three Meetings of the Pregnant Man Support Group - James Beamon A Different Kind of Place - Tobias S. Buckell Close Your Eyes (Excerpt) - Paul Jessup NONFICTION Interview with James Beamon - Andrea Johnson Interview with Cover Artist Sin and May - Russell Dickerson Mindy St. Claire and the Male Gaze (Or Lack Thereof) - Mur Lafferty Countdown to Close Your Eyes - Paul Jessup COLUMNS Between the Lines with Laura Zats and Erik Hane Page Advice with Mallory O''Meara and Brea Grant

Tor Books'' Fearless Women Sampler presents seven excerpts from groundbreaking novels written by some of the brightest female voices and New York Times bestselling authors in science fiction and fantasy. Featuring excerpts from: Robyn Bennis''s By Fire Above: A Signal Airship Novel Jacqueline Carey''s Starless Tessa Gratton''s The Queens of Innis Lear Sam Hawke''s City of Lies: A Poison War Novel Sherrilyn Kenyon''s Death Doesn''t Bargain: A Deadman''s Cross Novel Mary Robinette Kowal''s The Calculating Stars: A Lady Astronaut Novel and V. E. Schwab''s Vicious: Villains (Volume 1) At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The dutiful and tenderhearted Miranda loves her father but is terribly lonely. She finds solace and companionship with Caliban, the strange and feral boy Prospero has bewitched to serve him. As Prospero weaves his magic and dreams of revenge, Miranda and Caliban battle the dark, unknowable forces that bind them to the island even as the pangs of adolescence create a new awareness of each other and their doomed relationship.

This discounted ebundle of the Kushiel''s Legacy includes: Kushiel’s Dart, Kushiel’s Chosen, Kushiel’s Avatar The first trilogy in Jacqueline Carey''s sprawling—and darkly sensual—New York Times bestselling series. The land of Terre d''Ange is a place of unsurpassed beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt. Set in a world of cunning poets, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and a truly Machiavellian villainess, this is a tale of grandeur, luxuriance, sacrifice, betrayal, and deeply laid conspiracies. Kushiel’s Dart — Phèdre nó Delaunay is sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with a very special mission...and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel''s Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one. Kushiel’s Chosen — The hands of the gods weigh heavily upon Phèdre''s brow, and they are not finished with her. While the young queen who sits upon the throne is well loved by the people, there are those who believe another should wear the crown... Kushiel’s Avatar — Phèdre and Joscelin journey on a dangerous path that will carry them to fabled courts and splendid vistas, to distant lands where madness reigns and souls are currency, and down a fabled river to a land forgotten by most of the world. And to a power so mighty that none dare speak its name. Kushiel''s Legacy Kushiel''s Dart Kushiel''s Chosen Kushiel''s Avatar The Sundering Banewreaker Godslayer Other books Miranda and Caliban At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

"Original stories by Jacqueline Carey, Kevin Hearne, Laura Bickle, Aliette de Bodard"--Jacket.

And that hot-as-Hel series with the “Sookie Stackhouse type of vibe” (Paranormal Horizon) is back—but this time the paranormal Midwestern town of Pemkowet is feeling a frost in the air and the residents are frozen in fear.... The Pemkowet Visitors Bureau has always promoted paranormal tourism—even if it has downplayed the risks (hobgoblins are unpredictable). It helps that the town is presided over by Daisy Johanssen, who as Hel’s liaison is authorized by the Norse goddess of the dead to keep Pemkowet under control. Normally, that’s easier to do in the winter, when bracing temperatures keep folks indoors. But a new predator is on the prowl, and this one thrives on nightmares. Daisy is on her trail and working intimately with her partner and sometime lover from the Pemkowet PD, sexy yet unavailable werewolf Cody Fairfax. But even as the creature is racking up innocent victims, a greater danger looms on Pewkowet’s horizon. As a result of a recent ghost uprising, an unknown adversary—represented by a hell-spawn lawyer with fiery powers of persuasion—has instigated a lawsuit against the town. If Pemkowet loses, Hel’s sovereignty will be jeopardized, and the fate of the eldritch community will be at stake. The only one who can prevent it is Daisy—but she’s going to have to confront her own worst nightmare to do it.

Fathered by an incubus, raised by a mortal mother, and liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, Daisy Johanssen pulled the community together after a summer tragedy befell the resort town she calls home. Things are back to normal—as normal as it gets for a town famous for its supernatural tourism and presided over by the reclusive Norse goddess Hel. Not only has Daisy now gained respect as Hel’s enforcer; she’s dating Sinclair Palmer, a nice, seemingly normal human guy. Not too shabby for the daughter of a demon. Unfortunately, Sinclair has a secret. And it’s a big one. He’s descended from obeah sorcerers, and they want him back. If he doesn’t return to Jamaica to take up his rightful role in the family, they’ll unleash spirit magic that could have dire consequences for the town. It’s Daisy’s job to stop it, and she’s going to need a lot of help. But time is running out, the dead are growing restless, and one mistake could cost Daisy everything.…

THE FIRST AGENT OF HEL NOVEL! “Jacqueline Carey proves her versatility with this compelling and delightful piece of urban fantasy.”—#1 New York Times Bestselling Author Charlaine Harris The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse population: eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload—not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres, and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess. To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, it’s home. And as Hel’s enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, it’s up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly. But when a young man from a nearby college drowns—and signs point to eldritch involvement—the town’s booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake. Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crime—and keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature. For if she’s ever tempted to invoke her demonic birthright, it could accidentally unleash nothing less than Armageddon.

Featuring five deliciously romantic stories set in historical and high fantasy worlds, this exclusive eBook set is the perfect gift for any romance reader. Featuring stories by Jo Beverley, Cecelia Holland, Robin Hobb, Jacqueline Carey, and Tanith Lee, this collection of five wonderful romantic stories from five wickedly creative authors includes beautiful maids and clever minstrels, orphans destined for greatness and spies thirsting for revenge, and a pair of lovers who must struggle against the forces of magic and fate. Originally published in the anthology Songs of Love and Death (edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois), these compelling stories are specially packaged in one eBook set at a great price.

From Grey''s Anatomy 101: Seattle Grace, Unauthorized: Jacqueline Carey explores the presence of sex in Grey''s Anatomy and how it informs character interactions in a way that is refreshingly realistic.

Imriel, is third in line to the throne and a troubled scion of a dangerous bloodline. In an effort to unite two lands he has been betrothed to Dorelei, an Alban princess, so he may beget future rulers of Alba. Yet he cannot escape the illicit and dark passion he feels for Sidonie, queen-in-waiting of his homeland - and this will be used against him. When Dorelei and her unborn son are betrayed and he is badly wounded, Imriel finds himself torn between his vow to avenge his wife and child and his desire to seek solace in Sidonie''s arms. This is a battle Alba''s elders would see him loose, even if they must employ sinister forces to accomplish their ends. And treason and magic make murderous bedfellows.

Sidonie, heir to the throne, and Imriel, son of a traitor, have confessed their dangerous union. But their love has caused political uproar: Imriel''s infamous mother plunged Terre d''Ange into a bloody war and her crimes will not be lightly forgiven. If the couple weds, Sidonie will be disinherited. A union will only be permitted if Imriel finds the mother he has never known and returns her to Court for execution. But newer evils take precedence when a visiting diplomat casts a dark enchantment over the d''Angeline Court. The sorcerer returns home with Sidonie in his thrall, and falsely-won pledges of support in a foreign war. Imriel must evade bewitched friends and work with erstwhile enemies to rescue Sidonie and pull the country back from the brink of conflict. And no one but him remembers their forbidden romance.

I was afraid of the dark tide that stirred in me. I did not want any part of my mother''s blood. And yet it called to me.'' Imriel de la Courcel, third in line to the throne, was enslaved and tortured as a boy, leaving him scarred and wary of his future. Son of a traitor, Imriel fears the dangerous passions of his bloodline - and his potential for destruction. His beloved stepmother, exotic and lovely, has trained him in the arts of covertcy - espionage skills that will either serve his country well, or draw him into a web of corruption and treachery. Imriel will need all of these resources as he travels, incognito, to escape the demands of court and family ... What he discovers is not freedom, but a city at war, and a political game so deep that he may never escape its net.

Post-apocalyptic scifi meets urban fantasy in Jacqueline Carey''s sequel to Santa Olivia as two girls fight to stay together and change the world. After their escape from military custody, Loup Garron and her girlfriend Pilar have a chance to reinvent their lives thousands of miles away from the forgotten and disenfranchised Texas border town and military zone of Santa Olivia. Thanks to Loup''s genetically engineered gifts of strength, speed, and an innate fearlessness, as well as Pilar''s unexpected skill with a pistol, they find new careers as high-priced bodyguards for a world famous British rock band. Back in the States, an investigation into the existence of Santa Olivia, also known as Outpost 12, begins in Washington, D.C. When the key witness with evidence to expose the military cover-up, their old comrade Miguel, vanishes, the case seems lost. The abandoned citizens of Santa Olivia need a champion, a voice raised on their behalf, which pushes Loup and Pilar into a hard choice. If Loup returns to U.S. soil, she''ll be an outlaw. If she''s caught, she''ll be taken into custody again; and this time, there may be no escape. But if she and Pilar don''t fight for the freedom of those they left behind, no one will.

Returning to Terre d''Ange, Moirin finds the royal family broken. Wracked by unrelenting grief at the loss of his wife, Queen Jehanne, King Daniel is unable to rule. Prince Thierry, leading an expedition to explore the deadly jungles of Terra Nova, is halfway across the world. And three year old Desirée is a vision of her mother: tempestuous, intelligent, and fiery, but desperately lonely, and a vulnerable pawn in a game of shifting political allegiances. As tensions mount, King Daniel asks that Moirin become Desirée''s oath-sworn protector. Navigating the intricate political landscape of the Court proves a difficult challenge, and when dire news arrives from overseas, the spirit of Queen Jehanne visits Moirin in a dream and bids her undertake an impossible quest. Another specter from the past also haunts Moirin. Travelling with Thierry in the New World is Raphael de Mereliot, her manipulative former lover. Years ago, Raphael forced her to help him summon fallen angels in the hopes of acquiring mystical gifts and knowledge. It was a disastrous effort that nearly killed them, and Moirin must finally bear the costs of those bitter mistakes.

Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of the Kushiel''s Legacy series, delivers book two in her new lushly imagined trilogy featuring daughter of Alba, Moirin. Far from the land of her birth, Moirin sets out across Tatar territory to find Bao, the proud and virile Ch''in fighter who holds the missing half of her diadh-anam, the divine soul-spark of her mother''s people. After a long ordeal, she not only succeeds, but surrenders to a passion the likes of which she''s never known. But the lovers'' happiness is short lived, for Bao is entangled in a complication that soon leads to their betrayal.

With her perfect life in ruins after her husband, Frank, is arrested for accounting fraud, landscape designer and mystery novel enthusiast Pat Foy joins forces with two old friends, both mystery novelists, to help her make it up to victims of the crime.

The great granddaughter of Alais the Wise, child of the Maghuin Donn, and a cousin of the Cruarch of Alba, Moirin learns her father was a D''Angeline priest dedicated to serving Naamah, goddess of desire. Once there were great magicians born to the Maghuin Dhonn; the folk of the Brown Bear, the oldest tribe in Alba. But generations ago, the greatest of them all broke a sacred oath sworn in the name of all his people. Now, only small gifts remain to them. Through her lineage, Moirin possesses such gifts - the ability to summon the twilight and conceal herself, and the skill to coax plants to grow. Moirin has a secret, too. From childhood onward, she senses the presence of unfamiliar gods in her life; the bright lady, and the man with a seedling cupped in his palm. Raised in the wilderness by her reclusive mother, it isn''t until she comes of age that Moirin learns how illustrious, if mixed, her heritage is. After Moirin undergoes the rites of adulthood, she finds divine acceptance...on the condition that she fulfill an unknown destiny that lies somewhere beyond the ocean. Or perhaps oceans. Beyond Terre d''Ange where she finds her father, in the far reaches of distant Ch''in, Moirin''s skills are a true gift when facing the vengeful plans of an ambitious mage, a noble warrior princess desperate to save her father''s throne, and the spirit of a celestial dragon.

Lushly written with rich and vivid characters, Santa Olivia is Jacqueline Carey''s take on comic book superheroes and the classic werewolf myth. Loup Garron was born and raised in Santa Olivia, an isolated, disenfranchised town next to a US military base inside a DMZ buffer zone between Texas and Mexico. A fugitive "Wolf-Man" who had a love affair with a local woman, Loup''s father was one of a group of men genetically-manipulated and used by the US government as a weapon. The "Wolf-Men" were engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, sensory capability, stamina, and a total lack of fear, and Loup, named for and sharing her father''s wolf-like qualities, is marked as an outsider. After her mother dies, Loup goes to live among the misfit orphans at the parish church, where they seethe from the injustices visited upon the locals by the soldiers. Eventually, the orphans find an outlet for their frustrations: They form a vigilante group to support Loup Garron who, costumed as their patron saint, Santa Olivia, uses her special abilities to avenge the town. Aware that she could lose her freedom, and possibly her life, Loup is determined to fight to redress the wrongs her community has suffered. And like the reincarnation of their patron saint, she will bring hope to all of Santa Olivia.

Bridget, Jean, and Sunny Crossley grow up in modest circumstances on Long Island, and all end up in the New York City of the 1980s. Free spirit Bridget, the oldest, is a well-traveled, sometime massage therapist in the East Village. Outspoken Jean is a corporate headhunter in double-breasted power suits who lives in a gleaming Upper East Side tower. Harvard-educated Sunny, the youngest and sweetest sister, drifts from eligible boyfriend to eligible boyfriend until she falls for a Harlem real estate developer and starts a family. When Bridget dies unexpectedly during what should have been a routine operation, she leaves behind a ten-month-old girl named Jade. The big question becomes: Who should take the baby? The obvious and expert Sunny, or the never-at-home career woman Jean? The answer is, of course, more complicated than either sister could have anticipated.

A decade of peace has passed in Terre D''Ange, the country founded by the god Elua. Since the world''s most famous courtesan saved her queen from assassination, Phèdre n? Delauny has been enjoying a quiet life until a prophetic dream calls upon her to serve her gods one last time. But what they ask may be too painful for even an anguissettte to bear. When the young son of the traitor Melisande Shahrizai—Imriel de la Courcel, who stands third in line for the crown—is kidnapped, Phèdre enters an uneasy bargain to find the boy in exchange for the information that will free her beloved childhood friend Hyacinthe from his eternal imprisonment as the new Master of the Straits. When it becomes clear that Imriel''s disappearance is part of a larger, far darker scheme, Phèdre knows it is her sacred duty to end it. At her side is her loving consort Josselin, who will also risk losing himself in Phèdre’s gamble to rescue Imriel and save her country from a spreading darkness. And beyond her doubt, her fear, dangles the promise of a holy mystery so great that it could transform Phèdre into justice incarnate... or consume her in the flames of her own passion. All of Phèdre’s journeys have led here, to the grandest of conclusions in an epic tale of fantasy, adventure, and, above all, love. Kushiel''s Avatar is the stunning conclusion to Jacqueline Carey''s epic trilogy. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Mythology and magic come alive in this collection of Irish fantasy stories by some of today''s finest authors. Ireland is a nation that holds fast to its history and heritage, and nowhere is that more true than in its folktales and legends. From the great Celtic myths featuring the bard Taliesin, the terrible Morrigan, the heroic Cuchulain, or the noble and cunning Sidhe to strange and mysterious tales of today, the stories and traditions of the Emerald Isle hold a strong attraction for many. Stories are told in cottage hearths from Galway to Dublin, and from the windblown rocky Cliffs of Mohr to the seaside villages where fishing boats still roam the oceans. Tall tales and town stories are as much a way of life as a pint and good conversation at the local pub. Emerald Magic brings together today''s best fantasy authors to explore the myths of the Irish, telling their own versions of these ancient tales of luck, love, and honor, or drawing upon centuries of Irish myths and folktales and updating them into brand-new stories. Edited and with an introduction by bestselling author Father Andrew M. Greeley, Emerald Magic contains fourteen wonderful stories of legend and lore, including: "A Woman Is a Fast Moving Picnic" by Ray Bradbury. A group of pub regulars set out to discover the truth behind a local song and answer that age-old question: Just how fast does a person sink in a bog? "The Isle of Women" by Jacqueline Carey. In an age long ago, a warrior sailing for vengeance happens upon an island ruled by a woman like no other. But if he is to continue his quest, he must choose between her and his duty. "Speir-Bhan" by Tanith Lee. A woman who finds and reads her grandfather''s diary unleashes the specter of an old debt that, even in today''s modern age, must be paid---one way or the other. "A Drop of Something Special in the Blood" by Fred Saberhagen. In the late eighteenth century, an Irish author encounters a being that he will turn into his greatest literary creation. "The Cat with No Name" by Morgan Llywelyn. A lonely girl neglected by her parents finds an unexpected friend in the alley behind her home---one that may be more than it first seems. "The Butter-Spirit''s Tithe" by Charles de Lint. Even in twenty-first-century America, it is still not wise to anger the spirits of the world, as a young musician discovers when a butter-spirit who had cursed him nine years earlier comes to claim his soul. "Land of Heart''s Desire" by Elizabeth Haydon. A young man discovers the magical truth about his parents'' marriage, and sets a chain of events in motion that will force him to choose between the life he has always known---and another life he could have. "The Swan Pilot" by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. In the far future, spaceship pilots travel through interdimensional portals from planet to planet---and the only thing more important than knowing how to fly is knowing how to handle the strange hallucinations that appear during the journey. Filled with the spirit and magic of the stories of Ireland, Emerald Magic is a collection of fantasy stories that will delight and captivate from the first page to the last. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.