Best Selling Books by Paul S Kemp

When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their own ruthlessness to prevail. âeoeIt appears things are as you suspected, Lord Vader. We are indeed hunted.âe Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperorâe(tm)s chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Mastersâe"and the truest measure of Vaderâe(tm)s allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now. On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as âeoespice,âe an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resourcesâe"by political power or firepowerâe"and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done. For Syndulla and Isval, itâe(tm)s the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planetâe(tm)s surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries.

The devastating War of the Spider Queen comes to an end, giving birth to the greatest horror the Realms has ever known The Spider Queen lives again, but something is different—something her priestesses can hear in the winds, feel in their spirits, and see with their own eyes. The Demonweb Pits, removed from the Abyss to take its place among the lower planes, is more horrifying than anyone has ever imagined. Teeming with feral spiders bent on ripping each other to pieces—killing, eating, and killing again—the blasted landscape of Lolth’s personal hell is still forming. Quenthel Baenre, with the tattered remnants of her expedition continuing to plot against her, crosses that spider-infested killing ground in hopes of answering the call of her reborn goddess. If she can make it to Lolth’s side, can she even imagine what plans the Queen of the Demonweb Pits has had for her all along? Danifae Yauntyrr—a former battle-captive of House Melarn—has followed Quenthel into the Pits, but even the hellish conditions cannot distract her from her true mission: kill Halisstra Melarn. While Danifae contemplates vengenace, the very target of her burning hatred is not far behind, following her own hidden agenda. Halisstra holds the fabled Crescent Blade, a sword she believes will grant her the power to kill Lolth herself—but only if they find her before she fully completes her own mysterious resurrection.

The stunning conclusion to the Twilight War series starring beloved Forgotten Realms hero Erevis Cale The Archwizards of Shade have descended from their flying city with their sights set on the merchant realm of Sembia. They come in the guise of allies, but have invasion and empire as their ultimate aim. The fate of Sembia may be sealed, but Erevis Cale still has a shocking destiny that may end in his own destruction—if he’s lucky. Surrounded by enemies and a complex web of intrigue, Erevis must contend with his identity, his promises, and the immense responsibility that lies before him.

Surrounded by evil on all sides, Erevis Cale and his comrades continue their fight against the Shar in this second adventure in the Twilight War series The Archwizards of Shade Enclave have emerged from the desert with a message of peace and an act of war. Split by petty disputes and causeless feuds, the merchant realm of Sembia is wide open for invasion. With many Sembians more than happy to sell out to the Shadovar, can only one man do anything to stop it? Erevis Cale is more than willing to try, though he must make a deal with a devil along the way—a deal that will tear a friend’s soul in two but is key to preventing the realms from being torn asunder by the Shadowstorm.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . . When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their own ruthlessness to prevail. “It appears things are as you suspected, Lord Vader. We are indeed hunted.” Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor’s chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters—and the truest measure of Vader’s allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now. On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as “spice,” an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources—by political power or firepower—and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done. For Syndulla and Isval, it’s the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet’s surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries. Praise for Lords of the Sith “A compelling tale [that] gives us new insight into the relationship between Darth Vader and his master, Emperor Palpatine.”—New York Daily News “Endlessly fascinating . . . a tale [that is] not just compelling but completely thrilling.”—Big Shiny Robot “The best novel so far in this new era of official canon Star Wars stories.”—IGN “Packed with action . . . hard to put down.”—Seattle Geekly

For readers of Brent Weeks, Joe Abercrombie, Peter V. Brett, and Scott Lynch comes the first book in a fantastic, hilarious new sword-and-sorcery series that puts a clever new twist on the golden age of epic fantasy. Robbing tombs for fun and profit might not be a stable career, but Egil and Nix aren’t in it for the long-term prospects. Egil is the hammer-wielding warrior-priest of a discredited god. Nix is a roguish thief with just enough knowledge of magic to conjure up trouble. Together, they seek riches and renown, yet often find themselves enlisted in lost causes—generally against their will. So why should their big score be any different? The trouble starts when Nix and Egil kill the demonic guardian of a long-lost crypt, nullifying an ancient pact made by the ancestors of an obscenely powerful wizard. Now the wizard will stop at nothing to keep that power from slipping away, even if it means freeing a rapacious beast from its centuries-old prison. And who better than Egil and Nix—the ones responsible for his current predicament—to perform this thankless task? Praise for The Hammer and the Blade and Paul S. Kemp “A gripping tale [with] the feeling of a classic Dungeons & Dragons campaign.”—Publishers Weekly “Most heroes work up to killing demons. Egil and Nix start there and pick up the pace.”—Elaine Cunningham, author of the Thorn Trilogy “Kemp delivers sword and sorcery at its rollicking best, after the fashion of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.”—Library Journal

Tensions escalate between Erevis Cale and his rival-slash-accomplice, Drasek Riven, in a fierce battle of wills Lost on the mysterious Plane of Shadow, with no way home in sight, Erevis Cale and his band of comrades recover from their recent battle with the fearsome Slaadi—a species of monstrous and frog-like creatures. Meanwhile, Drasek Riven grows more calculating as Cale''s powers increase, and the rivals are locked together in a complicated power struggle—sometimes as enemies and sometimes as accomplices. As the duo makes their way to the infamous city of Skull Port and to the chaotic Skulls, a band of wizards tasked with patrolling the city, they will push their fraugt alliance to its furthest limits.

The second novel set in the Old Republic era and based on the massively multiplayer online game Star Wars®: The Old Republic™ ramps up the action and brings readers face-to-face for the first time with a Sith warrior to rival the most sinister of the Order’s Dark Lords—Darth Malgus, the mysterious, masked Sith of the wildly popular “Deceived” and “Hope” game trailers. Malgus brought down the Jedi Temple on Coruscant in a brutal assault that shocked the galaxy. But if war crowned him the darkest of Sith heroes, peace would transform him into something far more heinous—something Malgus would never want to be, but cannot stop, any more than he can stop the rogue Jedi fast approaching. Her name is Aryn Leneer—and the lone Knight that Malgus cut down in the fierce battle for the Jedi Temple was her Master. And now she’s going to find out what happened to him, even if it means breaking every rule in the book. Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

Newly dedicated to the Mask, an assassin-turned-butler returns to the shadowy lifestyle he once left behind Over one decade ago, the Night Knives placed spy Erevis Cale into the wealthy Uskevren household, tasking him with gathering intel that would tarnish the family''s name. But as Cale''s relationship with his employers deepened with time, he grew tired of serving two masters—and ultimately sided with Thamalon, the Uskevren patriarch. Now, Thamalon lies dead, and the sun has set on Cale’s service to the family. But just when his future seems more uncertain than ever, a letter arrives from a prominent figure from his past. By day’s end, Cale has dedicated himself to a new master—one who is beyond the petty accumulation of wealth. After all, what is gold to one who trades in souls?

Erevis Cale The loyal servant of the Uskevren family, has a terrible secret. Now, when a ruthless evil is unleashed on Selgaunt, the butler''s ties to the underworld may have put the Uskevren in jeopardy. Erevist must finally prove his loyalty -- to the city and to the Uskevren. He won''t get a second chance.

The heroic Mask agent takes to the high seas for the good of the Forgotten Realms in this final Erevis Cale adventure As shadows deepen in every corner of the realms, Erevis Cale rises further into the heights of his powers. But with such power comes a steep cost: the last of his humanity, which he feels slipping further and further away with each passing day. But destiny waits for no shade, and Cale is forever in motion to discover his—from his clashes with pirates and a monstrous kraken on the Inner Sea to his ever-complicated rivalry-slash-friendship with Riven. In the end, being chosen by a god like Mask may be more curse than blessing . . .

The son of shadow warrior Erevis Cale prepares to seek out his destiny in this compelling second installment of the Sundering series The shadow legacy of Erevis Cale lives on even as his old foe Mephistopheles seeks to stamp it out at any cost. Cale’s son, Vasen—unmoored in time by the god Mask—has thus far been shielded from the archdevil’s dark schemes, alone among the servants of the Lord of Light who have raised him since birth. Living in a remote abbey nestled among the Thunder Peaks of Sembia, Vasen is haunted by dreams of his father, trapped in the frozen hell of Cania. He knows the day will come when he must assume his role in the divine drama unfolding across Faerûn. But Vasen does not know what that role should be or whether he is ready to take it on. He only knows what his father tells him in dreams—that he must not fail. Enter Drasek Riven, a former compatriot of Erevis Cale, now near divine and haunted by dreams of his own. He, too, knows the time to act is near. Shar, the great goddess of darkness, looks to cast her shadow on the world forever. Riven has glimpsed the cycle of night she hopes to complete, and he knows she must be stopped. At the crossroads of divine intrigue and mortal destiny, unlikely heroes unite to thwart the powers of shadow and hell, and the sundering of worlds is set on its course.

For fans of Brent Weeks, Joe Abercrombie, Peter V. Brett, and Scott Lynch comes a fast-paced, hilarious new sword-and-sorcery series featuring two wise-cracking protagonists straight out of the golden age of epic fantasy. Once the most daring—some would say reckless—grave robbers around, Egil and Nix are now retired, having opened their own tavern with a side business as a brothel. The warrior-priest and the dashing rogue are done with adventuring. But is adventuring done with them? When two beautiful sisters run afoul of the notorious Thieves’ Guild, the semi-respectable entrepreneurs are called upon to defend their honor. And if they find an opportunity to enrich themselves along the way, no one could blame them. Soon they’re going toe-to-toe and hammer-to-skull with some of the deadliest cutthroats in town. There’s just one catch: The quest to settle this vendetta once and for all leads straight into the Blackalley, a ghostly byway that appears at random to suck unsuspecting passersby into its voracious maw. Only a fool or a madman would enter willingly. Luckily for Egil and Nix, they might just be both. Praise for the Egil and Nix novels “[Paul S.] Kemp delivers sword and sorcery at its rollicking best, after the fashion of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser.”—Library Journal “Egil and Nix might not be the safest guys to go adventuring with, but they’re sure good company.”—Ed Greenwood, bestselling creator of Forgotten Realms “Did I mention how much fun Egil and Nix are? So. Much. Damn. Fun.”—Tordotcom

When the Emperor and his notorious apprentice, Darth Vader, find themselves stranded in the middle of insurgent action on an inhospitable planet, they must rely on each other, the Force, and their own ruthlessness to prevail. “It appears things are as you suspected, Lord Vader. We are indeed hunted.” Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight, is just a memory. Darth Vader, newly anointed Sith Lord, is ascendant. The Emperor’s chosen apprentice has swiftly proven his loyalty to the dark side. Still, the history of the Sith Order is one of duplicity, betrayal, and acolytes violently usurping their Masters—and the truest measure of Vader’s allegiance has yet to be taken. Until now. On Ryloth, a planet crucial to the growing Empire as a source of slave labor and the narcotic known as “spice,” an aggressive resistance movement has arisen, led by Cham Syndulla, an idealistic freedom fighter, and Isval, a vengeful former slave. But Emperor Palpatine means to control the embattled world and its precious resources—by political power or firepower—and he will be neither intimidated nor denied. Accompanied by his merciless disciple, Darth Vader, he sets out on a rare personal mission to ensure his will is done. For Syndulla and Isval, it’s the opportunity to strike at the very heart of the ruthless dictatorship sweeping the galaxy. And for the Emperor and Darth Vader, Ryloth becomes more than just a matter of putting down an insurrection: When an ambush sends them crashing to the planet’s surface, where inhospitable terrain and an army of resistance fighters await them, they will find their relationship tested as never before. With only their lightsabers, the dark side of the Force, and each other to depend on, the two Sith must decide if the brutal bond they share will make them victorious allies or lethal adversaries.

A new trilogy starring Erevis Cale: On the edge of a war that will change the face of Faerûn, the world finds that not all shadows serve Shade Enclave In the wake of the battle, Erevis Cale and his companions—fellow Mask agent Drasek Riven and the half-human, half-demon Mags Kest—have settled into a more peaceful existence. But secretly, Cale is in turmoil. With his transformation into a shade nearly complete, he grasps at the last scraps of his physical humanity. More than ever, he is like the master that he serves. But soon, fresh dangers are afoot. The goddess Shar has made the first move in her ploy to incite the Shadowstorm, a prophesied event that will reshape Faerûn according to her and the Shades'' dark whims. As her agents sow the seeds of war throughout the realm, Erevis Cale and his companions—both old and new—must find a way to stop them in their tracks before the ancient Netheril empire can rise again.

Kemp delivers an original adventure of the good, the bad, and the unknown in the Star Wars galaxy, following on the events of the "New York Times" bestseller "Crosscurrent." Original.

Once an thief, then an assasin, Erevis Cale must now become a hero.