New Releases by Sherwood Smith

First written when Sherwood Smith was a teen, the series called CJ's Notebooks feature a gang of girls around thirteen-year-old Queen Clair of Mearsies Heili. The M girls, as they come to be known, prefer their villains silly, their throwing pies gloppy, and their adventures fun. But villains don't ask first if the girls want to be dragged into dangerous escapades, so they've had more than their share. Sometimes they are not the center of the dangerous escapades. Hunt Across Worlds, a prelude to Fleeing Peace, is about two kids from Earth who discover a boy from another world being kept prisoner. When they rescue him, they end up having to cross the USA before being blasted by magic to Mearsies Heili, where they meet a sailor girl who's been stuck in charge of a Mysterious Magical Object. CJ and the gang try to come to the rescue, discovering that being on the edge of someone else's story can sometimes lead to bigger adventures.

First written when Sherwood Smith was a teen, the series called CJ's Notebooks feature a gang of girls around thirteen-year-old Queen Clair of Mearsies Heili. The M girls, as they come to be known, prefer their villains silly, their throwing pies gloppy, and their adventures fun. But villains don't ask first if the girls want to be dragged into dangerous escapades, so they've had more than their share. In this third notebook, the M girls indulge in storytelling between adventures with some new and old friends (and enemies). Plus, there will always be sinister encounters with the Chwahir, particularly when Clair and Jilo meet face to face at last. And then there is the girls' favorite, the "Great Pie Fight!" This is the last of the home adventures before they get dragged into world affairs . . .

When the evil Andreus's hunger for power leads to war, Wren and her friends are thrust into the middle of the struggle. Teressa is heir to the throne, Tyron her chief magicmaker, and Prince Connor a reluctant warrior. As allies die and others disappear, they must put aside their feelings for one another if they are to defeat the sorcerous Andreus. They know they need magic to save them. Can they turn the bloody tide?NY Public Library Best Books for Teen Age List, 1995; Finalist for Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, 1995. Anne Spencer Lindbergh Honor Book, 1996.

The first summer of peace brings Wren on her weekly visit to the young Queen Teressa, where she encounters the derisive, upsetting Hawk Rhiscarlan riding in! Wren races to warn Teressa, which causes the girls' first argument. Tyron gives Wren a chance to leave Meldreth by sending her on a new journeymage project - to find Connor, who had wandered off to the Summer Isles. When Wren vanishes, Teressa veers between regret over the argument, worry about Wren, and the beguilement of attraction as Hawk skillfully upsets her court. When pirates attack, Wren faces the villain she hates most, aided by the boy she... what do you call these feelings? Once again the four - Wren, Teressa, Connor, and Tyron - find themselves deep in adventure, as they try to navigate the treacherous waters of growing up.

Completely revised for ebook release, in this last volume the desperate fight to recover the Panarchy of the Thousand Suns is about to commence. Brandon hai-Arkad's throne remains in the hands of his enemy, Jerrod Eusabian of Dol'jhar. The fleet has been gathered, bolstered by the once outlawed Rifters; it's a race against time, before the Suneater, the mysterious station created by a long-gone race, powers up. Brandon must defeat Dol'jhar by destroying the Suneater, or face annihilation. Meanwhile, the woman he's come to love is on the Suneater, expected to use her psi skills to bring it to full power. Not alone, but with a Unity made up of seven others-including Eusabian's son and heir, once Brandon's rival . . . This is the exciting conclusion to the Exordium series.

Brandon nyr-Arkad, the Emperor's scapegrace youngest son, defies protocol and evades a ceremonial duty, an act punishable by death. He's just ahead of an attack on the Panarchy of the Thousand Suns by Eusabian, a revenge twenty years in the making. Phoenix in Flight begins the five volume arc of Exordium, as Brandon discovers what happened to his home after he left, and he has to make a decision: stay an outlaw, or return and deal with the smoking ruins of his rejected world?

In the third volume of Exordium, this swashbuckling space opera continues with Brandon and the Rifter crew of the Telvarna arriving at the Panarchic Navyâ¿¿s headquarters. The Rifters are imprisoned, and Brandon finds himself, as sole heir to the Phoenix Throne, fighting a battle of symbols, his only weapon his wits as he strives against the powerful and sophisticated aristocrats who hide lethal intent behind urbanity and style. His goal is to win back control of the Navy and rescue his father from the vicious end planned for him by the usurping Doljharians, resulting in a race to the harsh planet of Gehenna.

n this rewritten fourth volume of the series Exordium, the Panarchy is in shambles, coalescing at the military base Ares. Brandon has inherited not only this political tinderbox, but also must face the escalating threat from the invading Dol'jharians and their Rifter allies before they can power up the ancient artifact they call the Suneater. But moving with secret, deadly precision against Brandon is a traitor who will do anything for power. Meanwhile Brandon has fallen in love, but everyone thinks it's with the wrong person. Space battles, political in-fighting, and personal struggles ramp up the stakes in this penultimate volume in the five book Exordium series.

He wants only to rescue his father. But everyone wants a piece of him. The chase is on. Smith and Trowbridge describe the flavor of their five-book retro-futura space opera Exordium as a cross between early Star Wars and Dangerous Liaisons by way of the Three Stooges. With its fast-moving blend of humor and horror, of high-tech skiffy and the deep places of the human heart, Exordium launches the reader into a complex, multi-layered universe as Brandon nyr-Arkad, youngest son of the ruler of the Thousand Suns, abandons the life of Service planned for him and flees into the lawless Rift. In this revised sequel to The Phoenix in Flight, Brandon vlith-Arkad, is now heir to the Panarchy. He wants only to rescue his father, the Panarch. But everyone wants a piece of him. The Dol'jharians, who smashed the Panarchy and took his father prisoner. A Rifter pirate and her crew, who helped him escape a doomed planet-twice-and now wonder what to do about a royal prisoner with the price of ten planets on his head. And the remnants of the government of the Thousand Suns, for whom he'd at best be an inconvenience. And that's before things go seriously pear-shaped. The chase is on, and unexpected detours await.Book 2 in the Exordium series Book 2 in the Exordium series

The final book in the Phoenix Feather and Sagacious series, Sagacious Blade brings the story full circle. It would be difficult to find two boys more unlike. Friendly, animal-loving Ki Mek, youngest of a sprawling family of gallant wanderers, was born with Essence talent-much to the dismay of the Kis, who only believe in the skills of their blades. Je Tai, the scholarly, reclusive only son of a subsidiary branch of the lofty Ji family, is on his way back to the school where he is studying divination. The two are swept overboard in a terrible storm, and end up made slaves by the western empire, age-old enemies of the Thousand Islands Empire. They escape into adventures martial and magical until they and those they love are swept up in a war spanning two empires. With the aid of Sagacious Blade, both will learn the costs of power...

Set in the tumultuous, magic-filled history of the Phoenix Feather quartet... How did scholarly, modest Lan Renti, lowest ranking of the troubled imperial clan, rise to become the Sage Empress, first woman ruler in the long history of the Empire of a Thousand Isles? Aware of how the official records embellish (or sidestep) the truth, she's determined to set the record straight. In this first of two volumes, she begins with her life in the imperial palace until the catastrophic injustice that flung her as a young teen into the dangerous world of the Warring Princes to seek her missing brother. Secret identities, a talking sword, and a friendship that might become something more, land her outside the law as a gallant wanderer. Only, what happens when "the law" becomes increasingly unjust? Ren grapples with that question as her first mission, supposedly simple, becomes fraught with wide-ranging consequences...

The first in a series set in the world of the Phoenix Feather quartet, Tribute is inspired by the great Chinese epics such as Water Margin and Dream of Red Chamber as well as wuxia and xuanhuan series such as Nirvana in Fire and Joy of Life. Bu is twelve and near-sighted, an unwanted daughter sent to a music audition. If she fails, she's on her own. Elderly Granny Zim, who knows that soon she must retire as head of the music academy, is fascinated by YinYin, a student who might not be human. YinYin and Bu become friends. Life is settling down when warships show up on the horizon. It's the imperials, here to demand tribute. They take Bu, YinYin, and Granny Zim to a new, uncertain life in the troubled empire, where their only skill is their music. But Granny Zim knows that music is a knife without a hilt. Tribute takes the reader on an adventure from the human world to the realm of the transcendent, via friendship, love, and questions about power, responsibility, and what it means to be human.

This prequel to Crown Duel is about the early life of Vidanric Renselaeus, Marquis of Shevraeth, who as a courtly, well-mannered teen coached in the noble art of dueling, finds himself thrown into the infamous military academy in Marloven Hess. There, instead of reading theories about statecraft, he is forced to learn about command from the insideâ?"and what it means to be king.

The world is fighting back. Duels of wit and danger. Hints of what really happened years ago emerge, making this fight personal. Revelation. Betrayal. Sacrifice.The beginning of the end.

In defeated Marloven Hess, two enemies, one a hunted king, the other the conqueror, duel for the soul of a conflicted teen. This short novel takes place afterThe Norsunder War: Ship Without Sails.

Long-dormant magical forces are moving again in Sartorias-deles. In volume one, A Sword Named Truth, a shaky alliance made among young rulers brought too early to their thrones survived a first foray, commanded by Siamis, the handsome young Norsundrian who was born four thousand years ago. Siamis was defeated, and the world celebrated, believing peace had come! But the world's mages know it's not the quiet of peace-it's the stillness before the storm. At the start of volume two, The Blood Mage Texts, the alliance seems to be a thing of the past as everyone is dealing with the fallout of the abortive attack. Rel the Traveler arrives back home to a surprise that has been awaiting him since he was first adopted, launching him on a personal quest. Jilo, the king who is not a king, finds what looks like dangerous magical texts and hands them off to his friend Senrid, young king of Marloven Hess, who is in the midst of wrestling with his warlike nation. When word gets out that these eight-hundred-year-old blood mage texts are in the ignorant hands of youngsters, all of Norsunder's mages want them. Meanwhile Siamis has gone renegade, hunted by both sides. All the searches converge on Chwahirsland, furnishing new twists in the on-going saga of the alliance of young rulers . . .

Twenty-five years ago a pair of lovers ran from an angry prince and washed up on an island where they took on new identities.Their eldest child, a natural martial artist like his father, seems destined for great things. The second son is an artist and a dreamer, and Mouse, the youngest-used to wearing her brothers' clothes while trotting at their heels-is regarded by everyone as a third brother.All three were raised to keep their parents' secret, but in this first volume they discover that children have their own paths, and parents cannot hold them back, especially when an omen drops out of the sky . . .

"A generation ago, a sworn bodyguard and a reluctant bride fled an angry prince, married in secret, and vanished. That prince is now the emperor, with a very long memory. In this next volume of the epic martial arts adventure, the children of the missing pair are now making their way in the world under assumed names, hoping to avoid the emperor's wrath while following their special Talents. The eldest son Muin is rising the ranks of the army. The second son Yskanda, a remarkable painter, is a prisoner in the lethal, silken cage of the imperial court. The youngest Ryu, disguised as a boy, studies martial arts and the mysterious Essence power while leading the Redbark Sect that fights for justice for commoners. Her closest companion hides dangerous secrets of his own. Meanwhile the emperor's own children test the boundaries of royal power and intrigue, stirring ripples that threaten guilty and innocent alike."--Cover, page 4.

Lilah is bursting with questions. Why are the local kids outside the palace so ragged? Why do they hate her? Why does her older brother Peitar--heir to their cold, controlling uncle, the king--write so many secret letters, and WHY won't anyone tell her what the revolutionary slogan 'slam justice' means? She disguises herself to find out. For the first time she makes friends, and meets the heroic young revolutionary leader, Derek.Then revolution breaks out.Lilah and her new friends become spies in order to help Peitar and Derek, who have been swept into the middle of unrest and danger.While no one on either side could have predicted that Lilah would be key to the new meaning of slam justice.

Untested young rulers must cooperate to protect their world from the magical threat of the mysterious kingdom of Norsunder in a new epic fantasy trilogy set in the same world as the popular Inda series. Long-dormant magical forces are moving once again in Sartorias-deles. Agents of Norsunder, a mysterious bastion of incredible dark power, have reappeared in the world, amassing resources and sowing instability. But with numerous nations led by young rulers brought too early to their thrones, the world is hardly ready to defend itself. Atan is still uncomfortable with her new queenship, gained after her country was freed from a Norsundrian enchantment that left it frozen outside time for a century. Senrid strives to establish rule of law, after deposing his brutal and cruel uncle, seeking to exert control over rebellious jarls and a distrustful military academy. Jilo never expected the responsibility of leading his nation, but when its dictator vanishes after a Norsundrian attack, Jilo finds himself stepping into the power void, taking the reins of a country so riddled with dark magic that its citizenry labors for mere survival. Clair and CJ lead a band of misfits against magical threats that overshadow their tiny country, including a direct incursion from the Norsundrians. Those in power are not the only individuals working to subvert the plans of Norsunder. Liere, a young shopkeeper’s daughter, battles her own debilitating insecurities to live up to her reputation as a former savior of the realm. Hibern, a mage’s apprentice, must act as a liaison between national leaders, negotiating politics still foreign to her. Rel, a traveling warrior, stirs powerful allies to action encourages common folk to take up arms. These leaders soon realize that any significant victory against Norsunder will require an alliance between their nations. Yet good intentions may fracture in the face of personal grudges, secrets, and inexperience. As the Norsundrian attacks become bolder, the members of this tenuous alliance must find ways to trust one another and bind themselves together—lest they fail to defend against a host that has crushed entire worlds.

The dramatic conclusion to the Lhind young adult fantasy series!When Lhind's beloved Hlanan is taken by Shinjan slavers, she leaves her self-imposed exile to rush to the rescue. But first she must face a dragon, and learn world-changing truths about herself.Meanwhile, halfway across the world, imprisoned Hlanan labors to liberate fellow slaves of the evil Shinjan empire.Before they meet again, both must explore the difficult dimensions of honor, trust, and love.Failure means death. Success, bringing down two murderous tyrants-and forever changing the world.

In a time of rising danger, women go to war, and ghosts walk the walls...A few years have passed since Danet and Arrow found themselves rulers of a disintegrating kingdom. They managed to establish peace as their children reach adulthood, but threats from the border become raids, aided by vicious brigands. The two princes, Noddy and Connar, newly emerged from the military academy, are dispatched to patrol the troubled area until they find themselves under attack.Their loyalty to one another is strong, but what happens when one brother discovers a taste for war and the other a loathing for it? Matters of marriage and love tangle up with the menace of war. But the greatest threat of all comes when the world's strongest army faces enemies from within. This is the concluding half of an epic story of politics, war, family and magic in the beloved world of Sartorias-deles.

In a time of change and danger, peace sparks to war, and sons become daughters... It's nearly a century after the death of Inda, the unbeatable Marlovan commander. This is the first half of an epic story of politics, war, family and magic in the beloved world of Sartorias-deles.

A light-hearted romantic comedy of manners set in Jane Austen's Regency period as our two heroines step in time to the dance of love.

"With music you can tell the truth about human experience." In this romantic fantasy set in the same world as Crown Duel and Sasharia En Garde, Flian is an ordinary princess who would rather be left with her music, but gets abducted not once, not twice-three times. What is a civilized princess to do? Especially when she can't tell which prince is the hero and which the villain!

"In this sequel to Lhind the Thief, Lhind has gone from castoffs to silks, back alleys to palace halls--and is not having an easy time of it. That's before she's snatched by an angry prince she'd robbed twice, who is determined to turn her over to the enemy who frightens her most, the sinister Emperor Jardis Dhes-Andis. When her own dear Hlanan comes to rescue her, it's Lhind who has to do the rescuing, setting off a wild chase to fend off mercenaries and then to confront an entire army intent on invasion. Lhind and Hlanan try to negotiate the perilous waters of a relationship while on the run--straight into a trap. Just when Lhind is beginning to figure out where she might fit into the world, she finds herself alone again, surrounded by enemies, in one of the most dangerous courts in the world. And she begins to find out who she really is."--Amazon.com.

Many generations ago, a mysterious cataclysm struck the world. Governments collapsed and people scattered, to rebuild where they could. A mutation, "the Change,” arose, granting some people unique powers. Though the area once called Los Angeles retains its cultural diversity, its technological marvels have faded into legend. "Las Anclas" now resembles a Wild West frontier town… where the Sheriff possesses superhuman strength, the doctor can warp time to heal his patients, and the distant ruins of an ancient city bristle with deadly crystalline trees that take their jewel-like colors from the clothes of the people they killed. Teenage prospector Ross Juarez’s best find ever – an ancient book he doesn’t know how to read – nearly costs him his life when a bounty hunter is set on him to kill him and steal the book. Ross barely makes it to Las Anclas, bringing with him a precious artifact, a power no one has ever had before, and a whole lot of trouble.

From a young girl facing a life-threatening crisis at Lunar Camp to a crew of elderly women graced with the power of Greek gods, you'll find an engaging and diverse range of science fiction and fantasy stories by women, about women.

Journey back to Oz with Dori and Emma, along with old favorites like Scraps and Polychrome, as they travel through the skies over Oz. There's a plot afoot with a dastardly villain who kidnapped Princess Dorothy in Smith's first book. It'll take Glinda, Rikk the Nome, Dori, Emma, Scraps, and many more to contend with this threat ... even a shaggy dog named "Dad!"