Showing results by narrator "Tim Reynolds" in All Categories

The When Swords Fall Silent anthology showcases the imaginations and talents of more than a dozen of the best modern science-fiction and fantasy authors, with each tale centered around one or more characters burdened with a bloody task they will see to completion no matter the cost. Every story takes you for a vicious ride through a world of shadow and death, each as unique in perspective and execution as the contracts carried out within.

Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and the cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start life as thieves for hire. Things have gone well enough until they receive the odd assignment to prevent a murder. Now they must venture into a forgotten corner of southern Avryn—a place whose history predates the empire. As usual, challenges abound as they try to anticipate the moves of an unknown assassin before it's too late.

When a high-ranking officer gallops into the quiet Mistyvales, he brings a warning that shakes the countryfolk to their roots. But to Aedan, a scruffy young adventurer with veins full of fire and a head full of ideas, this officer is not what he seems. The events that follow propel Aedan on a journey that only the foolhardy or desperate would risk, eventually leading him to the gates of the nation’s royal academy – a whole world of secrets in itself. But this is only the beginning of his discoveries.

The Great Extermination has begun. In the Capitol, Grand Inquisitor Omand Vokkan hatches a plot to kill every member of the untouchable caste in all of Lok, down to the last man, woman, and child. As a member of the Order of Inquisition, Vokkan has no official say in the creation of Law, but he has powerful allies willing to do his bidding. Through them, he has convinced the Judges that the genocide will be swift, complete, and without complication. Nothing is farther from the truth.

Lacking health insurance when he was diagnosed with cancer, Shawn Speakman asked friends in the science fiction and fantasy writing community to donate short stories he could use to counter mounting medical debt. The result was Unfettered, an anthology offering tales from some of the best authors working today. Now, in Unfettered III, Speakman continues to pay forward the aid he received, raising money to combat medical debt for SF&F artists and authors.

Ayrion’s tribe has until the Harvest Moon to meet the Guild’s price. If the payment isn’t made, Hurricane’s territory will be seized, and its members left to starve. The stakes have never been higher. Once again, Ayrion finds himself in the precarious position of taking on the role of savior. Only this time, it’s not just his life that hangs in the balance, but the lives of all the children he protects. Desperation can lead people to attempt the impossible, but Ayrion has truly tipped the scales on this one.

A thousand years have passed since the last Blood Tide, when the goddess Narcissi Herself fought to defend humankind from certain extermination by an ancient enemy. But when She failed during the final battle, She was forced to retreat into the safety of Lostwood's shadows, never to appear again. Legend has it She planted Herself in the earth, allowing the forest to grow around Her. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, the goddess is now defended by her army of Sightless, Guardians, and Protectors. Collectively, they call themselves the Forsworn.

The young sorcerer Cally has routed the Mallish invaders from Collen, the home of his love Myla. For the first time in a long time, the land is at peace. But few believe it will last. Brought before Collen's highest authority, the Pastkeepers, Cally is told a deep secret: the Rod of the Devil's Tongue, the artifact he used to defeat the Mallish, has even greater powers than he knows. If he can unlock them, he can drive the Mallish out of Collen forever.

The alliance of humans and renegade Fhrey is fragile—and about to be tested as never before. Persephone keeps the human clans from turning on one another through her iron will and a compassionate heart. The arrogant Fhrey are barely held in check by their leader, Nyphron, who seeks to advance his own nefarious agenda through a loveless marriage that will result in the betrayal of the person Persephone loves most: Raithe, the God Killer.

Be bright but do not burn. Embrace the shadows but do not live in the darkness. Those are more than just words; they are truth revealed to only the bravest of souls, those who have the power to change the course of history and rewrite a future otherwise etched into Kingfall's flesh itself. But will good finally overcome the storm of evil brewing in the north? Or will the ancient invaders have their pound of flesh? The answers to these questions may surprise both heroes and villains alike.

If there's one thing dragons fear, it's a kraken. Even lowly hull-scrubber Zee Tarrow knows that. Like everyone on the island kingdom of Tosh, he grew up frightened by fables and horrible tales of the great beasts of the deep. It seems an odd thing to impress upon the children of the realm, because–luckily for the dragons and their riders–no one has seen a kraken in a thousand years.

Artemio Volpe has been crowned king of Espher, restoring his ancient line to power—and inheriting the worst crisis the kingdom has ever faced. The Arazi Dragon Lords descend from the north. With flame and blade, they will purge all in their path to see the shadebound witch Orsina destroyed and their prophecies fulfilled. From the south march all the armies of the God-Emperor of Agrant, legions of soldiers backed by the unfathomable power of the living god himself.

A magical collection of 17 original stories by an amazing list of contributors—including a Dune story by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson!

After a victorious battle against the Spellbreaker, Cal sets his mind to becoming the most powerful reincarnation of the Spellweaver yet. His studies are soon cut short when the princess visits the Library and gives Cal and Raya a quest: the capital is afflicted with a dark magic, and they must find a way to stop it. Together with Azamar, the Fire Mage, and Oswerg, the Earth Mage, Cal and Raya set off to the capital, where danger and strange magic await them. Secrets will be revealed, and new magic will be learned. But will it be enough to save the empire?

Are you a god in dire need of followers, of some more faithful to bolster your ranks? Then I’m the one you’re looking for: a Demon Lord in all its glory! You may hire my services for a small fee, that is a small portion of your divinity. I will send my minions to terrorize the populace and give people a reason to pray to you. I will spawn horrors to drum up support or even trigger a holy crusade. Just sign the contract and I’ll take care of everything.

Karen will do anything for her eight-year-old daughter Scarlett, even holding together a marriage that is way past broken. So when she disappears from their rural home, Karen is one hundred percent focused on a single goal: finding her little girl as soon as possible. But time is of the essence, because Scarlett is profoundly deaf and would live in utter silence if it wasn’t for her high-tech hearing aids. Karen knows that within hours their batteries will run out, leaving her daughter even more isolated and vulnerable.

Threadbare finds himself on a collision course with dark things, wendigo queens, and mysterious Players who have sinister plans for him. But underneath it all, a decades-old struggle comes to a head. The world itself threatened by corruption and destruction. Threadbare must save the world and save his friends, or else all will be lost.

Artemio Volpe may have bested the Arazi Dragonlords on the field of battle, but in his absence, the capital has been taken by Agrantine zealots. Behind enemy lines, surrounded by blades of meteoric iron that can blunt his magic, he must find the missing Twin Kings of Espher and escort them to safety, or all will be lost.

The Spellweaver: a legendary sorcerer who crafted magic with their words. These spells were written down and given to others who would become mages. Over time, the Spellweaver was no longer reincarnated through the ages. Without the magic-creating words of the Spellweaver, magic is now a finite resource. Soon, magic will be lost to the sands of time. Unless a new Spellweaver can be found. Calwyn Weft lives in the village of Pebbert and works as an apothecary’s apprentice. It’s the one job he knows how to do well. But then the village is visited by a strange, red-robed figure.

Artemio Volpe must contend with more than simple intrigue. The embers of war burn bright beyond the horizon of the northern steppes, his already estranged family has been hounded by the assassinations, and the shades of the dead pervade his body and mind, granting him their power at a terrible price.