Author: Juneta Key
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781096757238
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 260
Book Description
What happens when gods wane, retire, or just decide they need a change of employment? 13 writers took up the challenge and let their imaginations run wild in this anthology that is nearly-always amusing, somewhat insightful, and completely irreverent as we imagine the gods of yore in retirement: Pan by Vanessa Wells: Gwen Henson is a witch trainee with a nose for trouble; when she gets into something deeper than she and her mentor can deal with, they are forced to contact a cantankerous former god for assistance, only to find that his help comes at a price...but doesn't everything? A Low Key Game Night by Elizabeth Shaffer: Family Game night is always a risky situation when a former god of mischief is involved; add in a son bringing a new mortal girlfriend to meet the godly household and the stakes get a bit more interesting than anyone intended. For Want of a Feather by Andrew Dunlop: When the God in charge of afterlife management goes AWOL, two intrepid (if somewhat dead) souls and a talking cat set off to find him. What they find isn't exactly what they anticipated. Out of Luck by Vanessa Finaighty: Loki, God of Mischief has a history of going too far: when one of his pranks goes wrong, he and the rest of the Gods are out of luck...literally. Rule 34 by Avery Vanderlyle: When the Primal Terror goes AWOL, Demeter is forced to chase him down in order to keep humanity from destroying themselves; unfortunately, he has a new hobby, and it's for mature audiences only. Immanent Domain by Wendy Smyer Yu: When Cara accidentally invokes Coyote after a terrible date, the young woman has to channel her inner trickster so that the bored deity doesn't wreck her life. God of Morning by Elizabeth McCleary: When Morrow, god of morning is informed he is in danger of losing his position to Chaos god of well...chaos, he has to pull himself out of his recent funk and find joy in the morning once more. Zeus Really Needs To Go by Shawn Klimek: Lactose intolerance and a distinct lack of a statute of limitations combine to give the former King of Olympus one very bad day. Breaking the Habit by Ronel Janse von Vuuren: Odin finds that escaping his throne to make mischief at a rest home might be exactly what the doctor ordered. The New Chief Medical Officer by Tom Vetter: Controlled chaos reigns in the Elysian Fields Retirement facility. The new chief medical officer arrives to take charge; but when retired gods are involved, nothing is ever as easy as it seems at first glance. Playing Hooky by Juneta Key: Death's FA is having a heck of day.Harbinger of Doom by Katharina Gerlach: A mortal with a distasteful job finds that he can be more than he ever dreamed, if he simply has the courage to reach out and take what he wants. Whither Athena by Marshall J. Moore: In which Althea Stagg has a client she can't refuse and a missing Goddess who has no intention of returning: caught between two primal beings, what's a demi-goddess detective to do?
Grumpy Old Gods
Author: Juneta Key
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781096757238
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 260
Book Description
What happens when gods wane, retire, or just decide they need a change of employment? 13 writers took up the challenge and let their imaginations run wild in this anthology that is nearly-always amusing, somewhat insightful, and completely irreverent as we imagine the gods of yore in retirement: Pan by Vanessa Wells: Gwen Henson is a witch trainee with a nose for trouble; when she gets into something deeper than she and her mentor can deal with, they are forced to contact a cantankerous former god for assistance, only to find that his help comes at a price...but doesn't everything? A Low Key Game Night by Elizabeth Shaffer: Family Game night is always a risky situation when a former god of mischief is involved; add in a son bringing a new mortal girlfriend to meet the godly household and the stakes get a bit more interesting than anyone intended. For Want of a Feather by Andrew Dunlop: When the God in charge of afterlife management goes AWOL, two intrepid (if somewhat dead) souls and a talking cat set off to find him. What they find isn't exactly what they anticipated. Out of Luck by Vanessa Finaighty: Loki, God of Mischief has a history of going too far: when one of his pranks goes wrong, he and the rest of the Gods are out of luck...literally. Rule 34 by Avery Vanderlyle: When the Primal Terror goes AWOL, Demeter is forced to chase him down in order to keep humanity from destroying themselves; unfortunately, he has a new hobby, and it's for mature audiences only. Immanent Domain by Wendy Smyer Yu: When Cara accidentally invokes Coyote after a terrible date, the young woman has to channel her inner trickster so that the bored deity doesn't wreck her life. God of Morning by Elizabeth McCleary: When Morrow, god of morning is informed he is in danger of losing his position to Chaos god of well...chaos, he has to pull himself out of his recent funk and find joy in the morning once more. Zeus Really Needs To Go by Shawn Klimek: Lactose intolerance and a distinct lack of a statute of limitations combine to give the former King of Olympus one very bad day. Breaking the Habit by Ronel Janse von Vuuren: Odin finds that escaping his throne to make mischief at a rest home might be exactly what the doctor ordered. The New Chief Medical Officer by Tom Vetter: Controlled chaos reigns in the Elysian Fields Retirement facility. The new chief medical officer arrives to take charge; but when retired gods are involved, nothing is ever as easy as it seems at first glance. Playing Hooky by Juneta Key: Death's FA is having a heck of day.Harbinger of Doom by Katharina Gerlach: A mortal with a distasteful job finds that he can be more than he ever dreamed, if he simply has the courage to reach out and take what he wants. Whither Athena by Marshall J. Moore: In which Althea Stagg has a client she can't refuse and a missing Goddess who has no intention of returning: caught between two primal beings, what's a demi-goddess detective to do?
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781096757238
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 260
Book Description
What happens when gods wane, retire, or just decide they need a change of employment? 13 writers took up the challenge and let their imaginations run wild in this anthology that is nearly-always amusing, somewhat insightful, and completely irreverent as we imagine the gods of yore in retirement: Pan by Vanessa Wells: Gwen Henson is a witch trainee with a nose for trouble; when she gets into something deeper than she and her mentor can deal with, they are forced to contact a cantankerous former god for assistance, only to find that his help comes at a price...but doesn't everything? A Low Key Game Night by Elizabeth Shaffer: Family Game night is always a risky situation when a former god of mischief is involved; add in a son bringing a new mortal girlfriend to meet the godly household and the stakes get a bit more interesting than anyone intended. For Want of a Feather by Andrew Dunlop: When the God in charge of afterlife management goes AWOL, two intrepid (if somewhat dead) souls and a talking cat set off to find him. What they find isn't exactly what they anticipated. Out of Luck by Vanessa Finaighty: Loki, God of Mischief has a history of going too far: when one of his pranks goes wrong, he and the rest of the Gods are out of luck...literally. Rule 34 by Avery Vanderlyle: When the Primal Terror goes AWOL, Demeter is forced to chase him down in order to keep humanity from destroying themselves; unfortunately, he has a new hobby, and it's for mature audiences only. Immanent Domain by Wendy Smyer Yu: When Cara accidentally invokes Coyote after a terrible date, the young woman has to channel her inner trickster so that the bored deity doesn't wreck her life. God of Morning by Elizabeth McCleary: When Morrow, god of morning is informed he is in danger of losing his position to Chaos god of well...chaos, he has to pull himself out of his recent funk and find joy in the morning once more. Zeus Really Needs To Go by Shawn Klimek: Lactose intolerance and a distinct lack of a statute of limitations combine to give the former King of Olympus one very bad day. Breaking the Habit by Ronel Janse von Vuuren: Odin finds that escaping his throne to make mischief at a rest home might be exactly what the doctor ordered. The New Chief Medical Officer by Tom Vetter: Controlled chaos reigns in the Elysian Fields Retirement facility. The new chief medical officer arrives to take charge; but when retired gods are involved, nothing is ever as easy as it seems at first glance. Playing Hooky by Juneta Key: Death's FA is having a heck of day.Harbinger of Doom by Katharina Gerlach: A mortal with a distasteful job finds that he can be more than he ever dreamed, if he simply has the courage to reach out and take what he wants. Whither Athena by Marshall J. Moore: In which Althea Stagg has a client she can't refuse and a missing Goddess who has no intention of returning: caught between two primal beings, what's a demi-goddess detective to do?
The Old Gods
Author: Patrick Logan
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 164
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 164
Book Description
The Life and Chaos of a Retired Old God
Author: Jemma Weir
Publisher: Jemma Weir
ISBN: 1916538029
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 415
Book Description
Being retired was supposed to be easy. No drama, no family, no problems. Considering Ernie is a god, he should have known better. In this collection of short stories, Ernie struggles to live a quiet life as Death loses his scythe, a genie wants a holiday, and Ernie’s family keeps dropping in. Then there’s Ragnarok. Because who doesn't need an end-of-the-world event to keep things calm and quiet? But it doesn't stop there. This collection contains a brand new bonus short story where Ernie is asked to mediate a feud between Dragons. With tensions running high, maybe the poker game hadn’t been the best idea. Also included in this collection are a series of flash fiction originally published on my blog. Follow Ernie as he deals with Cupid shooting the wrong person, Wererabbits for April Fools, Santa stuck in the chimney, and what happens to snowmen when the weather changes. The Life and Chaos of a Retired Old God is a collection of humorous short stories where Ernie learns that quiet is the last thing he’s going to get.
Publisher: Jemma Weir
ISBN: 1916538029
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 415
Book Description
Being retired was supposed to be easy. No drama, no family, no problems. Considering Ernie is a god, he should have known better. In this collection of short stories, Ernie struggles to live a quiet life as Death loses his scythe, a genie wants a holiday, and Ernie’s family keeps dropping in. Then there’s Ragnarok. Because who doesn't need an end-of-the-world event to keep things calm and quiet? But it doesn't stop there. This collection contains a brand new bonus short story where Ernie is asked to mediate a feud between Dragons. With tensions running high, maybe the poker game hadn’t been the best idea. Also included in this collection are a series of flash fiction originally published on my blog. Follow Ernie as he deals with Cupid shooting the wrong person, Wererabbits for April Fools, Santa stuck in the chimney, and what happens to snowmen when the weather changes. The Life and Chaos of a Retired Old God is a collection of humorous short stories where Ernie learns that quiet is the last thing he’s going to get.
Misunderstood Stories
Author: Robert Karl Gnuse
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1625640072
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 305
Book Description
Narratives in Genesis 1-11 have been misunderstood in many ways, but they especially have been used to oppress women and African Americans and to present a God of wrath and judgment. This commentary seeks to explain the real message behind those narratives, which is one that speaks of human dignity and equality, that affirms monotheism, that criticizes kings and tyrants, that declares our oneness with the animal realm and nature, and that proclaims a powerful message of divine grace with a deity personally involved in the human world. Humor may also be found in some of these stories. These biblical passages can be best explicated by close reading as well as by knowledge of comparable stories from the ancient Near East and from the classical world, and finally by knowledge of the concomitant social and political values connected with those other myths and narratives.
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1625640072
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 305
Book Description
Narratives in Genesis 1-11 have been misunderstood in many ways, but they especially have been used to oppress women and African Americans and to present a God of wrath and judgment. This commentary seeks to explain the real message behind those narratives, which is one that speaks of human dignity and equality, that affirms monotheism, that criticizes kings and tyrants, that declares our oneness with the animal realm and nature, and that proclaims a powerful message of divine grace with a deity personally involved in the human world. Humor may also be found in some of these stories. These biblical passages can be best explicated by close reading as well as by knowledge of comparable stories from the ancient Near East and from the classical world, and finally by knowledge of the concomitant social and political values connected with those other myths and narratives.
Accidental Gods
Author: Anna Della Subin
Publisher: Metropolitan Books
ISBN: 1250296889
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 435
Book Description
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY ESQUIRE, THE IRISH TIMES AND THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT A provocative history of men who were worshipped as gods that illuminates the connection between power and religion and the role of divinity in a secular age Ever since 1492, when Christopher Columbus made landfall in the New World and was hailed as a heavenly being, the accidental god has haunted the modern age. From Haile Selassie, acclaimed as the Living God in Jamaica, to Britain’s Prince Philip, who became the unlikely center of a new religion on a South Pacific island, men made divine—always men—have appeared on every continent. And because these deifications always emerge at moments of turbulence—civil wars, imperial conquest, revolutions—they have much to teach us. In a revelatory history spanning five centuries, a cast of surprising deities helps to shed light on the thorny questions of how our modern concept of “religion” was invented; why religion and politics are perpetually entangled in our supposedly secular age; and how the power to call someone divine has been used and abused by both oppressors and the oppressed. From nationalist uprisings in India to Nigerien spirit possession cults, Anna Della Subin explores how deification has been a means of defiance for colonized peoples. Conversely, we see how Columbus, Cortés, and other white explorers amplified stories of their godhood to justify their dominion over native peoples, setting into motion the currents of racism and exclusion that have plagued the New World ever since they touched its shores. At once deeply learned and delightfully antic, Accidental Gods offers an unusual keyhole through which to observe the creation of our modern world. It is that rare thing: a lyrical, entertaining work of ideas, one that marks the debut of a remarkable literary career.
Publisher: Metropolitan Books
ISBN: 1250296889
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 435
Book Description
NAMED A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR BY ESQUIRE, THE IRISH TIMES AND THE TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT A provocative history of men who were worshipped as gods that illuminates the connection between power and religion and the role of divinity in a secular age Ever since 1492, when Christopher Columbus made landfall in the New World and was hailed as a heavenly being, the accidental god has haunted the modern age. From Haile Selassie, acclaimed as the Living God in Jamaica, to Britain’s Prince Philip, who became the unlikely center of a new religion on a South Pacific island, men made divine—always men—have appeared on every continent. And because these deifications always emerge at moments of turbulence—civil wars, imperial conquest, revolutions—they have much to teach us. In a revelatory history spanning five centuries, a cast of surprising deities helps to shed light on the thorny questions of how our modern concept of “religion” was invented; why religion and politics are perpetually entangled in our supposedly secular age; and how the power to call someone divine has been used and abused by both oppressors and the oppressed. From nationalist uprisings in India to Nigerien spirit possession cults, Anna Della Subin explores how deification has been a means of defiance for colonized peoples. Conversely, we see how Columbus, Cortés, and other white explorers amplified stories of their godhood to justify their dominion over native peoples, setting into motion the currents of racism and exclusion that have plagued the New World ever since they touched its shores. At once deeply learned and delightfully antic, Accidental Gods offers an unusual keyhole through which to observe the creation of our modern world. It is that rare thing: a lyrical, entertaining work of ideas, one that marks the debut of a remarkable literary career.
The Divine Space Gods Trilogy
Author: Martin Lundqvist
Publisher: Martin Lundqvist
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 432
Book Description
A series of dark comedy sci-fi novellas put together into one novel. The Divine Space Gods trilogy is parodying The Divine Zetan Trilogy by the same author. The whole Divine Space Gods trilogy containing Abraham's Follies, Revolution for Dummies, and Rangda's Shenanigans Divine Space Gods 1: Abraham's Follies When God dies, an idiot takes his place! Divine Space Gods 2: Revolution for Dummies Keila is the perfect revolutionary: Lacking things like intelligence, sanity or common sense, She has something far more important: plot armour and the telepathic help of Rangda, the evil space demon! Divine Space Gods 3: Rangda's Shenanigans When the Divine Plan is stupid, humanity's future is at risk.
Publisher: Martin Lundqvist
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 432
Book Description
A series of dark comedy sci-fi novellas put together into one novel. The Divine Space Gods trilogy is parodying The Divine Zetan Trilogy by the same author. The whole Divine Space Gods trilogy containing Abraham's Follies, Revolution for Dummies, and Rangda's Shenanigans Divine Space Gods 1: Abraham's Follies When God dies, an idiot takes his place! Divine Space Gods 2: Revolution for Dummies Keila is the perfect revolutionary: Lacking things like intelligence, sanity or common sense, She has something far more important: plot armour and the telepathic help of Rangda, the evil space demon! Divine Space Gods 3: Rangda's Shenanigans When the Divine Plan is stupid, humanity's future is at risk.
Neon Gods
Author: Katee Robert
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 9781728231730
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
Society darling Persephone Dimitriou wants nothing to do with her mother's ambitions. She's biding her time until she's able to leave the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start her doctorate degree. The one thing she never planned on? Her mother ambushing her with an engagement to Zeus--a man with more than a few dead wives in his past. Persephone will do anything to escape that fate...even flee the sparkling upper city and make a devil's bargain with a man she once believed was a myth. Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. Not even for the woman who flees into his territory as if the very hounds of hell are on her heels. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he's spent his entire life craving? It's all the excuse he needs to agree to help her--for a price. She'll be his for the summer, and then he'll see her safely out of Olympus and away from her mother and Zeus. Hades and Persephone's deal might seem simple enough, but they both quickly realize it's anything but. With every breathless night spent with Hades, Persephone wonders at her ability to leave him behind. And Hades? Now that he has a taste for Persephone, he's willing to go to war with Olympus itself to keep her...
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN: 9781728231730
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 384
Book Description
Society darling Persephone Dimitriou wants nothing to do with her mother's ambitions. She's biding her time until she's able to leave the ultra-modern city of Olympus and start her doctorate degree. The one thing she never planned on? Her mother ambushing her with an engagement to Zeus--a man with more than a few dead wives in his past. Persephone will do anything to escape that fate...even flee the sparkling upper city and make a devil's bargain with a man she once believed was a myth. Hades has spent his life in the shadows, and he has no intention of stepping into the light. Not even for the woman who flees into his territory as if the very hounds of hell are on her heels. But when he finds that Persephone can offer a little slice of the revenge he's spent his entire life craving? It's all the excuse he needs to agree to help her--for a price. She'll be his for the summer, and then he'll see her safely out of Olympus and away from her mother and Zeus. Hades and Persephone's deal might seem simple enough, but they both quickly realize it's anything but. With every breathless night spent with Hades, Persephone wonders at her ability to leave him behind. And Hades? Now that he has a taste for Persephone, he's willing to go to war with Olympus itself to keep her...
Through The Sunshine
Author: Deedra Nichole
Publisher: Fae Corps Inc
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
Ten stories focused on light fae. Deedra Nichole - Blood Moon Rising A return to the story from Under the Mists. Can anyone stop Lyria the blood siren's evil reign? The last light faery and an infant will try. KA Masters - Furnace and the Mountain of Hope Furnace, the kobold, and his mate Betta, the mermaid, take on an adventure to save a friend. KT Seto - Into the Mist A mother learns about the dark creatures that wander this world and help the light fae to battle the dark. Luisa Kay Reyes - The Long Lost Maiden of Light A serving girl with a secret past finds that a kind heart has rewards. Michael J Walters - Returning Home Old customs keep the faery magic alive, but are they right? Michael Guzman - The Gift A grieving widow (LGBTQ) faces both a prospective eviction and life without her wife. Her wife's last gift, from beyond the grave, is supposed to help... Does it R.B. Stormcrow – Gem of Krysvaris (part one) the faeries of Birchwood grove are facing danger... And a prophecy. Rose J. Fairchild - Fairy Dust when the fae are attacking her mortal children, a hob seeks out the tooth faery for help. Serena Mossgraves - Winter Whimsy How was snow made? A whimsical tale about the first snow. Tish MacWebber - Operation Let It Glow A continuation of Tish's story from Under the Mists. The light fae army moves to counter the witch Ruby's plans. Will it be light or dark that wins?
Publisher: Fae Corps Inc
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
Ten stories focused on light fae. Deedra Nichole - Blood Moon Rising A return to the story from Under the Mists. Can anyone stop Lyria the blood siren's evil reign? The last light faery and an infant will try. KA Masters - Furnace and the Mountain of Hope Furnace, the kobold, and his mate Betta, the mermaid, take on an adventure to save a friend. KT Seto - Into the Mist A mother learns about the dark creatures that wander this world and help the light fae to battle the dark. Luisa Kay Reyes - The Long Lost Maiden of Light A serving girl with a secret past finds that a kind heart has rewards. Michael J Walters - Returning Home Old customs keep the faery magic alive, but are they right? Michael Guzman - The Gift A grieving widow (LGBTQ) faces both a prospective eviction and life without her wife. Her wife's last gift, from beyond the grave, is supposed to help... Does it R.B. Stormcrow – Gem of Krysvaris (part one) the faeries of Birchwood grove are facing danger... And a prophecy. Rose J. Fairchild - Fairy Dust when the fae are attacking her mortal children, a hob seeks out the tooth faery for help. Serena Mossgraves - Winter Whimsy How was snow made? A whimsical tale about the first snow. Tish MacWebber - Operation Let It Glow A continuation of Tish's story from Under the Mists. The light fae army moves to counter the witch Ruby's plans. Will it be light or dark that wins?
Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0316192147
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 356
Book Description
The first book in the New York Times bestselling epic fantasy trilogy by award-winning author Laini Taylor Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0316192147
Category : Young Adult Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 356
Book Description
The first book in the New York Times bestselling epic fantasy trilogy by award-winning author Laini Taylor Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
Children of Fallen Gods
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780998461960
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 634
Book Description
No war can be fought with clean hands. Not even the ones waged for the right reasons. Not even the ones you win. Tisaanah bargained away her own freedom to save those she left behind in slavery. Now, bound by her blood pact, she must fight the Orders' war -- and Max is determined to protect her at all costs. But when a betrayal tears apart Ara, Max and Tisaanah are pushed into an even bloodier conflict. Tisaanah must gamble with Reshaye's power to claim an impossible victory. And Max, forced into leadership, must confront everything he hoped to forget: his past, and his own mysterious magic. All the while, darker forces loom -- far darker, even, than the Orders' secrets. As Tisaanah and Max are ensnared in a web of ancient magic and twisted secrets, one question remains: what are they willing to sacrifice for victory? For power? For love?
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780998461960
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 634
Book Description
No war can be fought with clean hands. Not even the ones waged for the right reasons. Not even the ones you win. Tisaanah bargained away her own freedom to save those she left behind in slavery. Now, bound by her blood pact, she must fight the Orders' war -- and Max is determined to protect her at all costs. But when a betrayal tears apart Ara, Max and Tisaanah are pushed into an even bloodier conflict. Tisaanah must gamble with Reshaye's power to claim an impossible victory. And Max, forced into leadership, must confront everything he hoped to forget: his past, and his own mysterious magic. All the while, darker forces loom -- far darker, even, than the Orders' secrets. As Tisaanah and Max are ensnared in a web of ancient magic and twisted secrets, one question remains: what are they willing to sacrifice for victory? For power? For love?