West Virginia witches, bounty hunter barbecue pitmasters, fantasy detectives, and a new Tarzan story from Edgar Rice Burroughs feature in this week’s roundup of the newest releases in fantasy.
Awaken Online: Dominion – Travis Bagwel
Following Jason’s evolution into a Keeper, he finds his fledgling city once again in turmoil. A new and deadly enemy threatens the Twilight Throne — one that has no difficulty contending with Jason and the members of Original Sin.
Jason must work quickly to consolidate his city’s power. That means securing the villages within the Twilight Throne’s influence, finding a steady stream of income, and growing the city’s military strength. Even as the group grapples with these changes, they notice that something is stirring up the native undead around the city, although the source of this strange influence is uncertain.
One thing is clear, however. Jason might have evolved, but his enemies have adapted with him. If the Twilight Throne is to survive, the group must grow stronger and Jason must learn to control his newfound abilities.
Otherwise, the darkness may very well claim them all.
Blood Creek Beast (Blood Creek Series #2) – Jay Barnson
Worlds apart, and just ‘round the bend…
For years, Jack Parsons dreamed of escaping the tiny community of Maple Bend, West Virginia. Now he is trapped in another world entirely. Seeking help to protect the crossroads from the immortal “man in the white suit” and his Coven, Jack ventures into the world ‘Round the Bend, a mirror-image of West Virginia more wondrous, and more dangerous, than he had ever imagined.
On the other side of the crossroads, the Coven pursues Jessabelle Rose with plans to use her shape-shifting powers for their own dark ends. Jessabelle must choose between flight or fight; to escape the Coven forever, or risk everything to protect her family.
What began with mysterious deaths deep in the Appalachian Mountains now threatens to engulf two worlds. Witchcraft and creatures of folklore mix with shadowy high-tech organizations and political intrigue in this thrilling tale of magic and adventure.
Cirsova Vol. 2 No. 1 – edited by P. Alexander
The Spring issue of the All-New Cirsova Magazine of Thrilling Adventure and Daring Suspense is out now!
The big star of the spring issue, of course, is the brand-new Tarzan story “Young Tarzan and the Mysterious She”, by Edgar Rice Burroughs and Michael Tierney. Based on a fragment from 1930, this previously “Lost” Tarzan adventure takes place in the Jungle Tales period and, in addition to being a cool adventure in and of itself, ties into and resolves some issues from The Jewels of Opar. Young Tarzan ponders his nature among his ape family in the jungle when he hears there may yet be another such as he! Who is the white-skinned she who lives among the Gomangani tribes, and is it she whose visage haunts the ape-man’s dreams?!
But in addition to this all-new Tarzan story, we’ve got a bunch of other thrilling adventures that you’ll want to check out!
The City Under the Mountain (The Seven Signs #4) – D.W. Hawkins
In the savage north, an ancient relic awakens.
Fugitives from the Conclave, Dormael and his friends must seek the next piece of the Nar’doroc deep within a perilous hinterland. Beset by vicious monstrosities, they uncover a place where ancient secrets lay forgotten, a graveyard abandoned to the march of time. Its revelations could lead them to the next fragment of the shattered artifact, but menace lurks in the shadows of its history. To survive it, a dangerous sacrifice must be made.
Across the Stormy Sea, Nalia Arynthaal, Princess of the Winter Passes, dives into the midst of an empire at war. With nothing but guile and icy resolve, she works to revenge herself upon those who disgraced her family. Surrounded by enemies, Nalia must embrace a treacherous ally to bring down an empire bolstered by thousands of angry swords. To restore her family’s honor, Nalia may have to renounce her own.
Everything may yet fall to powers darker still—the seeds for which are being sown beneath the surface. Will Dormael and company recover the shattered Nar’doroc? Will Nalia bring down her enemies, or be crushed by the unyielding march of empire? What secrets lie buried in the past?
For the Killing of Kings (The Ring-Sworn Trilogy #1) – Howard Andrew Jones
Their peace was a fragile thing, but it had endured for seven years, mostly because the people of Darassus and the king of the Naor hordes believed his doom was foretold upon the edge of the great sword hung in the hall of champions. Unruly Naor clans might raid across the border, but the king himself would never lead his people to war so long as the blade remained in the hands of his enemies.
But when squire Elenai’s aging mentor uncovers evidence that the sword in their hall is a forgery she’s forced to flee Darassus for her life, her only ally the reckless, disillusioned Kyrkenall the archer. Framed for murder and treason, pursued by the greatest heroes of the realm, they race to recover the real sword, only to stumble into a conspiracy that leads all the way back to the Darassan queen and her secretive advisors. They must find a way to clear their names and set things right, all while dodging friends determined to kill them – and the Naor hordes, invading at last with a new and deadly weapon.
The Horsemen Gather (The Unbelievable Mr. Brownstone #17) – Michael Anderle
Barbecue is life. Everything else is just details.
Can a bounty hunter be happy as a pitmaster?
With his life settling into a comfortable routine and the criminals of Los Angeles finally accepting his power, James ponders a future of family and food rather than kicking bounties through walls.
James’ idle thoughts of retirement are put on hold when a rogue group of government agents decides to go after the man they feel is the greatest threat to the country.
The bounty hunter might not mind someone taking a shot at him, but going after his loved ones risks awakening a power even James might not be able to control.
One faction of the government might want him dead, but another needs his help to retrieve a map to a weapon that might save the world.
How many people will need a beat down before everyone understands you don’t go after anyone Brownstone cares about?
Remnants of the Lost (The Elder Stones Saga #3) – D.K. Holmberg
An unexpected threat to the power of the elder stones begins to emerge.
With his father likely dead, Haern trains to face the Ai’thol, using every ability he possesses to be strong enough to defeat them. A chance encounter with someone who’s lost more than him changes everything.
Daniel uncovers the Ai’thol using a new alloy that gives impossible powers and he might be the only one capable of stopping them. The search to understand the alloy brings him back to Elaeavn where he uncovers something unexpected. To understand his future, he must face his past.
Lucy gains an understanding of her abilities but struggles with her role among the C’than. How can she serve them when those she rescued need her help and leadership?
Not all is as it seems. The search to understand the elder stones continues, but powers maneuvering for decades are playing a game only a few understand leaving those stuck in the middle facing a deadly threat for survival.
Sevenfold Sword: Guardian (Sevenfold Sword #11) – Jonathan Moeller
The quest of the Seven Swords holds a dark secret at its heart.
Ridmark Arban is the Shield Knight, the defender of the realm of Andomhaim.
The quest of the Seven Swords nears its end, and dark powers rise to seize the world.
Ridmark has learned the terrible secret at the heart of the Seven Swords. Now he need only escape Urd Maelwyn, the grim city ruled by the dark elven tyrant known as the Confessor.
But few who enter Urd Maelwyn ever leave alive.
And the Maledicti priests will kill to protect the secret of the Seven Swords…
The Skaar Invasion (The Fall of Shannara #2) – Terry Brooks
The Four Lands are under siege. Wielding a magical ability virtually impossible to combat, mysterious invaders defeat the most fearsome Troll armies, then focus their savagery on the Druid order—and all hope seems lost.
Eventually the invaders reveal a more human face, but understanding their motives in no way mitigates the brutality of their actions. Dar Leah, once the High Druid’s Blade, has crossed paths—and swords—with their ruthless leader before. So he knows that if any hope exists, it rests in the hands of the Druid Drisker Arc, now trapped inside vanished Paranor.
As Drisker races to find the ancient knowledge that could free him, Dar goes in search of Tarsha Kaynin, the young woman blessed with the powerful gift of the wishsong, whose magic could draw Drisker back into the world of the living. But little do they know that what appeared to be a formidable invading force may only be the forerunner of a much larger army—one intent on nothing less than total conquest.
Titanshade (The Carter Archives #1) – Dan Stout
Carter’s a homicide cop in Titanshade, an oil boomtown where 8-tracks are state of the art, disco rules the radio, and all the best sorcerers wear designer labels. It’s also a metropolis teetering on the edge of disaster. As its oil reserves run dry, the city’s future hangs on a possible investment from the reclusive amphibians known as Squibs.
But now negotiations have been derailed by the horrific murder of a Squib diplomat. The pressure’s never been higher to make a quick arrest, even as Carter’s investigation leads him into conflict with the city’s elite. Undermined by corrupt coworkers and falsified evidence, and with a suspect list that includes power-hungry politicians, oil magnates, and mad scientists, Carter must find the killer before the investigation turns into a witch-hunt and those closest to him pay the ultimate price on the filthy streets of Titanshade.
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