A legendary Viking, a cursed outcast without arms, an Army sniper on the wrong side of the scope, and the return of The Ghost Who Walks feature in this week’s roundup of the newest releases in fantasy and adventure.

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Amnesia (The Book of Maladies #6) – D. K. Holmberg

Deception runs deeper than the canals in Verdholm.

Traveling to the Theln lands will be dangerous and possibly deadly, forcing Sam to ask for help from an unlikely ally. What she learns reveals how she is woefully underprepared for the journey, but she doesn’t dare wait any longer. Her brother’s life might depend upon her ability to reach him.

While Sam prepares, Alec uses the newly discovered secret of the canal eels to try and understand the key to making easar paper. A visit with his father reveals that his deception runs deeper than Alec had ever imagined and that his mother might hold the key to what he’s searching for.

Just as Sam and Alec think they understand what must be done, a shocking revelation proves another deception, one that threatens not only the safety of the city, but of the ruling Anders family. Somehow, they are the only ones able to challenge a foe who has planned an attack for a decade or longer, leaving them to question everything they have learned about themselves.

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The Arena (Eden’s Gate #4) – Edward Brody

Edgewood is under attack, and the threat of war lingers across the Serpent Sea.

In order to protect their village, the members of Unity will need to work together to level-up and find better gear. They’ll need to lay the foundation of a castle that can serve as a fortification from intruders.

But what if there’s a better way?

When Gunnar learns that the King of Highcastle will grant an audience to anyone who wins an Arena championship, he decides to enter the competition as a gladiator. If he can earn a meeting with the ailing King and persuade him to stop Dryden Bloodletter, he can save Edgewood and potentially countless lives. He’ll also get his name posted in every Arena which could lead Rachel one step closer to finding him.

The Arena is a spectacle where people gather to watch fighters put their skills to the test, earn fame, and take home gold. Does Gunnar have what it takes to become a champion or has he bitten off more than he can chew?

Bloodaxe (Erik Haraldsson #1) – C. R. May

Under the iron rule of Harald Fairhair, Norway has been a land at peace for half a century.

Groomed for the succession, the king’s eldest surviving son has lived the life of a Viking prince; harrying wherever his longships can reach, from the frozen forests of Bjarmaland to the rocky shores of Brittany and beyond.

But none expected Harald to live so long, and as the king enters his ninth decade his powers begin to wane.

Seizing their chance other Haraldssons move to snatch the crown for themselves, and a brother war sweeps the land as Erik fights to defend his birthright…

Bloodaxe is the first volume in a trilogy which will tell the story of one of the Viking Age’s legendary kings.

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The Cross Brand – Frederick Faust as Max Brand

Longtime friends, Sheriff Harry Ganton and Jack Bristol, find themselves on different sides when Harry is mistakenly shot during an argument. Thinking he has killed his friend, Jack flees town, only to run into two mysterious strangers. Why does one have a cross brand on his forehead? And then there’s the matter of Jack’s appointment with the hangman’s noose in his future….

“The Cross Brand” is a competent pulp western with some interesting features including an unusual plot element which sets it apart from other works in the genre. The characters are the usual types with the exception of the apparent villain who does gain depth.–Goodreads Customer Review

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The Golden Circle (The Phantom #5) – Lee Falk

For the first time ever, the Avon edition of The Phantom is back in print! Hermes Press is proud to announce that they will be publishing all fifteen pocket Avon books, starting in August 2016 and continuing until the conclusion of the series in Volume 15! This exciting installment, Volume 5 offers the tale: “The Golden Circle!”

Famed artist George Wilson (Dr. Solar, Magnus Robot Fighter, The Phantom) painted the cover for Volume #3 as he did with all of the covers used for the Avon series, and they are reproduced beautifully to keep all of the details from the original books intact for a new generation of Phans to enjoy!

Accused of robbery and murder, The Phantom fights to find the real killers and solve the astounding secret of The Golden Circle! He also learns the truth in the old adage “The female is deadlier than the male.”

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The Man With No Hands (My Lady #2) – Toby Neighbors

Magic, danger, rogue elves, and mythical creatures…

Orin is the son of the Raven King, High Lord of Floralon, the Kingdom on the Coast. But he is not a prince, or even an heir. He is an outcast, cursed by the gods, the Man With No Hands. He is also the sworn protector of the sorceress Lady Feray, who will venture to the Wilderness beyond the Mountain Veil where the magical races thrive. Little does he know there are dark tidings in the lands beyond the Veil, strange creatures that haven’t been seen for centuries, and hybrid races that are filled with supernatural power. Loyalties will be tested, futures will be lost, and the Man With No Hands will face the greatest temptation of his life.

Join Feray, Orin, Luc, and their faithful dog Rolo on a grand adventure where animals are allies, nothing is as it seems, and you never know who you can trust.

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The Oaken Throne (Tree of Ages #5) – Sara C. Roethle

A tree’s memory is long. Magic’s memory is longer, and far more dangerous.

A new era has dawned. The forces of humanity are crippled by the ever pressing threat of the Faie. War continues to tear apart the countryside, robbing those who remain of their last shreds of hope.

While peace is only a distant dream for some, there exist the brave few who will stand and fight for what they believe in. Magic does not always mean death, and death does not always mean the end.

Will love and loyalty prevail, or will those who strive for power and darkness put an end to innocence once and for all?

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Seeing Red (Gareth Red #1) – Nick Thacker

For Army sniper Gareth Red, hunting is all part of the game…

It’s being hunted that’s new to him.

Red is a top-notch sniper with a haunting past, looking to trade his skills for a hefty payday.

It doesn’t take long for an offer to find him.

But he soon begins to realize: this is no game.

Is the paycheck worth the trouble?

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Soul Render (Soul Stones #1) – T. L. Branson

It takes a god to kill one.

Resistance fighter Will Sumner wants little more than to avenge his father who died at the hands of the ruthless king, Alexander Drygo. When the opportunity arises to steal the king’s most valuable possession, Will and his brothers launch an assault to retrieve it.

Obtaining the unimaginable power of a legendary soul stone, Will learns that the gods of old aren’t dead after all. But even his newfound ability is no match for the tyrant that sits on the throne.

Now, the power he thought would be his salvation may very well claim his life – or his soul. To help tame this uncontrollable magic, Will seeks assistance from an unlikely source and aligns himself with a rebel group that may not have his best interests at heart.

Will’s brothers have forsaken him, his friends may deceive him, and his enemies will stop at nothing to end his life and seize his power for themselves.

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Vegas Rules (The Valens Legacy #7) – Jan Stryvant

Fresh from his victory in Reno, Sean’s now in Las Vegas to fulfill his promise to help the lycans there with their own slavery problems. Thankfully there aren’t any mages councils in Las Vegas, the mob took care of that years ago. However, there are a number of casinos that are still very entrenched in the use of lycan slaves, not just as workers, but as entertainment, both public and private.

Then there are all those magic users who come to ‘sin city’ to play, and many of them play rough when it comes to both the lycans and the mundanes. While shutting down those casinos that won’t see reason will help, Sean still has to figure out ways to help Roxy’s father and the others in their quest to rein in the worst of the excesses.

They may say that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but the truth is, what happens in Vegas could very well send a notice to the rest of the nation councils that things are changing, and this lion plays for keeps.