"e;But what happened to Gavril and Kiukiu after Children of the Serpent Gate? When is the sequel coming out?"e; Readers have been asking me this question ever since Book 3 of The Tears of Artamon was published - and at last I've had the chance to provide an answer in Book 4: The Arkhel Conundrum. Azhkendir, land of snow and shadows, harbours many secrets - and a powerful ancient winter deity is awakened when a foreign mining company begins to strip out the rare mineral resources beneath the mountains. Old clan hatreds are stirred up. The High Steward of Azhkendir, Lord Gavril, and his wife, Spirit Singer Kiukiu, hope to seek help from the Emperor Eugene. But their onetime enemy turned ally is distracted by his competition to build a flying machine. Is someone from their past trying to destabilize the fragile peace of the empire? Or are there supernatural forces involved? The Magus, Kaspar Linnaius, may have the answers...but he has disappeared and no one knows where he is or how to contact him.

A writer of rare imagination, Sarah Ash lends her unique vision to epic fantasy. In this captivating continuation of her saga, the author of Lord of Snow and Shadows revisits a realm filled with spirits and singers, daemons and kings. . . . Gavril Nagarian has finally cast out the dragon-daemon from within himself. The Drakhaoul is gone—and with it all of Gavril’s fearsome powers. No longer possessed, he is instead being driven mad by the Drakhaoul’s absence. Worse, he has betrayed his blood, his people, and put the ice-bound princedom of Azhkendir at risk—and lost.At the mercy of the victorious Eugene of Tielen, Gavril is sentenced to life in an insane asylum. For the power-hungry Eugene longs to possess a Drakhaoul of his own, and his prisoner seems the best way to achieve that goal. Meanwhile, a shattered empire reunites. But peace is as fragile as a rebel’s whisper—and a captive’s wish to be free. . . . Praise for Prisoner of the Iron Tower “A new fantasy series [that] will leave readers drooling to get their hands on the sequel.”—Publishers Weekly “Solid, wonderful fantasy, sparkling and imaginative!”—Booklist “Ash takes her large and colorful cast of characters from horror to pathos, from triumph to betrayal, smoothly and convincingly. a roller-coaster ride of events and emotions in the best modern fantasy manner.”—Kirkus Reviews

In this third novel in her acclaimed Tears of Artamon saga, Sarah Ash once again transports readers to a realm where sorcery collides with political intrigue . . . and where one man haunted by a dark legacy is locked in a fierce struggle between the forces of good and evil battling for supremacy within him. . . . Gavril Nagarian is believed dead—perished in the heat of battle. But the Lord Drakhaon of Azhkendir lives on. Now he is entrusted with a sacred mission: to rescue the aged Magus, who has been kidnapped and in whose possession are the five priceless rubies that compose the fabled Tears of Artamon. Ancient law decrees that whoever possesses the coveted stones has the power to impose his rule over the five princedoms in the Empire of New Rossiya. But the task exacts a cost. The Drakhaoul that destroyed his forebears has penetrated Gavril’s psyche and is gaining power over his soul. With the dark forces inside him seeking immortality, Gavril must feed on the blood of innocents—or die. Toppled by the loss of the Tears of Artamon, Emperor Eugene of Tielen is tormented by his own daemon. Now he must defend his lands against King Enguerrand of Francia, who claims ownership of the Tears. But both men share a common goal: to destroy Gavril Nagarian and the Drakhaoul that lives within him once and for all. Ingenious and unforgettable, Children of the Serpent Gate delivers a thrilling conclusion to the epic trials of a man of honor in a world run amok—a calamity that can be laid to rest only by an Emperor’s Tears.

Three kingdoms. One man. A destiny written in blood. An epic fantasy series begins . . .Seemingly always the outsider, Gavril Andar - an impoverished young painter - yearns to join the privileged circles of Muscobar polite society. However, unknownto him, he does have royal blood in his veins: the dark and powerful blood of a father he never knew.

From the highly acclaimed author of "Tracing the Shadow" comes the conclusionto her new duology, set in a rich and vital fantasy world.

Return to the the epic tale of the Lord of the Isles, David Drake's saga of magic and might. For the first time in a thousand years, the Kingdom of the Isles has a government and a real ruler: Prince Garric of Haft. The enemies joining against him intend to destroy not only the kingdom but humankind as well. The rebels gathering in the West outnumber the royal army and the magic they wield can strike into the heart of the palace itself, but far greater dangers lie behind those. On the far fringes of the Isles, ancient powers ready themselves for a titanic struggle in which human beings are mere pawns--or fodder! Reptilian and insect monsters from out of the ages march on the kingdom, commanded by wizards no longer human or never human at all. If unchecked, their ravening slaughter will sweep over the Isles as destructively as a flood of lava. Garric, ripped from his time and body, must make new allies if he and his kingdom are to survive. Watching them all from the blackness of a tomb walled off in time and space, the Mistress waits... And her fangs drip poison! At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Fantasy is a genre in motion, gradually expanding its reach and historical sources to embrace a global identity Historical Dictionary of Fantasy Literature, Second Edition is a snapshot of the genre in this moment, identifying new themes and sources that are emerging to inspire, enhance and invigorate the published works of fantasy writers.

A trick of magic, a twist of fate. As the orphaned nephew of the king, trusted companion to his cousin, and second heir to the throne of Skala, Prince Tobin’s future is clear. But not as clear as the spring in which a hill witch shows him his true face--and his secret destiny.... Now Tobin carries a burden he cannot share with even his closest friend, Ki, his squire. He is to rule--not as he is but as he was born: a woman. Given the shape of a boy by dark magic, Tobin is the last hope of the people of Illior--those who desperately seek a return to the old ways, when Skala was ruled by a line of warrior queens. They still believe that only a woman can lift the war, famine, and pestilence that have run rampant through the land since the king usurped his half sister’s throne. It is these outlaw wizards and witches who protect Tobin--and it is for them that Tobin must accept his fate. With the unsuspecting yet fiercely loyal Ki at his side, Tobin must turn traitor against the only blood ties he has left. He must lift the masks of Skala’s rulers to show their true colors--before he can reveal the power of the woman within himself.

Two rival clans. Two sacred pearls, the Tide Jewels, that can summon the Tide Dragons to protect the empire.Two young men, Kaito and Naoki, one a Black Crane healer, the other a Red Kite shinobi, are sucked into anancient, unresolved conflict between the gods of land and sea, when the exiled Red Kites steal the Tide Jewelsand re-ignite a bitter clan war. Kaito must find a way to restore the emperor's jewels - but how can it be donewithout betraying his own clan or angering the gods?

Twin slaves. A divided city. A goddess’s wrath. The first novel from the author of the Tears of Artamon trilogy, “an innovative fantasist” (Asimov’s). The once-wondrous land of Myn-Dhiel has suffered under the rule of the House of Memizhon. The decadent king and queen are slowly going insane, and the kingdom seems likely to sink under the weight of its decay. Twins Lai and Laili have spent their quiet lives as initiates of the Goddess on the peaceful island of Ael Lahi. But when they are captured and sold as slaves in the city, Lai must learn to fight for his life in the Arena while Laili is forced into service as the Arkhan’s concubine. The twins ultimately find their place in the intrigues and rivalries of the corrupt court. But discontent is simmering among the city’s oppressed people. When a mysterious cloud of moon moths brings a plague, revolution threatens to bring down the House of Memizhon. Lai and Laili may hold the key to saving the city—unless they too are engulfed in the conflagration. Praise for the Tears of Artamon Trilogy “Unusual . . . Exotic . . . Well worth the read!” —Katherine Kurtz, New York Times–bestselling author “A splendid tale . . . Ash is destined to be one of the bright luminaries of fantasy.” —Dennis L. McKiernan, national bestselling author “Rousing. . . . with its vivid 18th-century European flavor and fallen angels who evoke Paradise Lost. Lovers of big, complex fantasy sagas (think Robert Jordan or George R.R. Martin) will be well pleased.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)