Invasion Impending Still shaken by the events that ended with the Old One’s Sanctum off-limits for the foreseeable future, Griffin, Adara, Terrell, and the puma Sand Shadow set out for the forbidden zone of Maiden’s Tear. There they hope to find another repository of the seegnur’s technology and, with that, the means by which Griffin can contact his orbiting ship. But although his Sanctum may be drowned, the Old One has not given up his dreams of being the one who will resurrect – and control – the seegnur’s technology. Along with Adara’s former lover, Julyan, and the mysterious child-psychic, Seamus, the Old One stalks them, intent that any prize they take will become his own. In the midst of this, Adara wrestles with her complex feelings for Griffin and Terrell – and with the consequences of her and Sand Shadow’s new bond with the planet Artemis. Focused on his own goals, Griffin is unaware that his arrival on Artemis has created unexpected consequences for those he is coming to hold dear. Unwittingly, he has left a trail – and Artemis is about to be invaded.

Intrigue and Adventure Unfold When a Lost Planet is Found Terraformed from barren rock to provide the most powerful citizens of the Empire with an environment that would test their unenhanced strengths, Artemis was a planet of wildness and lies. All tech was concealed. Both animals and humans were bioengineered to make certain the planet’s guests would face challenges beyond their wildest imaginings. When the Empire fell, the location of Artemis was lost, although legends remained to tantalize historians. When ambitious archeologist Griffin Dane finds intriguing hints as to the location of the lost planet, he sets out alone to confirm his find. When Dane reaches Artemis, his shuttle crashes – perhaps not by accident. Stranded, with no discernible way to get home, he forms an uneasy alliance with the Huntress Adara and her psych-linked companion, the puma Sand Shadow. Together they set out to find a way to get Griffin home, along the way uncovering some of the secrets that lie beneath the planet’s wilderness exterior, secrets that may lead to the recovery of weird powers far beyond what humanity now dares to dream.

WONDER NO MORE—GET ALL THE FACTS ON DC COMICS’ FOREMOST SUPER HEROINE! She’s as beautiful as Aphrodite and as wise as Athena, stronger then Hercules and swifter than Hermes. Blessed at birth by the gods themselves, Princess Diana left an idyllic island paradise ruled by wise and brave women to bring the peace, love, and nobility of the Amazons to the tumultuous world of humankind. In January 1942, Wonder Woman took the world of comics—and its pantheon of superpowered males—by storm. Wielding her impervious silver bracelets and golden Lasso of Truth, she’s battled forces of evil from the Axis powers to a slew of super-villains worldwide, teamed up with the likes of Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, and the Flash, and become a high-flying feminist icon and pop-culture superstar. Now, for the first time in more than thirty years, here’s a definitive A-to-Z volume that draws together all the knowledge about the star-spangled, action-packed history of Wonder Woman. In more than 400 fact-packed pages you’ll find • the complete story of Wonder Woman’s origins, as imagined and reinterpreted by generations of comics writers—including her groundbreaking creator, William Moulton Marston • biographies of every major character in Wonder Woman’s universe, including her mother, Hippolyta; sister, Donna Troy; and mortal ally Steve Trevor—as well as such classic foes as Ares, Cheetah, Hades, and the members of Villainy Inc. • classic black-and-white comic book artwork throughout • two sixteen-page full-color artwork inserts—plus a dazzling original cover illustration by fan-favorite artist Adam Hughes Written by veteran Wonder Woman artist and writer Phil Jimenez and comics historian John Wells, The Essential Wonder Woman Encyclopedia is the ultimate archive, proving that die-hard devotees of the gorgeous go-to goddess don’t have to visit Paradise Island for a taste of heaven on earth. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Firekeeper never viewed her ability to speak with animals as anything other than her birthright as a human raised by wolves. However, to the theocrats of Liglim, it is literally the answer to prayer. Determined to pry the secret from the wolf-woman, the Liglimom kidnap Firekeeper and Blind Seer. Determined to leave no trail, they even take the risk of kidnapping Derian Counselor. But being trapped in a new land is only the beginning of the shocks to Firekeeper’s world view. Unlike the humans Firekeeper has met to this point, the Liglimom not only know about the elite Beasts who Firekeeper considers her people, they have enshrined them as go-betweens in their communication with the Divine. Before she departs Liglim, Firekeeper is determined to learn the truth about the relationship between the Wise Beasts and the humans of Liglim. If they are captives –as she, Blind Seer, and Derian are captives – then the wolf-woman vows to do everything in her power to set them free.

Whether You Live to Write or Write to Live, This is the Book for You… Wanderings on Writing is not just a “how to write book.” It’s also a window into how one writer has managed to fit writing in around the demands of “real” life. Over fifty essays address topics as diverse as hooking a reader, presenting conflict, creating vivid characters, and research strategies. Throughout, Lindskold provides examples of the unique challenges faced by writers of science fiction and fantasy. Lindskold also examines less commonly addressed topics, such as making time to write and organizing a developing project. Jane Lindskold is a New York Times bestselling, award-winning author. She has had published over twenty novels and sixty-some short stories, as well as numerous works of non-fiction. “I adore Jane Lindskold’s writing. Her novels are a rarity for me – fat, engrossing novels that still don’t seem long enough.” Charles deLint “Lindskold is a writer with strong world-building skills and a knack for intricate yet comprehensible plots.” Romantic Times BOOKreviews “The characterization is superb, the plotting swift, and the prose a pleasure to read.” VOYA on Child of a Rainless Year

Into the Land of Unreason Has Bent Bamboo, the Monkey, betrayed the Exiles? Who gave Thundering Heaven the horrible new sword he bears: Soul Slicer—a blade designed to destroy both the living and the dead? What is the source of the terrifying chaos that has taken over the Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice? Why is Pearl Bright, the once robust Tiger, visibly failing? Despite the threat offered by this unknown enemy, a small band of scouts ventures into the tormented chaos beyond the last door into the Lands. Brenda Morris is not among their company—not by her own choice, but because her protective father, the true Rat—refuses to let his daughter go into danger. Instead, Brenda is ordered to resume her life as a college student in South Carolina, far from the Orphans’ base in California. But Brenda’s involvement in occult matters is far from over. A mysterious classmate hints that the fate of numerous interconnected realities are threatened by the force behind the chaos in the Lands. When the scouts vanish, Brenda must decide whether to hide behind her father’s protection or to venture into realms no other Orphans has ever encountered. Bonus Material includes the newly expanded essay, “Flowers and Seasons of Ritual Magic.” “This complex novel blends passion, jealousy between beings living and dead, and day-to-day reality with the mysticism of Chinese astrology.… Infused with the symbolism and resonance of Chinese astrology, Five Odd Honors offers readers a wide cast of characters and a multilayered drama rich in magic, treachery, raw courage and true friendship. BookPage “…one of the more enjoyable books I’ve read recently. Lindskold is no slouch as a storyteller.” Green Man Review on Five Odd Honors

Since she left the wolves who raised her to cross over the Iron Mountains, Firekeeper’s pack has expanded to include a diverse assortment of creatures – human and not. When the wolf-woman receives a desperate call for help from the jaguar, Truth, Firekeeper – Blind Seer, as ever, at her side – races to Truth’s aid. Over a year prior, Truth sacrificed her sanity in a valiant effort to keep Firekeeper alive. Now there may be a way for Truth to reunite her fragmented mind with her failing body – but the jaguar needs Firekeeper to open a door, that is not quite a door, if that is to happen. How to release Truth may be only the beginning of Firekeeper and Blind Seer’s problems, for there are hints that an ancient power may be released along with the jaguar – a power that uses living creatures as playing pieces, and who has more than a little interest in Firekeeper herself.

Orphans Besieged After a violent attack makes all too clear that the Lands Born from Smoke and Sacrifice are willing to invade, the indigenous magical traditions of Earth turn against the Thirteen Orphans. Pearl Bright, the Tiger, realizes the fight must be taken into the Lands—but she can’t do this alone, and her allies are increasingly untrustworthy. Shaken from her close encounter with death by violence, Brenda Morris is uncertain about her place among the Orphans, an uncertainty not helped by being forced to accept that that Flying Claw, once known as “Foster,” the man she thought she loved, is, by training and tradition, a skilled killer. Yet, despite numerous complexities, if the Orphans hope to meet their enemies from a position of strength, they must open the Nine Gates: a feat that will begin with the revelation of dark secrets and extend to demanding the cooperation not only of barely cooperating living allies, but also of the resentful dead. Bonus material includes the newly expanded essay “Disappointment Evaded.” “The system of magic is complex, the direction the series is taking is mysterious, and the correspondence to Chinese myth and mah-jong are thought-provoking.” Booklist on Nine Gates “Contrasting themes of love and duty, loyalty and ambition, family and otherness lend a sense of universality to this urban fantasy.” Library Journal on Nine Gates