A dark secret lurking beneath the surface of Etheria erupts near the Straywood Forest, engulfing the lives of two wood elves and threatening the tenuous peace between the elves and the dwarves of the Anvil Throne. While on patrol, an elven Beastmaster named Lithann rushes to the aid of a fellow elf being attacked by strange beasts she’s never seen before…but she is too late. When the creatures disappear underground with her friend, Lithann descends into the darkness with her loyal fox, Wiley, to save him. There she meets an outcast dwarf named Digur, who may hold the key to her survival, and a mysterious Sortilege elf named Inesta, who has secrets of his own.
Will McDermott is a game writer and author. He has written for many computer games, including Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, TERA, ZMR, and HAWKEN. Will has also written five other game-related novels—two in the Magic: the Gathering universe (Judgment and The Moons of Mirrodin), and three in the Necromunda corner of the Warhammer 40K universe (Blood Royal, Cardinal Crimson, and Lasgun Wedding). Will has raised three gamer children and lives in the Seattle area with his game designer wife and the cutest dog in the universe (whose name is not Wiley, but probably should be).

The first book in Mercedes Lackey's classic Mage Wars trilogy featuring the gryphons, set in the beloved fantasy world of Valdemar It is an age when Valdemar is yet unfounded, its organization of Heralds yet unformed, and magic is still a wild and uncontrolled force. Skandranon Rashkae is perhaps the finest specimen of his race, with gleaming ebony feathers, majestic wingspan, keen magesight, and sharp intelligence. Courageous, bold, and crafty, Skan is everything a gryphon should be. He is the fulfillment of everything that the Mage of Silence, the human sorcerer called Urtho, intended to achieve when he created these magical beings to be his champions, the defenders of his realm—a verdant plain long coveted by the evil mage Maar. Now Maar is once again advancing on Urtho's Keep, this time with a huge force spearheaded by magical constructs of his own—cruel birds of prey ready to perform any evil their creator may demand of them. And when one of Urtho's Seers wakes from a horrifying vision in which she sees a devastating magical weapon being placed in the hands of Maar's common soldiers, Skandrannon is sent to spy across enemy lines, cloaked in the protective of Urtho's powerful Spell of Silence.

It has been ten years since the magical Cataclysm, which destroyed the twin strongholds of the two world's most powerful Mages, killing Urtho, creator of the gryphons, and sending his forces into exile. Now Urthro's peoples--human and non-human alike live in a terraced city carved into the face of a gleaming white cliff on the edge of the Western Ocean. Secure at least, ...until the fleet of the mysterious Black Kings appears in their harbor, bringing envoys who inform the residents of White Gryphon that their newfound home lies on the northern perimeter of lands claimed by this powerful kingdom. Desperate not to lose their hard won home, Skandranon, along with his longtime friend Amberdrake--agree to accompany the envoys back to the Court of the Black Kings, hoping to negotiate an alliance. ...When a high ranking noble who opposes this alliance is found murdered--Skandranon and Amberdrake realize that they are up against unknown enemies who will stop at nothing, even the use of diabolical Blood Magic, to destroy White Gryphon.

Lusam grew up in the relative safety of the Elveen mountains with his grandmother. She taught him the basics of magic, and discovered quite by accident, that he possessed a unique skill never seen before, the ability to hide his magical aura from the mage-sight of others. Dark secrets surround Lusam's origins, and the dark agents of the Empire will stop at nothing to kill Lusam. But before Lusam could be taught all he needed to know about his past, his grandmother unexpectedly dies of a fever, and Lusam finds himself homeless on the unforgiving streets of Helveel. Unbeknown to Lusam, the only thing keeping him alive is a promise he made to his grandmother, to always hide his aura, no matter what. Lusam meets and befriends a young thief fleeing her old city of Stelgad, before making a magical discovery that will change both their lives forever, and possibly the fate of the entire world.

A dozen years of peace have passed in the city of White Gryphon - providing well deserved and much needed security for the people who had lost their homes in the magical Cataclysm which killed the Mage Urtho, creator of the gryphons. But the inhabitants of White Gryphon have not forgotten their long struggles, and have trained an elite guard force, the Silver Gryphons, to protect their city, and if necessary, to join with the army of the Black Kings for mutual defense.

The world is on the verge of war, and only the Magebreakers can stop it. The exciting conclusion to the Magebreakers saga! The nations of the Continent are on the verge of declaring war with Audland over the actions of the man who would be the next Mage Emperor, and only Tane, Kadka, Indree, and Tinga know the truth about Endo Stooke's plot. The problem is, they're on the run, blamed for the attempted assassination of the Belgrian Kaiser. And the non-magical forces gathering off Audland's coast are the perfect target for the terrible spell Endo has created-a spell that saps the life out of anyone without magic. A spell that won't be sated by foreign armies alone, if it reaches Audish shores. With few friends to count on, fewer resources, and time quickly running out, the Magebreakers have no choice but to sneak back into their homeland as fugitives in the hopes of stopping Endo before he plunges the world into the next Mage War.

After accidentally discovering the possible existence of a second Guardian book, Lusam and his party are remorselessly hunted high into the Elveen mountains by the Empire agents, who are intent on killing or capturing them. What they discover there, may very well change the balance of power in their favour against the Thule Empire. But their discovery will count for nothing, if they cannot reach Lamuria in time to try and stop the massive invasion force sent by Lord Zelroth, who is intent on destroying their capital, and stealing The High Temple's secrets for himself. Lusam inadvertently discovers a long guarded secret of Lord Zelroth's, one that will profoundly change his own life forever, and force him to take action that he may very well not be prepared for.

The last thing I expected was to gain the spells of the woman in my bed. Hell, I didn't even know magic existed until I'd cast a spell that morning. Then a beautiful teacher from a magical academy told me I could become the universe's most powerful mage.To get there, I need to become stronger. I need to ace all my examinations. And, most of all, I need to master the most potent spells.But I have to start somewhere.This begins my first year at the Mazirian Academy.

With her phenomenal Mage Winds trilogy, bestselling author Mercedes Lackey captivated fans across the country. Now in the first volume of the series sequel, she continues the same storyline, returning readers to a war-torn Valdemar in preparation to confront an ancient Eastern Empire--ruled by a monarch whose magical tactics by be beyond any sorcery known to the western kingdoms.