Enslaved by King Kregant’s army, Dar survived by befriending the fierce orcs who were also forced to serve. Now she has escaped—only to find that the price of freedom may be her destiny. Calling on her untried leadership abilities, Dar guides the surviving orc soldiers to the safety of their homeland—but the clan leaders refuse to accept her unless she can release their queen from Kregant’s fortress. Shaken by her growing gift for dark prophecy and a fate she feels unprepared to accept, Dar must infiltrate the very heart of the despot’s empire. There she will discover unexpected treachery and an ancient power that threatens the future of all.

“Original and vivid. I was captivated.”—Nancy Kress, author of Beggars in Spain Born into hardship, Dar learns to rely on herself alone. When her family betrays her, Dar is conscripted into King Kregant’s army and its brutal campaign to conquer a neighboring country. Now she is bound as a slave to a dreaded regiment of orcs, creatures legendary for their savagery and battle prowess. Rather than cower, Dar rises to the challenge. She learns the unique culture and language of the orcs, survives treachery from both allies and enemies, and struggles to understand a mystical gift that brings her dark, prophetic visions. As the war escalates—amid nightmarish combat and shattering loss—Dar must seize a single chance at freedom.

"An epic fantasy in the Tolkien tradition, with a strong girl hero. . . . I couldn’t put it down!" – Tamora Pierce Maerad is a slave in a desperate and unforgiving settlement, taken there as a child when her family is destroyed in war. She doesn’t yet know she has inherited a powerful gift, one that marks her as a member of the noble School of Pellinor and enables her to see the world as no other can. It is only when she is discovered by Cadvan, one of the great Bards of Lirigon, that her true identity and extraordinary destiny unfold. Now, she and her mysterious teacher must embark on a treacherous, uncertain journey through a time and place where the forces of darkness wield an otherworldly terror. The first book in a projected quartet, Alison Croggon’s epic about Maerad and her remarkable yet dangerous gift is a beautiful, unforgettable tale. Presented as a new translation of an ancient text, The Naming evokes the rich and complex landscape of Annar, a legendary world just waiting to be discovered.

As the Orcs hurtle towards the final issue of The Gift, Pez struggles to control her chaotic magical powers. Back in the caves meanwhile, a mysterious specter is seemingly haunting the entire tribe... Who (or what?!) could it be? What unfinished business do they have with the Orcs? And why do these things always seem to happen when the Wise Woman is away? Answers to all of these questions (and more!) await readers in the penultimate issue of Christine Larsen's latest ORCS! adventure!

Where a unique fantasy series began! A fast moving, action packed epic that for the first time tells the story of fantasy's traditional enemy, giving orcs their own motives, heroes and destiny. An epic quest that takes orc warband leader Stryke and his warriors on a journey to secure five artifacts of power with which they hope the can buy their freedom but which actually hold the key to everything and the explanation for the sudden incursion of mankind into the world of the elder races, an incursion that is leeching the magic out of the land of Maras-Dantia.

Fans of the feline with a ferocious appetite don’t just have The Garfield Movie to celebrate, but the first furry foray in a new 4-issue tie-in series! And to add yet another layer to the lasagna, this first issue features not just one story, but plenty of hilarious material for seconds...

A GIRL, A BOY--AND THE DRAGON The prophecy of Mouvar is running its course in the many frames of reality inhabited by Kelvin Knight Hackleberry and his family. The great Confederation of kingdoms under the rule of the twins Kildom and Kildee is a triumph for good. But Kelvin's enemies are not all dead. The evil witch Zady seeks vengeance for the deaths of Zoanna and Rufurt in another frame, and she has vowed Kelvin will pay with the lives of his children, Merlain and Charles. Zady's wicked plan is to lure the precocious, telepathic six-year-olds on a quest of their own that will draw the Confederation into a war it cannot win, and bring death and ruin on all Kelvin holds dear. Merlain and Charles are not twins, however, but two of the set of triplets--the third is Horus, a dragon, and their only hope.

Despite their constant infighting and backstabbing, orc horde armies remain a dire threat to all races. To them, war is life. Beginning with an examination of the fighting methods of the individual orc warrior, the book expands to look at how they do battle in their small warbands and in vast armies. Using vivid illustrations, it reveals the tactics, strategies, and technology of all the orc troop types, from lightly armed archers and heavily armored shock troops to their wolf cavalry and siege engines. Finally, it explores specific key battles to develop the fullest possible understanding of these loathsome, terrifying creatures and the ways in which they wage war.

The original Orcs series continues War is throwing the land of Maras Dantia into chaos: war between the elder races and the invading humans; war between the two sects of humans themselves. As the armies gather and the magic leaks away from the land, Stryke and his warband of orcs are on the run from everyone; from the orcs that Jennasta has sent after them and from the humans who will kill any orc on sight. Stryke's quest for the artifacts that will secure the destiny of the orcs and, if they but knew it, all the races old and new in Maras Dantia, has never been more urgent and more difficult. As the net closes in and his troopers fall one by one to foes that even they never imagined in their worst dreams, time is running out for Stryke, for all orcs and for Maras Dantia.

"I love these stories" Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Hugo- and Nebula-award winning author of The Fey ELVES WENT INTO THE WEST—TO AMERICA. GENERATIONS LATER, ORCS FOLLOWED. 1927 Detroit. Orcs fight Prohibition, avoid police, and labor hard for their children. All while doing their best to navigate the narrow human world. Men drive fancy Dodges and Cadillacs; orcs squeeze into fourth-hand Model Ts. Dwarves dominate the skilled trades; orcs push brooms. And behind everything, elves make it their life’s work to deny orcs have worth. To be an orc is to endure, but when the world tries to deny even that, an orc must act. And Uruk-Tai will do anything for his family. This long-demanded collection includes all the Prohibition Orcs tales—Spilled Mirovar, Final Gift, Drowned Mirovar, Witness November, Degreased Hopes, Woolen Torment, and the never before published A Debt of Meat. With an introduction by USA Today best-selling author Robert Jeschonek