Watch out, Harry Dresden, Kinsey Milhone and Mercy Thompson: there's a new kick-ass guardian in town and Verity Fassbinder's taking no nonsense from anyone, not even the fox-spirit assassins who are invading Brisbane in this fast-paced sequel to VIGIL. Life in Brisbane is never simple for those who walk between the worlds. Verity's all about protecting her city, but right now that's mostly running surveillance and handling the less exciting cases for the Weyrd Council - after all, it's hard to chase the bad guys through the streets of Brisbane when you're really, really pregnant. 'Verity is the best thing about the book . . . she's a surly, straight-talking, Doc Marten-wearing punchbag who investigates Weyrd-related crime on behalf of the beleaguered "normal" police' (SFX) An insurance investigation sounds pretty harmless, even if it is for 'Unusual Happenstance'. That's not usually a clause Normals use - it covers all-purpose hauntings, angry genii loci, ectoplasmic home invasion, demonic possession, that sort of thing - but Susan Beckett's claimed three times in three months. Her house keeps getting inundated with mud, but she's still insisting she doesn't need or want help . . . until the dry-land drownings begin. V's first lead in takes her to Chinatown, where she is confronted by kitsune assassins. But when she suddenly goes into labour, it's clear the fox spirits are not going to be helpful. Corpselight, the sequel to Vigil, is the second book in the Verity Fassbinder series by award-winning author Angela Slatter. 'Simply put: Slatter can write! She forces us to recognise the monsters that are ourselves' Jack Dann, award-winning author.

THE BIGGEST—AND LAST—HIGH OF YOUR LIFE... There's a new "drug" on the streets, promising a phenomenal—and deadly—high. But this time the dealers aren't selling a substance. They're working with a creature called a "corpse light"—a creature of pure magic that gives the customer a euphoric rush...as it drains the poor sap's life away. Romulus was the first to see this new scourge in action. As a shapeshifter, he's a freelance agent to the Lone Star police department. His wolfish strength and sense of smell keep him useful—and keep from being admitted into the regular force. So when Jane, a beautiful, amnesiac woman, is caught in a dangerous web with the dealers, there's no way for Romulus to be assigned to the investigation. But that won't stop him from trying to save her, and to discover how she is tied into this case...

A rich and exciting new urban fantasy, perfect for fans of Harry Dresden and Peter Grant. Verity Fassbinder has her feet in two worlds. The daughter of one human and one Weyrd parent, she has very little power herself, but does claim unusual strength and the ability to walk between one world and the other as a couple of her talents. A rarity, she is charged with keeping the peace, and ensuring the Weyrd remain hidden. But now Sirens are dying, illegal wine made from the tears of human children is for sale - and in the hands of those who hold to old, dangerous ways - and someone has released an unknown and terrifyingly destructive force on the streets of Brisbane. Verity must investigate, or risk ancient forces carving the world apart. Vigil is the first book in award-winning author Angela Slatter's Verity Fassbinder series. 'Slatter's work is excellent, and eminently readable . . . It's easy to see how she's managed to make such an impact on the genre' - British Fantasy Society

Reproduction of the original: Norston’s Rest by Ann S. Stephens

The essence of fantasy is magic and the folklore of women has often dwelt on the innumerable powers they possess. Magic that heals, magic that destroys, magic that saves their community. All these elements and more can be found in the queer women of Hellebore & Rue. These lesbians shape their worlds, their wants and needs, and, most important, their destinies. Here are stories of a greenmage reuniting with her former partner on one last mission in Connie Wilkin's "The Windskimmer"; a shaman calling on the power of the Medicine Buddha to fight demons in Jean Marie Ward's "Personal Demons"; and even an aging school nurse discovering a dark secret about her heritage in Steve Berman's "D is for Delicious." A dozen stories by a dozen talented authors, including Juliet Kemp, Lisa Morton, Ruth Sorrell, C. B. Calsing and other names that promise the reader many wonders.

Twenty-one rare, seldom-anthologized stories include "A Bottomless Grave" by Ambrose Bierce, "The Ship that Saw a Ghost" by Frank Norris, Guy de Maupassant's "The Tomb," other gems of the genre.