Best Selling Books by Mercedes Lackey

Follows the adventures of Talia as she travels the land as a Herald of Valdemar in the third book in the classic epic fantasy Arrows trilogy With Elspeth, the heir to the throne of Valdemar, come of marriageable age, Talia, the Queen’s Own Herald returns to court to find Queen and heir beset by diplomatic intrigue as various forces vie for control of Elspeth’s future. But just as Talia is about to uncover the traitor behind all these intrigues, she is sent off on a mission to the neighboring kingdom, chosen by the Queento investigate the worth of a marriage proposal from Prince Ancar. And, to her horror, Talia soon discovers there is far more going on at Prince Ancar’s court than just preparation for a hoped-for royal wedding. For a different magic than that of the Heralds is loose in Ancar’s realm—an evil and ancient sorcery that may destroy all of Valdemar unless Talia can send warning to her Queen in time!

This exciting new anthology includes a new novella featuring Mercedes Lackey''s most popular heroines, Tarma (one of the sword-sworn and most feared of all warriors) and Kethry (who wields magic and weapons for the greater good), whose fates are suddenly bound together in blood by the powers that control their destinies. Also included in the unique volume is the complete collection of Lackey''s short stories about these two brave sisters as they answer the call of their destinies with sword and sorcery!

Tannim is a human mage fond of fast cars and loud music, working with the elf lord Keighvin to rescue runaway kids in serious trouble. But those kids are being used by Keighvin'' enemies to bait a trap. Meanwhile, Tannim thinks he''s found the right woman, but it seems she wants to kill him.

A sexy witch who writes romances and a police detective who sees more than mortal man team up to battle an ancient Aztec god given new life in modern America!

"Before he learned that High Magic was real, Tiercel Rolfort wasn''t sure what he was going to do with his life. Now he knows: keep from getting killed long enough to somehow teach himself High Magic and try to save the world." "Harrier Gillain always knew that his role in life was to keep Tiercel out of trouble. He''s still doing it - only now he''s got to fend off attacks by a powerful, rogue Wild Mage. That Harrier is destined to be the first Knight-Mage in a thousand years isn''t helping matters. Knight-Mages tend to get a lot of people killed, and Harrier doesn''t like killing." "Hidden deep in the desert, Wild Mage Bisochim continues his attempts to restore Darkness to the world - to fix the Balance. Despite the resistance of his bonded dragon, Bisochem knows he''s doing the right thing. When he''s healed the Balance, then Saravasse will love him again." "The desert tribes have taken Bisochim''s sermons on the damaged Balance to heart. They know that those who will not help repair the Balance are enemies, and young Zanattar and his followers are determined to destroy them." "One tribe has resisted Bisochim''s siren call to war. Led by Shaiara, they have made the long journey into desert lands that even their fellow tribes consider mythical. Concealed from both magical and earthly searches, her people seek only peace. And then a huge black dragon dumps two weary warriors on Shaiara''s doorstep." "Tiercel, Harrier, Shaiara and the dragon Ancaladarf seek desperately for a way to stop Bisochim and Zanattar, but the boys have only been Mages for a few moonturns. Can they really stop a war?"--BOOK JACKET.

From beloved fantasy author Mercedes Lackey comes a fresh and feminist reinterpretation of Sleeping Beauty. Miriam may be the daughter of Queen Alethia of Tirendell, but she''s not a princess. She''s the child of Alethia and her previous husband, the King''s Champion, who died fighting for the king, and she has no desire to rule. When her new baby sister Aurora, heir to the throne, is born, she''s ecstatic. She adores the child, who seems perfect in every way. But on the day of Aurora''s christening, an uninvited Dark Fae arrives, prepared to curse her, and Miriam discovers she possesses impossible power. Soon, Miriam is charged with being trained in both magic and combat to act as chief protector to her sister. But shadowy threats are moving closer and closer to their kingdom, and Miriam''s dark power may not be enough to save everyone she loves, let alone herself.

In this second installment of the Family Spies series, set in the bestselling world of Valdemar, the children of Heralds Mags and Amily must follow in their parents'' footsteps to protect the realm. Mags, Herald Spy of Valdemar, and his wife, Amily, the King’s Own Herald, are happily married with three kids. Their daughter, Abidela, dreams of building on her parents'' legacy by joining her father''s network of spies, hoping to offset her seeming lack of a Gift. But when Abi senses the imminent collapse of a bridge only moments before it happens, she saves countless lives, including that of her best friend, Princess Katiana. The experience, though harrowing, uncovers her unique Gift—an ability to sense the physical strains in objects. Intrigued by the potential of her Gift, the Artificers seek to claim her as their own—but only the Healers can train her. Through training with both of them, Abi discovers unique facets of her Gift, including a synesthetic connection to objects that allows her to “see” as well as feel the strains. Her Gift may also grant her a distinct advantage as a spy—there won’t be a building in the entire kingdom of Valdemar with a secret room that she doesn’t know about. With the help of her mentors, she must hone her gift to uncover the hidden secrets in the depths of Valdemar.

Eric Banyon, also known as Bedlam''s Bard, managed to rescue his young brother Magnus from what seemed to be a killer demon (in Mad Maudlin), but now he must rescue Magnus again, this time from their tyrannical parents. Eric does not look forward to the battle, but is confident he can gain custody. His financial sources are virtually unlimited, his friend Ria Llewellyn heads the most high-powered law firm in New York, and in a pinch he and his friends can use to magic powers, even flummoxing a DNA test, it comes to that. What Eric does not know is that his parents are allied with the evangelist Billy Fairchild, who himself is a tool of the evil Unseleighe elves, who feed off human sorrow and suffering. Fairchild specializes in getting "bad" children to shape up, which is accomplished by letting a soulsucker¾malevolent creature from the elf world¾drain the victim of all talent, creativity, and will, leaving an obedient zombie husk behind. If Magnus and his friend Ace, who is also on the run from her twisted parents, fall into Fairchild''s hands, they will join the Unseleighe''s zombie ranks. And Eric''s bardic magic may not be enough to save them. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

The first adventure in an epic fantasy trilogy set in the beloved world of Valdemar, from New York Times-bestselling author Mercedes Lackey! Longtime enemies must lay old griefs to rest if they’re to survive the armies of the Eastern Empire—whose monarch wields a powerful sorcery unlike any other. Karse and Valdemar have long been enemy kingdoms—their peoples filled with mutual prejudice and mistrust. Only the vile deeds perpetuated on both kingdoms by Ancar of Hardorn, and the subsequent emergence of the armies of the Eastern Empire in the wake of his defeat, have forced these two so-different lands into an uneasy alliance . . . For the Eastern Empire, which has long been isolated and shadowed in mystery, is ruled by a monarch whose magical tactics may be beyond any sorcery known to the Western kingdoms . . . Forced to combat this dire foe, not only must traditional enemies unite, but the Companions may, at last, have to reveal secrets which they have kept hidden for centuries . .. . even from their beloved Heralds. 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 returns readers to the intoxicating but war-torn world of Valdemar.

A young Herald trainee in Haven, Mags, is trained as a spy to uncover secrets held by a mysterious new enemy of the kingdom of Valdemar.

Within the Eastern Empire, Duke Kordas Valdemar rules a tiny, bucolic Duchy that focuses mostly on horse breeding. Anticipating the day when the Empire''s exploitative and militant leaders would not be content to leave them alone, his father gathered magicians in the hopes of one day finding a way to escape and protect the people of the Duchy from tyranny. One of the Duchy''s mages find there is a way to place a Gate at a distance so far from the Empire that it is unlikely the Emperor can find or follow them as they evacuate everyone that is willing to leave. When Kordas is summoned to the Emperor''s Court, will his reputation as a country bumpkin buy his people the time they need to flee? -- adapted from jacket.

Evil had cast its shadow over the kingdom of Rethwellan. When Idra, leader of the Sunhawks mercenaries, failed to return from a journey to her home, Tarma and Kethry, warrior and mage, set out in search of their vanished leader.

Welcome back to the Five Hundred Kingdoms, where the greatest fortune is the one you make… The seventh daughter of the Sea King, Ekaterina is more than a pampered princess—she''s also the family spy. Which makes her the perfect emissary to discover secrets in the neighboring kingdom…and nothing interests her more than Sasha, the seventh son of the king of Belrus. She suspects he''s far from the fool people think he is, but before she can find out what lies beneath his façade, she runs into trouble… Kidnapped and trapped in a Jinn’s castle, Ekaterina knows her chances of being found are slim. Now fortune, a fool and a paper bird are the only things she can count on to escape—along with her own clever mind and intrepid heart.… Previously Published. Read the Tale of Five Hundred Kingdoms Series by Mercedes Lackey: Book 1: The Fairy Godmother Book 2: One Good Knight Book 3: Fortune’s Fool Book 4: The Snow Queen Book 5: The Sleeping Beauty Book 6: Beauty and the Werewolf

In the thrilling finale to Mercedes Lackey''s New York Times bestselling trilogy, Apex City is safe for now, but within the city barriers, Joy must wage a different kind of war. Being a member of the Elite Hunter Command imperils Joy in more ways than one. In their latest clash with Othersiders, the army of monsters nearly wiped them out. But now, the corrupt and powerful PsiCorps is determined to usurp the Hunters as chief defenders of Apex City and Joy is now squarely in their crosshairs. Unused to playing political games, she has very few people she can truly trust--not even Josh, her first friend in Apex City, who broke up with her when it became too dangerous for a Psimon to be dating a Hunter. Then Josh comes to Joy for help. He fears that Abigail Drift, the head of PsiCorps, will soon use him in her twisted experiments designed to empower PsiCorps--a scheme that''s already killed off dozens of Psimons. Joy manages to smuggle Josh to safety, but he cannot evade Drift forever. As Joy faces ever more powerful Othersiders, she is helped by the most surprising ally imaginable--the same Folk Mage she once met in battle on the train to Apex City. But can Joy trust the most cunning and treacherous of all Othersiders?

In the third novel of the best-selling Dragon Jousters series, The Altan serf Vetch has escaped the enemy kingdom of Tia, only to find his homeland, Alta, enslaved by the evil Priest-Kings. With a small band of followers, Vetch must gather a secret army of dragon riders to rid their world of war and magical domination once and for all.

Native American culture, beliefs, and magic are the foundation for a contemporary novel of fantasy and suspense.

The third and final book in Mercedes Lackey''s classic Mage Wars trilogy featuring the gryphons, set in the beloved fantasy world of Valdemar A dozen years of peace have passed in the city of White Gryphon, providing well-deserved and much-needed security for the people who lost their homes in the magical Cataclysm that 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.

THIS IS YOUR SOUL ON DRUGS After the events chronicled in Bedlam''s Bard, world-saving bard and magician Eric Banyon moves into his new New York apartment hoping to settle down to the quiet life. No such luck: his building is a safe-house for a group of occultist Guardians protecting the city from supernatural evil. And there''s a new evil for them to guard against.... When unethical drug researchers discover that they can induce amazing mental powers using psychotropic drugs, they begin planning to raise a drug-enslaved army of mercenaries and grow very, very rich. But this gets the attention of Aerune mac Audelaine, lord of the dark Unseleighe Sidney, who hopes to use the drugs to break through to the human world and feed on the suffering there. Both plans will bring terror to the world-and both are threatened by the very existence of Eric Banyan. With his possibly loyal companions-a beautiful elven half-breed and a gargoyle Eric heads for a three-way battle of wizardry that will determine Gotham''s fate-and his own. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

The Demon Chernobog¾ Foiled but Not Conquered in The Shadow of the Lion¾ is Back to Conquer Sixteenth-Century Venice! Chernobog had come within a hair of seizing absolute power in Venice, but was thwarted by the guardian Lion-spirit, who awoke to protect his city from the power-mad demon. But the power of the Lion is limited to Venice, and Chernobog has a new ally in the King of Hungary, who has beseiged the island of Corfu to seize control of the Adriatic from Venice. Trapped on the island is the small band of heroes who awoke the Lion and thwarted Chernobog before. Far from the Lion''s help, Manfred and Erik lead guerrillas against the foe, and Maria discovers ancient magical powers on the island. If she can make alliance with them, she may be able to repel the invaders¾but not without paying a bitter personal price. . . . At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). Praise for the Prequel, The Shadow of the Lion: "The prolific Lackey and cohorts Flint and Freer whip up a luscious bouillabaisse of politics, intrigue, love and black magic set in an "Other-worldly, New-Age Venice. . . ." The authors'' use of contemporary American vernacular . . . instead of pompous period speech keeps the pages turning fast. . . ." ¾Publishers Weekly "[A] massive concoction of alternate history, high fantasy, and historical romance set in the sixteenth-century Venice of an alternate world . . . rich plotting, vivid characterization, and splendid evocation of Renaissance ethics and culture should make readers turn all the pages." ¾Booklist ". . . a sweeping alternate history. .. .The authors deftly wield the juxtaposition of fantasy and history into a finely crafted story." ¾Romantic Times "[A] top pick . . . fast-paced action and complex, believable settings." ¾The Bookwatch

NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR. ENTRY #10 IN MERCEDES LACKEY''S CELEBRATED SERRATED EDGE URBAN FANTASY SERIES! Deeply depressed Olivia, whose parents are divorcing, is ripe for manipulation. And swimming star Blake is looking for someone just like her. Although her friend tries to warn her, Olivia falls for his ploys and accepts an invitation to go to the Adirondack resort camp of Lake Endor with him and his family. But all is not as it seems at the hundred year old resort. Not only does Olivia discover that Blake is not the guy she thought he was, there is something sinister afoot at the lake. There is something lying beneath the waters of Lake Endor. Something not of this world. Will Olivia be drawn under or will she allow true friends to draw her from the lure of oblivion? At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). About The Waters and the Wild: "Impressive worldbuilding . . . series fans will no doubt find plenty to enjoy."—Publishers Weekly About Mercedes Lackey: "She''ll keep you up past your bedtime."—Stephen King "A writer whose work I''ve loved all along"—Marion Zimmer Bradley "With [Mercedes Lackey], suspense never lags..." —Kliatt "[C]omes together seamlessly. . .an awesome and lightning-paced story: read it on a day when you will not have to put it down."–San Francisco Book Review on World Divided About Rosemary Edghill: “Edghill has a chatty, witty style that keeps the action fast-paced.” —USA Today

The epic fantasy adventure series continues as great magics change the Fortunate Lands, elves wage war, and one woman tries to unify the Hundred Houses. From the authors of the New York Times bestsellers When Darkness Falls and The Phoenix Transformed, and USA Today bestseller To Light a Candle . . . They thought the war was over. They were wrong. Great magics are changing the world of the Fortunate Lands forever. Elves wage war against friends and family as one woman seeks to unify the Hundred Houses under her banner. Runacarendalur Caerthalien has been a master of battle for hundreds of years, but he found himself on the wrong side—the losing side—in the last war. Betrayed by his brother, trapped in a prophecy he does not understand, Runacar flees the battlefield. Yet Runacar is no coward. In a twist he could never have imagined, the Elven War-Prince finds himself leading a new army into battle—a force of centaurs, merfolk, gryphons, minotaurs, and talking bears who can perform magic. For centuries they have been trying to reclaim their lands from Elven invaders. With Runacar at the helm, they just might manage it . . .

A GHOST OF A CHANCE A voice, an icy, whispering voice, came out of the darkness from all around her; from everywhere, yet nowhere. It could have been born of her imagination, yet Rune knew the voice was the Ghost''s, and that to run was to die. Instantly, but in terror that would make dying seem to last an eternity. "Why have you come here, stupid child " it murmured, as fear urged her to run away. "Why were you waiting here For me Foolish child, do you not know what I am What I could do to you " Rune had to swallow twice before she could speak, and even then her voice cracked and squeaked with fear. "I''ve come to fiddle for you-sir " she said, gasping for breath between each word, trying to keep her teeth from chattering. The Ghost laughed, a sound with no humor in it, the kind of laugh that called up empty wastelands and icy peaks. "Well, then, girl. Fiddle, then. And pray to that Sacrificed God of yours that you fiddle well, very well. If you please me, if you continue to entertain me until dawn, I shall let you live, a favor I have never granted any other. But I warn you-the moment my attention lags, little girl-you''ll die like all the others and you will join all the others in my own private little Hell." At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

In the second novel in national best-selling legend Mercedes Lackey''s richly-conceived new Joust series, the dragonrider Vetch escapes to Alta, the subjugated land of his birth. There, he hopes to teach his people to raise and train dragons-and build an army that will liberate his homeland.

It has been four years since Darian saw his village sacked and burned by barbarians. Taking refuge with the Hawkbrothers, he soon finds his life''s calling--as a Healing Adept. But even as he learns the mystical ways of this ancient race, Darian cannot escape the dangers threatening his future. Another tribe of barbarians is approaching. The time has come...to stand up and fight.

Ancient Egypt, Atlantis, and war dragons—all collide in this wildly inventive epic fantasy series from New York Times-bestselling author Mercedes Lackey! “It’s fun to see a different spin on dragons . . . and as usual, Lackey makes it all compelling.” —Locus Meet Vetch, a young slave who dreams of becoming a jouster—one of the few warriors who can actually ride a flying dragon. In secret, he begins to raise his own dragon . . . Beloved fantasy author Mercedes Lackey creates a vivid, dynamic fusion of the cultures of ancient Egypt and legendary Atlantis with the most exciting and believable portrayal of dragons ever imagined.

The fourth novel in Mercedes Lackey''s magical Elemental Masters series reimagines the fairy tale The Snow Queen in a richly-detailed alternate Victorian England The letter that introduced twelve-year-old Sarah Jane Lyon-White to Isabelle Harton, who ran the Harton School in central London, seemed quite simple and straightforward. But it was what was not written in the letter that resonated to Isabelle’s own finely tuned “extra” senses: “Sarah has gifts we cannot train,” the letter whispered to her, “nor can anyone we know. Those we trust tell us that you can….” And it was true, for the Harton School was far from ordinary. It was Isabelle’s job to train children who possessed the odd types of magic that could not be trained by London’s powerful Elemental Masters: clairvoyants, telepaths, those with the ability to sense hidden danger, the vision to see into the past, and even that rarest of all talents: the ability to see and communicate with the dead. But Isabelle was uneasy, for though she knew that Sarah Jane had a touch of telepathy, there seemed to be something else about the girl—something that had not yet manifested. And Isabelle was right to be worried, for as soon as Sarah’s full talents became evident, there was an attempt made on her life. For Sarah was that rarest of magicians: a true medium, and for some reason, a powerful Elemental Master wanted her dead. Isabelle knew that to protect her ward she would have to seek help from the Elemental Masters of the city. That meant she would also see Lord David Alderscroft, the man she had once loved, but who had inexplicably chilled toward her and broken her heart long ago—for he was the leader of the city’s Elemental Masters, the man who was now called the Wizard of London.

FROM THE WOMAN WHO REDEFINED FANTASY In the short span of a. few years, Mercedes Lackey has risen from an exciting new talent to a reigning superstar of fantasy. Last year''s Fiddler Fair was a showcase of the wide scope of her talent; ranging from fantasy to science fiction, from screwball humor to macabre supernatural terror. Now comes the successor to that top-selling volume; Werehunter. Lope through the night with a young woman who has been given the power to transform herself into a leopard, but who now finds herself pursued by a hunter who is more than human: Follow the adventures of Skitty, ship''s cat extraordinaire, and telepathic problem-solver. Ride with a late night driver on a solitary road who learns that what appears to be a piece of cardboard blowing across the road is actually something very sinister in disguise. Join Lackey''s celebrated occult detective Diana Tregarde as she attends a gathering of romance writers and encounters a visitor whose passionate desire is for fresh, warm blood. Return to the world of the Heralds of Valdemar. And there''s much more. Lackey''s many fans will know what to expect: unforgettable characters in spellbinding stories from a grand master of fantasy and science fiction. And readers just discovering her have a treat in store. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management). "She''ll keep you up long past your bedtime." -Stephen King ''She sweeps you along and never lets you go." -Locus "An undoubted mistress of the well-told tale."-Booklist " . . highly, highly recommended . . . ." -Khan

While enjoying the Christmas season, Nan and Sarah, along with Dr. Watson and his wife Mary, are called to investigate when missing women reappear and their experiences while gone have driven them mad.

Legacies, the first book in the exciting new Shadow Grail series from Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill Who--or what--is stalking the students at Oakhurst Academy? In the wake of the accident that killed her family, Spirit White is spirited away to Oakhurst Academy, a combination school and orphanage in the middle of Montana. There she learns she is a legacy--not only to the school, which her parents also attended, but to magic. All the students at Oakhurst have magical powers, and although Spirit''s hasn''t manifested itself yet, the administrators insist she has one. Spirit isn''t sure she cares. Devastated by the loss of her family, she finds comfort with a group of friends: Burke Hallows, Lachlann Spears, Muirin Shae, and Adelaide Lake. But something strange is going on at Oakhurst. Students start disappearing under mysterious circumstances, and the school seems to be trying to cover it up. Spirit and her friends must find out what''s happening--before one of them becomes the next victim... At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

In the Enduring Flame trilogy, Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory have given readers a new view of the complex and fascinating world they originally created for the Obsidian Trilogy. Jumping one thousand years in time, Lackey and Mallory have told the compelling story of Harrier Gillain, the first Knight-Mage in a thousand years; Tiercel Rolfort, the first High Mage in hundreds of years; and Shaiara, the young leader of a desert tribe who takes both boys under her wing but has a special affection for Harrier. These three young people are their world''s main defense against the evil called up by the rogue Wild Mage, Bisochim. Bisochim''s conviction that he was restoring the balance was shattered the moment Ahairan took her first breath. Now, in The Phoenix Transformed, Bisochim joins forces with Harrier and Tiercel, and the three mages search desperately for a way to destroy Ahairan as she sends her magical forces against them and the desert nomads under their protection. With more than one twist in the telling, centering on a magic-plagued journey across a blistering desert, The Phoenix Transformed is the stunning conclusion to The Enduring Flame. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

The Gypsy boy has asked for Di''s help--called on for her magical assistance--and she could not refuse, especially after he was slain practically on her doorstep. But the vampire Di finds cradling the body isn''t the killer--he''s the Gypsies'' protector, Andre LeBrel, who informs Di that there''s more than one monster stalking the streets of New York. Now it''s up to Diana Tregarde, Guardian and practicing witch, to find the killer and destroy them...with a little supernatural assistance from a very friendly, and very sexy, vampire.

A town is struck by murders whose perpetrators promptly commit suicide. As he investigates these bizarre slayings, constable Tal Rufer discovers that the killers are acting under the spell of a magician.

Set in the beloved and New York Times bestselling world of Valdemar, this 1st book in a new trilogy returns to the tales of the majestic gryphons. On the border between Valdemar and the deadly Pelagirs Forest, the gryphon hero Kelvren returns from a near-fatal self-sacrifice that won him the approval of Valdemar''s ground troops, but caused a diplomatic crisis. Frustrated by his lack of a hero''s welcome, Kelvren is talked into helping with an expedition by his old friend, Firesong. Firesong struggles with his own age and mortality, and he intends to solve a vast mystery at the center of legendary Lake Evendim as his crowning achievement. Just getting the multicultural fleet underway is a challenge, but what awaits them is a situation none of them could expect. Set in the beloved fantasy realm of Valdemar, Gryphon in Light is adventurous epic fantasy at its best.

The New York Times–bestselling author presents three exciting short urban fantasy novels—including a prequel story to the Diana Tregarde series! Arcanum 101: Diana Tregarde, practicing witch, romance novelist, Guardian of the Earth. Studying at Harvard, Diana is approached by Joe O’Brian, a young cop who has already seen more than one unusual thing during his budding career. The distraught mother of a kidnap victim is taking advice from a “psychic” and interfering in the police investigation. Will Diana prove that the psychic is a fake? Unfortunately, the psychic is not a fake, but a very wicked witch—and the child’s kidnapper. Drums: Jennifer Talldeer, shaman, private investigator, member of the Osage tribe. Most of Jennie’s work is regular PI stuff, but Nathan Begay brings her a problem she’s never seen before. His girlfriend, Caroline, is Chickasaw to his Navaho, but that’s not the problem. Somehow, Caroline has attracted the attention of an angry Osage ghost. Thwarted in love while alive, the ghost has chosen Caroline to be his bride in death. Ghost in the Machine: Ellen McBride: computer programmer extraordinaire, techno-shaman. The programmers and players of a new MMORPG find that the game’s “boss,” a wendigo, is “killing” everyone—even the programmers’ characters with their god-like powers. A brilliant debugger, Ellen discovers that the massive computing power of the game’s servers have created a breach between the supernatural world and our own. This wendigo isn’t a bit of code, it’s the real thing . . . and it’s on the brink of breaking out of the computers and into the real world.

MERCEDES LACKEY''S magical A Tale of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series continues with a captivating new adventure… Heavy is the head—and the eyelids—of the princess who wears the crown… In Rosamund''s realm, happiness hinges on a few simple beliefs. For every princess there''s a prince. The King has ultimate power. Stepmothers should never be trusted. And bad things come to those who break with Tradition…. But when Rosa is pursued by a murderous huntsman and then captured by dwarves, her beliefs go up in smoke. Determined to escape and save her kingdom from imminent invasion, she agrees to become the subject of one of her stepmother''s risky incantations—thus falling into a deep, deep sleep. When awakened by a touchy-feely stranger, Rosa must choose between Tradition and her future between a host of eligible princes and a handsome, fair-haired outsider. And learn the difference between being a princess and ruling as a Queen.

Running the gamut from her beloved Bardic fantasies to urban fantasy set in the modern world; from science fiction adventure to chilling horror, this is a volume that demonstrates the wide range of this author''s talent. It is a feast for the multitudes of Lackey fans everywhere--and for new readers, a powerful introduction to the most significant new fantasy writer of the decade.

In this first title in bestselling author Mercedes Lackey''s Obsidian Trilogy, we see that the Demons have been biding their time deep in Obsidian Mountain since their defeat in the last great War. Very soon now, when the Demons rise to make war, there will be no alliance between High and Wild Magic to stand against them.