New Releases by Michelle West

THE SHINING COURT IS RISING The Lord of the Hells has damaged the barriers between the ancient wilderness and the world of man, and that wilderness has begun to seep into mortal lands. His war to rule the entirety of the mortal world has begun. ONE KINGDOM STANDS AGAINST THE FALL OF THE WEST The kingdom of Breodanir is in turmoil. Even the merchant roads in the heart of Breodanir can become wild, unknown places between one step and the next; some have walked those roads, never to return. Now, more than ever, Breodanir has need of Hunter Lords as symbols of strength and stability. Stephen of Maubreche and his huntbrother Nenyane have been summoned in disgrace to the King’s City. They, and other hunters who have rejected Hunter oaths, are to be schooled in the necessity of the oaths they’ve rejected. If only it were that simple. The problem students soon find themselves tested against the forces of the wilderness, the shadows of demons—and even each other. If they fail these tests, Breodanir will fall—and the entirety of the West will become the Lord of the Hells’ domain.

The seventh book in the epic fantasy House War series returns to a beloved world of magic and political intrigue, where new threats are stirring. Jewel ATerafin has never wanted to be a power. What she truly wants, she built in the streets of the poorer holdings. To protect what she built, to protect what she values above all else, she has accepted that power is necessary. But with power comes responsibility. Jewel has forced herself to do what would have once been unthinkable: She has surrendered her den-kin, Carver, to the wilderness, because she must if she is to have any hope of saving the rest of her family, and the city in which they dwell. But she cannot leave him with nothing. Into his hands, she has placed the single, blue leaf that came from the wilderness and the dreaming combined. She doesn’t know what it does or what it was meant to do—but it is the most powerful item on her person, and it is the only thing she can leave him. That leaf, however, was created to serve a purpose that Jewel does not understand. Nor does Carver, who now possesses it. With Ellerson by his side, Carver intends to traverse the wild Winter in an attempt to reach home—and the people who are waiting for him. There are those who do understand the significance of Carver’s gift, and the disaster that will prevail if it remains in his hands. But time is of the essence. These lands are not unclaimed, and the Lord of these lands is waking from his ancient slumber. Nor is the Lord the only threat. Firstborn, demons, and wild elementals are swirling around two mortal men in a storm that threatens to end the only chance the city of Averalaan has of surviving what is to follow.

The eighth and final book in the epic fantasy House War series closes this chapter in a beloved world of magic and political intrigue, where new threats are stirring. When the Sleepers wake. Once, that phrase meant: never. The Sleepers were a myth, part of a story told to children. But in truth, the Sleepers, ancient princes in the court of the Winter Queen, were imprisoned in slumber by the gods themselves—in the cold, dark ruins of the ancient city that lies buried beneath the capitol of the Empire. And that prison is fraying, at last. They are waking. The gods no longer walk the world. There is no power that can stand against the princes when they wake—and the city that has been Jewel’s home for her entire life will be destroyed when the Sleepers walk. There is only one person to whom they owe allegiance, only one chance to halt them before they destroy everything in their ancient rage. But that person is the Winter Queen; she is not, and has never been mortal. Jewel carries the last of the surviving saplings that might usher in a new Summer age—but all of the roads that lead to the court of the Queen are closed. Jewel ATerafin has faced the Oracle’s test. She has control of the prophetic powers that she once considered a curse and a burden. She will find her way to the Winter Queen, and she will ask—or beg—the Winter Queen to intervene to save her kind, her House, and everything she loves. But she is mortal, and time has never been her friend. The demons are waiting to bar her way, bringing battle to the hidden ancient paths on which she must travel. To win, she must face the true meaning of the Oracle’s test, and risk sanity and life to make the choice that has always lurked at the heart of the firstborn’s test. And even then, it might be too late.

The third novel of the acclaimed Sun Sword series returns to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed... In the Dominion, those allied with the demons of the Shining Court feared the bargain they’d made. For to the kialli, betrayal was a way of life, and every action was a means to gain greater power. And as the Festival of the Moon approached, the demon kin began to prey upon those in the Tor Leonne. But more frightening than their presence was their “gift” for the Festival, masks created not by human craftsmen, but by the kialli. Even the magic and knowledge of the greatest of the Dominion’s Widan had been unable to discern what trap the masks contained—and time to discover and avert this menace was running out.... In the Empire, the armies were mobilizing for war. But before they carried the battle to the Dominion, Seer Jewel ATerafin would be forced to follow her own destiny. For what she’d seen in vision, she could not deny. And so Jewel, with only Avander to guard her back, would abandon House Terafin on the eve of its greatest peril and journey into the darkness which was fast overshadowing the mortal lands.... And among the Voyani, the moment had come to make their final stand against Allasakar, Lord of the Hells, for they alone had kept to the old ways, guarding the ancient knowledge. But hounded by their enemies, and with one their greatest treasures hidden in the Tor Leonne, could they withstand the power of the Shining Court?

The fifth novel of the acclaimed Sun Sword series returns to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed... Valedan kai di’Leonne, last survivor of the ruling clan of the Dominion, has forged an alliance with his people’s ancestral enemies, the Northern armies of the Essalieyan Empire. Though young and untried, he has also won the support of Dominion Tyr’agnate Ramiro di’Callesta. Whether he can now do the impossible, and bring Tyr’agnate Mareo di’Lamberto over to his side, remains to be seen. Even with such powerful backers, if Valedan can’t gain possession of the Sun Sword and survive the wielding of it, all will be lost.... Jewel of House Terafin has joined forces with the Voyani, bringing with her the legendary Warlord, Avandar, the bard-assassin, Kallandras, and Lord Celleriant of the Winter Queen’s court. Hunted by the demonic Kialli, they will be hard pressed to escape from the Sea of Sorrows and link up with Valedan’s troops.... In Averalaan, House Terafin is on the brink of a bloody dynastic war—and Jewel’s den is caught in deadly political infighting within the House, forced by command of the Terafin herself to take on the most difficult roles of their lives.... Kiriel, child of the Lord of Darkness and a mortal woman, also must face the greatest challenge of her life, torn between the conflicting demands of her father’s demonic realm and her human heritage.... The Kialli demon lords and their human allies are banding together, too, readying to sweep down upon the Northern armies in a devastating campaign of terror and destruction that will either see peace restored or all the furies of the Hells and the Lord of Darkness himself released upon the world....

Hunters Oath: When the covenant was made with the Hunter God, all who dwelt in Breodanir swore to abide by it. The Hunter Lordsand the hunting dogs to which their minds were specially attunedwould seek out game in the God's woods to provide food for their people, and the Hunter God would ensure that the Hunters, the land, and the people prospered. But in payment, once a year the Sacred Hunt must be called, the God's own Hunt in which the prey became one of the Lords, or his huntbrother. This was the Hunter's Oath, sworn by each Lord and his huntbrotherthe companion chosen from the common folk to remind each Lord of his own ties to humanity. It was the Oath pledged in blood by Gilliam of Elseth and the orphan boy Stepehnand the fulfillment of that Oath would lead them to the kind of destiny from which legends were made...

When the three ancient Princes of the firstborn begin to stir beneath the capital of the Essalieyan Empire, Jewel Markess of House Terafin must journey to face the Oracle in order to save the city, but the demons seek to stop her.

In this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats. The weeks since Jewel Markess ATerafin has been acclaimed ruler of her House have not been peaceful: four assassination attempts have been made on her life, and one of the most important members of her House Council has been forced to retire, leaving a seat empty at a time when she requires trusted allies. The war in the distant South has ended, and the Kings’ armies are victorious. During a victory parade to celebrate their return to Averalaan, a fifth assassination attempt occurs—in full view of the Ten, the Kings, and thousands of spectators. In response, the Kings have demanded an audience with the newest ruler of House Terafin. But before Jewel can answer the summons, she falls prey to the strange, sleeping plague that has felled citizens across the city of Averalaan. It is there—in the uneasy land of dreams—that Jewel discovers the reason for the sickness and begins to understand the forces arrayed against her House and the Empire. If she can survive the traps set by the Warden of Dreams and by her deadly, former allies, Jewel will wake to a changed world—if she wakes at all.

In the Hunter Kingdom of the Breodani, the golden-eyed son of Bredan is born to the Lord and Lady of Maubreche. In their lands, at the heart of the Maubreche gardens, a living tapestry, carved across the Maubreche hedge-maze, is about to reach its end with the boy's birth. But Stephen is a Hunter Lord by birth, and he must find a huntbrother and make the oaths to his god in preparation for the future war that waits him -- if he survives. In the fabled Reach of the Guild of the Makerborn, in the heart of the Empire of Essalieyan, the Artisan who now rules the Maker's Guild is about to meet an apprentice he will envy, resent and grow to love as the shadows that grow over the whole of the Empire - and the Kingdoms beyond - promise war, cataclysm and death. Their stories are here in two novellas, Huntbrother and The Memory of Stone, along with four additional short stories. This is the first time all six of the Essalieyan-related short fiction has been collected in one place.

In this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats. When Jewel ATerafin returns home from the war in the South, she arrives moments too late to prevent the demonic assassination of Amarais ATerafin—The Terafin, head of House Terafin. Now the battle to become The Terafin and claim the House Seat will begin. Four candidates have declared themselves, but Jewel, The Terafin’s own secretly designated choice to become the next head of the House, has yet to announce her intentions. Jewel does not want to make any decisions before The Terafin is laid to rest. But as enemies of the House and Empire mobilize, it becomes terrifyingly clear that everyone—including Jewel and her otherworldly allies—must survive the three days of the funeral rites before they can even be certain there will be a House Terafin left to fight over....

In this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats. Jewel has been assigned the task of finding the entryways to the ancient undercity that lies beneath the streets of the empire’s capital in exchange for shelter for her and her den at House Terafin. But even with the aid of the most powerful First Circle Mage of the Order of Knowledge, Jewel’s search seems hopeless. All of the ways into the undercity seem to be magically disappearing before Jewel can lead the mage to them. And if they can’t find a means to reach the undercity, they will not be able to prevent the demon kin from achieving whatever they are planning. Then the unthinkable happens—a direct attack on House Terafin—and suddenly the stakes are raised to a whole new level....

In this epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb, Jewel Markess must contend with deadly court politics, and visions of looming magical threats. Times are truly desperate within Averalaan’s hundred holdings. Street children are disappearing, theft and violence are increasing, and even Jewel Markess’s den is finding it hard to make ends meet. Demonic activity has escalated in both the Undercity and the mortal surface level city as the worshipers and servants of the Lord of the Hells strive to complete the rituals that will return their god to the mortal realm. As Rath joins with mages and the Twin Kings' agents to wage a secret battle against this nearly unstoppable foe, he gives Jewel and her den of orphans the opportunity to escape the chaos by providing them with a note of introduction to the head of House Terafin, where Jewel will discover her destiny.

An epic fantasy series for fans of George R. R. Martin and Robin Hobb! Rescued from the undercity, young orphan Jewel “Jay” Markett contends with deadly court politics and visions of looming magical threats. Orphaned and left to fend for herself in the slums of Averalaan, Jewel Markess—Jay to her friends—meets an unlikely savior in Rath, a man who prowls the ruins of the undercity. Nursing Jay back to health is an unusual act for a man who renounced his own family long ago, and the situation becomes stranger still when Jay begins to form a den of other rescued children in Rath’s home. But worse perils lurk beneath the slums: the demons that once nearly destroyed the Essalieyan Empire are stirring again, and soon Rath and Jay will find themselves targets of these unstoppable beings.

Five Star is pleased to publish Speaking with Angels, the first ever short-story collection by Michelle West. Within these twelve stories are heroes, both real and imagined, characters so real it seems they're sitting beside you, and themes and emotions so resonant that they speak to every fantasy reader. With a new introduction by Tanya Huff, and story notes by Michelle herself, this new collection brings together early and recent work by a master of fantasy. Among the stories are: Winter . . a disenchanted young man makes a deal with the Devil; Hunger . . . a man is haunted by the ghost of a child at Christmas, and in order to be free of her, he must uncover the truth about her death; Four Attempts at a Letter . . . an alternate history comprised of three partial letters, and a final legacy written by acting Prime Minister Golda Meier shortly after the death of Ben Gurion; and the title story To Speak with Angels . . . a saint makes his final journey across the fractured landscape of hell itself to ask Lucifer a single question that has always troubled him. Michelle West lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and two children.

The final novel of the acclaimed Sun Sword series concludes the epic of a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed... The armies of Alesso di’Marente and Valedan kai di’Leonne are massing in the Terrean of Averda for the battle that will at last determine the rule of the Dominion. The Sun Sword is about to be delivered by Serra Diora to its “rightful” holder, Valedan, last surviving heir of the clan Leonne. But whether Valedan will be able to wield the sword, or—like the former kai el’Sol—will be consumed by its magic, remains to be seen. The demon kin are gathering as well, and a dread spell is being worked which will—should it successfully reach completion—finally open the way for the Lord of Night to once again enter the mortal realm. And though many of the truly powerful have gathered upon the field, the entire course of the future may ultimately rest in the hands, heart, and soul of one being, Kiriel di’Ashaf, daughter of the Lord of Night....

The fourth novel of the acclaimed Sun Sword series returns to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed... In the Essalieyan Empire, the armies are gathering, ready to champion the cause of Valedan kai di’Leonne, last survivor of the ruling clan of the Dominion. But Valedan himself must take a different road to war, sealing what Dominion alliances he can claim without the Empire’s backing. Yet even before Valedan sets forth, Jewel of House Terafin has already journeyed beyond mortal realms with only her domicis Avandar to guard her back, walking through flame to join the Voyani on a trek they’ve been destined to make for centuries. Behind her she has left a House on the brink of bloody dynastic war—and her den caught in the deadly political infighting. Kiriel, too, must face the greatest challenge of her life, torn between the conflicting demands of her father’s and her mortal heritage. And as the Voyani—with Jewel, Avandar, Kallandras, Diora, Teresa, and Lord Celleriant of the Winter Queen’s court—embark upon the Sea of Sorrows in a desperate attempt to reach the lost Cities of Man, a spell gone awry insures that all their enemies—whether of mortal or demonkind—can trace the path they are following and strike out at them at any moment….

Based upon the smash hit television series and the film Buffy the Vampire Slayer, these stories find the Vampire Slayer on school vacation, summer in full swing and no shortage of evil denizens who selfishly avoid taking a summer break.

The second novel of the acclaimed Sun Sword series returns to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed... The King’s Challenge—it was a proving ground for warriors in the Essalieyan Empire, the hallowed contest that made legends of men. And for Valedan, last survivor of the ruling family of the Dominion, it was a declaration of his right to claim the throne stolen from the Leonne clan by treachery and assassination. Failure to earn the title of King’s Champion would not deprive Valedan of either his Dominion or Essalieyan allies, but winning would announce to the world that he was no callow boy, no mere pawn in the games of power. And the games of power were indeed being played—not only in the Empire and Dominion, but in the far more dangerous realm of the Lord of Night. As the time of the Challenge neared, Valedan and all those who guarded him would be hard-pressed to survive long enough for him to enter the competition. For the demon kin had been set to hunt him down and destroy him. They had failed before though many innocents had paid for the price. They must not fail again, for slaying Valedan was but the opening gambit in a war that would free the Lord of Night to reign over all the mortal world....

The first epic fantasy in the acclaimed Sun Sword series introduces readers to a war-torn world of noble houses divided and demon lords unleashed. “The climactic fireworks are spectacular, and the revelations enticing.” —Locus Tor Leonne—the heart of the Dominion of Annagar, where the games of state are about to become a matter of life and death—and where those who seek to seize the crown will be forced to league with a treacherously cunning ally . . . Tor Leonne, ancestral seat of power, where Serra Diora Maria di’Marano—the most sought-after beauty in the land, a woman betrayed by all she holds dear—may strike the first blow to change the future of the Dominion and Empire alike. Averalaan Aramarelas—that most ancient of civilized cities, the home of the Essalieyan Imperial court, has long been a center of magics both dark and bright. And though the Empire won its last war with the Dominion, and survived a devastating, magic-fueled battle with a far deadlier foe, both those victories were not without their cost. But now the realm is on the brink of a far greater confrontation, faced with an unholy alliance that could spell the end of freedom for all mortalkind.

Averalaan—the most ancient of cities, had long been the home of magics both dark and bright. For the site where this most civilized city of mortals now stood had once been a dread place indeed, a citadel of evil ruled by the Lord of the Hells. Only through the greatest of sacrifices had he been contained and cast back into his own dimension. And though the passing centuries had all but obliterated the memories of that terrible time, trouble was once again stirring in the hidden byways of Averalaan. The first warning that the Dark Lord’s minions were at work came from a pack of street rats led by a young woman gifted with the ability to see the truth even when it was hidden behind carefully spell-crafted illusions. And as she carried her warning to The Terafin, head of one of the most powerful families in the land, others, too, were rallying to Averalaan’s aid. Blessed or cursed by their Hunter God and gifted with his most unique creation, the Hunter Lord Gilliam and his huntbrother Stephen were about to do the unthinkable. Guided by the seer Evayne, they would journey beyond the borders of their kingdom, something no Hunter Lord had ever done. For only in Averalaan could they find their true destiny, even if it meant facing the Dark Lord himself…

When the covenant was made with the Hunter God, all who dwelt in Breodanir swore to abide by it. The Hunter Lords—and the hunting dogs to which their minds were specially attuned—would seek out game in the God’s woods to provide food for their people, and the Hunter God would ensure that the Hunters, the land, and the people prospered. But in payment, once a year the Sacred Hunt must be called, the God’s own Hunt in which the prey became one of the Lords, or his huntbrother. This was the Hunter’s Oath, sworn by each Lord and his huntbrother—the companion chosen from the common folk to remind each Lord of his own ties to humanity. It was the Oath pledged in blood by Gilliam of Elseth and the orphan boy Stepehn—and the fulfillment of that Oath would lead them to the kind of destiny from which legends were made…