New Releases by Sharon Shinn

Teleportation makes everything possible. It allows Taylor Kendall to live in Chicago, work in Houston, and take a part-time job tutoring the teenaged son of the richest man in America. But the more time she spends in Duncan Phillips’ lavish home, the more uneasy she becomes. She adores Quentin, who is suffering from a fatal degenerative disease. She’s strongly attracted to Bram Cortez, who heads up security for the household. But she’s growing increasingly afraid of Duncan Phillips, who makes it clear he has no interest in his dying son—and far too much interest in Taylor. When Duncan Phillips turns up dead, Taylor’s on the short list of suspects who could have killed him. Sure, she was in Atlanta on the night of the murder. But Atlanta is only a few minutes away by teleport . . .

The long-awaited new book in the Elemental Blessings series! Valentina Serlast has reluctantly traveled to the royal city to witness her brother Darien be crowned the king of Welce. A hunti woman with an affinity for the forest, Val is much more comfortable living in isolation on her country estates, almost forgotten by everyone. When Darien convinces her to extend her stay, she is drawn into an unfamiliar whirl of activity, meeting with ambassadors from other countries, becoming friends with the unpredictable Princess Corene, and trying to learn the secrets of a glamorous foreign visitor named Melissande. But nothing makes Val more breathless than the reappearance of Sebastian Ardelay, a red-headed rogue who has been her best friend since childhood. She quickly learns that Sebastian has been risking his life in a dangerous venture that could get him banned from the kingdom—or even lead Welce to the brink of war. u200b

u200bIn the city of Corcannon, everyone has a secret. Madeleine is planning her wedding to Tivol, but she’s really in love with Reese. Jayla has become the guardian of a child named Aussen, but she knows that Aussen possesses a mysterious and dangerous power. Brandon is a temple soldier keeping the enigmatic Villette a prisoner in her own home, but finds himself risking everything to keep her safe. Pietro is pretending he’s surprised every time the city is wracked by tremors, but he’ll do anything to stop the devastation. Even Corcannon itself has a secret. It''s built on a lie, and that lie is about to come tumbling down.

On a planet of barren beauty, two religions—as different as sun and shadow, joy and grief—are bound together by death.... A serial killer is stalking the priestesses of both sects—and Interfed Agent Cowen Drake must immerse himself in an unfamiliar world of stark spirituality to catch the killer. A world that will trap him between opulence and sacrifice, between desire and duty, and between two extraordinary women—one who could become the killer’s ultimate victim.

On a planet torn apart by class and economic divisions and feuding factions, a scientist and a rebel are drawn together in a forbidden love that could change their world forever.... Nolan uses his rational powers of observation to examine more closely the privileges he was born to enjoy—and the people he was raised to despise. Katrini follows her fiercest passions in the struggle to overthrow a legacy of hate—one that has poisoned her family for generations. Between rich and poor, strong and weak, intellect and feeling, only one thing could bring these two opposites together: a passion that is strictly forbidden.

The national bestselling author of Troubled Waters and Royal Airs returns to her Elemental Blessings series with the story of a young princess who will need more than blessings to survive in a kingdom where everyone will do whatever it takes to claim the throne… As one of the four princesses of Welce, Corene always thought she might one day become queen. Only circumstances changed, leaving fiery Corene with nothing to show for a life spent playing the game of court intrigue—until a chance arises to become the ruler of a nearby country. After stowing away on a ship bound for Malinqua with her loyal bodyguard, Foley, Corene must try to win the throne by making a play to marry one of the empress’s three nephews. But Corene is not the only foreign princess in search of a crown. Unaccustomed to being anyone’s friend, Corene is surprised to find companionship among her fellow competitors. But behind Malinqua’s beautiful facade lie many secrets. The visiting princesses are more hostages than guests. And as the deadly nature of the court is revealed, Corene must rely on both her new allies and Foley’s unwavering protection—for the game she has entered is far more perilous than she ever imagined…

Leah Frothen has returned home. But she can scarcely catch her breath before she is summoned by regent Darien Serlast, the man who made her a spy. Leah is reluctant to take on a new assignment, but Darien has dangled the perfect lure to draw her in... Leah finds she enjoys the challenges of opening a shop catering to foreign visitors, especially since it affords her the opportunity to get to know Mally, the child she abandoned five years ago. But when the regent asks her to spy on ambassadors from a visiting nation, Leah soon learns that everyone-her regent, her lover, and even her daughter-have secrets that could save the nation, but might very well break her heart.

It is eight years after Colleen Cavanaugh''s home world was invaded by the Derichets, a tyrannical alien race bent on exploiting the planet''s mineral resources. Most of her family died in the war, and she now lives alone in the city. Aside from her acquaintances at the factory where she toils for the Derichets, Colleen makes a single friend in Jann, a member of the violent group of rebels known as the Chromatti. One day Colleen receives shocking news: her niece Lucy is alive and in need of her help. Together, Colleen, Jann, and Lucy create their own tenuous family. But Colleen must decide if it''s worth risking all of their survival to join a growing underground revolution against the Derichets ... in Sharon Shinn and Molly Knox Ostertag''s Shattered Warrior.

After the death of her father - a former royal adviser - Zoe Ardelay has little time to grieve before she receives astonishing news: she has been chosen to become the king''s fifth wife. Zoe accompanies an ambassador to the royal city, but once there she slips away and hides among those who live along the shores of the mighty river. For Zoe is coru: ruled by the elemental sign of water. Gradually she discovers that she is, in fact, the coru prime. Which means she must return to the palace, not as an unwilling bride for the king but as a woman with power in her own right . . .

Master storyteller Sharon Shinn created the thrilling and enchanting world of Welce in her acclaimed novel Troubled Waters. Return with her to that elemental universe in this tale of secrecy, romance, and a battle for power… Josetta is a princess of one of the Five Families. But she is far from the throne, so she is free to spend her days working in the poorest sections of the city. Rafe Adova lives the life of a career gambler in those slums. He has no real ambition—until the night he helps a girl named Corene, who looks like she’s stumbled into the wrong bar. Josetta is fascinated by the man who has helped her sister. Rafe is unlike anyone she’s encountered—someone seemingly devoid of elemental blessings. Rafe is also drawn to Josetta, but when he is assaulted by foreign mercenaries and they discover the reason behind the attack, Rafe and Josetta realize that the truth could endanger not only their newfound love, but also their very lives…

ONE OF PUBLISHERS WEEKLY''S BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR Master storyteller Sharon Shinn has thrilled readers with her national bestselling Twelve Houses series. Now experience her original new novel in which love and loyalty are tested at every turn.... For fifteen years, Maria Devane has been desperately, passionately in love with Dante Romano. But Maria knows that Dante can never give everything of himself back—at least not all of the time. Every month, Dante shifts shape, becoming a wild animal. He can’t choose when he shifts, the transition is often abrupt, and, as he gets older, the time he spends in human form is gradually decreasing. Maria has kept his secret since the beginning, knowing that their love is worth the danger. But when a string of brutal attacks occurs in local parks while Dante is in animal form, Maria is forced to consider whether the lies she’s been telling about her life have turned into lies she’s telling herself...

Tales of alpha angels...from four alpha authors. They soar through the night, unearthly creatures of legends and lore. Four masters of urban fantasy and paranormal romance explore the rapture of the heavens above, and the darkness below in four all-new stories of angels and guardians, and good and evil.

Four tales of treacherous, tumultuous, passionate entanglements from today''s most provocative authors. The bonds of love. The bonds of matrimony. The bonds between husband and wife. Let''s face it-some bonds are meant to be broken. Here, #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton, New York Times bestselling authors Yasmine Galenorn and Marjorie M. Liu, and national bestselling author Sharon Shinn, spin four stories of dark powers and fiercely feminine heroes who aren''t going to wait for Prince Charming to show up and save them-especially when they can do it themselves.

As a Chinese adoptee in St. Louis, teenage Daiyu often feels out of place. When an elderly Asian jewelry seller at a street fair shows her a black jade ring--and tells her that "black jade" translates to "Daiyu"--she buys it as a talisman of her heritage. But it''s more than that; it''s magic. It takes Daiyu through a gateway into a version of St. Louis much like 19th-century China. Almost immediately she is recruited as a spy, which means hours of training in manners and niceties and sleight of hand. It also means stealing time to be with handsome Kalen, who is in on the plan. There''s only one problem. Once her task is done, she must go back to St. Louis and leave him behind forever. . . .

Sharon Shinn''s Twelve Houses books have fascinated readers and critics alike with their irresistible blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure. Now in Quatrain, she weaves compelling stories in four of the worlds that readers love in Flight, Blood, Gold, and Flame.

Kellen’s mother has always insisted that her only child was born male, not female—so Kellen has been raised as a boy. At school, she meets Gryffin, whose mind is as strong as his legs are damaged, and the two become friends and allies. A few years later, the two get jobs working at an inn nearby. When it is discovered that Gryffin is the kingdom’s new Dream-Maker—someone whose mere presence can help dreams come true—he is whisked away to the castle, leaving Kellen behind. By now, their friendship is shading into something more. Will it endure?

The final confrontation is here: the fourth book in the stunning fantasy series. In a world of secret sorceries and forbidden desires, the mystic Cammon must put aside his personal feelings for Princess Amalie and help her find a suitor, until he discovers that he needs to protect her from her own powers.

When eighteen-year-old heiress Averie Winston travels to faraway Chiarrin, she looks forward to the reunion with her father and her handsome fianc‚, Morgan. What she finds is entirely different from what she expected. She realizes that Morgan is not the man she thought he was; and she finds herself inexplicably drawn to another. Handsome Lieutenant Ket Du''kai is like no one Averie has ever met, and she enjoys every moment she spends with him, every delicious flirtation. Averie knows she''s still engaged to another man, but she can''t help but think about Lieutenant Du''kai, and she wonders if he feels the same.

The third Novel of the Twelve Houses from the national bestselling author. In this story of hidden magic and forbidden love, the King''s Rider Justin befriends Ellynor, a young novice at a convent-only to discover that she is a mystic being manipulated by the fanatical Daughters of the Pale Moon into hunting down and killing other mystics.

Innkeeper’s daughters Adele and Eleda are “mirror twins”—identical twins whose looks are reflections of each other’s—and their special talents are like mirrors, too. Adele is a Safe-Keeper, entrusted with hearing and never revealing others’ secrets; Eleda is a Truth-Teller, who cannot tell a lie when asked a direct question. The town of Merendon relies on the twins, no one more than their best friend, Roelynn Karro, whose strict, wealthy father is determined to marry her off to the prince. When the girls are seventeen, a handsome dancing-master and his apprentice come to stay at the inn, and thus begins a chain of romance, mistaken identity, and some very surprising truths and falsehoods.

The first book of The Twelve Houses, Mystic & Rider, was hailed as “spellbinding” (Publishers Weekly), and introduced readers to the troubled land of Gillengaria. Now, national bestselling and award-winning author Sharon Shinn continues her epic tale, as a beautiful shapeshifter finds that intrigue and danger can be found even in the safest of havens… After joining an unlikely band of soldiers and sorcerers to rescue the regent Romar Brendan from a cabal of rebellious minor lords, the shiftling Kirra returns to her home of Danalustrous—and learns that her half-sister, Casserah, has been proclaimed heir to the land. Though Casserah is obligated to attend a circuit of social events held by the great Houses of Gillengaria, she obstinately refuses to go. So Kirra shapeshifts into her sister’s form and makes the rounds for her. In the royal city of Ghosenhall, she unexpectedly joins up with her steadfast compatriots from her previous adventures, and together they embark on a tour of the Twelve Houses acting as guardians for the enigmatic queen of Gillengaria and her alluring daughter. The motley group of mystics and warriors faces many dangers in their travels. But Kirra places herself willingly in peril when she falls in love with the irresistible—but already married—Lord Romar. Revealing her true identity to him, Kirra begins a tempestuous affair that places them both in mortal danger, and leads them both into the stronghold of the devious lords of the Thirteenth House…

Gillengaria seethes with unrest. In the south, hostility toward magic and its users has risen to a dangerous level, though King Baryn has ordered that such mystics are to be tolerated. It is whispered that he issued the decree because his new wife used her magic powers to ensnare him… The King knows there are those in the noble Twelve Houses who could use this growing dissent to overthrow him. So he dispatches the mystic Senneth to assess the threat throughout the realm. Accompanying her is a motley band of magic-users and warriors including Tayse, first among the King’s Riders—who holds a hard view of mystics in general, and Senneth in particular. But as the unlikely allies venture farther into the south, they will face death in a land under the sway of a fanatical cult that would purge Gillengaria of all magic users. And they will come to realize that their only hope of survival lies in standing together…

From four of today''s most imaginative authors--Claire Delacroix, Lynn Kurland, Sharon Shinn, and Sarah Monette--comes a quartet snow-pure love stories designed to warm the coldest of hearts.

A New York Times Bestselling AuthorFour extraordinary and renowned authors come together with stories of epic romance that live through the ages . . . of the beguiling and transforming power of beauty . . . of a woman awakening to the magic she possesses . . . of a world where human women pursue the love of angels . . . and of a medieval legend who comes thrillingly to life. Four stories to delight and enchant; four rare talents destined to weave a web of magic that will leave you breathless.

The award-winning author returns to Samaria in this richly romantic tale that begins where Archangel left off. In that time, the women who craved the attention of angels were known as angel-seekers, a term used with awe by some--and scorn by others.

Two hundred years ago, the god Jovah created a legion of land dwelling angels, led by an appointed Archangel. Now, Jovah has a new appointee: Archangel Gaaron. For his life-mate, his Angelica, Jovah has chosen a woman named Susannah. Slowly, an unspoken affection develops between the two. But there is a terrible threat besetting the land-and the true hearts of Archangel and Angelica may never be known.

From the national bestselling author of The Samaria Trilogy...this is the novel that launched Sharon Shinn''s career and inspired Peter S. Beagle to call her "the most original writer of fantasy since Robin McKinley." Aubrey was a student of the fine art of wizardry. But the more knowledge he acquired, the more he wanted to learn. He traveled in search of the greatest master of all, the gifted shape-changer Glyrenden. From him, Aubrey expected to discover the secret of long-lost spells and the mysteries of arcane magic. But there was one discovery he never expected, a mystery he risked every thing to solve. Her name was Lilith...

A woman blessed, or cursed, with a talent for witchcraft returns to Castle Auburn where she spent her childhood in joy-only to find an aura of dread awaiting her.

National bestselling author Sharon Shinn returns to the compelling world of Samaria in an extraordinary novel of angels and mortals, music and mystery, science and faith... More than a hundred years after the time of Rachel and Gabriel, Samaria is in deep turmoil. Charismatic Archangel Delilah has been injured and forced to give up her position, and she has been replaced by shy, uncertain Alleluia. What’s worse, ungovernable storms are sweeping across the country, and the god never seems to hear the angels’ pleas to abate the bad weather. Unless those prayers are offered by the new Archangel...

From national bestselling author Sharon Shinn comes a stunningly beautiful novel of a distant future—where the fate of the world rests on the voice of an angel... Through science, faith, and force of will, the Harmonics carved out for themselves a society that they conceived as perfect. Diverse peoples held together by respect for each other. Angels to guard the mortals and mystics to guard the forbidden knowldge. Jehovah to watch over them all... Generations later, the armed starship Jehovah still looms over the planet of Samaria, programmed to unleash its arsenal if peace is not sustained. But with the coming of an age of corruption, Samaria''s only hope lies in the crowning of a new Archangel. The oracles have chosen Gabriel for this honor, and further decreed that he must first wed a mortal woman named Rachel. It is his destiny and hers. And Gabriel is certain that she will greet the news of her betrothal with enthusiasm, and a devotion to duty equal to his own. Rachel, however, has other ideas... Winner of the William Crawford Award for Achievement in Fantasy Nominated for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer