New Releases by Stephen R. Donaldson

Two kingdoms, ancient enemies, must stand alone against an implacable invader in the masterful conclusion of the Great God’s War epic from the New York Times bestselling author of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. They are coming. The kingdoms of Belleger and Amika had been fighting for generations. But then they learned of a terrible threat moving through them to destroy the Last Repository, an immense hidden library. To face this greater enemy, King Bifalt of Belleger and Queen Estie of Amika allied their lands and prepared for war. They are at the door. Now the time of preparation is over. Black ships and sorcery test the cannon that defend the Bay of Lights. Treachery and betrayal threaten the kingdoms. The priests of the Great God Rile sow dissent. And Estie rides for the Last Repository, desperate to enlist the help of their Magisters—and to understand the nature of her own magical gift. They are here. Bifalt hates sorcery as much as he loves Estie, and the discovery that she could become a Magister shatters him. But he must rally and fight. Belleger and Amika are all that stand between the Great God’s forces and his ultimate goal: the destruction of the Last Repository and its treasure of knowledge.

The acclaimed author of the Thomas Covenant Chronicles launches a powerful new trilogy about a prince’s desperate quest for a sorcerous library to save his people. Fire. Wind. Pestilence. Earthquake. Drought. Lightning. These are the six Decimates, wielded by sorcerers for both good and evil. But a seventh Decimate exists—the most devastating one of all... For centuries, the realms of Belleger and Amika have been at war, with sorcerers from both sides harnessing the Decimates to rain blood and pain upon their enemy. But somehow, in some way, the Amikans have discovered and invoked a seventh Decimate, one that strips all lesser sorcery of its power. And now the Bellegerins stand defenseless. Prince Bifalt, eldest son of the Bellegerin King, would like to see the world wiped free of sorcerers. But it is he who is charged with finding the repository of all of their knowledge, to locate the book of the seventh Decimate—and reverse the fate of his land. All hope rests with Prince Bifalt. But the legendary library, which may or may not exist, lies beyond an unforgiving desert and treacherous mountains—and beyond the borders of his own experience. Wracked by hunger and fatigue, sacrificing loyal men along the way, Prince Bifalt will discover that there is a game being played by those far more powerful than he could ever imagine. And that he is nothing but a pawn...

Die Amnios greifen an Nach der Vernichtung der Schwarzwerft Kassafort kämpfen die ehemalige Polizistin Morn Hyland, der kriminelle Doppelagent Nick Succorso und der zum Cyborg umgewandelte Raumpirat Angus Thermopyle um die Vorherrschaft auf dem Raumschiff, mit dem sie entkommen sind. Doch es geht um sehr viel mehr als nur darum, wer die Posaune unter Kontrolle hat: Die Amnios, extrem fähige Genetiker, wollen die Menschheit „retten“, indem sie alle Menschen zu Amnios machen. Es gibt einen Impfstoff, der allerdings noch in der Testphase ist. Hashi Lebwohl, der Direktor der Abteilung Datenakquise der Montan-Kombinate, will ihn weiterentwickeln und so die Menschheit retten. Nick Succorso will den Impfstoff ebenfalls – aber nur diejenigen retten, die in der Lage sind, eine Stange Geld dafür hinzulegen ...

Im Bannkosmos Die Amnios, geniale Bio-Ingenieure, haben Morn Hylands neugeborenen Sohn Davies binnen Tagen zu einem Sechzehnjährigen heranreifen lassen. Sie haben auch Morns Gedächtnis in Davies Gehirn kopiert, um ihm alles Nötige beizubringen. Diese Prozedur hätte Morn eigentlich nicht überleben dürfen – doch die ehemalige Polizistin erfreut sich bester Gesundheit, was an dem illegalen Zonenimplantat in ihrem Gehirn liegt. Die Amnios wollen Mutter und Sohn nun wieder in ihre Gewalt bringen, um sie zu erforschen, und setzen Kapitän Nick Succorso unter Druck. Er verkauft die beiden an die Aliens, doch Morn und Davies gelingt die Flucht. Zu allem Überfluss taucht auch Angus Thermopyle wieder auf – der inzwischen von der Polizei in eine tödliche Waffe verwandet wurde ...

A cause for celebration among Stephen R. Donaldson’s many fans: two original novellas—his first publication since finishing the Thomas Covenant series. In “The King’s Justice,” a stranger dressed in black arrives in the village of Settle’s Crossways, following the scent of a terrible crime. He even calls himself Black, though almost certainly that is not his name. The people of the village discover that they have a surprising urge to cooperate with this stranger, though the desire of inhabitants of quiet villages to cooperate with strangers is not common in their land, or most lands. But this gift will not save him as he discovers the nature of the evil concealed in Settle’s Crossways. The “Augur’s Gambit” is a daring plan created by Mayhew Gordian, Hieronomer to the Queen of Indemnie, a plan to save his Queen and his country. Gordian is a reader of entrails. In the bodies of chickens, lambs, piglets, and one stillborn infant he sees the same message: the island nation of Indemnie is doomed. But even in the face of certain destruction a man may fight, and the Hieronomer is utterly loyal to his beautiful Queen—and to her only daughter. The “Augur’s Gambit” is his mad attempt to save a kingdom.

In The Mirror of Her Dreams, the dazzling first volume of Mordant’s Need, New York Times bestselling author Stephen R. Donaldson introduced us to the richly imagined world of Mordant, where mirrors are magical portals into places of beauty and terror. Now, with A Man Rides Through, Donaldson brings the story of Terisa Morgan to an unforgettable conclusion. . . . Aided by the powerful magic of Vagel, the evil Arch-Imager, the merciless armies are marching against the kingdom of Mordant. In its hour of greatest need, two unlikely champions emerge. One is Geraden, whose inability to master the simplest skills of Imagery has made him a laughingstock. The other is Terisa Morgan, transferred to Mordant from a Manhattan apartment by Geraden’s faulty magic. Together, Geraden and Terisa discover undreamed-of talents within themselves—talents that make them more than a match for any Imager . . . including Vagel himself. Unfortunately, those talents also mark them for death. Branded as traitors, they are forced to flee the castle for their lives. Now, all but defenseless in a war-torn countryside ravaged by the vilest horrors Imagery can spawn, Geraden and Terisa must put aside past failures and find the courage to embrace their powers—and their love—before Vagel can spring his final trap.

The Climax of the Entire Thomas Covenant Chronicles After more than three decades, having attained bestseller status all over the world, The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant reaches its conclusion. This is a truly historic moment in fantasy, as Stephen R. Donaldson’s innumerable fans learn the final fate of the Land. The Worm of the World’s End is roused, seeking the ruin of all things.... Compelled step-by-step to actions whose consequences they could neither foresee nor prevent, Thomas Covenant and Linden Avery have fought for what they love in the magical reality known only as “the Land.” Now they face their final crisis. Reunited after their separate struggles, they discover in each other their true power—and yet they cannot imagine how to stop the Worm of the World’s End from unmaking Time. Nevertheless, they must resist the ruin of all things, giving their last strength in the service of the world’s continuance. You risk much, as you have ever done. Mayhap you will prevail. If you do not, your worth is not thereby diminished.

With The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, Stephen R. Donaldson changed the face of fantasy fiction forever. In The Mirror of Her Dreams, the astonishing first novel in the two-volume Mordant’s Need series, Donaldson shows us a world of wondrous beauty and seductive illusion, where mirrors hold the deadliest of magics and nothing is what it seems. . . . The daughter of rich but neglectful parents, Terisa Morgan lives alone in a New York City apartment, a young woman who has grown to doubt her own existence. Surrounded by the flat reassurance of mirrors, she leads an unfulfilled life—until the night a strange man named Geraden comes crashing through one of her mirrors, on a quest to find a champion to save his kingdom of Mordant from a pervasive evil that threatens the land. Terisa is no champion. She wields neither magic nor power. And yet, much to her own surprise, when Geraden begs her to come back with him, she agrees. Now, in a culture where women are little more than the playthings of powerful men, in a castle honeycombed with secret passages and clever traps, in a kingdom threatened from without and within by enemies able to appear and vanish out of thin air, Terisa must become more than the pale reflection of a person. For the way back to Earth is closed to her. And the enemies of Mordant will stop at nothing to see her dead.

A short story collection from the New York Times bestselling author—available in trade paperback for the first time. “Donaldson proves that he is as adept at the short story as he is at the novel" (Denver Rocky Mountain News), in this superb collection. The famous outtake from The Illearth War, “Gilden-Fire,” headlines eight tales of mystics and unicorns, angels and kings—all written with the dazzling style and imagination that have made Stephen R. Donaldson one of the top fantasists of the day.

“The hottest fantasy writer since J.R.R. Tolkien!”—The Washington Post Thomas Covenant, accompanied by Linden Avery, begins his search for the One Tree aboard the giantship Starfare''s Gem. Armed with the knowledge given to him in Andelain by his trusted friend, the Forestal Hile Troy, Covenant was determined to succeed. He was the last hope for the salvation of the Land. Only he had the power to forge a new Staff of Law and return to the Land to stop the encroaching desecration of the Sunbane and the bloody sacrificial rites of the Clave. But fate decreed that the journey was to be long, arduous, and fraught with danger as Covenant and his companions are assailed by powerful forces whose sole purpose is to ensure the failure of their quest.

“Wounded Land is . . . a deeper, richer world than that presented in the previous volumes. . . . [Stephen R.] Donaldson is extending himself, creating a fuller, more mature world of imagination.”—Seattle Post-Intelligencer Four thousand years have passed since Covenant first freed the Land from the devastating grip of Lord Foul and his minions. The monstrous force of Evil has regained its power, once again warping the very fabric and balance of the Land. Armed with his stunning white gold, wild magic, Covenant must battle not only terrifying external forces but his own capacity for despair and devastation. His quest to save the Land from ultimate ruin is exciting and heroic as ever.

“The Thomas Covenant saga . . . will certainly find a place on the small list of true classics in its specialized field.”—The Washington Post Book World After scant days in his “real” world, Thomas Covenant finds himself again summoned to the Land. There, forty bitter years have passed, while Lord Foul, immortal enemy of the Land, moves to fulfill his prophecy of doom. The Council of Lords find their spells useless, now that Foul the Despiser holds the Illearth Stone, ancient source of evil power. At last High Lord Elena turns in desperation to Covenant and the legendary white gold magic of his ring. . . .

The Gap series comes to a shattering climax in a cataclysmic showdown that will mean either the survival of all humankind . . . or its absorption and annihilation. Drifting in space, sabotaged by a crewman tainted with an alien mutagen, the starship Trumpet broadcasts to any ship in range the formula of the mutagen’s antidote—a drug the United Mining Companies has suppressed for its own sinister purposes. Aboard the crippled ship, the fugitives and survivors—Morn Hyland, an ex-UMCP cop, Angus Thermopyle, a newly freed cyborg, and unwilling saboteur Ciro Vasaczk—must make a desperate gamble. Pursued by the UMCP ship Punisher, threatened by the return of an Amnion combat vessel, they will hijack the police craft by any means necessary—and take it back to Earth.

Author of The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, one of the most acclaimed fantasy series of all time, master storyteller Stephen R. Donaldson retums with this exciting and long-awaited new series that takes us into a stunningly imagined future to tell a timeless story of adventure and the implacable conflict of good and evil within each of us. Angus Thermopyle was an ore pirate and a murderer; even the most disreputable asteroid pilots of Delta Sector stayed locked out of his way. Those who didn''t ended up in the lockup--or dead. But when Thermopyle arrived at Mallory''s Bar & Sleep with a gorgeous woman by his side the regulars had to take notice. Her name was Morn Hyland, and she had been a police officer--until she met up with Thermopyle. But one person in Mallorys Bar wasn''t intimidated. Nick Succorso had his own reputation as a bold pirate and he had a sleek frigate fitted for deep space. Everyone knew that Thermopyle and Succorso were on a collision course. What nobody expected was how quickly it would be over--or how devastating victory would be. It was common enough example of rivalry and revenge--or so everyone thought. The REAL story was something entirely different. In The Real Story, Stephen R. Donaldson takes us to a remarkably detailed world of faster-than-light travel, politics, betrayal, and a shadowy presence just outside our view to tell the fiercest, most profound story he has ever written.

Alors que l''île de l''Arbre primordial s''abîme dans les flots et que la quête du Bâton de la Loi a échoué, Thomas Covenant sait qu''il n''a pas d''alternative : il doit retourner se battre dans le Fief, menacé de destruction par le seigneur Turpide. Covenant, Linden Avery et leurs compagnons de route quittent le vaisseau de pierre, la Gemme de la voie céleste, et entament une longue et éprouvante expédition jusqu''à Pierjoie, aux prises avec de terrifiantes créatures des glaces. Le venin qui empoisonne Covenant l''a rendu si puissant qu''il ne peut plus invoquer sa magie sauvage sans mettre en péril l''arche du temps. Au bout du chemin, c''est la confrontation finale avec Turpide, la Rogue qui attend Covenant... Le pouvoir de l''or blanc peut-il vraiment prendre le dessus sur le solvice maléfique ?

Écrivain à succès, Thomas Covenant mène une vie de famille tranquille, jusqu''au jour où il apprend une terrifiante nouvelle : il a la lèpre. A cause du risque de contagion, il est rejeté par tous ses proches, et sa femme le quitte en emmenant leur fils. Abandonné et en état de choc, il se fait renverser par une voiture et se retrouve "projeté" dans un monde parallèle, le Fief, pays de légende où règnent surnaturel et magie blanche. Commence alors pour Thomas Covenant une aventure épique, à laquelle rien ne le préparait. Il est investi d''une mission : sauver tout un peuple du chaos et de la destruction...

A lonely young woman feels isolated from the world: she uses mirrors to reassure herself that she is still alive - and then they change her life when, one night, a young man appears through the mirror and persuades her to come with him to his own land, where mirrors are magical gateways to other places. This strange new land is in conflict, for war has been foretold, but the king appears completely uninterested in the fate of the world. It is left to the Imagers, masters of mirrors, try to decide the fate of the realm. Donaldson''s firm control of the plot and his terrific characterisation make THE MIRROR OF HER DREAMS and the sequel, A MAN RIDES THROUGH, a story of great intrigue and psychological intricacy, filled with sexual tension, lust and love, as well as magic, battles and excitement. THE MIRROR OF HER DREAMS is a compelling read: a book that should be on every fantasy fan''s shelf.

Linden Avery, who loved Thomas Covenant and watched him die, has returned to the Land in search of her kidnapped son, Jeremiah. As "Fatal Revenant" begins, Linden watches from the battlements of Revelstone when the impossible happens-riding ahead of the hordes attacking Revelstone are Jeremiah and Covenant himself, apparently very much alive.

Running away from yourself never works. You''ll always catch up. "Donaldson, at his trademark best, fleshes out the characters to the max...and it''s all wrapped around a well-paced, cleverly-plotted mystery that will leave readers wanting more." --Charleston Post on The Man Who Killed His Brother Mick "Brew" Axbrewder was once a great P.I. That was before he accidentally shot and killed a cop--worse, a cop who happened to be his own brother. Then Mick''s partner, Ginny Fistoulari, blew off her own hand protecting him from a confrontation brought on by his alcoholism. Unsurprisingly, Mick and Ginny aren''t on great terms any more. Now, a week after an incident in which he was shot, barely back on his feet, Mick has agreed against his better judgement to join Ginny in providing security at a "murder mystery camp", where a dozen people stay in an isolated, snowbound lodge to play at being detectives. Then a real killer starts bumping people off, one by one... As ever, Stephen Donaldson shows why he''s regarded as one of America''s greatest storytellers, with a tale of human pain and human triumph in The Man Who Tried to Get Away. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Mick "Brew" Axbrewder''s latest client''s story doesn''t add up. He claims to be on the run from mobsters to whom he owes large gambling debts. But he seems almost capriciously determined to drag Brew and his partner, Ginny, into the line of fire with him.

Stephen R. Donaldson is one of America''s acclaimed storytellers. But in the 1980s, he published three novels about private investigators Mick Axbrewder and Ginny Fistoulari, as paperback originals under the pseudonym "Reed Stephens." In 2001, Tor published a fourth novel about these characters, The Man Who Fought Alone, this time in hardcover under Donaldson''s own name. Now Donaldson has returned to the first three novels in the sequence, rewriting and expanding them. The Man Who Killed His Brother was the first, and The Man Who Risked His Partner is the second of the three. Mick "Brew" Axbrewder is a P.I. who''s seen better days. Deeply into alcoholism, some time back, he accidentally shot and killed a cop. Worse, the cop turned out to be his brother. Even worse, in a case not long after that, his partner Ginny Fistoulari blew off her own left hand, protecting him and others. Now Mick works mostly as hired muscle for Ginny. They don''t talk much. But their latest client''s story doesn''t add up. They''re going to have to start working better together. And Brew''s going to have to face some of his own worst fears. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

New York Times bestselling author Stephen R. Donaldson presents the first novel of the four-volume finale to the series that’s become a modern fantasy classic: The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Thomas Covenant lost everything. Abandoned by his wife and child, sick and alone, he was transported while unconscious to a magical, dreamlike world called the Land. Convinced it was all a delusion, Covenant was christened The Unbeliever by the Land’s inhabitants—but gave his life to save this new-found world he came to regard as precious. Ten years after Covenant’s death, Linden Avery still mourns for her beloved companion. But a violent confrontation with Covenant’s son, who is doing the evil Lord Foul’s bidding, forces her into the Land, where a dark malevolence is about to unmake the laws of nature—and of life and death itself. It is here that she comes upon Esmer, son of the Dancers of the Sea, a creature of strange powers who draws Linden backwards through time to witness Thomas Covenant’s return to life, and to reinvent the mysterious, dangerous, and violent history of the Land.

The planetoid Thanatos Minor explodes into oblivion. Morn Hyland, her son Davies, Nick Succorso, and cyborg Angus Thermopyle escape before the explosion in a specially fitted cruiser. They must keep one step ahead of hostile pursuit.

Stephen Donaldson writing as Reed Stephens.

In the sprawling new novel The Man Who Fought Alone, Stephen R. Donaldson tells a tale of a hero''s dark night of the soul. Mick Axbrewder has enough problems to kill any ten lesser men. He''s a recovering alcoholic. He''s also healing--painfully and slowly--from a gunshot wound that nearly killed him. His old partner, Ginny, seems to want as little to do with him as possible. Years ago, he and Ginny worked side by side. That was before he accidentally shot and killed a cop. While drunk. A cop who happened to be his brother. Now Axbrewder--"Brew" to his friends--is trying to make his way back to self-respect. It isn''t easy. It doesn''t help that Ginny has moved them to the sprawling, heartless Sunbelt city of Carner, where he can''t get the "feel" of the streets. At least he has work, handling security in the booming martial-arts industry centered in Carner. A world of modern commercial competition and ancient resentments. A world with hidden stakes, over which someone is evidently willing to kill. But Brew''s real job isn''t the one for which he''s been hired. His real job is regaining his own self-respect. At the Publisher''s request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.