New Releases by Tanya Huff

Fourth in the epic fantasy series from the author of No Quarter: “Good reading in the same vein as [Mercedes] Lackey’s The Last Herald-Mage series” (Locus). Benedikt can control the element of water through music, but water is the only element Benedikt can sing, which isolates him from his fellow bards. When the queen of Shkoder outfits a voyage to discover the lands across the sea against the Bardic captain’s objections, Benedikt is the only bard willing to brave the captain’s wrath and volunteer. In uncharted waters, a storm strikes and the kigh of the deep seas rises. All of Benedikt’s skill is unable to save ship or crew. Shipwrecked in an unfamiliar country and unable to send word to Shkoder of the ship’s fate, Benedikt must play the part he’s been given: a pawn in the game of politics and religion between brother and sister—who both intend to use his song to their advantage. As the queen waits for word, the kigh of the deep seas rises again . . . Praise for the Quarters series “I love the way Huff writes. She creates rich, complex fantasy worlds, populates them with likeable characters, includes lots of humor and action, bright, lively dialogue, and in this case, an ‘all’s well that ends well’ ending that is perfect. Unputdownable.” —Voya “A richly complex story set in a magical world that could almost be a part of our own history.” —Science Fiction Chronicle “This isn’t fluff, and it isn’t light—but it has so much heart to leaven its dark moments.” —The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

The “unputdownable” third adventure in the epic fantasy series from the acclaimed author of the Smoke Trilogy and the Blood Books (Voya). Having offered sanctuary to the soul of the man who stole her brother’s body, Vree heads north to Shkoder with two kigh struggling to co-exist in a single body. Although the odds aren’t in their favor, there’s a chance, a small chance, the Bards can find Gyhard a body of his own without anyone else having to die. But while Vree is a former assassin trained to kill on command, Gyhard has chosen to kill again and again on a quest for immortality, and the Bards aren’t certain which of them is the more dangerous. No one—from the guard on the Citadel gate to the King himself—wants them anywhere near the single Healer who can Sing the Fifth Kigh. No one except Magda, the Healer, whose heritage has taught her that things are not always as they seem . . . “I love the way Huff writes. She creates rich, complex fantasy worlds, populates them with likeable characters, includes lots of humor and action, bright, lively dialogue, and in this case, an ‘all’s well that ends well’ ending that is perfect.” —Voya “It’s great fun, but Huff plays some interesting variations on love, family, and the balance between love and dependence.” —Locus “Only a storyteller of Ms. Huff’s considerable merit could create the extraordinary characterization to bring this unusual storyline to full and vivid life.” —Romantic Times

The first book in the action-packed Peacekeeper series, a continuation of Tanya Huff''s military sci-fi Confederation series following Torin Kerr Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr had been the very model of a Confederation Marine. But when she learned the truth about the war the Confederation was fighting, she left the military for good. But Torin couldn’t walk away from preserving and protecting everything the Confederation represented. Instead, she drew together an elite corps of friends and allies to take on covert missions that the Justice Department and the Corps could not—or would not—officially touch. Torin just hoped the one they were about to embark on wouldn’t be the death of them. Ancient H’san grave goods are showing up on the black market—grave goods from just before the formation of the Confederation, when the H’san gave up war and buried their planet-destroying weapons...as grave goods for the death of war. Someone is searching for these weapons and they’re very close to finding them. As the Elder Races have turned away from war, those searchers can only be members of the Younger Races. Fortunately, only the Corps Intelligence Service has this information. Unfortunately, they can do nothing about it—bound by laws of full disclosure, their every move is monitored. Though Torin Kerr and her team are no longer a part of the military, the six of them tackling the H’san defenses and the lethally armed grave robbers are the only chance the Confederation has. The only chance to avoid millions more dead. But the more Torin learns about the relationship between the Elder Races and the Younger, the more she begins to fear war might be an unavoidable result.

It was a long fall from Clan Heir to common thief, but Aaron never wanted any part of his father''s brutal outlander reign. In fact, besides coin purses and jewels, there''s very little in all of Cisali that interests Aaron, until he stumbles-quite literally-into a prince''s bedchamber... Prince Davish of Ischia is a skilled swordsman both on the field and beneath the sheets, at least when he isn''t outrageously drunk. But the wine helps him forget all the ways he''s disappointed his father, his family, and soon enough, his young bride-to-be... A trained Wizard of the Nine with more raw talent than real-world experience, Princess Chandra has no interest in the politically arranged marriage. She flees to the royal city of Ischia seeking a way out of the union. But there, she discovers something far more shocking than Prince Davish''s rakish reputation... The Stone of Ischia has been stolen. A powerful talisman, The Stone protects the city from the active volcano that looms over its terraces and streets. Without it, Ischia will be destroyed and the kingdom of Cisali will fall. Its only hope is an unlikely band of heroes-a failed thief, a drunken prince, and a runaway wizard-who must face pirates, powerful magic, and their own carefully guarded secrets in order to find and restore the Stone of Ischia.

Trained to kill from childhood, siblings Bannon and Vree have only known life as assassins in the Imperial Army. The army is both their mother and father, their lives subject to the whims of the Crown. When their latest target steals Bannon''s body for his own, Vree saves her brother by dragging his spirit in to share hers. But two assassins in one body is one assassin too many. To save both their lives, they must abandon the only life they’ve known, risking Imperial ire and possible execution, to regain Bannon’s body. It isn''t until after they capture Gyhard, the body thief, that they realize they can''t force him to do anything while he holds Bannon''s body hostage. But Gyhard is willing to trade Bannon''s body for their assistance. All they have to do – while being hunted for desertion and dealing with an unknown power able to Sing the dead out of the grave – is betray the oaths they''ve lived by and help Gyhard secure the body of an Imperial Prince.

A tantalizing selection of stories from some of the best female authors who’ve helped define the modern vampire. Bram Stoker was hardly the first author—male or female—to fictionalize the folkloric vampire, but he defined the modern iconic vampire when Dracula appeared in 1897. Since then, many have reinterpreted the ever-versatile vampire over and over again—and female writers have played vital roles in proving that the vampire, as well as our perpetual fascination with it, is truly immortal. These authors have devised some of the most fascinating, popular, and entertaining of our many vampiric variations: suavely sensual . . . fascinating but fatal . . . sexy and smart . . . undead but prone to detection . . . tormented or terrifying . . . amusing or amoral . . . doomed or deadly . . . badass and beautiful . . . cutting-edge or classic . . . Blood Sisters collects a wide range of fantastical stories from New York Times bestsellers Holly Black, Nancy Holder, Catherynne M. Valente, and Carrie Vaughn, and critically acclaimed writers Chelsea Quinn Yarbro and Tanith Lee, all of whom have left their indelible and unique stamps on the vampire genre. Whether they are undeniably heroes and heroines or bloodthirsty monsters (or something in between), the undead are a lively lot. This anthology offers some of the best short fiction ever written by the “blood sisters” who know them best: stories you can really sink your teeth into.

There''s a lot of responsibility involved with being the most powerful wizard in the world, and Magdelene wants nothing to do with any of it. Lazy, lusty, and more likely to be found lying in the sun than casting runes or sacrificing unfortunate goats, she''d really rather avoid dealing with challenges, errant apprentices, demons, dragons, death, and bureaucracy. These seven stories include Third Time Lucky, Tanya Huff''s first professional sale to George Scithers at Amazing Stories. Thirty years, thirty novels, eighty-three short stories, and one television show later, this is where it all began.

In Valor''s Choice, Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr and her crew get yanked from a well-deserved shore leave in order to participate in an easy'' mission. They are to act as an honour guard for a diplomatic visit to the world of the Silsviss, reptilian aliens with a strong appreciation for war and conquest. In The Better Part of Valor, Torin Kerr''s outspokenness gets her in a load of trouble. After she tells a two-star general what she really thinks of him, she finds herself separated from her platoon and sent off on a perilous assignment.''

A ghost has invaded his home, beginning a dangerous nightly game in which Henry is allowed to ask a single question. If the answer is no, an innocent and unsuspecting person is killed. Henry soon comes to the horrifying realization that this wraith—and the others who join it—is using him to wreak vengeance on the people it holds responsible for its death. Henry can’t find the source of these murders on his own, so he calls on the one person he trusts to help—private investigator Vicki Nelson, with the small hope that they can stop these otherworldly forces, without losing their lives. Also includes a brand-new short story featuring Vicki and Henry!

Having left the Marine Corps, former Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr is attempting to build a new life with salvage operator Craig Ryder. Turns out civilian life is a lot rougher than she''d imagined. Torin is left for dead when pirates attack their spaceship and take Craig prisoner. Determined to rescue Craig, Torin calls in her marines.

The Blood Books are now available in "Blood Ties" TV tie-in editions. View our TV tie-in feature page here here. Vicki Nelson has received the call that no daughter ever wants to receive—that her mother has died. Marjory Nelson’s coworkers at the Queen’s University Life Science Department told her that she suffered a heart attack, and that they’d be waiting for Vicki to arrive in Kingston to make the funeral arrangements. But what begins as a personal tragedy turns into the most terrifying case of Vicki’s career, when her mother’s body disappears mysteriously from the funeral home. Someone at the University is determined to learn the secret of life after death…and they’ve decided to make Vicki’s mother part of their horrifying experiments.

Charlotte Gale is a Wild Power, but there''s nothing wild about the life she is living. When her meddlesome aunts start interfering, Charlie ditches her cousin Allie and their grandmother''s Enchantment Emporium and joins a Celtic rock band on the summer festival circuit. All Charlie wants to do is play music and have a good time, but she soon becomes embroiled in a fight between an extended family of Selkies and an unscrupulous oil company willing to employ the most horrific means possible to get what they want, including one of the Gale aunts...

The Blood Books are now available in "Blood Ties" TV tie-in editions. View our TV tie-in feature page here here. An evil being has been sealed away for centuries in a sarcophagus never meant to be opened, waiting patiently for his chance to rise again. Now, brought to the Egyptology Department of Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum, the seals and spells that imprisoned him chipped away from his discoverers, he has reached forth to claim the minds and souls of Toronto’s unsuspecting citizens. And only three people had any sense that something was wrong…. For Henry Fitzroy, it began with terrifying images of the sun, a marker of death for a vampire. Fearing for his sanity, he turns to his sometimes-lover, private investigator Vicki Taylor, for help. As the two struggle to cope with Henry’s obsession, Vicki’s closest friend and former partner Mike Celluci, is following up on two mysterious deaths at the museum, certain that a force from beyond the grave is responsible for everything.

In these seven contemporary fantasies from Tanya Huff, we see a dog''s eye view of loyalty and a cat''s eye view of sea serpents. We learn that some Brownies could use a shave – although cookies will still be sold – and that there are at least two sides to every relationship, no matter how accidental and/or mythical that relationship is. We''re also reminded that however worthwhile it may be to die with purpose, it''s better to live well. Huff''s ability to leaven heartache with humour – and vise versa – gives this collection of previously published stories an unexpected emotional variety. A December release, He Said, Sidhe Said also includes the seasonally appropriate “I''ll be Home for Christmas.”

For centuries, the werewolves of Toronto have managed to live in peace and tranquility, hidden quietly away on their London, Ontario farm. But now, someone has learned their secret—and is systematically massacring this ancient race. The only one they can turn to is Henry Fitzroy, Toronto-based vampire and writer of bodice rippers. Forced to hide from the light of day, Henry can’t hunt the killer alone, so he turns to Vicki Nelson for help. As they race against time to stop the murderer, they begin to fear that their combined talents may not be enough to prevent him from completing his deadly plan.

"Blood Ties, now an original series on Lifetime"--Cover.

A new short story collection from Tanya Huff. You can''t belong to the Thieves'' Guild if you can''t break into the Thieves'' Guild. When Terizan dropped out of the secret passage, past the net, and into the Inner Sanctum, she was astonished to discover that no one else had ever made it that far. Unfortunately, neither Terizan nor the Guild are thrilled about the sudden perception that she''s the best thief in Oreen – the title comes with expectations and the Guild only ever expects the worst. In these five tales, mercenary captains, murderous royal families, ghosts, gods, and wizards prove that while it may not always be lonely at the top, it''s definitely annoying. Good thing half a dozen gods owe Terizan a favour.

In this thrilling tale of fear, a desperate scholar is driven by love into the darkest corners of the world When Aurek Nuiken travels to Richemulot to search for a spellbook that lies buried within the dark bowels of the undercity, little does he know the horrors that await. As two beautiful women vie for the interest of the enigmatic scholar and his handsome younger brother, a family of wererats and a double dose of sibling rivalry conspire to endanger not only Aurek but the object he holds most dear: his wife, who has been attacked and made prisoner by an evil mage. Faced with his own personal torment and the all-too-real monsters of Ravenloft, the scholar is pushed to the edge of madness and a choice no man should ever have to make.

In Queers Dig Time Lords, editors Sigrid Ellis (Chicks Dig Comics) and Michael Damian Thomas (Apex Magazine) bring together essays by award-winning writers to celebrate the phenomenon that is Doctor Who, in the tradition of the Hugo Award-winning Chicks Dig Time Lords. Tanya Huff (Blood Ties) wears her bi-focals as she analyzes the Doctor''s fluid sexuality, former Doctor Who script editor Gary Russell explores the show''s effect on his teenage years, Paul Magrs (Doctor Who: Hornets'' Nest) defends and celebrates the camp qualities of the series, and Melissa Scott (Trouble and Her Friends) describes Doctor Who''s impact on her greatest love and loss. Other contributors include David Llewellyn (Doctor Who: Night of the Humans), Rachel Swirsky (Through the Drowsy Dark), Hal Duncan (Ink: The Book of All Hours), Nigel Fairs (Big Finish Productions), Amal El-Mohtar (The Honey Month), Brit Mandelo (Beyond Binary), Mary Anne Mohanraj (Bodies in Motion), and Jed Hartman (Strange Horizons). This book features an introduction by John Barrowman (star of Doctor Who and Torchwood) and Carole E Barrowman (Hollow Earth, Torchwood: Exodus Code). The cover art is by Colleen Coover (Small Favors).

When Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr makes the mistake of speaking her mind to a superior officer, she finds herself tagged for a special mission to act as protector to a scientific exploratory team assigned to investigate an enormous derelict spaceship. Along with her crew Kerr soon finds herself in the midst of danger and faced with a mystery that takes all her courage and ingenuity to solve.

This modern urban fantasy trilogy takes Keeper Claire (a Guardian of Earth), her talking cat Austin (who always knows best), hunky handyman Dean (who refuses to remain a Bystander) and Claire''s meddling younger sister Diana from a B&B where Hell has a portal in the basement and the clientele is out of this world...to an assignment where they must ride herd on an angel and a devil who have manifested in the mortal world as fully endowed teenagers who don''t have a clue how to deal with their raging hormones and conflicting needs to do good and evil...to a shopping mall where Darkness is trying to stage a takeover from the Otherside....

It was a long fall from Clan Heir to common thief, but Aaron never wanted any part of his father’s brutal outlander reign. In fact, besides coin purses and jewels, there’s very little in all of Cisali that interests Aaron, until he stumbles—quite literally—into a prince’s bedchamber... Prince Davish of Ischia is a skilled swordsman both on the field and beneath the sheets, at least when he isn’t outrageously drunk. But the wine helps him forget all the ways he’s disappointed his father, his family, and soon enough, his young bride-to-be... A trained Wizard of the Nine with more raw talent than real-world experience, Princess Chandra has no interest in the politically arranged marriage. She flees to the royal city of Ischia seeking a way out of the union. But there, she discovers something far more shocking than Prince Davish’s rakish reputation... The Stone of Ischia has been stolen. A powerful talisman, The Stone protects the city from the active volcano that looms over its terraces and streets. Without it, Ischia will be destroyed and the kingdom of Cisali will fall. Its only hope is an unlikely band of heroes—a failed thief, a drunken prince, and a runaway wizard—who must face pirates, powerful magic, and their own carefully guarded secrets in order to find and restore the Stone of Ischia. REVIEWS “The delightful camarderie of three unlikely heroes and well controlled fantasy elements make Huff''s adventure great fun to read.” —Publishers Weekly “Huff arranges the ordinary elements of fantasy into an extraordinary tale of adventure and transformation.” —Library Journal “An exciting adventure ... they face pirates, storms, traitors ... each has unique talents that can bring their mission to a successful conclusion, each has weakness that could destroy themselves and a city of people.” —Voya

First published in 1989 and taking place in downtown Toronto, one of the earliest of the modern urban fantasies, Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light is the story of a fight against encroaching darkness by a developmentally handicapped young woman, a street musician with no idea of his potential, a bag-lady who''s tired of picking up the pieces, and an adept of the light. Mixing actual Toronto ghost-stories with traditional Faire, a police procedural, and a cat, Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light opened a gate at street level to the urban fantasy that followed. REVIEWS "A mentally disadvantaged young woman who sees what other people don''t, a street musician, a social worker, and a bag-lady join forces with an ''Adept of the Light'' to fight the encroaching darkness that stalks the streets of modern Toronto. In a departure from the ''strict'' fantasy of Child of the Grove (LJ 5/15/88) and The Last Wizard, Huff''s real-world fantasy presents an enlightened, compassionate view of the forgotten heroes of urban society. Highly recommended." --Library Journal

February Thaw is the second e-collection by Tanya Huff and brings together some of the short fiction that helped define the field. From an Imperial Dragon in Toronto''s Chinatown, to a heavy metal retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk, to the realization that the ancient gods are one highly dysfunctional family, Huff skews our world slightly sideways. These seven stories, each with a brand new introduction by the author, remind us that the weird and the wonderful is all around us if we only bother to look.

Explore uncharted territory in this collection of heroic fantasy shorts from Tanya Huff. Annotations provide background and insight on each story. Peppered with Huff’s trademark tongue-in-cheek wit and the brilliant, funny, wise, ruthless heroines that have made her famous, this is a collection you won’t want to miss. Travel to Camelot in “Nights of the Round Table” and to ancient Egypt in “Succession”. Revisit beloved fairytales in “All Things Being Relative”. Sail the seas in “Blood in the Water” and “Oh Glorious Sight”. Also includes “What Little Girls Are Made Of,” “A Woman’s Work”, and “Slow Poison”. Nights Of The Round Table And Other Stories is the first of a series of Tanya Huff short story collections. Published as e-book exclusives and featuring all-new cover art, many of the stories in these collections have never been collected before, or are only available in hard-to-find limited editions.

Take a walk on the wild side of urban fantasy. Spend some quality time lolling in the moonlight shadows with loves that come out only at night. From light- spirited romps to black-hearted noir, from steampunk London to the bleeding edge of the present, come tales of love, eros, betrayal, and seduction in a beguiling vein. Bestsellers Tanya Huff, Caitlin Kittredge, and Toni L.P. Kelner join Dana Cameron, Sarah Hoyt, John Lambshead, Diana Rowland, and editor Mark L. Van Name to create a dazzling cast of vampires, werewolves, witches, and zombies, oh my. Oh my. At the publisher''s request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

The third and fourth novels in Huffs hugely popular Quarters--"No Quarter" and "The Quartered Sea"--are now available in a single omnibus edition. Original.

Includes Blood Debt and Blood Bank.

Discover the first book in the Keeper''s Chronicles, where a young woman becomes master of the possibilities of time and space, maintaining the balance between worlds to protect Earth. Austin was a black and white, far-from-young cat. Not just any cat, mind you, he was the Keeper’s cat, a very outspoken feline with extremely strong opinions he was always willing to voice. After all, who knew better than Austin what was best for the well-being of Claire—and for the not-quite-as-important rest of the universe? Claire Hansen was a Keeper, a member of that select group that kept the universe in one piece. And now she’d been Summoned to the Elysian Fields Guesthouse, a rundown bed-and-breakfast that seemed to attract the most unusual clientele. And Claire was not happy about this latest assignment, not happy at all. Not when she’d been tricked into taking over here by a horrible little gnome of a man who’d abandoned his post before she’d even figured out who he really was. Not when room six held a resident who’d been sleeping there for so many years that she really needed a good dusting—except that it was far too dangerous for anyone to get that close to her. Not when the basement housed too much temptation for anyone’s mental health. Not when she found herself surrounded by “helpers” as distracting as Dean, the hunky-yet-innocent handyman, and Jacques, a ghost with a real lust for life. And especially not when it looked like this might be the not only her most challenging mission, but one she’d be stuck handling for life....

From Merlin to Gandalf, from medicine men to witch doctors, there have always been those who look beyond the everyday world, seeking out secrets far beyond mortal ken. They have held the power of life and death over their followers, have been advisers to the mightiest of rulers. Some have grown proud beyond their abilities and finally met their bane. Others have fulfilled their destiny and gone on to realms beyond our own. And all of them, whether they have followed the paths of good or evil, have captured the imagination of fantasy lovers everywhere. So let yourself be caught up in the magical enchantments of such word sorcerers as Dennis McKiernan, Josepha Sherman, Jane Lindskold, Mickey Zucker Reichert, Michelle West, Andre Norton, Diana Paxson, Jody Lynn Nye, John DeChancie, Jane Yolen, and Tanya Huff as they conjure up spellbinding visions of worlds--and wizards--previously undreamed of!