Most Popular Books by Tanya Huff

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

Now available in one volume, the novels which began Tanya Huff''s career. Child of the Grove and The Last Wizard form a powerful fantasy duology about the last wizard ever to be born into the world. It is the saga of Crystal, a daughter of Power whose destiny is to put an end to the war between wizards and the mortal world. Now this magical tale is collected in one volume as Wizard of the Grove, featuring new cover art by Yvonne Gilbert.

Tanya Huff—acclaimed author of the Blood Series—begins her celebrated Confederation series that will launch readers into a future where Humans are not the most evolved species... Good thing they can take orders. Brought into the multi-species Confederation, Humans earn their place along the Taykan and the Krai by acting as military guardians of the Elder Races, who have risen above societal aggression and violence. When Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr and her platoon are dragged from some well-deserved R&R to play honor guard for a diplomatic mission to the non-Confederation planet of the Silsviss, Torin suspects that something is about to go wrong. You don''t make staff sergeant in the CMC without a well-developed sense of paranoia. Justified paranoia when word reaches them that the enemy has been spotted in this sector of space. The diplomatic mission becomes a race to recruit the Silsviss into the Confederation before the enemy returns, claims the reptilian warriors as their own, and turns them loose on the Confederation. One battle-weary platoon has to step up to stop the slaughter.

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.

Tanya Huff’s supernatural fantasy Smoke series, with a gothic twist • Mix of ghostly mystery, paranormal horror, and dark humor • Lamba Award nominated Fans of the X-Files and Twin Peaks will love acclaimed master of contemporary fantasy Tanya Huff’s twisted version of vampires, wizards, and TV terror. When Tony Foster relocated to Vancouver with his vampire Henry Fitzroy, he knew it was his chance to get his act together. In an example of art echoing life, Tony landed a job as production assistant for the syndicated TV show Darkest Night, a series about a vampire detective. And except for his unrequited crush on the show’s handsome costar, Lee Nicholas, Tony was pretty content. Until everything started to fall apart on the set. It began with shadowsu00adu00ad—shadows where they didn’t belong, that almost had an existence of their own. Tony tried to ignore it—until he found Nikki Waugh’s body, and felt the shadow’s touch, and a stunt crash went wrong for no discernible reason—and Tony knew that he had to find out what was threatening everyone on the set.

The Blood Books are now available in "Blood Ties" TV tie-in editions. View our TV tie-in feature page here here. 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!

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.

"[N]ew military science fiction spin-off of Tanya Huff''s Confederation series" --

Discover the second book in the Keeper''s Chronicles, where a young woman masters of the possibilities of time and space, maintaining the balance between worlds to protect Earth. Claire Hansen was a Keeper, gifted—or cursed—with the job of being one of Earth''s Guardians, “Summoned” to areas where anomalies existed, where rifts had opened—or had been opened. Such places were the world''s danger spots where, if they weren’t sealed in time, all the minions of Hell might break through. After she’d closed the portal into Hell at the Elysian Fields Guest House, Claire and her talking cat, Austin, found they’d acquired a new companion—Dean. Though Dean was a Bystander and shouldn’t have been allowed to even remember Keepers existed, somehow in the course of their mutual ordeal at the Elysian Fields, he’d become an indispensable part of Claire’s life. She knew she should change his memories and force him to leave her. Any other course was bound to lead to disaster. But as it turned out, it was already too late, for without Dean around Claire could easily become a danger to herself and the very fabric of space and time. Yet with Dean around—and a little of her sister Diana’s meddling thrown in—the world was headed straight for Chaos. And Claire was about to face a challenge beyond her wildest imagining—a catastrophe created by the power of love—when an angel and a devil each manifested in the mortal world as fully endowed teenagers, who didn’t have a clue how to handle their all-too-human bodies, raging hormones, and opposing needs to do good and evil....

"The Gales are an amazing family, the aunts will strike fear into your heart, and the characters Allie meets are both charming and terrifying." -#1 New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris Alysha Gale''s cousin Charlotte is a Wild Power, who allies herself with a family of Selkies in a fight against offshore oil drilling. The oil company has hired another of the Gale family''s Wild Powers, the fearsome Auntie Catherine, to steal the Selkies'' sealskins. To defeat her, Charlotte will have to learn what born to be Wild really means in the Gale family...

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.

Moving to Calgary to take over her late grandmother''s junk shop, charm-caster Alysha Gale learns that she will be serving the fey community, which proves to be deeply troubled with problems that may be more than Alysha''s family can solve. By the author of The Keeper''s Chronicles.

The third installment in Tanya Huff''s action-packed military sci-fi adventure Confederation series Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr was a Confederation Marine’s marine. She’d survived more deadly encounters—and kept more of her officers and enlisteds alive—than anyone in the Corps, and she was determined to keep the record intact. But since her last mission, she’d been sidelined into endless briefings and debriefings with no end in sight. So, of course, she’d jumped at the chance to go to the Crucible—the Marine Corps training planet—as temporary aide to Major Svensson. The major had been reduced to little more than a brain and spinal cord in his last combat, and he and his doctor were anxious to field test his newly re-grown body. It should have been an easy twenty-day run. After all, Crucible was only set up to simulate battle situations so recruits could be trained safely. But they were barely on-planet when someone started blasting the training scenarios to smithereens. And suddenly Kerr found herself not only responsible for the major and his doctor, but caught in a desperate fight to keep a platoon of Marine recruits alive until someone discovered what was happening on Crucible....

Now in mass market, former space marine Torin Kerr returns for one final adventure to save the Confederation in the last book of the military science fiction Peacekeeper trilogy. Warden Torin Kerr has put her past behind her and built a life away from the war and everything that meant. From the good, from the bad. From the heroics, from the betrayal. She''s created a place and purpose for others like her, a way to use their training for the good of the Confederation. She has friends, family, purpose. Unfortunately, her past refuses to grant her the same absolution. Big Yellow, the ship form of the plastic aliens responsible for the war, has returned. The Silsviss test the strength of the Confederation. Torin will have to be Gunnery Sergeant Kerr once more to find a way to keep the peace.

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

Bestselling author Tanya Huff presents an all-new world of action and intrigue, where survivors of a disastrous war have outlawed all magic in favor of shared knowledge—but all is not as it seems. Ryan Marsan was never meant to be Heir to the Lord Protector. But his brothers are dead, and for the first time in decades, the Black Flame that protects his people is flickering. Ryan must retrieve its fuel from the mage-destroyed wastes of the Broken Lands, leading Scholars with more knowledge, warriors with more experience, and an ambitious cousin with the morals of a cat. His authority rests with the weapon. The only mage-crafted artifice to survive the wars, it responds to the command of the heirs of Marsanport. While its capabilities are mysterious, its brutality is legend. Except Ryan soon discovers some mysteries are really omissions. The weapon is more than it appears and the Broken Lands will reveal secrets, lies, and the horrors of twisted sorcery. Even his companions hide more than he knows. With Marsanport''s future at risk, Ryan can only race forward, hoping to survive, keep his friends alive—and see truth where it is, not where he wants it to be...

The world of Ardhan is slowly losing its magic, but one wizard remains--a master of evil bent on claiming lordship over the entire world. To stop him, the Elders send Crystal, the Child of the Grove, daughter of Power and the last-born wizard to walk the world. The final war is about to begin.

Tanya Huff''s darkly thrilling Blood novels introduced readers to vampiric P.I. Victoria Nelson and her life amongst the paranormal. Here are some of Tanya''s best short stories featuring Vicki and other unforgettable characters from her world... In Quid Pro Quo, Vicki''s policeman lover, Mike, has been kidnapped by a man who wants her to turn him into a vampire. But she''s about to show him just how terrifying that can be... In Songs Sung Red, Vicki finds herself contending with a seductive and savage siren in a case that may lead her into the middle of a murder being investigated by Mike... Vicki tries to help a young woman being tormented by a malevolent jinn who is granting her wishes with some very deadly consequences in If Wishes Were... In No Matter Where You Go, Vicki finds herself in a lethal realm of nightmarish creatures when some reckless teens open a portal to another dimension—with no way of getting back... Blood Wrapped follows young wizard Tony Foster and vampire author Henry Fitzroy as they search for a missing little girl—and try to figure out just how to deal with Vicki''s upcoming birthday.... Sniping sisters Ashley and Brianna Bane uncover some strange goings on at their school when the walls start speaking—and Bri decides to test her wizarding skills against this unknown foe in After School Specials... And in See Me, Tony investigates when an elderly man is found dead in an alley with no identification, leading to a seriously awkward situation involving a lady of the night who may have designs on Tony''s boyfriend... Full of action, passion, heart, and humor, these short stories deliver all Tanya Huff''s fans have come to expect.

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.

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.

Tanya Huff''s darkly thrilling Blood novels introduced readers to vampiric P.I. Victoria Nelson. Here are Tanya''s best short stories featuring Vicki and other unforgettable characters from her world... Note: This ebook consists of 9 short stories previously published as the 2008 collection, Blood Bank. In Another Fine Nest, something sinister lurks in the subway, preying on travelers and sucking their blood. Vicki thinks she knows what''s behind it. And when Mike Celluci gets bitten, she''ll have to stop them dead. A paranoid struggling writer begs Mike for help, claiming someone has hacked his computer and threatened him with death. But when Mike asks Victoria to look into it, she discovers that sometimes, when murder is concerned, all you need is some serious Critical Analysis. In Sceleratus, Henry Fitzroy, the vampiric son of Henry VIII, is marking an anniversary. But he is anything but happy about it. Because it''s the day when, long ago, someone he truly loved was taken from him—and when he unleashed his fury on the Holy Inquisition. In the light-hearted So This is Christmas, the holiday season is no time to celebrate in Vicki''s mind. But then her mind then takes her on a nocturnal stroll through a twisted, humorous dream in which she''s visited by three ghosts...get it? Without Vicky, Fitzroy soon realizes he is feeling lonely—and advertises for a companion in a singles column. But the responses evoke some unfamiliar feelings in the vampire who desperately wants Someone to Share the Night. In The Cards Also Say, Vicki is warned by a Romani someone is trying to kill her. Which is no real surprise to Vicki. After all, it''s not the first time she''s been in mortal danger—but this time, it may be the last.... A very old, very powerful vampire is hunting in Vicki''s territory, which is something she cannot abide. But she''s not yet strong enough to take him down. So, it will take something more than vampiric strength if she''s going to survive in This Town Ain''t Big Enough. In The Vengeful Spirit of Lake Nepeakea, Vicki and Mike must try to solve a mystery unlike any they''ve tackled before—by uncovering a lake monster. But are the locals pulling a hoax for drive off a property developer, or could the creature actually be real? In Regency England, Henry Fitzroy the life of a bawdy, reckless bounder. But when he saves a government official from being killed, he finds himself drawn into a world of intrigue, spycraft, and the Napoleonic Wars in which the lives of thousands of British soldiers are at stake in What Manner of Man. Full of thrills, danger, love, and laughs, these short stories will leave any Tanya Huff fan begging for more..

A thief, a princess, and a wizardess embark upon a perilous quest for a magical stone that has long protected the city from the volcano that threatens it

Now in an omnibus edition, the Lambda Award-nominated supernatural Smoke series presents contemporary fantasy with a gothic twist. When Tony Foster relocated to Vancouver with his vampire Henry Fitzroy, he knew it was his chance to get his act together. In an example of art echoing life, Tony landed a job as production assistant for the syndicated TV show, Darkest Night, a series about a vampire detective. And except for his unrequited crush on the show''s handsome co-star, Lee Nicholas, Tony was pretty content. Until everything started to fall apart on the set. It began with shadowsu00adu00ad--shadows where they didn''t belong, that almost had an existence of their own. Tony tried to ignore it--until he found Nikki Waugh''s body, and felt the shadow''s touch, and a stunt crash went wrong for no discernible reason--and Tony knew that he had to find out what was threatening everyone on the set.

Bestselling author Tanya Huff''s Confederation series of military science fiction returns with a novel where one woman''s discovery shakes the foundations of the intergalactic alliance itself... Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr has had enough of special treatment—and of gaping, skepticism, and whispers of Silsviss or Big Yellow as she passes. She''s glad to be back with her own Sh''quo Company, surrounded by familiar faces and enduring more razzing than awe. Of course, the company is going into battle again, facing death on all sides in a centuries-old war where every attempt at diplomacy fails, and she''s got a brand-new second lieutenant to train. Another glorious day in the Confederation Marine Corps. The battle goes disastrously wrong. And yet somehow Torin wakes up. The Others don''t take prisoners—or so the Confederation has always said. But the dark tunnels and mysterious mechanisms of the warren around her certainly seem like a prison. And there''s more going on than simple confinement. One after another, Torin''s most cherished beliefs are shaken to the core. She''s always been a survivor. But time is running out. If she has to question everything to escape, answers had better start coming fast...

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.

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....

The second book in the action-packed Peacekeeper series, a continuation of Huff''s military sci-fi Confederation series following former Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr.

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 "Huff''s real-world fantasy presents an enlightened, compassionate view of the forgotten heroes of urban society. High Recommended." -- Library Journal "Contemporary urban fantasy at its best." -- Locus "Tanya Huff has a rollicking good time playing with the lighter side of her plot and provides a set of dramatic personae whose fate engage our deeper feelings. [The novel] works its own distinctive charms upon one of the standard plots of the fantasy genre." -- Toronto Star

The Aurora Award-winning fantasy novel of a lone kingdom struggling to hold on to its freedom, and a pair of untested heroes who must work together to save their people—from the critically-acclaimed author of the Peacekeeper novels. The small, were-ruled kingdom of Aydori has long kept to its own ways, living under the protection of the powerful Hunt Pack and the wisdom of the Mage Pack, who have mastery of the six disciplines—air, fire, water, earth, metals, healing. It is these very gifts that have drawn the wrath of the rapacious Emperor Leopald, whose soothsayer has prophesized a threat to his dominion about to be born from Aydori. Launching an all-out assault against the shapeshifters, he kidnaps five members of the Mage Pack who are with child, including the wife of the Pack Leader. With the Pack engaged by the Emperor''s army, the kidnappers believe they have a clear escape. But they are already being harried by the unlikeliest of hunters—young Mirian Maylin, whose true magical potential has yet to emerge, and Tomas Hagen, the reckless younger brother of the Pack Leader. Both have much to prove to themselves and each other—and both are willing to risk everything to do so. Their pursuit will take them into perils unknown and deep into the black heart of the Empire, where the fate of their people will be decided by the strength of their courage, sacrifice, and loyalty in this "seamless mix of steampunk, epic fantasy, and paranormal romance" ( Publishers Weekly). " The Silvered paints a fascinating society based on the symbiosis of mage and wolf-pack, each group partnering and tempering the other." — San Francisco Book Review "It all adds up to a fun, old-fashioned adventure made new with an interesting magic system." — Locus "The way that Huff tied all of the strings together from this epic journey was masterful. She paid equal attention to her characters as she did her world-building, resulting in a seamless whole. The melding of science, magic, era-specific technology, superstition, war and how ordinary people can do extraordinary things was captivating." — The Book Pushers "[Huff] knows not only how to world build, but how to build magic systems and do phenomenal characterizations. Her experience shows on every page of The Silvered....Books this good don''t come along that often. The Silvered is a well-planned, well executed adventure tale. I loved it. Completely." — The Ranting Dragon

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.

Who doesn''t love a good apocalyptic story? They come in all kinds, from the nightmare terrors of superflus and zombie invasions to quieter, more reflective tales of loss and survival. Stories that feature people struggling through the end of the world or fighting to survive in what little bits of civilization still remain are always compelling. What better way for readers to safely explore the extremes of the human condition without actually having to fight off the ravening hordes themselves? Apocalyptic features stories from fourteen old and new favorite authors: Seanan McGuire, Aimee Picchi, Tanya Huff, Nancy Holzner, Stephen Blackmoore, Zakariah Johnson, Violette Malan, Eleftherios Keramidas, James Enge, Leah Ning, Thomas Vaughn, Marjorie King, Jason Palmatier, and Blake Jessop. Flee the Baboon King, die of thirst in the White Mountains, brew up a bubbling blob of nanotech road kill in the back of a garbage truck, or, worst of all, try to reintegrate yourself back into society as a former zombie. Then ask yourself, would you survive the Apocalypse? Would you even want to?

Within these pages lie eighteen stories, from eighteen worlds shaped by some of today’s best writers of science fiction and fantasy, all guests on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers during its first year. Some are international bestsellers. Among them are winners and nominees for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, Aurealis, Ditmar, British Science Fiction Association, and Dragon Awards. Some have been writing for decades, others are at the beginning of their careers. All have honed their craft to razor-sharpness. A teenage girl finds something strange in the middle of the Canadian prairie. An exobiologist tries to liberate a giant alien enslaved on its homeworld by humans. The music of the spheres becomes literal for an Earth ship far from home. A superhero league interviews for new members. Strangers share a drink on a world where giant starships fall. Two boys, one a werewolf, one a mage, get more than they bargained for when they volunteer to fight an evil Empire. A man with amnesia accepts a most unusual offer. A young woman finds unexpected allies as she tries to win a flying-machine race in steampunk London . . . Ranging from boisterous to bleak, from humorous to harrowing, from action-filled to quiet and meditative; taking place in alternate pasts, the present day, the far, far future, and times that never were; set on Earth, in the distant reaches of space, in fantasy worlds, and in metaphysical realms, each of these stories is as unique as its creator. And yet, they all showcase one thing: the irrepressible need of human beings to create, to imagine, to tell stories. To shape worlds.

Discover the third book in the Keeper''s Chronicles, where two young women master the possibilities of time and space, maintaining the balance between worlds to protect Earth. It started on the last day of high school, a day Diana Hansen had been anticipating for the last twelve years. Now, her real life could begin. For Diana, like her sister Claire, was a Keeper—gifted with the ability to reweave the possibilities of time and space to maintain the balance between Light and Darkness. What neither Diana nor Sam—formerly an angel, now a cat—could have anticipated was that her first Summons as an active Keeper would be to a shopping mall! But a quick trip to the Erlking’s Emporium, a gift shop in a Kingston mall, confirmed Diana’s worst suspicions. Not only was Darknesss trying to stage a takeover from the Otherside, but if Diana didn’t bring in reinforcements, her first Summons might well be her last. Claire and Austin—who’d always been a cat and had little tolerance for cat wannabes like Sam—were only too ready to take on their “older and wiser” roles. But neither the Keepers nor their cats were prepared for what they found when they tried to cross from their world to the Otherside mall....

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."

Bestselling author Tanya Huff returns to the Confederation series of military science fiction, where after centuries of fighting, the dangers of peacetime prove as alien as any new galaxy. Once Torin Kerr was a gunnery sergeant, secure in the embrace of the Confederation Marine Corps. Now the war is over. Torin is free to delve the depths of space with Craig Ryder in a tiny salvage ship, responsible only for keeping them in enough ready credit to breathe and eat. But when she discovers pirates, actual pirates, are a deadly threat to salvage operators, she can''t imagine not taking action. Even if Ryder''s motley group of colleagues and quasi-family think it''s ridiculous. After all, she doesn''t have the Marines behind her anymore. Then Ryder goes missing. Of course Torin is going after him. And whatever the odds, there will always be some who follow Torin Kerr into battle. But this time, instead of Other armies, she''s facing ruthless criminals who''ve seen her story on broadcasts. She''s fighting through all the scars and fears experience has left with her—with none of the rules that told her when to stop. And whatever happens, no one''s coming to rescue her...

The second book in Tanya Huff''s action-packed military sci-fi adventure Confederation series Never tell a two-star general what you really think of him.... That was the mistake Staff Sergeant Torin Kerr made with General Morris. But as a battle-hardened professional, she took pride in doing her job and getting her troops back alive. So after she''d saved the mission to bring the Silviss into the Confederation—instead of losing them and their world to the enemy known only as the Others—she let the general know exactly how she felt. And Torin’s reward—or punishment—was to be separated from her platoon and sent off on what might well prove an even more perilous assignment. She was commandeered to protect a scientific expedition to a newly discovered and seemingly derelict spaceship of truly epic proportions. And Confederation politics had saddled her with a commanding officer who might prove more of a menace to the mission’s success than anything they encountered. Only time would tell if the ship was what it appeared to be, or a trap created by the Others—or the work of an as-yet unknown alien race with an agenda that could prove all too hostile to other life forms....

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

When Tony Foster and his TV crew find themselves shooting in an actual haunted house, all hell threatens to break loose. Can Tony keep the diabolical spirit from turning the crew against one another?