Most Popular Books by Tanya Huff

Urban fantasy meets paranormal mystery in this thrilling first installment in the Blood Books, starring paranormal private investigator Vicki Nelson. When demons descend on Toronto, Vicki must team up with two unlikely partners: her ex-flame and the vampiric, romance-writing descendant of King Henry VIII. Vicki Nelson, formerly of Toronto’s homicide unit and now a private detective, witnesses the first of many vicious attacks that are now plaguing the city of Toronto. As death follows unspeakable death, Vicki is forced to renew her tempestuous relationship with her former partner, Mike Celluci, to stop these forces of dark magic—along with another, unexpected ally… Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII, has learned over the course of his long life how to blend with humans, how to deny the call for blood in his veins. Without him, Vicki and Mike would not survive the ancient force of chaos that has been unleashed upon the world—but in doing so, his identity may be exposed, and his life forfeit.

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.

Now available in a new ebook edition, the first novel published by Tanya Huff—author of the acclaimed Blood Books series—a tale of magic and betrayal in a realm where once-powerful magic is fading... and a girl whose gifts may be the key to overcoming an evil not known in an eternity... In a far-ago age, wizards ruled the world with a power so dark even the Elder races feared them. But when their power caused them to unleash dragons from the depths of the earth itself, they were undone by their own hand, thus freeing the world. Or so it was thought. For now, after many years of hard-won peace, the human kingdom of Ardhan is under threat from the dread king of Melac. Yet the real danger is the king’s counselor, Kraydak—a wizard who survived the slaughter of his kind and has waited until now to rise to power once again. But the world will not be as easy to vanquish this time. For the royal family of Ardhan is no longer merely made of men. They have blended their destiny with the immortals who dwell in the Sacred Grove—a place untouched by darkness or death. And it will fall to the youngest of that enchanted bloodline to stand against the coming. Her name is Crystal. And she is the one thing in the world Kraydak fears... A wizard.

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.

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.

"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...

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, bestselling author of the Blood Price books, continues a new series where a street kid-turned-production assistant must balance deceptions that might get him fired with the supernatural truth that might get him killed... Working as a PA for a syndicated television show means when problems crop up, it’s Tony Foster’s job to figure them out. Once his producers decide to film at an isolated historic mansion for a week, the wizard-in-training expects disruptions: no cell signal, extras bumbling around the set, lighting cords tangled in hundred-year-old hallways. He doesn’t expect ghosts. A few dead folks wandering around shouldn’t disturb much, though. They’re only perceptible to the sensitive. Except it seems more of the cast and crew are sensitive than Tony knew. And the house isn’t home to only a few spirits. With the memories of murders playing out around them, Tony has to dodge, sneak, and scramble to cover in front of the normies. Until he gets trapped in the mansion overnight—with his boss, his vampire ex, the smoking-hot straight actor sending mixed signals, and the executive producer’s bratty kids. His crew wants answers. The house wants blood. And the horrors are only beginning...

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.

Tanya Huff, bestselling author of the Blood Price books, starts a new series where a street kid-turned-production assistant must juggle his vampire ex, a crush on a hot straight actor, and the potential end of the world... Working on a direct-to-syndication show about a vampire detective doesn’t much compare to Tony Foster’s past as an actual vampire’s lover. True, he’s still wrangling beautiful people with big egos and the power to crush him, but there are far fewer demons, and TV blood is just corn syrup. When shadows on set start moving independent of the people they’re supposed to be attached to, though, Tony can’t dismiss it as a trick of the light. Especially when he finds the beauty of the week dead in a locked dressing room. Before long, he’s discovered the head of the special effects department is an actual wizard, and brought in his ex, the vampire Henry Fitzroy, to help defend against an attack so terrifying survival seems unlikely. Tony will have to assist his butt off to give them anything like a chance. But being thrust into a spotlight doesn’t make him a hero...

From sci-fi and fantasy master Tanya Huff comes a new epic fantasy saga set in a land of dangers and mysteries Shattered by mage wars, the Broken Lands will test the bonds of family and friendship, strength and sanity. To save their people, the Heirs of Marsan have no choice but to enter, trusting their lives and the lives of everyone they Protect, to someone who shouldn''t exist, who can''t be controlled, and who will challenge everything they believe about themselves.

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.

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.

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....

In the small, were-ruled kingdom of Aydori, five women of the Mage-Pack have been kidnapped while the Pack is away defending the border, leaving a low-level mage and the younger brother of the Pack-leader to track down the kidnappers and save the missing women.

From bestselling author Tanya Huff, the thrilling conclusion to the Gale trilogy, where everything depends on one eccentric and powerful clan—but more can change than meets the eye... Charlie Gale, Wild Power, has come into her own since she first learned to walk a path no one else can follow. But her heart’s demanding something she won’t take, and family responsibilities are pulling her harder than ever. When she learns the secret of a fast-approaching global doomsday event, disaster brings its own kind of clarity. Epic performances are one of Charlie’s strong points. And if she fails, at least her own unhappy ending will get lost in the crowd. With Charlie to teach him, seventeen-year-old Jack Gale has finally figured out what home and family can be like for Wild Powers. He’ll do anything to save his. Which is good, because dealing with frost giants, sirens, and chupacabras is great practice for incoming worldwide devastation. Feelings are a lot harder to beat into submission. Fate, on the other hand, he’s yet to try. Jack and Charlie are determined to change their stars—for themselves and everyone else on the planet. They’ll just have to invent a solution as unpredictable as they are...

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

Tanya Huff, bestselling author of the Blood Price books, delivers the thrilling conclusion to a series where a street-kid-turned-production assistant faces ancient demons, bicurious heartthrobs, and a filming schedule that stops for nobody... Coming out of the wizard closet has barely changed Tony Foster’s life. He’s been promoted... to deploy hair-raising sorcery against construction noise. His crush on the gorgeous second lead has devolved to overanalyzing paparazzi pics. His magic studies progress when he’s not working or sleeping, which is never. Then he intervenes to prevent a terrible accident, and discovers the stuntwoman involved is an immortal survivor of a 3500-year-old sex cult with a hellgate around her midriff. She tells Tony a demonic convergence is beginning in Vancouver, and only he can turn back the eldritch horrors attempting entry through the living room set. The producer maintains they still owe the network two episodes of Darkest Night, and Tony, as his on-staff wizard, had better handle it. Meanwhile, the crew—and one infuriating actor—are endangering themselves trying to help while Tony barely has the firepower to keep himself in one piece. Whether it’s Tony’s friends, his city, or his own survival, something’s bound to give.

Tanya Huff’s Smoke trilogy is now available in a single omnibus edition. Book One: Smoke and Shadows Working as a Production Assistant on a show about a vampire detective is nothing compared to Tony Foster’s past as a vampire’s lover. True, he’s still wrangling beautiful people with big egos and the power to crush him, but there are far fewer demons, and TV blood is colored corn syrup. When shadows on set begin moving independently of the people they’re supposed to be attached to, Tony can’t dismiss it as a trick of the light. Especially not after finding a guest star dead in a locked dressing room. The head of special effects may be an actual wizard, but Tony still has to bring in his ex, the vampire Henry Fitzroy, to help defend against a terrifying, otherworldly attack. With survival unlikely, Tony will have to assist his butt off to give them anything like a chance. But being thrust into a spotlight doesn’t make him a hero... Book Two: Smoke and Mirrors When Darkest Night, the highest rated vampire detective show in syndication, sets up to film at an isolated historic mansion, Tony Foster, PA and wizard-in-training, expects disruptions: no cell signal, extras bumbling around the set, lighting cords tangled in hundred-year-old hallways. He doesn’t expect ghosts. But hey, a few dead folks wandering around shouldn’t disturb much when only the sensitive can perceive them. Unfortunately, a number of the cast and crew turn out to be sensitive. And the house isn’t home to only a few spirits. Trapped in the mansion overnight—with his boss, his vampire ex, the smoking-hot straight actor sending mixed signals, and the executive producer’s bratty kids—Tony has to dodge, sneak, and scramble to cover up the unexplainable. With memories of murders playing out around them, the crew wants answers. And the house wants blood... Book Three: Smoke and Ashes Coming out of the wizard closet has barely changed Tony Foster’s life. He’s been promoted...to deploy sorcery against construction noise. His crush on the gorgeous second lead has devolved to overanalyzing paparazzi pics. His magic studies progress when he’s not working or sleeping, which is never. When he intervenes to prevent a potentially fatal accident, he discovers the stuntwoman involved is the immortal survivor of a 3500-year-old sex cult with a hellgate tattooed around her midriff. In return, she tells Tony the dawn of a demonic convergence means he can look forward to eldritch horrors attempting entry to Vancouver through the Darkest Night soundstage. They still owe the network two episodes, so Tony, as the on-staff wizard, needs to handle it. Meanwhile, the crew—and one infuriating actor—are endangering themselves trying to help and something’s bound to give...

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

Three previously published novels: Smoke and shadows Ã2004, Smoke and mirrors Ã2005, Smoke and ashes Ã2006.

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

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

The second 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. No one who’d ever served with her could imagine any circumstance that would see her walking away from the Corps. But that was before Torin learned the truth about the war the Confederation was fighting…before she’d been declared dead and had spent time in a prison that shouldn’t exist…before she’d learned about the “plastic” beings who were really behind the war between the Confederation and the Others. That was when Torin left the military for good. Yet she couldn’t walk away from preserving and protecting everything the Confederation represented. Instead, ex-Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr drew together an elite corps of friends and allies—some ex-Marines, some civilians with unique skills—and together they prepared to take on covert missions that the Justice Department and the Corps could not—or would not—officially touch. But after their first major mission, it became obvious that covert operations were not going to be enough. Although the war is over, the fight goes on and the Justice Department finds its regular Wardens unable to deal with violence and the people trained to use it. Ex-Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr has a solution: Strike Teams made up of ex-military personnel, small enough to maneuver quickly, able to work together if necessary. Justice has no choice but to implement her idea and Torin puts her team of independent contractors back into uniform. It isn’t war, it is policing, but it often looks much the same. When the scientists doing a preliminary archaeological dig on a Class Two planet are taken hostage, Torin’s team is sent to free them. The problem of innocents in the line of fire is further complicated by the fact that the mercenaries holding them are a mix of Confederation and Primacy forces, and are looking for a weapon able to destroy the plastic aliens who’d started and maintained the war. If Torin weren’t already torn by wanting that weapon in play, she also has to contend with the politics of peace that have added members of the Primacy—former enemies—to her team. Before they confront the mercenaries, Torin will have to sift through shifting loyalties as she discovers that the line between“us” and “them” is anything but straight.

Being one of Earth''s protectors is never easy, but when Claire the Keeper andAustin the cat find themselves in charge of the Elysian Fields Guesthouse Bedand Breakfast, all Hell breaks loose in the form of a gateway residing in thebasement!

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.

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.

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..

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....

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?

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....