shannon

Follow Clyde on his continuing adventures, as he gets back to Glaton - wait, he promised to visit the City of Darkness. Right. City of Darkness and then back to Glaton. Except...wait. What's wrong with the small coastal town of Furtaxo? Okay, first Furtaxo. If Clyde can get that mystery figured out, then he can move on to the next quest.

This is the second volume collecting all of best-selling author Larry Correia's short stories, novelettes, and novellas. Correia's novels are known for their hard-hitting, no-holds-barred action sequences, in-depth worldbuilding, and vivid characterization. Now, Correia turns to the short form to deliver stories that take no prisoner.

Unpacking her belongings in her new hometown of Portland, Oregon, herbalist and reformed alchemist Zoe Faust can't help but notice she's picked up a stowaway. Dorian Robert-Houdin is a living, breathing three-and-half-foot gargoyle - not to mention a master of French cuisine - and he needs Zoe's expertise to decipher a centuries-old text. Zoe, who's trying to put her old life behind her, isn't so sure she wants to reopen her alchemical past... until the dead man on her porch leaves her no choice.

Tyrfing is both the key to success in Terry Mack's quest to destroy the Dust Lord and a death sentence for any template foolish enough to go after the cursed blade. With Baba Yaga prophesying doom should he pursue the weapon himself, Terry is compelled by his lovers and companions to allow Yuri to retrieve the sword instead, while he moves to secure the tiger kin and bring them home.

The postal service frowns upon shipping severed heads. But a courier will deliver anything for a tip.... My name is John Cook, and my life began the day my heart stopped beating. After 500 years, I’ve finally avenged my parents and killed the right bastard who done me wrong. Commander Godwin is dead! Except revenge has consequences - in my case, both Heavenly and Hellish debt collectors. And these guys are extremely dedicated to their jobs, vying for employee of the month status by being the first to acquire my head.

Outside Sacred Valley, ancient ruins rise from the earth, drawing sacred artists from miles around to fight for the treasures within. Factions rise and fall as warriors bicker over rare resources, but time is limited. A powerful family from the Blackflame Empire is coming to claim the ruins, and when they arrive, no one else will have a chance at the prize. Lindon has reached Copper, taking the first step on the road to power, but the warriors of the outside world are still far beyond him.

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Christine Temetri is at her wits’ end. For years she’s covered the increasingly bizarre activities of End Times cults for the Banner, a religious news magazine. Yet Christine, who once dreamed of being a "real" writer, has nothing to show for the gig other than a regular paycheck and serious doubt that Armageddon will occur in time for her next deadline. But after a mysterious man entrusts her with a locked briefcase and orders to "take it to Mercury", Christine finds herself face-to-face with a ping-pong-playing angel by the name of Galileo Mercury.

Unchained from fate, the Norse gods Loki and Hel are ready to unleash Ragnarok, a.k.a. the Apocalypse, upon the earth. They’ve made allies on the darker side of many pantheons, and there’s a globe-spanning battle brewing that ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan will be hardpressed to survive, much less win.

Admiral John "Black Jack" Geary earned his rank after being revived from cryogenic sleep to lead the Alliance to victory against the Syndicate Worlds. But his superiors question his loyalty to the regime. Now in command of the First Fleet, Geary is tasked with exploring the frontier beyond Syndic space, a mission he fears deliberately puts the fleet--and himself--in harm's way. An encounter with the alien enigmas confirms Geary's fears.