Epic Cycle

A multitude of secret paths and trails exist in the world of Waldyra. Some of them lead to places that can only be described as "non-canonical." Those are always extremely well-concealed and almost impossible to find. Should anyone succeed in setting their foot on such a path, they'd be warned about doing it at their own peril.

In the late 1880s, Frank Lenz of Pittsburgh, a renowned high-wheel racer and long-distance tourist, dreamed of cycling around the world. He finally got his chance by recasting himself as a champion of the downsized "safety-bicycle" with inflatable tires, the forerunner of the modern road bike that was about to become wildly popular. In the spring of 1892 he quit his accounting job and gamely set out west to cover 20,000 miles over three continents as a correspondent for Outing magazine. Two years later, after having survived countless near disasters and unimaginable hardships, he approached Europe for the final leg. He never made it....

On the continent of Innisfail, Old Gods reign. Following five hundred years of vicious conflict, the High King has negotiated an armistice between the immortal Sidhe in the North, and the human populations of the South—the Sons of Mil. In this land of treacherous magic and ageless blood feuds, the peace is precarious at best.

Two exciting short stories set in the engrossing world of The Demon Cycle from bestselling fantasy author Peter V. Brett.Humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction. Each night, the world is overrun by demons - bloodthirsty creatures of nightmare that have been hunting and killing humanity for over 300 years. A scant few hamlets and half-starved city-states are all that remain of a once proud civilization, and it is only by hiding behind wards, ancient symbols with the power to repel the demons, that they survive.

After surviving the schemes of a vengeful goddess and learning some shattering truths about her former life, the warrior Tyn feels estranged from her role guarding her ruler. Grappling with knowledge of her identity, she unleashes her frustration on all the wrong people. When an old enemy returns wielding an unstoppable, realm-crushing weapon and Tyn is swept up in the path of destruction, she must make a choice about who she is and who she wants to be.

Built from the skulls of fallen generals and demon princes, it is a seat of honor and ancient, powerful magic, keeping the demon corelings at bay. From atop the throne, Ahmann Jardir was meant to conquer the known world, forging its isolated peoples into a unified army to rise up and end the demon war once and for all. But Arlen Bales, the Warded Man, stood against this course, challenging Jardir to a duel he could not in honor refuse.

In the fifth century, the arrival of a brutal band of pre-Viking Norse raiders entwines the Mother Goddess of Celtic Ireland in a desperate bid to rid her island of the invaders turned settlers. Danu and her fellow Tuatha Gods draw Breanna Ban Morna, a Gaelic warrior with blood from both sides, into a quest to find the missing Tuatha-created Lann Dàn, the Blades of Destiny, one of three pieces of magic needed to remove the Norse leader and his ilk from their land.

Ravenna has grown up isolated and ostracised amongst the sylphs for her small wing size and her unusual colouring. She lives with the Intellecti, a collection of sylphs dedicated to learning, to facts, to history, to thought. But she feels most free when she runs through the trees of her beloved home. Until, that is, she comes across beings that should have been myth. Humans. Captured, Ravenna is taken from her home and into the vastness of the desert mainland.

Arvenon is controlled by a traitor. The kingdom of Castel teeters on the brink. With the unseen hand of King Agon of Rogand pulling the strings, a mantle of oppression is slowly settling over the four kingdoms. Now recovered from the assassination attempt, King Steffan of Arvenon sets out to wrest back control of his kingdom, vigorously supported by Will, Rufe, Thomas, and their allies. Unlikely influences might ultimately tip the balance.

Faced with increasing pressure from rebels, the tyrant king of Dargenn must force a war with the rival nation of Relan to unite the country behind him. To help create chaos, he turns to the most feared assassin in the world, the Raven, a man cursed by ancient demons and forced to kill at their whim; if he fails, he dies. Using his knowledge of the Raven's masters, the king forces the assassin into a contract to kill the only individual who might threaten his plans, a powerful sorcerer and scholar named Enias.

Danger, action, and magic come together to bring an epic conclusion to the Forgemaster Cycle. The unthinkable has happened. Everything that William Reis had worked so hard for, undone by one of his closest friends. Amder was gone, Duncan was gone, and even Regin was gone. Thrust into a strange City where magic and machinery come together in wonders undreamed of, Will soon finds himself once again doing the one thing he hates, being important. Myriam is torn.

A brand new novella set in the engrossing world of The Demon Cycle from bestselling fantasy author Peter V. Brett. Humanity has been brought to the brink of extinction. Each night, the world is overrun by demons. Bloodthirsty creatures of nightmare that have been hunting the surface for over 300 years. A scant few hamlets and half-starved city-states are all that remain of a once proud civilization, and it is only by hiding behind wards, ancient symbols with the power to repel the demons, that they survive.

When the abduction of an imperial princess sparks a tense standoff between Rogand and the distant Empire of Ahr, the dispute threatens to engulf Arvenon and its allies. Hurrying to the Rogandan capital with an Arvenian delegation, Will joins the kings of Rogand, Castel, and Varas to plan a response. The upheavals that overtake them quickly thrust all else aside.

Ethan and his companions have returned to Hawkshead, but all is not well. Something is scaring away the animals in the area and wreaking havoc on the village’s food supply. The villagers call on Ethan and his friends to find the problem and deal with it. All clues lead the group to the old abandoned mine and the tomb which the former mayor uncovered. What sort of magic or monster could scare away the animals, and what traps may still lurk in the tomb's darkness?

Three thousand years ago, the world fell into darkness, when the great black mouth of the Rot ravaged the land. Across the glorious library city of Aradabar, its dark tongues hammered down, leveling the glass towers of learning and entombing the bookyards in a thick blanket of lava. Only a single child survived the devastation: an infant with a prophecy carved into his skin, promising the rise of a hero powerful enough to slay the Rot for good. Now that child is a young man, beginning to question the meaning of his many scars.

In New Pythos, Griff stands trial for treason. His fate seems sealed, but not everyone wants to see him fall. Allies on both sides are scheming to save him, though their plans could cost them dearly. Back in Callipolis, Annie faces her greatest challenge yet: uniting a divided city against a powerful enemy. With famine spreading and the shadow of the triarchy looming, she must prove she’s the leader her people need – before it’s too late. For Lee, revolution is no longer just about dragons and fire.

When Nalia arrives in Morocco to fulfill Malek's third and final wish, she's not expecting it to be easy. Especially because Malek isn't the only one after Solomon's sigil, an ancient magical ring that gives its wearer the power to control the entire jinn race. Nalia has also promised to take Raif, leader of the jinn revolution, to its remote location. Though Nalia is free of the bottle and shackles that once bound her to Malek as his slave, she's in more danger than ever before.

Each night, the world is overrun by bloodthirsty demons. For centuries, humanity survived only by hiding behind defensive wards – magical symbols of power. Now, though, the rediscovery of other, long-forgotten wards has given them the magic they need to fight back.... In Tibbet’s Brook, the fighting wards have brought change, heightening tensions and grudges of a troubled past. Selia Square, the woman they call Barren, has long been the force holding the Brook together. As a terrifying new threat emerges, she must rally the people of the Brook once more.

The sun is setting on humanity. The night now belongs to voracious demons that prey upon a dwindling population forced to cower behind half-forgotten symbols of power. Legends tell of a Deliverer: a general who once bound all mankind into a single force that defeated the demons. But is the return of the Deliverer just another myth? Perhaps not. Out of the desert rides Ahmann Jardir, who has forged the desert tribes into a demon-killing army. He has proclaimed himself Shar’Dama Ka, the Deliverer and he carries ancient weapons - a spear and a crown - that give credence to his claim.

I am Mareth, and I collect tales - tales that do not make the official histories. Join me and learn the secret stories of those who sparked the wildfire. Stories from our past, from that fateful summer and its aftermath. If you loved Kingshold, discover the next installment in the epic Wildfire Cycle. Tales of Kingshold, book one-point-five of the Wildfire Cycle, includes four novelettes and six short stories.