Epic Literature

Anyone can plot a coup or fire an assassin's bullet. But in a world of muskets and magic, it takes considerably more to seize the throne. The ailing King of the Vordan lies on his deathbed. When he dies, his daughter, Raesinia Orboan, will become the first Queen Regnant in centuries - and a ripe target for the ambitious men who seek to control her. The most dangerous of these is Duke Orlanko, Minister of Information and master of the secret police.

In the impoverished outer town of a kingdom where fae outrank humans, Faythe, an orphan with a talent for swordplay, knows the importance of keeping her head down around the fae patrol. She and best friend Jakon long for a better life, and her desire to swing her sword in combat may bring the purpose and coin she's yearned for.

Luke was your typical nine-to-five office drone when he was killed in a head-on car collision during his morning commute. Instead of going to heaven, Luke's soul is brought to a hellish realm on the verge of total destruction, where two supernatural beings soon engage in brutal combat. Defeating her rival, the victorious Arke prepares to claim her prize, the powerful God Seed. But the ancient artifact has plans of its own, offering to soul-bond with Luke, who accepts and flees to the world of Theos to escape Arke's wrath.

When sleep was at its deepest, night at its blackest, up from the mist-filled marsh came Grendel stalking. Thus begins the battle between good and evil, for lying in wait and anxious to challenge the ogre Grendel is a young man, strong-willed and fire-hearted. This man is Beowulf, whose heroic dragon-slaying deeds were sung in the courts of Anglo-Saxon England more than a thousand years ago.

John Milton's Paradise Lost is one of the greatest epic poems in the English language. It tells the story of the Fall of Man, a tale of immense drama and excitement, of rebellion and treachery, of innocence pitted against corruption, in which God and Satan fight a bitter battle for control of mankind's destiny.

The Succubus is beautiful, deadly, and prowling the night for victims as their leader creates a plan to take New York City for her own dark purposes. But Kurt is there, and by freeing Succubi from their ancient curse, he will build a team of elite killers who will stalk the night with revenge on their minds. Join the hunter as he tames succubi, magic, and a weapon as old as time in his search of destiny.

The system came. The apocalypse ended. Now new worlds have merged with Earth. For Bain Lee, it means leveling his Ocularist class beyond its previous limits. With this strange class and the ability to see into the inner workings of the system, he may find the magic skills needed to earn his redemption. Not only that, but he might discover the secret behind the system itself.

The siege of the Brazen City has been lifted and the Paladin Bergen remains free. Following their victory, Ahren and his companions continue on their travels, this time to the Southern Jungles in search of information regarding the whereabouts of the female Paladin, Sunju. The journey is long and dangerous. Not only must they traverse the Nameless Desert and the untamed primeval forest, but hired assassins are hot on their heels along the Spear Path. And to top it all, the consequences of Jelninolan's extended absence from Evergreen could be fatal to her....

Finn Harris should have been the one to die. But he wasn't - his wife took his place. What was worse, he only had himself and his company to blame. They let their passion outpace their prudence, determined to revolutionize the world. While all innovation comes with a price, he never imagined it would cost him Rachael. Nearly a decade later, Finn is content to hole himself up and wait out the rest of his life. That is, until his daughter intervenes, forcing him out of his grief and into a new virtual reality game developed by his old employer. They're calling it Awaken Online.

Altaïr embarks on a formidable mission - one that takes him throughout the Holy Land and shows him the true meaning of the Assassin's Creed. To demonstrate his commitment, Altaïr must defeat nine deadly enemies, including Templar leader Robert de Sablé. Here, for the first time, Niccolò Polo, father of Marco, shares Altaïr's remarkable story: his ongoing battle with the Templar conspiracy; a family life that is as tragic as it is shocking; the betrayal of an old friend; and a journey that will ultimately change the course of history.

Dragonsong is the spellbinding tale of Menolly of Half Circle Hold, a brave young girl who flees her seaside village and discovers the legendary fire lizards of Pern. All her life, Menolly has longed to learn the ancient secrets of the Harpers, the master musicians of Harper Hall. When her stern father denies her the chance to make her dream come true, Menolly runs away from home. Hiding in a cave by the sea, she finds nine magical fire lizards who join her on a breathtaking journey to Harper Hall.

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.

Life on the farm at the edge of the kingdom is anything but routine for Ashan. The plains around Berestal suffer from severe storms, making travel to the city difficult, with the threat of an attack from the people of Vard always looming. He long ago abandoned dreams of serving as a dragon rider, caring for his injured father and brother, but everything is about to change.

Alex and Enea are back in the Crystal Sphere, where, in their absence, a catastrophe has struck. Virtual reality is now controlled by the Reapers: hybrid identities evolved from high-level NPCs who kill human players to harvest their neurograms. Reapers are constantly on the prowl for more neurograms. No one is safe from their cannibalistic greed. Survival in this new world becomes an ever-increasing challenge. A Reaper army is about to invade the Agrion cluster. Rion Castle has become the players' last outpost - but the struggle is too unequal.

For the first time, an Empress Redemptor sits on Aritsar’s throne. To appease the sinister spirits of the dead, Tarisai must now anoint a council of her own, coming into her full power as a Raybearer. She must then descend into the Underworld, a sacrifice to end all future atrocities. Tarisai is determined to survive. Or at least, that’s what she tells her increasingly distant circle of friends. Months into her shaky reign as empress, child spirits haunt her, demanding that she pay for past sins of the empire.

I'm the new owner of a magical mansion. This mansion, well, it's not your typical building. It's a dungeon from another world, masquerading as just another private residence in the suburbs. It has enchanted rooms, can craft powerful items, build lethal traps, and produce incredible monsters. And it's my mission to protect and evolve its monstrous inhabitants.

Even as a young girl, Jill was a favorite of the magical, mysterious Wildfolk, who appeared to her from their invisible realm. Little did she know her extraordinary friends represented but a glimpse of a forgotten past and a fateful future. Four hundred years - and many lifetimes ago - one selfish young lord caused the death of two innocent lovers. Then and there he vowed never to rest until he'd righted that wrong - and laid the foundation for the lives of Jill and all those whom she would hold dear.

Marion Zimmer Bradley's Ravens of Avalon follows the journey of Boudica, a Celtic princess, and Lhiannon, a priestess who is Boudica's mentor on the Druid isle. When the Romans conquer Britain, Lhiannon fights them, while Boudica is married to a king who has surrendered. Theirs is a great love story, but when he dies, the Romans brutalize her and her daughters.

Empress Celene of Orlais rose to the throne of the most powerful nation in Thedas through wisdom, wit, and ruthless manipulation. Now the empire she has guided into an age of enlightenment is threatened from within by imminent war between the templars and the mages, even as rebellion stirs among the downtrodden elves. To save Orlais, Celene must keep her hold on the throne by any means necessary.

Ben clocked in and clocked out, living a dreary life until a rip of energy caught his attention. Of course, interfering with the spell proved disastrous and he's sucked into a portal. On Semintor, the fantastical exists alongside wondrous magic. Ben arrives with a massive advantage thanks to his tinkering with the portal that got him there: his Arcana—his ability to cast powerful magic—are downright godly. The man is capable of casting group heals, buffing all sorts of attributes, and more, making him a highly sought after spellcaster, a rare dedicated supporting healer. But there's a catch.