IT'LL SOON BE DARKEighteen dark faerie tales lie within these pages.Like the originals, they are. Like those that came before, those that warned of the darkness. Not like modern tales, no. No happy endings in sight.These stories are all new (not re-tellings of old tales) and inspired from folklore from all around the world. They are filled with equal measures of fright and fancy.You see, the fey are different from you and me. They don’t thin...

There is madness spreading on the streets of Cobalt City.Thankfully the city has superheroes to protect it.Against the backdrop of the pending Cobalt City mayoral election, where industrialist/superhero Jaccob "Stardust" Stevens is in a tight race against Xia Lo, former fixer for the Lo crime cartel, the world's most dangerous mentalist, Jeremy Red, is on the loose. Locked away for the best part of two decades, Jeremy is on a quest of self-discovery.Hot on Jeremy's ...

There is madness spreading on the streets of Cobalt City.Thankfully the city has superheroes to protect it.Unfolding across four stand-alone novellas, the entire Mad World Cycle shows a city pushed to the brink of madness, now complete in one volume for the first time. Join Caterwaul, Bog Witch, Ghost House, Kraken, Madjack, Kara Sparx, and Stardust as they square up against the agents and machinations of the mysterious and powerful King in Yellow. Hallucinogenic-dealing cy...

The King in Yellow, manifestation of the concept of madness, has his sights set on conquest. He has hungered for Iteration 5169 for a long time, but one thing has been standing in his way: Cobalt City and its so-called superheroes. His alliance with Loki helped get fascist demagogue Lyle Prather into the office of the Presidency, tipping the world to the edge of madness. The King in Yellow's faded city of Carcosa has never been closer to sliding into this crumbling world. What he needs is ...

There is madness spreading on the streets of Cobalt City.Thankfully, the city has superheroes to protect it.An international consortium of tech firms is about to unveil a huge leap forward in space technology with an orbital platform and space elevator anchored just off the coast of Cobalt City. But the project isn't without its detractors, such as the technologically advanced nation of D'habu, which sees the project as a global threat, and the pernicious Sky Pirates' frequ...

There is madness spreading on the streets of Cobalt City.Thankfully the city has superheroes to protect it.Arising from the chaos of a suburban rave turned deadly, the mysterious figure dubbed the King of Crows threatens to tear the city apart with his nightmare-manifesting, reality-warping abilities. Things in Cobalt City are about to get strange, which means MonsterSmash is on the case.Composed of the cynical and broken quantum scientist Bog Witch, the one-quarter...

There is madness spreading on the streets of Cobalt City.Thankfully the city has superheroes to protect it.When the Goblin Riders cycle gang and their powerful leader, Oni, begin to push a dangerous new street drug called Warlock, it falls to Gato Loco's protégé, Caterwaul, to put a stop to it. Because Warlock isn't like other drugs. It's a dangerous hallucinogenic that could lead to permanent madness. And if Caterwaul can't stop it, things could get seriously freaky.

The Heralds of Valdemar are the kingdom’s ancient order of protectors. They are drawn from all across the land, from all walks of life, and at all ages—and all are Gifted with abilities beyond those of normal men and women. They are Mindspeakers, FarSeers, Empaths, ForeSeers, Firestarters, FarSpeakers, and more. These inborn talents—combined with training as emissaries, spies, judges, diplomats, scouts, counselors, warriors, and more—make them indispensable to their monarch and realm. Soug...

In March 1987, Mercedes Lackey, a young author from Oklahoma, published her first novel, Arrows of the Queen. No one could have envisioned that this modest book about a magical land called Valdemar would be the beginning of a fantasy masterwork series that would span decades and include more than two dozen titles.Now the voices of other authors add their own special touches to the ancient land where Heralds “Chosen” from all walks of life by magical horse-like Companions p...

A bonus short story featuring Silhara and Martise from Master of Crows.In The Light Within, Silhara of Neith, now known as "the god-smiter," travels as the guest of honor to the winter festival of his father's people.The crow mage who destroyed one god must ignite sacred fires in honor of another. Yet the winter festival only reminds Silhara that the brightest light within him isn't the fire of a deity but the devotion of one woman.A tale of hope and celebration.

The Daughter of Odren is a short fantasy story of betrayal and revenge set in the world of Earthsea, in which Weed, the daughter of Lord Garnet, waits for the day she will have her father back.For fourteen years, Weed, as she is called, the daughter of Lord Garnet, has brought offerings to the standing stone. Alone in a shallow valley, she implores the stone not to forget her. To remember who he is and the life he led. To wait until the day he will be avenged.Now t...

From award-winning author Sarah Prineas comes a brand-new digital short story! This original 50-page short story will enchant fans of the Magic Thief series.Thief-turned-wizard Connwaer has earned the reputation as one of the greatest magisters of the age, but not everyone believes in his abilities. When Verent, a young apprentice from neighboring Danivelle, comes to Wellmet to ask for Conn's help with his city's magical problems, he is less than impressed with Conn. Will Verent be...