California’s noir quotient continues to rise with Oakland Noir, which reveals all the dark complexities of this increasingly prominent city

Colecția „Povestiri științifico-fanfasfice” 88

Thanks to Paks’s courage and sacrifice, the long-vanished heir to the half-elven kingdom of Lyonya has been revealed as Kieri Phelan, a formidable mercenary captain who earned a title and enemies in the neighboring kingdom of Tsaia. Now, as Kieri ascends a throne he never sought, he must come to terms with his own half-elven heritage while protecting his new kingdom from his old enemies and those he has not yet discovered. Meanwhile, in Tsaia, Prince Mikeli prepares for his own coronation. But when an assassination attempt nearly succeeds, Mikeli suddenly faces the threat of a coup. Acting swiftly, Mikeli strikes at the powerful family behind the attack: the Verrakaien, magelords possessing ancient sorcery, steeped in death and evil. Mikeli’s survival and that of Tsaia depend on the only Verrakai whose magery is not tainted with innocent blood. Two kings stand at a pivotal point in the history of their worlds. For dark forces are gathering against them, knit in a secret conspiracy more sinister and far more ancient than they can imagine. And even Paks may find her gods-given magic and peerless fighting skills stretched to the limit and beyond

Paksenarrion—Paks for short—was somebody special. Never could she have followed her father’s orders and married the pig farmer down the road. Better a soldier’s life than a pig farmer’s wife, and so, though she knew that she could never go home again, Paks ran away to be a soldier. And so began an adventure destined to transform a simple Sheepfarmer’s Daughter into a hero fit to be chosen by the gods

Book 1 in the Oath series Sharon took an oath at the idealistic age of eighteen to mate with an unknown alien from another planet, never expecting the alien to actually show up and invoke it eleven years later. A librarian with a love for the orderly and ordinary, she prefers a calm, quiet existence. Surprises are life's way of indicating you did not plan well enough. Adventures are for people with more guts than sense. And sex, well, it's okay, but nothing to get too worked up over. Liken is a warrior cop from Shimeria. He is six feet seven inches of walking, talking sex personified. Having been inside Sharon's head he knows her deepest fantasies, and knows that she is the perfect mate for him. But first he has to seduce her…

Whom the gods would recruit, they first tick off...Our Hero: The unlikely Paladin, Bahzell Bahnakson of the Horse Stealer Hradani. He's no knight in shining armor. He's a hradani, a race known for their uncontrollable rages, bloodthirsty tendencies, and inability to maintain civilized conduct. None of the other Five Races of man like the hradani. Besides his ethnic burden, Bahzell has problems of his own to deal with: a violated hostage bond, a vengeful prince, a price on his head. He doesn't want to mess with anybody else's problems, let alone a god's. Let alone the War God's! So how does he end up a thousand leagues from home, neck-deep in political intrigue, assassins, demons, psionicists, evil sorcery, white sorcery, dark gods, good gods, bad poets, greedy landlords, and most of Bortalik Bay? Well, it's all the War God's fault

This book is not exactly a part of the other two. Only the last story "OathBlood" follows up where the last two lead off. This is a collection of stories written by different authors. It is very good. One of my favorites is the first one entitled, "Sword-sworn." This tells the story of how Tarma became Sworn to the Goddess and how she met up with Kethry the Adept-trained sorceress. I recommend reading this book, it is very good. It is interesting to see how other authors try and write about Mercedes Lackey's world

~This wold be too long if I were to put my descriptions up. I would also give away parts of the book which I don't want to because this book is very good. So I will put the actual descriptions up- The one's on the back cover of the book~ The SwordsWoman- She was Tarma. Born to the Clan of the Hawk of the nomadic Shin'a'in people, she saw her entire clan slain by brigands. Vowing blood revenge upon the murderers, she became one of the Sword-Sworn, the most elite of all warriors. And trained in all forms of death-dealing combat, she took the road in search of her enemies.... And the Sorceress- She was Kethry. Born into a noble house, sold into a hateful "marriage," she fled life's harshness for the sanctuary of the White Winds, and powerful school of sorcery. Becoming an adept, she pledged to use her talents for the greatest good. Yet unlike other sorcerers, Kethry could use worldy weapons as well as magical skills. And when she became the bearer of a uniquely magical sword which drew her to those in need, Kethry was led to a fateful meeting with Tarma. The OathBound- United by sword-spell and the will of the Goddess, Tarma and Kethry swore blood oath to carry on their mutual fight against evil. And together, swordmaster and sorceress set forth to fulfill their destiny

Tarma and Kethry's long-term goals are to settle back at Tale'sedrin and build mage schools. Tarma, being Goddess-Sworn, cannot have children. But Kethry, who is Tarma's Sworn Oath-Sister is now part of the Tale'sedrin clan; through her, the clan with live on. Anyways--- They are now with a mercenary company known as the SunHawks. The leader of this company captain Idra. Idra, who was a princess of Rethwellan, went home in search of a magical sword. Her two brothers were trying to decide who should become the new King; This legendary magical sword would reveal who it should be. But something's wrong and Idra doesn't return. Being Sisters of Sword and Spell, Tarma and Kethry had long-ago made a Goddess-Sworn oath to fight against evil. They cannot forget this bond and so they set forth towards Rethwellan to fight the evil that is possessing that land

In Oathbringer, the third volume of the Stormlight Archive, humanity faces a new Desolation with the return of the Voidbringers, a foe with numbers as great as their thirst for vengeance. Dalinar Kholin’s Alethi armies won a fleeting victory at a terrible cost: The enemy Parshendi summoned the violent Everstorm, which now sweeps the world with destruction, and in its passing awakens the once peaceful and subservient parshmen to the horror of their millennia-long enslavement by humans. While on a desperate flight to warn his family of the threat, Kaladin Stormblessed must come to grips with the fact that the newly kindled anger of the parshmen may be wholly justified. Nestled in the mountains high above the storms, in the tower city of Urithiru, Shallan Davar investigates the wonders of the ancient stronghold of the Knights Radiant and unearths dark secrets lurking in its depths. And Dalinar realizes that his holy mission to unite his homeland of Alethkar was too narrow in scope. Unless all the nations of Roshar can put aside Dalinar’s blood-soaked past and stand together—and unless Dalinar himself can confront that past — even the restoration of the Knights Radiant will not prevent the end of civilization