Showing results by narrator "Nick Sullivan" in All Categories

Kaab and Diane, enemies bound by common interests, forge a new understanding. Micah and Rafe receive unexpected offers of employment. And Will, now the Duke Tremontaine in name only, languishes at Highcombe House, where it is hoped - by some - that he may yet recover.

Sex, intrigue, and murder spice the latest installment in the stunning new prequel to Ellen Kushner's beloved Riverside saga. Rafe's academic troubles grow worse, but he finds comfort in surprising places. When Micah plunges into mathematical calculations that threaten to expose trade secrets long held close by Kaab's people, Kaab must do some quick thinking of her own. Meanwhile, Diane seeks to involve the house Balam in her intrigues....

This "Fantasy of Manners" follows the lives and intrigues of four very different characters as they maneuver the cobblestone streets and glittering ballrooms of a city that never was. Nameless, but inspired by Elizabethan London, 18th-century Paris, 1980s New York, and many others great cities both real and fictional, the setting of Tremontaine comes alive behind the colorful figures of Micah, Rafe Fenton, Ixkaab Balam, and, of course, Diane, the duchess of Tremontaine.

A moment of staggering inspiration and insight sets events in motion that have the potential to fracture friendships, shatter alliances, and remake the balance of power in the city...and the world. As Micah explores the implications of her discovery, and Rafe moves quickly to exploit them, Kaab is faced with a calamity that threatens not only her own future, but that of her family and the Kinwiinik people.

In a city that never was, the rich live high on the Hill, the criminals and swordsmen live on the dangerous streets of Riverside, while foreign merchants keep them both supplied with their daily chocolate. And through it all weaves a dance of politics, intrigue, and secrets.

Diane's secret arrangement with the Balam family bears fruit as a strategic withholding of chocolate wreaks havoc on the city's social fabric, from the Hill to Riverside. But Kaab has her own private stash, for which she has a special use in mind, involving a certain pretty forger. Meanwhile, Rafe sits for his exams, with his dreams of starting his own school hanging in the balance. Diane ploys all her wit and wiles upon the Dragon Chancellor.

Afraid that he is losing his mind, Will looks for comfort in Rafe's arms. Rafe, meanwhile, blames himself for his lover's condition. And when Kaab hears of Diane's childhood and her long-ago encounter with Rupert Hawke, new questions arise that can be answered only within the walls of Tremontaine House itself.

Violent passions erupt at the Tremontaine Ball! A misunderstanding comes between Rafe and Will while Micah threatens to expose Kaab's secret to her family. Diane's plans to salvage the Tremontaine name and fortune hang by a thread, and Kaab recognizes the locket sketched by Tess...in the last place she would have expected to see it.

When Tess finds herself plagued by mysterious dreams of her murdered ex-protector, Ben, Kaab vows to solve the mystery. But she may never get the chance, for Reynald is on her trail, with more murder on his mind. Meanwhile, Will tells Diane of Micah's discovery, but her response is not what he had hoped for. And Micah gets an unexpected job offer.

Swordplay and stolen kisses keep the blood pumping and flowing in the new installment of Tremontaine, the online episodic series set in Ellen Kushner's beloved Riverside universe.

The first book in the epic saga of humankind's war of transcendence. There is a milestone in the evolution of every sentient race, a Tech Singularity Event, when the species achieves transcendence through its technological advances. Now the creatures known as humans are near this momentous turning point. But an armed threat is approaching from deepest space, determined to prevent humankind from crossing over that boundary - by total annihilation if necessary.

In the evolution of every sentient race, there is a turning point when the species achieves transcendence through technology. The warlike Sh'daar are determined that this monumental milestone will never be achieved by the creatures known as human. On the far side of known human space, the Marines are under siege, battling the relentless servant races of the Sh'daar aggressor.

Twenty years after the fragile truce with the Sh'daar, Koenig is now President of the USNA, and Gray is skipper of the CVS America…soon to be promoted to commander of the entire battle group, Koenig's old position, and one which he might not be ready for. The truce with the alien Sh'daar is unravelling as many predicted, and Humankind still knows little about them, or what they are.

The United States of North America is now engaged in a civil war with the Earth Confederation, which wants to yield to the demands of the alien Sh'daar, limit human technology, and become a part of the Sh'daar Galactic Collective. USNA President Koenig believes that surrendering to the Sh'daar will ultimately doom humankind. But when highly advanced, seemingly godlike aliens appear through an artificial wormhole in the Omega Centauri Cluster 16,000 light years from Earth, President Koenig is faced with a tremendous choice.

The new mystery featuring Dr. Clyde Deacon - A gun that wasn't fired. A bridge that wasn't crossed. And a tack that wasn't used. These are the challenging clues Dr. Clyde Deacon, a small-town physician in 1902 America, must decipher to solve the murder of Ephraim Purcell, a local wealthy businessman with a rapacious appetite for money and women. His personal life disintegrating, Dr. Deacon must race against mounting town pressure to uncover the perpetrator - and the shocking motive behind the crime.

The Nameless Detective may not like David Virden, but the case is simple enough: Find his first ex-wife, deliver some papers to her and it's all done. But she refuses the papers, sends a message to Virden to never contact her again, and slams the door. Then Virden threatens to sue Nameless, stops his payments and claims that the woman they located isn't his wife. Then Virden disappears himself and his fiancée hires Nameless to find out why.

Draken vae Khellian, bastard cousin of the Monoean King, had risen far from his ignominious origins, becoming both a Bowrank Commander and a member of the Crown’s Black Guard. But when he is falsely condemned for the grisly murder of his beloved wife, he is banished from the kingdom and cast upon the distant shore of Akrasia, at the arse-end of the world.

Bill, the "Nameless Detective," and his wife Kerry were in the Sierra foothills, just outside of Six Pines, falling in love with a cabin. It was all perfect, until Kerry went missing. They'd seen Balfour at breakfast at the diner and Kerry remembered his name - PR people are like that. Which was unfortunate, because when she ran into him along the trail on that sunny afternoon and called him by name, he panicked. And that's when Bill's nightmare began.

For each of the detectives at the agency, a betrayal becomes not only the driving force behind an investigation, but the source of the kind of resolve that cannot be derailed by threats. Tamara’s case began as something personal but explodes as an investigation of her former lover leads to a scam that cheats charities. For Nameless, trying to find out who is manipulating an old woman only exposes the ugly side of family. We’re told that there are seven deadly sins.

Nameless wasn’t supposed to come into the office on Mondays. He wasn’t supposed to answer the phone. On this Monday he did both. The call was from Barney Rivera - once a friend, now despised - at Great Western insurance. Against his better judgement, Nameless agreed to meet him. The investigation was relatively simple: a multimillionaire rare books collector had reported the theft of eight volumes, worth half a million dollars. From a locked library. To which he had the only key...