Showing results by narrator "Shiromi Arserio" in All Categories

Princess Gemma has been trapped for years within a magical turret, a fate she deems fitting for a sickly princess with little purpose. The enchanted walls offer security, which she'd do anything to maintain, for though she knows she should want to escape, her prison seems far safer than the outside world. But the magic of the tower has begun to fade. The tower's shifting magic isn't the only thing changing, for the longer Gemma spends with her faithful guard, Quinn, the more she realizes that her feelings for him are inappropriate for one of her royal status.

Charlie's life is perfect. She has everything her heart desires. Until it all goes horribly wrong. Charlie and Lincoln return to London to find two supernaturals have been murdered, and Charlie might be next. As if that wasn't bad enough, the man who adopted her has escaped from prison, and the committee members have just learned some news that infuriates them. Now there's talk of sending Charlie away again. Far away. Charlie is kidnapped and forced to summon one of the murder victims - but she's unable to send him back.

In his Locus review of Two Worlds and in Between - the first volume of The Best of Caitlín R. Kiernan - Gary K. Wolfe wrote, “...it makes you wish the second volume were here now.” Well, the long wait is over. This second volume completes this ambitious undertaking, collecting the finest of Kiernan’s stories from 2004 to 2012, selected by the author herself. The book includes 25 short stories and one poem, plus the short novel Black Helicopters - more than 200,000 words of fiction, including the World Fantasy Award-winning “The Prayer of 90 Cats”.

Exiled by her despotic brother, princess Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while imprisoned in the Hirana: an ancient cliffside temple that was once the revered source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin. The secrets of the Hirana call to Priya. But in order to keep the truth of her past safely hidden, she works as a servant in the loathed regent’s household, biting her tongue and cleaning Malini’s chambers.

Stella North, a rising star in the police, has her life torn apart by a gunman's bullets. She has often faced danger, but these injuries mean she must give up the job she loves. Her grandmother Beth is her rock. And Beth is no ordinary woman. At 70, she runs marathons and has a past that Stella knows very little about. Beth calls in her friend, Michael, to help with Stella's recovery. But this man means a lot more to Beth than she reveals. And Stella's ex-husband, Edward, and old police partner, Robbie, want to help, but Stella puts up emotional barriers.

Eileen has never been interested in love. Ever since her father's abandonment, she's vowed to never experience such pain again. But the enchanted forest has different ideas. When the continuously shifting pathways lead her to a mysterious stranger, Eileen finds her promise to fiercely guard her heart increasingly difficult to keep. One night when she becomes lost in a storm, the enchanted forest's pathways lead her to the castle, home to the kingdom's Dark Prince, where Eileen finds herself entangled in what many consider an opportunity but which Eileen believes to be a curse.

With 15 new and original stories, this first-of-its-kind anthology is inspired by the events of the original Aliens vs. Predators movies, graphic novels, and novels. Includes a new story written by Jonathan Maberry and Louis Ozawa (“Hanzo” from the movie Predators) as Hanzo’s brother faces the eternal threats of both the Yautja and the Xenomorphs.

Princess Seren has always expected her life to be one of duty and order, and her upcoming marriage alliance is no exception: She’ll sail to Bytamia to marry the crown prince as expected. But what she doesn’t expect is for the voyage to her new life to be delayed by the whims of an enchanted map and an adventure to a mystical island rumored to contain a legendary treasure.

Imprisoned by her dictator brother, Malini spends her days in isolation in the Hirana: an ancient temple that was once the source of powerful magic—but is now little more than a decaying ruin. Priya is a maidservant, one of several who make the treacherous journey to the top of the Hirana every night to attend Malini's chambers. She is happy to be an anonymous drudge, as long as it keeps anyone from guessing the dangerous secret she hides. But when Malini accidentally bears witness to Priya's true nature, their destinies become irrevocably tangled.

Verene has survived first year. But discovering she possesses a new and dangerous ability has only complicated her tenuous position at the Kallorwegian Academy. Darius has returned to the cold and distant prince she first met. And the more she tries to convince him of the danger still lurking in their midst, the further he pushes her away. Her new abilities far exceed anything she imagined. But as she wrestles with her new power, she must fight a different battle with the obstinate prince.

A love that burns brighter than starlight. A gift that could leave her world in ashes. It’s time for Zarya to release the fire within. In the jeweled city of Dharati, Zarya found passion and adventure for the first time. A mysterious stranger named Rabin helped to free the power within her—a dark, ancient magic that should not exist. Now, Zarya learns Rabin’s true identity. A warrior prince, born to rule, he is as deadly as he is beautiful. He’s also insufferable. Arrogant and superior, with dangerous secrets of his own.

Zaina thought she could run from her secrets, but they have finally caught up to her. She's willing to risk her life for those she loves, but even that might not be enough to stop what's coming. Einar has finally let down his guard, but when the woman he trusts takes off in the middle of the night with his people's only hope for a cure, he realizes what a mistake that was. They have been living under the shadow of the same monster for longer than either of them realize. But it's up to them to decide whether that makes them enemies or allies.

A couple of weeks ago, I was stolen from my home and forced to take part in an ancient fae ceremony; only someone made a mistake because I'm not fae, and if Winter's prince finds out, I'm dead. When an unexpected twist suddenly narrows the Royal Selection to a razor's edge, the best that I can do is put my head down and try to survive, but the prince has other plans. Part of me screams for me to keep him at arm's length, but the other part draws me closer to the brutally gorgeous fae, and it's going to get me killed.

Detective Sara Hirst has moved from London to Norfolk Police's Serious Crimes Unit. She wants to know the truth about her father, who has connections to the area. Her mother won't tell her the real story. A new job. A new place. Same old problems. Sara's first call-out is to a decomposing body discovered in a ditch on a local farm. How does the murder relate to a recent spate of thefts? Who wanted the victim dead? Then the case grows very personal.

It's a prick of blood, the bite of an apple, the evil eye, a wedding ring, or a pair of red shoes. Curses come in all shapes and sizes, and they can happen to anyone, not just those of us with unpopular step-parents.... Here you'll find unique twists on curses, from fairy tale classics to brand-new hexes of the modern world - expect new monsters and mythologies as well as twists on well-loved fables. Stories to shock and stories of warning, stories of monsters and stories of magic.

When writer Rebecca Giggs encountered a humpback whale stranded on her local beachfront in Australia, she began to wonder how the lives of whales reflect the condition of our oceans. Fathoms: The World in the Whale is “a work of bright and careful genius” (Robert Moor, New York Times best-selling author of On Trails), one that blends natural history, philosophy, and science to explore: How do whales experience ecological change? How has whale culture been both understood and changed by human technology?

In the frigid woods at the edge of a storm, I'm going to find myself or die trying. I'm a fugitive of the fae city of Windhelm, framed for a murder I didn't commit. I only made it out of their dungeons by luck, and now I'm on the run - but so is the Prince.

“Shy” Hunt and the tech team from McAllen Integrations thought they’d have an easy job - set up environmental systems for the brand new Hasanova Data Solutions colony, built on the abandoned ruins of a complex known as “Charybdis”. There are just two problems: The colony belongs to the Iranian state, so diplomacy is strained at best, and the complex is located above a series of hidden caves that contain deadly secrets.

There's a prophecy that the white wolf will save Arcadia from the clutches of a terrible storm. I am the white wolf, but even I'm having trouble believing the prophecy. The former Prince Radulf is meant to be dead, but he's not. His spirit has taken possession of Prince Cillian's body, and if that wasn't bad enough, whatever soul bond the Prince and I had is gone.

What do you do when you find your best friend/crush kissing your other best friend on the day you were going to declare your feelings for him? You only agree to fake date your crush's rival. The King of the Bows, popular golden (play)boy, and all around douche, Xander wouldn't be my last choice for a boyfriend. Across the school, battlelines are drawn, and sides are taken between the new "it" couple of my former best friends and the excitingly scandalous pairing of me and King Douche.