Imperial Fiction

Danny Youngblood's destiny was fire magic, just like every man in his family. But fate had other plans. When he enters the prestigious Imperial Mage Academy, his powers manifest as something far more rare and dangerous. Monster Summoning! Now, Danny's a walking dungeon core, able to absorb creatures and unleash them as powerful allies.

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Once, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. Now, an act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with one fragile human body, unanswered questions, and a burning desire for vengeance.

Danny Youngblood thought he knew the dangers of monster summoning. But when a mysterious desert civilization, the Sapiens, launches a devastating attack on the Empire, he discovers a threat far greater than anything he's ever faced. As the Sapiens close in on the Imperial City, Danny and his friends must race against time to uncover the secrets behind their advanced weapons and powerful monsters. With the help of the brilliant inventor Isa, they develop new strategies and powerful summons to combat the invading force.

Humanity's thousand-year-old interstellar empire has been rotting from the inside for over a century, thanks to venal, corrupt, and power-hungry sovereigns from a dynasty many consider illegitimate. The latest in that lineage, an increasingly psychotic empress, is pushing her realm toward collapse as admirals and generals rebel against her rule. That rebellion quickly drags the once mighty Imperial Fleet into a devastating fratricidal conflict between factions.

The story of Tzu Hsi is the story of the last empress in China. In this audiobook, Pearl S. Buck recreates the life of one of the most intriguing rules during a time of intense turbulence. Tzu Hsi was born into one of the lowly ranks of the Imperial dynasty. According to custom, she moved to the Forbidden City at the age of 17 to become one of hundreds of concubines. But her singular beauty and powers of manipulation quickly moved her into the position of Second Consort.

Escaped Imperial officer Dirk doesn't care his crew are runaways, revolutionaries, and alleged criminals, as long as they're adequately competent and don't kill each other too often. When a smuggling job goes badly wrong and they improvise, he'll trade competency for just non-suicidal. If one crime causes problems, a second should fix it. But after a botched heist lands them in the freezing woods of a frozen planet, they need a new plan.

Dirk and company can rest easy. The ship isn't listed as stolen, Dirk's warrant is cancelled, and in return they just have to do a tiny favor for Tribune Devin. How difficult can it be to update his ship's weapons, find out what's going on core ward, and help look into Scruggs's warrant—and meet up with an ex-girlfriend? What could possibly go wrong? But when a botched heist, a crooked repair deal, and the sudden appearance of an enemy warship complicate things, Dirk has to decide. Is he a mercenary, a privateer, or a loyal servant of the Empire? Or can he be all three a once.

For a moment, things seemed to be under control for Breq, the soldier who used to be a warship. Then a search of Athoek Station's slums turns up someone who shouldn't exist, and a messenger from the mysterious Presger empire arrives, as does Breq's enemy, the divided and quite possibly insane Anaander Mianaai—ruler of an empire at war with itself. Breq refuses to flee with her ship and crew, because that would leave the people of Athoek in terrible danger. The odds aren't good, but that's never stopped her before.

She was a monster, sleek and gleaming, designed to strike without warning like the dreaded shark. She was the USS Mako, as fearless and bold as any submarine that ever prowled the blue Pacific. Her mission: seek out and destroy the hitherto invincible ships of the Japanese Imperial Navy - and revenge the earlier defeats of a long and dirty war. Here is the story of the men who pitted their lives against impossible odds in the most dangerous branch of the American armed services.

Verdan Blacke is an Imperial Wizard, a researcher by preference but soldier by necessity. Surviving an intense battle, Verdan is cursed by a hex witch in her final moments. Without any good options, Verdan escapes the ever-increasing pain the curse inflicts by performing a self-made stasis ritual.

Danny Youngblood, now a skilled monster summoner, must face the Empire's darkest dangers yet as a series of mysterious murders threatens to plunge the Empire into chaos. Rumors of a long-forgotten witch's resurrection and a secret organization manipulating events from behind the scenes set Danny and his friends on a desperate quest for a lost book of monster-summoning lore. As Danny delves deeper into the heart of the mystery, he discovers that the lines between friend and foe are blurred, and the truth is far more complex than he ever imagined.

Dirriken Friedel used his aristocratic connections to rescue his troops. He didn't plan on starting a war or killing them himself. Now he spends his days in jail, waiting for an assassin sent by his dead officers families to end his misery. When he's broken out by off-duty marines he has a chance to start over, if he's worthy. During his ramshackle escape he collects a broken-down trading ship, a bitter former army officer, a genetically altered religious fanatic, a runaway ingenue, a sham engineer, and a murderous femme fatale.

Breq is a soldier who used to be a warship. Once a weapon of conquest controlling thousands of minds, now she has only a single body and serves the emperor. With a new ship and a troublesome crew, Breq is ordered to go to the only place in the galaxy she would agree to go: to Athoek Station to protect the family of a lieutenant she once knew—a lieutenant she murdered in cold blood.

Clay, a successful screenwriter, has returned from New York to Los Angeles to help cast his new movie, and he’s soon drifting through a long-familiar circle. Blair, his former girlfriend, is married to Trent, an influential manager who’s still a bisexual philanderer, and their Beverly Hills parties attract various levels of fame, fortune and power. Then there’s Clay’s childhood friend Julian, a recovering addict, and their old dealer, Rip, face-lifted beyond recognition and seemingly even more sinister than in his notorious past.

October, 2042. In two weeks, the world will die, murdered by a nine-mile-wide, extinction-level asteroid. And Robert Osmark—billionaire and savvy tech-—couldn't be readier for the fiery apocalypse. Unlike the shortsighted masses, he's been diligently preparing for this day from the moment the asteroid first appeared. Through his relentless efforts, digital salvation now awaits anyone bold enough to take the leap and permanently transition into the brand-new, ultra-immersive, fantasy-based VRMMORPG, Viridian Gate Online. And Robert Osmark will lead this new world he has created.

Hobson’s Point stands independent and is safe from the machinations of the Sects for now. An unexpected call for aid takes Verdan into the territory of the Kranjir, a land steeped in the mysteries he seeks to unravel and the birthplace of his apprentice, Dirk. Betrayal, foul monsters and ancient secrets might yet spell doom for not just Verdan’s allies but the entirety of the north. When suspicion abounds, the honour of the Clans will be pushed to its breaking point.

Fleeing a smashed rebellion and near execution by their supposed allies, Dirk, Gavin, Dena, and Ana abandon Scruggs and Lee during battle. When local medical treatment isn't enough, Lee surrenders to the Imperials and arranges to surrender to Devin's ship to save Scruggs's life.

The spectacular debut novel nominated for every major science fiction award in 2014, Ancillary Justice is the story of a warship trapped in a human body and her search for revenge. Winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the Nebula Award, the British Science Fiction Association Award, a James Tiptree Jr. honour and a Kitschie. Currently shortlisted for the Hugo Awards. They made me kill thousands, but I only have one target now.

Newly widowed, wicked Kate Crowmore is in trouble. Scandal has broken over her head, and someone is trying to kill her. When she seeks refuge in Blackhaven, she doesn't expect a clergyman to be the solution to both these problems. Tristram Grant is not just any clergyman. The cast-off, illegitimate son of an earl, and a one-time army officer of great promise, the charismatic new curate is making his mark in Blackhaven. As soon as he sees the beautiful, defiant Kate, he sets his heart on her. And he is used to achieving his goals.

When Enae's grandmaman passes away, Enae inherits something unexpected: a diplomatic assignment to track down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. No one actually expects Enae to succeed; it's an empty assignment meant to keep hir occupied. But Enae has never had a true purpose—no one ever expected hir to do more than care for grandmaman—so sie is determined to accomplish this task to the best of her ability.