Laura VanArendonk Baugh KPACTP

The sequel to Shard & Shield in the acclaimed The Shard Of Elan series! Shianan Becknam, commander, count, and bastard, has survived committing treason and the murder plot against him. Now that the kingdom is at last protected from marauding Ryuven, the only worth he's ever had is no longer needed. Trapped in conflicting oaths of allegiance, he's more a political liability than ever and less able to court the woman he nearly died to save. But the...

He can save her life-if he sacrifices those he swore to protect. King's bastard Shianan Becknam buries himself in his military career to avoid the dangers of drawing political attention. When the artifact intended to end an interdimensional war is damaged, a mage is trapped on the other side of the rift with her servant-only the cheery young boy is really one of the monstrous enemy, disguised as a human. Shianan is desperate to rescue Ariana, one...

She tells Greek legends to entertain Norse gods-until one of her stories leads to murder. When Euthalia's father trades her to Viking raiders, her best hope is to be made a wife instead of a slave. She gets her wish-sort of-when she is sacrificed as a bride to a god. Her inhuman husband seems kind, but he visits only in the dark of night and will not allow her to look upon him. By day Euthalia becomes known as a storyteller, spinning ancient Greek...

The prince-heir's life hangs by a thread, and the last person to see him conscious was the king's bastard, Shianan Becknam. As rumor grows of Commander Becknam's possible fratricide, Shianan pushes away Black Mage Ariana Hazelrig, lest her rise be destroyed by connection to him. Ariana has returned from her abduction to the Ryuven world, bringing an herb which could fight the plague reported through the countryside. Her efforts have resulted in unprecedented...

In the final days of the Genpei War, a court lady, now a Buddhist nun, sits on an undecorated ship with her tiny grandson, the rightful emperor of Japan. They have fled the revolting Minamoto clan across mountains and seas, taking this final stand at what will be known as the battle of Dan-no-ura. Now, with nowhere left to flee, they face treachery too. This award-winning short story has been honored in multiple contests and is offered here by itself...

Arash is a slave drummer accompanying the Megistanes and other scholars on their journey to find the new king, whose star they have seen in the heavens. He does not understand their enthusiasm for this Jewish child, prophesied centuries before by one of their own, but each night he plays his drum for his master and dreams of earning his freedom. When they reach Jerusalem, Arash is made an offer by King Herod himself: once they locate the child, return...

They eat us to live. We eat them to live forever. When Tomás Torres agrees to consult on an unsuccessful breeding program for a rare species, he finds his new patients are fish with oddly humanoid face and torso - merfolk. The legend that eating a mermaid will grant immortality seems to be based loosely in fact, and early trials suggest their meat is a powerful curative with incredible potential. The corporation with a successful fish farm will...

Someone is waging war against Christmas. Mrs. Claus-like you've never imagined her-is going to stop them. The war on Christmas is real this year, with supply chain issues ranging from lost toys to murdered elves. Mrs. Claus intends to get to the bottom of this, with every skill her valkyrie background can lend. She'll team up with the undead and find out what's really happening this holiday season. 2021 Realm Award winner for Best Audio Drama

You want a dog who is confident and happy, able to immediately distinguish between friend and threat, capable of intense focus on her work, and able to relax and play with you when you need some puppy love. But these attributes are not born in our puppies; they are created through proper socialization. So much can be done in a puppy's first few months of life to equip her for our human world and expectations. A well-socialized puppy is not only a...

Sequel to the award-winning Kitsune-Tsuki Following the search for the shape-shifting kitsune, onmyouji Tsurugu no Kiyomori serves Naka no Yoritomo and his new wife Kaede, protecting their household from the supernatural and warning of more mundane threats. Elsewhere, a murder is committed in Naka's name, and an exiled onmyouji determines to wreak his own justice by destroying Naka no Yoritomo and his bride. Just as word comes that an immensely...