Showing results by narrator "John Pirhalla" in All Categories

The final moments of the journey in Ancient Greece sets the stage for a revolution ready to explode faster than a poorly brewed potion. The Old Guild and Asguardian Remnants are itching for a comeback tour. Led by Odin's feathered spies, Huginn and Muninn, they’re all set to hunt Artorian down—this time for good. They're betting their last shiny coin on vengeance, aiming to turn Artorian's dream of a New World into a nightmare—permanently.

As executioner within Verendal, Finn takes on more responsibility, especially now that he’s saved the kingdom from repeated attack. When protests erupt within Verendal, those from the poorer sections clashing with Archers, Finn finds himself investigating a very different kind of crime than he’s ever pursued, one that might involve witchcraft that he doesn’t understand. This time, his usual tactics might not be enough. Finn must find those responsible before the city falls into chaos, but it might be too late to keep the violence from spreading throughout the kingdom.

As a free A.I., Mal finds the war between the modded and augmented Federals and the puritanical Humanists about as interesting as a battle between rival anthills. He’s not above scouting the battlefield for salvage, though, and when the Humanists abruptly cut off access to infospace he finds himself trapped in the body of a cyborg mercenary, and responsible for the safety of the modded girl she died protecting.

With the threat of rogue elementals escaping from the element bond and fear of another attack by the Draasin Lord, life at the edge of Terndahl is difficult for Tolan. Without any magic of his own, he spends his days working a menial job as a carpenter’s apprentice. When an elemental attack draws the attention of the Inquisitors from the Academy, everything changes.

Death is the one, true constant in the Shift. This is something Troias has learned in his journey to become Baron of Wisconsin, and most of that death has come from his hands. He's battled monsters spawned from legends and nightmares and slaughtered powerful guardians of energy-rich Vortices. Now, though, he faces a new sort of enemy: his fellow man.

Ghosts, specters, wraiths.... Restless undead spirits wail beneath the full moon and reach out for you from the swirling mists. The pain and loneliness of death drives them to seek the one thing they cannot have - the spark of life within your soul.... Scare Street presents volumes seven through nine of Terror in the Shadows, gathered into one spine-tingling tome. More than 30 stories of supernatural fear and suspense lurk with this macabre collection. Each one packed with a ghoulish assortment of creatures from beyond the grave.

Amid the sweet sounds of a music box, their darkest fears will haunt them.... In Black River, Tennessee, everyone knows the legend of the Bell Witch...and the alleged curse that hangs like a dark shroud over the town. To some, it is just a local tall tale. But to others, it is terrifyingly real. For centuries, four families have been forced into the ritualistic tradition of sacrifice and terror. Every year, a member of each family stumbles upon an antique music box they need to lock before the time is up. And a horrible fate awaits them once the boxes open.

Grand Master of the Science Fiction Writers of America and winner of countless awards—including the Hugo, Nebula, Edgar Allan Poe, and Bram Stoker—Harlan Ellison proved once more that he was both unpredictable and irrepressible in this second collection of innovative science fiction. Again, Dangerous Visions—the middle installment in a planned three anthology series—includes award-winning stories from incomparable writers such as Ursula K. Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, Ray Bradbury, Kurt Vonnegut, Piers Anthony, Dean Koontz, and James Tiptree, among many others.

Victory seems within Artorian’s grasp when a deep dive becomes deep fried. Armed with beam weaponry against unreasonable rats, he’s making impressive progress on the Eternia Beta Run. Thanks in part to the Dwarves, and their relentless cheers to "Push...the...button!" There are a few final challenges that loom large on his path to triumph: the frozen continental storm, Fuyu No Arashi; the Matchless Gaston, and the final boss...Pag!

The key to finding the one responsible for the attack on Terndahl involves crossing the waste, but is Tolan willing to risk the tenuous peace they've achieved for revenge? Now a master shaper, Tolan must serve the Academy, but he understands the risk his mother poses. While others want to study the power out on the waste, Tolan sees the need to look beyond Terndahl. His mother remains at large, and they still don’t know her ultimate goal.

After the President declared the Maduro Sector off-limits, a peace craze swept the United Nations of Terra, and the government enacted the Budget Realignment Act to reap the dividends of the peace by shifting funds from the defense budget to public services. Thousands of Space Marines and Fleet personnel were summarily dismissed from the service, and their ships and weapons were mothballed.

The Chain Breaker series continues with The Paper Dragon. A dark power that attacks Yoran leads Gavin on a dangerous journey. Gavin remains in Yoran while struggling to master his El’aras abilities. With the power of the strange ring that grants him even more power, he knows he has to learn control, otherwise he’ll destroy the city while trying to protect it. When the hyadan, creatures of dark sorcery, come to the city, Gavin has to make a choice between staying to learn control over his power or helping Imogen.

When a known Komran outpost that has recently been upgraded shows signs of staging an invasion, there are only two options: commit to a full-force assault and lose many lives and ships to take the base, or send in a small, elite team to take on an entire base by themselves. The council believes the barbarian has done well so far. Why not risk his team’s necks first and see how it goes before scheduling that assault? Joe and his team must make their way to a planet that has been under Komran control for decades.

A British police chief joins the list of high-profile Northern Ireland sniper victims. Tension rises as the US president prepares to visit. And the 29-year mystery around an IRA killer's gruesome death deepens. Ex-CIA war crimes investigator Joe Johnson is called in as the sniper's body count rises. But with the motive unknown, the clock is ticking down as the president and UK prime minister prepare for a G8 world summit near Belfast.

The odds are against Mathison and his Marines. The Republic has abandoned them, and the Governance has collapsed. The vanhat are sweeping through human space almost unopposed, crushing the few humans still scattered throughout the ruins of the Governance.

You can’t fight a war without guns. Charlie and his friends need to arm their ship, but they have a small problem—black market particle cannons cost a lot of money. And they don’t have any. Which leaves them only one option. They have to steal the guns from the Anguilar Empire. It’s a daring plan, but it backfires when Laranna is captured by the enemy and taken back to her homeworld of Strada, which has been conquered and garrisoned by the Empire.

Round one of the Eternia Beta run ends with the Task Manager getting disabled by the Administrator. Without the Task Manager’s nefarious influences, Eternia comes to life as warm hugs and sweet sunshine beat back The Pale.

The Moonlight Relic sits high atop the Western Reaches, an ancient fortress against invasion from beyond. An age ago, its enchantments were designed to stabilize the dimensions and defend those who lived there, as well as to be a model for other relics of the same type. Not long after it was built, it was shattered in a cataclysmic war.

It seemed like a great way to bank some cash, travel to exciting destinations on his boss’ dime, and keep under the radar of some very bad men trying to kill him.

Out of work and on the run after a shocking betrayal by his brothers-in-arms, the ex-Special Forces commando hasn’t stopped moving for months. He can’t. Some of the same soldiers who left him for dead in the Middle East still want his head. And they’re getting closer. So far, he’s been lucky. But Dak is low on money and nearly out of time. All he needs is an easy gig. A place to lie low, bank some cash, and quietly figure out his next move.