Showing results by narrator "Steven Brand" in All Categories

The Turine army is on the brink of victory against the Geneshans. Sergeant Tyrus and his unit are tasked to steal an artifact from the enemy that some believe has the power to destroy the world. Taking such power from the Geneshans would end the decade long war. Upon their success, Tyrus' unit is among the first wave of soldiers discharged from the army. War has robbed him of time with his wife and children, but now the life he has dreamed of every day for the last 10 years is just a long journey away.

The star sailing ship HMSS Daring is running at full sheet with a letter of marque allowing them to capture enemy vessels involved in illegal trading. Sailing under a false flag to protect the ship and its mission, Daring’s crew must gather intelligence that will lead them to the pirates’ base. But their mission is threatened from within their own ranks when Daring’s enigmatic captain makes a series of questionable choices, and rumblings of discontent start bubbling up from below decks, putting the crew on edge and destroying morale.

A father. A mentor. A leader. Still, a soldier. Tyrus expected his world to change once the Geneshan War ended. He expected it to change more once he finally reunited with his family. He did not foresee that the biggest upheaval to his world would be caused by Turine sorcerers tampering with an ancient Geneshan artifact in the capital city of Hol. The land stands devastated and covered in a haze. Sorcerers are unable to use their power. The king and capital are likely destroyed.

Months have passed since Tyrus ended a decade of war between Turine and Genesha by destroying the Geneshan's sorcerous artifact. He had hoped that taking his family south would grant him the peace he desired, but even in the Southern Kingdoms, war welcomes him instead. Ava strikes a deal with the Southern Kingdom leaders to protect her brother, taking his place in their fight to protect their lands from invading forces. Having spent her adult life entrenched in battle, Ava doesn't hold any illusions as to what awaits her.

Cal Lovett has spent half his life telling other people’s stories on his true-crime podcast. But the police are close to solving the mystery of his sister’s disappearance—now he might finally get to tell Margot’s story. Cal seeks respite on a holiday in the Scottish Highlands, but is dragged into a new cold case: an unsolved murder that shattered a family fourteen years ago.

The Alkomian Empire lies in ruin. An army of traitors marches on the capital, forcing the emperor from his throne. In his absence, chaos reigns. Villages burn as the blood of innocents runs in the streets. Entire provinces are reduced to rubble, demolished by terrible rune-power. Darkness and despair covers the land as hope for deliverance is consumed in the flames of destruction. On the border of the empire, two young heroes stand bloodied but unbroken.

If you haven’t integrated customer expectations into your risk management program, you’re exposed, even if you’ve done nothing wrong. Quality risk management is an innovative approach to managing risk that combines elements of traditional risk management with quality management to reveal the full range of potential losses facing organizations today. No Complaints, No Lawsuits distills this approach into 11 guiding principles that can ensure that your risk management program is ready to meet today’s demands.

Vaelin Al Sorna is a living legend. It was his leadership that overthrew empires and his sacrifice that saved the Unified Realm from destruction. Now he lives a quiet life, his days of warfare behind him.Yet whispers have spread across the sea of an army called the Steel Horde, led by a man who thinks himself a god. When Vaelin learns that Sherin, the woman he lost long ago, has fallen into the Horde's grasp, he resolves to confront this powerful new threat.To this end, he travels to the realms of the Merchant Kings - a strange land ruled by honour and intrigue.

Tyrus never thought he'd see war again, but to save his family he must once again accept its sickening embrace. By night, painful memories of past battles haunt his dreams. By day, the nightmare continues as he commands an army against impossible odds to destroy the Geneshan artifact responsible for the near destruction of Turine. Worrying about friends and family both near and far, he wonders if he'll ever truly know peace.

The Steel Horde has laid waste to the Venerable Kingdom, unleashing a storm of fire and blood. Now the leader of this mighty host - Kehlbrand, the warlord who thinks himself a god - turns his eyes to the other merchant kingdoms. No one can stop his divine conquest. No one, perhaps, except Vaelin Al Sorna. Yet Vaelin is on the run, his own army in disarray. Worse, the new blood song he has acquired is as much a curse as a blessing and seeks to guide him down a path far darker than he could have imagined....

The misfit crew of HMSS Daring are on a covert mission to dismantle a sprawling pirate network threatening the empire in this enthralling second Blackwood & Virtue novel - a thrilling, action-packed blend of the military sea adventures of Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander series with Jim Butcher’s sci-fi Cinder Spires novels.

The emperor is dead. The White City of Amalt has fallen. Those who defy Savaroth's tyranny are enslaved, thrown into chains and forced to carry out his sinister designs. As Savaroth's corruption claims the Alkomian empire, an ancient and terrible evil rises from the bowels of the earth. Rumors of a creeping, entangling horror sweep through the war-torn countryside. But from deep within a living forest, Aventine leads a fragile rebellion against Savaroth's forces. Yet even as they seek to strike out against the tyrant, they are hunted by an eldritch monster that hounds their every step.

The most accomplished mountain runner of all time contemplates his record-breaking climb of Mount Everest in this profound and free-flowing memoir - an intellectual and spiritual journey that moves from the earth’s highest peak to the soul’s deepest reaches. What drives a person to the edge of one of the most difficult and revered mountains in the world? How much is one willing to sacrifice and suffer to pursue an authentic and bold life?

Cal Lovett's sister, Margot, has been missing since he was a child. When Marc Dubois, The Woodland Killer, learns of Cal's true-crime podcast, Finding Justice, he invites Cal into his cell to talk. Dubois has famously refused to speak about his crimes, so why has he asked Cal to meet with him? And why does Dubois know so much about him?

Sentenced to death. Impossible to kill. Bershad was supposed to die. He tried to assassinate a fellow noble, so was given a harsh sentence - a command to slay dragons so his death might serve the kingdom. But for some reason he’s never lost a fight, and is now the most successful dragon-slayer in history. Yet as a doomed man, Bershad is still shunned by both his peers and his countrymen. But that could all change. The king who sentenced Bershad has just given him an out. Kill a foreign king and walk free forever.

The dragonslayer Bershad and Queen Ashlyn are facing the greatest challenge of their lives. Branded the Witch Queen and driven from her kingdom, Ashlyn flees to her mother’s people. Yet she won’t be beaten, resolving to master magical feats long thought impossible. But this could have unforeseen consequences. Meanwhile, Bershad has learnt why he seems invincible – and that he’s living on borrowed time. However, he remains determined to help Ashlyn regain her throne.

Arran went missing in Edinburgh twenty years ago. The last time his parents saw him he was withdrawn and on edge where he’d once been happy and carefree. Still searching for their son, they turn to their last hope, true crime podcaster Cal Lovett. Cal begins looking for answers but is distracted by his sister’s murder trial. He’s so close to getting the justice Margot deserves. Can he finally leave the past—and Margot—behind? As Cal unearths disturbing evidence about Arran’s fate, he suspects the young man’s close-knit group of university friends are keeping secrets to protect each other.

The dragonslayer Bershad and Queen Ashlyn are facing the greatest challenge of their lives. Branded the Witch Queen and driven from her kingdom, Ashlyn flees to her mother’s people. Yet she won’t be beaten, resolving to master magical feats long thought impossible. But this could have unforeseen consequences. Meanwhile, Bershad has learnt why he seems invincible – and that he’s living on borrowed time. However, he remains determined to help Ashlyn regain her throne.

A man awakes on a boat at sea with no memory of who or where he is. He's not alone - there are six others, each with a unique set of skills. None of them can remember their names. All of them possess a gun. When a message appears on the onboard computer - Proceeding to Point A - the group agrees to work together to survive whatever is coming. But as the boat moves through the mist-shrouded waters, divisions begin to form. Who is directing them and to what purpose? Why can't they remember anything? And what are the screams they can hear beyond the mist?