Showing results by narrator "Rob Brinkmann" in All Categories

Lucian Abrantes and his companions have done the impossible. They have gathered the Orbs, found the First Gate, and entered the Light Realm. But finishing the job has dire consequences never foreseen, and things in the Light Realm are far more complicated than initially thought.

Lucian must do what no mage has ever done before: Escape the Mad Moon. But between frayed mages, violent monsters, and the hostile environment, that may prove impossible. Wandering the brutal surface, every breath is a fight for survival. And things only get worse when Lucian receives visions from the so-called Sorceress-Queen of Psyche, whose Psionic Magic is second to none. Teaming up with a dedicated captain, a frayed mage, and a former Mage-Knight of Dara, Lucian sets off on a quest across Psyche. He needs a way off the moon for good.

Lucian dreams of a new life outside the cesspool of Earth. Unfortunately, his wish comes true when the government identifies him as a mage. No one knows why the mages are being born. No one knows why their powers lead to madness and death in a terrifying disease known as "the fraying". The only solution is to quarantine the mages in academies.

Even if you’ve never played Dungeons & Dragons, you probably know someone who has: the game has had a profound influence on our culture, and 2014 marks the intriguing role-playing phenomenon’s 40th anniversary. Released decades before the Internet and social media, Dungeons & Dragons inspired one of the original nerd subcultures and is still revered by more than 30 million fans. Now, the authoritative history and magic of the game are revealed by an award-winning journalist and lifelong D&D player.

Long lost since the disappearance of Arian, the prophecy of the Seven holds the key to finding the rest of the orbs. If Lucian can find it, it would all but assure his position as the true chosen of the manifold. The only problem? He doesn't know where in the worlds it is. When he receives a mysterious vision from an old friend, he drops everything to return to Volsung, the planet he’d hoped to never see again. Only there can he find a clue that might lead him to the true prophecy—the one penned by the hand of Arian himself.

Tessa—part witch, part werewolf, raised human and now the unofficial leader of a newly minted supernatural alliance—gets a distressing call from her brother, Axel, in the middle of the night. Tessa and her mate, Dastien, race to save Axel, but Tessa's learned that nothing is ever easy in the supernatural world. She has seconds to make a choice, but there’s only one thing Tessa can do to save the two most important men in her life—sacrifice herself.

Sixth grade is supposed to be perfect. Shannon’s got a sure spot in the in-crowd called The Group, and her best friend is their leader, Jen, the most popular girl in school. But the rules are always changing, and Shannon has to scramble to keep up. She never knows which TV shows are cool, what songs to listen to, and who she’s allowed to talk to. Who makes these rules, anyway? And does Shannon have to follow them?

Lucian may have bested the cunning Sorceress-Queen of Psyche, but his journey of survival is just beginning. When he learns the location of the Prophecy of the Seven, he has no choice but to embrace his destiny as the Chosen of the Manifold and find it. Only the prophecy can lead him to the rest of the Seven Aspects of Magic. But, the prophecy is in the last place he wants to go: the Golden Palace of Dara, the seat of the powerful Sorceress-Queen.

Lucian has achieved the improbable with his acceptance into the prestigious Volsung Academy. Now, he must do something even more difficult: survive it. As a Novice, he must learn the fundamentals of magic while navigating Academy politics. Lucian must not only pass the grueling Trials but survive other mages' mechanizations. But doing that is difficult when he's being left behind.

In a town trapped within the veil, humans, fae, and witches are forced to coexist. Through a fragile peace, they all agree on one thing. The Trimarked Child is dangerous. Ember Lee is a pariah. Though she’s forced to scrounge and trade just to survive, she refuses to let the people of Trifecta bully her into submission. Her forbidden powers have defied the bonds placed on her, but as long as she can keep them a secret, she’s safe. When someone carves their way through the barrier surrounding the city, events unfold that threaten her existence.

Lucian Abrantes and the Starsea Fleet have driven back the Alkasen. While the Worlds rebuild and recover from the brutal war, the Ancient One threatens to undo the uneasy peace. On the world of Mako, the Ancient One has done the unthinkable. Marshaling the ether of the Source of Power, he has escaped through a Time Gate, an action that threatens to unravel Lucian's heroism and even reality itself.

The Swarmers are on the move. As star systems fall one by one, the League of Worlds begins to fragment. The Dread Pirate Zheng Yang advances her Golden Armada toward the League's core, bringing either death or salvation. The Prophet Sharo Khalin consolidates a theocracy, while the League of Worlds concentrates everything toward a last-ditch defense. Unknown to all these major players, the Worlds' only hope lies in Lucian Abrantes, his crew, their starship, and of course, the powerful Orbs of Starsea. But even these powerful artifacts might not be enough to survive the dark days ahead.

On the moon of Psyche, Lucian Abrantes, the Chosen of the Manifold, must start from humble beginnings, growing his single world into an empire. He must unite disparate factions that don’t recognize his legitimacy.

After countless trials, Lucian has collected multiple Orbs, and has almost proven himself to be the true Chosen of the Manifold. Only one person stands in his way: Xara Mallis, the Psion of Darkness.Lucian is not ready to face her. With each Orb he gains, the Shadow that follows him grows ever stronger.

Cass lives an enviable life: a successful career, two great kids, and a handsome husband. Then an email from her husband’s mistress, Emma, brings the façade of perfection crumbling around her, setting off a chain of events where buried secrets come back to haunt her.

Jillian Nejat is the only dating and relationship expert on the planet who is incapable of speaking to men. If they’re living, if they’re breathing, it’s game over. With her bank account at zero, her career a dumpster fire, and her dating life in a 10-year slump, she moves into a tiny, dirt-cheap NYC apartment. Unfortunately, the apartment is already occupied. Daniel (no-last-name) is a sexy, shirtless, six-pack wielding heartthrob who is also...dead.

It’s been five weeks since Nicu saved Ember from being overcome by the power of the Veil. Since then, she has lived under the threat of discovery from those who fear her growing power. Ember already balances on a fine line between accident and purpose; using her power intentionally will certainly bring the wrath of human, witch, and fae alike. Though she doesn’t belong anywhere, she’s not willing to become a prisoner to any of the factions. When a Witch Queen arrives in Trifecta with the goal to enslave the minds and bodies of magic users, Ember must take a different path.

Lost in a parallel universe of swords, shields, magic, and monsters, a young man searches for a way home. Justin Holmes has never quite understood his father. But their strained relationship is pushed nearly to the breaking point after the loss of his mother in a fatal car accident. Sometimes, all he wants is to get away. Little does he know, his wish to escape is about to come true, with otherworldly consequences.

Representing non-citizens caught up in what he calls the immigration and enforcement “meat grinder”, Bill Ong Hing witnessed their trauma, arriving at this conclusion: migrants should have the right to free movement across borders—and the right to live free of harassment over immigration status. He cites examples of racial injustices endemic in immigration law and enforcement, from historic courtroom cases to the recent treatment of Haitian migrants.

In a world full of “Augments”—humans who use technology to imbue themselves with superpowers of every sort—being an average man would seem a good way to keep out of trouble. Not so for repo man Gayle Harwood. It’s his job to seize enhancements from Augments who fall behind on the payments for their high-tech advantages. And they rarely part with them easily.