Showing results by narrator "Kevin T. Collins" in All Categories

Pacifism will always be a powerful moral force, even - perhaps especially - to the Dorsai. For those of this planet of warriors born and bred are not as other men; once a Dorsai’s heart is given he holds nothing back, and does not count the cost. Even if that cost be the very planet of his birth, and he becomes a Lost Dorsai.

The dark forces of Drakfort have seized Valhadria-and it's up to the few students who remain free to retake it. But Drakfort's iron grip extends far beyond the floating islands of Valhadria. With the help of the Grand Council, the entire realm is now under their thumb. Basch and his friends need to tread carefully as they seek out the tools-the magics-that will turn the fight against Drakfort in their favor.

Lieutenant James Shelley and his squad of US Army soldiers were on a quest for justice when they carried out the unauthorized mission known as First Light. They returned home to America to face a court-martial, determined to expose the corruption in the chain of command that compelled their actions. But in a country still reeling from the nuclear terrorism of Coma Day, the courtroom is just one battlefield of many.

Winter finally has the answers to who she is, but everything else in her life is in question as she is thrown into the world of witches. How much of her past can control her future? Can Winter make the decisions she needs to save the future?

Oil and Honey is McKibben's account of two necessary and mutually reinforcing sides of the global climate fight - from the center of the maelstrom and from the growing hive of small-scale local answers. With empathy and passion he makes the case for a renewed commitment on both levels, telling the story of raising one year’s honey crop and building a social movement that’s still cresting.

When Basch encountered an injured creature outside his town, he hadn't expected it to be a dragon. Nor had he expected its hunter to be a fire-wielding mage. But the very last thing he expected was to bond with this injured dragon and defeat the fire mage with his very own magic.

Max, formerly Maximilian Valevsky, begins to understand what it means to exist in a dark world dominated by light. People hate him, exploit him, fear him, and try to kill him the first chance they get. But our hero is willing to endure all trials and tribulations in pursuit of his goal: killing Duke Odoevsky and avenging his family. And he'll let nothing stand in his way.

Rick Martin loved music, and the music loved him. He could pick up a tune so quickly that it didn't matter to the Cotton Club boss that he was underage,or to the guys in the band that he was just a white kid. He started out in the slums of LA with nothing, and he ended up on top of the game in the speakeasies and nightclubs of New York. But while talent and drive are all you need to make it in music, they aren't enough to make it through a life.

A young man caught in a time loop has to figure out how to convince his crush—a barista at his favorite coffee ship—to go out with him so he can escape the loop. After a series of mortifying and hilarious attempts, he finally realizes the only approach he hasn’t tried is to simply be himself.

Raymond Ditmars (1876-1942), the first curator of reptiles at New York's famous Bronx Zoo, brought cold-blooded animals to public attention as never before. Through wildly successful books and movies, he inspired a generation of zoologists with his fascination for snakes, insects, and other misunderstood creatures. Ditmars was among the most celebrated naturalists in America. His reptile-collecting trips for the zoo spawned newspaper headlines across the world.

When the Apocalypse descended, Bain Lee and the other death row inmates managed to survive the first year. Together, they joined forces with challengers from other worlds and managed to survive the next phase. Now, things have changed. Factions are forming, and with them, new alliances and rivalries are being forged. All the while, Bain's Occularist class continues to break the system in new and unforeseen ways.

For fans of Charles Yu and Matt Haig, this short tale features a grandfather who claims not merely to have been abducted by aliens when he was a young man, but to have fallen in love in the process. His grandson (the story's narrator) is the only person who believes him. My Grandfather’s Ship is a quirky examination of how the passions (real or imagined) of our elders can inspire us.

Hadjar Darkhan, the Wind of the Northern Valleys, has almost reached the farthest border of the Strange Lands—the very edge of the mortal world. His path has been long and thorny. He has met and befriended many people and lost many more in the pursuit of his goal. And now the final obstacle looms ahead—the Raven Sect, the oldest and greatest stronghold of the Black General's followers. He will just have to go through them as well.

Hadjar survived the bloody war for the throne of his homeland. He fought against monsters and enemies that made entire generations tremble in fear. He traversed the vast Sea of Sand, found the mythical Mage City, and witnessed the destruction of an ancient civilization. Then, in the pursuit of knowledge, Hadjar came to Dahanatan, the capital of the Empire.

Michiko Nakatomi, an ancient vampire and leader of the Dark Council, is missing. After giving up control of the blood blades - weapons designed to destroy supernaturals - the Dark Council challenged Michiko’s leadership…and her right to exist. Rising tensions within the alliance of vampires, mages, and weres are threatening to tear the Dark Council apart.

They plucked him out of his own familiar world to kill him with extreme prejudice. This is what always happens to those who are just food in the bowl for someone with a better luck. But consider yourself warned: he is a very special food - the kind that eats you right back. Think again whether you really want to come and get him. And if you still do, just stay put. He'll come for you himself.

I've known one thing all my life: I belong to the Fortingall Wood. I was born there and I'll die there. It's in my blood. When slavers of the Hand take my brother, sister, and our entire village I discover nothing I know is true - not my place as a ranger or even who I am. With the help of the Sirens, ancient warriors imbued by a goddess, I may have a shot at saving my family. But the Sirens have trouble of their own. If I want their help I'll have to free each woman from her magic-induced exile. First, I have to find them.

There has never been a mage this powerful before. And yet, what use is power when bad things happen while you sleep? For most people, the question is: "How do I go on?" For Bud, the question is: "How do I fix this?" The problem is determining why it broke, so it won't happen again. But fixing things is easy. It's the consequences of your choices which are difficult. And what of the other things which need fixing? Once you start fixing things, where does it end? He's worked for Kali, Ganesha, and Shiva, across two galaxies. Now, he's Destiny's Spacemage.

James Montgomery has achieved everything he'd hoped for in life...except marrying the girl of his dreams. After a terrible accident, Selena Ainsley left 10 years ago. She took his heart with her, and she's never coming back. But it's becoming harder and harder for him to forget their precious time together, and James can't help but wonder what he would do if they could ever meet again.

During the pandemic, our homes and apartments have transported us to new places, different experiences, and changed our understanding of ourselves and others. This collection of 12 tales explores those journeys through the lens of fantasy and science fiction, accentuating the strange and unexpected to reveal the relatable, human dimensions of our continuing migration from what’s normal to a new normal...or even paranormal.