Showing results by narrator "Neil Hellegers" in All Categories

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.

Dying the first time sucked. Matt's trying to avoid a repeat performance. Having to save the world after being reincarnated is rather enjoyable. In a soul-crushing responsibility kind of way. For Matt, joining Earth's last line of defense in a magical realm might just be what he was re-born for.

Dorian Lake spent years cornering the Baltimore hex-crafting market, using his skills at the hermetic arts to exact karmic justice for those whom the system has failed. He keeps his magic clean and free of soul-corrupting Netherwork, thus avoiding both the karmic blow-back of his practice and the notice of the Presidium, a powerful cabal of practitioners that polices the esoteric arts in America.

Samazzar and his family have moved to the city of Vereton to continue his magic studies. There, he is introduced to a dizzying array of culture, technology, and magic. The caves he grew up in as a kobold fade into memory as Sam throws himself into his new life studying and adventuring under the mentorship of Wind Master Pothas.

Matt has beaten another enemy Lord, acquired even more towns. He’s establishing a foothold in this crazy afterlife of his, doing battle on multiple fronts and winning. But victory isn’t always guaranteed, there’s always a price to be paid when you face another on the field of battle. For Matt Fang, that time is coming soon. And the only question is will it break him or will he continue to be the shield that humanity requires.

Dion Fortune was one of the first to bring this "secret tradition" to a wider audience with her clear and comprehensive exploration of the Qabalah tradition. The Mystical Qabalah remains a classic in its clarity, linking the broad elements of Jewish traditional thought - probably going back to the Babylonian captivity and beyond - with both Eastern and Western philosophy and later Christian insights.

Don’t be intimidated by Shakespeare! These popular guides make the Bard’s plays accessible and enjoyable.

Buried in the catacombs beneath the fortress of Landmoor lies the Silverkin, an ancient talisman that can overcome any Forbidden magic. Thealos Quickfellow has the right to claim the Silverkin but knows little about the deadly consequences befalling those who wield it. Before he can lay claim to it, he must first slip beyond the web of Sorian who have beset Landmoor and battle among themselves for supremacy. On his journey, Thealos will learn personally of the sacrifices required to become a Sleepwalker and how to use the Silverkin to save his people. But will using it destroy him?

You can’t have a good tale of monster hunting without monsters. And sometimes the monsters don’t need to be hunted. Sometimes it’s fun sitting back at minimum safe distance and watching the mayhem.

In the summer of 1933, a man named Adolf Hitler is the new and powerful anti-Semitic chancellor of Germany. But in Los Angeles, no-nonsense secretary Liesl Weiss has concerns much closer to home. The Great Depression is tightening its grip, and Liesl is the sole supporter of two children, an opinionated mother, and a troubled brother.

Franny Doyle is having the worst day. She’s been sacked, the subway doors ripped her favorite dress to ruins, and now she’s flashed her unmentionables to half of lower Manhattan. On the plus side, a dashing stranger came to her rescue with his (Gucci!) suit jacket. On the down side, he can’t get away from her fast enough. Worse yet? Someone posted their (entirely not) meet-cute online. Suddenly Franny and her rescuer, Hayes Montgomery, are the newest social media sensation, and all of New York is shipping #SubwayQTs.

Jarl Beckström, Clan Lord of Norvaask, has done the impossible. With the help of his friends, he forged an alliance with Jotungard—their bitterest rival—and installed a new ruler upon the throne. Now he turns his focus inward to strengthen his people for the impending war. But as they prepare, the world crumbles down around them.

Over the past two years, a group of four players had given so much to their role-playing world that it had developed a magic of its own. The creatures, warriors, sorcerers, thieves—all came alive. Now, there is an odd connection between the gamers and their characters, splitting into factions to determine the fate of the Game itself, and both the inside and the outside worlds. One thing is for certain. Hexworld will never be the same.

After uncovering a conspiracy that shakes his beliefs to their foundation, Glenn Graybreaker chooses to become a Truth Seeker: an elite Blazer tasked with investigating crimes and solving mysteries that baffle others. When a Blazer encounters a mystery they can’t solve, they call in a Truth Seeker.

In the gripping sequel to Arcane Cultivator, the stakes are higher and the magic more powerful. Jaden and the Nomadwater Sect, growing ever closer in the treacherous Southfall, embarks on a daring quest to uncover secrets left by Elder Brother. But with Elias, the God of Sand, as their reluctant sponsor, their journey is anything but straightforward . . .

No one is safe. After narrowly escaping the onslaught at the radioactive prison city, Jack, Abby, and Lilly—now joined by three new companions—continue east to where it all started. Ohio.

Hot on the heels of her 2018 This Is Horror Award–winning short story collection Spectral Evidence, critically horror author Gemma Files compiles fifteen more of her most startling recent nightmares—a creepily seductive downward spiral of dark poetry and existential dread, entirely suitable to the slow apocalypse going on all around us. So take your mind off your troubles and send it somewhere the rules still operate, if only to punish those who violate them.

When war and nefarious forces split the realms, Micah dives into the breach once more, confident in his stupendous magical power and time magic will keep him and his friends safe. It won't. He fails, and a new enemy with a familiar face has followed him back into the past, wreaking havoc on the timeline. Now Micah's only chance comes in the form of a map, guiding him halfway around the world to the laboratory of the greatest wizard that ever lived.

Ever since his 16th birthday, disaster has loomed over Micah Silver’s head, threatening him and everything he loved. Twice he tried to deny his fate, only to suffer for his hubris. Finally, he made the sacrifices necessary to confront the danger facing him head-on. Micah succeeded. At the head of an army of daemons, he defeated the Durgh Khan and saved Basil’s Cove from disaster. Only, it wasn’t to be.

Jen did not want to leave the city. She did not want to move to a farm with her mom and her mom's new boyfriend, Walter. She did not want to leave her friends and her dad. Most of all, Jen did not want to get new "sisters", Andy and Reese. As if learning new chores on Peapod Farm wasn't hard enough, having to deal with perfect-at-everything Andy might be the last straw for Jen. Besides cleaning the chicken coop, trying to keep up with the customers at the local farmers' market, and missing her old life, Jen has to deal with her own insecurities about this new family.