Showing results by narrator "Nick Podehl" in All Categories

Aryc Tal Venn was supposed to be the savior of the universe. But a fateful decision left him blighted, unable to cultivate the primal Aether into the life-empowering energy of the Quintessence. With nothing but hope, Aryc undertakes a desperate quest to reverse his blighting. But when a terrible truth challenges everything he believes, Aryc is forced to question whom he fights for and why. Destiny comes for Aryc Tal Venn, and the fate of the universe rests in his hands.

Not bound as a book. Free. Like Unfettered before it, the contributing writers of Unbound were allowed to submit the tales they wished fans of genre to hear - without the constraints of a shackling theme. The result is magical. Twenty-three all-original stories are sure to captivate you - some will move you to tears while others will keep you listening long into the night. The power of Unbound lies in its variety of tales and the voices behind them. If you are a fan of discovering new writers or hearing the works of beloved authors, Unbound is for you.

A great war encroaches following the turbulent events of patch 17, casting a menacing shadow over both Demon Grounds and lands of the light races. Roused from a millennia-old slumber, dark gods seek to exact vengeance for their past defeat. Max finds himself at the epicenter of it all - with the lives of his woman, his friends, and all his people in the Wild Wood dependent on him. Two unlikely heroes must stand - and endure - against all odds: one a Black Demon from an ancient prophecy, the other a fabled Gray Lion....

In 1930s Berlin, young Henrik, the son of a Jewish father and Aryan mother, watches the world around him crumbling: people are rioting in the streets, a strange yellow star begins appearing in shop windows, and friends are forced to move - or they simply disappear.

Virginia finally had the chance to explore a relationship with Aaron when he asked her on a date. She had been waiting, hoping that the widower and his young son, Buddy, would welcome her into their lives. But a terrible tragedy strikes on the night of their first kiss, crushing their hopes for a future together.

The final battle looms. On one front, the god of hatred, Vill, leads a horde of undead threatening to overrun the orcish steppe. On another, the dark god Rakot aims to break out of Limbh. But even those threats pale before the one coming from the East: three ancient beasts set on wiping out all living beings. The AI systems are in death throes as the Realm of Arkon seems less and less like a game. The standard behavioral algorithms of mobs and NPCs are long in the past. Krian must fight for his freedom, for his friends, and for the future of the world he now calls home.

Roman was never supposed to escape the locked plane that was his prison. And yet, somehow the impossible task became possible with the help of new friends, and despite the tricks of old enemies. Too intrepid was the demon driven by the fury of battle, the sorrow of defeat, the bonds of unbreakable friendship, and the longing for his beloved. But when gods themselves join the fray, the chances of victory fall from slim to none.

The Spectral City of Cathella is shrouded in strange magic of a powerful artifact. Krian must face the Great Dragons of Pangea, an impossible quest on the Ancient Paths, transformed by the Twice Cursed God, a journey through an endless graveyard, the smile of the Goddess of Stealth.... And rage. Infinite rage. The path to the higher plane never seems to end, too much for any man to overcome.

Kellan Thorne loves the Christmas season. He plans a well-deserved rest consisting of parties and watching Christmas classics. However, fate has different plans for Kellan and his Soulborn who find themselves swept up with gods, goddesses, and mantles of immense power. As the eternal battle between order and chaos continues to play out, Kellan quickly finds himself at odds with forces beyond both his understanding and ability to control. To safeguard all those he holds dear, Kellan must breach a celestial treasury sealed shut at the dawn of creation and pull forth a wizard's soul.

Ruth and her little brother, Aubrey, are just teenagers when their older brother ships off to Iraq. When Joseph returns, uninjured, only three and a half months later, Ruth is happy he is safe but also deeply worried. How can it be that her courageous big brother has been dishonorably discharged for refusing to go out on duty? Aubrey can't believe that his hero doesn't have very good reasons.

So here’s the plan: Kill the demon, steal the treasure, and retire to a life of luxury! It sounds easy when put like that. However, most unfortunately for warrior-priest Egil and sneak thief Nix, when the demon they kill turns out to have worshippers in high places, retirement is not an option. A wonderfully fast-paced fantasy adventure redolent of the classic tales of swords and sorcery, from New York Times best-selling author Paul S. Kemp.

Tennyson: Don’t get me started on the Bruiser. He was voted “Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty” by the entire school. He’s the kid no one knows, no one talks to, and everyone hears disturbing rumors about. So why is my sister, Brontë, dating him? One of these days she’s going to take in the wrong stray dog, and it’s not going to end well.BronteMy brother has no right to talk about Brewster that way — no right to threaten him. There’s a reason why Brewster can’t have friends — why he can’t care about too many people.

Will Everett has always wished for an adventure. Little does he know his adventure starts the moment he boards the Boundless. There is a murder, and now Will protects a key that can unlock the train¹s hidden treasures. Villains are fast on his heels and strange creatures are lurking outside the windows, as the Boundless hurtles across the country. Together with Maren, a gifted escape artist, and Mr. Dorian, a circus ringmaster with amazing abilities, Will must save the Boundless before someone else winds up dead.

As assistant buyer for the world's second-largest Christmas store, Kelsey Parker feels like a holiday harlot. She's contractually obligated to promote the yuletide season. All. Year. Long. And it's taking a toll on her spirit. But when her clueless, self-absorbed boyfriend goes on their long-anticipated romantic vacation - without her! - Kelsey is beyond disappointed to find herself tromping through the Bell Harbor snow instead of lounging on a tropical beach.

On the young world of Dezrel, brother gods Karak and Ashhur, fleeing their own failed world, recreate mankind in an attempt to make amends. The fledgling race of humanity is guided by the First Families, men and women who will not age so long as their hearts remain devoted to their deities. But quickly the realms are thrown into chaos by the construction of the Temple of the Flesh, built by exiled children of Karak in the unclaimed land of Haven that lies between the two kingdoms.

Egil and Nix feature in the sword and sorcery novels, The Hammer and the Blade, A Discourse in Steel, and A Conversation in Blood. Their stories are pacy, filled with action and wit. They are a cross of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, spiced with a bit of Conan and Indiana Jones.

Matt Gratton and his two best friends, Sean and Coop, always set themselves a summer-time goal. This year’s? To see a real-live naked girl for the first time. As far as Matt is concerned, they’d have better luck finding the lost city of Atlantis. But seeing a girl in the buff starts to seem like child’s play compared to the other summertime goal Matt sets for himself: to swim the 100-yard butterfly (the hardest stroke known to God or man) in order to impress Kelly West, the hot new girl. So what if he can’t manage a single lap, let alone four?

The Amazing Arden is the most famous female illusionist of her day, renowned for her notorious trick of sawing a man in half on stage. One night in Waterloo, Iowa, with young policeman Virgil Holt watching from the audience, she swaps her trademark saw for a fire ax. Is it a new version of the illusion, or an all-too-real murder? When Arden's husband is found lifeless beneath the stage later that night, the answer seems clear.

Brothers and gods, Karak and Ashhur created Dezrel to be a paradise of ageless humans. But mortal hubris aroused one god’s wrath, and forced the other to shield the young world’s rebellious denizens from his brother’s murderous retribution. Now, the bloody war between mortal nations and their immortal overlords has reached its tipping point. The city of Mordeina, under siege by the brutal Karak and his armies, fights valiantly against impossible odds. Bardiya - Ashhur’s loyal servant - and his people face a shackled death march across the desert.

In this second volume of the sprawling dark fantasy epic The Breaking World, gods and armies are on the move as all of Dezrel prepares for war…and nothing short of total subjugation will suffice. In the east, Karak invades Paradise with an army 20,000 strong. Meanwhile, Ashhur travels west along the Gods’ Road, gathering as many of his people as he can against the coming onslaught. In Mordeina, the Wardens raise a massive wall around their settlement with the assistance of spellcasters from the north. And in Dezerea, the Quellan elves move secretly to join the fray.