Life is tough in Nordturm... ...but it's hell when you're a street kid. Fedor works as a shoeshine boy, earning scraps to survive. When a gang of thieves takes him under their wing, Fedor sees a side of life he never knew existed. But as Fedor is dragged deeper into the gang, he must take a path he doesn't want, or risk becoming 'fair game'. Birth of Assassins is the prequel novel to Jon Cronshaw's series Dawn of Assassins, a coming-of-age high fantasy featuring assassins, thieves, and magic... Perfect for fans of Scott Lynch, Robin Hobb, and Brent Weekes. Get your copy now.

King Vaxon is sadistic and cruel. After taking the crown of Castre for himself, he's finally squelched the rebellion of Magi who fought against him. The remaining ones will be thrown in an arena to fight to the death. Vaxon knows it's unlikely they will fight each other at first. For this reason, he's sending his own son, Kyren, into the arena with them. As a powerful Dark Mage, Kyren's job is to kill the Magi. If he doesn’t, then his own father will kill his wife and children. Kyren will do whatever it takes to keep his family alive. Even if that means he must die after slaughtering his own comrades. Is it possible to rebel in a fight you've already lost and still keep your families alive? Fans who love fast-paced action combined with fantasy and magic will love and enjoy this 40,000 word, action-packed, character-driven story.

Phil, a tired detective that has always relied on his partner to solve the cases while he did the busy work. Now he wants to step up and solve one for himself. The job that comes in is a simple one. Just find a man, but then when he finds the man in a back alley. Everything he thinks he knows about his world takes a turn to the bizarre. His partner, Allen, has to unravel the tangled knot that took Phil’s mind and left him locked in a cell talking about a man of flies.

You're just an average Athenian in Classical Greece, minding your own business, killing a bunch of Spartans in a war. How dare those Spartans capture and imprison you! Now you've got a big problem. No, it's not prison food, though stale bread and water does get a tad predictable. Your captors are throwing you into a deadly maze with a hideous creature called THE MAN-OTAUR. It has the horns of a bull, the persecution complex of a man, and it's coming to whine at you about how you're not very easy to kill! If you manage to escape the maze, you'll have your freedom, but be warned! There are dangerous traps around every corner, and the Man-otaur is chomping at the bit to kick your butt... This is an interactive gamebook. You're the hero of this short story! The choices you make determine your fate. Books that don't have multiple endings and story paths to explore are for suckers . Escape the Maze of the Man-otaur was adapted from the Adventure Snack newsletter of interactive fiction, one of the most popular fiction newsletters on Substack.

The mountain dwarves of Balgavarr Reaches hold territory the neighboring Uruzak kingdom wants. When a presumptuous lava elf from Uruzak forms an alliance with the goblins of the Big Wet, a new and terrifying force grants the dwarves' enemy the key to an ancient evil: a plan to resurrect the elder dragon who once plagued the mountains and nearly drove the dwarves from their home once before.

Enchanted Bonds is the prequel novella in the High Council Witch Chronicles. When the new admission season begins, Ferris Bean discovers becoming a sorceress in the High Council Witches coven is not as simple as it seems. Violent windstorms, heartless kidnappers, involuntary strip-teases and a handsome neighbor with a mysterious family history all swirl into her life with the rising of the new moon. But who is the guy next door? She’s lived next to Ethan Grady her whole life, but he’s still a mystery. Dramatic visions, break-outs from prisons, and midnight encounters. Is he just another local boy, or is there potential for something more? As the paranormal bonding season expires, Ferris must quickly decide who’s her friend and who’s her foe before she’s stripped of more than just her clothes and her chance to become a powerful witch is stolen forever.

This origin-story novella can be enjoyed at any time during your reading experience. You do not have to have read "Resistor" in order to fully enjoy "Paradigm Flux"! This is an Advanced Reader Copy of "Paradigm Flux". Formatting is subject to change in the final version, available for purchase on Amazon. Nobody appreciates Cosmin von Brandt’s genius in magitech weapon designs. As a low-level employee at the Magitech Development and Caster Regulation Bureau, and the only surviving son of a disgraced politician still living at home with his parents, Cosmin is determined to make a name for himself. Soon, everyone will understand that he is a luxury few can afford. At least, until he makes one catastrophic mistake too many . . . After being kicked out by his exes, no one is left to help him get back on his feet. With nowhere left to go, Cosmin winds up on the lower levels of Euria, in a sordid casino with nothing but the suit on his back. On the verge of ruination, he falls into the crosshairs of a shrewd market analyst, and the man she works for—the most powerful businessman you’ve never heard of, a man who could use someone like the young Cosmin von Brandt. At first, Cosmin is willing to give, and do, whatever is necessary to get back into the good graces of those looming above him. But as he spirals deeper into the underground world of Euria, where the limits of his magic are pushed, and his magitech designs are put to the ultimate test, Cosmin begins to realize the ugly truth behind those he admires the most. Questions rise, and Cosmin begins to wonder exactly what it is he wants, what he desires. The answers Cosmin unearths will rock Euria to its foundation. In this standalone Eerden novella, meet the notorious Cosmin von Brandt before he becomes a household name in “Resistor”!

This short story is a day in the life of a sleuth, when the day happens to be April Fool's day, and the sleuth works in a middle school. It introduces some of the characters from the Ms. O Mystery series, but can be read in any order, or as a stand-alone story. Siobhan O'Hurlihy is just trying to get through her day. The problem is, she's dean of students at a middle school, and she has a mystery to solve. Is it just an April Fool's prank, or is there something more? And what is the deal with this raven? Does he seem like he wants to be friends? He sure has a nasty vocabulary. Siobhan has always been a little magical; she can see auras and detect lies. The downside is that she has terrible luck with electronics. Her Auntie Louise thinks it has to do with her chi. A priceless...phone...is missing, and Siobhan uses all her skills to solve the mystery.

My name is Helena Basque. I’m sixteen years old. As a child, I was attacked by a savage wolf that killed my Grand’Mere and left me with triple scars across my face. That wolf belonged to the Lycanthru, a secret cult of men who transform into wolves to attack the innocent here in La Rue Sauvage. No one will stand up to them, so I now hunt the wolves myself with weapons that destroy them, wearing my red hood and cloak that the wolves have come to fear. Except for one, a new Lycanthru named Grenault. Bigger, stronger, more cunning than the other wolves, and not the least bit afraid of me. I need to stop him fast, before he takes over the Lycanthru to kill me and everyone I love. But he’s too smart and too strong, He sees me for the little girl I am, scared and defenseless without my special weapons. And I have no idea how to stop him. Get ready to battle the beast. WHAT READERS ARE SAYING (from previous editions) “Get ready to see the classic tale reimagined as you’ve never seen it before. … transforming a children’s fairy tale into a supernatural action thriller with a Zorro-style vigilante.” A.K. Preston, author of The Gevaudan Project “A thrilling paranormal Red Riding Hood. … a well-written retelling with a twist and a much stronger Red. … would recommend it to anyone who likes paranormal thrillers or re-imagined fairy tales." C.S. Wachter, author of The Sorcerer’s Bane “Action filled novel. Journey of a teenage girl. A story of love, courage, friendship and more. The author has got it all in this book.” Jay Deb, author of The Assassin “I got sucked in from the beginning. … I was up all night reading, imagining and feeling for this poor girl … heartbreak and twists and adventure all rolled into one. … This is a book to let a young woman read to teach about inner strength and what one young girl can do against so many odds. That one action can accomplish so much. This book gets my absolute seal of approval. I could even picture this story on the big screen! Angi Burns ~Rabid Readers Book Blog “[Randall]’s unauthorized sequel to Little Red Riding Hood blends great characters with a compelling storyline and places it in the middle of a legendary premise`… a well-told story about seeking justice rather than revenge and finding a way to properly overcome evil.” Josh Olds, Life is Story “There are stories with great writing styles. Those that have amazing plots. Those that sustain your attention with every word. Ones that exceed your expectations of great lines, with a satisfying ending. Mr. [Randall] accomplished all of these aspects. I can only hope that the right person will come across The Red Rider and turn it into a movie that is sure to be a box-office hit.” Kym McNabney, Story Contributor, Childhood Regained: Stories of Hope for Asian Child Workers by Jodie Renner and Steve Hooley “Full of thrilling discoveries and heart-pounding adventure! Helena “Red” is as complex, driven, and bold as Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games). You will be cheering for her from the start!” “This book was fantastic!!!!!!! Once I started reading I couldn't put it down. A fantastic twist on the original Red Riding Hood. Helena is my hero.” "This Red Riding Hood has far more in common with Van Helsing than the children's fairy tale and the heroine's aim puts Katniss to shame. Although taking place in 18th century France, this reminded me a bit of Buffy as well. This story is action-filled and fast-paced with interesting character interaction. Given the subject matter it does get a bit violent and at times veers into horror, but does not get overly graphic. A light romantic theme but clean, no shifter romance." "Best reworking of Red Riding Hood ever! Should be required reading for girls everywhere! ... Helena is a superhero, mistake-making, scared, and fighting on through. We need more female heroes like Helena."

Blue May used to be a state-recognized mathematical genius. Until she ruined it all—so the Media insists. Quitting the uptight rigidity that had been her life—the life in which her parents orchestrated every single motion she made, had been the second-best decision she'd ever made. Falling in love with Kent Westerwood was the best and she loved every moment. Until her world came crashing when he mysteriously vanished, and her only hint to finding out what happened to him was his last live stream on an online gaming platform testing website. Along with the help of some close friends, she starts a tricky adventure that changes reality as she knew it and soon learns that playing with time is like walking on the sharp edge of a blade.

When Origon Cyrysi receives word of the genocide on the homeworld of the Pixies, he decides he must help them, even if he also has to disobey the Council of the Maji. But there may be a good reason the Council stays out of homeworld politics. Origon may have stepped into more than he can handle.

Mistress Quicksilver, a refined antique dealer, is about to put up for sale a most unusual collection. One of the items attracts many diverse and nasty individuals. She has to protect her merchandise, while managing the marital problems of her friend and the blunders of her teenage son. Fortunately, Quicksilver has more than one trick up her sleeve...

He captures me and gives me a choice to be with him or perish. The demon king arrests me while I witness my kingdom’s ruin before my eyes. When I am with him, this strange power arises inside me. He locks me up, tries to control me, and tries to force me to be his. *A Fallen Kingdom is a short story in this spicy dark fantasy romance. If you like enemies-to-lovers, fated mates, and hot, tough, and sassy heroines, you’ll enjoy this.

Please enjoy the prequel to the Kalendra Chronicles. The series of 4 books is complete. Enjoy, and thank you for reading my books. What if you lived in a world where what you believe, you receive? Kris Campbell, genius extraordinaire and self-proclaimed master of indecision, is about to find out. He leads a demanding life in LA until, one night a summons sneaks in through his dream and sends him on the ride of his life. Kris arrives in the magical world of Kalendra convinced he’s gone insane. Conquering fear and doubt are key to acquiring magic. Kris is unprepared. King Oken and his Vizier discovered the ancestors magical energy placed deep in the planet 10,000 years ago and began using it for their own selfish purposes. Now Kalendra’s future hangs in the balance. Only Kris can save them. But only if he discovers his own magical powers in time. Can he restore the magical balance in this world before it’s too late? Or will his indecisive nature fail them all?

To say that Authand yearned for adventure would be a lie. Life on his father's farm was hard - always too much to do and never quite enough to eate - but it was his and that suited him just fine. But sometimes life doesn't give us what we want. While hunting, Authand finds something unthinkable, a lone dragon egg. Imprinting on a dragon hatchling means his life will be anything but ordinary. Especially when his father, the gentlest man he'd ever known, reacts violently. Armed with nothing more than his wits - and a dragon - Authand must find his way to the famed Dragoneers for a place to call home in a world that has little love for a Black man or a feral dragon

Out of work and trapped in a dead-end coastal town. This is not what Amber had in mind when she left her island home to explore a continent drenched in magic and once inhabited by dragons. She’s this close to working at Stunning Spells , a magical sweatshop that churns out generic spells. But then a group of the strongest mages she’s ever seen comes to town. Accidentally caught up in their mission, Amber’s given the chance of a lifetime—and a place at Heartwood Academy, a school for gifted mages. Does she have what it takes to make a home for herself at Heartwood? This anime-inspired YA fantasy is an ongoing web serial. Sun and Strands is a collection of the first three completed arcs and a short story introducing Heartwood’s Librarian.

A lost princess. A mermaid looking to prove herself. A dragon with peculiar tastes. The start of an adventure. Crown Princess Moira of the air country of Aurora is known as the unwilling princess, the one who doesn’t want to rule. A chaotic dinner with foreign dignitaries turns into a furious fight with her mother, and the night ends in catastrophe. When Moira loses her wings and nearly drowns in the stormy ocean, a woman who should be her enemy rescues her. Water woman Nerida has never been to the surface and isn’t looking for adventure—but she is trying to prove to herself that she’s more than the people around her believe. Add in a lonely dragon, and Moira has some strange traveling companions to help her as she searches for a way to get her wings back and return in time to claim her place in the world she thought she wanted to escape. Will she succeed? Or will she get not only herself, but her new friends, killed? Do you love a clean fantasy with mermaids, magic, dragons, and adventure? Then this book is for you. Here are the first five chapters of the book, to see if it's to your liking.

Enchanted Bonds is the prequel novella in the High Council Witch Chronicles. When the new admission season begins, Ferris Bean discovers becoming a sorceress in the High Council Witches coven is not as simple as it seems. Violent windstorms, heartless kidnappers, involuntary strip-teases and a handsome neighbor with a mysterious family history all swirl into her life with the rising of the new moon. But who is the guy next door? She’s lived next to Ethan Grady her whole life, but he’s still a mystery. Dramatic visions, break-outs from prisons, and midnight encounters. Is he just another local boy, or is there potential for something more? As the paranormal bonding season expires, Ferris must quickly decide who’s her friend and who’s her foe before she’s stripped of more than just her clothes and her chance to become a powerful witch is stolen forever.

Chosen for advanced training by the god of war himself, Vardak is considered a paragon amongst his people, the Scorpion Men. Yet his position and training come with a cost: He must serve the whims of the god, with no questions asked. Only days after his training is complete, he is sent far away from his desert homeland in order to act as the protector of the Fire Maiden’s mortal daughter, Janna. Janna has been tasked with the recovery of a magical relic known as The Moon’s Eye, but she has little worldly experience to guide her. The Immortals deem the relic’s recovery imperative, for it alone can combat the rise of the Soulless—those sworn to the fallen, nameless god of death. The Soulless are ruthless and powerful, and eager to wage war upon the land in order to appease the god they serve. Though Vardak is skilled in battle, he must lead Janna through several perilous areas in order to reach the relic she seeks, pushing his abilities to the limit. Unbeknownst to the pair, the Soulless raise an army and begin their conquest, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Will they secure The Moon’s Eye before all is lost, or will the relic itself prove to be their undoing?

Cleo is the best leprechaun thief around. But when she steals a lucky boy from one of the baddest luck traders in Detroit’s peri underground, she knows she’s in for trouble. Sure enough, the one tasked with tracking them down is her ex-boyfriend Varsmith, a goblin as ruthless as he is hot. And he’s pretty damn hot. The stolen boy is so full of charm, he must belong to one of the luck gods. There are four clans of them: the Valentines, Diamantes, Blackovers and Morbus—Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs and Spades. If Cleo can keep ahead of Varsmith and find the kid’s rightful parents, the payday will be huge. The question is, can she survive long enough to collect? REVIEWS “The Thief and the Lucky Boy” is everything you could want in a novella: fantasy, mystery, tension and maybe even unexpected love. If I could jump into this fantasy world with a Leprechaun Key, I would. Rylee Jones, Booktok Review I absolutely LOVED this short novella! Kept my interest, I couldn't put it down. It's really all I thought of doing when I was at work was reading this story!! …one of my top 5 favorite authors! Without a doubt a 10/10 read! Kēla Eckenrode I really enjoyed this little novella. I read it after reading Girl of Hearts but I think it could be easily read beforehand. I love Cleo’s character. She had such a fun personality, full of sass and a big heart she tries but fails to ignore. The little boy in this story is so great too. Very realistic to how I feel children of his age would act and the love he develops for Cleo is so precious. I don’t want to give away the ending but it was definitely perfect. I cannot wait to see if we get more glimpses of this duo in the books to come. Amanda Arnold

The Griffin Vales is the most magical place in Magia. Neema, a farm girl from the Griffin Vales, used to believe that up until her uncle mysteriously dies. His dying wish? For her to seek out Maji, a rude yet powerful mage in a neighboring village. Once she steps into the magic wielder’s magic shop, the world as she once knew it changes. She not only learns of the evil who murdered her beloved uncle but of a destiny that The Griffins, the protectors of the Vales, took great pains to hide from her. Neither the secret nor the evil that searches for her can be contained. And Neema, who is in the center of it all, must accept her fate and defeat the evil force invading her lands before it destroys it all.

This is the advanced readers copy. Read, enjoy and if possible review it, but try not to spoil it, at least until it comes out in August. Quinn knew books had power. The power to help a scared and angry kid escape from the world where his father died and his mother worked overtime to avoid losing their house. The power to help you forget about bullies and imagine worlds where the smart kid became a wizard rather that getting beat up. And power to make you a better person and to create lifelong friendships. Quinn didn’t know that friend and mentor, Nate, was focused on their ability to teach. But over the years he had carefully chosen books to teach Quinn about magic without ever revealing its existence because Nate held the gates shut to protect the world. Protection that ended the day that Nate died. With the knowledge of the mystical world learned from hundreds of classic books and a handful of handwritten notebooks connecting the dots and explaining what parts were real, Quinn adapted to the new magical world far faster than most. And as his knowledge and power grew, he learned to protect himself and eventually saved the entire population of New York City. That knowledge also led him to a library of hundreds of spellbooks filled with the magical knowledge of one of the most talented wizards of all time. But Quinn isn’t the only one who understands the power of books. In the growing struggle for power and survival as the world relearns that magic is real, everyone wants them. That includes the Bureau of Magical Affairs, Nate’s old wizarding order, and an old acquaintance of Nate’s who was trapped in Wonderland for five-hundred years.

This is 1 of 3 books in the completed Magian Series. Pulled into a supernatural realm, Ithia is changed forever by Tyrsten, a mysterious initiate of a mystical order. To survive, she must control her newly revealed psychic powers and challenge a tyrant to save this new world. But can Ithia handle the dark revelations uncovered from her hidden past? Click here to join Jen's ARC TEAM or visit JenValena.com Please leave a review on Amazon! You can also leave a review on Goodreads and BookBub. Thank you for reading!

A Fantasy story about a game of high-stakes magic and intrigue between powerful mages. Dmitri Markatov watches helplessly as his sister Tasya transforms into a crystalline statue from an overdose of a magical drug. Having failed to save his beloved sibling from herself, Dmitri vows to rid the world of Diamond Elixir and avenge Tasya’s death. Giving up galivanting through Varnyr’s cotillion circuit, the kingdom’s most eligible noble bachelor trades in his coattails for the military uniform of the Battlemage Corps seeking justice. After his parents are arrested and falsely accused of Crimes Against Magic, Dmitri becomes embroiled in a complex political game between the world’s most powerful mages. The lives of his entire family may be forfeit if the young Battlemage fails to unravel the intricate skein in time. Please enjoy this Sphere Saga Novella which takes place during the events of the Epic Fantasy novel, Dawn of the Sphere, Book Two of the Sphere Saga.

Medical student Isaac is struggling to find his purpose when an encounter with a patient leaves him shaken. Issac seeks a different internship and is drafted into a profession he can neither believe nor explain. In a world dominated by men, angels, and demons, the ancient order of Necromancy maintains the thin layer separating heaven from hell. In this edition, the first steps unfold in Isaac's journey down this dark path. Necromantia: Necromancer's Apprentice vol.1 of 6

A devastated king and queen must end the search for their lost child. From his turreted castle on a high hill, the king copes by playing his lament for the whole village to hear. People come from far and wide to witness his emotional performances on the pianoforte. Though the sound is profound for everyone, it’s magical for one young pauper. Jorge doesn’t just hear it, he sees the crochet, clefts, and minions as they fall from the sky. As he grows, so does the lure of the mystical music, which buries itself deep in his soul. Unable to resist any longer, Jorge and his betrothed make a trip to the palace to watch the king play. What he discovers there will change his life forever.

This is a prologue to Vampire Wars: Adopted Daughter It's like Anne Rice meets Anita Blake in Underworld...with ghosts. Inside Vampire Wars you'll find: Blood, vampires, political intrigue, action, Blood, shifters, long building love story, wraiths, more Blood, betrayal, loss, beauty, even more Blood, gore, dismemberment, hope, awesome heroine, sex, and quite a bit more Blood. My name is Evilyn Strogovanna. I am a vampire. I am an Ender. I have spent my entire unlife fighting the eternal war between vampires, shifters, and wraiths. A stalemate that would never end. As an Ender, my purpose was to hunt and kill shifters and wraiths, wherever I would find them. But then one day I found her. A little girl, barely nine years old. She had the bloodlines of both shifter and wraith in her. An abomination. It was my duty to destroy her, without another thought. Only I bit her first, and she bit me. And that, unfortunately, changed everything. Now we are both abominations. The first of our kind. The blood of vampires, shifters, and wraiths flows through our veins. We are hunted. We are hunters. We are the new world. Fear us.

Coming Soon: Ziegfeld Zaggar, Quantum Detective & The Dirty Rotten Alien Invasion! Sample 10,000 words of quantum goodness! Now ON SALE for only $1.99 during May on Amazon or Free to Read on KU — Click Here! Also, please note that there is a free short story prequel with all the calories of a novel available in the promo! Ziegfeld Zaggar, Quantum Detective & the Dirty Rotten Shroud of the Basternicks. ( And now, #2 in the series, Ziegfeld Zaggar, Quantum Detective & the Dirty Rotten Alien Invasion , ( So, without any more ado... Here's a description of The Sarcastic Multiverse! Man plans, the Multiverse laughs! "Not only is this case stranger than we imagine, it's stranger than we can imagine." "Fun, fun, fun! Like the illegitimate love child of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett! "More fantasy than science-fiction, let's say, more Infinite Improbability Drive, than Warp Drive . But it's like that book about anti-gravity. You can't put it down." ———- No other detective is quite like Dr. Ziegfeld Zaggar, Quantum Detective — and that's probably for the best. Zaggar and his reluctant, obsessively linear-thinking sidekick, Jack Robbins, investigate the murder of tech genius, Roger Mason, a death they realize may lead to far more inconvenient consequences— the accelerated entropy of the Multiverse that will end in.... well the end of everything . Starting on a NYC subway train, the duo will end up traveling to some very strange places indeed. Along the way, they'll hook up with the ravishing (how could she not be?) agent from the CIA's Quantum Division, Irene Adler (who else did you expect?), interrogate a variety of unusual suspects (to say the least!), track down the elusive Mr. Anansi at the even more elusive Magic Theater — where Zaggar is a persona non grata, due to past infractions — and navigate through strange and perilous parallel universes, where it seems like something of immense power is obstructing their progress. For the Multiverse is a dirty rotten, sarcastic trickster, and that has made a certain someone a little bit crazy — and very, very angry... Note: No detectives, agents, physicists, snarks or boojums were actually harmed in the writing of this book. Jack Robbins, however, was not only embarrassed, harassed and traumatized, but he'll never be able to look at fortune cookies, his suitcase, or certain snack foods the same way again. Oh, and he may have died a little. Irene broke a nail and seems to have attained enlightenment. The Mulitverse laughed. With apologies to Douglas Adams, Dr. Who, Arthur Conan Doyle, Lewis Carroll, Hermann Hesse, Albert Einstein, Werner Heisenberg, Brian Greene, Michael Talbot, various Amazon shamans, Nootropic developers, and a host of others, not necessarily in that order. About the author: Greg Montego is a so-called "consciousness engineer" who circles the globe like an orbiting electron, so you can never know who he is and where he is at the same time. But people say he has been observed in Cern, Switzerland, New York City and surfing the big waves of Hawaii simultaneously. So what's up with that? He holds advanced degrees in Lucid Looking and Paradox Peeking from the Institute of 20/20 Hindsight, but for some inexplicable reason has never been asked to speak at, or even attend, a TED Talk, a CHARLIE CHAT or even a GARY Gab.

Free to a good home! By popular demand! A short-story prequel to Ziegfeld Zaggar, Quantum Detective & the Dirty Rotten, Sarcastic Multiverse, which is now on sale for only $1.99 (usually $3.99) on Amazon! And Now... The next Adventure is ready for pre-order at only $.99, Ziegfeld Zaggar, Quantum Detective & the Dirty Rotten Alien Invasion! No one else is quite like Dr. Ziegfeld Zaggar, Quantum Detective — and that's probably for the best. In this hilarious prequel, Zaggar and his reluctant, obsessively linear-thinking sidekick, Jack Robbins, must investigate peculiar events at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that have left a certain police detective brain dead from some kind of ancient Assyrian laugh virus. But it soon becomes apparent that the problems at the Museum are much more complex than they could have possibly suspected... (* Several previous cases are referenced in The Dirty Rotten, Sarcastic Multiverse , including: T he Shroud of the Basternicks, The Giant Brat of Sumatra, A Stud in Scarlett, The Sutton Vampire, The Adventure of the Creepy Man, The Musgrave Fiasco, and The Fiasco of the D’ubervilles , amongst others. So, we'll be digging through Jack Robbin's files to bring more of these ridiculous adventures to the reading public.)

Chosen for advanced training by the god of war himself, Vardak is considered a paragon amongst his people, the Scorpion Men. Yet his position and training come with a cost: He must serve the whims of the god, with no questions asked. Only days after his training is complete, he is sent far away from his desert homeland in order to act as the protector of the Fire Maiden’s mortal daughter, Janna. Janna has been tasked with the recovery of a magical relic known as The Moon’s Eye, but she has little worldly experience to guide her. The Immortals deem the relic’s recovery imperative, for it alone can combat the rise of the Soulless—those sworn to the fallen, nameless god of death. The Soulless are ruthless and powerful, and eager to wage war upon the land in order to appease the god they serve. Though Vardak is skilled in battle, he must lead Janna through several perilous areas in order to reach the relic she seeks, pushing his abilities to the limit. Unbeknownst to the pair, the Soulless raise an army and begin their conquest, leaving a path of destruction in their wake. Will they secure The Moon’s Eye before all is lost, or will the relic itself prove to be their undoing?