Christopher Buehlman

The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that plague is only part of a larger cataclysm—that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on heaven, and that the world of men has fallen behind the lines of conflict. Is it delirium or is it faith? She believes she has seen the angels of God. She believes the righteous dead speak to her in dreams. And now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across a depraved landscape to Avignon. There, she tells Thomas, she will fulfill her mission to confront the evil that has devastated the earth, and to restore to this betrayed, murderous knight the nobility and hope of salvation he long abandoned. As hell unleashes its wrath, and as the true nature of the girl is revealed, Thomas will find himself on a macabre battleground of angels and demons, saints, and the risen dead, and in the midst of a desperate struggle for nothing less than the soul of man.

Der geheimnisvollste Fantasyheld seit Patrick Rothfuss' Kvothe In einer Welt voller Koboldkriege, hirschgroßer Kampfraben und Meuchelmördern, die mit gefährlichen Tätowierungen töten, beginnt Christopher Buehlmans »Der schwarzzüngige Dieb«. Ein schillerndes Fantasy-Abenteuer, wie es kein zweites gibt. Kinsch Na Shannack schuldet der Diebesgilde ein kleines Vermögen für seine Ausbildung, die unter anderem das Knacken von Schlössern, den Kampf mit Messern, das Erklettern von Mauern, das Weben von Lügen, das Fallenstellen sowie ein paar kleinere Zaubereien umfasst. Seiner Schulden wegen liegt er an der alten Waldstraße auf der Lauer, um den nächsten Reisenden, der seinen Weg kreuzt, auszurauben. Doch an diesem Tag hat Kinsch sich das falsche Ziel ausgesucht. Galva ist Ritterin, eine Überlebende der brutalen Koboldkriege, und Dienerin der Todesgöttin. Sie ist auf der Suche nach ihrer Königin, die vermisst wird, seit eine weit entfernte Stadt im Norden von Riesen erobert wurde. Kinsch hat Glück, mit dem Leben davongekommen zu sein. Er findet sein Schicksal mit dem von Galva verwoben. Gemeinsame Feinde und ungewöhnliche Gefahren zwingen den Dieb und die Ritterin auf eine epische Reise, auf der Kobolde nach Menschenfleisch hungern, Kraken in dunklen Gewässern jagen, und Ehre ein Luxus ist, den sich nur wenige leisten können. »Ein schnelles Buch, launig und voll verrückter Magie« Brent Weeks »Ein großes Vergnügen von der ersten bis zur letzten Zeile« Anthony Ryan »Diesem Buch ist es vorherbestimmt mit seinem Charme, seinem Humor und seiner Wucht die Herzen unzähliger Leser zu rauben.« Novel Notions

I rzekł Lucyfer: „Powstańmy wszyscy przeciwko Niemu i zburzmy mury niebios..." Jest rok 1348. Thomas, okryty niesławą rycerz, znajduje w wymarłej normandzkiej wiosce młodą dziewczynę, sierotę, której rodzinę zabrała Czarna Śmierć, irytujące wcielenie niewinności. To od niej dowiaduje się, że zaraza stanowi zaledwie jeden z aspektów znacznie większego kataklizmu – upadłe anioły pod wodzą Lucyfera wypowiedziały właśnie drugą wojnę mieszkańcom Nieba, a areną tego konfliktu stał się świat ludzi. Czy za opowieścią dziewczyny stoi obłęd czy może głęboka wiara? Ona sama jest pewna, że odwiedzają ją anioły. Wierzy, że w snach przemawiają do niej zmarli. A teraz przekonała niewiernego Tomasza, by przeprowadził ją przez wyniszczony i zdeprawowany kraj aż do Awinionu. Tam ponoć wiedzie dziewczynę misja. Tam ma zmierzyć się z rujnującym świat złem i przywrócić zdradzonemu rycerzowi utraconą szlachetność i nadzieję na zbawienie. Gdy siły zła rozpętają piekło na ziemi i ujawni się prawdziwa natura dziewczyny, Thomas będzie musiał stanąć do walki na makabrycznym polu bitwy na którym ścierają się siły aniołów, demonów, świętych i wskrzeszonych zmarłych, a stawką tej wojny okaże się skarb najważniejszy – ludzka dusza.

Kinch Na Shannack le debe una pequeña fortuna al Gremio de los Ladrones, que lo educó en las artes del latrocinio; educación que, entre otras cosas, incluye violar cerraduras, luchar con cuchillos, escalar paredes, caer sin hacerse daño, urdir mentiras, tender trampas y un puñado de conjuros bastante discretos. Su deuda lo ha llevado a esconderse en el bosque junto a la antigua carretera, acechando y listo para asaltar al primer incauto que se cruce en su camino. Hoy, sin embargo, Kinch Na Shannack ha elegido a la víctima equivocada. Galva, una caballera superviviente de las encarnizadas guerras contra los goblins y leal seguidora de la diosa de la muerte, está buscando a su reina, desaparecida desde que una lejana ciudad del norte sucumbiera a los ataques de los gigantes. Una vez frustrado su intento de robo y afortunado por haber escapado con vida, Kinch descubre que su destino está ligado al de Galva. Sus enemigos en común y una hueste de amenazas bastante insólitas que los dos enfrentan, empujan al ladrón y a la caballera a embarcarse en un periplo de épicas dimensiones. Deberán luchar contra goblins hambrientos de carne humana y krakens al acecho en las siniestras profundidades. En este mundo, como comprobarán en el transcurso de sus aventuras, el honor es un lujo que no está al alcance de todos.

Corre el año 1348.Thomas, un caballero caído en desgracia, se encuentra con una niña desamparada en una aldea normanda reducida a cenizas. La pequeña, huérfana de la muerte negra y viva imagen de la inocencia, haciendo gala de un candor tan extremo que resulta inquietante, le explica a Thomas que la peste no es sino una pequeña parte de un cataclismo aún mayor, pues, con Lucifer al frente, los ángeles desterrados planean lanzar una segunda ofensiva contra el paraíso y, si nadie logra evitarlo, el mundo de los hombres se verá atrapado entre los límites de ese sanguinario conflicto.¿Fe o delirio? La niña dice haber recibido la visita de emisarios divinos, afirma que los muertos le hablan en sueños y consigue convencer al descreído de Thomas para que la acompañe por un paisaje depravado hasta Aviñón, donde, según ella, ha de cumplir su enfrentarse al mal que arrasa la tierra y devolverle a un caballero traicionado y asesino la nobleza y la esperanza de salvación a las que él ya había renunciado hacía tiempo.Mientras el infierno desencadena su ira y la auténtica naturaleza de la pequeña sale a la luz, Thomas se encuentra en un macabro campo de batalla rodeado de ángeles y demonios, santos y muertos vivientes, inmerso en el seno de una lucha desesperada en la que lo que está en juego no es sino la mismísima alma de la humanidad.

In un mondo dove la morte è costantemente dietro l’angolo, l’onore è un lusso che pochi possono permettersi.Kinch Na Shannack è debitore di una considerevole somma verso la Gilda dei Prenditori, che gli ha impartito un’impeccabile istruzione per diventare ladro, insegnandogli, tra le altre cose, a scassinare serrature, scalare muri, usare il coltello, raccontare bugie, piazzare trappole, nonché qualche piccolo incantesimo. Decide quindi di nascondersi nel folto della foresta per mettere in pratica quello che ha imparato contro il primo malcapitato che si troverà a passare di lì. Purtroppo per lui, però, si trova davanti Galva, ancella della dea della morte e abile guerriera, sopravvissuta alle feroci guerre contro i goblin; sta viaggiando in cerca della sua regina, scomparsa dopo che la città del nord in cui si trovava è caduta in mano ai giganti. È così che Kinch, a cui Galva risparmia la vita, viene costretto dalla Gilda a seguire la ragazza in un viaggio che unirà per sempre i loro destini. I due si troveranno coinvolti in un’epica avventura segnata da inaspettati pericoli e doppi giochi da svelare, in un paese devastato dalle guerre, dove i goblin sono affamati di carne umana e mostri leggendari si rifugiano nelle profondità del mare.Con grande ironia e spregiudicatezza, Kinch trascina il lettore in un’avventura ricca di azione e colpi di scena, tra strane creature assetate di sangue, tatuaggi magici e segreti che possono rivelarsi fatali.«I lettori di grandi scrittori fantasy, come Tolkien o Brandon Sanderson, ameranno questo viaggio, che è divertente, magico o terrificante a seconda dei momenti. Un libro travolgente». «Library Journal» «Stupefacente. Lo consiglio di cuore».Robin Hobb «Il ladro linguanera è un eccezionale esempio di scrittura e worldbuilding, con personaggi meravigliosi e un protagonista che vi cattureranno immediatamente. I fan di Gli inganni di Locke Lamora ameranno questo libro». Django Wexler

Premio a la Mejor Novela de Terror del año 2015 de la American Library Association Nueva York, 1978. La gran manzana se ha convertido en un lugar demasiado sucio y peligroso para vivir… y morir. Joey Peacock lo sabe mejor que nadie, pues ha dedicado los cuarenta años de su vida como vampiro adolescente a perfeccionar la rutina de la que disfruta: ligar en clubes y discotecas de moda, cazar de noche y dormir durante el día con otros congéneres en el peligroso laberinto que se extiende en el subsuelo de la ciudad. La red de metro es su hogar y el medio con el que recorre Manhattan para desangrar a los incautos en Central Park, en los asientos traseros de los taxis e incluso en sus propios apartamentos, cuando la televisión los tiene tan idiotizados que ni se dan cuenta de que están abriendo sus ventanas. A Joey la vida le resultaba casi demasiado fácil…, lo que no podía decirse de los neoyorquinos vivos. Hasta esa noche en que los descubrió cazando en su amado metro: dulces niños de ojos alegres, vampiros como él…, o quizá no exactamente como él. Sea cual sea su naturaleza, sea cual sea el significado de su aparición, los muertos vivientes de los túneles de Manhattan no volverán a conocer la seguridad. Y mucho menos los neoyorquinos vivos.

Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path. But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark. Galva is a knight, a survivor of the brutal goblin wars, and handmaiden of the goddess of death. She is searching for her queen, missing since a distant northern city fell to giants. Unsuccessful in his robbery and lucky to escape with his life, Kinch now finds his fate entangled with Galva's. Common enemies and uncommon dangers force thief and knight on an epic journey where goblins hunger for human flesh, krakens hunt in dark waters, and honor is a luxury few can afford.

Enter the fray in this luminous new adventure from Christopher Buehlman, set during the war-torn, goblin-infested years just before The Blacktongue Thief . The goblins have killed all of our horses and most of our men. They have enslaved our cities, burned our fields, and still they wage war. Now, our daughters take up arms. Galva ― Galvicha to her three brothers, two of whom the goblins will kill ― has defied her family’s wishes and joined the army’s untested new unit, the Raven Knights. They march toward a once-beautiful city overrun by the goblin horde, accompanied by scores of giant war corvids. Made with the darkest magics, these fearsome black birds may hold the key to stopping the goblins in their war to make cattle of mankind. The road to victory is bloody, and goblins are clever and merciless. The Raven Knights can take nothing for granted ― not the bonds of family, nor the wisdom of their leaders, nor their own safety against the dangerous war birds at their side. But some hopes are worth any risk.

The secret is, vampires are real and I am one. The secret is, I’m stealing from you what is most truly yours and I’m not sorry— New York City in 1978 is a dirty, dangerous place to live. And die. Joey Peacock knows this as well as anybody—he has spent the last forty years as an adolescent vampire, perfecting the routine he now enjoys: womanizing in punk clubs and discotheques, feeding by night, and sleeping by day with others of his kind in the macabre labyrinth under the city’s sidewalks. The subways are his playground and his highway, shuttling him throughout Manhattan to bleed the unsuspecting in the Sheep Meadow of Central Park or in the backseats of Checker cabs, or even those in their own apartments who are too hypnotized by sitcoms to notice him opening their windows. It’s almost too easy. Until one night he sees them hunting on his beloved subway. The children with the merry eyes. Vampires, like him…or not like him. Whatever they are, whatever their appearance means, the undead in the tunnels of Manhattan are not as safe as they once were. And neither are the rest of us.

Christopher Buehlman’s new novel—one of uncommon horrors hiding behind the walls of the house next door… “You think you got away with something, don’t you? But your time has run out. We know where you are. And we are coming.” The man on the screen says this in Russian. “Who are you?” The man smiles, but it’s not a pleasant smile. The image freezes. The celluloid burns exactly where his mouth is, burns in the nearly flat U of his smile. His eyes burn, too. The man fades, leaving the burning smiley face smoldering on the screen. “Oh Christ,” Andrew says. The television catches fire. Andrew Ranulf Blankenship is a handsome, stylish nonconformist with wry wit, a classic Mustang, and a massive library. He is also a recovering alcoholic and a practicing warlock, able to speak with the dead through film. His house is a maze of sorcerous booby traps and escape tunnels, as yours might be if you were sitting on a treasury of Russian magic stolen from the Soviet Union thirty years ago. Andrew has long known that magic was a brutal game requiring blood sacrifice and a willingness to confront death, but his many years of peace and comfort have left him soft, more concerned with maintaining false youth than with seeing to his own defense. Now a monster straight from the pages of Russian folklore is coming for him, and frost and death are coming with her.

“Rising horror star”* Christopher Buehlman, author of The Lesser Dead , returns with a chilling and thrilling tale of dark evil lurking on the lonely, open road...   Bram Stoker, quoting the ballad “Lenore,” said, “The dead travel fast.”   Those words have never rung more true...   Remember that car that passed you near midnight on Route 66, doing 105 with its lights off? You wondered where it was going so quickly on that dark, dusty stretch of road, motor roaring, the driver glancing out the window as he blew by.   Did his greedy eyes shine silver like a coyote’s? Did he make you feel like prey?   You can’t remember now.   You just saw the founder of the Suicide Motor Club. Be grateful his brake lights never flashed. Be grateful his car was already full.   They roam America, littering the highways with smashed cars and bled-out bodies, a gruesome reflection of the unsettled sixties. But to anyone unlucky enough to meet them in the lonely hours of the night, they’re just a blurry memory.   That is—to all but one...   Two years ago, they left a witness in the mangled wreck of her family car, her husband dead, her son taken. She remembers their awful faces, despite their tricks and glamours. And she’s coming for them—her thirst for vengeance even more powerful than their hunger for blood.   On the deserted highways of America, the hunters are about to become the hunted...

Failed academic Frank Nichols and his wife, Eudora, have arrived in the sleepy Georgia town of Whitbrow, where Frank hopes to write a history of his family's old estate-the Savoyard Plantation- and the horrors that occurred there. At first, the quaint, rural ways of their new neighbors seem to be everything they wanted. But there is an unspoken dread that the townsfolk have lived with for generations. A presence that demands sacrifice. It comes from the shadowy woods across the river, where the ruins of Savoyard still stand. Where a longstanding debt of blood has never been forgotten. A debt that has been waiting patiently for Frank Nichols's homecoming...

The year is 1348. Thomas, a disgraced knight, has found a young girl alone in a dead Norman village. An orphan of the Black Death, and an almost unnerving picture of innocence, she tells Thomas that plague is only part of a larger cataclysm—that the fallen angels under Lucifer are rising in a second war on heaven, and that the world of men has fallen behind the lines of conflict. Is it delirium or is it faith? She believes she has seen the angels of God. She believes the righteous dead speak to her in dreams. And now she has convinced the faithless Thomas to shepherd her across a depraved landscape to Avignon. There, she tells Thomas, she will fulfill her to confront the evil that has devastated the earth, and to restore to this betrayed, murderous knight the nobility and hope of salvation he long abandoned. As hell unleashes its wrath, and as the true nature of the girl is revealed, Thomas will find himself on a macabre battleground of angels and demons, saints, and the risen dead, and in the midst of a desperate struggle for nothing less than the soul of man.

Кінч завинив Гільдії Тих-Хто-Бере цілий статок — його злодійська освіта, що складалася з відмикання замків, боїв на ножах, лазіння по стінах, плетіння брехні, влаштування пасток, а також дрібки магічних прийомів, виявилася дуже недешевою. Щоб якось дістати гроші та повернути борг, Кінч вирушає на велику дорогу в надії пограбувати самотнього мандрівника. Але невдалий грабіжник обрав не ту жертву. Ґальва — войовниця, яка вижила у жорстоких Гоблінських війнах, служителька богині смерті. Відтоді як далеке північне місто захопили велети, вона шукає свою королеву. Спільні вороги та небезпеки женуть Ґальву й Кінча з відбитим у котолупа котом в оклунку в епічну подорож, у якій гобліни жадають людської плоті, кракени полюють у темних водах, а правда — розкіш, яку мало хто може собі дозволити.