Tessa Gratton

A collection of the best early stories from the Merry Sisters of Fate website (www.merryfates.com), written by Maggie Stiefvater, Brenna Yovanoff, and Tessa Gratton.

Blood magic. Ancient fury. Prepare for the gripping conclusion to the Chaos & Flame saga, the "fast-paced, action-filled fantasy that reads like a mix of Game of Thrones and The Last Airbender" (BCCB) from two beloved New York Times bestselling authors. A single kiss set Chaos ablaze. Picking up months after akiss transformed Darling into the long-lost Phoenix and every House regent into their empyreal form, Darling struggles to make sense of her destiny as a legendary creature. How can she, an orphan with no family, truly be the one to reunite the fractured houses and bring about peace, if she can't control the magic of her new Phoenix body? Talon Goldhoard, still in love with Darling but wounded by her betrayal, is tasked with ending the vicious war that his family instigated. With the Phoenix reborn, Talon is hopeful that the bloodshed will end swiftly. Instead, the kingdom grows more fraught, with the threat of violence ever present – especially from dark, conniving forces within the walls of his own House Dragon. As Chaos reigns, Talon and Darling must find their way back to each other to not survive but save the kingdom. Can Darling harness the power of the ancient magic that runs through her blood to bring about a new peace? Or will the fury that House Dragon fueled for a hundred-year war be too strong to break?

Tras la misteriosa muerte de sus padres, Silla no ha vuelto a ser la misma. Dormir y estudiar, dormir y estudiar: Silla no hace nada más, porque todo cuanto le rodea ha perdido el sentido. Y aunque la ex mujer de su abuelo, Judy, cuida de ella y de su hermano Reese como si fueran sus propios hijos, nada puede llenar el vacío que han dejado sus padres... Pero la llegada inesperada de un paquete postal logra despertar a Silla de su letargo. Se trata de un libro enviado por alguien que firma con un nombre extraño, "Diácono". Pero lo que el libro tiene de especial es que está escrito con la letra de su padre y que además contiene ni más ni menos que las instrucciones para realizar diferentes tipos de hechizos. Hechizos protectores que precisan de sangre para llevarse a cabo... Movida por la curiosidad y por la necesidad de descubrir qué relación tiene la muerte sus padres con el misterioso manuscrito, Silla decide probar uno de los hechizos en el viejo cementerio junto a su casa. Es noche oscura y Silla cree que estará a salvo de las miradas curiosas, pero un vecino suyo es testigo directo de cómo Silla regenera una flor usando su propia sangre... Se trata de Nick, un joven que se ha trasladado a vivir al pueblo hace muy poco tiempo. Para él la magia no tiene nada de nuevo: su madre, que lo abandonó cuando él era todavía un niño, hacía hechizos similares al que Silla acaba de poner en práctica y aunque Nick creía que había olvidado todo cuanto estaba relacionado con ella, la flor de Silla ha desenterrado muchísimos recuerdos... Muy pronto Nick y Silla se harán amigos. O mucho más que amigos. Juntos llevarán la magia hasta sus últimas consecuencias y descubrirán que alguien muy poderoso se esconde tras la muerte de los padres de Silla y la desaparición de la madre de Nick. Alguien que, por supuesto, no piensa rendirse.

Para Mab Prowd, la práctica de la magia de sangre es tan natural como respirar, algo que ha visto siempre. Ha crecido en una granja aislada de Kansas, con la única compañía de otros practicantes, y jamás ha podido tener amigos de su edad. A cambio, ha desarrollado un gran sentido de la responsabilidad hacia todo lo mágico y natural: haría lo que fuera por preservar la magia de sangre y salvaguardar sus secretos. Además, vivir en medio de la nada le permite poder practicar sin preocupaciones, al aire libre, observada solamente por los cuervos. Pero una mañana, cuando está tratando de resolver un encantamiento especialmente difícil, se encuentra a Will, un chico que trata de exorcizar sus propios demonios personales y que, accidentalmente, experimenta la magia de Mab. El pobre no alcanza a comprender lo que ha vivido y se marcha rápidamente, sin intención alguna de volver a ver Mab. Sin embargo, pronto se reencontrarán. Las anteriores generaciones de magos de sangre guardan oscuros secretos, y ha llegado la hora de pasar cuentas. Solo Mab y Will serán capaces de hacer frente a una peligrosa fuerza que emerge de la tierra para reclamar el poder...

Darling Seabreak cannot remember anything before the murder of her family at the hands of House Dragon, but she knows she owes her life to both the power of her Chaos Boon and House Kraken for liberating her from the sewers where she spent her childhood. So when her adoptive Kraken father is captured in battle, Darling vows to save him--even if that means killing each and every last member of House Dragon. Talon Goldhoard has always been a dutiful War Prince for House Dragon, bravely leading the elite troops of his brother, the High Prince Regent. But lately his brother's erratic rule threatens to undo a hundred years of House Dragon's hard work, and factions are turning to Talon to unseat him. Talon resists, until he's ambushed by a fierce girl who looks exactly like the one his brother has painted obsessively, repeatedly, for years, and Talon knows she's the key to everything. Together, Darling and Talon must navigate the treacherous waters of House politics, caught up in the complicated game the High Prince Regent is playing against everyone. The unlikeliest of allies, they'll have to stop fighting each other long enough to learn to fight together in order to survive the fiery prophecies and ancient blood magic threatening to devastate their entire world. From New York Times bestselling author Justina Ireland and Tessa Gratton comes the first book in a ferocious YA fantasy duology featuring ancient magic, warring factions, and a romance between the two people in the world with the most cause to hate one another.

This is a short story that occurs between the events of Blood Magic and The Blood Keeper. Told from Reese's POV.

Star The High Republic , the New York Times best-selling series, continues. . . . For light and life! One year after the fall of Starlight Beacon, the galaxy is in chaos. An anarchistic group known as the Nihil has taken over a section of space now known as the Occlusion Zone. Jedi Knight Vernestra Rwoh and scientist Avon Starros team up in an attempt to find a way through the Nihil Stormwall to save those on the other side. But what are the Nihil's real plans? And what of the nameless creatures that can destroy the Jedi Order? The battle has just begun. . . .

150 Jahre vor den Begebenheiten in Phase I der Hohen Republik bringt eine Ära des Wandels neue Hoffnungen und Möglichkeiten ... aber auch neue Gefahren. Der Planet Dalna im Äußeren Rand steht im Mittelpunkt einer Untersuchung der Jedi über ein gestohlenes Artefakt der Macht. Zallah Macri und ihr Padawan Kevmo Zink gehen auf Dalan einer möglichen Verbindung zu einer Missionarsgruppe namens Pfad der Offenen Hand nach. Die Mitglieder des Pfades glauben, dass die Macht von niemandem benutzt werden sollte, nicht einmal von den Jedi. Eine dieser Gläubigen ist Marda Ro, eine junge Frau, die davon träumt, Dalna zu verlassen und die Botschaft des Pfades in der ganzen Galaxis zu verbreiten. Marda und Kevmo fühlen sich sofort zueinander hingezogen – bis Marda entdeckt, dass Kevmo ein Jedi ist. Aber Kevmo ist so freundlich und begierig darauf, mehr über den Pfad zu erfahren, dass sie hofft, ihn von der Richtigkeit ihres Glaubens überzeugen zu können. Was Marda nicht weiß, ist, dass die Anführerin des Pfades, eine charismatische Frau, die nur als die Mutter bekannt ist, ihre ganz eigenen Ziele verfolgt. Und diese sehen keinen Frieden mit den Jedi vor.

Para Mab Prowd, la práctica de la magia de sangre es tan natural como respirar, algo que ha visto siempre. Ha crecido en una granja aislada de Kansas, con la única compañía de otros practicantes, y jamás ha podido tener amigos de su edad. A cambio, ha desarrollado un gran sentido de la responsabilidad hacia todo lo mágico y natural: haría lo que fuera por preservar la magia de sangre y salvaguardar sus secretos. Además, vivir en medio de la nada le permite poder practicar sin preocupaciones, al aire libre, observada solamente por los cuervos. Pero una mañana, cuando está tratando de resolver un encantamiento especialmente difícil, se encuentra a Will, un chico que trata de exorcizar sus propios demonios personales y que, accidentalmente, experimenta la magia de Mab. El pobre no alcanza a comprender lo que ha vivido y se marcha rápidamente, sin intención alguna de volver a ver Mab. Sin embargo, pronto se reencontrarán. Las anteriores generaciones de magos de sangre guardan oscuros secretos, y ha llegado la hora de pasar cuentas. Solo Mab y Will serán capaces de hacer frente a una peligrosa fuerza que emerge de la tierra para reclamar el poder...

Una vez una bruja y un demonio hicieron un pacto. La leyenda dice que se amaban con locura. Pero ¿se puede confiar en las historias? Este año, la Luna del Sacrificio se ha alzado antes de lo planeado sobre Las Tres Gracias, el Bosque del Demonio reclama un nuevo mártir a cambio de paz y protección. Mairwen, la bruja; Rhun, el santo y Arthur, el rechazado son los candidatos más probables, por el deber a su pueblo, por los secretos y por el amor que los une. Sin embargo, el demonio que deberán enfrentar no es como dictan las leyendas… En el camino, desenterrarán tales verdades que darán vuelta su mundo. Y destruirán sus corazones.

Glory is the Fenris Wolf, bound for hundreds of years in the shape of a small human girl so she can never grow large enough to devour Baldur the Beautiful, god of light. Imprisoned with her hunger, Glory may not be able to swallow the sun whole, but she can hunt Baldur down, rip out his heart with her hands, and eat him a piece at a time. Glory tries to deny her desire because she knows when she does eat Baldur it will signal the end of the world. But would that really be such a bad thing? These days the United States of Asgard seems too decadent, too media-saturated, and too greedy. It is rotting from within and maybe it should burn. Maybe now is the time, and her hunger is growing for a reason. Only two people stand in her way: Soren Bearstar, devoted to Baldur and a strong berserker warrior, and Tyr the Just, god of balance and shadows. Glory loves both of them, but when a girl finally embraces her destiny, is any love enough to keep the sun in the sky?

Amon Thorson doesn’t hate his father, Thor the god of thunder, but he did try to kill him once. Not that Thor seemed to notice—all he did to punish Amon was break his arm and send him off to lick his wounds. Ever since, Amon has done everything he can to stay on his dad’s bad side, from disrespectful language and terrible public interviews, to dealing illegal substances and black-market artifacts. The best—or worst—of which is transporting elf gold. For gold made by elfish magic ruins people. It addicts them and tempts them to do terrible things to themselves and others, and with this venture, Amon may be stirring up more trouble than he can handle. When Amon picks up a strange girl with too many secrets and somebody steals Loki’s Mask of Changing, Amon finally gets his father’s attention. He’s marked as the prime suspect in the theft and one of Thor’s best hunters is put on Amon’s tail, a hunter who won’t stop until he’s nailed Amon for something. And to complicate matters, Amon might be falling in love with a monster.

Vider Bearskin used to be in love with Loki, the Norse god of mischief and orphans. And Loki loved her, too, or that’s what she believed, until the day she called his name and he did not come, not even to save the lives of her mother and baby sister. So when Vider helps rescue Baldur the Beautiful and the Alfather offers her a boon, she asks to be made into his first female berserker warrior in generations. Now she doesn’t need Loki. She doesn’t need any god, because Vider has power inside herself and she knows how to use it. When she’s asked to be one of six celebrity dragon slayers in a televised dragon hunt on the Kansa Prairie, Vider never considers declining—even if Loki is also invited. But Loki seems determined to insert himself into Vider’s life once again and she quickly realizes not all is as it seems. There’s more than one dragon for Vider to battle: the ancient creatures sleeping under the hills, the tempting god of tricks, and the dragon inside her own heart.

Tessa Gratton's Lady Hotspur is a sweeping, heart-stopping Shakespearean novel of betrayal and battlefields and destiny. STRIKE FAST, LOVE HARD, LIVE FOREVER This is the motto of the Lady Knights―sworn to fealty under a struggling kingdom, promised to defend the prospective heir, Banna Mora. But when a fearsome rebellion overthrows the throne, Mora is faced with an agonizing give up everything she's been raised to love, and allow a king-killer to be rewarded―or retake the throne, and take up arms against the newest heir, Hal Bolingbrooke, Mora's own childhood best friend and sworn head of the Lady Knights. Hal loathes being a Prince; she's much more comfortable instated on the Throne of Misrule, a raucous underground nether-court where passion rules all. She yearns to live up to the wishes of everyone she loves best―but that means sacrificing her own heart, and so she will disappoint everyone until the moment she can rise to prove those expectations wrong. And between these two fierce Princes is the woman who will decide all their fates―Lady Hotspur, the fiery and bold knight whose support will turn the tides of the coming war.

¿CÓMO SE PUEDE VIVIR SIN CORAZÓN? En el gran palacio de la emperatriz vive una niña huérfana llamada Nada. Se desliza entre las sombras de la Corte sin ser vista por nadie, excepto por el Gran Demonio del palacio y por su verdadero amigo, el príncipe Kirin, heredero al trono. Cuando Kirin es secuestrado, tan solo Nada y el guardaespaldas del príncipe sospechan que podría haber sido raptado por la Hechicera que devora Doncellas, una mujer poderosa que ha acosado a la región durante décadas. La Hechicera nunca se ha molestado en raptar a niños antes, pero Nada ha dejado al descubierto muchos secretos en los dieciséis años que ha vivido en palacio, incluyendo algunos sobre el príncipe. Mientras el ejército de la emperatriz emprende una infructuosa búsqueda, Nada y el guardaespaldas parten en una misión de rescate a través de bosques plagados de demonios y encrucijadas vigiladas por espíritus. Su viaje les lleva a las puertas de la Quinta Montaña, donde la Hechicera ejerce su poder. Allí, Nada descubrirá que la magia es un trato, y puede que ella sea más poderosa de lo que ni siquiera imagina. Pero el precio que la Hechicera reclama por Kirin podría costarle a Nada su propio corazón.

Nick é um rapaz da cidade, revoltado por ter sido forçado a regressar à perdida Yaleylah, no Missouri, onde cresceu. Não consegue deixar de recordar a sua mãe e a Magia de Sangue que ela praticava, memórias a que tenta escapar há já cinco anos. Silla, no entanto, não quer esquecer o aparente homicídio/suicídio dos pais que a deixou perdida e a necessitar de respostas. Quando um livro de feitiços com a caligrafia do pai surge à porta de casa, Silla vê nele uma oportunidade de desvendar o mistério daquelas mortes. Nick e Silla mergulham juntos num mundo de magia negra. Mas, quando uma bruxa de sangue com mais de cem anos aparece em busca dos ossos dos pais de Silla e do livro de feitiços, os dois serão obrigados a esquecer tudo o que acreditam ser a natureza da vida e da morte e os segredos mortais que se escondem no sangue.

The fate of an Empire lies with a headstrong Heir and a restless demon in this lush YA fantasy for fans of Laini Taylor and Girl, Serpent, Thorn. Ever since she was a girl, Raliel Dark-Smile’s best friend has been the great demon that lives in the palace. As the daughter of the Emperor, Raliel appears cold and distant to those around her, but what no one understands is that she and the great demon, Moon, have a close and unbreakable bond and are together at all times. Moon is bound to the Emperor and his two consorts, Raliel’s parents, and when Raliel comes of age, she will be bound to Moon as well, constrained to live in the Palace for the rest of her days. Raliel is desperate to see the Empire Between Five Mountains, and she feels a deep kinship with Moon, who longs to break free of its bonds. When the time finally arrives for Raliel’s coming of age journey, she discovers a dangerous way to take Moon with her, even as she hides this truth from her travel companion, the beautiful, demon-kissed bodyguard Osian Redpop. But Osian is hiding secrets of his own, and when a plot surfaces that threatens the Empire, Raliel will have to decide who she can trust and what she’ll sacrifice for the power to protect all that she loves.

An orphan girl must face untold danger and an ancient evil to save her kingdom’s prince in this lush, romantic fantasy perfect for fans of Girls of Paper and Fire and Tess of the Road. How can you live without your heart? In the vast palace of the empress lives an orphan girl called Nothing. She slips within the shadows of the Court, unseen except by the Great Demon of the palace and her true friend, Prince Kirin, heir to the throne. When Kirin is kidnapped, only Nothing and the prince’s bodyguard suspect that Kirin may have been taken by the Sorceress Who Eats Girls, a powerful woman who has plagued the land for decades. The sorceress has never bothered with boys before, but Nothing has uncovered many secrets in her sixteen years in the palace, including a few about the prince. As the empress’s army searches fruitlessly, Nothing and the bodyguard set out on a rescue mission, through demon-filled rain forests and past crossroads guarded by spirits. Their journey takes them to the gates of the Fifth Mountain, where the sorceress wields her power. There, Nothing will discover that all magic is a bargain, and she may be more powerful than she ever imagined. But the price the Sorceress demands for Kirin may very well cost Nothing her heart.

Set in the world of the High Republic, 150 years before the storytelling of Phase I, an era of change brings new hopes and possibilities . . . but also new dangers. The Outer Rim planet Dalna has become the focus of a Jedi investigation into a stolen Force artifact, and Zallah Macri and her Padawan, Kevmo Zink, arrive on the pastoral world to follow up on a possible connection to a Dalnan missionary group called the Path of the Open Hand. Members of the Path believe that the Force must be free and should not be used by anyone, not even the Jedi. One such believer is Marda Ro, a young woman who dreams of leaving Dalna to spread word of the Path throughout the galaxy. When Marda and Kevmo meet, their connection is instantaneous and electric—until Marda discovers Kevmo is a Jedi. But Kevmo is so kind and eager to learn more about the Path, that she hopes she can convince him of the rightness of her beliefs. What Marda doesn’t realize is that the leader of the Path, a charismatic woman known only as the Mother, has an agenda of her own, and it is one that can never coexist peacefully with the Jedi. In order to follow her faith, Marda may have to choose to become her new friend’s worst enemy. . . .

A trio of adventure-seekers set off to find the legendary Planet X and save the galaxy as they know it! Despite rumors of conflict between the Jedi and the Path of the Open Hand, two of the Republic’s most powerful prospecting families announce a contest to chart new hyperlanes. Under the guise of joining the competition, Dass Leffbruk and Sky Graf recruit Jedi padawan Rooper Nitani, only to reveal their real plan: find the mysterious and legendary Planet X. The trio’s quest takes an unexpected turn when they meet members of the Path of the Open Hand, forcing the heroes to put their goals aside to help the Jedi—and the galaxy—before it’s too late.

Once, a witch made a pact with a devil. The legend says they loved each other, but can the story be trusted at all? Find out in this lush, atmospheric fantasy novel that entwines love, lies, and sacrifice. Long ago, a village made a bargain with the devil: to ensure their prosperity, when the Slaughter Moon rises, the village must sacrifice a young man into the depths of the Devil’s Forest. Only this year, the Slaughter Moon has risen early. Bound by duty, secrets, and the love they share for one another, Mairwen, a spirited witch; Rhun, the expected saint; and Arthur, a restless outcast, will each have a role to play as the devil demands a body to fill the bargain. But the devil these friends find is not the one they expect, and the lies they uncover will turn their town—and their hearts—inside out.

The reunited Jedi prepare to strike back against the ruthless Nihil in this thrilling sequel to Star Wars: The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness. For over a year, Jedi Masters Avar Kriss and Elzar Mann were kept apart by the Nihil’s Stormwall. After Avar makes a daring escape from inside the Occlusion Zone, the star-crossed Jedi are reunited. But while the physical distance between them has evaporated, their shared grief over their failure to protect the galaxy from the Nihil threat still remains. To rally the Jedi Order, and the Republic, Avar and Elzar cling to their belief in serving Light and Life. Working together they lead a daring mission into Nihil space to liberate the planet of Naboo, and show those trapped behind the Stormwall that the Jedi will never abandon them. Now back within close orbit of one another, the two Jedi Masters can no longer deny the bond that has always drawn them back together and made them stronger. After finally embracing their true desires and imbued with renewed purpose, Avar and Elzar devise a plan to turn the tide of the conflict with the Nihil once and for all. Accompanied by Jedi Knights Bell Zettifar, Burryaga, and Vernestra Rwoh, the Jedi begin their hunt for Marchion Ro. But to seek out the Nihil’s dangerous leader the Jedi will have to survive the Nameless terrors that they have thus far been powerless to stop.

There is only one person in the whole world who remembers the famous prophet Astrid Glyn: the berserker Soren Bearstar. Ever since Astrid agreed to give up her life, her name, and even her prophetic dreams to become Idun the Young, the almost-goddess who protects the apples of immortality in a secret mountain orchard, she’s been forgotten by everyone. Everyone except Soren. For the last two years he’s faithfully visited her every three months. Then one day he doesn’t come. Though forbidden to leave the orchard, Astrid defies the gods by escaping with a bastard son of Thor to find Soren. But ancient creatures are moving in the mountains beneath the country. They are desperate to leave the shadows and Astrid’s quest might be the key they need. Not-quite-a-goddess, but no longer only a girl, Astrid must choose a path that will save herself and the people she loves without unraveling the ancient magic that holds the entire nine worlds together. Welcome to the final chapter of the United States of Asgard.

For Mab Prowd, blood magic is as natural as breathing. She spends her days on a secluded Kansas farm with other blood witches, practicing spells for healing and trying to avoid boring lessons like algebra and history. Wild and confident, Mab uses magic to understand her entire world. But when one of Mab's spells mistakenly taps into a powerful, long-dormant curse, she finds her magic spinning out of control - and crashing right into Will Sanger, a boy from town. Will has always relied on the logical, tangible things in his life, like his dogs, his soccer team, and even his complicated family. So he tries to dismiss all he sees and feels around Mab. Still, the strangeness and beauty of her magic draw him in. As Will and Mab grow closer, the unbound curse grows stronger. Hiding in the shadows of the forest, it seeks to manipulate Will and gain Mab's power - even if that means destroying everything they love.

Fans of Neil Gaiman's American Gods and Holly Black's The Curse Workers will embrace this richly drawn, Norse-mythology-infused alternate world: the United States of Asgard. Seventeen-year-old Soren Bearskin is trying to escape the past. His father, a famed warrior, lost himself to the battle-frenzy and killed thirteen innocent people. Soren cannot deny that berserking is in his blood - the fevers, insomnia, and occasional feelings of uncontrollable rage haunt him. So he tries to remain calm and detached from everyone at Sanctus Sigurd's Academy. But that's hard to do when a popular, beautiful girl like Astrid Glyn tells Soren she dreams of him. That's not all Astrid dreams of - the daughter of a renowned prophetess, Astrid is coming into her own inherited abilities. When Baldur, son of Odin and one of the most popular gods in the country, goes missing, Astrid sees where he is and convinces Soren to join her on a road trip that will take them to find not only a lost god, but also who they are beyond the legacy of their parents and everything they've been told they have to be.

"A wondrous lucid dream...laced with a vivid sensuality." —Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of Kushiel's Dart  A talented heretic must decide between the pursuit of forbidden magic, or the ecstasy of forbidden love, in the start of a sweeping, romantic epic fantasy trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Tessa Gratton.Can an empire trip and fall on a mere strand of silk?  Iriset is a prodigy and an outlaw. The daughter of a powerful criminal, she dons her alter ego Silk to create magical disguises for those in her father’s organization, but she longs to do more with her to enhance what it means to be human by giving people wings, night-sight, and other abilities; to unlock the possibilities of gender and parenthood; to cure disease and even to end mortality itself.   Everything changes when her father is captured and sentenced to death. To save him, Iriset must infiltrate the palace and the empire’s fanatical ruling family. There, she realizes she has a chance—and an obligation—to bring down the entire corrupt system. She'll have to entangle herself in the lives of the emperor and his sister, getting them to trust and even to love her. But love is a two-way street, and Iriset’s own heart holds the most mysterious and impenetrable magic of all. ★ "A beautiful, elegant, passionate novel—as intricate and beguiling as a spider's web. A triumph and a delight from start to finish." —Antonia Hodgson, author of The Raven Scholar  ★ "Expertly balances one of the coolest magic systems of the decade, twists that had me gasping out loud, gloriously messy relationships, and the soaring ambition of the architectural genius at its heart. Immersive, riveting, and sexy as hell.” —P. H. Low, Locus- and Rhysling-nominated author of These Deathless Shores  

A kingdom at risk, a crown divided, a family drenched in blood. The erratic decisions of a prophecy-obsessed king have drained Innis Lear of its wild magic, leaving behind a trail of barren crops and despondent subjects. Enemy nations circle the once-bountiful isle, sensing its growing vulnerability, hungry to control the ideal port for all trade routes. The king's three daughters—battle-hungry Gaela, master manipulator Reagan, and restrained, starblessed Elia—know the realm's only chance of resurrection is to crown a new sovereign, proving a strong hand can resurrect magic and defend itself. But their father will not choose an heir until the longest night of the year, when prophecies align and a poison ritual can be enacted. Refusing to leave their future in the hands of blind faith, the daughters of Innis Lear prepare for war—but regardless of who wins the crown, the shores of Innis will weep the blood of a house divided.

Fans of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, and Maggie Stiefvater will embrace the richly drawn, Norse-influenced alternate world of the United States of Asgard, where cell phones, rock bands, and evangelical preachers coexist with dragon slaying, rune casting, and sword training in schools. Where the president runs the country alongside a council of Valkyries, gods walk the red carpet with Hollywood starlets, and the U.S. military has a special battalion dedicated to eradicating Rocky Mountain trolls. Signy Valborn was seven years old when she climbed the New World Tree and met Odin Alfather, who declared that if she could solve a single riddle, he would make her one of his Valkyrie. For ten years Signy has trained in the arts of war, politics, and leadership, never dreaming that a Greater Mountain Troll might hold the answer to the riddle, but that’s exactly what Ned the Spiritless promises her. A mysterious troll hunter who talks in riddles and ancient poetry, Ned is a hard man to trust. Unfortunately, Signy is running out of time. Accompanied by an outcast berserker named Soren Bearstar, she and Ned take off across the ice sheets of Canadia to hunt the mother of trolls and claim Signy’s destiny.

The United States of Asgard is a nation of poets and warriors, of rock bands and evangelical preachers, of gods and their children. The media tracks troll sightings and reality TV is about dragon slaying and teen prophets. The president rules the country alongside a council of Valkyrie, and the military has a special battalion dedicated to eradicating the threat of Greater Mountain Trolls. Welcome to the United States of Asgard: Be sure to watch for troll-sign! GOLD RUNNER tells the story of Amon Thorson, bastard son of Thor Thunderer, a rebel who specializes in illegal troll artifacts and elf gold. Someone has stolen Loki’s Mask of Changing, and Amon is the prime suspect, putting a famous hunter and a mysterious stranger on his tail. LADY BERSERK is about Vider, the first female berserker warrior in generations, who is loved by Loki Changer but determined to stand on her own. One of six celebrities invited to participate in a televised dragon hunt, she knows things are not as they seem—which is usually a sign Loki is up to his old tricks. GLORY’S TEETH offers a glimpse into the wild heart of the Fenris Wolf, also called Glory, trapped in the shape of a teenaged girl for hundreds of years so she cannot grow large enough to devour the sun and begin the end of the world. But Glory’s seen signs that now is time she’s fated to hunt Baldur the Sun down and eat him.