death - Stories

Fellow students of Brathay Stonearm consider him pleasant and harmless. Nobody guesses at his single-minded determination to become the best buildings expert of his generation.

Until Counsellor Brokerman offers him a challenge he feels compelled to accept.

Lord Leonmarkh, youngest of the DuMankin siblings, has a reputation as something of a spoiled wastrel and has been shipped off to Black Ice Bay to assume the role of Watchman of the North. Brathay is tasked with assessing the ancient keep and advising Leonmarkh on how to survive the long winter months.

If only the man would grant him an audience.

Amnor Sen and Jeremy are out to save the world. Traveling to the Worldwound far to the north, they are delayed by the discovery of a runaway slave in the undead land of Geb. Now the two must deal with the slave, while continuing on their way north.

Jakun is a cat on the run. Forced by his master to commit the most heinous of crimes, he flees, only to be caught by a paladin and a cleric. Will he be returned to his master? Or can his captors free him from his evil owner?

Mortaumal is a light-hearted tale about death and dying, affection and indifference, independence and love, somewhere in tropical Queensland. Mortaumal gets himself into and out of very hot water while learning to defend himself both physically and mentally in a fast paced romp in which there’s sentiment but not sentimentality, social criticism, excitement, fun, and a bit of everything else.

Jeremy Isen, nephew of Duncan Isen, and son of Duncan's older brother Ian Isen is coming into his own. At fifteen years old, and a Freshman at H. B. Plant High School, Jeremy shows a passion for photography, martial arts, and journalism. As a member of the school's Yearbook Staff, and the chief photo-journalist for both the Yearbook and Newspaper, he's well-known among the high school teens, even outside his grade-level. Events during the school year and the beginning of summer vacation conspire to change his life. Will it be for the better, or for the worse?

Sometimes life isn’t fair. Fifteen-year-old Richie Ferguson must learn this lesson the hard way when his mother dies of cancer and he is forced to live with a father who left the family two years earlier for another woman. Richie’s life becomes a storm, whirling around with no sense of purpose or direction. Will the tumultuous winds destroy him, or will he find a calm sea in time to save his own life?

After a tragic accident brings his old life in London to an end, shy teenager Gianni is sent to live with his estranged grandparents in the beautiful surroundings of Italy’s Amalfi Coast.

There, he meets the irrepressible Angelo, who promises to show him his world and, as the long, hot summer days unfold, slowly helps Gianni to heal.

Gianni’s new life in the sun brings him friendship of a kind that he has never known and, with it, important discoveries about himself. But what will the future hold when the summer of the firefly comes to an end?

Freedom of choice... What if you were given a choice right before you were about to do something irreversible? Would you recognize it? Would you take it? Or would you ignore it?

A year has passed since the events of "The Mantis Variant - Book One" and the clash between the underground and the tower. A group of Biological Shifts has started slaughtering Messiahs in Teshon City. To find the culprits, the Principal Messiah establishes a task force to investigate the murders. Meanwhile, the mystic and his husband with their group of friends convince Dozi to take a trip. They help a child while away, but when they return to Teshon City, the streets become a battleground. Who will survive this new confrontation and what will be left of them?

In the east are monsters. In the north is the witch. In the south is the capital. To the west is the waste. The land is called Xin. Life has been nothing but cruel to the children soldiers Sumi and Harakin. They were not expected to survive as long as they have. In the north, a child with shadows ventures to the witch's lair. In the south, an organic mechanic is expelled from her guild.

How will these different individuals from a distant land connect to the events in Books One & Two? And what will happen with the monsters?

Days after an attempt to unleash demons upon the world has failed, three young men find themselves in the midst of new challenges. One must determine what it means to lead. One must face his past. One must discover who he really is. But there are forces still at play in the world which could undermine everything they hope to build and discover. Is the demon threat truly over?

This is Book 3 of The Trial. You can find book 1 "Shadow Honor" here: