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Hunted and mortally wounded by an ancient foe, Queen Amina of Zaria's one great task has never been more important or imperiled. In desperation she casts her fate, mantle, and relics of power 400 years into the future, into the hands of a teenage girl: Hadiza.

With no say in the matter, university student Hadiza Ibrahim finds she has inherited Queen Amina's enemies; evil and powerful beings from another dimension hell-bent on the destruction of her Northern kin. But she also receives the Queen's mighty weapons and supernatural abilities.

She sets out with the one ally she can trust, evading enemies on all sides, from the forests of Zamfara to the hills of Abuja on a quest to fulfill Queen Amina's task and become the new Guardian of the North.

Nebula Award nominated novella. It originally appeared in Black Gate, Spring 2007, and was reprinted in Lightspeed, January 2017.

Read the full story for free at Black Gate.

One of the loveliest riddles of Austrian literature is finally available in English translation: Gert Jonke's 1982 novel, Awakening to the Great Sleep War, is an expedition through a world in constant nervous motion, where reality is rapidly fraying--flags refuse to stick to their poles, lids sidle off of their pots, tram tracks shake their stops away like fleas, and books abandon libraries in droves. Our cicerone on this journey through the possible (and impossible) is an "acoustical decorator" by the name of Burgmüller--a poetical gentleman, the lover of three women, able to communicate with birds, and at least as philosophically minded as his author: "Everything has suddenly become so transparent that one can't see through anything anymore." This enormously comic--and equally melancholic--tale is perhaps Jonke's masterwork.

Past and present mingle, conscious and subconscious memory intertwine in this impressive work of the imagination. Described by the author as an "old-fashioned ghost story", The Awakening explores with chilling subtlety the theme of the uneasy dead seeking peace--a fear which must go back into our paleolithic subconsciousness.

It's hoped that a few month's rest at the rundown farmhouse, Aaron's Rock, will help heal Ray Albright of the effects of a horrendous car accident: a badly broken back, terrible guilt at the death of his passengers, and the swift comprehension of how little separates the living from the dead. But the farm is not the expected idyllic refuge, for Ray's daytime sketching is disturbed by ghastly moans from a thicket close by, his sleep by sounds downstairs of a wounded man's crawling silenced by an explosion, and his peace of mind by visions of his absent wife in the arms of another man. And he is visited by a recurrent dream, each night a little longer and more real: a band of exhausted men in tattered gray uniforms comes forward in the dawn light, but then turns again wearily to face enemy fire.

Only gradually, and with the help of a lovely and willing neighbor, does Ray come across the story of the Civil War tragedy which killed off the first owners of Aaron's Rock and whose ghosts are said to haunt the house. And only at the very end does he understand his own soul to be hostage to these ghostly players seeking release from torment.

In this spellbinding novel Richard Meredith makes use of a lifetime spent in the deep South, in towns which, like Aaron's Rock, cannot bury their unfinished past. He now lives in Milton, Florida, with his wife and children.

Patterns emerge in the most unexpected places as a scientist studies the flora and fauna of a new world.

Read the full story for free at Tor.com.

Artemis Awakening is the start of a new series by New York Times bestseller Jane Lindskold. The distant world Artemis is a pleasure planet created out of bare rock by a technologically advanced human empire that provided its richest citizens with a veritable Eden to play in. All tech was concealed and the animals (and the humans brought to live there) were bioengineered to help the guests enjoy their stay...but there was always the possibility of danger so that visitors could brag that they had "bested" the environment.

The Empire was shattered in a horrific war; centuries later humanity has lost much of the advanced technology and Artemis is a fable told to children. Until young archeologist Griffin Dane finds intriguing hints that send him on a quest to find the lost world. Stranded on Artemis after crashing his ship, he encounters the Huntress Adara and her psych-linked companion, the puma Sand Shadow. Their journey with her will lead Dane to discover the planet's secrets...and perhaps provide a key to give unimagined power back to mankind.

Long ago, the world was destroyed by gods. Only nine cities were spared. Separated by vast wilderness teeming with monsters and unimaginable dangers, each city is now ruled by a guardian?royalty who feed on mortal pleasure.

Born with an intuition that never fails, Calista knows her talents are of great value to the power-hungry of the world, so she lives hidden as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood. In exchange for his protection, she grants him information.

When her intuition leads her to save a traveling prince in dire trouble, the voice inside her blazes with warning?and promise. Today he'll bring her joy. One day he'll be her doom.

When the Baron takes an interest in the traveling prince and the prince takes an interest in Calista, she becomes the prince's temporary companion. But the city simmers with rebellion, and with knights and monsters at her city gates and a hungry prince in her bed, intuition may not be enough to keep her safe.

Calista must choose: follow her intuition to safety or follow her heart to her downfall.

In the realm of Talamh, a teenage warrior named Keegan emerges from a lake holding a sword--representing both power and the terrifying responsibility to protect the Fey. In another realm known as Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own...

When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she's an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father--and it's worth nearly four million dollars.

This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn't have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man, why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home, Breen Siobhan. It's time you came home. Why she dreamed of dragons. And where her true destiny lies--through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny...

Star Wars: Before the Awakening is an anthology book that focuses on the lives of Rey, Finn, and Poe before the events of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Returning to the lives of Jad the disaster Court Jester, Prince Kender and the Elite of the Mothership Urba.

MOTHERSHIP AWAKENING is the never-before published story that concludes the epic journey started in MOTHERSHIP.

Defy the inevitable. Such is the stance of Confederation captain Eric Weston and the crew of the starship Odysseus, patrolling the outer limits of Priminae space, anticipating the Empire's next attacks. Connected with the Terran FTL tech -- the transition drive -- humanity might stand a chance against the overwhelming forces. Until the entire planetary system goes dark.

Outnumbered and outgunned, the Odysseus arrives to find the Empire securing critical intelligence from Priminae ships -- data that could prove disastrous in the wrong hands.

As the Odysseus enters the fray, the ship's systems exhibit increasingly chaotic glitches, while haunting apparitions stalk the crew. As they struggle to control their own ship -- and their sanity -- against the tide of battle, how can they hope to grasp victory when the Odysseus itself appears to be coming to life?

The Coalition platoon continues to pursue the Army of the New Order in Maryland, as the ANO retools with the aid of demons and mercenaries. Other factors revolve around the platoon, as supernatural elements and independent warriors.

Meanwhile, some of the soldiers under Greg Merrick, including Merrick himself, are beginning to question their motives and beliefs, doubting the role of the Coalition's rigid views.

The Priestess of Light, Alice. If we sacrifice all members of the army of darkness, she will be within our grasp...

It is the second day of the final stress test. The army of darkness, driven to desperation by the coordinated onslaught at the hands of the Integrity Knights, has begun to retaliate with incredibly reckless tactics. Critter, who had been observing the events of the Underworld from the outside, has successfully created a gateway for the masses under the guise of an invitation for "A limited-time beta test for a new VRMMO in production." This digital invite has bolstered the forces of the army of darkness by over fifty thousand people.

Asuna, unable to compete with such a level reinforcement, begins to sink into depair. But all is not lost! Two new deities of the Underworld will descend to lend their aid: The Blazing White Solus and the Earthmother Terraria. And the ones in possession of these super-accounts are none other than Sinon and Leafa!

Shush... lest she awaken...

My name is Amelia Gray, and I'm a cemetery restorer who lives with the dead. An anonymous donor has hired me to restore Woodbine Cemetery, a place where the rich and powerful bury their secrets. Forty years ago, a child disappeared without a trace and now her ghost has awakened, demanding that I find out the truth about her death. Only I know that she was murdered. Only I can bring her killer to justice. But the clues that I follow--a haunting melody and an unnamed baby's grave--lead me to a series of disturbing suspects.

For generations, The Devlins have been members of Charleston's elite. John Devlin once turned his back on the traditions and expectations that came with his birthright, but now he has seemingly accepted his rightful place. His family's secrets make him a questionable ally. When my investigation brings me to the gates of his family's palatial home, I have to wonder if he is about to become my mortal enemy.

In this exhiliarting sequel to Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson's Hellhole, the stakes on planet Hallholme have been raised to new heights.

After declaring his independence from the corrupt Constellation, rebel General Adolphus knows the crackdown is coming. Now he needs to pull together the struggling Hellhole colony, the ever-expanding shadow-Xayan settlement, and his connections with the other Deep Zone worlds. Even then, he doubts his desperate measures will be enough.

Diadem Michella Duchenet has collected a huge space fleet led by Commodore Escobar Hallholme, son of the hero who originally defeated Adolphus. They expect resistance from the General's rebels, but who could possibly stand up to such a mighty fleet?

Adolphus knows he's running out of time, but he still has some hope--the shadow-Xayans have banded together to defend their sacred planet with "telemancy," but can they discover new powers to protect all the stored alien lives on the already devastated world? And when all hope seems lost, the awakened Xayans reveal information hidden even from their own followers--the existence of a bigger threat that makes even the Constellation fleet seem insignificant.

Disaster has come for General Adolphus and Hellhole... and this time there is no escape.

Elena Gilbert is a high school golden girl, used to getting what she wants. And who she wants. But when the boy she's set her sights on--the handsome and haunted Stefan--isn't interested, she's confused. She could never know the real reason Stefan is struggling to resist her:

Stefan is a vampire, and Elena's in danger just by being around him. What's more, Stefan's dark, dangerous vampire brother Damon has just arrived in town. And wherever Damon goes, trouble always follows.

The second book in L. A. Banks's thrilling Vampire Huntress series featuring Damali Richards, a young African American woman who is all that stands between us and the eternal night.

There is a vampire war brewing in the underworld and at the center of it all is Damali Richards, spoken word artist and Vampire Huntress. But she is not just any Vampire Huntress, she is the millenium Neteru. A woman so potentially powerful that the vampire world is about to invoke a bloody battle that threatens to spill over onto her streets in order to posses her.

It's just a matter of who will get to her first.

Fallon Nuit, a rogue vampire, is one of the most powerful Damali has ever encountered and he has allied himself with the deadly Amanrath demons in order to claim her. But the Vampire Council has plans for her as well. And now an unlikely variable has entered into the equation, an ex-lover now turned vampire with an agenda of his own. And Damali must risk trusting him once more if they are to survive.

You don't have to be alive to be awakened.

Chloe Saunders is a living science experiment-not only can she see ghosts, but she was genetically altered by a sinister organization called the Edison Group. She's a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control, which means she can raise the dead without even trying. Now Chloe's running for her life with three of her supernatural friends-a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch-and they have to find someone who can help them before the Edison Group catches them.

Or die trying.