Showing results by narrator "Greg Patmore" in Science Fiction & Fantasy

For Matthew Graham, being given the gift of his former Scottish manor is a dream come true. For his wife, Alex, this gift will force her to undertake a perilous sea journey, leaving most of their extensive family in the Colony of Maryland. Alex is torn apart by this, but staying behind while her husband travels to Scotland is no option. Scotland in 1688 is a divided country, torn between the papist Stuart King and the foreign Protestant William of Orange. Popular opinion is with Dutch William, and Matthew's reluctance to openly support him does not endear him to his former friends.

In their rural home in the Colony of Maryland, Matthew and Alex Graham are still recovering from the awful events of the previous years when Luke Graham, Matthew's estranged brother, asks them for a favor. Alex has no problems whatsoever ignoring Luke's sad plea for help. In her opinion, Matthew's brother is an evil excuse of a man who deserves whatever nasty stuff fate throws at him. Except, as Matthew points out, Luke is begging them to save his son - his misled Charlie, one of the Monmouth rebels - and can Charlie Graham be held responsible for his father's ill deeds?

After years of hard work, Matthew and Alex Graham have created a thriving home in the Colony of Maryland. About time, in Alex's opinion, after far too many adventures she is really looking forward to some well-deserved peace and quiet. A futile hope, as it turns out. Things start to heat up when Jacob, the third Graham son, absconds from his apprenticeship to see the world - especially as Jacob leaves behind a girl whom he has wed in a most irregular fashion. Then there's the infected matter of the fellow time traveler Alex feels obliged to help - no matter the risk.

It's 1672, and Matthew Graham and his family have left Scotland. Having taken the drastic decision to leave their homeland due to religious conflicts, Alexandra and Matthew hope for a simpler, if harsher, life in the wilds of the Colony of Maryland. Unfortunately, things don't always turn out as you want them to, and the past has a nasty tendency to resurface at the most inappropriate moments. Both Matthew and Alex are forced to cope with the unexpected reappearance of people they had never thought to meet again.

A collection of stories about the outsiders - the criminals, the soldiers, the addicts, the mathematicians, the gamblers and the cage fighters, the refugees and the rebels. From the battlefield, to alternate realities, to the mean streets of the dark city, we walk in the shoes of those who struggle to survive in a neon-saturated, tech-noir future. Twelve hard-edged stories from the dark, often violent, sometimes strange heart of cyberpunk, this collection - as with all the best science fiction - is an exploration of who were are now.

A prophesied king is born, but not all will benefit from his foretold conquests. In a realm where only clerics are permitted to practice magic, Kibure, a mere slave, draws the attention of much more than just his master after wielding an unknown force in a moment of desperation. In a twist of fate, Sindri, the priestess hired to strip Kibure of his power, defies the law, revealing designs of her own. This wayward pair will have to work together if they hope to evade capture at the hands of the Empire's most potent wielders.

Tragedy tears Gerald's world apart, and only his unwavering loyalty to the Baron of Bodden saves him. After serving as a soldier for years, a single act of self-sacrifice thrusts his future into the world of politics. Cut off from all he knows, he becomes no more than a pawn to those in command. Banished with little more than the clothes on his back, he seeks a new purpose, for what is a warrior who has nothing left to fight for?

For as long as he can remember, Alric dreamed of being a hero; of defeating a dragon and saving the princess, but his royal position would never allow it, until...the arrival of the Mercerian Emissaries demands a princely escort, and being neither the heir nor the spare, he is the perfect choice. Used to a lifetime of comfort and ease, he expects this duty to be as tiresome as all the others. His tranquil life is upended from the beginning, as havoc seems to follow these dignitaries everywhere, causing him all sorts of grief.

Soren, an ambitious wizard. Belwynn, his twin sister, who shares a telepathic link with him. Rabigar, an exile of the Krykker race. Elana, a mysterious priestess. Moneva, a killer with a dark past. And a host of mercenaries, sorcerers, knights, dukes, kings, and strange new races. Who will lay claim to the weapons? Who can be trusted? And as war comes to Dalriya, who will take a stand against the dark forces that have been unleashed on the land?

The quest for the seven weapons of Madria comes to its thrilling conclusion. Few remain to resist the implacable advance of the dark forces unleashed by Diis. In the ice wastes of distant Halvia, Rabigar must locate the spear of the legendary Giants. In the vast expanse of the Lantinen Sea, Soren must search for the lost race of the Asrai. In Kalinth, Belwynn must hold back the armies of the vengeful Lord of Ishari. As time runs out, she knows she must face her greatest test. Can she confront a god, and win?

Kibure’s captors are willing to teach him to control his magic, but such training is not given freely. And not everyone who offers help means well. Will Kibure become the wizard he needs to be in time to fulfill the destiny set out before him? Meanwhile, Prince Aynward is framed for the worst of crimes: patricide and kingslaying. His sister, Dagmara, determines to help him escape judgment, but how many will have to die in order to keep Aynward from the gallows?

Fooled into thinking they are returning heroes, the entourage's royal welcome is cut short when they mysteriously collapse; all but Nikki, the one nobody trusted. Lady Nicole Arendale's past is shrouded in mystery, but it's slowly unravelling as secrets long buried are exposed, threatening everyone's future. Never one to rely on anyone's help, she has no choice but to return to her previous life if she has any hope of saving them. Set on a path she neither expected, nor wanted, they are running for their lives, searching for a safe haven in the midst of the coming storm.

When an invading army crosses the Mercerian border, the only thing standing between victory and defeat is an heir to the crown with no battle experience. Enter Dame Beverly Fitzwilliam, who has trained for this moment since she first held a sword. From her relentless pursuit of knighthood to the day she single-handedly saves the king's life and earns her spurs, she has searched for someone worthy of her fealty.

Helle may believe in second-chance love, but she sure doesn’t believe in reincarnation. Okay, she didn’t believe until she met Jason Morris a year or so ago. By now, she has accepted that sometimes impossible things are quite, quite possible - like an ancient princess being reborn as an ambitious financial analyst. Finding Jason was like finding the part of her that had always been missing - a perfect match. But handling Sam Woolf, the reborn version of their ancient nemesis, is something of a trial. No sooner do you have him well and surely beat, but up he bounces again.

The lone survivor of a horrible shipwreck, Ealrin may be destined for greatness. He just can’t remember who he is. Cared for by the grizzled general Holve, he discovers that Ruyn is a continent plummeting towards genocide. Holve’s country thrives on the coexistence of elves, dwarves, and men, but rumors and bigotry push the land toward bloodshed. Drawn into the conflict, Ealrin meets Blume, a teenage girl struggling to hold onto the peace she's always known. But her family hides a secret that could change the tides of battle.

Villains take center stage in this collection of 19 dark and magical stories. Listeners will be cheering for all the wrong heroes as some of the most fearsome, devious, and brutal antagonists perform savage deeds towards wicked ends. And why not? These characters are the champions of their own stories - evil is a matter of perspective. Contributors also include Mark Adler, Bradley P. Beaulieu, E.V. Morrigan, Peter Orullian, Matthew Ward, Kaaron Warren, Deborah A. Wolf, and Janny Wurts.

A desperate journey north may secure the survival of the country of Thoran. But did Ealrin and his companions leave soon enough? The King's Swords are desperate. Androlion Fellgate has united the south under a banner of purity and delusional promises of a fast-approaching calamity. With the other members of the elite fighting force, Ealrin travels north to convince other nations of Ruyn to join in the fight against the Southern Republic.

Forced to choose between his mother’s life and his own exile, Dwapek embarks upon a journey wrought with trials no ordinary Renzik could hope to survive. Relics of legend, plagues of old, and monsters of unthinkable dread all collide in this epic fantasy adventure as a weapon capable of destroying an entire people is set to be unleashed.

When the mighty and cruel must be brought low, it's the killers and the schemers who emerge from the shadows. As plans twist and change, and our protagonists are foiled and beaten, one thing remains true: no matter the cost, the king must fall.

Matthew Graham committed the mistake of his life when he cut off his brother’s nose—however much he deserved it. In revenge, Luke Graham has Matthew abducted and transported to the Colony of Virginia, there to be sold as indentured labor—a death sentence more or less. Matthew arrives in Virginia in May of 1661, and any hope he had of finding someone willing to listen to his tale of unlawful abduction is quickly extinguished. If anything Matthew’s insistence that he is an innocent man leads to him being singled out for the heaviest tasks.