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The story of the great King Hadding is one of the darkest and most violent to come down to us from the old North. Hadding was raised by giants far from his rightful throng, as his father, a Danish King, was slain shortly after Hadding's birth. But the times comes when Hadding feels he must reclaim his legitimate place in the land of the old North. He must endure ferocious battles, the charms of voluptuous Valkyries, and a War of the Gods to rival Armageddon.

Adapted from Battlestar Galactica Television episode "War of the Gods, Parts I and II" by Glen A. Larson.

Reina is desperate.

Stuck on the edges of society, Reina's only hope lies in an invitation from a grandmother she's never met. But the journey to her is dangerous, and prayer can't always avert disaster.

Attacked by creatures that stalk the mountains, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña's magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn--and keep--her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.

Eva Kesaré is unwanted.

Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family's shame. She tries to be the perfect daughter, but Eva is hiding a secret: Magic calls to her.

Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet it's hard to ignore power when it has always been denied you. Eva is walking a dangerous path. And in the end, she'll become something she never imagined.

Whom the gods would recruit, they first tick off...

Our Hero: The unlikely Paladin, Bahzell Bahnakson of the Horse Stealer Hradani. He's no knight in shining armor. He's a hradani, a race known for their uncontrollable rages, bloodthirsty tendencies, and inability to maintain civilized conduct. None of the other Five Races of man like the hradani. Besides his ethnic burden, Bahzell has problems of his own to deal with: a violated hostage bond, a vengeful prince, a price on his head. He doesn't want to mess with anybody else's problems, let alone a god's. Let alone the War God's! So how does he end up a thousand leagues from home, neck-deep in political intrigue, assassins, demons, psionicists, evil sorcery, white sorcery, dark gods, good gods, bad poets, greedy landlords, and most of Bortalik Bay Well, it's all the War God's fault....

THE ROAD HOME

Bahzell Bahnakson of the Horse Stealer hradani never wanted to be a champion of the War God. Unfortunately, Tomandk had insisted. Even more unfortunately, Bahzell's own sense of responsibility hadn't let him say, "No."

Which was how he found himself in the Empire of the Axe, where even people who didn't actively hate hradani regarded them with suspicion and fear. Of course, that was only the start of his problems.

Next, there was the Order of Tomanak, many of whom were horrified by the notion that their deity had chosen a hradani as a champion... and intended to do something about it. And assuming he survived that, he had to go home-across three hundred leagues of bitter winter snow-to face a Dark God who threatened to destroy all hradani. Throw in the odd demon and brigand ambush, and add a powerful neighboring kingdom with no intention of letting Bahzell (or anyone else) save his people, and you have the makings of a really bad day.

But one thing Bahzell has learned: a champion of Tomanak does what needs doing. And the people in his way had better move.

Bahzell of the Hradani is Back! Exciting Fantasy Adventure by the New York Times Best-Selling Author of the Honor Harrington Series. First Time in Paperback.

In The War God's Own, Bahzell had managed to stop a war by convincing Baron Tellian, leader of the Sothoii, to "surrender" to him, the War God's champion. Now, he has journeyed to the Sothoii Wind Plain to oversee the parole he granted to Tellian and his men, to represent the Order of Tomanak, the War God, and to be an ambassador for the hradani. What's more, the flying coursers of the Sothoii have accepted Bahzell as a wind rider-the first hradani wind rider in history. And since the wind riders are the elite of the elite among the Sothoii, Bahzell's ascension is as likely to stir resentment as respect.

That combination of duties would have been enough to keep anyone busy-even a warrior prince like Bahzell-but additional complications are bubbling under the surface. The goddess Shigu, the Queen of Hell, is sowing dissension among the war maids of the Sothoii. The supporters of the deposed Sothoii noble who started the war are plotting to murder their new leige lord and frame Bahzell for the deed. Of course, those problems are all in a day's work for a champion of the War God.

But what is Bahzell going to do about the fact that Baron Tellian's daughter, and heir to the realm, seems to be thinking that he is the only man-or hradani-for her?

Barbarian Bahzell, originally an outsider to so-called civilization, has become the first hradani wind rider in history--a position that confers elite status within the territories of the powerful Sothoii. But certain very powerful and very nasty sorts are not at all happy about Bahzells' new status, and resentment stirs. Deadly resentment.

To complicate matters even further, Baron Tellian's daughter, the heir to the realm, is convinced that Bahzell is the only man--or hradani--for her. Yet Bahzell is no stranger to entanglements and threats, and his enemies are the ones who had best watch themselves. For they aren't just going up against any hradani barbarian, but a tried and proven champion of the War God Himself.

Know thyself. Its always good to know who you are, but sometimes thats a little difficult.

Kenhodan has no last name, because he has no past... or not one he remembers, anyway. What he does have are a lot of scars and a lot of skills some exhilarating and some terrifying and a purpose. Now if he only knew where he'd gotten them and what that purpose was....

Wencit of Rum, the most powerful wizard in the world, knows the answers to Kenhodan's questions, but he can't or won't share them with him. Except to inform him that he's a critical part of Wencit's millennium-long battle to protect Norfressa from conquest by dark sorcery.

Bahzell Bahnakson, champion of Tomanak, doesnt know those answers and the War God isn't sharing them with him. Except to inform Bahzell that the final confrontation with the Dark Lords of fallen Kontovar is about to begin, and that somehow Kenhodan is one of the keys to its final outcome.

Wulfra of Torfo doesn't know those answers, either, but she does know Wencit of Rm is her implacable foe and that somehow Kenhodan is one of the weapons he intends to use against her... assuming she can't kill both of them first.

But in the far northern port city of Belhadan, an eleven-year-old girl knows the answers to all of Kenhodan's questions...and dares not share them with anyone, even the ancient wild wizard who loves her more dearly than life itself.

It's not easy to face the future when you can't even remember your own past, but if saving an entire world from evil sorcerers, demons, devils, and dark gods was easy, anyone could do it.

A savage tragedy rocked Jarik's world that day. In one moment he was orphaned, again, without village, without purpose, without anywhere to belong - but not alone.

He set off on a quest for vengeance and glory, to lay waste to the hawkers who had destroyed his village with murder, rape and fire. By his side was his sister Torsy, and inside of him was another. Someone who couldn't exist, shouldn't exist, but did.

On his journey across the sea he looks not only for revenge but to unroot his unknown origins, as well as those of Oak, his mysterious counterpart. And to cure his adoptive sister Torsy of her shock and find a place they can truly belong.

Along the way he becomes embroiled in struggles with in godly legend and humanly vices, battling marauders, his host village and social isolation daily.

And now he undertakes his greatest lesson: learning the arts of war.

His destiny is unfolding before him, but down two different paths.

The path of the great healer, or of the violent avenger?

He must decide.

Healer. Killer. Jarik Blacksword is as schooled in the terrors of war as he is skilled in the wizardry of healing. One hand bears the magic blade that hungers for the very flesh that the other hand yearns to heal.

And now, in his most dreaded adventure ever, he is sent on a quest past world's end by the woman he must serve, then slay!

Jarik Blacksword has ties with the gods.

He wields the almighty, powerful Black Sword and bears the bonds of the gods. However, he is given his freedom from these bonds by the Lady of the Snowmist, who instead binds him in a blood-tie to ensure his part is played in the war that rages between the gods.

Jarik and his warrior-woman companion Jilain soon find themselves caught in the middle of a bloody struggle.

On the one side, there are the Iron Lords who desperately long for the Lady of the Snowmist's demise and will stop at nothing to destroy her. The other side is that of the Lady of the Snowmist, who may not be as evil as the Iron Lords claim she is.

However, once The Lady of the Snowmist freed Jarik of his god-bonds, she did not anticipate the boundless rage of Jarik's god-sword... nor which side he will support.

Will he become a friend or a foe of the mystical sorceress? Soon he and Jilain will discover that the wrong decision could cost them their lives...

The Abe clan and its allies are in full rebellion. When the Emperor's greatest military leader, Yoshii, is targeted for assassination by magic, it is up to the newly sober Lord Yamada and his exorcist associate Kenji to keep the young man alive long enough to put down the uprising before the entire country is consumed by war. Yamada knows how to deal with demons, monsters, and angry ghosts, but the greatest threat of all is one final assassin, hidden in a place where no one - especially Lord Yamada - would ever think to look.