Bitterwood

Dragons rule the world, united under the powerful dragon king Albekizan. Humans have been subdued for centuries, existing only as slaves, pets, and prey. Yet one man, the mysterious Bitterwood, strikes at dragons from the shadows, fighting a long, lonely war of resistance. When Bitterwood is blamed for the death of Albekizan’s beloved son, Bodiel, the king launches a full scale campaign to rid the world of the legendary dragon-slayer—even if he must kill all of mankind to do so. Bitterwood, Kindle Edition, has been revised and updated from the original paperback release. “For the sake of humanity, join in Bitterwood’s revolt.” – Kirkus Reviews “A grabber from page one, a smart tale of adventure and revenge sprinkled with echoes of our own dangerous times. James Maxey’s world of dragons and humans at war is so solidly and engagingly rendered that I never wanted to leave.” – John Marco “Bitterwood is an unlikely hero in a rich world, with a rich history that holds many surprises. James Maxey tells his story with a sure hand. Enjoy the journey!” – Carrie Vaughn "Fine action and cool world building. Anne McCaffrey through a mirror darkly." – E. E. Knight “A magnificent hero story.” – Orson Scott Card

Outrunning a winter storm in the north, Captain Faran of the King's Guard leads his men and a young mage named Meric to shelter at Bitterwood Manor, the ancestral home of the Daenes. Faran and his troops have been searching for weeks for a mysterious, lion-like beast that reportedly haunts the uncharted northern woods. For Meric, finding that prophesied cat is a matter of life and death. Though Faran is deeply focused on their mission, the enigmatic Joss Daene, Lord of Bitterwood, fascinates him. Strong and proud, Joss is everything Faran wants in a lover. More, if he were honest. But Joss belongs to Bitterwood, and Faran to his duty. Together they will need to brave the oldest, darkest part of the Bitterwood in the coldest, deepest snows of winter to find the legendary cat. But time is running out—for Meric, for the kingdom, and for Faran and Joss’s fledgling love. (Note: This is a revised second edition, previously published elsewhere.)

An epic tale of war between dragons and mankind! When the mysterious dragon slayer Bitterwood murders the son of the Dragon-King, the dragons respond with a campaign of genocide against their human slaves. Amid the chaos of war, a band of rebel humans risk everything to fight for freedom, and an end to the Dragon Age. Read the saga that Orson Scott Card called “a magnificent hero story.” Bitterwood, the Complete Collection gathers together all four novels of the Bitterwood series, plus the prequel short story “Tornado of Sparks.” In May 2020, the ebook edition of the collection was expanded to include three bonus novellas, Hunted, Haunted, and Hurt, that had previously been collected as Dragonsgate: Preludes & Omens. The individual works: Tornado of Sparks: The dragon Vendevorex demonstrates his magical powers for the dragon-king Albekizan in a test that orphans a human infant. Can Vendevorex reunite the child with her only remaining family? Bitterwood: Dragons rule the world and humans serve as their slaves, pets, and prey, with only the mysterious dragon-slayer Bitterwood fighting the dominant dragons from the shadows. But when Bitterwood slays the beloved son of the dragon-king Albekizan, the dragons launch a war of extermination against all humans. Can mankind survive the combined might of the dragons? Dragonforge: As a war spreads throughout the dragon kingdom, a band of human rebels take over the armory of the dragon armies, the legendary Dragon Forge. As the dragon armies mass to take back the fortress, Bitterwood finds himself in the fight of his life, facing off against the most dangerous dragon of all: Blasphet. Dragonseed: With the dragon forces in disarray, the humans face their own woes as allies banded together to fight the dragons begin to take up arms against each other. With all of civilization on the verge of anarchy, can Bitterwood save the day by joining forces with his worst enemy—the sun-dragon Hex, the last surviving son of King Albekizan? Dawn of Dragons: 1000 years before Bitterwood, a man named Alex Pure gets disemboweled by a dragon. It’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Also, the apocalypse. The bonus Dragonsgate: Prelude and Omen novellas included in the ebook edition: Hunted: The sky-dragons Graxen and Nadala are trying to make a new home in a distant valley. With Nadala too pregnant to fly, Graxen must hunt for them to survive. But as he stalks his prey, something bigger and more dangerous than a dragon is stalking him. Haunted: Bitterwood has settled into the quiet life of a farmer. Then, dragons raid his henhouse, leading Bitterwood to a confrontation with his most dangerous adversary. Hurt: On a mission to recover a stolen shotgun, Anza faces off against the earth-dragon boss Bigmouth. But when she winds up shot by the very gun she came to retrieve, can she finish her mission before her injuries finish her? In praise of Bitterwood: “For the sake of humanity, join in Bitterwood’s revolt.” – Kirkus Reviews “A grabber from page one, a smart tale of adventure and revenge sprinkled with echoes of our own dangerous times. James Maxey’s world of dragons and humans at war is so solidly and engagingly rendered that I never wanted to leave.” – John Marco “Bitterwood is an unlikely hero in a rich world, with a rich history that holds many surprises. James Maxey tells his story with a sure hand. Enjoy the journey!” – Carrie Vaughn "Fine action and cool world building. Anne McCaffrey through a mirror darkly." – E. E. Knight “A magnificent hero story.” – Orson Scott Card

The method and plan of this dictionary of Jamaican English are basically the same as those of the Oxford English Dictionary, but oral sources have been extensively tapped in addition to detailed coverage of literature published in or about Jamaica since 1655. It contains information about the Caribbean and its dialects, and about Creole languages and general linguistic processes. Entries give the pronounciation, part-of-speach and usage of labels, spelling variants, etymologies and dated citations, as well as definitions. Systematic indexing indicates the extent to which the lexis is shared with other Caribbean countries.

Dungeons! Dragons! Dinosaurs! Graxen and Nadala are sky-dragons exiled beyond the Cursed Mountains. With Nadala too pregnant to fly, they seek refuge in a remote valley, discovering too late that it’s overrun with primordial predators even bigger and toothier than dragons. Things get even worse when they cross paths with Bitterwood, the legendary dragon slayer, who’s come to the valley on a quest for lost relics. Men hunt dragons, dragons battle men, and dinosaurs attack everything that moves in this epic adventure from acclaimed storyteller James Maxey! Dragonsgate: Devils is the first of a new series of adventures that unfold following the events of the original Bitterwood trilogy. While it does feature characters from the previous books, it's a fresh beginning that new readers can easily engage with. Dragonsgate: Devils, include both the new novel and three bonus novellas from the Dragonsgate: Preludes & Omens collection.

The apocalypse is now! The sylvan planet Emeralla has been devoured by the Waste-Wyrm, a cosmic dragon that feasts upon worlds. When Zeeky and her allies flee Emeralla back to Earth, they are pursued by the Waste-Wyrm's servant, the Kraken. The Kraken raises an army of the dead to open the interdimensional gate that will give the cosmic predator access to Earth. Can humans and dragons put aside their ancient hatreds to unite against their common foe? Dragongate: Angels, is the thrilling conclusion to the Dragonsgate trilogy. In this saga, dragons and humans are at war in the ruins of post-apocalyptic America. In the ruins of Oak Ridge Tennessee, a malfunctioning machine hidden in a government laboratory has ripped a hole in reality, and now dinosaurs are appearing in the surrounding wilderness. When a band of adventurers led by the famed dragon-slayer, Bitterwood, sets out to destroy the malfunctioning machine, some of them are swept away to a parallel earth where humans have never evolved. On this world, magic is real due the presence of a cosmic dragon named Emeralla. Unfortunately, cosmic dragons are the favorite meal of an even larger cosmic dragon, the planet devouring Waste-Wyrm. Now, Bitterwood must battle devils, spirits, and angels across a series of parallel worlds if he hopes to save his own reality from the interstellar predator. This series freely blends science fiction, epic fantasy, and eldritch horror, for an adventure unlike any other. It also draws in characters from James Maxey's previous sagas, Bitterwood and Dragon Apocalypse, though the series can be read without having previously read those works