Dark Heart Of Magic

The New York Times bestselling author “deposits the reader back into the wonderful world of Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia where mortals and magicks mix.”—Book Swoon As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there’s no escaping the spotlight—or the danger. Even though he’s my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot at winning what’s supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious “accidents,” it looks like someone will do anything to win—no matter who they hurt. As if I didn’t have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the rest of my friends, and someone’s going around Cloudburst Falls murdering monsters. One thing’s for sure. Sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else . . . Praise for Cold Burn of Magic, the first Black Blade novel “An adventurous ride you will never want to get off.”—Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Jennifer Estep is a genius!”—Simply Nerdy “Packed with action and a nice twist, this is just the book for fans of the Mythos Academy series who want more Jennifer Estep.”—Bristol Herald Courier

“An indulgently fun romp full of ‘lochness’ monsters, tree trolls, and housekeeping pixies . . . a welcome twist on familiar fantasy themes.”—Publishers Weekly It’s not as great as you’d think, living in a tourist town that’s known as “the most magical place in America.” Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power. I try to keep out of it. I’ve got my mom’s bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick. But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend’s pawn shop, and I have to make a call—get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn’t. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I’m stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I’m going to end up just like her . . . “An adventurous ride you will never want to get off.”—Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author “Jennifer Estep is a genius!”—Simply Nerdy “Packed with action and a nice twist, this is just the book for fans of the Mythos Academy series who want more Jennifer Estep.”—Bristol Herald Courier

Appointed by the Sinclairs to compete in the Tournament of Blades, a young contender struggles with growing feelings for Devon Sinclair while outmaneuvering a dangerous adversary and protecting her loved ones from a mobster.

"As a thief, I'm good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls. Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families--and kill every last Sinclair. What they don't know is that I'm on to him, and no way will I let the man who murdered my mom get away with hurting all the other people I care about. Especially when I've got places to break into, stuff to steal, and Devon Sinclair fighting right by my side."--Back cover.

"Seventeen-year-old Kat McDonough grew up with theater in her blood—and a penchant for make-believe. More than a decade older, Seth Mazzaglia was well known in the community theater circle of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He, too, had a rich inner life—and he soon had Kat convinced that they were soul mates. To intensify their bond, Seth lured Kat into a world of violent sex and role-playing, where she was his slave. But even that wasn’t enough to satisfy his ravenous appetites. Enter Lizzi Marriott, the new girl in town. And when she accepts an invitation to Kat and Seth’s apartment, she will never be seen again..."--Amazon.com.

Haunted by the death of his wife and daughter, who died in a car he was driving, Jake Mann, a sexual obsessive, flees to the Catholic Church. After training as a Jesuit priest he is sent to Nigeria. There he suppresses his desire for women. At his teaching mission he proves too radical for both the Church and the local security forces, getting involved in protests against Big Oil, and discovering a talent for exorcism. Escaping with a 15-year-old Nigerian boy, following the final confrontation with a possessed police captain, Jake is given a 'disgraced' parish in Bristol, where he's expected to fail. Heavy trouble finds him there following a series of savage and bizarre killings that echo those committed by the police captain. Jake becomes a suspect when the police discover he was having a secret affair with one of the victims. Most terrifying for Jake is when he realises the identity of the darkest heart behind the killings...

This book establishes structural similarities between the ideological systems of modern totalitarian movements, and the ideological systems of earlier mass movements. It also establishes sociological similarities in the societies which generate such movements, and explains how sociological changes fuel the rise of totalitarian movements. Issues of sexuality and reproduction are found to constitute the core of the totalitarian ideology, and changes in sexual sociology are found to constitute the cause of such movements.

A collection of short stories of horror, black magic and hunting from the searing desert to the darkest jungle. With stories by H. P. Lovecraft, Rider Haggard and Edward Bulwer Lytton