Dread Pirate Arcanist

Pirates. Griffins. A lost treasure worth killing for. While protecting the newborn griffins on the Isle of Landin, Volke Savan and his adopted sister, Illia, run afoul of the Dread Pirate Calisto, the same cutthroat who carved out Illia's right eye. As a master manticore arcanist, Calisto's strength and brutality are unrivaled, so when Illia suggests they bring him to justice, Volke wonders if they'll have what it takes to fight the corsairs on the high seas. A fast-paced fantasy with magical creatures for those who enjoy the Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera series) by Jim Butcher, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Praise for the Frith Chronicles! "Perfect for those who enjoy the Codex Alera series, the Homas Wildus series, and the Harry Potter series. Stovall is quickly becoming a name I look for." - Seattle Book Review for Knightmare Arcanist (Frith Chronicles, Book 1) "An addictive series. Shami Stovall has produced a mesmerizing story of magic, intrigue, and true adventure." - ManyBooks for Knightmare Arcanist (Frith Chronicles, Book 1) "Absolutely brilliant." - Archaeolibrarian for Knightmare Arcanist (Frith Chronicles, Book 1)

Pirates. Griffins. A lost treasure worth killing for. While protecting the newborn griffins on the Isle of Landin, Volke Savan and his adopted sister, Illia, run afoul of the Dread Pirate Calisto, the same cutthroat who carved out Illia's right eye. As a master manticore arcanist, Calisto's strength and brutality are unrivaled, so when Illia suggests they bring him to justice, Volke wonders if they'll have what it takes to fight the corsairs on the high seas. A fast-paced flintlock fantasy for those who enjoy How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan. Praise for the Frith Chronicles "Perfect for those who enjoy the Codex Alera series, the Homas Wildus series, and the Harry Potter series. Stovall is quickly becoming a name I look for." - Seattle Book Review for Knightmare Arcanist (Frith Chronicles, Book 1) "An addictive series. Shami Stovall has produced a mesmerizing story of magic, intrigue, and true adventure." - ManyBooks for Knightmare Arcanist (Frith Chronicles, Book 1) "Absolutely brilliant." - Archaeolibrarian for Knightmare Arcanist (Frith Chronicles, Book 1)

Gravedigger Volke Savan, desperate to leave his tiny home island and impress the most beautiful girl he's ever known, breaks every tradition of the bonding ceremony just to become an arcanist. But when he's tasked with killing a hero, he's uncertain.

Every moment counts as Volke Savan races south to the city of New Norra. His goal: find Theasin Venrover, the famous artificer who may have a cure for the arcane plague. Separated from most of the Frith Guild-and even his sister-Volke must rely on the crew of the airship, the Sun Chaser, to help him find Theasin in time.

Kings. Dragons. The start of an all-consuming war. As the twelve god-creatures appear in the world, nations brace for a inevitable struggle. Some have allied themselves with the Second Ascension in return for power and protection, but the Frith Guild aims to form a counter alliance. Volke Savan, along with the other arcanists of the Frith Guild, must not only find a way to end the arcane plague once and for all, but prevent the remaining god-creatures from falling into the hands of their enemies. If the Frith Guild can form an alliance between powerful nations, and defeat the Autarch before he bonds with any god-creatures, perhaps a war can be prevented. But the dragon arcanists of distant lands have come to challenge Volke and test his worthiness. Despite the ever-mounting pressures, and lack of time, Volke is determined to not only convince the world's strongest arcanists of his worth, but to also defeat the god-arcanists of the Second Ascension long before the appearance of the dreaded apoch dragon. Continue the Frith Chronicles with the sixth book, Warlord Arcanist!

Death. Destiny. The rise of god-arcanists. Volke Savan has reunited with the Frith Guild just in time to help fight the Second Ascension, a group of power-hungry dastards bent on controlling the newly created god creatures. The world serpent is the first on their list, and if the Second Ascension manages to harness its power, the world will forever be changed for the worse. But the Frith Guild has another plan. They intend to beat the Second Ascension to the world serpent and have it bond with someone trustworthy-a mysterious man who Guildmaster Eventide believes will usher the world into an era of peace. As Volke struggles to improve his magic, and also become a mentor for a new knightmare arcanist, he realizes that this may be one adventure the guild never makes it back from... Continue the Frith Chronicles with the fifth book, World Serpent Arcanist! Praise for the Frith Chronicles! "Perfect for those who enjoy the Codex Alera series, the Homas Wildus series and the Harry Potter series. Stovall is quickly becoming a name I look for." - Seattle Book Review (for Knightmare Arcanist, Book I) "Dread Pirate Arcanist is a brilliant novel from start to finish." - Coffee Pot Book Club (for Dread Pirate Arcanist, Book II) "Marvelously entertaining!" - The Prairies Book Review (for Coliseum Arcanist, Book III) "It is [the] seamless inclusion of lore, world-building, and character back story that marks Shami Stovall's writing, and what keeps her books head and shoulders above others in her genre." - ManyBooks Review (for Plague Arcanist, Book IV)

Strange places. New arcanists. The rise of the Second Ascension. Witness stories from the viewpoints of friend and foe alike, all while the world races to find the remaining god-creatures.

An exploration of the popular online role-playing game World of Warcraft as a virtual prototype of the real human future. World of Warcraft is more than a game. There is no ultimate goal, no winning hand, no princess to be rescued. WoW is an immersive virtual world in which characters must cope in a dangerous environment, assume identities, struggle to understand and communicate, learn to use technology, and compete for dwindling resources. Beyond the fantasy and science fiction details, as many have noted, it’s not entirely unlike today’s world. In The Warcraft Civilization, sociologist William Sims Bainbridge goes further, arguing that WoW can be seen not only as an allegory of today but also as a virtual prototype of tomorrow, of a real human future in which tribe-like groups will engage in combat over declining natural resources, build temporary alliances on the basis of mutual self-interest, and seek a set of values that transcend the need for war. What makes WoW an especially good place to look for insights about Western civilization, Bainbridge says, is that it bridges past and future. It is founded on Western cultural tradition, yet aimed toward the virtual worlds we could create in times to come.