Ari Marmell - Read Online Free Books

Ash and Ambition

Sat, 05 Jan 2019 15:54:46 +0200

Trapped by Magic
Stuck in the form of the knight who supposedly slew him, the dragon Tzavalantsaval is forced to live as a man. Surrounded by humanity his only ally is a loathsome goblin steward.

Trapped by Politics
As he struggles to navigate the Kirresci royal court, and humanity itself, he finds himself ensnared by the games being played by those around him.

Trapped by Destiny
Tzavalantsava tries to navigate the Kirresci royal court, and the politics and intrigues he scarcely understands, even as the southern kingdoms push nearer to war.

Before I Wake

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 13:30:19 +0200

Obelisks, Book One

Mon, 28 Nov 2022 22:36:18 +0200

For Flight Engineer Cynthia Han and her fellow astronauts aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 81 has proved as mundane as space travel ever gets. Yes, this would be Cynthia's final NASA mission, for reasons she's so far kept from the rest of the crew; and yes, the latest billionaire "space tourist" has managed to irritate everyone on board. Still, none of them could have asked for a smoother experience.

Until the morning they wake up to silence. All communication with Earth, gone. From half a dozen different agencies with multiple installations and redundancies across the globe, there is simply... nothing.

And through the viewports of the ISS, only the thick veil of churning, lightning-veined dust to suggest the Earth remains at all.

Now, without ground control, without the proper telemetries or calculations or even reliable visuals, Cynthia and the rest of Expedition 81 must make their way home. For most, it will be the most fraught and the...

Darksiders: The Abomination Vault

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:51:18 +0200

Ride with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse as they seek to unearth a plot that could plunge all of Creation into chaos!

Ages before the events of Darksiders and Darksiders II, two of the feared Horsemen—Death and War—are tasked with stopping a group of renegades from locating the Abomination Vault: a hoard containing weapons of ultimate power and malice, capable of bringing an end to the uneasy truce between Heaven and Hell . . . but only by unleashing total destruction.

Created in close collaboration with the Darksiders II teams at Vigil and THQ, Darksiders: The Abomination Vault gives an exciting look at the history and world of the Horsemen, shining a new light on the unbreakable bond between War and Death.

About the Author

Ari Marmell is the author of The Conqueror’s Shadow and The Warlord’s Legacy. He has published a fair amount of shared-world fiction, including several short stories and Agents of Artifice, a Magic: The Gathering novel. Marmell lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, George, and two cats.

Hell or High Water

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:51:18 +0200

In Thunder Forged

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 18:51:16 +0200

The first novel based upon the award-winning WARMACHINE(R) steam-powered fantasy wargame and the world of the Iron Kingdoms(TM) Role Playing Game is an action-packed steam-tech fantasy that combines elements of epic wartime adventure with thrilling cloak-and-dagger espionage. The Iron Kingdoms are at war-a war fought with machine guns and magic, knights of valor, and earth shaking titans of steam and steel. And now that war may hinge entirely on nothing more than a sheaf of papers. An alchemical formula, stolen by an ally they thought they could trust, could cost the brave soldiers of Cygnar everything. Their only hope: a cunning spy, a knight out of her element, and a frighteningly small unit of the best that Cygnar has to offer. Arrayed against them is not only a single, devious enemy, but the combined intelligence apparatus-and possibly the full military might-of the most brutal martial power Cygnar has ever known. "(c) 2001 - 2013 Privateer Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privateer Press, Iron Kingdoms, WARMACHINE, and their logos are registered trademarks of Privateer Press, Inc. Used under license."

Covenant's End

Sat, 31 Oct 2015 18:51:16 +0200

The thief Widdershins and her own "personal god," Olgun, return to their home city of Davillon after almost a year away. While Shins expects only to face the difficulty of making up with her friends, what she actually finds is far, far worse. Her nemesis, Lisette, has returned, and she is not alone. Lisette has made a dark pact with supernatural powers that have granted her abilities far greater than anything Widdershins and Olgun can match.

Together, Widdershins and Olgun will face enemies on both sides of the law, for Lisette's schemes have given her power in both Davillon's government and its underworld. For even a slim chance, Shins must call on both old friends--some of whom haven't yet forgiven her--and new allies.

Even with their help, Widdershins may be required to make the hardest sacrifice of her life, if she is to rid Davillon--and herself--of Lisette once and for all.

Hallow Point

Sat, 31 Oct 2015 18:51:16 +0200

The Spear of Lugh, one of the four Kingly Hallows of Ireland is in Chicago. And everyone, everyone wants it, for it is said that he who carries the spear into battle cannot be defeated. Among those who seek it are an agent of the infamous Wild Hunt; a mobster who knows far more about these things than he should; and of course both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts – the last people PI Mick Oberon would want getting hold of the spear...**

False Covenant (A Widdershins Adventure)

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:51:17 +0200

Goblin Corps, The

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:51:17 +0200

Hot Lead, Cold Iron

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 18:51:16 +0200

Hot Lead, Cold Iron is the first novel in a brand-new fantasy detective series that will appeal to fans of Rivers of London and The Dresden Files Chicago, 1932. Mick Oberon may look like just another private detective, but beneath the fedora and the overcoat, he's got pointy ears and he's packing a wand. Oberon's used to solving supernatural crimes, but the latest one's extra weird. A mobster's daughter was kidnapped sixteen years ago, replaced with a changeling, and Mick's been hired to find the real child. The trail's gone cold, but what there is leads Sideways, to the world of the Fae, where the Seelie Court rules. And Mick's not really welcome in the Seelie Court any more. He'll have to wade through Fae politics and mob power struggles to find the kidnapper – and of course it's the last person he expected.**

From Booklist

Starred Review Mick Oberon, who made his debut in a 2011 short story, makes his first appearance in a full-length novel. And it’s a real corker, too. Oberon, a private eye in 1930s Chicago, has a secret: he’s a faerie prince. Well, technically, he used to be a faerie prince: he walked away from his world, stepped sideways into our world, and now he’s just trying to make it day to day in a place that is, in so many ways, scary and depressing (but he believes it’s still better than the place he left behind). When he’s approached by the wife of a local mobster, Mick is surprised to find out that she wants him to solve a special kind of missing-person case: the woman’s daughter, she says, was replaced 16 years ago by a changeling. And she wants Mick—she’s somehow aware of his special magical abilities—to find out who took her. But to do so, Mick must return to the Otherworld and confront a past he really hoped he’d left behind for good. The author leaves the door wide open for a sequel, and that’s just fine: the book is thoroughly entertaining, and Mick is a likable guy with whom we’d enjoy spending some more time. Urban-fantasy fans should be all over this one. --David Pitt

Review

"Gives the hardboiled genre a truly magical revamp." - MuggleNet "Mick Oberon is a delight and by the time the book was over, I felt like I made a hilariously grumpy friend. It’s a lot of fun, and Marmell is an author I really want to hit it big. He deserves it, and this book shows a lot of his strengths." - Bookworm Blues "This book opens with fists swinging, and barely pauses to take a breath." - My Bookish Ways “The book does a nice job of never tipping its hand, with a climax that delivers on all aspects.” - Bookgasm “The author leaves the door wide open for a sequel, and that’s just fine: the book is thoroughly entertaining, and Mick is a likable guy with whom we’d enjoy spending some more time. Urban-fantasy fans should be all over this one.” – Booklist starred review "Gripping fantastical....engaging....the potent mix of gangsters, magic, Fae politics, and a strega on the warpath makes for a ride that never touches the brakes. Marmell expertly maximizes the thrills, leaving the reader with a lingering desire for a magic wand and a glass of warm milk." ̶ Publishers Weekly starred review

Lost Covenant: A Widdershins Adventure

Thu, 31 Oct 2013 18:51:17 +0200

**This third YA novel starring the young thief Widdershins combines the angst and vulnerability of any teenage girl with the high action of the best fantasy adventures.
**
It's been six months since Widdershins and her own "personal god" Olgun fled the city of Davillon. During their travels, Widdershins unwittingly discovers that a noble house is preparing to move against the last surviving bastion of the Delacroix family. Determined to help the distant relatives of her deceased adopted father, Alexandre Delacroix, she travels to a small town at the edge of the nation. There, she works at unraveling a plot involving this rival house and a local criminal organization, all while under intense suspicion from the very people she's trying to rescue. Along the way she'll have to deal with a traitor inside the Delacroix family, a mad alchemist, and an infatuated young nobleman who won't take no for an answer.

**Story Locale:** A fantasy culture heavily influenced by historical Renaissance France.

**Series Overview:** A teenage thief and her partner, an invisible minor god who lives in her head, battle against the might of monsters and the machinations of men in a French-flavored fantasy world.

**Ari Marmell** (Austin, TX) is a fantasy and horror writer and the author of several original novels including *The Goblin Corps* and two previous Widdershins adventures, *Thief's Covenant* and *False Covenant.* He has also written gaming tie-in novels such as *In Thunder Forged: Iron Kingdoms Chronicles* (The Fall of Llael Book One) and worked as an author of role-playing game materials for games such as Dungeons & Dragons and the World of Darkness line. Although born in New York, Ari has lived the vast majority of his life in Texas-first Houston (where he earned a BA in creative writing at the University of Houston) and then Austin. He lives with his wife, George; their cat; and a variety of neuroses. Visit the Widdershins page at facebook.com/Madeleine.Valois, and visit Ari at mouseferatu.com, at facebook.com/pages/Ari-Mouseferatu-Marmell/181576062390, or on Twitter @mouseferatu.

**Author Residence:** Austin, TX

**Author Hometown:** New York, NY

**Praise for *Lost Covenant*:**

"Marmell's writing has tightened considerably but stayed colorful, giving fans everything they want in a Shins story…. Two unfinished threads leave plenty of room for more more more. Start with Book 1 and just keep going."
**-***Kirkus Reviews*

**Praise for the Widdershins Adventures:**

"One of the freshest, darkest, funniest, and best sword and sorcery series being written today and should appeal to readers of all ages." **-Adventures Fantastic**

"Readers seeking out a strong heroine in a well-crafted fantasy world will enjoy this title and look forward to the second." **-School Library Journal**

Star Wars - Reputation

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 18:51:17 +0200

The Warlord's Legacy

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:51:17 +0200

Review

Praise for Ari Marmell’s The Conqueror’s Shadow “A powerful fantasy, with well-drawn heroes and delightfully wicked, complicated villains.”—Paul S. Kemp, author of The Erevis Cale Trilogy “Superior storytelling and deft dialogue . . . filled with dark humor as well as scenes of brutal battle and high magic.”—_Library Journal_ “A great mix of character and action.”—Robin Hobb, author of Dragon Keeper “This action-packed, morally gray fantasy has an intriguingly twisty plot, full of magic and political intrigue.”—_Booklist _ “Ari Marmell has a remarkable flair for the sinister.”—Scott Lynch, author of The Lies of Locke Lamora

Product Description

Corvis Rebaine, the Terror of the East, a man as quick with a quip as he is with a blade, returns in this highly anticipated sequel to Ari Marmell’s acclaimed The Conqueror’s Shadow, a debut hailed for its refreshing take on dark fantasy and surprising flashes of sharp, sarcastic wit. Now Marmell raises the stakes in a story that has all the humor and excitement of its predecessor, plus a terrifying new villain so evil that he may well be a match for Rebaine himself. For let’s not forget how Corvis Rebaine came by the charming nickname “Terror of the East.” Certainly no one else has forgotten. Corvis Rebaine is no hero. In his trademark suit of black armor and skull-like helm, armed with a demon-forged axe, in command of a demonic slave, and with allies that include a bloodthirsty ogre, Rebaine has twice brought death and destruction to Imphallion in pursuit of a better, more equitable and just society. If he had to kill countless innocents in order to achieve that dream, so be it. At least that was the old Rebaine. Before he slew the mad warlord Audriss. Before he banished the demon Khanda. Before he lost his wife and children, who could not forgive or forget his violent crimes. Now, years later, Rebaine lives in a distant city, under a false name, a member of one of the Guilds he despises, trying to achieve change nonviolently, from within the power structure. Not even when the neighboring nation of Cephira invades Imphallion and the bickering Guilds prove unable to respond does Rebaine return to his old habits of slaughter. But someone else does. Someone wearing Rebaine’s black armor and bearing what appears to be his axe. Someone who is, if anything, even less careful of human life than Rebaine was. Now Baron Jassion, Rebaine’s old nemesis, is hunting him once more, aided by a mysterious sorcerer named Kaleb, whose powers and secrets make him a more dangerous enemy than Rebaine has ever known. Even worse, accompanying them is a young woman who hates Corvis Rebaine perhaps more than anyone else: his own daughter, Mellorin. Suddenly Rebaine seems to have no choice. To clear his name, to protect his country, and to reconcile with his family, must he once again become the Terror of the East?