Melissa McShane

France, 1815. As a rifleman in Wellington's Army, Jennet Graeme conceals two secrets from her comrades in arms. She is no man, but a woman. And she, like Napoleon, is an Extraordinary Coercer, capable of controlling the minds and hearts of anyone she encounters. Fleeing a lifetime of manipulating others to her will, Jennet hopes to redeem herself by turning her talent to good rather than evil. But can a power that robs its victims of free will ever be used for good?When disaster strikes Jennet's rifle company, she and her companions become all that stand between Napoleon and his conquest of Europe. As the enemy looms closer, and armies clash, Jennet must discover the woman she truly is-and face her destiny in a place called Waterloo.

As a royal wedding draws near, relations between humans and dragons are better than ever. Even the discovery that an ancient, evil entity was behind human animosity toward dragons cannot stop the dragon Lamprophyre and her human friend Prince Rokshan from feeling victorious. But the entity still exists, and its next attack targets Lamprophyre directly, using magic that no one alive has ever seen before.Virtually helpless and newly vulnerable to the entity's attacks, Lamprophyre must discover a way to stop an enemy she cannot see, whose minions lurk in every shadow, while searching for a way to reverse what the entity did to her. And time is running out.She has to be lucky all the time. Her enemy only has to be lucky once.

Thanks to the dragon Lamprophyre and her friend, the human Prince Rokshan, dragons and humans live in harmony for the first time in centuries. But as humans come to accept dragons in their cities, a new challenge arises. The ecclesiasts, the religious leaders of Gonjiri, see the dragons as a threat to their authority, declaring that dragons must either worship the human way or be outcast. As the ecclesiasts' demands increase, the resulting conflict tests human and dragon faith to the limit. With their own friendship at stake, Lamprophyre and Rokshan must prevent a religious war that will end the dragon-human alliance and see human cities in flames.

Spain, 1814. The warrior woman Amaya, born Imelda Salazar, has the power to alter bodies with a touch-to heal, or to destroy. Having left behind her Inca rescuers for a new life in England, she finds herself lost in this new world, surrounded by people who insist she use her talent in ways at odds with her warrior upbringing.When the opportunity to find her father's family arises, Amaya journeys to Spain, hopeful of finding the truth about her past. But in Spain, everyone she meets wants to control her: the Spanish king wishes her talent for himself, her grandfather demands she take up her lawful inheritance, and a mysterious revolutionary wants her to fight for Spanish independence at his side. With conflicting demands on every side, Amaya must take control of her own destiny and discover who she truly is.

Veronica North, quiet and shy widow of the King of Tremontane, spends her days drifting from one charitable cause to another. Longing for something different, she returns to the Scholia, foremost educational institution in the country, to complete her education. At fifty, she is by far the oldest student there, but soon makes a place for herself within the community.When a friend and fellow student is murdered, the tragedy draws Veronica into the investigation. Despite official warnings to leave it alone, Veronica's determination to obtain justice for her friend brings her ever closer to the truth-and leads her to discover a side of herself she never knew existed.

PERU, 1815. Bess Hanley, fresh from service with England's War Office and grieving the loss of her dearest friend, embarks on a sea voyage that ends in disaster. Shipwrecked off the coast of Peru, Bess's Extraordinary ability to mentally communicate with anyone is not enough to prevent her from being kidnapped by a lost tribe of Incas.An Inca Seer's prophecy that Bess will help the Incas regain their dominance over South America tangles Bess in a political struggle that may mean her death. With the help of her Speaker friends, a mysterious Inca warrior woman, and a man who keeps his identity secret, Bess will try to stop a war-and fall in love with a man she has never met.

AN UNCERTAIN QUEENElspeth North, born and raised far from her Tremontanan homeland, wants nothing more than the peaceful, holy life of a priestess. Although born a princess, she believes her father's abdication means politics and intrigue have nothing to do with her. But her cousin King Francis's untimely death and a twist of Tremontanan law changes her whole life...and makes Elspeth Queen of Tremontane.With no formal training, no experience, and very little support, Elspeth must learn the complex rules and traditions of a role she never expected to fill, and she must learn them fast-because the fate of a kingdom lies in her hands.

Helena and the oracular bookstore Abernathy's stopped an attack by the alien invaders' human allies and destroyed their attempt at a second oracle, giving the Wardens much-needed victories. Now, after months of fighting a defensive war, the Wardens plan a direct assault on the enemy stronghold.But as the battle approaches, Abernathy's has other plans. The oracle directs Helena to contact four ordinary people with extraordinary talents whose abilities will change the course of the war.Convincing them to join the fight challenges Helena's persuasive powers to the extreme. If she fails, it will mean the deaths of thousands-including those Helena loves most.

When the oracle behaves strangely, Helena is its only hope.With the Mercy's attacks on the Wardens neutralized, Helena prepares for her upcoming wedding to Malcolm Campbell. But when Helena steps into the oracle's space and finds herself somewhere unfamiliar, the mystery threatens to destroy the Wardens' tentative peace.Having no explanation for the oracle's strange behavior, Helena reaches out to a new ally she hopes can answer her questions. Is the oracle trying to communicate with her? Is it under attack again?Or is Helena traveling through time?

War is coming. And Helena is at the heart of it.With a successful challenge to the Accords behind her, and her relationship with Malcolm Campbell made public, Helena Davies' life seems perfect. Then the attacks begin.As the enemy magi known as the Mercy wreak havoc on Warden strongholds, Helena and the oracular bookstore Abernathy's play their role in guiding the Wardens. But the oracle knows a deadly secret, one Helena struggles to interpret while the enemy draws nearer. And the one question she needs the answer to is the one question the oracle will not answer: Who are the weavers?

Fiona, cursed with the power to ignite fire in a country where magic is illegal, wants to start a new life for herself, far from the mistakes of her past. A case of mistaken identity tangles her fortunes with those of the mysterious Sebastian, who intends to stop a blackmailer from destroying his family.Asked to help Sebastian infiltrate a sacred temple to find the damning evidence, Fiona soon goes from reluctant companion to trusted ally.But Sebastian's secrets go deeper than Fiona realizes. What began as a simple heist becomes a web of intrigue entangling the governments of two countries.As Fiona's deceptions grow deeper, she must find a way to redeem her honor-and embrace a future she believes impossible.

Where THE CROWN OF TREMONTANE and THE SAGA OF WILLOW NORTH leave off, TALES OF THE CROWN begins...This SPOILER-FILLED COMPANION volume to the Tremontane novels contains stories, novellas, scenes, and excerpts that never made it into the books Here you will find: Four new short stories revealing details of the lives of Willow, Zara, Telaine, and othersHalf a dozen scenes from the books, retold from other characters' points of viewAn alternate version of Rider of the Crown, told from Jeffrey North's perspectiveThe complete text of the four-part novella Exile of the CrownThe short stories "Long Live the Queen" and "Night Be My Guardian," previously published in Servant of the Crown and Agent of the CrownThe Tremontane Encyclopedia, with background information on the geography, history, and customs of the world of TremontaneWhen you've read the novels of Tremontane, pick up TALES OF THE CROWN for an enhanced reading experience

THE FINAL CHALLENGEWith their quest nearly over and the coming of age ritual complete, Sienne and her companions prepare to challenge the wizard who enslaved Alaric's people. But a message from an unexpected source reveals terrible news about the identity of the wizard's latest hostage...Alaric's beloved younger sister.In a desperate attempt to save her life and destroy the wizard, the companions travel to a secret valley in the far north, challenging the combined might of the enslaved unicorns and the most powerful wizard in the world. All their adventures have led them to this moment-but nothing has prepared them for what comes next.The epic conclusion to the Company of Strangers series, full of terrible danger and heroic sacrifice.

A CITY LOST TO TIMEAn unexpected discovery takes Sienne and her companions to the mysterious country of Omeira, Kalanath's lost homeland. There, a surprising welcome for Kalanath leads to another discovery. To complete their quest, they must travel to the city of Ma'tzehar, swallowed up by the desert centuries ago.Dangers lurk on every side on the journey to Ma'tzehar. But the real challenge begins when they reach the mysterious city, filled with dangers of a darker kind. And in the heart of the desert, they encounter an ancient, powerful creature whose magic and knowledge may be the key to their quest.An exciting adventure of epic battles, family ties, and the desire for freedom.

Helena Davies knows all about keeping secrets.Now her secrets will come to light.Helena's encounter with a terrible creature whose kind are bent on destroying the world revealed a terrible truth: a cabal of rogue humans works with those monsters, intent on gaining power. Charged to remain silent while her superiors prepare to attack the traitors, Helena fears trusting her friends, her colleagues, even her secret lover Malcolm Campbell. Any of them might betray her.When an unexpected attack by the hidden enemy devastates magi around the world, it draws Helena deeper into the web of conspiracy. With Malcolm suffering his own loss, and friends betraying friends, Helena confronts the reality that no secret can last forever.

AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERYThe four hundredth anniversary of the city of Fioretti's founding provides Sienne and her companions a welcome break from their quest. But the celebration also brings Sienne's family to Fioretti, with news that changes her life and threatens her association with her companions, as well as her relationship with Alaric. To escape her fate and Perrin's vengeful father, the friends accept a job that takes them far from the city, to the eastern mountains.The job seems simple. A struggling community of settlers needs scrappers to clear out a ruin where something dangerous lurks. But the companions soon discover that nothing is as they expected. What the settlers actually want proves complicated even for these experienced scrappers. And a confrontation with a terrible enemy may end in someone's death.A thrilling tale of duty, honor, and the choice between the two.

When humans' trusted allies turn on them, nowhere is safe...For over seventy years, the use of familiars-monsters bound by magic to fight beside humans in the Long War-divided magery into two factions. Now, the monsters strike back.As Helena prepares for the Conference of Neutralities, reports of familiars breaking their bonds to attack and kill their masters raise tensions between the factions to an unprecedented high.Faced with the challenge of keeping her relationship with Malcolm Campbell secret from more than a hundred of her fellow custodians, Helena must also protect herself from rogue familiars-and they're closer than she thinks.

If she can't trust the oracle, who can she trust?As the custodian of the oracular bookstore Abernathy's, Helena has faced any number of challenges in learning her new role. But when the store begins giving out false prophecies, Helena comes up against her greatest challenge yet: how can she fix Abernathy's when she doesn't truly know how it works? Armed only with a few special talents and her desire to protect her magical charge, and with the assistance of her best friend Viv, her reluctant assistant Judy, and the enigmatic and handsome Malcolm Campbell, Helena navigates the treacherous depths of the magical world, where secret enemies lurk behind illusions capable of fooling even the most powerful of magical entities.Helena is the only one who can see past those illusions, but will her abilities prove strong enough to save the oracle?

A bookstore with a million secrets...Helena Davies just wants a job that will get her out of her parents' basement. Instead, by the end of her first day at Abernathy's Bookstore, she has a dead boss in the basement and the news that she is now a part of an endless magical war.Abernathy's is the world's only living oracle, and Helena is now its custodian. Without any training, she must navigate her new world and find a place for herself within it. But there's still a murderer on the loose-and Helena might be next on his list.