A doomed kingdom, a young queen's sacrifice and a killer who will bring an empire to its knees... In a world where men share kindred with beasts, the Idol of the Beasts predicts a child who will end the Endless War after centuries of strife, but first the enemy king must die and his son be brought to the Jashimari Queen in chains... After numerous failed attempts, killing King Shandor seems impossible, until an assassin offers to do the deed. His success places the Crown Prince at Queen Minna-Satu's mercy, and Blade becomes the instrument of her wrath. Forged in the fires of fury, his heart died long ago in the desert kingdom. His glance is as icy as his smile is disarming, and the fires of passion will never stir his blood. He is the Master of the Dance in Jondar, the best to ever hold the title. Driven by hatred and with the skills of his trade, he will usher in a time of strife and pain that will live in legend, and forever bear his name. He is the instrument who can change fate. He is the Queen's Blade.

It is medieval times, and a traditional tournament is about to take place across the land. Known in the underworld as The Queen's Blade, this battle royale is held every four years to determine the land's most beautiful and powerful Queen. While most of the battles are staged in the Queen's Capital, Gynos, fighters from all over travel far and wide to encounter each other in any venue and locale to prove their worth. The supernatural, whether they be angels or demons, are also involved in this event; often as judge and host to these battles but occasionally to influence their position on the regional powers. In this full-color art collection fans of the Queen's Blade franchise may experience dozens of detailed portraits from many of Japan's leading character designers, as well as established members of the Queen's Blade production community. This limited edition hardcover also features character bios, battle stage information and additional gameplay facts for the experienced Queen's Blade aficionado. Featuring character art from the following artists: Hirokazu Hisayuki Eiwa Masami Hirata F.s Kazuhiro Takamura Hirako Kaneko Masahiro Kuroki Natsuki Mibu

The time for the transfer of power from one generation to the next has come. The rites require Queen Olwen to kill herself with the Queensblade in order to ensure the bounty of the kingdom. First, the Princess, Olwen's daughter Gwenlliant, must discover the powers in order to inherit the crown and the kingdom, for only in Gwenlliant rests the power to bring back the bounty of the land and the kingdom of the ages. Gwenlliant must go forth from the Isles of Mist to the shores of Byzantium in order to discover her ancient birthright. Attacked along the way by the assassins of the spirit of darkness and nearly becoming a sacrifice in the dark and bloody vaults of the Stone King, Gwenlliant must overcome hardship and steal her way to succession for only then will her kingdom survive.

“Wow. C. E. Murphy is good. Court intrigue in an alternate Elizabethan-era fantasy world: realpolitik with the sex included.” –Kate Elliott, author of Crown of Stars In a world where religion has ripped apart the old order, Belinda Primrose is the queen’s secret weapon. The unacknowledged daughter of Lorraine, the first queen to sit on the Aulunian throne, Belinda has been trained as a spy since the age of twelve by her father, Lorraine’s lover and spymaster. Cunning and alluring, fluent in languages and able to take on any persona, Belinda can infiltrate the glittering courts of Echon where her mother’s enemies conspire. She can seduce at will and kill if she must. But Belinda’s spying takes a new twist when her witchlight appears. Now Belinda’s powers are unlike anything Lorraine could have imagined. They can turn an obedient daughter into a rival who understands that anything can be hers, including the wickedly sensual Javier, whose throne Lorraine both covets and fears. But Javier is also witchbreed, a man whose ability rivals Belinda’s own . . . and can be just as dangerous. Amid court intrigue and magic, loyalty and love can lead to more daring passions, as Belinda discovers that power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. “C. E. Murphy vividly reimagines Renaissance Europe as a world both familiar and strange. Filled with intrigue and betrayal, her story is a chess game with six of seven sides, and I look forward to seeing what the next moves are.” –Marie Brennan, author of Warrior and Witch From the Trade Paperback edition.

A dark power that attacks Yoran leads Gavin on a dangerous journey. Gavin remains in Yoran while struggling to master his El'aras abilities. With the power of the strange ring that grants him even more power, he knows he has to learn control, otherwise he'll destroy the city while trying to protect it. When the hyadan, creatures of dark sorcery, come to the city, Gavin has to make a choice between staying to learn control over his power or helping Imogen. For him, that's no choice at all. Chasing the hyadan leads them deeper into Imogen's past, and challenges Gavin more than he thought possible. The price of failure is greater than only one city. If he can't learn to control his El'aras magic--and the power of the ring--the dark power will spread and destroy all magic in the world.

Ty stopped the danger to the kingdom but a new danger emerges. While trying to understand his Tecal connection to the smoke dragon, Ty knows Lothinal have not abandoned their plans. Roson James has been stopped but not defeated, and now the Dragon Touched are compromised. The key to protecting the kingdom is mastering his dragon connections, but the smoke dragon remains elusive and Ishantil is simply too powerful. Finding understanding means chasing the Flame-and the possibility that he might be more than a Tecal. Ty must succeed or Lothinal will destroy not only the kingdom, but the power of the Flame itself. Packed full of action and adventure, The Obsidian Dragon continues an exciting new epic fantasy adventure.