Alex longs for a normal life as a half-blood and grapples with her destiny as the second Apollyon, which is exacerbated by her infuriating connection to Seth and her forbidden feelings for pure-blood Aiden, all while she battles daimons and pures who threaten her survival.

Split Second is the first in the gripping King and Maxwell series by bestselling author David Baldacci. When something distracts Secret Agent Sean King for a split second, it costs him his career and presidential candidate, Clyde Ritter, his life. But what stole his attention? And why was Ritter shot? Eight years later Michelle Maxwell is on the fast track through the ranks of the Secret Service when her career is stopped short: presidential candidate John Bruno is abducted from a funeral home while under her protection. The similarity between the two cases drives Michelle to re-open investigations into the Ritter fiasco and join forces with attractive ex-agent King. The pair are determined to get to the bottom of what happened in those critical moments. Meanwhile, high-ranking members of the legal system and key witnesses from both cases are going missing. King is losing friends, colleagues and clients fast and his ex-lover, Joan Dillinger, is playing curious games – she wants Sean back, but she also owes him for something . . . Split Second is followed by Hour Game, Simple Genius, First Family, The Sixth Man and King and Maxwell.

Experience your favourite fantasy worlds through some of the most fearsome, devious, and brutal antagonists in fantasy. Villains take centre stage in nineteen dark and magical stories that will have you cheering for all the wrong heroes as they perform savage deeds towards wicked ends. And why not? They are the champions of their own stories¿evil is a matter of perspective.Authors:R. Scott Bakker (The Second Apocalypse)Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt, The Tiger and the Wolf)Michael R. Fletcher (Manifest Delusions)Shawn Speakman (The Annwn Cycles)Teresa Frohock (Los Nefilim)Kaaron Warren (The Gate Theory, Mistification)Courtney Schafer (The Shattered Sigil)Marc Turner (Chronicles of the Exile)Jeff Salyards (Bloodsounder's Arc)Mazarkis Williams (The Tower & Knife)Deborah A. Wolf (The Dragon's Legacy)Brian Staveley (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)Alex Marshall (Crimson Empire)Bradley P. Beaulieu (The Song of the Shattered Sands, The Lays of Anuskaya)Matthew Ward (Shadow of the Raven, Coldharbour)Mark Alder (?Banners of Blood)Janny Wurts (The Wars of Light and Shadow, The Empire Trilogy)E.V. Morrigan (Glyph War world)Peter Orullian (The Vault of Heaven)Artists:Tommy Arnold (cover)Jason Deem (interior art)Shawn King (design)