The weather magic that holds Lur safe is failing, and the earth feels twisted and broken. Among Lur's sorcerers only Asher can mend the antique weather map that controls the seasons, using the magic he loathes - but this could cost him his life.

Many years have passed since the last great Mage War. It has been a time of great change. But not all changes are for the best, and Asher's world is in peril once more. The weather magic that holds Lur safe is failing, and the earth feels broken to those with the power to see. Among Lur's sorcerers, only Asher has the skill to mend the antique weather map that governs the seasons, keeping the land from being crushed by natural forces. Yet, when Asher risks his life to meddle with these dangerous magics, the crisis is merely delayed, not averted. Asher's son Rafel has inherited the father's talents, but has been forbidden to use them. Many died in the last Mage War and these abilities aren't to be loosed lightly into the world. But when Asher's last desperate attempt to repair the damage leaves him on his deathbed, Rafel's powers may not be denied. For his countrymen are facing famine, devastation, and a rift in the very fabric of their land.

Spring is here and with spring flowers come new titles from your favorite Orbit authors! This ebook contains sample chapters from our newest titles including Karen Miller's new pre-quel to the Kingmaker Kingbreaker series, A Blight of Mages; a new over-the-top SF romp from Philip Palmer, Hell Ship; The Edinburgh Dead by Brian Ruckley will take you to a Victorian Scotland where a band of enterprising villains have taken Mary Shelley's Frankenstein as a textbook; a gripping debut from ex-CIA analyst and debut author T.C. McCarthy's Germline will take readers to the front lines of a brutal future war; Kate Elliot's Cold Magic which puts a Jane Eyre twist on epic fantasy and steampunk; The Business of Death collects the entire Death Works trilogy from urban fantasy author Trent Jamieson; and finally Brent Weeks is back with the first volume of his new series, The Black Prism, now in paperback!

When kingdoms clash, every crown will be tarnished by the bloody price of ambition. A bastard lord leads a rebellion against his tyrant king -- and must live with the consequences of victory. A royal widow plots to win her daughter's freedom from the ambitious lords who would control them both. An orphaned prince sets his eyes on regaining his father's stolen throne. And two brothers, divided by ambition, will learn that the greater the power, the more dangerous the game. A masterful tale of the thirst for power and the cost of betrayal. Epic fantasy at its bloodiest, action-packed best.

When the staff of Witches Incorporated receive a visitor from an alternate reality, they are shocked to learn that life in the parallel world next door is anything but a bed of roses . . . and it's all because of Gerald Dunwoody. At a crucial moment in time, their Gerald turned left . . . but the alternate reality Gerald turned right. Now the parallel world next door is in the grip of terror, staring down the barrel of a thaumaturgical war -- a war that threatens to spill across the dimensions and plunge every reality into a nightmare. The only person who can stop a rogue wizard gone mad is another rogue wizard. But what do you do when another rogue wizard can't be found? Wizard Squared is the third novel in the Rogue Agent series, from one of fantasy's newest stars.

BOOK 1: THE ACCIDENTAL SORCERER Gerald Dunwoody is a wizard. Just not a particularly good one. He's blown up a factory, lost his job, and there's a chance that he's not really a Third Grade wizard after all. So it's off to New Ottosland to be the new Court Wizard for King Lional. It's a shame that King Lional isn't the vain, self-centered young man he appeared to be. With a Princess in danger, a talking bird who can't stay out of trouble, and a kingdom to save, Gerald soon suspects that he might be out of his depth. And if he can't keep this job, how will he ever become the wizard he was destined to be. . . BOOK 2: WITCHES INCORPORATED It's a case of espionage, skullduggery and serious unpleasantness And it's also Gerald's first official government assignment. He's hunting down a deadly saboteur, and time is quickly running out. Old enemies and new combine forces to thwart him. Once again, innocent lives are on the line. He needs his friends. He can't do this alone. But Princess Melissande and Reg have troubles of their own. With the help of Monk Markham's brilliant, beautiful sister, they've opened a one-stop-shop witching locum agency, where magical problems are solved for a price. Problem is, the girls are struggling to keep the business afloat. Things are looking grim for Witches Incorporated -- and that's before they accidentally cross paths with Gerald's saboteur. Suddenly everybody's lives are on the line and Gerald realizes, too late, that there's a reason government agents aren't supposed to have friends. . . BOOK 3: Wizard Squared When the staff of Witches Incorporated receive a visitor from an alternate reality, they are shocked to learn that life in the parallel world next door is anything but a bed of roses. . . and it's all because of Gerald Dunwoody. At a crucial moment in time, their Gerald turned left. . . but the alternate reality Gerald turned right. Now the parallel world next door is in the grip of terror, staring down the barrel of a thaumaturgical war -- a war that threatens to spill across the dimensions and plunge every reality into a nightmare. The only person who can stop a rogue wizard gone mad is another rogue wizard. But what do you do when another rogue wizard can't be found?

Book 4 of the Auralia Thread series The king is missing. His people are trapped as the woods turn deadly. Underground, the boy called Rescue has found an escape. Hopes are failing across The Expanse. The forests, once beautiful, are now haunted and bloodthirsty. House Abascar's persecuted people risk their lives to journey through those predatory trees. They seek a mythic city - Abascar's last, best hope for refuge - where they might find the source of Auralia's colors. They journey without their king. During a calamitous attempt to rescue some of his subjects from slavery, Cal-raven vanished. But his helper, the ale boy, falling through a crack in the earth, has discovered a slender thread of hope in the dark. He will dare to lead a desperate company up the secret river. Meanwhile, with a dragon's help, the wandering mage Scharr ben Fray is uncovering history's biggest lie - a deception that only a miracle can repair. Time is running out for all those entangled in The Auralia Thread. But hope and miracles flicker wherever Auralia’s colors are found.