Now in mass market, from an Aurora Award-winning author comes the first book in a portal fantasy series where one woman's powers open the way to a labyrinth of new dimensions. For Shawna Keys, the world is almost perfect. She's just opened a pottery studio in a beautiful city. She's in love with a wonderful man. She has good friends. But one shattering moment of violence changes everything. Mysterious attackers kill her best friend. They're about to kill Shawna. She can't believe it's happening--and just like that, it isn't. It hasn't. No one else remembers the attack, or her friend. To everyone else, Shawna's friend never existed.... Everyone, that is, except the mysterious stranger who shows up in Shawna's shop. He claims her world has been perfect because she Shaped it to be perfect; that it is only one of uncounted Shaped worlds in a great Labyrinth; and that all those worlds are under threat from the Adversary who has now invaded hers. She cannot save her world, he says, but she might be able to save others--if she will follow him from world to world, learning their secrets and carrying them to Ygrair, the mysterious Lady at the Labyrinth's heart. Frightened and hounded, Shawna sets off on a desperate journey, uncertain whom she can trust, how to use her newfound power, and what awaits her in the myriad worlds beyond her own.

Shaper Nations provides perspectives on the national strategies of eight countries that are shaping global politics in the twenty-first century. The volume’s authors offer a unique viewpoint: they live and work primarily in the country about which they write, bringing an insider’s feel for national debates and politics.

In this epic fantasy series opener, humans and other beings must halt the release of an imprisoned god who could destroy the world. For thousands of years, the Breaker of the Dawn has been locked away in the ethereal plane of the Otherworld. Now, a young blacksmith’s apprentice finds himself trapped in a war between the noble Athrani, a subset of humanity gifted with the ability to transmute matter, and the malevolent and powerful Khyth, who seek to free the ancient god from his prison. Gift of the Shaper chronicles the epic struggle between the existing forces of good and evil, with both sides vying for control of the key that unlocks the Otherworld. The very powers of creation and destruction hang in the balance, and only a heroic effort can possibly stop the Khyth from unleashing ruin upon their world. Praise for Gift of the Shaper: “An exceptional series opener with memorable characters and simple but enticing worldbuilding.” —Kirkus Reviews “A rollicking good read that is for the fantasy fiction lover in all of us. . . . Packed full of adventure, action, suspense, and horror. . . . Akin to the classics of fantasy fiction from Tolkien and modern-day George RR Martin.” —Seattle Book Review “Jennings uses seamless world-building like [Robert] Jordan and [Brandon] Sanderson. The language elements are beautiful and consistent and the Otherworld is much greater and larger than the slice that we are treated to.” —Christopher D. Schmitz, author

We live in a world of continuous uncertainty and on the brink of a massive digital and AI-powered shift. What should leaders do? The answer is not to shy away from inevitable changes and more uncertainty, but to have the courage to face it. Leaders need to take charge by embracing new technologies and ideas and converting these into opportunities for leadership innovation. The best ways for leaders to predict the future is to help create the future. Future Shaper is about giving back a sense of control. It's about empowering leaders to take charge and shape the future. Niamh O'Keeffe asks leaders to re-calibrate their leadership skills to include imagination and courage, to embrace innovation and drive growth and create a better future. Future Shaper helps readers to: · Embrace new digital technologies, understand AI and equip themselves for those not-yet-invented challenges · Gain insights from today's successful leaders · Make an impact and feel more in control using an easy-to-understand leadership framework

Within these pages lie eighteen stories, from eighteen worlds shaped by some of today’s best writers of science fiction and fantasy, all guests on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers during its first year. Some are international bestsellers. Among them are winners and nominees for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, Aurealis, Ditmar, British Science Fiction Association, and Dragon Awards. Some have been writing for decades, others are at the beginning of their careers. All have honed their craft to razor-sharpness. A teenage girl finds something strange in the middle of the Canadian prairie. An exobiologist tries to liberate a giant alien enslaved on its homeworld by humans. The music of the spheres becomes literal for an Earth ship far from home. A superhero league interviews for new members. Strangers share a drink on a world where giant starships fall. Two boys, one a werewolf, one a mage, get more than they bargained for when they volunteer to fight an evil Empire. A man with amnesia accepts a most unusual offer. A young woman finds unexpected allies as she tries to win a flying-machine race in steampunk London . . . Ranging from boisterous to bleak, from humorous to harrowing, from action-filled to quiet and meditative; taking place in alternate pasts, the present day, the far, far future, and times that never were; set on Earth, in the distant reaches of space, in fantasy worlds, and in metaphysical realms, each of these stories is as unique as its creator. And yet, they all showcase one thing: the irrepressible need of human beings to create, to imagine, to tell stories. To shape worlds.

The first three books in the Evalyce - Worldshaper series of arcanepunk novels by J. Aislynn d'Merricksson, now available in one volume. This collection also contains the novella, Obsidian Alcatraz, as a bonus! Mother Of Wolves: In a world full of magic and blended technology, a year of awakening awaits Kalla kyl’Solidor. With the future of the realm at stake, Kalla and her magister embark on a journey that will shake the foundations of De Sikkari. Lady Of Wolves: In the second book in the series, Kalla will learn more of who she is, and of the role she is to play in the future. From Arkaddia, the group travels deep into Dashmar to challenge another of Al'dhumarna's pawns. An estranged family will be reunited, but not without considerable strife. World-shaping changes await the land of Evalyce and the whole world of De Sikkari. Empress Of Wolves: Trouble is brewing in De Sikkari. Grosso has begun to corrupt the Emperor of Argoth, fomenting war amongst the peaceful Argosians. Kalla's visit to the skycontinent of Argoth has unprecedented repercussions for her entire pack. Soon, they must brave the tropics of Su Ramerides and the dragons that live among the dense jungle. New friends will be found and new enemies made, and the most unexpected is yet to come.