The Unwilling Warlord: A Legend of Ethshar

Description

When the foreigners confronted Sterren in Ethshar of the Spices he was uneasy; when they all but abducted him, taking him to an obscure kingdom in the south, he knew he was in a terrible predicament. A predicament some might actually find appealing -- he was by heredity the Ninth Warlord of Semma, least of the small kingdoms; he was a noble, and his rank afforded him material privileges, even in a place as insignificant and obscure as Semma.

But the office also carried certain terrible responsibilities: he was to win the war the stupid King had stirred up by his arrogance. Two larger and stronger Kingdoms were preparing to invade Semma. And if the country lost, the first thing likely to be forfeit was the life of the Warlord!

And if it won . . . if it won, the fate and shape of Ethshar would change forever.

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When the foreigners confronted Sterren in Ethshar of the Spices he was uneasy; when they all but abducted him, taking him to an obscure kingdom in the south, he knew he was in a terrible predicament. A predicament some might actually find appealing -- he was by heredity the Ninth Warlord of Semma, least of the small kingdoms; he was a noble, and his rank afforded him material privileges, even in a place as insignificant and obscure as Semma.

But the office also carried certain terrible responsibilities: he was to win the war the stupid King had stirred up by his arrogance. Two larger and stronger Kingdoms were preparing to invade Semma. And if the country lost, the first thing likely to be forfeit was the life of the Warlord!

And if it won . . . if it won, the fate and shape of Ethshar would change forever.

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Heart of Stone

Description

A short story of a wizard's creation, and what becomes of her when her creator is killed by superstitious villagers. Originally published in the anthology Graven Images.

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A short story of a wizard's creation, and what becomes of her when her creator is killed by superstitious villagers. Originally published in the anthology Graven Images.

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Why I Left Harry's All-Night Hamburgers

Description

The Hugo-winning short story about diners, bored teenagers, and parallel worlds.

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The Hugo-winning short story about diners, bored teenagers, and parallel worlds.

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The Unwelcome Warlock: A Legend of Ethshar

Description

The Calling. Sooner or later, it claimed every powerful warlock...a growing magical compulsion to go north from Aldagmor that nothing could stop.

Hanner the Warlock knew his days were numbered. The Calling pulled at him ceaselessly now, and his ability to resist had begun to crumble. So he determined to find a place where the Calling couldn't reach him...another world, located through a magic tapestry. Every warlock knew that the farther he was from Aldagmor, the weaker the Calling was - and the weaker his magic was, as well, but that was only a secondary consideration. That weakening had given Hanner the idea to find, or make, a place so distant from Aldagmor than the Call couldn't reach it at all.

Unfortunately, the Call took him anyway. And that's where his story really gets interesting. Because the Calling wasn't what everyone believed. And, when the wizards who had been Called over the decades suddenly wake up again at the object doing the calling...and find themselves without their powers...the world may never be the same again!

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The Blood of a Dragon (Ethshar)

Description

Dumery of Shiphaven was a lad with a love of wizardry--and no magic at all. He dreamed of apprenticing himself to a great wizard, but because he had not even a touch of the talent, it was a dream he could never fulfill. He would never apprentice himself to a great wizard, nor even a meager one; no matter how he loved magic and the magical arts, he would never work with wizards or wizardry. That's what Dumery was beginning to think, anyway--until he spied a great wizard humbling himself before a man selling dragon's blood, the precious stuff that made difficult spells work. If Dumery couldn't be a wizard, he could still become a dragon-hunter--and have all those condescending wizards crawling to him. And so Dumery set off on a quest--a quest in search of dragons and dragon-hunters, and ultimately the secret that lay beneath all the wizardry in Ethshar. Before he reached its end, he would uncover the terrible mystery of the dragon-hunters--and scheme a scheme that would change the face of Ethsharitic magic forever.

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Dumery of Shiphaven was a lad with a love of wizardry--and no magic at all. He dreamed of apprenticing himself to a great wizard, but because he had not even a touch of the talent, it was a dream he could never fulfill. He would never apprentice himself to a great wizard, nor even a meager one; no matter how he loved magic and the magical arts, he would never work with wizards or wizardry. That's what Dumery was beginning to think, anyway--until he spied a great wizard humbling himself before a man selling dragon's blood, the precious stuff that made difficult spells work. If Dumery couldn't be a wizard, he could still become a dragon-hunter--and have all those condescending wizards crawling to him. And so Dumery set off on a quest--a quest in search of dragons and dragon-hunters, and ultimately the secret that lay beneath all the wizardry in Ethshar. Before he reached its end, he would uncover the terrible mystery of the dragon-hunters--and scheme a scheme that would change the face of Ethsharitic magic forever.

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The Ghost Taker

Description

On a distant planet in the far future, visitors from Earth try to suppress the local superstitions -- but they may have misjudged the situation. A short story that originally appeared in Amazing Stories.

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On a distant planet in the far future, visitors from Earth try to suppress the local superstitions -- but they may have misjudged the situation. A short story that originally appeared in Amazing Stories.

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