Kira Solomon is unable to touch another living being—she draws off the energy of animate objects, “downloading” thoughts, emotions, memories...and, dangerously, draining the spirit. An antiquities specialist by day, she catalogs and defuses ancient magical artifacts; by night, she’s a Shadowchaser—a bounty hunter in the eternal struggle against the Shadow of Chaos. When Kira comes across an ancient dagger that belongs to Khefar, a 4,000 year-old Nubian warrior, the sexual tension between the two builds, and a sinister evil sets its sights on them both.

Enter a "vivid and detailed universe"* and "a richly woven world."* -*Quill & Quire Demonic activity has escalated in both the Undercity and the mortal surface level city as the worshipers and servants of the Lord of the Hells strive to complete the rituals that will return their god to the mortal realm. As Rath joins with mages and the Twin Kings' agents to wage a secret battle against this nearly unstoppable foe, he gives Jewel Markess and her den of orphans the opportunity to escape the chaos by providing them with a note of introduction to the head of House Terafin, where Jewel will discover her destiny.

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

This first book in D. E. Knobbe's gripping Runaway series puts readers in the middle of a wilderness adventure that few could survive on their own. Nate stole the kayak . . . sort of. His parents don't know where he is, and that's just fine with him. He's made it to the chain of sparsely populated islands off the coast of Vancouver, his kayaking dream come true. So what could possibly go wrong? For starters, he hadn't counted on real runaways making him feel like a fraud or on the cops chasing him into a wild and deadly storm. Nate hadn't planned to shipwreck on a deserted island either, or to have a run-in with a crazed drug smuggler, who drifted into the bay on a crippled Sailboat, ready to protect his stash with a loaded gun. Should Nate save himself or the Goth girl from Seattle who tried to rescue him? Between being chased by criminals, shot at, and almost drowned, their options aren't looking good. Praise for Runaway Storm: A rite of passage story that starts out as a rebellious solo kayaking adventure but turns perilous as 15-year-old Nate faces fellow runaways, a shipwreck and drug smugglers. An exciting survival tale that leaves you wanting more. --Mary-Pat Gonzalez, M.L.S., Senior Librarian--Children's, Huntington Beach Central Park Library Runaway Storm is an edge-of-your-seat page turner. Nothing goes the way Nate planned when his kayak trip turns deadly and he's forced to take more risks than he's ever faced in his life. D. E. Knobbe fits well into the ranks of other great adventure writers. Young readers won't be able to put this book down. --Bestselling author team Enderle and Gordon