War—what is it good for? It’s good for 19 all-new tales from the battlefield... Nineteen all-new tales that look at war from the perspective of everyone from human to alien, pixie to toy. From epic intergalactic struggles for the future of humankind to the microcosm of a single abandoned toy soldier in a boy’s backyard; from a chemical experiment gone horribly wrong to a young recruit who may hold the key to “understanding” the enemy; from a half-mortal knight trying to avert a war with the Elfin Host to a Battle of Trenton fought against seven-foot tall Saurians, Front Lines brings together a diverse array of imaginative explorations of the phenomenon of war.

When twenty-year-old Billy Laird of Berwick excitedly enlists in the Union Army with his hometown pals, he has no idea what lies ahead for him. Mentally challenged, he is ill prepared for the training and fighting, but he gets by with the help of his friends. Soon, however, he is sent to a different unit without them. Lonely and unsure of what to do without his friends, Billy runs off and meets up with a runaway slave, Elijah. Together, and with the help of the Underground Railroad, the two make their way north to their fates. This young adult novel-inspired by a real person, Billy Laird, and an actual event-is a tale of friendship, loyalty, and compassion and will enthrall readers of all ages. It was painstakingly researched by Flahive and provides a wealth of information about the role that Mainers played in the Civil War.

A young language student travels to far western Pakistan to learn how to translate a mysterious language found on twelve ancient stone tablets. The oldest of the tablets dates to thirty thousand years ago. Powerful cosmic events signal to religious leaders around the world that humankind has entered the 'End of Times' as foretold by the Bible's Revelations. The famous epigraphist Doctor Gideon Law announces that he has translated the messages on the stone tablets. According to Doctor Law, the alphabet of the thirty-thousand-year-old language correlates exactly with the organic structure of human DNA. Because Doctor Law's announcement coincides with world-wide fears of the End of Times, the press begins calling the twelve stone tablets the 'End of Times Stones' and clamors for their meanings. In response, Doctor Law presents his findings to the prestigious Council of World Religions. The cryptic messages he reveals though seem meaningless and appear to reference locations in some missing ancient document. Doctor Myla de Naci, a geneticist attending the presentation, recognizes the messages as addresses in human DNA. She and Doctor Law agree to work together to find and translate the messages. They uncover a genetic war that has raged between God and Satan for the last thirty thousand years. Eventually they find that they are no longer scientific observers, but key players in the ongoing battles.

In the epic conclusion of the Deverry fantasy saga, as the Horsekin continue to push their religious crusade to the very borders of the kingdom, the humans of Deverry and their elven allies, with the magical aid of Dallandra and Valandario and the power of the great dragons Arzosah and Rori, battle to reveal the secrets that can protect the Northlands from ultimate conquest.