The world reels from a shocking assassination. The Aelarian Empire is cracking. From the ashes of a burnt world, warlords, barbarians, and rebels emerge to claim the remains.Outside the walls of Aelar, different factions converge. Tribal warriors prepare to shatter the gates. Valentina, a senator's daughter, seeks to enter the city and rebuild the Republic. Prince Seneca, the last scion of a mighty house, battles his rivals to the throne and strives to hold the Empire together. Meanwhile, within the walls, dark magic and conspiracies brew.In the distant desert, the kingdom of Zohar crumbles. The Empire musters to grind Zohar's cities into dust. Epher, King of Zohar, and his sister Maya, a powerful magic-user, fight desperately to defeat the Empire's legions. Yet their greatest enemy might be the mysterious, shadowy figure that roams their ancient land.In smoldering battlefields, crows feast and humans squabble for the last shreds of power. Yet can the...

Science fiction and fantasy stories from a USA Today bestselling author. Carl Sagan famously said that we are made of star stuff. The atoms in our bodies were forged in the hearts of stars. We are a way for the universe to know itself. Science fiction is the literature of ideas. Of exploration. Of imagination. Through science fiction, we get a little closer to knowing the universe. This anthology contains tales of imagination. One novella. Five science fiction stories. One fantasy story. All seven tales ask a question. What if . . . We are made of star stuff. Let's gaze at where we came from . . . and imagine.

Zohar, an ancient land of sand and splendor, rallies for its last stand. The genocidal Aelarian Empire sends its legions to destroy the small desert kingdom. King Epher and his band of rebels stand against a fire they cannot extinguish. And it is Claudia herself, once Epher's paramour, who leads the legions tasked with killing him.Across the sea, in the Empire's capital, a cruel new emperor has seized power. Atalia Sela, once the leader of a barbarian horde, now fights in the arena as a gladiator. Ofeer Sela, once a concubine and now a rebel, seeks to free her sister. Meanwhile, Seneca and Valentina, the children of fallen dynasties, still battle for the city, and their inevitable clash draws near.Around the Encircled Sea, warlords, rebels, and legionaries battle for dominance. Sometimes it seems like the fire will always burn. Yet heroes still rise, fighting for a dream of peace, for memories of solace, and for lingering echoes of light.