Showing results by author "Victoria McCombs" in All Categories

From distant planets to enchanted worlds of magic, embark on a journey through amazing short fiction in this epic anthology featuring twenty-two science fiction and fantasy authors. Travel from distant planets on the edge of space to enchanted worlds filled with magic. Laugh with plucky thieves...

For as long as anyone can remember, every child in Westfallen has been born with a Gift, and these Gifts defined them. Then Cosette is born, Giftless. An attempt to hide her misfortune brings her before the King, who entraps her to use her Gift as a pawn in his war. Caught in a lie, Cosette desperately searches for a power strong enough to free her. Intrigued by whispers of an old king and a dark curse, she calls upon Rumpelstiltskin and finds him trapped in a magic deeper than she bargained for. Now, Cosette must fight to reclaim her freedom from the King and break Rumpel’s curse.

Each year on the center island, one girl is chosen to be the next Mortal Queen of the idolized fae. The mortals praise these lucky girls, but their daughters are never seen again. The fae realm is eternal night, where disputes are settled by chess matches, power is acquired through the most devious kinds of trickery, and seven illusive kings roam. The fae hide their faces behind masks and guard their glass hearts to keep them from shattering. But beyond the veil of this luxurious paradise, a dark secret simmers, for their Queens have disappeared.

The old queen is dead, a new queen is in play, and the realm has descended into darkness. For the first time in history, a queen has rejected the game. Eliza will start her reign with no alliances while Althea must fight to save her tenuous bond with the king who cannot love. Her relationship threatens to break, but Althea’s attention becomes divided after receiving a few harrowing clues connecting her past and the game at hand.

Ronin’s son is dead, and Maid Marion is gone. But a sorceress banished to the woods can bring his son back if he and his Silver Raiders are willing to do something for her first. She finds there's nothing Ronin Hood won't do for his son.

The seas have become more threatening than ever, with enemies closing in on all sides. War isn't just brewing—it’s here, knocking on their doorsteps, threatening to devour them all. And just as she was warned, Emme might have been the one to create the chaos. In her desperate attempt to keep the fight away, Emme hatches a plan that involves trapping the only one who can put an end to the battles. But as plans go awry, she discovers she’s not the only one scheming. Eventually she'll have to accept that she’s no longer playing a role: She’s a pirate now.

Rowan’s sleeping curse is broken by a stranger's kiss. Their happily ever after should begin, but they aren't in love. When the king sets up a Queen’s Competition as an attempt to settle unrest, Rowan’s place is threatened. She must fight for the prince she ought to love to secure his position at court, while competing in challenges that seek to unravel her, bit by bit. For though they can force her to compete, she’s the only competitor who knows she can never truly win. Just as Rowan finds her place, a poison apple could destroy it all.

Emme is tasked with getting rid of the king, but kings are not an easy target, and this one is bent on purging his lands of pirates. As Emme’s job becomes increasingly dangerous, she learns to survive the pirate way—cunning and merciless—while consoling herself with one fact: she’s just doing what it takes to get home. But when Emme mistakenly takes out the wrong man, not even the protective pirate captain can save her from the consequences. In a string of betrayals, one thing is certain. You can never trust a pirate.

Emme has spent her life avoiding anything to do with pirates. But the fates are cruel, and now a hidden sickness leads her to partner with pirates for the one thing that can save her - a cure on an island none are certain exists.

The sole heir to the kingdom is destined to sleep for a hundred years. To hide this liability, the queen left her cursed daughter in the care of a trusted lord, while taking his son as her own. Rowan grew up hating the boy who had her crown and vowed to one day reclaim her place as queen. But when a neighboring king threatens a war they won’t survive, Rowan must work with the fraud prince to save Elenvérs. She pledges herself as his spy in the enemy court and lives in the heart of danger. If she can’t save her kingdom before the curse hits, there may be nothing left to wake up to.