Showing results by narrator "John Pirhalla" in All Categories

Huon and Liona have reached the rank of Immortal. On the world of Temtoria, they developed abilities long lost to the surgecallers in Harolan and Taloniar. But their journey is far from over. On their return, they must help their friends catch up to their level of strength while pushing forward in their mission to defeat the Immortal Seven and the Everlasting King.

The battle lines are collapsing, and the Legion of Wolves cannot hold back the tide. Luna and Earth are both falling to the enemy, and there is little hope as the defense is pushed back on all sides. But when Wolf learns about a race in a distant part of the galaxy that has successfully fought the vanhat to a standstill, he decides to launch an expedition to seek their help. The AI Collective has also learned about the expedition, though, and intends to kill humanity before they can find aid.

So, there I was…just minding my own business and having a drink at a local watering hole, when this strange woman approaches me, begging for help. I’ve never seen this woman in my life. I have no idea who she is. If she’s to be believed, she doesn’t know who she is, either. Nor does she know where she came from, or exactly why it is she needs my help. She sure as heck knows who I am, though. She knows that I’m the Blade Mage.

With zombie hordes swallowing the earth, mankind had no choice except to launch every nuke on the planet to stop them. Now, 150 years later, we live in over-crowded polluted cities, surrounded by vast radioactive wastelands. And no, we did not get all the zombies. They live among us, sometimes hiding in plain sight. Although the tattoos and piercings help them blend in, and the drugs help to contain their rage, they can never fully control their hunger. It’s endless.

After the President declared the Maduro Sector off-limits, a peace craze swept the United Nations of Terra, and the government enacted the Budget Realignment Act to reap the dividends of the peace by shifting funds from the defense budget to public services. Thousands of Space Marines and Fleet personnel were summarily dismissed from the service, and their ships and weapons were mothballed.

Gideon Wolf’s world has turned not only upside down but inside out. In just a few days, the capricious hand of fate has flung Gideon from the status of celebrated archaeologist to wanted murderer. The US government, the Mexican cartels, and even a shadowy team of assassins are hunting him. All because he discovered some ancient amulet in a hidden jungle temple. All because he killed the drug lord who murdered his wife to force him to look for it. All because that amulet now transforms Gideon into El Chupacabra—part man, part monster, part ancient guardian sent to protect humanity.

WHEN A GOD DIES, they are reborn somewhere in the world… and deadly warriors calling themselves the Keepers begin The Hunt to find and enslave them. But when Keeper Cyrus fails to capture Damian, the God of Sacrifice, the Guild of Keepers is forced to send their best: Malek the Godslayer. A legendary warrior who is undefeated in battle — and who strikes terror in gods and kings alike — Malek continues the Hunt, determined to end it.

Having barely survived the Lands Beyond, Tolan recuperates while preparing for the next attack. His closest allies are gone, leaving him floundering for answers, along with his place in the Academy. Tolan must protect Terndahl, before the elementals attack. After years spent teaching others the elementals were no danger, he fears the repercussions of changing course. When even an elemental warrior might not be enough, Tolan must find the elemental nature within him.

For the first time since mastering his connection to the elements, Tolan fears an elemental. He's long advocated that the elementals were misunderstood, and tried convincing others within Terndahl to free them from the bond, but the appearance of Light has proven his mistake. Chasing the threat leads Tolan to take a dangerous journey, one that challenges all that he's learned of spirit and brings him back to the lands beyond the waste, where he discovers a secret hidden from the rest of the world for centuries.

The Great Serpent grants a gift of powerful essence to those who come before him. The experience, and the gift, is unpredictable but all have a vision of the Great Serpent so they can understand the purpose of their essence.

Never trust a stranger… But late at night and trapped in the middle of nowhere during a terrible snowstorm, Tibby and Walker have no choice. With roads shutting down and cell towers out, running into each other and deciding to travel together could either be their saving grace or worst mistake. When they’re forced to take an unexpected detour and seek refuge in a roadside motel, the storm quickly becomes the least of their worries.

These stories and more are featured in the third short story anthology for the System Apocalypse, continuing the saga of survival in a world transformed by the arrival of the System. Humanity has adapted to a new reality filled with Classes, magic and monsters, but the struggle for life, love and purpose never ends. This anthology brings together gripping tales from returning authors and two new short stories by Tao Wong.

When Carson Flint traded his Commonwealth military badge for the quiet life, he thought he'd left his battles behind. Two years of running a saloon called the Bulwark, a volatile hub for refugees, smugglers, and the occasional war-weary soldier, was the peace he'd been looking for. He's never had it easier, or been so bored. But when a fugitive Commonwealth operative arrives with dangerous secrets and a war criminal on his tail, Carson's sanctuary quickly becomes a target.

Zarinth is a dangerous city at the edge of the kingdom, illuminated by the constant fire of the nearby volcano Ishantil. For thief Ty, it’s more than a city filled with valuable ancient dragon relics. It’s the home he could never leave. When Ishantil threatens to erupt and put the city in chaos, Ty wants one last score before finally leaving it - and his past - behind. All while the notorious Dragon Thief chases the same prize. The Dragon Thief has a reputation for a reason, but Ty begins to think there’s more to the job than just the prize.

Death is the one, true constant in the Shift. This is something Troias has learned in his journey to become Baron of Wisconsin, and most of that death has come from his hands. He's battled monsters spawned from legends and nightmares and slaughtered powerful guardians of energy-rich Vortices. Now, though, he faces a new sort of enemy: his fellow man.

An oral history of the brutal Pacific Theater in WWII, told by many of the last living U.S. Marine veterans. This program features multicast narration. During World War II, over 16 million Americans served in the Armed Forces. Today, less than 1 percent are still alive. The Last of the Old Breed...

Venture into the shadows of Anger, New Hampshire, where a teenager with a unique ability fights a war hidden from the naked eye. This anthology features Jimmy Hsu’s chilling encounters with entities beyond the grasp of ordinary men. Join Jimmy as he races against time to save his friend from a vengeful spirit, comes face to face with the horrors of a haunted pet cemetery, and confronts the undead in an abandoned neighborhood.

Special Forces are accustomed to crazy ops, but orbiting a black hole to slow down time and fight Earth’s dirty wars in the future? That’s new, even for them. But that’s the mission for Owen Quarry, Anaya Pretorius, and the rest of COG, a company of elite, disgraced, soldiers from around the globe. They join a defrocked company commander, an AI warship with self-confidence issues, and a crew of misfit troopers on a dizzying time-quest: prove the concept of stationing armies in space-time. If they complete ten missions, they’ll be redeemed as citizens in good standing.

Victory seems within Artorian’s grasp when a deep dive becomes deep fried. Armed with beam weaponry against unreasonable rats, he’s making impressive progress on the Eternia Beta Run. Thanks in part to the Dwarves, and their relentless cheers to "Push...the...button!" There are a few final challenges that loom large on his path to triumph: the frozen continental storm, Fuyu No Arashi; the Matchless Gaston, and the final boss...Pag!

The Governance is falling apart as Mathison struggles to keep the Sol system from imploding. Stathis is learning more about the threat that Becket and the AI collective is becoming, and Sif has discovered that there are lethal flaws in the Alliance’s defenses. Mathison must declare himself Emperor and reveal himself before it is too late, but he needs the support of the Vapaus Republic, and—as the vanhat assault intensifies against Sol—there are factions within the governance that see Mathison’s weakness as an opportunity.