Bøger af Josh Vanbrakle

From debut fantasy author Josh VanBrakle comes an epic new trilogy of friendship, betrayal, and explosive magic inspired by Japanese mythology. Lodia's history declares lefthanded people dangerous and devil-spawned. For teenager Iren Saitosan, the kingdom's only known Left, that's meant a life of social isolation. To pass the time and get a little attention, he plays pranks on the residents of Haldessa Castle. They're harmless fun, until one of his stunts almost kills Lodia's charismatic heir to the throne. Now to avoid execution for his crime, Iren must join a covert team and assassinate a bandit lord. It's a suicide mission, and Iren's chances aren't helped when he learns that his new katana contains a dragon's spirit, one with a magic so powerful it can sink continents and transform Iren into a raging beast. Adding to his problems, someone on Iren's team is plotting treason. When a former ally launches a brutal plan to avenge the Lefts, a vengeance one thousand years in the making, Iren finds himself trapped between competing loyalties. He needs to figure out who - and how - to trust, and the fates of two nations depend on his choice. "A fast-paced adventure...led by a compelling cast of characters. Josh VanBrakle keeps the mysteries going." - ForeWord Reviews

Part girl. Part fox. All ninja. Thirteen-year-old Kitsune Odate is a bakemono, an animal shapeshifter born to human parents. Considered a demon, the only way she can live is to serve in the Imperial Ninja Corps, a secret police charged with fighting the Yatashin Empire's most dangerous criminals. Kitsune thought her first mission would be easy. Infiltrate Sendai Castle, find proof its lord is stealing Imperial gold, and escape. No one expected Inugami-demon dogs summoned to do their master's will-would ambush her. To prove her worth, Kitsune vows to hunt down the Inugami's summoner, even if it means disobeying orders and leaving the closest thing she's had to family since her father tried to kill her. Fortunately, she has help from her role model Sagi, a fifteen-year-old boy and ninja prodigy known as the legendary Night Heron. As Kitsune and Sagi pursue the summoner through haunted farms, mountain shrines, and lightless caverns, a bond slowly forms between them. But that bond may not last. When the pair finally confront their quarry, he will force everyone-including Kitsune and Sagi-to choose where their loyalties truly lie. "[VanBrakle's] gift for creating complex female characters is all too uncommon in fantasy literature." - Kirkus Reviews

I am the mission. Fourteen-year-old shapeshifting ninja Kitsune is still reeling from the Second Battle of Sendai Castle, but she has no time to rest. Preying on the chaos, the infamous crime syndicate, the Yakuza, has begun kidnapping Sendai City residents and selling them into slavery. Now it's up to Kitsune, her best friend Momo, and the mysterious northern ninja Hebi to stop the operation. The odds are against them. The slavers are led by Kujiro, a notorious pirate with devastating power. Kujiro's already killed two ninjas, and he plans to add Kitsune and her team to his list. When Kujiro takes Kitsune prisoner, it will take all her strength, cunning, and willpower to survive. But survival isn't good enough for a ninja. The mission comes first. And to complete her mission, Kitsune may have to sacrifice her friends.

The award-winning Dragoon Saga trilogy concludes! Iren Saitosan and Rondel Thara used to be student and teacher, but now they're at each other's throats. Iren seeks vengeance for his parents' murders, while Rondel believes that only by slaying Iren can balance on Raa be maintained. Caught between them is the Kodaman queen Minawë, who must decide whom to support: her best friend or her mother. As Iren, Rondel, and Minawë battle with each other, the Maantec lord Katashi Melwar sets in motion a plan to win him what he most desires: the restoration of his people through bloody conquest. Can Minawë stop those she cares about most from killing each other in time to prevent a genocide? Or will she have to watch Raa crumble around her? Love and hate, friendship and betrayal, forgiveness and revenge...they all collide in this epic finale.

The award-winning Dragoon Saga continues its tale of friendship, betrayal, and explosive magic. Seven months ago nineteen-year-old Iren Saitosan saved the continent of Raa, but victory had its price: his Dragoon transformation left him unable to use magic. In a culture that relies on spells even to open doors, the impairment has crippled him. Unwilling to live dependent on his friend Minawë, Iren departs in search of a cure. Meanwhile, Minawë faces a greater loss. She had to watch her mother's murder, and she has yet to overcome her grief. She will have to find the strength to move on, though, because a ruthless pair is hunting Iren. They know about the Dragoon, and they'll stop at nothing to gain its power. If they succeed, they'll plunge Raa into its most devastating war in a thousand years. Only Minawë can rescue Iren before that happens. But even if she finds him in time, a secret from the past may turn him against her. Praise for The Wings of Dragons: Book One of the Dragoon Saga "An exciting new fantasy world." - Kirkus Reviews "The compelling story line, characters, and myths are certain to intrigue adventurous readers and leave them eagerly anticipating book two." - Foreword Reviews

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