Cirrus@Austlit

'nightmare (n) 1. a frightening or unpleasant dream with acute fear, anxiety or other painful emotion 2 a very unpleasant experience 3 a condition, thought or experience suggestive of a nightmare in sleep logic (n) 1 the science of principles of reasoning 2. good reasoning 3. correct or reliable inference Nightmare logic 1. The inexorable horror of bad dreams 2. that which lurks unsuspected in the shadows of the waking world 3. forgotten and unacknowledged pasts rising up to claim the present 4. the twisted raison d' etre of things that should not be but are. At the intersection of this world and others, unimaginable things can happen. With this collection of stories, Leigh Blackmore invites you to voyage with him into urban decay and otherworldly dimensions, to discover paranoia and unknown planes of existence, to experience realms of cosmic alienage, and the fantastic that lies at the heart of the real.' (Publication summary)

'Evie Mickelson is anything but your average hostage negotiator with acute mind control powers- but she is about to discover she's the key to a battle with the demonic forces of evil.

'And Demoniacs (Book 1 of The Revelationary War) is anything but your average urban fantasy road trip novel with dark angels, ninja nuns and djinns. It is also a speculation on the nature of evil and terrorism. It is a commemoration of the superheroes of popular culture. It is a celebration of family. And it is an exaltation of just a few Bob Dylan songs. Come along on the journey!'  (Publication summary)

'The unique friendship between an angel and a human is the only hope for the future – but can they remain friends?

'It' s one thousand years since medical scientists brought a dead brain back to consciousness. When they discovered the reality of life after death, they laid claim to Heaven and set off a war against the angels.

'Now the Earth is a ruined wasteland. Descendants of the original scientists continue the war with their armies of artificially created Humen. When the greatest of Doctors, the all-knowing Doctor Saniette, takes control of the Bankstown Camp, the fighting moves to a terrible new phase.

'Miriael is the angel who fell to Earth, ate mortal food and can no longer return to Heaven. Ferren is the young tribesman who has been her only friend since her own kind abandoned her. Together, they work to unite the tribes in an alliance independent of the Humen. But suddenly Miriael has another friend. A beautiful, caring angel visits her in secret and offers her what she most desires: the chance to return to Heaven. The consequences will be extreme ... for her, for Ferren, for the world.'  (Publication summary)

'Come closer, let me tell you a tale or three. Sit nearer the firelight and if you notice the folk in the shadows, best not garner their attention. Beware the gifts, treasures and promises you make along this journey. There are temptations and curses too, plenty of those. From the tricks of jinn, vengeful Ancient Mesopotamian goddesses, the Hidden People and shadowy deals with demons & devils— many. In our journey through fairy tales reimagined, legends and folklore, and alternate histories, beware the uncanny folk who prey on unwary travellers. Mind your step now, keep your senses sharp, take nothing offered and you might evade those beings hidden just beyond the reach of the firelight.' (Publication summary)

'Approaching the Source continues to follow the battle of good and evil in an ongoing story on the distant and artificial world of Vhast. The people who find themselves in the formerly hidden village of Mousehole begin to find out where their enemy, the Adversaries, are based. Instead of reacting to them, they begin to learn more about them and take them on in their own strongholds. Following on from Intimations of Evil, and the next five books of the series, the Princess, and her wife the mage, the Cat, the priest, the ghazi, and the many others, including free and former slaves, begin to strike out and discover how much they have grown and how they can confound an enemy that has plagued Vhast for thousands of years. Approaching the Source is the seventh and penultimate book of a series where magic is a scientific experiment. Good struggles with evil to control this magic in a world made by an alien race for their own purposes.' (Publication summary)

'Be careful what you wish for... We've all heard childhood fairy tales and hearthside stories passed from generation to generation warning us of unseen dangers lurking in the dark forest, the glimpse of a future in watery reflections and to be wary of objects and people offering impossible gifts. The Fae are ageless beings dwelling between light and shadow, stalking the moonlit nights and wielding powerful gifts and curses. Welcome to Cursed Shards, a collection of dark fantasy stories inspired by folklore, legends, fairy tales and mythology. Ten authors spin ten different tales ranging from deserts, icy mountains and dark forests to legendary warriors to the mythical Fae. A realm where the landscape is as volatile as the rulers and an ancient cursed mirror, a once-powerful magical artefact created with blood magic was shattered before it could be used against the realm. A cursed mirror broken but never destroyed. Ten shards remain: now disguised and repurposed into ordinary items that are traded, stolen, and sold between rulers, common folk and the Fae. Whenever a shard re-appears its curse influences the decisions of all who come within reach threatening Fae and mortal kingdoms alike. Here, the ancient adage ‘ be careful what you wish for' is true.' (Publication summary)

'The Holy Land, 1099: Jerusalem has fallen. As the Christian factions vie for power, Godefroi de Bouillon and his companions unearth markers to the Keystone, a mystical artefact with the power to shape history. Yet progress has its price: Godefroi’s bodyguard lies gravely wounded; the Arabic cabal guiding Hugues is broken; and the forces of Severity are gathering to claim the Keystone.

'France, 1307: Bertrand de Châtillon-sur-Seine was a knight for a single day before fleeing with the mysterious Salome. After a pitched battle that claims most of his brethren, Bertrand agrees to become Salome’s new Shroud, binding his fate to hers. A refuge lies across the English Channel, but will they reach it in time? And when will Salome finally reveal her secrets?

'The Keystone awaits, but is it meant for mortal hands?' (Publication summary)

'In the quiet hamlet of Blaxby in the Kingdom of Irrawene, twelve-year-old Jonty Fairskye’s mother is gravely ill. A tonic from Dagatha, the fearsome witch who dwells in the dark heart of the Terrenwild Woods may be her only hope, but everyone knows Dagatha’s cures cost dearly ― both in gold and regret.

'Determined to save her mother, Jonty resolves to enter the King’s Annual Horse Race on her beloved horse, Onyx. The prize, a pouch of gold ― more than enough to pay Dagatha. When Jonty discovers Rose, an injured unicorn, during a woodland training session, she is wonderstruck. There hasn’t been a unicorn sighting in Irrawene for over a century. Jonty smuggles Rose back to the safety of her barn to recover.

'As the great horse race draws closer, disaster strikes and Jonty is forced to make a decision that will impact the lives of everyone she loves. Danger and betrayal lurk around every corner, and Jonty will learn that the true meaning of kindness and bravery comes down to how much you’re willing to sacrifice.' (Publication summary)

'An uneasy peace follows the devastating civil war in Ean which ousted the vicious Sutanite ruler, Jakus. But the deposed leader heads an invasion force to seek revenge and to obtain supplies of a scent-enhancing crystal held in the peaceful neighbouring country of Rolan, that will intensify his powers. The defenders, led by the tarnished Eanite hero, Targus, and an aging female mystic, Alethea, prepare to fight for their freedom against the ruthless enemy who is using a new and powerful scent-based weapon. But their task is made harder by a parasitic presence infecting Targus and seeking to control his will. Ultimately, all that stands in the aggressors' way is a new and subtle scent magic employed by the women of Rolan.' (Publication summary)

'When the illegal organisation Hunters Extreme targets intelligent beings across the galaxy, Kat's lifemate is murdered. Despite being of a pacifist feline-like species, Kat seeks vengeance, only to discover she has murdered the wrong man, the son of an Intergalactic Council member. Pursued by enforcers and exiled from her pride, Kat must kill again to save her life. Aided by a canine-like mystic and a mysterious Agency, she and two young human friends commence a deadly pursuit across the galaxy. To prevent the hunting of intelligent species to extinction, Kat must follow her predator instincts and deny her pacifist culture in a universe of kill or be killed.' (Publication summary)

'In the year 2010 after the Invasion of Heaven, human psychonauts trample the sacred fields of Heaven, and the angels retreat to higher altitudes to avoid the contamination of the physical.

'In the Year 2520 the Millenial Wars have reduced the Earth to a devastated battleground.

'In the year 3000 the evil Humen are determined to destroy the power of Heaven, while the Residuals, a primitive race of people, live fearfully in the ruins of civilisation.

'In the midst of this hatred and fear is born a unique friendship that could change the course of history.

'The Residual Ferren befriends Miriael, a warrior angel stranded on Earth. Together they must survive hostile forces that defy the imagination, and uncover the horrific truth behind the Humen.' (Publisher's blurb)

'Midnight Masquerade, a collection of Greg Chapman’s acclaimed and original fiction:

'Clown-for-hire, Harvey has the worst day of his life

'A childhood display of malice is resurrected thirty years later

'A priest finds true faith means devotion to blood and pain

'Revenge shows Emma what lies beneath her mask of fear

'A Halloween expert unleashes her own personal hell

'In these stories, you’ll discover how the masks we all wear hide our innermost fears, and how our choices can expose true horrors. Also included are Chapman’s acclaimed novellas, The Last Night of October and Vaudeville, and the short stories, Octoberville and Left on October Lane.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'July 1099: sweltering in the merciless heat, Godefroi de Bouillon’s desperate army finally breach the walls of Jerusalem. Concealed within their ranks are members of a secret fraternity. The Salt Lines seek a mystical artefact called the Keystone, and they’ re willing to sacrifice everything Godefroi values to possess it: the lives of his closest confidants, the only woman he has ever loved, even his very soul. October 1307: when Bertrand joined the Brotherhood of the Temple of Solomon, no one anticipated the brutal suppression of the Order that followed. Forced to flee for his life, Bertrand unwittingly becomes the only person who can lay the Keystone to rest. But can he resist its temptations whilst evading the forces of the French throne? With the veil of secrecy in tatters, truth has become the most dangerous possession of all.' (Publication summary)

'Anatolia – Autumn, 1405 AD. The Ottoman Sultan and the barbaric Turko-Mongol conqueror Timur Lenk are both dead. The empire is on the verge of collapse, caught up in bloody civil war. And dark powers are rising, employing Uzbeg mercenaries and blood magic to wrest control of the country. In a small Mediterranean coastal town, a street-wise sixteen-year-old orphan named Ali starts to have uncontrollable nightmares he thinks are predicting the future, only to learn they are creating the future. His dreams attract unwanted attention, and in an attempt to rid himself of them, Ali sets off on a quest to find a mythical sage called Luman, pursued by the evil men who killed his mother and will stop at nothing to capture him and corrupt his unwanted powers with gemeye blood magic. An historical adventure/fantasy/romance story for Young Adults that will appeal to readers young and old.' (Publication summary)