A prize of 100,000 guilders awaits the gardener who can produce a black tulip, a rich reward that incites a bitter competition in 17th-century Holland. Cornelius von Baerle, a gifted and passionate florist, has dedicated himself to cultivating the elusive flower. But a ruthless rival, capitalizing on accusations that led to the assassination of Cornelius's godfather, falsely accuses the young horticulturist of treason. Sentenced to life imprisonment,...

A society of magicians, assassins and spies. Hear the story of the young man whose fate is bound up with the mysterious cabal - and the powerful enemy he has sworn to destroy.

"This is the original Game of Thrones." George R.R. Martin. The King is dead. Long live the King. With King Philip IV dead, and the Kingdom left in disarray, as the fatal curse of the Templars plagues the royal house of France. Imprisoned in Chateau Gaillard, Marguerite of Burgundy has fallen into disgrace. Her infidelity has left her estranged husband, Louis X King of France, with neither heir nor wife. The web of scandal, murder and intrigue that...

"The vile sorcerer Sidi plans to strike the kingdom a fatal blow, setting the murderous pirate Bear upon the high seas in pursuit of the vessel that is transporting Midkemia's most holy object: the Tear of the Gods. From this miraculous stone all magic power is believed to flow. And if the Tear becomes the mage's trinket, the future will hold only terror, death, and unending night. For Squire James, Lieutenant William, and the able magician Jazhara,...

Jimmy and Dash, two young noble brothers, are at the center of a gathering storm in which a desperate lackey who has seized control of the vanquished Emerald Queen's forces launches an attack of horrifying ferocity against the realm of Midkemia, its diminished army, and exhausted magicians.

A portent of annihilation awakens the powerful sorcerer Pug in the dead of night-a dread vision warning of a vast and terrible army descending upon the exposed heart of Midkemia. Even the formidable might of the Tsurani Empire will not beat back the alien invaders. And in far Stardock town, two boys-untrained, unready, and barely come of age-will be called upon by the mysterious Conclave of Shadows to confront a sinister plot that implicates even...

The Darkwar rages, bringing bleak days of destruction and despair to Midkemia and Kelewan. To save both worlds, the powerful sorcerer Pug and select members of the mysterious Conclave of Shadows must journey deep into the dangerous realm of the bloodthirsty Dasati on an audacious mission that has little, if any, chance to succeed. In Midkemia, young warriors Tad and Zane and their fellow soldiers must protect the Kingdom from raiders. And Pug's beloved...

The Conclave of Shadows has smashed the Nighthawks' dread plot to destroy the Empire of Great Kesh through civil war, putting an end to the murderous brotherhood's reign of terror. But there is no time for the victors to celebrate, for the mad sorcerer, Leso Varen, has taken refuge with the Magicians of the Assembly on the world of Kelewan, and is lost among the most powerful men and women of that empire. And a devastating new threat looms on the...

A plague of murder has overrun Krondor, the glorious center of the kingdom of Midkemia. Prince Arutha--newly returned from battle with the Morehdel chieftain Delekhan and the renegade magician Makala--is concerned about the rash of unexplained assassinations in his capital city. And so he dispatches his most trusted agent, Squire James--formerly the thief known as Jimmy the Hand--to discover the source of the deadly epidemic. James' hunt will lead...

The story of a thief, a prince, a mercenary, and a minstrel, as they set out on a quest to save a dying princess and do battle with the dark forces that threaten to destroy their kingdom.