Mushroom eBooks News

Warlord of Antares by Alan Burt Akers is volume thirty-seven in the saga of Dray Prescot and concludes the Witch War Cycle. It is also the last of the titles that were previously published in paperback by Daw Books, Inc. It is now available from Fictionwise.com and all other good ebookstores in multiple formats.

Warlord of Antares also contains a glossary to the Witch War Cycle, compiled by Els Withers.

Here is the blurb:

His empire endangered by the diabolical schemes of the evil witch Csitra, Dray Prescot has been summoned by the powerful Star Lords. Warned by the Star Lords of a dread menace approaching from the South, Dray must take on all challengers to become the Warlord of Kregen, uniting his people against the dual threat of Csitra’s deadly magic, and a seemingly unstoppable invasion by the Shanks, piratical warriors from the Southlands.

But even with the Star Lords’ aid, can Dray and his blade comrades triumph over both dark sorcery and an army of sword wielding destroyers?

And this from the introduction:

…the grouping of continents and islands called Paz are threatened by the Shanks, fish headed reivers from over the curve of the world. Prescot’s task now is to unite all of Paz in alliance against the aggressors. Not all the people of Paz are willing to forget their old enmities. And there is Csitra, the Witch of Loh, who lusts after Prescot and would drag down all of Vallia to ruin for his sake. In the passionate, shrewd, charismatic figure of Delia of Delphond, and his family and blade comrades, Prescot possesses riches past the mundane dreams of empire.

Volume 36 of the saga of Dray Prescot, Omens of Kregen by Alan Burt Akers is now available from Fictionwise.com in multiple ebook formats, and from most other good ebookshops. Omens of Kregen is also the fourth book of the “Witch War Cycle”.

Here is the blurb:

Striving to save his strife torn empire of Vallia from the Nine Unspeakable Curses, Dray Prescot has faced a plague of murderous werewolves and attack by the witch hordes.

Now he must conquer the bloodthirsty forces of the would be king of North Vallia, while at the same time protecting the realm from the evil witch Csitra and her sorcerous son. Journeying to the witch’s dark Maze of Coup Blag, Dray and his comrades must meet the challenge of this realm of traps and treasures, where death waits around every turn, and a wizardly battle of destruction is the price of winning free…

And from the Introduction:

Called to be the Emperor of Vallia, he is putting the finishing touches to the reunification of the islands after the Times of Trouble. The famed and feared Witch of Loh, Csitra, has Pronounced the Nine Unspeakable Curses Against Vallia. Drawing constant strength from his consort, the Empress Delia, Prescot, together with his blade comrades, knows he must deal with the witch and her child, Phunik.

This confrontation, which the Vallians cannot guarantee to be final, they are all somberly aware will not take place under the streaming mingled opaline radiance of the Suns of Scorpio.

I have been asked a number of times if the entire 52-book saga of Dray Prescot by Alan Burt Akers will be available as a single download after they are all published…

It will.

Pricing has not been confirmed yet, but it will probably only be slightly cheaper to buy the complete set of ebooks than to buy them individually. I can confirm that the available formats will include PDF, Mobipocket, Microsoft Reader (.LIT), and Rocket/eBookwise (.RB). I can’t confirm other formats at this time.

I am working on a couple of free extras to include in the bundle, and a CD version may be published.

The likely publication date is November 2008.

Happy New Year!

Volume thirty-five of the saga of Dray Prescot is now available from Fictionwise and all other good ebookstores. Storm over Vallia by Alan Burt Akers is a stand-alone novel which falls in the middle of the Witch War Cycle, and is about Prince Drak and his war with the Kov Vodun Alloran, traitor and self-styled king of Southwest Vallia.

Here is the Introduction by Alan Burt Akers:

Storm over Vallia is a complete story of the magnificent and mysterious, beautiful and terrible world of Kregen, a planet orbiting Antares four hundred light years from Earth. On that world of headlong adventure much may be achieved and much lost. Far more than merely a strong sword arm is required for victory. Far more than a cunning and devious brain is needed to secure success.

For Drak, Prince Majister of Vallia, son of Dray Prescot and Delia, emperor and empress of Vallia, and Queen Lushfymi of Lome, passionate, willful, extraordinarily beautiful, mysterious, and Silda Segutoria, daughter of Seg and Thelda Segutorio, are caught in a web of fate and intrigue, of blood and death, that demands of them all that they are.

But the story begins with Lon the Knees, animal handler, as, dragged from caring for his domestic animals, he marches in the victory parade of Kov Vodun Alloran, traitorous and usurping master of all Southwest Vallia.

Under the streaming mingled lights of the Suns of Scorpio the fates of these people of Kregen twine among the destinies of that exotic world.

And here is the blurb:

Drak, Crown Prince of Vallia, Dray Prescot’s son, was sore beset on three sides. For one, he was leading an army of liberation against the usurper Alloran who had seized part of Vallia – and who was grinding Drak’s troops down with blackest magic and most villainous mercenaries.

For two, he was the target of a marriage plot by an allied queen, whose forces he needed desperately.

For the third, he was in love with Silda, daughter of his father’s loyal friend, Seg the Bowman. And Silda was now in Alloran’s camp, a black leather swordswoman commanding the usurper’s do or die Amazon guards!

Magic, mystery, treason, warfare and romance make a heady concoction – and before this adventure was over, Drak would have his fill of it all!

Come to Kregen, planet of the two suns of Antares, and join the excitement!

The Amazon Kindle ebook reader has been available for a couple of weeks now. It has had mixed reviews, although the trend seems to be that the negative reviews are from people who don’t own the device, and the good reviews are from people who do own it.

All Mushroom eBooks titles are available for the Kindle from the Amazon.com store, most with around a 20% discount at the moment.

Alternatively, Fictionwise have announced that all their multi-format titles now have a Kindle format option. If you have already bought a Mushroom eBooks title from Fictionwise, simply go to your Bookshelf at Fictionwise.com and download the Kindle format file (or you can choose to have it emailed directly to your Kindle).

If you own the Mobipocket version of a Mushroom eBooks title, you can download it to your Kindle, either via USB from your computer, or by emailing it directly to the Kindle.

Mushroom eBooks on Kindle

Heart of Hythea is the first book from author Suzanne Francis. This excellent and well-researched romantic fantasy is the first in the “Song of the Arkafina” series and is set in the world of Yrth, part of the Gyre Cosmos, closely modelled on mid-seventeenth century England. It is both a ripping adventure and a tender romance, while the larger struggle of the Amaranthine against the Angellus permeates the story, lifting it to the plane of epic fantasy.

Heart of Hythea features a determined female protagonist, Katrione, who faces many challenges and grows in wisdom and maturity throughout. She is unafraid to go after the things she desires and will often break the rules to get them, while still remaining true to herself and her ideals.

Although Heart of Hythea is the first book of a series, it contains a complete storyline and can be read without fear of committing to a whole series (but I defy you not to want more).

Here is the blurb:

Yrth… a place of ordered beauty — and undreamed of terror. A magical realm where winged Amaranthine hide in the shadow of humankind, while selfishly exploiting them. A universe of countless dimensions; where an unwary sideways step might carry you to Death’s silent Kingdom — or beyond, to the very heart of the rising Gyre.

Now into this world comes Katrione Estelle du Chesne, a born healer. The Amaranthine need her, for she is destined to become the Vessel of the Goddess Lalluna and a pawn in the battle against their enemy, the dark Angellus. And Katrione’s fellow citizens, in the nation of Beaumarais, are also desperately in need of a healing touch, as they suffer through an endlessly bloody civil war.

The difficult choices that Katrione must make — between humankind and Amaranthine — true love and responsibility — sworn oath and unhappy truth, make for compulsive reading.

For more information about Heart of Hythea and details of availability, please go here.

Volume thirty-four in the saga of Dray Prescot of Earth and of Kregen in Antares is now available from Fictionwise and all other good ebookstores. Witches of Kregen by Alan Burt Akers is the second book of the Witch War Cycle.

Here is the blurb:

When his new army was ready to march against the witch hordes, it rained frogs! It was a veritable heavy bombardment from empty skies! That’s the sort of thing Dray Prescot was up against during the war of the Nine Unspeakable Curses!

Dray was struggling to gather together his shattered empire when the witchcraft hit. He had wizards on his side, too, and very soon it became a battle of sheer courage, quick wits, and fast flying. This was more to that ex Earthman’s liking, for he knew that this time the Star Lords might be on his side. Not that he could rely on them, for they were just as likely to toss him back to Earth for a crash course in the old world’s learning!

Witches of Kregen is a mighty novel of heroic fantasy in the edge of the seat tradition!

Publication dates for the majority of forthcoming ebook titles from Mushroom eBooks have now been confirmed and updated on the Titles page on the main website.

• Challenge of Antares (DP48) by Alan Burt Akers 21 July 2008
• Demons of Antares (DP46) by Alan Burt Akers 9 June 2008
• Gangs of Antares (DP45) by Alan Burt Akers 26 May 2008
• Heart of Hythea by Suzanne Francis 10 December 2007
• Intrigue of Antares (DP44) by Alan Burt Akers 12 May 2008
• Murder on Kregen (DP51) by Alan Burt Akers September 2008
• Omens of Kregen (DP36) by Alan Burt Akers 14 January 2008
• Scorpio Ablaze (DP41) by Alan Burt Akers 10 March 2008
• Scorpio Assassin (DP39) by Alan Burt Akers 11 February 2008
• Scorpio Drums (DP42) by Alan Burt Akers 7 April 2008
• Scorpio Invasion (DP40) by Alan Burt Akers 25 February 2008
• Scorpio Reborn (DP38) by Alan Burt Akers 28 January 2008
• Scorpio Triumph (DP43) by Alan Burt Akers 28 April 2008
• Scourge of Antares (DP47) by Alan Burt Akers 30 June 2008
• Shadows Over Kregen (DP50) by Alan Burt Akers August 2008
• Storm over Vallia (DP35) by Alan Burt Akers 17 December 2007
• Turmoil on Kregen (DP52) by Alan Burt Akers September 2008
• Warlord of Antares (DP37) by Alan Burt Akers 21 January 2008
• Witches of Kregen (DP34) by Alan Burt Akers 03 December 2007
• Wrath of Antares (DP49) by Alan Burt Akers August 2008

The thirty-third volume of the fantastic saga of Dray Prescot of Kregen, Werewolves of Kregen by Alan Burt Akers, is available now from Fictionwise and all other good ebookstores.

Here is the blurb:

Dray Prescot is an Earthman, seaman and soldier, brought across four hundred light years to a planet of Antares. The Star Lords, a race advanced beyond our ken, needed him on that world called Kregen.

Now, having at last returned to his home empire, to his wife and his friends, Dray was to learn that the vengeance of his defeated enemies had launched a final assault – with nine occult curses – against Vallia and all that Dray held dear.

The first curse, the plague of murderous werewolves, took Dray by surprise. Could his valor and courage, though tempered on the battlefields of alien suns, stand up against an unprecedented onslaught of warring witchcraft?

Volume thirty-two in the saga of Dray Prescot is now available from Fictionwise and all other good ebookstores. Like Delia of Vallia, Seg the Bowman by Alan Burt Akers is an independent novel set on Kregen, and tells the story of an adventure undertaken by Seg, Dray’s sword comrade, in which Dray takes no part. It also forms the last part of the Pandahem Cycle. The original editions of Seg the Bowman did not contain a glossary, unlike the last volumes of most of the previous cycles, so we are pleased to be able to include an excellent Glossary of the Pandahem Cycle, compiled by Els Withers.

The blurb:

Here’s a special treat for everyone who loves novels of high adventure on exotic worlds in the tradition of Burroughs and Norman. For this is such a novel, complete in itself, of Dray Prescot’s fighting comrade, Seg, the finest archer of two worlds. Seg is a wild and reckless fellow, courageous in the face of any adversity, and this is the account of his greatest challenge.

Single-handed, on an enemy island, Seg becomes knight-protector of the mysterious lady Milsi, and by her side, beats off frightful beasts and inhuman foemen intent on blocking her path to a rightful royal inheritance.

It’s action science fiction, heroic fantasy, and high romance under the twin suns of Antares in Scorpio.

For more information, free samples, and to check availability of Seg the Bowman, please go here.

The thirty-first volume of the saga of Dray Prescot of Earth and of Kregen, is now available from Fictionwise.com and all other good ebookstores. Masks of Scorpio by Alan Burt Akers is the final book of the Pandahem Cycle, although Seg the Bowman, an independent novel following Seg’s adventures in Pandahem after he is seperated from Dray, is also usually included as part of the Cycle.

Here is the blurb:

For Dray Prescot, the task of burning out the cult of the Silver Leem had been given Star Lords priority. Although he was emperor of Vallia, still he had to work incognito on an enemy island until that task was done.

Sided by his warrior daughter, Ros the Claw, and aided by a valiant crew of piratical swashbucklers, Dray invaded the capital of the secret order only to find treachery and terror where he had thought to find treasure and triumph.

It became a battle of golden masks against silver masks – and behind each facepiece could be hiding the bony features of the Grim Reaper himself!

For more information on Masks of Scorpio, and for details of availability, please see here.