The Secrets of the Shadow-Men
Magic? It's for the rich, the powerful...the Archmage and his elite wizards and cloud-masters. 
Livak is not among them. She haunts the back taverns of the realm, careful to appear neither rich nor poor, neither tall nor short . . . neither man nor woman. Obscurity is her protection, thievery her livelihood, and gambling her weakness. 
Alas, some bets are hard to resist. Particularly when they offer a chance to board a ship for Hadrumal, the fabled city of the Archmage. So Livak follows a minor wizard, Shiv, in an attempt to turn a rune or two, never dreaming that the stolen tankard she wants to sell contains the secrets of an ancient magic far more powerful, and infinitely darker, than any mortal mage's spells.

The Thief's Gamble (Tales of Einarinn, Book 1)

Literature & Fiction

Juliet E. McKenna

Genre Fiction

Harper/Voyager

Swordmaster. . .
Ryshad was a warrior, a sworn man pledged to defend the Empire and his lord with his sword and his life. Livak was a thief, a woman as dangerous and cunning as she was beautiful. Brought together by fate--and the wily wizard Shiv--these unlikely allies once traveled to the frozen lands of the North to find answers to an ancient mystery. Instead, though, they discovered death and worse at the hands of the Elietimm, a band of evil sorcerers who nearly destroyed them.
Or Slave?
 Now, the Elietimm have infiltrated the Empire using their strange and deadly power. It is up to a reunited Ryshad and Livak, joined by Shiv, to discover the secret knowledge that can save the Empire--a mission that will lead them far from the lands they know. It is Ryshad, though, who will journey farthest, to a distant country where nothing is what it seems, not even the magical sword that has long protected him. And if that sword should turn against him now...

The Swordsman's Oath: The Second Tale of Einarinn (The Tales of Einarinn, 2)

Einarinn's greatest warrior, the swordsman Ryshad, has sworn to protect his lord, Messire D'Olbriot, even if it means watching his love, the beautiful thief Livak, embark on a dangerous quest to find the lost aetheric magic on her own. But shadow and intrigue lie over the land, and a journey to recover magical artifacts leads the swordsman back to the lost colony of Kellarin, whose settlers have only recently been awoken from centuries of enchanted sleep. Amidst the intricate halls and deadly intrigues of this royal court, even the most cautious of stratagems can fail, and Ryshad must fight to save the future of Einarinn itself

The Warriors Bond (tale of einarinn, volume 4)

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Fantasy

Archmage Planir and the wizards of Hadrumal have unleashed their devastating powers to destroy the corsair threat. As they hear the survivors' tales, noblemen from surrounding lands can only fear for their own grip on power. The mysteries of Artifice could counter Hadrumal's might, but Solura's adepts will demand a high price for their aid.  Planir faces more urgent dangers. The Archipelagans have cut all ties and are baying for wizard blood, enraged at magic invading their domains, while in the Council of Wizards, Planir's course through the crisis is challenged. He must look beyond the island city for allies. To Suthyfer, the haven for mageborn far in the Eastern Ocean; and to Caladhria, where Corrain, Baron Halferan and Lady Zurenne believe all their trials are over.  But this is merely a lull before winter's storms descend from the high mountains, where jealous observers contemplate Hadrumal's plight...

Defiant Peaks (The Hadrumal Crisis)

Solaris

Irons in the Fire

Black Library

With their forces gathered, the revolutionary leaders within Lescar begin their bid to win the minds and hearts of the people, as well as the lands of the rival dukedoms.

Blood in the Water (Lescari Trilogy)

Ryshad had no choice but to kill his long-time friend and ally Aiten. Aiten's mind had been corrupted by the mysterious Elietimm and he was a danger to himself and a deadly threat to others. But that is no consolation to the grieving Ryshad and certainly will be of no help when he tries to explain it to Aiten's family. To distract him from his troubles and from the strange dreams he has been having, Ryshad's patron, Messire D'Olbriot, sends him to Caladhria to assist the wizard Shiv, who is working for the Archmage himself. The wizards are trying to find a way to combat the strange aetheric magic of the Elietimm, which threatens to destroy the land. But Ryshad's desire to help goes far beyond the patriotic - he seeks revenge for the death of Aiten. What he doesn't know yet is that he will have to work with Livak, with whom he had a brief love affair, and that the strange dreams he has been having may hold the key to the mysterious Elietimm ...

The Swordsman's Oath

Orbit

Livak has decided it's time she turned her new-found connections with powerful mages and mighty princes into solid advantage for herself. If she is to have any sort of future with the swordsman Ryshad, they need the means to live independently of her gambling and travel and the ties of his oath. Livak discovers that knowledge of the ancient aetheric magic - Artifice as the Tormalin call it - is being sought by both Messire D'Olbriot and Planir the Archmage. By locating those who hold the secrets of Artifice first, Livak will hold the key to untold riches ...THE GAMBLER'S FORTUNE is a wonderful new fantasy adventure in the Einarinn series, with magical storytelling, powerful characters and a richly detailed world. Look out for more information on this book and others on the Orbit website at www.orbitbooks.co.uk

The Gambler's Fortune

Archmage rules the island of wizards & has banned the use of magecraft in warfare, but there are corsairs raiding the Caladhrian Coast, enslaving villagers & devastating trade. Lady Zurenne's husband has been murdered by the corsairs. Corrain, former captain & now slave to the corsairs, knows that Zurenne's guardian is a rogue wizard.

Dangerous Waters

In Halferan, Captain Corrain is hailed as a hero; but he knows all praise would turn to anger if the Caladhrians knew the truth. The wizard who supposedly saved them has merely claimed the corsair island for his own, and no one knows what his next move will be. Corrain has good reason to fear the worst, as he confides in Lady Zurenne. He knows he can trust her, now that still more perilous secrets bind them together. This disastrous turn of events cannot be concealed from Hadrumal's mages. Surely the Archmage will enforce his authority by crushing this upstart mage? Unless the Aldabreshin warlords act first. Will they be content to drive this solitary wizard out of the Archipelago, or has the time come for them to destroy all magic?

Darkening Skies

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Books by Juliet E. McKenna