Showing results by author "Keith C. Blackmore" in All Categories

In the spring of 1903, locomotive 311, known as the Majestic, carried more than one hundred passengers toward a tunnel through the underbelly of the Canadian Rockies. But then the mouth of the tunnel swallowed the 311 whole, and the train—and everyone on it—was never seen again. Seven years later, a gang of cattle thieves and cutthroats wait on horseback for a train car full of railway cash—a payroll they intend to steal. What they will discover, however, is that the approaching train isn’t the 5409. It’s the missing 311, a train only whispered about around dying campfires.

The fighting season continues, and Goll prepares to participate once again in the games, as one man plots revenge upon the returning Kree. Growing weary of the insolent Prajus, golden-faced Gastillo seeks to strike a bargain with the wine merchant Nexus, which would rid him of his troublesome gladiator and provide him with the wealth needed to leave the Pit forever.

In the dead of winter, on a highway in Quebec, a man crashes his car and survives. In New York, a homeless person is run over by a bus and lives. A teenager jumps off a high-rise building in Tokyo and fails in her attempt to take her own life. All around the world, miracles like these are taking place. Death seems to have taken a holiday, and humanity breathes a sigh of relief. But over the course of the next week, some people will begin to suspect the terrible truth behind these marvels. A handful will even search it out. One man will find it.

A warrior with a secret, a ruthless band of cutthroats, and a monster of ancient legend converge in this fantasy from the author of the Mountain Man series. It’s a time of war. After years of relentless battle, the tired nation of Sunja realizes its spine is close to breaking. Desperate for aid, the country’s king dispatches a company of soldiers to the north in a desperate plea for help from its neighbors.

Goll quickly realizes he may have killed one opponent too many when he confronts the wrath of a dead gladiator’s stable in a slew of blood matches. Outside the Pit, Brozz fights for his life and Borchus finds refuge with an old friend. Struggling to recover from his wounds and seeking a purpose, Halm of Zhiberia discovers that giving up a pit fighter’s life isn’t as easy as it seems . . . nor is it his decision alone. And in the west, a monstrous enemy makes itself known—and positions itself to strike at both the games and Sunja’s heart.

The warriors comprising the House of Ten begin their training under punishing mentors and a drink-loving taskmaster. Within the city of Sunja, Borchus works to establish a network of spies to aid the newly formed house’s cause. Meanwhile, a vengeful Halm hunts down Skulljigger for bloody retribution, house master Goll realizes one of his pit fighters possesses potential beyond everyone’s wildest expectations, and shadowy elements conspire to make the Ten’s opening matches on the sands their last.

Feeling the weight of sustained injuries, Halm decides upon his future with the Ten, prompting a crippled Pig Knot to contemplate his own remaining days. And an act of vengeance drives Borchus into hiding. Within the underbelly of the Pit, arrangements are made to introduce Sunja’s most despised and dangerous criminals into the games, including a captured group of Nordish Jackals. Meanwhile, the House of Ten prepares for a day of blood matches—when the gladiator known as Junger is sure to become a legend.