Bøker av Marshall Ryan Maresca

The Rynax Family is strongest when they are together. Torn apart by a nefarious plot, they each face their hardest trials alone. After having thwarted some of the forces responsible for ruining their lives, reformed thieves Asti and Verci Rynax and the rest of the Holver Alley Crew had mostly settled back into sedate lives as upright citizens of Maradaine. But when they are suddenly arrested in mysterious circumstances, they find themselves in Quarrygate Prison, which tests the limits of their cunning and skill. While Verci struggles to keep their friends alive and safe in the prison, Asti gets pulled into a mysterious scheme in the underbelly of the prison, teaming him up with some of the most dangerous people in Maradaine. The cracks in Asti's tenuous sanity get torn open as he is thrown into a cat-and-mouse game with one of the city's most infamous killers. Meanwhile back in their neighborhood, Verci's wife Raych is desperate to help him and Asti and get them home. When her attempts to go through proper channels fail, she accepts a ludicrous deal from the local crime boss: Verci and Asti's freedom in exchange for her pulling off a daring, nigh-impossible heist that would challenge even seasoned thieves. Raych doesn't know how a simple baker like her could hope to succeed at such a task, but she will use every trick and wild idea she has to help her family. None of the Rynaxes will rest until they are free from Quarrygate and together at home again, no matter the risk, no matter the cost.

The Thorn faces his hardest fight as the second phase of the Maradaine Saga begins.The autumn semester at the University of Maradaine is underway, and Veranix Calbert is doing his best to balance the new responsibilities of being a fourth-year magic student under the militant Altarn Initiatives, while still acting as The Thorn, the street vigilante deep in a personal war against the drug kingpin Willem Fenmere. With the help of his friends Kaiana, Delmin, and Mila, he's been able to strike real blows against Fenmere's empire.But Veranix's fight has earned him more enemies than just Fenmere, including the mad alchemist Cuse Jensett, the imposters Erno Don and Enzin Hence, and the Deadly Birds Magpie and Jackdaw. These five killers join forces to escape Quarrygate Prison and offer an alliance to Fenmere, bringing with them the perfect leverage to seal the deal: the Thorn's identity.Once Fenmere knows who Veranix is, he doesn't just want to kill him, but to utterly shatter him. Calling on everyone in Maradaine holding a grudge against the Thorn, he unleashes a brutal hunt against Veranix. With old and new enemies all looking to claim the bounty on his head, stripped of the security of his secret identity, Veranix faces the most brutal fight of his all too-short life.

The second phase of the Maradaine Saga begins with this novel, which moves outside the city of Maradaine, following a lone member of the Maradaine Constabulary as she navigates a new but just as dangerous city.Sergeant Corrie Welling-the young constabulary officer from Maradaine-has been abducted and confined on a ship bound for distant shores, where her captors have nefarious plans for her. With fortune and ingenuity, Corrie escapes, but finds herself stuck in a sprawling metropolis on the other side of the world: The Mocassa.The Mocassa is a test unlike anything Corrie has ever faced. She doesn't speak the language, doesn't know the culture, and is forbidden from leaving the city until she pays off a colossal debt. Even if she's able to find decent work, it will take her years to settle her accounts and get home.But Corrie Welling will not be cowed. She will work, fight, and hold her chin high. As a fringe faction of an apocalyptic faith spreads throughout the city, threatening the new friends she's sworn to protect, she'll continue to stand up for the values instilled in her as a member of the Maradaine Constabulary. Even if, as her darkest day approaches, she has to fight for those values all on her own.

Blending vigilante justice with epic fantasy, the third Thorn of Maradaine novel finds magic student Veranix Calbert having to confront the inspectors of the Maradaine Constabulary!Summer and the Grand Tournament of High Colleges have come to the University of Maradaine. If the heat and the crowds weren't enough to bring the campus and the neighborhood of Aventil to a boiling point, rumors that The Thorn is on the warpath-killing the last of the Red Rabbits-is enough to tip all of Maradaine into the fire.Except Veranix Calbert, magic student at the University, is The Thorn, and he's not the one viciously hunting the Red Rabbits. Veranix has his hands full with his share of responsibilities for the Tournament, and as The Thorn he's been trying to find the source of the mind-destroying effitte being sold on campus. He's as confused as anyone about the rumors.When The Thorn imposter publicly attacks the local Aventil constables, the Constabulary bring in their own special investigators: Inspectors Minox Welling and Satrine Rainey from the Maradaine Grand Inspectors Unit. Can Veranix find out who the imposter is and stop him before Welling and Rainey arrest him for the imposter's crimes?

Mixing high fantasy, urban fantasy and heists, the second novel of the Streets of Maradaine series follows the Rynax brothers' crew of outlaws as they attempt their biggest heist yet to restore justice to the common people. "Maresca again gives us a book that is just a pleasure to sit back, read and enjoy. Have fun with it." - The Specularive HeraldThe neighborhood of North Seleth has suffered-and not just the Holver Alley Fire. Poverty and marginalization are forcing people out of the neighborhood, and violence on the streets is getting worse. Only the Rynax brothers-Asti and Verci-and their Holver Alley Crew are fighting for the common people. They've taken care of the people who actually burned down Holver Alley, but they're still looking for the moneyed interests behind the fire.The trail of breadcrumbs leads the crew to Lord Henterman, and they plan to infiltrate the noble's house on the other side of the city. While the crew tries to penetrate the heart of the house, the worst elements of North Seleth seem to be uniting under a mysterious new leader. With the crew's attention divided, Asti discovers that the secrets behind the fire, including ones from his past, might be found in Lady Henterman's wardrobe.

The third novel in the Maradaine Elite series blends fast-paced high fantasy and political intrigue, bringing together the threads of the interconnected Maradaine novels, and marks the end of Phase One of the Maradaine Saga.Corruption and conspiracy have infected the city of Maradaine, from the top levels of power to the very depths beneath the city. Dayne Heldrin and Jerinne Fendall, elite warriors of the Tarian Order, have no idea how close they truly are to the center of the city's dark secrets. But when they learn that children are going missing, they know they must investigate further-no matter the cost.They are soon joined by others, each with their own reasons for seeking the children. Veranix Calbert, the vigilante known as the Thorn, thinks his enemies are responsible for the missing children. Inspectors Minox Welling and Satrine Rainey fear the disappearing children are tied to corruption in the city Constabulary. Asti and Verci Rynax hope to protect the kids from their streets, one of whom barely escaped the kidnappers. And a mysterious young cloistress seeks to lead each of them deeper down into the depths of enigmas beneath the city, to the dark, unholy cult known as the Brotherhood, and the horrors that are growing within it.The only hope Maradaine might have against the impending darkness is if these champions can work together to protect all the people of the city...

Mixing urban and high fantasy, the third Streets of Maradaine novel follows the crew of outlaws led by the Rynax brothers as they struggle to save Holver Alley from new threats.An uneasy calm has filled the neighborhood of North Seleth, as the survivors of the Holver Alley fire return to normal, honest lives. But Asti and Verci Rynax and the rest of the Holver Alley Crew know the peace won't last. Josie Holt, once an ally to the Rynaxes, is now working her own agenda with the mage circle that has moved into the neighborhood.Asti learns that Josie plans to smuggle the drug efhân through North Seleth, which can only mean she is in league with the Fenmere cartel. The Rynax brothers want to wait for the right moment to strike at Josie, stop the drug shipment, and prevent Fenmere from getting a toehold on the neighborhood.One more problem: The Thorn. The vigilante from Fenmere's part of town has come to North Seleth, looking to burn Fenmere's whole empire down to ashes. When the Thorn's strike collides with the crew's operation, the delicate peace in the neighborhood crumbles, and an all-out war between mages, gangs, thieves, and the Thorn might fill the streets of Maradaine.

Mixing high fantasy and mystery, the third book in the Maradaine Constabulary series follows Inspectors Satrine Rainey and Minox Welling as they track down a dangerous murderer with the help of the elite of the Tarian order.The city of Maradaine is vexed by the Gearbox Murders: a series of gruesome deaths orchestrated by a twisted mechanical genius. With no motive and no pattern, Inspectors Satrine Rainey and Minox Welling-the retired spy and untrained mage-are at a loss to find a meaningful lead in the case. At least, until the killer makes his most audacious exhibit yet: over a dozen victims in a clockwork deathtrap on the floor of the Druth Parliament.The crime scene is a madhouse, and their only ally is Dayne Heldrin, a provisional member of the Tarian Order, elite warriors trained in the art of protection. But Dayne's connection to the Gearbox Murders casts suspicion on his motives, as he might be obsessed with the legendary phantom he believes is responsible.While Satrine and Minox struggle to stop the Gearbox from claiming even more victims, the grinding gears of injustice might keep them from ever solving these murders and threatens to dismantle their partnership forever.

High fantasy, police procedural and international intrigue come together in the second novel in the Maradaine Constabulary series, continuing the threads of the ongoing Maradaine Saga. "One thing I can say with certainty is Maresca never disappoints and I can always expect a unique, fun and engaging fantasy adventure full of magic and mayhem!" - Short and Sweet ReviewsThe neighborhood of the Little East is a collision of cultures, languages, and traditions, hidden away in the city of Maradaine. A set of streets to be avoided or ignored. When a foreign dignitary is murdered, solving the crime falls to the most unpopular inspectors in the Maradaine Constabulary: exposed fraud Satrine Rainey, and uncircled mage Minox Welling.With a murder scene deliberately constructed to point blame toward various residents of the Little East, Rainey is forced to confront her former life, while Welling's ignorance of his own power threatens to consume him. And these few city blocks are poised to erupt into citywide war unless the constabulary solves the case quickly.

The Maradaine Saga continues as the Thorn of Maradaine returns! New threats come for him on the streets of Aventil and on the University campus. Veranix continues his fight against Fenmere, and draws the attention of greater forces with ill plans for the city of Maradaine. "Fantasy adventure readers, especially fans of spell-wielding students, will enjoy these lively characters and their high-energy story." - Publisher's WeeklyVeranix Calbert is The Thorn: the street vigilante who became a legend to the people of Maradaine, especially the gangs that run the neighborhood of Aventil. The Thorn continues to harass Willem Fenmere, the drug kingpin of the Dentonhill neighborhood, determined to stop him and the effitte drug trade.It's also Exam Week at the University of Maradaine, where Veranix is a magic student. With his academic career-and future as a mage-riding on his performance, Veranix needs to devote himself entirely to studying and participating in a fellow student's thesis experiments.But with a series of dangerous magical pranks plaguing the campus, it becomes clear that there's someone with a vendetta against the university, and The Thorn may be the only one capable of stopping them. Between the prankster, a war brewing between the Aventil gangs, and the flamboyant assassins Fenmere has hired to kill him, Veranix may end up dead before the week is out.

The second novel in the Maradaine Elite series blends fast-paced high fantasy and political intrigue. "I love seeing good-hearted characters who keep true to their moral centers even in a gritty world. Shield of the People is wonderfully emotionally complex while also barreling through fantastically-paced action. Highly recommend!" - Cass Morris, Author of From Unseen FireAfter saving the Druth Parliament, Dayne Heldrin and Jerinne Fendall find themselves on the margins of the Tarian Order: lauded as heroes in public but scorned and ignored in private, their future in the Order hazy. Dayne's new assignment further isolates him from the Order, and Jerinne is hazed and bullied at the bottom of the initiate rankings.It's election week in the city of Maradaine, celebrating over two centuries of freedom and the foundation of the reunified modern nation, bringing parades, revelry... and protests. A dissident group called The Open Hand-and their mysterious, charismatic leader, Bishop Ret Issendel-seeks to disrupt the Parliament elections with their message of secession and dissolution.Despite orders to stay out of the public eye, Dayne and Jerinne are drawn into the intrigue of the Open Hand and kept apart by dark powerful conspiracies that brew around them. Dayne and Jerinne must fight for their own principles and protect the will of the people as the election is thrown into chaos.

The Maradaine Saga continues with the first novel in the Maradaine Elite series, the fourth thread in this intertwined saga, blending high fantasy and political intrigue.Dayne Heldrin always dreamed of being a member of the Tarian Order. In centuries past, the Elite Orders of Druthal were warriors that stood for order, justice, and the common people. But now there is little need for such organizations, and the Tarian Order is one of the last remnants of this ancient legacy. Nevertheless, Dayne trained his body and mind, learning the arts of defense and fighting, to become a candidate for the Tarian Order.A failed rescue puts Dayne at odds with a powerful family and his future with the Tarians is in jeopardy. He returns to the capital city of Maradaine in shame, ready to be cast out of the Order.Dayne finds Maradaine in turmoil, as revolutions and dark conspiracies brew around him, threatening members of Parliament and common people alike. Dayne is drawn into the uproar, but the Order wants him to stay out of the situation. The city threatens to tear itself apart, and Dayne must decide between his future and his vow to always stand between the helpless and harm.

The Maradaine Saga continues with the first Streets of Maradaine novel, the third thread in this intertwined saga, blending fast-paced heists with epic and urban fantasy across this interconnected series of novels.The Rynax brothers had gone legit after Asti Rynax's service in Druth Intelligence had shattered his nerves, and marriage and fatherhood convinced Verci Rynax to leave his life of thievery. They settled back in their old neighborhood in West Maradaine and bought themselves a shop, eager for a simple, honest life.Then the Holver Alley Fire incinerated their plans. With no home, no shop, and no honest income-and saddled with a looming debt-they fall back on their old skills and old friends.With a crew of other fire victims, Asti and Verci plan a simple carriage heist, but the job spirals out of control as they learn that the fire was no accident. Lives in Holver Alley were destroyed out of a sadistic scheme to buy the land.Smoldering for revenge, burdened with Asti's crumbling sanity, the brothers and their crew of amateurs and washouts swear to take down those responsible for the fire, no matter the cost.

`The first book of the Maradaine Constabulary series blends high fantasy, murder mystery, and gritty urban magic...Marking the debut of the second series set amid the bustling streets and crime-ridden districts of the exotic city called Maradaine, A Murder of Mages introduces us to this spellbinding port city as seen through the eyes of the people who strive to maintain law and order: the hardworking men and women of the Maradaine Constabulary.Satrine Rainey-former street rat, ex-spy, mother of two, and wife to a Constabulary Inspector who lies on the edge of death, injured in the line of duty-has been forced to fake her way into the post of Constabulary Inspector to support her family.Minox Welling is a brilliant, unorthodox Inspector and an Uncircled mage-almost a crime in itself. Nicknamed "the jinx" because of the misfortunes that seem to befall anyone around him, Minox has been partnered with Satrine because no one else will work with either of them.Their first case together-the ritual murder of a Circled mage- sends Satrine back to the streets she grew up on and brings Minox face-to-face with mage politics he's desperate to avoid. As the body count rises, Satrine and Minox must race to catch the killer before their own secrets are exposed and they, too, become targets.

Blending vigilante justice with epic fantasy, student mage Veranix Calbert fights crime in the city of Maradaine in this fast-paced debut novel ¿ "Veranix is Batman, if Batman were a teenager and magically talented." -Library JournalVeranix Calbert leads a double life. By day, he's a struggling magic student at the University of Maradaine. At night, he spoils the drug trade of Willem Fenmere, crime boss of Dentonhill and murderer of Veranix's father. He's determined to shut Fenmere down.With that goal in mind, Veranix disrupts the delivery of two magical artifacts meant for Fenmere's clients, the mages of the Blue Hand Circle. Using these power-filled objects in his fight, he quickly becomes a real thorn in Fenmere's side.So much so that soon not only Fenmere, but powerful mages, assassins, and street gangs all want a piece of "The Thorn." And with professors and prefects on the verge of discovering his secrets, Veranix's double life might just fall apart. Unless, of course, Fenmere puts an end to it first.The Thorn of Dentonhill launches the Maradaine Saga: a fantasy epic like no other, with four series braided together into a thrilling larger narrative.

Dabugo should have died the day he was born, left on the beach to be taken by the waves. Instead he miraculously survived, and his village decided his life must serve some greater purpose, and raised him out of obligation instead of love. As soon as they decided he was grown enough, he was cast out to survive on his own. With only a fugitive as a companion, Dabugo must face the harsh elements of his island, learn how to harness the power growing inside his twisted body, and face the destiny that he survived to fulfill.

A mysterious and disturbing summons brings Aurien Pemmick, an untested deacon of the Church of Druthal, across the border to a peculiar and disquieting kingdom: Kellirac. Despite being in this antiquated and superstitious place, Pemmick is determined to root out the truth behind the summons. But Kellirac proves to be a place of dangers beyond the natural realm, especially since Pemmick arrives on the eve of Hultichia: a sacred night where the locals claim the dead will walk. Pemmick's faith is tested against Kellirac superstition, even as his mission threatens to drag him into madness, on the darkest night of his life.

Phadre Golmin and Jiarna Kay are perfectly matched. Both astounding intellects, sharing a passion for academic pursuits and each other. Traveling from the University of Maradaine to Trenn College in Yin Mara, they are excited for the opportunity to study magical and mystical theory with the famed Professor Salarmin. So when they come across a dead body that defies all logic, they should leave it alone. But Phadre and Jiarna tasted adventure in Maradaine, so the discovery of similar victims, paired with their scientific curiosity, makes the situation far too intriguing to ignore. Knowing that they alone have the knowledge to unravel the mystery, Phadre and Jiarna are determined to resolve it, no matter the cost to their academic careers.