WHEN TWISTED INDIVIDUALS CLASH, WHOSE BELIEFS WILL PREVAIL?After working with the mafia to halt a rising drug problem in the city of Halian, Zig is back to protecting Siasha--but with a new wariness of Claritism, a doctrine that asserts demi-humans are subhuman. Aware that Claritists would persecute Siasha for her witch nature if it were discovered, Zig gathers intel while keeping the religion and its followers at arm's length. However, after sharing a meal with Ur...

For readers of Han Kang and Sheila Heti, an atmospheric, melancholic novel about a successful sculptor who decides to commit suicide by artfully preparing and deliberately eating a lethal dish of blowfish.Blowfish is a postmodern novel in four parts, alternating between the respective stories of a female sculptor and a male architect. Death is the motif connecting these parallel lives. The sculptor’s grandmother killed herself by eating poisonous blowfish ...

From an exciting and sharp-voiced new observer of American culture, a forthright and probing debut exploring Asian American identity in a racially codified countryAfter his father’s passing in 2019, David Shih sought to unravel the underlying tensions that defined the complex relationship between him and his parents. Ultimately, this forced a reckoning with the expectations he encountered as the only son of Chinese immigrants, and with the realities of what it mean...

THE WITCH'S RAMPAGEWhen a monstrosity above her rank shows up, Siasha is seated with some undesired downtime. Making the best of a boring situation, she and Zig head to the morning market, only to bear witness to a scuffle between humans and demi-humans. But to the inhuman witch Siasha and mercenary Zig, these interspecies tensions are none of their concern--or so they think. They soon learn that these conflicts are far more deep-rooted than they could've ever imag...

A SPECIAL REQUESTIt was no walk in the park, but Zig and Siasha have finally gotten accustomed to their new surroundings and are enjoying their tranquil lives funded by their bloody battles with monstrosities. One day, Siasha decides to join a short-term adventuring party, and Zig, temporarily relieved of his bodyguard duties, finds himself with a bit of free time. But he's not idle for long. Isana--a second-class adventurer and acquaintance of Zig's--asks for his ...

DEALING IN DANGERWhen Siasha gets called away to help someone on a job, Zig finds himself with time to kill. He's quickly recruited by Katia, the daughter of a mafia boss, to help investigate the spread of a dangerous drug across the city. Tempted by the lure of a big payout, Zig accepts the request, and together they dig into the underbelly of society...only to discover the problem runs much deeper than they expected.

A Dangerous Duo. A Deadly Path Home.Nothing in this world is more dangerous than a witch. The epitome of fear and terror, they can summon floods on a whim, conjure balls of fire out of the air, or even destroy entire countries overnight. Incur their wrath, and no one is safe. At least, that's what everyone thinks, and it's the very reason they all want Siasha dead. After yet another violent battle for her life, she teams up with Zig, a mercenary, and they depart fo...

The definitive collection of the best in science fiction stories between 1929 and 1964This book contains twenty-six of the greatest science fiction stories ever written. They represent the considered verdict of the Science Fiction Writers of America, those who have shaped the genre and who know, more intimately than anyone else, what the criteria for excellence in the field should be. The authors chosen for the Science Fiction Hall Fame are the men and women who have shaped the bod...

For fans of American War and Cloud Atlas, a hauntingly beautiful and prescient debut novel set in a future where a renamed China is the sole global superpower and citizens can record and transfer memories between minds.When I was a boy, my mother used to tell me stories of a world before memories could be shared between strangers . . .In a far-off future ruled by the Qin Empire, every citizen is fitted with a Mindbank, an intracra...

From a widely celebrated artist, this dazzling book takes listeners on a profound journey into the heart of creativityWhen Makoto Fujimura painted as a child, he felt a mysterious electrical charge pass through him. Over decades of art making, writing, and reflecting in his studio, he has come to understand this charge as his Creator—a source he connects with most profoundly when making art. To be human is to be creative, Fujimura believes, and art making is a disc...

From a world-renowned painter, an exploration of creativity's quintessential—and often overlooked—role in the spiritual lifeConceived over thirty years of painting and creating in his studio, this book is Makoto Fujimura's broad and deep exploration of creativity and the spiritual aspects of "making." What he does in the studio is theological work as much as it is aesthetic work. In between pouring precious, pulverized minerals onto handmade paper to create the pri...

"Albert," the neighbor said, "your mom needs you to come home." That's how it began for Albert Hsu when his father died. Anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide experiences tremendous shock and trauma. What follows is a confusing mix of emotions—anger, guilt, grief, and despair.Suicide raises heartrending questions: Why did this happen? Why didn't we see it coming? Could we have done anything to prevent it? How can we go on?After his father's death, Hsu wrestled with the...