The war between Machines and Man is over, and Mankind has lost. Now the last free human has been captured to await Processing and learn of Humanity's fate.He'll find that the most frightening words imaginable are, "This is for your own good."

Left as a dragon's sacrifice by cowardly villagers, the Bard Teal fights to maintain her freedom of soul if not her body, as her captor slowly twists her expectations of what a dragon should be.Part One of The Dragon's Companion omnibus.

"The world belongs to us now. The humans were amazing, but their day has passed. Oh, there's still a few of them out there, trying to take back the world they squandered. But without claws? Without fur? Without scent? Heh. Good luck to 'em."Fourteen shared-world tales of future fantasy and solarpunk from some of the brightest stars of anthropomorphic literature. After calamity and a new dark age, humans return from their flying cities to reclaim the Earth from the sentient animals ...

From birth to death, they were built to serve us. Utterly loyal. That's how they're programmed after all.In a world teetering on the edge of environmental disaster, a young girl receives a wonderful present, an anthromorph named Mimsey. Built to tutor and protect, Mimsey will follow Caroline, keeping the young girl from harm, and helping her learn about the world. A world that is about to change

Which is more monstrous, a callous dragon or an army intent on destroying all who oppose them?Part Two of The Dragon's Companion omnibus.

Now held to her dragon by chains of obligation rather than force, Teal finds herself at odds with him again as she serves as his agent in the land he rules.Part Three of The Dragon's Companion omnibus.

Betrayed an enslaved, the ancient elf called Tez finds himself bought by Maria the Beast-Kin. While trying to discover his eventual fate, Tez finds himself drawn to the mystery of this wizard's familiar turned landed lady. What does she want with him and why does she act far younger than she appears?This story contains the complete first tale from Royce Day's Unexpected Diversions anthology.

A tribute to the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia and all who have given their lives for the sake of exploring beyond Earth.

In the misty northern frontiers, the lady knight Dame Kiel encounters a strange, lonely bard along the roads, who brings blood and terror in her wake.