Volsky's Parallel Universe Series by Paula Volsky

In the two hundred years since their magical powers defended the nation against invaders, the Exalted class has ruled unchallenged. Now, after ten generations, they neglect their powers, preferring the pleasures their Exalted station affords them, and ignore the abject poverty of the lower classes.A product of her upbringing, Eliste vo Derrivalle was the beautiful, spirited daughter of a provincial landowner on her way to the capital city of Sherreen to take her place at court... moreIn the two hundred years since their magical powers defended the nation against invaders, the Exalted class has ruled unchallenged. Now, after ten generations, they neglect their powers, preferring the pleasures their Exalted station affords them, and ignore the abject poverty of the lower classes.A product of her upbringing, Eliste vo Derrivalle was the beautiful, spirited daughter of a provincial landowner on her way to the capital city of Sherreen to take her place at court. Little did she realize she was walking into a world of trouble.Dref Zeenoson was the property of the vo Derrivalles, bound to the land he served not by blood, but by law. A handsome and precocious boy, he was a source of amusement to his masters, who educated him alongside Eliste. Like any Exalted, he was taught to read, to write, to figure—and ultimately to resist.Sparked by the frustration of the lower classes and fired by the writings of a megalomaniac named Whiss v’Aleur, a revolt suddenly breaks over Vonahr in a red wave of violence, destruction, and death. Without their powers to protect them, the Exalted fall quickly and v’Aleur begins a bloody reign of terror. Deprived of rank, home, and family, Eliste scrambles for bread in the teeming streets of Sherreen and risks her life to call on dormant Exalted powers to save a dying wolrd; while Dref, appalled by the atrocities of the Revolution, works in secret to help stem the tide of blood. Thrown together by fate, carried forward by destiny, they will fight side by side for survival, no longer enemies, and free to explore the once-forbidden love they’d always felt for each other. And yet, waiting for them both, as she waits for all enemies of the Revolution, is the Kokotte, a Sentient killing machine, a goddess of death with an unappeasable hunger for terror. less

Of all the excesses indulged in by the decadent Rhazaullean nobility, only one is absolutely forbidden—necromancy. It is to these addictive arts that Prince Varis has secretly resorted, hoping to usurp the Wolf Throne through a serpentine choreography of murder and to forge a shining empire... moreOf all the excesses indulged in by the decadent Rhazaullean nobility, only one is absolutely forbidden—necromancy. It is to these addictive arts that Prince Varis has secretly resorted, hoping to usurp the Wolf Throne through a serpentine choreography of murder and to forge a shining empire. But his greatest challenge comes in the person of his beautiful niece Shalindra, grown to womanhood in the shadow of exile and dedicated to the cause of bringing her brother Cerrov—the rightful heir—to the throne. Seized and brought to her uncle’s mountain stronghold, Shalindra is both repelled and fascinated by Varis, dark master of the dead, ruler of lost souls. As winter looms ahead, their encounter threatens to shape for both of them a destiny far different—and far more dangerous—than either could ever have imagined. less

In a fragile alliance, the natives are stirring uneasily under their foreign rulers. Rebellion is brewing, and at the heart of the conflict lies the bloody and powerful cult of the god Aoun, whose followers will stop at nothing to rid their land of alien domination. So civil servant Renille vo Chaumelle, scion of a proud, conquering line mingled with native blood, is conscripted as a spy and ordered to penetrate the fortress-temple known as the Fastness of the Gods... moreIn a fragile alliance, the natives are stirring uneasily under their foreign rulers. Rebellion is brewing, and at the heart of the conflict lies the bloody and powerful cult of the god Aoun, whose followers will stop at nothing to rid their land of alien domination. So civil servant Renille vo Chaumelle, scion of a proud, conquering line mingled with native blood, is conscripted as a spy and ordered to penetrate the fortress-temple known as the Fastness of the Gods. There he is to discover the secrets of the priests of Aoun and - if the chance presents itself - assassinate the lead priest, named in legend as the god's own son. But in the holiest depths of the temple, Renille finds there is more to the cult than his superiors suspect - far more than they will ever believe. What he learns leads him to the beautiful princess Jathondi, daughter of the native ruler, who is fated to be the crux of a violent confrontation between the fanatic followers of a flesh-hungry god and their arrogant overlords. Together, Jathondi and Renille must brave a whirlwind of revolution and apocalyptic magic that could shatter a nation, and open the long-sealed portal between heaven and earth. less

In a land pockmarked with the grim relics of a long-ago war live a people consumed by the fear of magic. Those suspected of sorcery die at the hands of the infamous White Tribunal. And death and terror will reign until a young man pawns his soul for the temporary power to destroy his murdered father's false accusers... moreIn a land pockmarked with the grim relics of a long-ago war live a people consumed by the fear of magic. Those suspected of sorcery die at the hands of the infamous White Tribunal. And death and terror will reign until a young man pawns his soul for the temporary power to destroy his murdered father's false accusers.Now, disguised as a foreigner and with his time measured by the sands of a magical hourglass, Tradain liMarchborg enters the capital city of Lis Folaze, stronghold of the White Tribunal's power. Here his path will cross that of the beautiful Glennian liTarngrav, whose own mission will lock them together in a vortex of love, revenge, death, and enchantment that could save a land...or thrust them both--as Tradain's hourglass sands run out--into eternal torment. less

Paula Volsky, author of The White Tribunal, returns with a spectacular saga of adventure and intrigue, romance and rebellion -- beginning with a wondrous discovery that could forever alter the fate of the free world....In the modern, civilized republic of Vonahr, the need for magic seems a thing of the past. But soon the Vonahrish will find that magic is their only hope -- for an imperialistic race of fanatics, intent on conquering the world, now masses on Vonahr's borders... morePaula Volsky, author of The White Tribunal, returns with a spectacular saga of adventure and intrigue, romance and rebellion -- beginning with a wondrous discovery that could forever alter the fate of the free world....In the modern, civilized republic of Vonahr, the need for magic seems a thing of the past. But soon the Vonahrish will find that magic is their only hope -- for an imperialistic race of fanatics, intent on conquering the world, now masses on Vonahr's borders.Vonahr's slim chance for salvation lies in a nearby neutral kingdom, where a brilliant savant has conjured up the ultimate weapon: Sentient Fire, a miraculous flame that responds to the command of its maker.Low Hetz's mad, flamboyant king refuses to relinquish the secret -- so the desperate government of Vonahr sends the exquisitely beautiful adventurer Luzelle Devaire to turn his head and change his mind. But to gain an audience, Luzelle must win the Grand Ellipse, a test of endurance, ingenuity, and valor.... less