The Farshore Chronicles Series by Justin Fike

I'm Charity, and before I saved the world I was just a common thief. Also a drunk, rabble-rouser, harlot, and blasphemer according to the magistrate who sentenced me to ten years of forced labor in Farshore, the emperor's new colony across the great sea. You'd think that stepping off of a prison ship on the ass-end of the world was bad enough, but everyone in Byzantia has heard the stories.. moreI'm Charity, and before I saved the world I was just a common thief. Also a drunk, rabble-rouser, harlot, and blasphemer according to the magistrate who sentenced me to ten years of forced labor in Farshore, the emperor's new colony across the great sea. You'd think that stepping off of a prison ship on the ass-end of the world was bad enough, but everyone in Byzantia has heard the stories... The pioneers who first settled this strange new world discovered horrible monsters, wild magic, and mythic creatures in the hills and forests beyond the city walls. Turns out all those nasties we didn't believe in were waiting on the far side of the world to eat us for lunch. A smarter girl than me would have kept her head down until she figured out which end was up. But how did I spend my first day in Farshore? Assaulted the governor, offended the gods, and got myself sentenced to fight in the bloody games of the arena before sundown. I survived Byzantia's tangled streets by thinking fast, running faster, and never letting anyone get too close. But I soon realized that I was going to have to do the one thing I'd sworn I'd never to again if I wanted to survive long enough to make it home: trust someone. less

Entering the Shattered City is a guaranteed death sentence. Guess where I'm headed next? The city once stood as the capital of the High Elven empire, a shining beacon of culture and power. Now its cursed remains mark the gravesite of a lost age. Anyone stupid enough to go in search of its riches is never heard from again, but that's exactly what I and my strange new friends are about to do... moreEntering the Shattered City is a guaranteed death sentence. Guess where I'm headed next? The city once stood as the capital of the High Elven empire, a shining beacon of culture and power. Now its cursed remains mark the gravesite of a lost age. Anyone stupid enough to go in search of its riches is never heard from again, but that's exactly what I and my strange new friends are about to do. "Playing nice" isn't high on my list of skills, but working with the band of outcasts I'm stuck with is my only hope of surviving this little adventure, assuming we can manage to stop bickering long enough to get the job done.Not that we have much choice. A power-hungry wizard holds our lives in his hands, and the price of our freedom is a long-lost artifact hidden within the ruins. All we can do now is focus on the job at hand -- make our way into a city that no one has ever come back from before and survive its mysterious curse long enough to find High King Tyrial's lost crown. Oh, and get out alive. What could go wrong? less

Betrayed. Abandoned. Hunted. And I haven't even had breakfast yet. You get used to betrayal and backstabbing when you grow up an orphan in Byzantia's slums, but a knife in the back from one of my new friends hurt a lot worse than I'd expected. My street rat instincts kept me out of a prison cell, but now I'm alone in an unfamilar city with no one to rely on but myself... moreBetrayed. Abandoned. Hunted. And I haven't even had breakfast yet. You get used to betrayal and backstabbing when you grow up an orphan in Byzantia's slums, but a knife in the back from one of my new friends hurt a lot worse than I'd expected. My street rat instincts kept me out of a prison cell, but now I'm alone in an unfamilar city with no one to rely on but myself. Normally that's exactly the way I like it, but nothing is easy when the soul of an ancient elven queen who carved out her own little kingdom in your brain is trying her best to get you killed at every turn. Not to mention the insane archmage we accidentally unleashed turning the city watch into his own personal army whose number one priority is hunting down yours truly. I'm no hero, but somehow the fate of an entire city just landed on my shoulders. Now I'll have to gather the few friends I can trust and make some bargains that I probably shouldn't if we hope to stop the Mad King before he turns Farshore into the first casualty of an endless war of conquest, fire, and blood. less

Lost in a world of darkness and danger, my only hope is to start fighting back... I'll admit that allowing three months of boredom to spur me into robbing one of Farshore's most powerful citizens wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. Paying off that mistake placed my fate in the hands of Farshore's legion commander, and it turned out that he had the perfect mission lined up for an expendable nuisance like me... moreLost in a world of darkness and danger, my only hope is to start fighting back... I'll admit that allowing three months of boredom to spur me into robbing one of Farshore's most powerful citizens wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. Paying off that mistake placed my fate in the hands of Farshore's legion commander, and it turned out that he had the perfect mission lined up for an expendable nuisance like me. Investigating a disappearance at Farshore's most lucrative mine should have been a simple task. But when a deadly ambush forced us to flee into the twisting tunnels of the Undergloom I quickly learned that nothing is simple when you're trapped underground with all manner of slithering horrors. Then bad turned to worse, as it tends to do, and now I'm enslaved in a dark elf prison camp as my soul is torn apart by the sudden loss of the magic I'd just learned to wield, dragging me closer to death by the hour. If I can't find some way to save myself, save my friends, and save the world the Undergloom will claim me as its next victim, then turn its hungry eyes to the world above... less

I'm dying. But in Danaan, the cure can be even more dangerous than the disease...Saving the world from a horde of ravenous horrors ought to entitle a girl to a day of rest, but that's not an option when an ancient curse drags you closer to death every day.My one chance at a cure: A dangerous and untested ritual that will shatter my soul if it fails.The only wizards powerful enough to execute the spell: A council of elves so arrogant, they make the emperor look like a humble novice... moreI'm dying. But in Danaan, the cure can be even more dangerous than the disease...Saving the world from a horde of ravenous horrors ought to entitle a girl to a day of rest, but that's not an option when an ancient curse drags you closer to death every day.My one chance at a cure: A dangerous and untested ritual that will shatter my soul if it fails.The only wizards powerful enough to execute the spell: A council of elves so arrogant, they make the emperor look like a humble novice. Gaining their assistance would be difficult in the best of times, but I'm quickly learning that court intrigue and hidden motives can be more dangerous than any blade even in the best of times. These are not the best of times.The Mad King Tyrial has returned. This time he has an army of bloodthirsty monsters at his back, watching and waiting for their chance to feast.Now, my friends and I are the only hope of a city under siege. The elves will pay a horrible price if we fail and will be the first to fall as Tyrial's thirst for vengeance consumes the world in blood, fire, and death.The Farshore Chronicles is fast-paced Sword and Sorcery in the tradition of RA Salvatore, David Eddings, and Mercedes Lackey. If you enjoy action, adventure, humor, and compelling characters set in a magical world, you will love this fantasy series. less