In the conclusion to the Altar of Reality series, nothing but sacrifices lay ahead for Madeline as she fights two different wars on the same front... Gideon wants the power he created with Madeline and will do anything to unlock it within her and take control. The Lord Commander wants peace and will do anything to keep his people safe and in line, even if it means turning against his own niece. In the middle of it all is Austin. Now reunited with his brother and officially at odds with the organization he once swore himself to, he's struggling to straddle two worlds and save Madeline before she gets locked into the body she possesses. Or until he does... With SHIFT closing in and Gideon now in possession of the ultimate weapon--Madeline--Austin and his rag-tag team of teens have to figure out who to save and who to sacrifice as worlds threaten to collide.

Fractured Minds (Altar of Reality #2) Now in the clutches of the Lord Commander, Madeline struggles to keep the monster she knows the Lord Commander to be separate from the doting uncle she's always known. The more he draws her in, the more connected to this reality she becomes. She finds herself remembering a life she never lived and unable to find her way back to her own reality, locking her into a world she doesn't belong in and longs to make right. In the aftermath of Madeline landing back in the alternate reality, Austin is scrambling to get her back. Worried for what the Lord Commander might do with Madeline and with SHIFT on his trail, Austin feels the dangers closing in around them from all sides. He finds surprising allies in Brandon and Ana, and together they work to keep SHIFT away from a comatose Madeline while Austin makes startling revelations about the limits of the abilities he was taught. The more Austin unravels the terrifying reach of his powers, the more he uncovers the truth about the real enemy within SHIFT and the further out of reach Madeline feels. With Hayden and Brandon's lives being used as leverage to keep her in line and the rebellion her actions sparked igniting around her, Madeline has to decide which side she is on and which world she belongs to before the choice is made for her...

Altered Reality (Altar of Reality #1): When sixteen-year-old Madeline suffers her first grand mal seizure, she finds herself in an unfamiliar reality, surrounded by strangers wearing familiar faces. Her best friend, Brandon, tells her that the world has fallen to chaos, the aftermath of World War III ten years ago. Madeline doesn't remember anything from this life- especially not the explosion four years ago that killed her parents and landed her in a coma, or the Lord Commander; a zealot leader of the Southern Territories now searching for her. Madeline barely has time to process everything before waking up to the life she's always known. As soon as she dismisses it all as a strange and vivid dream, she finds herself back there once more. Unsure if she's truly caught in the middle of a brewing rebellion, or teetering on the brink of insanity, she finds herself flipping between the two lives. Her heart becomes torn between two versions of the same boy and the lines between her realities begin to blur as she struggles to save her lives in both worlds.

Weeks have passed since Ariana and Alec escaped from Kellen's dungeon, but danger isn't far behind them. The guilt of his past weighs heavily on Alec's shoulders, and his secrets only push Ariana further away. As they travel through unknown lands and encounter multiple threats, their biggest challenge might be trusting one another. The world appears to be going on regardless of the risks Ariana faces. The Duillaine insist that they are doing everything they can to find Ariana, but their actions betray that claim. Despite the danger and the war closing in around them, all of Anscombe seems to be more interested in the upcoming Imbolc festival and Terrena's betrothal than rescuing Ariana. Well...not everyone. Tired of waiting for the Duillaine to help her twin, Zelene starts plotting on her own and finds a surprising ally in Rhaya, even as the Cynewards prepare to make a move of their own. But Zelene's plans go awry when she finds herself with a new ability, a mysterious new friend, and more enemies within the walls of Anscombe than she thought.

The final installment of the epic fantasy series Heirs of War. Word spread quickly of Zelene's sacrifice and the power she wielded to bring back the dead, trading her own life for those her loved ones had lost. The tragic loss of a Duillaine rippled through the worlds, seeming to unite them all in their grief. Kings and queens from all over flocked to Anscombe as preparations for her funeral went on. The only problem with a funeral? You need to be dead. But Zelene wasn't about to spread the word that she was back. Taking advantage of the distraction and isolation their mourning was supposed to afford them, the Duillaine decide to set off on another rescue mission: Find Nandalia. Which meant returning to Kellen's lands and coming face to face with the threat of the Cahiran army hellbent on destroying them. With their power growing, the girls find themselves racing against fate to end the war before the prophecy can claim the ultimate sacrifice from them.

They might have won the battle to rescue Ariana, but the war is still coming... Still heavy with the losses she endured and those she felt she caused, Zelene is unsure of what to do next even though all eyes seem to be turned to her for guidance. Paralyzed with grief and fear of losing anyone else, she would rather lock herself in her room with the literal ghosts of her past than take another step forward. Unable to sit by idly or wait for Zelene to make a move, Terrena takes matters into her own hands. Fresh on the heels of her betrothal to Reilly, the duo make plans to unite the lands as the prophecy calls for. First on her list is the Athucreans, the warrior race that breeds the Cynewards bonded to the girls. Determined to honor Kenward, Terrena ignores the warnings that the warrior race would rather see their heads on spikes than make peace. When familiar faces find their way back into their lives and those they thought they could trust turning against them, the bonds holding the young Duillaine together start to fracture. The girls struggle to win the war against their grief and keep hold of their growing power before it consumes them all.

Seventeen-year-old Zelene had never believed in magic or prophecies; until the day she was attacked by an assassin with unnatural powers. Now, her life has been thrust into a war between two worlds she knows nothing about and told that she must fight against an enemy determined to snuff out her existence-all because of some ancient prophecy that claims five girls from her bloodline will unite and end the war between the worlds. As their enemies strike, the girls are forced to flee back to their home world after being hidden away for so long. There, Zelene meets Rhaya, Terrena, and Isauria and discovers the familial bonds tying them together and to the powerful Duillaine who rule over the worlds. Zelene sees this connection as a prison rather than protection and can think of a place or two she'd like to shove the crown she supposedly inherited. When she learns Ariana, her long-lost twin sister, has been captured by the rebels, Zelene's attitude changes. With whispers of Ariana being the sacrifice needed to fulfill the prophecy, Zelene knows she has to act. She doesn't know how she is supposed to go against an army of magic-wielding rebels when her own ability to manipulate the elements is still locked within her. But can she trust the Duillaine to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene. Screw the worlds. She's getting her sister back.

Book III of SEIZE THE DAY, Winner of the 2014 Wattys Instant Addiction Award. If you haven't read Book I or Book II, SEIZE THE DAY and CHAINS OF FATE, please do! There are spoilers ahead! **** THE SHADOWS ARE DESCENDING. After the dreadful battle with the Drakain Therin, Lannie Brackenbury found out that a malicious entity known as the Shadow is bent on destroying Etheia. With the rumor of its origin in Balua, she sets out for the desert country with her allies in the hope of finding the Shadow. Along the way, she must also convince the countries of Balua, Drush, and Tekin to abolish slavery. But what Lannie soon finds out is that abolishing slavery in Nor sent a shock wave through Etheia. Hatred for the Harbingers runs rampant, and when she meets the ambitious leader of an underground syndicate that fights against slavery, she soon understands that abolishing slavery will be harder than she ever imagined. With the oppressive Shadow lingering behind everything she does, Lannie experiences destructive, terrifying visions about Eden's past, and she soon realizes that Eden knows more about the Shadow than she lets on. Lannie doesn't know who to trust any longer. Even Prince Titus seems to be hiding something, and when she discovers a devastating secret about her future with him, it will tear her world apart. And Lannie must decide if her world is worth saving. **** Cover: Model © Angie and Jamie via lisajen-stock.deviantart.com; Background and Circle © Evey-V via evey-v.deviantart.com; edited by me

Book II of SEIZE THE DAY, Winner of the 2014 Wattys Instant Addiction Award. If you haven't read Book I, SEIZE THE DAY, please do! There are spoilers ahead! **** Lannie Brackenbury never thought she would be sent on a dangerous quest to save the world. But after she discovered her destiny as a Harbinger, that idea took a drastic twist. Bestowed with abilities that she is still learning to use, Lannie is sent on a journey that will take her across Etheia, where she must negotiate a peace treaty between the magical kingdom of Eremith and the human kingdom of Nor to break the vicious cycle of slavery. But making peace in the world of Etheia is not as easy as it seems. Therin, the bloodthirsty Drakain that ruined Lannie's life, is still moving in the shadows, convincing the world to doubt the existence of the Harbingers. And when a terrifying beast cloaked in darkness attacks Lannie, she realizes that defeating Therin is the least of her worries. Humans and magical creatures are on the brink of another war. This time, it is far more dangerous than Lannie could ever have imagined. There is a dark force at work that is bent on destroying not only Nor, but Eremith as well. And it will take everything that Lannie has to stop it. ---- Cover: Model © Ylenia Manganelli via PrincessandDragon.deviantart.com; Background © Sean & Ashlie Nelson via AshenSorrow.deviantart.com; edited by me

Macey McHenry—Glamorous society girl or spy-in-training? W.W. Hale V—Heir to an American dynasty or master thief? There are two sides to every coin. Whether these two can work together is a tossup. Born into privilege, Macey and Hale are experts at mingling with the upper class. But even if they’ve never raised an eyebrow at the glitz, neither teenager has ever felt at home with the glamour. When Macey and Hale meet at a society gala, the party takes a dangerous turn. Suddenly they’re at the center of a hostage situation, and it’s up to them to stop the thugs from becoming hostile. Will Macey’s spy skills and Hale’s con-man ways be enough to outsmart a ruthless gang? Or will they have to seek out the ultimate inside girl to help? The worlds of Heist Society and the Gallagher Girls collide in Ally Carter’s fast-paced, high-stakes and tantalizing new story. Get a behind the scenes glimpse as Ally delivers an irresistible thriller that is full of her signature style and savvy twists.