Book of Never

Adventure? Check. Magic? Check. Sarcasm? You bet. Roguish Never is sure he has hunted down every relic and every clue possible on his quest to finally lift the curse on his blood and hopefully learn his true name. However, convincing the wealthy Lord Firmita to part with a map to the sunken city proves to be far more dangerous than he first imagined.

Adventure? Check. Magic? Check. Sarcasm? You bet. After years of running down dead-end clues, the rogue Never has nearly given up his quest for answers; his blood is cursed and his true name a mystery, yet no library, no healer and none who claim to know dark magics have ever been able to help. Until he steals a map to the mysterious Amber Isle, which might just hold the answers he needs. But Never isn't the only one who wants the map-an old enemy, Commander Harstas, also seeks it and Harstas craves revenge for the deaths of his men. Forced to flee through a war zone, Never soon stumbles across a group of treasure-hunters hoping to discover the wonders of the Amber Isle for themselves. But the deeper they venture into the Isle, the more deadly it grows. Trapped between the greed of the treasure hunters, cunning traps in the Isle itself, the threat of Harstas' fury and his own desperation to finally uncover answers, Never must find a way to unlock the Isle's ancient secrets and escape-or perish without ever learning the truth.

Never's quest for a name continues... Poisoned and furious, Never must add a desperate quest for a cure to his existing search for truth. His path takes him deep into the White Wood where he faces vengeful spirits, giant leeches and Commander Harstas himself, whose lust for revenge is an ever-present threat.

Never's quest for a name is becoming more deadly... Armed with disturbing news about Snow, his unpredictable brother, Never picks up a cold trail on the rivers of Hanik. There he must face both new dangers and demons from his past, all the while doing his best to avoid becoming entangled in a brewing civil war.

At Snow's urging, Never climbs into the Folhan Mountains to search for the Altar of Stars, which he must reach by the new moon. Yet he cannot shake off his doubts; will the answers he seeks even reside with the altar? Or is Snow manipulating him once more? Never soon finds that the mountains harbor their own threats, from avalanches and enemy troops to ancient creatures deep within abandoned mines and worse - pursuit from a vengeance-obsessed King.

Only one thing stands between Never and answers - his brother. Driven toward the enemy-occupied Imperial City, Never's doubts grow. Even with new knowledge about his powers, can he truly keep his friends safe in a warzone? Or, like too many times before, will he end up responsible for the deaths of those he should have protected? Never faces a bitter choice between finally winning the answers he has searched for all his life and stopping his brother once and for all. Worse, he knows that if he hesitates, Snow's sinister vision for the world will come to pass.

Rejoin Never as he searches for his father's legacy and the sister he hadn't known existed. In The Phoenix of Kiymako Never must navigate a secretive new culture ruled by warrior monks. Distrusted and hunted for his blood, he must forge new alliances while following the dark trail his father has left. If Never can survive, it will lead to both his long lost sister and - finally - the truth about his mysterious name.

Rejoin Never in this short story as he fights to take back Tsolde's inn from the clutches of a greedy nobleman. After returning from Kiymako, Never discovers that Tsolde's inn, the Young Stag, is now owned by Lord Taginus - a wastrel and a cad. Yet the man hides a troubling secret, and when Never stumbles upon it he quickly finds a far darker adversary than he first imagined.

Darkness is gathering deep within the land of Vadiya as the Red Seed Cult perform twisted experiments on human flesh. Never has already tangled with the foul creatures and knows no-one else can stop them... but if he charges into enemy territory now, he will have to face old flame Sacha, who has promised to kill him should they meet again. Yet when he learns that she has been captured by the creatures he sets out with unlikely allies on a quest to uncover the truth behind the cult and hopefully save — and then survive — Sacha.

The Burnished King has escaped his tomb. In the demi-god's wake, a stone-plague creeps across the lands and Never must stop the ancient decay before it swallows everyone he cares for. Despite his determination, there is no cure and no guarantee that even his Amouni blood will be enough. Never's search for the means to fight back leads him to the Amber Isle once more, where the island continues to hold its secrets close. But it is there that Never encounters the beautiful and mysterious Rikeva, a Quisoan Weaver on her own quest, and realises that together, there might be a way to stop the plague after all...

Never and Rikeva are stranded. Defeating the Burnished King has come at a heavy cost. Never and Rikeva find themselves trapped in the time of his ancestors, captured by Amouni Guardians. Guardians who immediately brand Never as a mongrel and Rikeva as a worthless, 'untamed' commoner. Yet before seeking their execution, the Amouni decide to harvest Never's blood in order to further the goals of their purity-obsessed empire. Discovering the hard way that his powers are no longer the peerless advantage they once were, Never is forced to cooperate with untrustworthy allies on a desperate quest to escape and keep Rikeva safe long enough to find their way home if one actually exists.

Adventure? Check. Magic? Check. Sarcasm? You bet. After years of running down dead-end clues, the rogue Never has nearly given up his quest for answers; his blood is cursed and his true name a mystery, yet no library, no healer and none who claim to know dark magics have ever been able to help. Until he steals a map to the mysterious Amber Isle, which might just hold the answers he needs. But Never isn't the only one who wants the map - his enemy, Commander Harstas, also seeks it and Harstas craves revenge for the deaths of his men. Forced to flee through a war zone, Never soon stumbles across a group of treasure-hunters hoping to discover the wonders of the Amber Isle for themselves. But the deeper they venture into the Isle, the more deadly it grows. Trapped between the greed of the treasure hunters, cunning traps in the Isle itself, the threat of Harstas' fury and his own desperation to finally uncover answers, Never must find a way to unlock the Isle's ancient secrets and escape - or perish without ever learning the truth. The Book of Never (1-5) brings together Never's complete adventures as he searches for the truth behind his mysterious heritage and the curse on his blood.