Greetings folks; Sorry if this has been posted and talked about already, but I thought that I'd bring this to your collected attention. A book from NightShade Press, with a publcation listed as being in August of 2006. It's called "A Cruel Wind". I purchased my copy through the Science Fiction Book Club. -- Well before Glen CookÂs intense and gritty Black Company series, there was the Dread Empire trilogy, his first major work. A grand-scale heroic fantasy centering around the mysterious realm of Shinsan, a far Empire feared for its sorcery and devotion to evil, the Dread Empire novels are beloved for their spare, straightforward prose and complex plotting as much as for the unflinching humanity of its characters. A Cruel Wind brings together the initial three novels of this extraordinary saga. An ancient divination had promised that both the city and empire of Ilkazar would fall because of a witch, so laws were passed to ensure this would never happen. Yet the day that VarthlokkurÂs mother was burned at the stake, IlkazarÂs greatest foe was born. Raised by a kindly old couple, and, subsequently, by his own wits on the streets of the wizard-ruled city, young Varth sought training from the Princes Thaumaturge, the dread lords of Shinsan. He grew to manhood hungry for vengeance, and in time rained destruction upon Ilkazar. Then, lost and lonely without his life-long purpose, the ageless wizard retreated from the world with a single goal in mindÂto wait through the ages for the woman destined to be his . Centuries later, at an isolated redoubt in the Mountains of Fear, Princess Nepanthe tires of being a lonely tool for her brothers mad plan. Though Ilkazar fell and their ancestors fled long ago, these Storm Kings harbor dreams of rebuilding their empire. Adding to their own powers those of a magical artifact stolen from the worldÂs most ancient mage, they conquer the city that is to be the heart of their new imperium. But the Storm Kings donÂt count on the legendary VarthlokkurÂs interference . Includes A Shadow of All Night Falling, OctoberÂs Baby, and All Darkness Met. Jacket art by Raymond Swanland. (582 pp.) 1979-1980. ____________________________________________________________________________________ 8:00? 8:25? 8:40? Find a flick in no time with the Yahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut. http://tools.search.yahoo.com/shortcuts/#news