The dark force known as Shadow had been defeated, but its world-spanning web of power had survived. This incredible magical weapon was now held not by a prince or wizard, but by Pellinore Brown, a marketing consultant from Germantown, Maryland. Pel Brown wished no one ill; he merely wanted his family back. But the Galactic Empire that had seen Shadow as a threat saw him as Shadow's heir, a menace to be destroyed as Shadow had been. And when the awesome magical might of Shadow's legacy was turned against the rayguns and spaceships of the Empire, entire planets were caught in the middle. Pel Brown wished no one ill -- but hundreds would die to put an end to . . . THE REIGN OF THE BROWN MAGICIAN -- "Few authors could collapse the walls between genres with the skill and inventiveness that Lawrence Watt-Evans does here. _Worlds of Shadow_ is an ambitious work that succeeds on all levels -- and not least as pure masterly storytelling. Light a candle and buckle your seat belt. This is like no other ride you've ever been on." -- Erin Patrick, author of MOONTIDE