After being trapped in an ice prison for centuries, a group of otherworldly immortals have finally broken free. In a bid to rule the Earth, their fight to the death resumes, and the whole world becomes a gladiator arena. This time, these savage warriors will risk more than their lives and the survival of their realms, they'll also risk their hearts.

Nick's face is breaking out. The symptoms, besides his complexion, include an abiding coldness and nightmares. As his face worsens, a neighbor sends over a priest. The priest remembers a teenager who had a similar attack. He has the teen's journal. Another teen comes into the clinic with a similar case. Does the resolution lie in the old journal?

Sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape shifter, a "skin man," Roland Deschain takes charge of Bill Streeter, a brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast's most recent slaughter. Roland, himself only a teenager, calms the boy by reciting a story from the Magic Tales of the Eld that his mother used to read to him at bedtime, "The Wind through the Keyhole."

"Death is one thing, it's what you do afterward that matters. Aspiring comedian Raely is the sole survivor of a disastrous train wreck. While faced with the intense grief of losing her best friend, she realizes that someone is following her--and has been following her all her life. Trouble is, no one else can see him. For a ghostly tag-along, Casper's not so bad. He might even be the partner Raely needs to fight the evil spirit hell-bent on destroying...

"Alison has never been a fan of Christmas. But with it right around the corner and her husband busily decorating their cozy Vermont home, she has no choice but to face it. Then she gets the call. Mavis, Alison's estranged mother, has been diagnosed with cancer and has only weeks to live. She wants to spend her remaining days with her daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. But Alison grew up with her mother's alcoholism and violent abuse and...