The One Who Could Not Fly (The Wing Cycle, #1) by E.G. Stone

SPFBO6

For generations, sylphs have lived isolated on the island of Shinalea, forgotten by the world. But they, too, have forgotten their past. Until it rears its head and changes the very foundations of their world… Ravenna has grown up isolated and ostracised amongst the sylphs for her small wing size and her unusual colouring. She lives with the Intellecti, a collection of sylphs dedicated to learning, to facts, to history, to thought. But she feels most free when she runs through the trees of her beloved home. Until, that is, she comes across beings that should have been myth. Humans. Captured, Ravenna is taken from her home and into the vastness of the desert mainland. She is sold into slavery and thrown into a world that proves everything she knew about the humans right: they are nothing more than the cruel, bloodthirsty beings that filled sylph myths with horror. Until, that is, Ravenna makes a single mistake. She falls. Suddenly, the world is not quite what she knew. Ravenna is thrust into this world of humans and their schemings for power, their political machinations, their hopes, their dreams. Ravenna must decide whether humans are the nightmares of her people’s legends or just beings like her, finding their place in an unexpected world. And she must decide whether to save her world, or to destroy it. The One Who Could Not Fly is an exciting fantasy adventure that asks questions of family, of independence, and of what it really means to fly.

The Seer's Secret (Legacy of the Time Stones Trilogy Book 1) by Brittany Fichter

A failing warrior. A prince in pain. A city in the mountain where they and their loved ones hide from Solevar's curse. But this reality will soon shatter. For among the cursed ashes of Solevar, a Seer has been found. Eirin, the king's favored warrior-in-training, is going to fail her combat test. She knows this, as does everyone around her. This comes as no surprise, though. Eirin never understood why the king chose to train her alongside the Walled City's most promising fighters. She's always been too slow, too weak, never enough for what a true Sgaeth is meant to be. And now that it's nearly over, she dreams only of returning to the home where she's loved and she belongs. For years, Drystan, the king's Heir, chosen for his strength and prowess in combat, has watched Eirin fight only to fall again and again. And though he's only the king's Heir, his patience with the situation grows thin. Anyone can see that Eirin was never meant to be a Sgaeth, but the king refuses to listen. As if his worry over Eirin's safety isn't enough, the ever-present pain in Drystan's chest is reaching nearly crippling levels. If he can't get it under control, his suffering will soon begin to affect those he should be keeping safe. Both Eirin and Drystan's plans and ambitions are brought to a halt, however, when just before Eirin's combat trial, the Walled City is attacked by an army of monstrous shifters. And Eirin and Drystan hear a word uttered that changes the course of the battle and their lives. Seer. Upon hearing mention of this word, the king sends Eirin, Drystan, and a small party of companions out of the Walled City, out of the mountain, into the ancient, dying land of Solevar. There, he promises, they will find the answers they've been seeking. But no matter what happens, Drystan must protect Eirin at all costs. The Walled City's survival depends on it. As they make their way into the dangerous world of the Atharrach shifters, far from the safety of their city's walls, Drystan and Eirin begin to see that perhaps the world is not exactly as they've been told. Even more importantly, though, they learn world-altering secrets about their own selves. And if they can't learn to embrace their true natures...and trust one another along the way, the world as they know it might fall. The Seer's Secret is the first in the Legacy of the Time Stones Trilogy, a world with magic, myth, and mystery. Read Seer's Secret today to embark on the journey to the Time Stones...before it's too late.

The Messenger from Myris Dar: Book 1 of The Stone Guardians by Kindrie Grove

A mysterious warrior stalked by evil. The message she carries will save their world. Can a band of heroes help her survive to deliver it? In a land fallen to chaos and tyrants, would you lend your sword? For an elite swords-woman the choice is clear. The Message is only the beginning… Rowan Mor Lanyar is a swords-woman of extraordinary skill, trained from a young age to become an elite guardian of her remote island home. But when prophesy and fate call upon her to carry a message to a land beyond the horizon, an adventure of epic scale begins. Confronted by savage beasts, political intrigue and a vile soul-stealer, Rowan joins forces with a group of restless mercenaries to navigate a treacherous and dangerous land. The Messenger from Myris Dar is a fast-paced, page-turning high fantasy adventure filled with fantastic characters, epic landscapes, fierce battles, swords, sorcery, magic, romance and intrigue. Start reading this page-turner today! Join Rowan and her Companions as she fights for survival to fulfill her desperate mission while discovering friendship, love and a greater purpose connected to the ancient past.

The Eighth Stone by Bruce Pedersen

SPFBO7

Lara, a princess still devastated by the loss of her mother; Jethro, an apprentice to a failed painter; Arlan, a warrior barely out of training. Only these three can stand in the way of the dark forces now loose in the Lands of the Faith. Only they can prevent a plot by Lord Draxta of Fornea to find the secret keys that will unlock powers from the past that should have remained buried forever. They must travel eastwards from their homeland Maltia across the other lands, in a race to find the last key before Draxta and the mysterious priest who never leaves his side. There will be a final deadly clash at Hazrakeel, the ice castle in the middle of the desert, where the last key can be found and the gate to the dominion of death can be opened. But none who enter through the gate can return without sacrificing the life of another.

The Bleeding Stone by Joseph John Lee

SPFBO9

The island nation of Ferranda is the jewel of the Acrarian Kingdom, and its Founder, Aritz a Mata, is revered as a god amongst men. But twenty-five years ago, Aritz was merely a man, a colonizer, an Invader seeking glory and fame in the name of his King and Queen, and Ferranda was a nameless union of indigenous Tribes, reverent of the heightened powers and aptitudes granted to them by their Animal Deities, but sundered by the foreigners claiming their lands to the south. In the unconquered north, the Stone Tribe has for fifteen years offered a safe haven for the southern Tribes displaced by Aritz's Invaders, whose occupying march north has been ostensibly halted by a dense forest barrier dividing north and south. Among the Stone people lives Sen, an outcast for the circumstances of her birth, preserved in society only by her status as daughter of her Tribe's Chief. Forever relegated to the fringes of society, she is forced to watch as countless of her kin, including her sister and brother, complete their rites of passage into adulthood and accordingly earn their aptitudes by the Deity to whom they share an affinity - the Bear, the Wolf, or the Owl. Despite this, Sen finds comfort in her life of forced solitude with her close inner circle, but hers is a comfort in days of waning tenuous peace. When Aritz's technologically-advanced forces push north, Sen is thrust into a singular quest to rescue one of her precious few captured in the ensuing struggle. While her goal is earnest - save someone dear to her and prove her worth to her Tribe - her people's goal is far more dire: survival in the face of uncertainty.

Devil's Night Dawning (Broken Stone Chronicle #1) by Damien Black

SPFBO Finalist

As a kingdom teeters on the brink of war, two witch hunters fight to stop a warlock before he unleashes an ancient evil… For centuries, the Argolian Order has protected the mortal vale from the dark forces of the Other Side. Now the barrier between worlds is breaking down, and two monks must survive a civil war before they can stop the wizard responsible. When Adelko is assigned to legendary exorcist and witch hunter Horskram, he expects an adventurous life. Death by adventure isn’t what he had in mind – but it seems the only outcome when they learn of a sorcerous theft that threatens the world. The thief wants to silence them – permanently. And so Horskram and Adelko flee from one danger to another as the Jarl of Thule leads a rebel army against the King of Northalde, plunging the realm into conflict. And on the Other Side, demonkind reawakens… The Broken Stone Chronicle is a riveting tale of war, quest, magic and horror for fans of medieval fantasy, sword and sorcery, dark fantasy and epic fantasy. Buy a copy now! Selected for the final in the 2017 SPFBO book competition

The Binding Stone by Lizzy Gayle

A thousand years of servitude left Leela more than a little jaded. Betrayed by the man she loved only begins her lessons on the wickedness of humanity. Her hope for freedom for herself and her fellow Djinn from the magical stones that bind them has dimmed to a barely-there glimmer. But it hasn’t yet been extinguished. When the young, handsome, and idealistic Jered inadvertently becomes her new master, Leela wonders if his tenderness and concern may be real. And despite her years of suffering, her heart begins to open to him. And the chance at romance. As she inches closer to trusting Jered, the past and the enemies that come with it, resurface, threatening the small spark of happiness in Leela’s long life. After a millennium of pain what—and who—is Leela willing to sacrifice for freedom?

Dragonia: The Dragon Stone by Craig A. Price Jr.

SFFOasis

Devarius knows the wyverns won’t be enough to face the dragonriders, and the wyvern oil addicted dragonmen cannot be trusted. The resistance has won a few battles against the empire. The wyvernriders have proven effective, as have the dragomen, and now with the newly discovered drakes they have a fighting chance. But it still won’t be enough. They need to pull off a heist in the center of the Dragonia Empire. Devarius and the resistance need the dragon stone. It is rumored to give magical abilities to whomever touches it without addiction. No more siphoning oil from the wyverns for temporary magical abilities for the dragonmen, temporary abilities from a substance that has proven addictive. No more relying on mediocre spellcasters drawing their power from wyvern scales around their necks. They need the dragon stone. Are the rumors true? Can it give whomever touches it limitless power? Will stealing the dragon stone prove a turning point in the war? Will they be able to steal it unnoticed? The fate of Kaeldroga depends on it. If you love Anne McCaffrey and Christopher Paolini and you’re looking for a great new dragonrider series to read, you’ll love Dragonia because it matches dragonriders against wyvernriders in an epic battle of good versus evil.

The Stone of Knowing (The Stone Cycle #1) by Allan N. Packer

SPFBO6

Even a small stone creates big ripples In the kingdom of Arvenon, young Thomas Stablehand stumbles upon an unusual stone. Suddenly able to read the thoughts and intents of others, his life sours as he eagerly indulges his curiosity. But dangerous enemies seek the stone. With overwhelming forces attacking the kingdom, Thomas has no one to turn to except his friend Will Prentis, a born leader who has seized his opportunity to command. To thwart the invaders, Will leads a small band on a perilous quest. Fearing exposure, Thomas flees with him, along with Brother Vangellis, a conflicted monk hiding from his past. They can ill afford distractions, least of all a fiery young woman with a sharp tongue. But more may depend on Elbruhe than they can foresee. As Thomas struggles to unravel the enigma of the stone, Will must outwit a relentless adversary whose true purpose remains a mystery. Staying alive is a formidable challenge. Defeating their enemies seems an impossible dream. Note: The Stone of Knowing is not a standalone book--the saga continues and concludes in The Cost of Knowing, book two of The Stone Cycle.

Garnet Fire (Gemstone Witch Series Book 1) by Ana Michelle

McKenna Pomengale has spent her entire life within the safety of her Coven’s Farm in Texas. There she not only learned live off the land but how to walk the Astral Plains, keeping the universe balanced. When her and every member of her coven is pulled from the plains and unable to gain entrance to them again McKenna must leave the only home she has ever known. She has to travel to the site of the infamous Salem Witch Trials. Upon her arrival she must search out the Guardians and learn the secrets they have protected for all these years. Learning to trust others outside of her coven while insuring her of her coven’s survival is paramount.

The King of Stonewood by Jeremy Hayes

Stonewood is in peril! The demon lord, Lucivenus, now sits upon the throne. To his right, stands High Priest Sarvin, leader of the demon-worshipping Cult, whose dedication led to the release of the demon lord from his extra-planar prison. King Stonewood, who was believed dead, is now beginning to fight back. The King hides somewhere in the south district surrounded by loyal companions, striking at cultists and inspiring hope in the citizens that the Cult may be overthrown. Harcourt and Krestina, two south-side orphans, are thrust into the middle of the conflict. The pair of unlikely heroes may be the only ones capable of finding two ancient items that will be needed to defeat, the mighty Lucivenus. Without them, the King cannot win and Stonewood will be left in the control of the vile Cult.

The Shepherds of the Sunstone: Book One - Sunstone Saga (The Sunstone Saga) by Nicolin Odel

A murdered father. Awakened magic. Nightmares of drowning in the dark abyss. Something hunts in the deep of the night through the endless sea of sand. Adventurous, captivating, and complex, The Shepherds of the Sunstone plunges into the world of fantasy with a blood-curdling scream. Hata thought she was ordinary until she discovered her power to bend the earth to her will. Simon had a dream of drowning, and then his nightmare became a reality. He was kidnapped by a savage tribe and enslaved in the desert. His wife, Saudett, is a soldier who would stop at nothing to rescue him. She joins forces with a band of warriors and Hata, the mysterious girl with earth-shattering magic. But they were not the only ones who wanted Hata’s gift. A powerful order of mages is hunting her down, and they will stop at nothing to capture her. And as they journey across the desert of the Burning Sea, they face a malevolent force threatening to destroy them all. Can they survive the perils and save Simon from his fate? Find out in this epic fantasy adventure, where magic, grit and courage collide. Fans of Patrick Rothfuss, Andrzej Sapkowski, Sarah J. Maas, and Robin Hobb will find this first installment in the Sunstone Saga an intense, tactile, dark, and action-packed journey.

Fire Whispers Among the Shadows: Book One of The Brimstone Archives by R.A Cooper

In a world inhabited only by animals, one fierce feline was chosen. Aiesha desires a life of peace with her beloved fellow creatures. But when a dark presence from portals beyond the lands starts to consume lives, including those most dear to her, Aiesha’s destiny as Guardian leaves her unable to follow her dreams of a normal life. As Aiesha fulfills her calling, she discovers that she has powers never before imagined—powers that may be the key to saving the lands, as well as her lifelong best friend.But will it be enough? Can Aiesha realize her true destiny and defeat the evil that has invaded their lands? Or will her friends perish in the darkness?Join Aiesha on her journey to the unknown with Fire Whispers Among the Shadows, Book One of The Brimstone Archives. Amazon Customers are saying: "Wildly entertaining" "...imaginative tale of good versus evil" "...immerse [yourself] into an incredible fantasy world" "looking forward to the next adventure"