Chimera by Thomas Allen

SPFBO9

Fifty-nine nights of peace. One night of terror. This sequence has repeated itself since before history was recorded on the scrolls. Galen’s life is ruled by the cyclic attacks of the Harvesters, the twisted, vampiric creatures of the night who can only be seen by the children they hunt. In order to stay unharmed, he, along with the other children, must rely on their own wits and the mystical sap gathered from the Grove Trees. Much as they try, their parents can offer little protection. For as a child matures, the Harvesters become invisible to their eyes. After a Harvester breaches the protective barrier around the house and wreaks havoc on the family within, Galen vows revenge on the monsters. His father, devastated by the attack and repulsed by the discovery that his son can Channel magic, sells Galen to the most powerful family in the town to serve as a decoy for their own prize heir. Here, Galen’s true potential is recognized, and he is sent to The Spire for formal training. It is within these walls that he learns an invaluable lesson: Danger does not always wait for darkness to emerge. Faced with the challenges of his new life, and with the time before the Harvesters fade from his sight drawing near, Galen must use every bit of his knowledge to make good on his oath of vengeance while struggling not to lose himself in the process.

Working Wonders by Thomas Allen

The world-famous occult shop, Working Wonders, sits on the corner of 1st Street and Hurlbert, in the heart of the Business District, one of the areas of the city with the densest populations of supernatural beings. Two weeks before Christmas, a dead body is found crumpled on Hurlbert, not far from the abandoned Beasley Inn. Sergeant Thomas Parkland is suspicious, not just because of the location of the body, but also because it appears to have been mummified. Realizing he may be out of his element, Sergeant Parkland reaches out to members of the supernatural community, eventually finding himself inside of Working Wonders. However, the owner of the shop, and his two employees, are reticent to offer any assistance to the police. Quickly, it becomes clear that Sergeant Parkland’s hunch about the dead body is justified. By the time the owner of Working Wonders decides to help him solve the mystery, another dead body is found on a wooded pathway in Crockett Memorial Park, a mythical creature of death is on the loose, a violent agent from a clandestine government agency is prowling about, and the world itself may be in danger. Is it just a coincidence that the solution to Sergeant Parkland’s investigation resides in the upstairs storage room of Working Wonders?