Lani: The Girl Without Fear by Dan Cole

WriteHive Book Club

In a world controlled by fear, Lani is unique: a teenage girl who feels no fear, and often gets herself into dangerous situations because of it. Lani feels stifled by her overprotective and terrified parents, and after learning about family in a distant city, Lani plans to leave. Her faithful Minotaur bodyguard, Brutus, helps her escape the Great City of Ghal. In the Wilds, Lani learns much about love, herself, and her world. Mostly through a young woman named Kas who shows her what it's like to live in the wilds and to feel something for another person. Death follows Lani though. Leaving Ghal wasn't only to find family, but out of necessity after Lani hurt another student at her school. Fear Mongers, or Mongers for short, sent by her parents dog her steps and leave a trail of death searching for her. Lani must learn that although her lack of fear is quite the power in this world, it can be a burden. Especially to those important to her. Marauding robots, dangerous monsters, animal and human amalgamations known as Primals, and learning about her world makes Lani's journey across the Flatlands a dangerous adventure. Lani also meets a mysterious warrior known as the Wanderer, who teachers her and her freinds about the past, and about herself. After suffering great loss, and learning great truths, Lani's plans have to change, and death creeps ever closer.

The Eternal Muse: Desecration by Rick Waugh

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When a song is a weapon, who can wield it? Piper is a minstrel whose music incites forbidden magic. He lives in fear of being charged with heresy; the church uses the same power to crush offenders, without mercy or hope of redemption. His problems have cost him both the woman he loves and his growing career as a minstrel. Worse, he’s entangled in the politics of the capital, attracting the scrutiny of the priests. Terrified they’ll turn him into a mindless beast, he runs. Can he learn to control the magic, and use it to slice through centuries of the church’s lies? Or will he end up as the priests’ latest victim, all ability to feel hope, love, or even hate ripped from his mind? The Eternal Muse: Desecration is the First book in the Eternal Muse trilogy.

Does Love Always Win? by Diane Billas

Does Love Always Win is a sapphic coming of age young adult novel that explores coming out and understanding one’s sexual orientation. Sam “Shorty” Daniels has a plan for her senior year, but her romantic life being a hot mess was not part of the agenda. Shorty quickly discovers she’s not attracted to her newest boyfriend and fellow marching band member Zack despite her many hours of daydreaming of what it would be like to date him. Their flirting previously had been so intense that those feelings have to come back again, right? When Shorty’s asked to show the snarky new girl around high school, Shorty’s instantly intrigued by Kristy’s wit, and they bond over their love of writing. They quickly become inseparable, and Shorty has a breakthrough moment realizing why none of her other relationships worked out. Just as Shorty is about to break up with Zack, her bitter ex-boyfriend Bryan threatens to out her to the entire school and Shorty’s conservative parents. Will Shorty be able to overcome Bryan’s ridiculous blackmail scheme and get her dream girl?

The Flight of the Darkstar Dragon by Benedict Patrick

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Impossible world. Impossible dragon. Impossible adventure. Lost with her ship and crew in an unfamiliar land, Min’s first command could be her last. Nothing here behaves the way it should: The magic that powers her skyship has been drained, rendering it immobile. The sky is an endless twilight, lit by the luminous fish that swim in it. Off starboard, there’s also the country-sized dragon that is looking particularly hungry. It will take all of Min’s training and experience to get her people safely back home, but as the truth about the Darkstar Dimension begins to be revealed, Min will have to prove to her crew - and to herself - that she is still the best person for the job. From the twisted mind that created the ‘delightfully weird’ Yarnsworld series comes a fantasy adventure like no other. Grab it now, to set sail on a journey you’ll never forget!

Rootwork by Tracy Cross

Set in a small parish in Louisiana in 1889, Rootwork follows sisters, Betty, Ann and Pee Wee. When school lets out for the summer, the girls head off to stay with their hoodoo-practicing aunt, Theodora, an empowered woman equally feared and revered by the local townspeople. They learn how to make “hot foot powder” and the secrets of a good “black cat bone”. Need to get back at an enemy? A little goofer dust will help that. The girls delight in their new hoodoo adventure, until a tragic event strikes, involving the malicious town sheriff, transforming not only their lives but also the sisters themselves. A story of love, folk magic, redemption and independence, Rootwork explores the strength of family and the darker side of the heart.

Genefire by JAMES FLANAGAN

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***** WINNER of Firebird Book Awards 2023 - in 3 Categories (New Author, Genetics, Time Travel)***** near-future SciFi novel crossing space and time. In a future where genetic engineering is becoming the norm, even the simplest mistakes could be devastating.Sometimes it feels as though the world will end if you don’t finish your PhD. For Larry Milton, it’s true.Larry has discovered a dire warning from the future about Earth’s destruction — written in the DNA of a young girl. With the destruction of the planet at stake, and no one believing him, he goes to extraordinary lengths to help the messenger from the future save the world… and try to finish his PhD at the same time.

The Binding of Bloom Mountain by Siggy Chambers

Indie Recs Indie

“One fool in search of money wins a cursed mountain and a lifetime of nightmares...” When Celeste Foster loses her job with the US Forestry Service, she finds solace in drinking herself stupid every night. But when she sees an ad that says “ADVENTURERS WANTED” and “compensation upon completion”, she pulls herself together to head for the town of Milton. In the mountains of Northwest Virginia, she enters a portal to an alternate Shenandoah Valley. Here monsters and gods live alongside humans, and every family has magic in their blood. But a curse festers on the slopes of Bloom Mountain. A decade has passed with no one to bind the magic, and soon the curse will destroy Milton. Armed with a recording, a bag of ritual items, and fresh scones from the cute barista that housed her, Celeste starts up Bloom Mountain. The Binding tests her endurance, sanity, and ability to adapt to this new world. If she can survive the horrors on the mountain, there might be more than just money waiting for her at the end.

The Saga of Bjorn Unfrid by John Simons

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The omens are not good. Ancient forces are at play… …and ancient forces are known to be assholes. Bjorn knows this because he’s not like other people. He sees the past and future, ghosts and gods. Sometimes he talks to them. But he never expected or wanted to get dragged into the business of the spirit world. He already has his own problems, like how to start a conversation with the woman he followed all the way to Texas so he could stay close to her. He’s pretty sure that wouldn’t go over as a great opening line. Unfortunately, the spirit world and the physical world are tied together and Bjorn is tangled up in all of it. It’s a lot to handle all at once in your freshman year of college, and UH is not the college experience he was expecting. But when things turn dark and the lives of his loved ones are at stake, it’s the place where he must awaken to his destiny whether he wants to or not.

Assured Destruction by Michael F. Stewart

You can learn a lot about someone looking through their hard drive... Sixteen-year-old Jan Rose knows that nothing is ever truly deleted. At least, not from the hard drives she scours to create the online identities she calls the Shadownet. Hobby? Art form? Sad, pathetic plea to garner friendship, even virtually? Sure, Jan is guilty on all counts. Maybe she’s even addicted to it. It’s an exploration. Everyone has something to hide. The Shadownet’s hard drives are Jan’s secrets. They're stolen from her family’s computer recycling business Assured Destruction. If the police found out, Jan’s family would lose its livelihood. When the real people behind Shadownet’s hard drives endure vicious cyber attacks, Jan realizes she is responsible. She doesn’t know who is targeting these people or why but as her life collapses Jan must use all her tech savvy to bring the perpetrators to justice before she becomes the next victim.

Merry Fuckin’ Christmas: And Other Yuletide Shit by Kevin J. Kennedy

Kevin J. Kennedy has brought the horror world three bestselling Christmas horror anthologies. Now, for the first time ever he collects his own tales of Christmas madness between these pages. You will find a mix of extreme, comedy, gross and bizarro Christmas horror, and there is even a few drabbles thrown in. WARNING: This book isn't for everyone. If you are easily offended, it's not going to be for you. “As gritty as Irvine Welsh and as horrific as anything King has put out. Christmas has never been so dark. This is a collection horror fans do not want to miss.” Lee Mountford, Author of The Demonic. "Kennedy is one of the modern greats of seasonal horror. Sit by the fireplace, pour yourself a drink and get this read." Lex H. Jones, author of The Old One and The Sea. “Superb! Stylistic! Downright terrifying! Kennedy does not pull any punches.” Christopher Motz, author of Pine Lakes, and Tenants. "Freaky, disturbing, unpleasant... These stories could ruin your Christmas!" Mark Cassell, author of The Shadow Fabric. “Everything Kennedy touches turns to gold. And for good reason. A gruesome, rock 'n' roll, festive feast.” Kyle M. Scott, author of The Club.