The First Rule by Steven William Hannah

SPFBO9

Venalia is going to die. When the newly ordained Priestess of the Mind's Eye returns home to bury her mentor, she meets the seer, Temple. In his dreams of the near future, Temple sees her go to certain death facing a horror from the world below, a choir of the dead whose song enslaves the living. Venalia's failure to protect the village is foretold, the village that has shunned her since childhood - but Venalia is sworn to an oath, bound by the first rule of the Priesthood to stand her ground against even the most hopeless of odds. Beset by corrupt leadership and an ungrateful flock, Venalia must decide what her life is really worth. Perhaps it is better to die for something than to live for nothing. The First Rule is a fantasy novel with elements of mystery, detective, progression and horror. It tells a story about redemption, forgiveness and duty in the face of overwhelming odds.

The Alchemist and an Amaretto (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 5) by Annette Marie

As a guild bartender, I can handle pretty much anything--mages, sorcerers, witches, the occasional demon. But show me anything family-related and I'd rather run for the hills. It doesn't even have to be my family. So I have no idea why I thought spending the holidays with Aaron's mom and pop was a good idea. Meeting his famous parents is already terrifying enough, but I've got a bigger problem. Students of his family's renowned mage academy are being attacked on the grounds--and somehow no one has seen a single assailant? Unexplained tracks litter the nearby woods, rumors of forbidden alchemy are circulating the campus...and Ezra has been acting strangely since we arrived. Something deadly is brewing in the shadow of Sinclair Academy, and the longer we take to uncover it, the more dangerous it becomes. But no matter the risk, we'll protect the students. And Aaron's parents too, I suppose. If we have to.