Similar stories:
|
Daughter of the Yellow Dragon: A Mongolian Epic (Fractured Empire Book 1) by Starr Z Davies "A Mongolian Game of Thrones!" ā Katherine Roberts, author of Prince of the Wolves: The Legend of Genghis Khan Genghis Khan united a nation and created a vast empire for his heirs. But after 200 years of civil war, his empire has fallen into the dark ages. Mandukhai dreams of being a fierce warrior woman, but her dreams are shattered when she is forced to become the second wife to the Great Khan. Unebolod spent his life in the Great Khan's shadow, preparing for a day when he can seize control of the empire. But when he forms a dangerous alliance with Mandukhai, it swiftly transforms into a passion that could destroy them both. Just as the two are certain their fate will one day bring them together and make Unebolod the next Great Khan, a young prince surfaces to steal the Great Khan's attention and the hearts of the nation. Daughter of the Yellow Dragon is the first book in a gripping, gritty historical fiction series based on the epic life of one of the most underrated women in history. The series draws you into a world of brutal Mongol steppe life, deadly political games, and supernatural beliefs. Please be advised: This book contains adult situations, graphic violence, assault, and personal loss. |
|
In Sleep You Know, A Story of the Eleriannan by Christiane Knight Even the grittiest blue collar city has a spark of magic under the surface; but in Baltimore, graffiti holds secret messages and artists are the spellcasters. Abandoned buildings hide ancient beings, and at the local club, you might find yourself rubbing shoulders with menacing and otherworldly creatures. If you know how to look, of course. Merrick Moore is just a regular guy with dreams of making it big with his garage band, but not much else - until he crashes a party thrown by reclusive eccentrics. He gets more than he bargained for: new powers, a girlfriend who can visit him in his dreams, and a seven year bond with the local Fae court. When the mortal enemies of his new friends show up to his band's first gig, Merrick finds himself trying to prevent the start of a war that will have consequences for everyone, Fae and human alike. |
|
El Jefe by Tiffany Christina Lewis In this third installment of the series, Detective Michael Taylor of the Oakland PD has a decision to make: Should he begin an investigation against his corrupt lieutenant? After being given a file of evidence against him, Michael is expected to act. He knows that after multiple attempts on his own life, opening this investigation would put himself, all of his loved ones and his partner Det. Alex Jamison in danger. As Michael contemplates the case, he and Jamison get a late-night call to the residence of Mia McDowell, who is found assaulted and murdered. Although it initially looks like a breaking and entering, Michael can sense something isnāt right. Just as his momentum rises, Lt. Bruce Vega, the corrupt supervisor in question, arrives on the scene. As the two come head to head, Michael removes himself from the situation only to find that he has fueled Lt. Vegaās fire, and he is now under a monthās suspension. Now Michael has to make some choices: will he investigate Lt. Vega and risk everything or will he do nothing and risk losing himself? |
|
Goodbye to the Sun by Jonathan Nevair "A fresh sci-fi for the modern era that successfully balances serious themes with exciting space opera." -Spells & Spaceships A rebel pilot teams up with a war-torn diplomat in a bid to win her peopleās freedom ā but an impossible choice awaitsā¦ On a lone wind-shaped world, the Motes are on the brink. Razor, a bold and daring pilot, leads a last-ditch gambit against their local oppressors, the Targitians. The plan - abduct visiting Ambassador Keen Draden and use him as a bargaining chip to restore Mote independence on Kol-2. But when the operation unravels, Razor is forced to renegotiate terms with the arrogant diplomat. Racing the planet's raging wind tides, the two struggle to maintain a fragile pact. But Keen's dubious past rises and the Mote's resolve falters. Opportunity and obligation clash in a confrontation over honor, family, and revenge that binds their futures more tragically than they ever thought possible. |
|
Never Die (Mortal Techniques #1) by Rob J. Hayes Samurai, shinigami, vengeful spirits, and an impossible quest. Itami Cho has earned the name Whispering Blade. She is a Shintei warrior, sworn to the path of oaths and honour. But keeping her oaths has always been more difficult than taking them. When Flaming Fist and his bandits attack the city of Kaishi, Itami swears one last oath: she will protect the city and its people at any cost. Ein has spent his life dreaming of being a hero, and now the God of Death has given him a chance. The Reaper has set him an impossible quest: an eight-year-old boy sent to stop an immortal Emperor. Never Die is a stand alone set in the world of Mortal Techniques. Itās a wuxia adventure filled with samurai, shinigami, heroes, and vengeful spirits. |
|
Where Shadows Lie by Allegra Pescatore The Chosen One Is Dead. Magic Is Going Haywire. Time Is Running Out. When the King of Lirin murders Elenor's brother during a failed coup attempt, she must choose between turning a blind eye to her people's suffering or joining the rebellion and helping bring down the tyrant king. There's only one problem--the king is her father. Helped along the way by a grouchy old doctor, a boisterous group of nobles, and a well-meaning assassin, Elenor is forced to dance between duty and defiance as she tries to save her kingdom. Meanwhile, from the rainy streets of Lirin to the scorching dunes of the Mondaer Desert, the ripples of her actions have inadvertently broken a chain of events five centuries in the making. Ancient forces move in the shadows, calling in debts and striking deals. A monster with a thousand faces fingers his knife, ready to kill, and a pair of fugitives run for their lives. Where Shadows Lie is a non-stop, epic fantasy ride featuring an lgbtq+ and disabled protagonist and filled with court intrigue, sizzling romance, adorable baby dragons, and the battle between oppression and freedom. Dive in and get swept away! |
|
Death and Sweet Temptations by Kristen Coar Kristen Coar launches her brand-new ALEX BAIN series with Death and Sweet Temptations, a tale of half-vampire, half-human Alex Bain, where the veil between the mundane and the monstrous thins to a nearly imperceptible shroud, and within its folds lurks a desire as perilous as any fiend. Set in a contemporary fantasy world brimming with magic, danger, and searing romance, this story is perfect for fans of series like Anita Blake, The Hollows, Crescent City, or the Night Huntress. Alex's tenure at Sweet Temptations is marked with success, her ascent up the corporate ladder as smooth as molten cocoa. But as Chicago's shadowed alleys echo with the cries of supernaturally murdered women, her dark heritage calls her to a far greater task. Joining forces with her wisecracking roommate Argo, a gourmet-loving corgi from Hell, and Sergeant Isabella "Izzie" Bliss of the CPD, they race against time to thwart this diabolical terror. However, before they can find those responsible, her two carefully curated identities collide in an office romance that quickly threatens to pull her under. As she falls deeper, the lines between sanity and chaos blur, and Lucas, the steamy consultant, becomes more than just a delicious distraction. As more women die and ancient powers awaken whispering of a long-forgotten prophecy, can her burgeoning love for a man with shady secrets and a wicked past craft a new destiny? One thing becomes clear: the price of temptation could be her very soul. Death and Sweet Temptations is a story of deep bonds, what makes a monster, and a love that transcends the darkness within each of us. Don't miss this gripping adventure, your next sexy supernatural obsession awaits! |
|
Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson Being the chosen one isnāt always a good thing. Oscar Tundale is useless, or at least that's what he's always thought. He and his friends are about to discover that not only are monsters real, but some of them are very interested in Oscar. Now, they must find out what the monsters want, before something terrible happens to London; or worse yet, the world. Lesser Known Monsters is an own voices queer dark fantasy featuring diverse characters on a found family adventure. Perfect for fans of action and paranormal romance seeking LGBTQ+ heroes. This is the first book in the Lesser Known Monsters series. |
|
Nightmare Tenant by Richard Holliday WHERE OCCUPANCY BECOMES POSSESSIONā¦ The chilling prologue left me hanging and I had no idea what was going on ā so I just had to read on! I know the world, I spent most of my life driving past those flats, so I totally get the inspiration! Top notch horror with some brutal but satisfying scenes. Really enjoyed it, didnāt see some of the twists coming! Very effective! Loved the setting and reasons behind its hauntedness. I finished reading Nightmare Tenant in one sitting. Thatās one block I wouldnāt want to live in! For years, Chivron Tower was abandoned and left to rot as the world turned. It loomed in the skyline a desolate, abhorred ruin; a forgotten relic of the past. That was how it should have stayed. But now, the Tower has been resurrected and shown a renewed lease of life, ready for a new generation of families to move in. Everyone in the community is celebrating this achievement. Councillors, developers, residents all applaud the regeneration of this unloved eyesore. Except for one member of the community. The one who still lives in Chivron Tower, unknown to all. The one who never left. The lone occupantās way of life is under threat by these new invaders with their new ideas ā sullying their idea of urban perfection cast in steel and concrete. Great hope for this restoration is soon to be extinguished. The mysterious tenant is angry, is without mercy and is hungry. It feeds on suffering, making things go bump in the night. It brings more victims to its lair. The warnings it gives turn to torment it revels in. Joel Barton and his family find they are trapped, with the last remaining residents, good and bad, as they realise escape means confronting aā¦ NIGHTMARE TENANT |
|
The Price of Power by Michael Michel Prince Barodane could not hold back the darkness. Not even in himself. He laid an innocent city in its grave and then died a hero. In his absence, war whispers across the land. Power-hungry highborn dispatch spies and assassins to the shadows as they maneuver for the throne, while an even greater threat rises in the South. Monsters and cultists flock to the banners of a mad prophet determined to control realityā¦and then shatter it. Destiny stalks three to the brink of oblivion. A dead prince that isnāt actually dead. Barodane buried his shameful past in a stupor of drugs, drink, and crime, and now, heād rather watch the world fall apart than wear a crown again. An orphan with heroās blood who is forced to make a harrowing choice: betray her country or sacrifice her first love. And a powerful seer who has no choice at allāher grandson must die. If any of them fails to pay the priceā¦ The cost will be the worldās complete annihilation. "This book feels like a worthy successor to some of the greats of fiction, including Malazan, A Song of Ice and Fire, and Wheel of Time." - Andy Peloquin, Amazon #1 bestseller of the Darkblade series. |
|
Black Table by Anttimatti Pennanen Jon and Gus, science fiction fans from Finland with a penchant for fist bumping and pop culture references, travel to the Portland Comic Con where tragedy strikes. Their hero, Dr Wells, suffers a heart attack. With his dying breath, the doctor exhorts Jon to āfind the ā¦ā as he pushes a book into Jonās hands. Following clues inscribed in the book, Jon and Gus discover an alien structure with a mysterious Black Table which they accidently activate, transporting them to an alien world. Jumping from world to world via the Black Table galactic transportation network, Jon and Gus embark on the adventure of a lifetime where they encounter monsters, alien tech, giant vessels made of water and make new friends. But those friends are facing an unstoppable and mindless enemy. An enemy that is destroying the galaxy, and Earth is next in its path. Can two fans from Finland save the day? Black Table is a rollicking yarn of two likeable, wise-cracking friends who like nothing better than pranking each other. That is, except when they are not doing something more serious, like saving the universe. JOIN THE FIGHT, JOIN THE BLACK TABLE NETWORK! |
|
A Sea of Cinders by Adam R. Bishop In Cellagorāa land segregated between humans and Elvesāfear, manipulation and war are inevitable. Nearly one hundred years have passed since the War of the Fallen, a cataclysmic battle between human and Elf which left both races teetering on the brink of extinction. Now, the Age of Tranquility is finally nearing its end, and the northern King of Havelmir is hungry for power and revenge. The Elven peace of mind remains unchangedāthat is, until the Kingdom of Rhan is threatened by unknown forces. Soon it becomes clear that the tranquil Elven existence is once again at risk of crumbling. However, even with the element of surprise, the road to victory is not as smooth as it may seem. Ulterior motives are afoot, ancient magic is resurfacing, and an unlikely friendship between two young men may just pose the biggest threat of them all. |
|
Devilās Hill: Stories by E. Reyes Stephen King has Castle Rock. R. L. Stine has Fear Street. E. Reyes has Devilās Hill. Welcome to Devilās Hill, Arizona; a place that runs rampant with the occult, paranormal, and supernatural. As Halloween approaches and a group of teenage witches inadvertently summon an ancient deity into a scarecrow, they set off a chain of events that unleashes true evil upon the town. In these interconnected stories, youāll encounter ghostly spirits, killers, malevolent deities, and other unexplainable horrors as the town of Devilās Hill is plunged into darkness. Donāt miss out on the terror that awaits in Devilās Hill! Praise for Devilās Hill: āWhere do fans of R.L. Stine's Goosebumps go when we grow up? There's plenty of room in Devil's Hill, Arizona...if you dare.āāJulia DeBarrioz, author of Cazadora āAbsolutely worth reading.āāHeather Miller, author of One Night Stand at the End of the World āI would FOR SURE recommend this book to horror lovers and horror newbies alike, and I will certainly be looking for more E. Reyes in the future!āāSpooky Octopus Reads |
|
Glimmer of The Other by Heather G Harris I can tell when youāre lying. Every. Single. Time. Iām Jinx. As a private investigator, being a walking, talking lie detector is a useful skill ā but letās face it, itās not normal. Youād think it would make my job way too easy, but even with my weird skills, I still havenāt been able to track down my parentās killers. When Iām hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar ā yet my gut tells me thereās more to this case than a party girl gone wild. Firstly, sheās a bookish soul whoās as likely to go off the rails as Mother Theresa. Secondly, Iām not the only one on her trail; sheās also being tracked by the implacable and oh-so-sexy Inspector Stone. Stone and I team up, and he shoves me into a realm where magic is real ā a place where there are vampyrs and werewolves, dragons and trolls. And where my skills are more than just detecting liesā¦ Oh, and my dog? Heās a freaking hellhound who can manipulate the magical realms themselves. I need to find the girl. I need to discover who killed my parents. And I need to find out more about the attractive but mysterious Zachary Stoneā¦ |
|
The Wild Court by E. G. Radcliff What perils await on the other side of the veil? In the seventh year of Ćed's reign, night descends on the autumn festival. But a time of revelry turns into one of fiery destructionāas fae pour across the veil and the Gut becomes a battlefield in an otherworldly war. Determined to protect his kingdom and the people he loves, Ćed finds himself catapulted into a realm as unfamiliar as it is dangerous, where magic is king and wild courts vie for supremacy. While the faerie Queen's missing consort holds the key to life and death, tenuous alliances raise questions about Ćedās connection to the mysterious Bone Court. His survival hinges on cunning as much as illusion. On a mission like no other, only one thing is certain: no one will survive unscathed. |
|
The Ghosts of Thorwald Place by Helen Power A Mystery Scene Magazine 2021 Editor's Pick Trust No One. Especially Your Neighbors. Rachel Drake is on the run from the man who killed her husband. She never leaves her safe haven in an anonymous doorman building, until one night a phone call sends her running. On her way to the garage, she is murdered in the elevator. But her story doesnāt end there. She finds herself in the afterlife, tethered to her death spot, her reach tied to the adjacent apartments. As she rides the elevator up and down, the lives of the residents intertwine. Every one of them has a dark secret. An aging trophy wife whose husband strays. A surgeon guarding a locked room. A TV medium who may be a fraud. An ordinary man with a mysterious hobby. Compelled to spend eternity observing her neighbors, she realizes that any one of them could be her killer. |
|
The Merry Maids by Stefanie Contreras Alyvia Tippin is done with her training at the Academy, and ready to serve the Order. Her abilities with movement and telekinesis earn her a spot with The Merry Maids, a small black-ops team that works on the Order's behalf to unofficially clean up official messes. As the new Courier for The Merry Maids, Alyvia's training is immediately put to the test when the Order sends them on a mission to collect the disassembled pieces of an artifact called the Starkiller. The pieces are hidden across the galaxy like a deadly scavenger hunt, and the person who hid them wants Alyvia to destroy the Starkiller instead of turning it over to the Order. Luckily, The Merry Maids have her back. She's going to need it. |
|
The Wolf in Me: Survive by Alex Smith The 23rd century is nearing its end. Having been treated as subhuman (and worse) for over 300 years, the Wolves - a race of wolf-human hybrids - have reached their breaking point. With a clear threat of war rising daily, the US Military devises a plan to destroy the beasts they helped create. However, utilizing their intelligence and raw bestial instincts, the Wolves hatch a plan of their own: plunge the entire world into a war to end all wars! In the aftermath of a deadly airship crash, Percy - a six-year-old human boy - finds himself behind enemy lines; in the claws of the creatures he's been taught to fear his entire life. Xander - a twenty-eight-year-old elite black ops Wolf, finds himself with a very difficult choice to make; kill the innocent child he has found, or be ostracized by his own kind and protect the boy? What is a small, frail, boy to do when surrounded by beasts fighting to end his very existence? Survive! |
|
The Place Below (Maer Cycle book 3) by Dan Fitzgerald Itās been twenty-five years since the Battle for the Archive. Peace reigns over the Silver Hills, and humans and Maer are preparing to sign their first trade agreement. Even warring tribes of the Free Maer have set aside old quarrels. Sasha is a young scholar of mixed Maer and human parentage, traveling throughout the Maer lands collecting stories of the Ka-lar, the buried Forever Kings. She finds a reference in the Archive to a Ka-lar named Kuun, a scholar in life, who was laid down in an ancient brightstone mine, beneath a mountain said to be the home of the fabled Skin Maer. The lure of the tale is too strong to resist. Joined by some old friends, Sasha sets out to uncover secrets that have lain buried for over a thousand years. In The Place Below, the Maer Cycle comes to a close as the darkest mysteries of the Maer are at last brought into the light. |
|
The Catalyst by Anttimatti Pennanen Jon and Gus comes face to face with the legend of an ancient weapon, the Catalyst. Is this mysterious artefact the answer in the fight against the Breathers, a way home, or something else? |
|
Dawnstar (Starchaser Saga Book 2) by Renee Dugan A missing friend. A hunt for answers. A path to vengeance. With her Warden stolen, her hopes of an easy alliance thwarted, and her trust in her own kingdom shattered, Princess Cistine Novacek faces her greatest challenge yet: using wit and steel to bring down a wicked Chancellor and prove herself to the cabal's tentative allies in the Courts. As friendships are tested, bonds broken, and love put to the test, the princess must face the growing threats within the Northern Kingdom ā and learn to rise a queen. Locked away in a desert prison, Asheila Kovar faces the struggle of her life: surviving the ruthless Blood Hive, returning to her princess, and avenging a betrayal against the heart of her kingdom. But there are more secrets and schemes than just hers lurking in the catacombsā¦and the struggle between powerful forces above and below the sands will test Asheās loyalty in dangerous ways. Ways that may spell death for people the cabal cannot afford to lose. |
|
The Feast of the Innocents by Colin Harker In the spirit of Mary Shelley and Thomas Ligotti, a new novel that unites the charismatic, scheming villains and chilling atmosphere of classic Gothic horror with visceral, supernatural terrors and historical intrigue... Winter 1665. Cyrus flees England to escape the human monster who murdered his father, but the horrors of Laughlin Priory are as inescapable. Pursued by a mysterious killer from France ā haunted by a one-eyed chimney sweeper with sinister motives and an insatiable curiosity ā in the Priory, Cyrus learns some secrets are worse than death. |
|
The Headsman by Christina MƮrzoi Take a glimpse into the world of a headsman, a gloomy village in which each dweller has a secret: an evil witch, a shrewd florist, a naive young man, a foreign merchant, a dreadful husband, a mischievous maid, and a lustful duke. These stories are intertwined, weaving a dark narrative of love, trickery, brutality, and loss. Under the bleak aesthetic, raw human emotions unravel themselves in a gripping story about moral decay. In a world that belongs to the wicked, how far can one walk this path while keeping a clean conscience? The Headsman is a collection of short stories that focus on interconnected characters, sometimes looking at the same event from a different perspective. As a genre, it falls somewhere under dark fiction territory. |
|
The Gatekeeper's Staff by Antoine Bandele TJ Young has been surrounded by magic his entire life, yet he has never tapped into itā¦ until now. Fourteen-year-old TJ grew up normal in a secret community of gifted diviners in the heart of modern-day Los Angeles. His powerful sister was ordained to lead his people into a new age of prosperity, but her mysterious death in Nigeria threatens to destroy the very foundations of TJās world. Desperate to pick up where his sister left off and uncover the secrets behind her questionable death, TJ commits himself to unlocking the magical heritage that has always eluded him. So he enrolls in Camp Olosaāa remedial magic school for the divinely less-than-gifted in the humid swamps of New Orleans. But little does he know, TJ is destined to cross paths with powerful spirits of old thought lost to time: the Orishas. Delve into this young adult fantasy based on the mythology of the West African gods, where TJ will encounter unlikely allies, tough-as-gatorhide instructors, and the ancient secrets of the Orishas. |
|
Blanky by Kealan Patrick Burke In the wake of his infant daughter's tragic death, Steve Brannigan is struggling to keep himself together. Estranged from his wife, who refuses to be inside the house where the unthinkable happened, and unable to work, he seeks solace in an endless parade of old sitcoms and a bottle of bourbon. Until one night he hears a sound from his daughter's old room, a room now stripped bare of anything that identified it as hers...except for her security blanket, affectionately known as Blanky. Blanky, old and frayed, with its antiquated patchwork of badly sewn rabbits with black button eyes, who appear to be staring at the viewer... Blanky, purchased from a strange old man at an antique stall selling "BABY CLOSE" at a discount. The presence of Blanky in his dead daughter's room heralds nothing short of an unspeakable nightmare that threatens to take away what little light remains in Steve's shattered world. Because his daughter loved Blanky so much, he buried her with it. A new novella from the Bram Stoker Award-Winning author of SOUR CANDY and KIN. |