Guardian by A.J. Calvin

Alexander has been sent on a perilous journey through the Southlands, a pilgrimage all would-be magi must undertake in order to develop their abilities. His brother, Andrew, was named his guardian by the Oracle, a strange woman with the ability to see glimpses of the future. The brothers do not know the land or its dangers, but both understand the importance of the journey. With the proper training, Alexander will become instrumental in opposing Colin’s tyranny in their homeland of Novania. Colin is king; he has reinstated the Mark Inspections and seeks to execute anyone born with the Mark of the Magi, whether they are trained to use their abilities or not. That his brothers escaped his grasp once is a source of ire for Colin, and he plans to make war directly on the magi to the south who harbor the fugitives. The natural dangers of the land may not stop Alexander from succeeding in his quest, but the royal assassins sent to pursue Andrew might prove to be their undoing. Andrew is sworn to protect his brother no matter the cost to himself… Even if he is the last of the dragon-kind.

Wixon's Day (Estalia Book 1) by Phil Williams

SPSFC 2023

No one knows how the world ended… But it's about to happen again. Marquos travels Estalia's waterways with a secret. The girl he's hiding below deck was rescued from the mines. He has a simple to get her home safely before exploring the North. But she's opened his eyes to the true nature of Estalia's Guards. Kidnapping children is the least of their crimes. There's a secret war coming closer to home – and their terrible weapons point back to the time before the darkness. Are the rebels right to resist the only order left in the world? Marquos cannot run from the truth. It's a fight he must join, on one side or the other. But can he protect what's left of the world, or will he become instrumental in its destruction? A chilling and action-packed tale of steampunk machines, rapidly escalating battles and characterful rogues. This atmospheric post-apocalyptic adventure will keep you coming back for more. Get it now.

Child of the Forest by Audrey Simmons

Even as bait, Neoma thought she would have a little more time to have fun with her best friends on Tour before things got serious. But Tobias’ words still ring in her ears. A chilling prophecy about tangled destinies, one that Tobias refused to expand on. Only a hint that a relationship with Luca will mean she never comes home. Almost as soon as the journey being Neoma is given yet another dire prophecy from the Mountain Herself: Hold close the stars in your soul or the Mad God will win this fight and chaos will reign. Neoma has a decision to make but the clock is ticking. Aurinkun warships have been spotted off the coast of Manena.

Legacy of Flame by Rebecca Bapaye

SPFBO7 Indie Recs Indie

A winter queen and prince of flame, bound together by fate. Following a deadly attack on a druid grove, Queen Elia Kolenikova of the Ice Realm is the first and only monarch to take a stand against the fire priest order, a reclusive band of sorcerers with unlimited power. Determined to find a way to protect druids from further violence, Elia turns to the annals of history, tracing her knowledge of fire priests back to a time when a previous Ice Queen was intimately tied to the rise of the order. There’s just one problem: what Elia reads in those accounts may not be true. To unravel the mystery, Elia needs more than an ally—she needs a fire priest. An immortal Ice Realm prince who’s been missing from the history books for centuries. Syllian, like his father before him, sacrificed his mortal body to be born again in flames. Two thousand years later, he’s hunted at every turn by fire priests seeking revenge for his betrayal of the order. The threat means little until a rumor reaches him: Queen Elia Kolenikova is asking questions. About fire priests, about druids, and most dangerously of all, about the truth. Emerging from the shadows could cost Syllian his life. But if he doesn’t, the lies and propaganda of the fire priest order will cost Elia hers first.