Similar stories:
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Two Thousand Years (The Empire Saga) by M. Dalto Two thousand years ago, the Prophecy of Fire and Light foretold the coming of the Queen Empress who would lead the Empire into a time of peace and tranquility. But instead of the coming of a prosperous world, a forbidden love for the Empress waged a war that ravaged the land, creating a chasm between the factions, raising the death toll of innocent lives until the final, bloody battle. Centuries later, Alexandra, a twenty-two-year-old barista living in Boston, is taken to an unfamiliar realm of mystery and magic where her life is threatened by Reylor, its banished Lord Steward. She crosses paths with Treyan, the arrogant and seductive Crown Prince of the Empire, and together they discover how their lives, and their love, are so intricately intertwined by a Prophecy set in motion so many years ago. Alex, now the predestined Queen Empress Alexstrayna, whose arrival was foretold by the Annals of the Empire, controls the fate of her new home as war rages between the Crown Prince and Lord Steward. Either choice could tear her world apart as she attempts to keep the Empire’s torrid history from repeating itself. In a realm where betrayal and revenge will be as crucial to her survival as love and honor, Alex must discover whether it is her choice - or her fate - that determines how she survives the Empire’s rising conflicts. |
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The Killer and The Dead by Roderick T. Macdonald “My name is Stahl. I kill people. I’m not proud of it, but I’m not ashamed, either.” Strapped in a chair, compelled to tell his tale to unknown tormentors, Stahl recounts his life in the Mire, a filth-choked slum shivering in the shadow of an ancient necropolis where the dead hunger for living flesh. He tells how secrets led to blackmail and death, how vengeance led to guilt and paranoia, and how an unholy bargain taught him that it is your enemies, not your friends, who define your life. But in a slum where everyone lies, what kind of truth can be expected from a killer? |
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Empire of Ash and Blood by Matthew Thompson Matias De Laurentiis, Ablaze champion 2019, learns his loved ones perished at the hands of the Cult of Ra, a renegade faction out to eradicate bloodmans. But before seeking those responsible, he must escape the Ablaze Haven—the first to do so. Meanwhile, Luna Adjani’s entrapment of human dominance pushes her tolerance to new limits. With inner strength, aided by her faith, she embarks on her purpose. But to see it, first she must survive the tournament of Ablaze—claimed the greatest show on earth. Their lives are destined for change in the Pretorius Empire of 2043, Egypt. They are not alone; a Bloodman Rights inspector breaks protocol to aid the insurgent uprising; and an empress consort, after over twenty years in her role, debates whether to risk abandoning the emperor and his empire. |
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Demon's Song by Julie Boglisch Alex always wished to see the Overlands, a place of sunshine and freedom. However, as a slave in the far corners of the Underlands, it was all but a dream. That is, until he’s framed for murder and is forced to flee during a demon attack. Searching for the answers to why he was framed and seeking a chance at the fleeting freedom he’s always dreamed about, he journeys to the capital, meeting friend and foe along the way. But the Underlands are both beautiful and dangerous. Having a demon hunter on his tail and a witch whose sole desire is to become the high Seer around him, he’s in for quite the journey. |
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A Midnight So Deadly by Wren Handman When dreams infect the waking world, what threats—and promises—do they bring? Maeve and Peri are 'dreamers, ' creators who record their dreams and publish them to the delight of their fans. When Maeve dreams of the murder of her friend's abusive ex—and then he's killed in the real world—her "dream" job becomes terrifying. At the same time, Peri is losing their grip on reality as they search for a woman who keeps appearing in their dreams. Who is this enticing stranger? How does she keep finding Peri, night after night? And what will it cost to hunt her down? To find the answers to their questions, Maeve and Peri will first have to find each other. As their dreams begin to bleed into the real world, and the borders between reality and illusion come unstuck, reality itself faces deadly collapse. |
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Dio in the Dark by Rizwan Asad "Be young tonight, if you must. For tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow you will grow old, and the night will no longer be your lover." The powers of the pantheon have faded. The gods live amongst the mortals, grasping for what little of their divinity remains. When Zeus - King of the Gods - goes missing in modern-day Toronto, it is up to his estranged son, Dio, to find him. And with rumors of The Darkness coming, Dio will have to race to find his father, and uncover the truth before it's too late! |
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When Oceans Rise by Robin Alvarez Submerged in a toxic relationship and disconnected from everyone, she turns to the sea to decide her fate. Its decision? Toss her to the sea witch. Seventeen-year-old Malaya is cursed. In her family, every girl’s first love ends in death after falling for someone evil. Good thing Malaya’s dream guy isn’t monstrous. Except the curse is real and preventing Malaya from noticing how much he has gaslit and isolated her until she can’t be saved. With no other options, the sea witch is the only one to help her. Bartering her voice for a new life where she and her abusive boyfriend never met, Malaya accidentally swaps places with an alternate timeline version of herself who didn’t make her mistakes. As she tries to undo the switch, the sea witch uses Malaya’s voice to unleash Filipino mythological creatures into the worlds. Can a champion, an alternate timeline sister, and Malaya fight these beasts and stop the sea witch before she destroys both timelines? |
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KJK Presents: Vampires by Kevin J. Kennedy, Graham Masterton, Greg F. Gifune, Lee Mountford, Nick Roberts, Richard Chizmar, Michael Bray, Simon Clark A collection of vampire tales from some of horrors best. You will find no friendly vampires between these pages. In these stories, vampires are once again a source of evil, coming from the darkness. If you like your vampire stories with bite, this is for you |
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Into The Dark by Robert Hookey Watchmen meets The Good Place in this (relatively) original, (kind of) groundbreaking, and reasonably-priced novel of good, evil, and everything in-between, overloaded with enough pop culture references to make your grandmother's head explode. In an all-too-familiar world controlled by ancient beings known as The Dark, heroes of every origin must assemble (yeah, I said it, sue me) to pull humanity back from the edge of annihilation – if they don’t kill each other first. They may not be the Avengers, the Suicide Squad, hell, they may not even be the Great Lakes Avengers… but they’ve been brought together by a hero in a Green Hornet mask and leather jacket to match named Nemesis to face every form of evil imaginable. From seemingly-invincible masked killers who stalk teen camp counselors to clones of Nazi super soldiers to monsters of the human variety, Nemesis and his team of unlikely heroes will traverse the globe to dismantle The Dark’s vast power structure once and for all. If you took The Umbrella Academy, The Boys and The Cabin In The Woods and gave them a hearty stir you’d get Into The Dark: Book One of the Infinite Crossover Crisis, a clever, electrifying, genre-busting adventure that pits the most unconventional superheroes in the Multiverse against the embodiment of mankind's capacity for evil itself. |
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The Knight of the Moon by Gregory Kontaxis John, the Long Arm, leads a life as a bounty hunter at the Three Heads. His name has spread far and wide across the north while plenty of gold weighs down his pockets. Just when everything seems to be going well for him, a group of soldiers order him to take on a new mission. This time, his task is to track down a very dangerous man—a knight who rejected his oaths, turning his back on Gaeldeath and its ruler. Will John choose the way of honour and devotion or will be succumb to his unquenchable thirst for wealth? As part of “The Dance of Light” series, “The Knight of the Moon” is a novella which takes place seventeen years preceding the events of “The Return of the Knights.” |
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Tall Tales: Volume One by Tim McLaughlin Father Benedict de Monte has been assigned to gather information on a small cult in America. He quickly learns, however, that the scope of the cult has been greatly underestimated. John Matteson's vacation to Chicago takes a turn when he meets Jackie Veracruz and a ghost woman who has been waiting for him. Will they be able to help her find peace before she endangers everyone they know? |
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The Devil Wears Tartan by Katia Rose Some couples are a match made in heaven. Moira and Kenzie are convinced the only place they’re a match is in hell. Raised as the shining prodigies of warring highland dance schools, the two grew up with blaring bagpipes as the backing track for a feud that took them all the way to the world championships. Moira could never keep Kenzie’s icy glares from getting under her skin, and Kenzie could never hold back an eye-roll as she watched the crowds fawn over her rival’s happy-go-lucky charm. Starting college has forced both women to hang up their kilts, but when their local highland dance association announces a scholarship for a life-changing amount of money, they find themselves back onstage for one last season. The stakes are higher than ever, but between shooting daggers at each other’s backs and insults at each other’s faces, their eyes start lingering, their hearts start pounding, and the sparks begin to build into a fire neither of them can control. Hell could freeze before either woman would admit their attraction, but that won’t stop them from using it to play dirty—and getting caught in the crossfire of their feelings along the way. After all, sometimes the devil wears tartan. The Devil Wears Tartan is a New Adult, F/F dramedy from Katia Rose featuring more bagpipes than anyone asked for and two fiercely competitive heroines caught in a sizzling shift from enemies to lovers |
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A Gathering of Chaos by Cameron Hopkin The world of Asunder is dying. Its gods are long fled, and they took all the world's metal with them... but it all happened so long ago that not even legends remain. In the now, a country girl sails into port, the only survivor of a plague ship, and a scheming priestess takes charge of her. Far to the south, an aging warrior monk forcibly recruits one of the Beast Riders to be his tracker. A remarkable vision of a demon lord binds them all together, and they scramble to find a bit of Chaos, the raw energy of their world, to protect humanity against this new threat. It's too bad they're only going to make things worse. |
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Love At Second Sight by Ayoka B. Shane's life is full...of poetry, motherhood and friends. She is a Single Mom who is pensive, passionate and generous and loves her family. Having experienced loss and heartache, her trust must be earned. Enter Mike. He is talented, complicated and guarded. Their powerful connection changes their hearts and lives. A beautiful and layered story of artistry, relationships and love, this novel spans generations. Love At Second Sight will make you laugh, cry, and cheer and inspire you to rethink what it means to love. |
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Bound by Legend by A.D. Trosper At nineteen Morgan has already faced more loss than she can handle and has more experience living on the street than she wants. Unable to do anything other than keep on the move in order to hide from the demons that hunt her, she guards her heart and emotions carefully. But when the demons start talking to her and calling her by a name from another life, things spiral beyond her control. Lucian, an ancient dark angel who has seen his fair share of lives, is happy being a free agent until he’s assigned to Morgan. Determined to do everything on her own, she’s unlike any channel he’s ever met. As the danger mounts and a demon prepares to open a gateway to the underworld, Morgan must find a way to overcome her past in order stop him. Offered what her heart desperately wants, and holding a key that will close the gate but open another, Morgan struggles find the strength to make the right choice. *Though this is book two of the series, it can be read as a stand alone* |
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Three Grams of Elsewhere by Andy Giesler Fifty years ago, a new civil war fractured the United States into a mosaic of polarized nations. Ever since, Harmony “Bibi” Cain has isolated himself: from society, from technology, from family. A powerful empath weary from the constant intrusion of others’ emotions, he’s finally cloistered in his rural Wisconsin retirement community. He hopes to find, if not peace, then at least a little quiet. But when four impossible-seeming killings shake North America, Bibi is drawn into an investigation he wants nothing to do with. The victims were killed by motes—unstoppable drones only an empath can control—and decades ago, Bibi was an unwitting subject in the wartime program that created them: the program that weaponized empathy. With his few remaining friends at risk, and tensions between countries of the former United States reawakening, everything may depend on Bibi's lifelong struggle with his own extraordinary ability. |
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Amethyst Dragon by Eileen Mueller When Lars is chosen to be the harpist for Master Mage Giddi’s wedding at Dragon’s Hold, he’s honored to play for the mages, dragon riders and the mighty dragons who rule the realm. He vows one day he’ll also be a dragon rider and sore through the skies to protect Dragons’ Realm – and Lydia, the girl he loves. Then strange new monsters attack Spanglewood Settlement, and Lars must fight the village council to ensure their people are defended. Frustrated when the leaders won’t listen, Lars takes matters into his own hands. But when he imprints with an amethyst dragon deep in Great Spanglewood Forest, Lars never suspects his actions could cost him the woman he loves. And as he’s drawn deeper into danger, he’s faced with choices that will shred his heart. |
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Meraki: A Syren Story by Naomi Kelly Her song is a gift bestowed by the gods; so why does it feel like a curse? Seventeen-year-old Wren thinks she has just swum away from the greatest threat in the sea. That's until she finds herself being hauled upon a warlord's boat. With her life at the mercy of a young, temperamental King, Wren must decide who is her ultimate enemy. Can Fate be altered? What do gods have planned? Syrens are bound to tell the truth, but that doesn’t mean their lives cannot be riddled with lies. |
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Children of the Fall by H. S. Down Hypatia is a companion child, a cyborg with the consciousness of a child, designed to help her non-verbal human sister, Alexandra, navigate the world. When a flash knocks out the power and a civil war erupts, the sisters are forced to travel through powerless cities and dangerous country roads in search of refuge on the eastern coast of the United States. Realizing that without access to a charging station it’s only a matter of time before her battery fails, Hypatia must deliver Alexandra to safety before it’s too late. Yet, as Hypatia and Alexandra encounter other companion children that have gone berserk, Hypatia begins to suspect the flash may have done more than just take out the power. Can Alexandra trust her sister, and is Hypatia exactly what she seems? |
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A Case of Madness by Yvonne Knop Andrew Thomas just got sacked. He's permanently drunk. He's got cancer. Is inescapably gay. Was hit by a bus. And he's fallen in love with a stranger whose life he saved. As a newly-unemployed Sherlock Holmes scholar, Andrew knows only Holmes can help him untangle the madness his life has become, but Holmes isn't real. Except he absolutely appeared in Andrew's house, told him he's in love with a man he just met…and then in a fit of pique Andrew sent him away. Sure Holmes is probably a hallucination or a specter or a ghost, but now Andrew desperately needs his help. So to find the answer to his case and the man of his dreams, Andrew takes to chasing a fictional character through London with his very own Watson. |
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The Dark Heart of Redemption by Darran M Handshaw "Some secrets are best left undiscovered." Pyramid, the great heart of Redemption, lies under siege by tribal invaders that threaten to destroy the very civilization that the Dominions have created. The Engineer, Actaeon, leads a force of Raedelleans from the south, where they pause to investigate the secrets of abandoned Travail in search of aid for the battle to come. At the same time, the new Princess of Raedelle, Eisandre, sails down the River of Arches with her Thyrian allies to attack from the Great Sea to the west. Travail's secrets are darker than expected, and the reason behind the Loresworn evacuation may soon spread to the rest of the city. Meanwhile, far to the north, Ajman and Shield fight over the lands of Czeryn, left desolate by an artifact that just might extinguish all life in the city at the hands of an unseen enemy known only as the Veiled One. In his quest to save Redemption, will Actaeon be able to overcome the old enmity between the Dominions to unite against these threats? Or will all civilization fall, just as the Ancients had ages ago? One thing is certain: in Redemption, everything comes with a cost.

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The Dark Heart of Redemption is Darran M Handshaw's second novel and is a standalone sequel to The Engineer (an SPFBO semi-finalist!). |
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Tell Me How It Ends by Quinton Li Iris Galacia's tarot cards do more than entertain gamblers. With the flip of her fingers she can predict the future and uncover a person's secrets. Under the watchful eye of her mother, she is already on thin ice for pursuing a passion in the family business, but then cracks start to form, and eventually she falls through. She is given an ultimatum: earn a thousand coins or leave the business, and the family. Enter Marin Boudreau, a charming young person who can scale buildings and break off door knobs, who comes for her help to rescue a witch who's been falsely imprisoned in Excava Kingdom. And Marin is willing to pay a high sum for her talents. But saving a prisoner from royal hands isn't easy, nor is leaving home for the first time in eighteen years. Now Iris must learn to trust in herself, Marin, and this new magical world, while racing the clock before the royals decide the fate of the witch, and before any secrets catch up to her. TELL ME HOW IT ENDS features LGBTQ+, disabled, neurodivergent, cultural, and mental health representation. The main character, Iris Galacia, is a lesbian tarot reader with anxiety and autism. The second main character, Marin Boudreau, is an aromantic asexual non-binary person with ADHD. |
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Rememory: A Science Fiction Novelette by Frasier Armitage In the future, memory is currency. Felix is broke, on the run, with nothing in his head but a combination of numbers. Someone robbed him of his mind. Now it's time he took it back. |
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The World-Maker Parable by Luke Tarzian Guilt will always call you back... Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jémoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all. You are a lie... Varésh Lúm-talé is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems. |
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Isoldesse by Kimberly Gruenbacher Friendships are tested, new alliances are made, and the truth of one woman's actions from over a millennia ago are revealed. Kenna and Meegan are college students dealing with upcoming finals, needy parents, boy drama, and what to do with their lives after they graduate in a few weeks. What they weren't expecting was for Kenna to receive a powerful stone necklace that ultimately changes their plans for a relaxing summer. Strange things begin to happen to Kenna, like being the only one who can see and talk to the mysterious old woman with a golden aura. Or how in her dreams, a man with vibrant orange eyes keeps appearing who may or may not be real. Though, not all of Kenna's mysterious encounters are pleasant as she's haunted by massive beings carrying long swords and wearing armor covered in black scales. Besides solving the mystery of where the stone necklace came from, Kenna, Meegan, and their friends are taken to another world for a routine evolutionary assessment. The assessment gets sabotaged and causes more chaos for Kenna and her friends, especially for Meegan who is forced to open up and reveal her true identity and the magic she hides. There's one name that Kenna, Meegan, the Sendarians, and the monsters who've been hunting Meegan and her family for over a century all have in common-Isoldesse. |
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Running With the Wolves by J.E. Reed Kiuno is trapped... ...so are her friends. And no one is coming to save them. Kiuno, a twenty-three year old collage student, wakes to find herself in the middle of the woods with no explanation. And 'Kiuno' isn't even her real name. Suddenly, she is an unwilling player in a medieval world filled with monsters and magic. Survival isn't just a choice, it's her only option. In a place that threatens her life, her family, and may even shatter her heart, she will do things she's never done before. She'll fight, she'll kill, she'll rise, but will her strength be enough to save the people she loves? Running with the Wolves is the first installment in J.E. Reed's gripping new YA/NA fantasy series. If you like action-packed adventure, intricate characters, and a battle for survival then you'll love this award-winning novel. The story continues in Rise of the Wolves. |