The Trials of Ashmount by John Palladino

SPFBO8

Cedain is destined to collapse. Across a world rife with blood, betrayal, and brutality, five people wade through unexpected tragedies. An egotistical student, a fleeing refugee, a nomadic warrior, a fallen noble, and a criminal in hiding navigate the sinister dealings of politicians, two sudden wars, and nefarious lies that surface at Ashmount—a university dedicated to teaching the five branches of magic. Survival means adapting or dying. Fans of Joe Abercrombie and hard magic systems will enjoy navigating a morally gray cast of characters in a world on the brink of collapse.

Awakening: The Commune’s Curse Book 1 by Lucy A. McLaren

The Kingdom of Septima is ruled in all but name by the Commune, a ruthless cult that seeks control of an ancient power that has taken root in unsuspecting children in Septima. To maintain their hold on the kingdom, the Commune will stop at nothing to capture children who show signs of this power, to be weaponised or eliminated. 18-year-old Evelyn Folksman is in hiding. Taken in by a tavern-owner, she is haunted by the horrific events that drove her from her home years before. Evelyn is forced to face her past when two wayward children, Raif and Rose Huntsman, arrive at the tavern, pursued by Commune soldiers. The children fall under Evelyn’s reluctant care as the trio narrowly escape a raid. Relentlessly hunted by Commander Jonah Sulemon and Commune agent Lord Eirik Torrant, Evelyn and Raif cannot fathom why they pose such a threat to the Commune, until six-year-old Rose unwittingly reveals a terrible secret: she possesses powers more fearsome than any the Commune has unearthed in decades. There are only two options: to be captured and imprisoned, or to run for the rest of their lives.

A Tricker-Treater Christmas by Briana Morgan

Get ready to experience a monster’s high-stakes game. When one man’s wish goes horribly wrong, he must make an impossible choice. Faced with his own demons, and at the Tricker-Treater’s mercy, how far will Luke go to keep his daughter from leaving? For fans of The Tricker-Treater and Other Stories comes a fresh, festive tale of a desperate father and his struggle to preserve his family—fitting for the holiday season

The Collapse: A Zombie Outbreak Story (Aftermath) by Alice B. Sullivan

What else could the dead rising be other than a sick joke? Karen Gallagher is a mother, a wife, and a scientist, and her past is catching up to her. As the world falls victim to a viral pandemic, Karen struggles to keep her daughter safe, forced to turn to the people who burned her all while harboring an awful secret.

A Voice That Thunders (Voice That Thunders #1) by Cully Mack

SPFBO6

Immortals conquering as gods. A Shadow creeping closer... Can an apprentice healer be the key to ignite a war? Mirah looks for the best in everybody. But her naiveté is shattered when her clan is slaughtered, and she’s dragged into captivity. Vulnerable and scared, she has no choice but to accept her kidnappers’ offer to join their sect of lethal female fighters. Desperate to find stability in her chaotic new life, Mirah throws herself into training as a water mage and warrior. But as she discovers her unprecedented elemental control, her instructor warns that revealing her power will put her in mortal danger. With the fate of humanity at risk, will Mirah’s growing abilities spell her salvation… or destruction? A Voice That Thunders is the first book in the action-packed Voice that Thunders epic fantasy series. If you like strong women, intricate world-building, and stories of enduring friendship, then you’ll adore Cully Mack’s riveting saga.

Initiation: Sex Wizards, Book 1 by Alethea Faust

Magic is a rare gift that only exists in the bloodlines of the rich, the royal, and the reputable. Dominai of Airedale, a poor hunter and forest guide, is barely one of those things. But after a moonlit encounter with the wizard Allisande, Dominai's life is changed forever. She reveals that Dominai has magic in his lineage and provides him with a letter of introduction to the Crux, the center of magical study in the Kingdom of Straetham. Magical study is a far cry from the dusty tomes and rituals Dom was expecting. Instead, it is sex and desire, submission and surrender, loyalty and love, and, above all, trust. But when the trust of the Crux is betrayed, Dom must face his own insecurities and the unknown to protect his new home and his fellow wizards. Alethea Faust’s debut novel delivers risk-aware consensual kink, hard BDSM, budding relationships between kind, emotionally mature adults, and a lot of butt stuff. Initiation is a full-length adult fantasy, the first in the epic Sex Wizards series set in a sex-positive, magical world. This novel has a kink-based magic system which crosses a wide range of play with varying degrees of intensity. The wizards of the Crux include pansexual, polyamorous, fantasy race, nonbinary, gender non-conforming and intersex characters.

Ascendant (Songs of Chaos #1) by Michael R. Miller

SPFBO7

The start of a new dragon rider epic combining the best of Eragon and Pern with the hard magic of Brandon Sanderson and Will Wight. Holt Cook was never meant to be a dragon rider. He has always served the Order Hall of the Crag dutifully, keeping their kitchen pots clean. Until he discovers a dark secret: dragons do not tolerate weakness among their kin, killing the young they deem flawed. Moved by pity, Holt defies the Order, rescues a doomed egg and vows to protect the blind dragon within. But the Scourge is rising. Undead hordes roam the land, spreading the blight and leaving destruction in their wake. The dragon riders are being slaughtered and betrayal lurks in the shadows. Holt has one chance to survive. He must cultivate the mysterious power of his dragon's magical core. A unique energy which may tip the balance in the battles to come, and prove to the world that a servant is worthy after all.

The Fall Is All There Is by C.M. Caplan

SPFBO9 SPSFC 2023 SPFBO Finalist

All Petre Mercy wanted was a good old-fashioned dramatic exit from his life as a prince. But it’s been five years since he fled home on a cyborg horse. Now the King—his Dad—is dead—and Petre has to decide which heir to pledge his thyroid-powered sword to. As the youngest in a set of quadruplets, he’s all too aware that the line of succession is murky. His siblings are on the precipice of power grabs, and each of them want him to pick their side. If Petre has any hope of preventing civil war, he'll have to avoid one sibling who wants to take him hostage, win back another’s trust after years of rivalry and resentment, and get an audience with a sister he's been avoiding for five years. Before he knows it, he's plunged himself into a web of intrigue and a world of strange, unnatural inventions just to get to her doorstep. Family reunions can be a special form of torture.

Out on a Limb by Luis Paredes

"How many perverts d'ya think sucked on those toes before the police rolled in?" With that question, Out On a Limb kicks off an irreverent, foul-mouthed, and horrific urban fantasy noir series following the exploits of private occult investigators Rebecca Suarez and Peyton Marx. In this fast-paced novella that readers can devour in an afternoon, Rebecca and Peyton are stumped by their strangest case yet—a tree growing human legs. The dangling gams become the least of their concerns when nearby trees start consuming more than just carbon dioxide. Now the investigators must use their powers and the NYPD's magical tech to find the mage responsible for this heinous crime and stop a bloody disaster from creeping across the Empire State.

A Night at The King's Inn by Alec Arbogast

FIRST PLACE WINNER - 2021 ROYAL DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARDS: HISTORICAL FICTION CATEGORY AWARD-WINNING FINALIST - 2021 AMERICAN FICTION AWARDS Theodore is an introvert. Friends are a bother and being put in social situations is cruel and unusual punishment. Avoidance is the name of the game when it comes to relationships and he's adamant he wouldn't have it any other way. But deep inside he yearns for something...more. When his vivacious, thrill-seeking sister Alice invites him on another one at her atypical adventures, Theodore finds that his life predicated upon comfort is about to be turned on its head. They venture to an ultra-exclusive speakeasy in Manhattan's West Village, where he happens upon a vintage gramophone that does more than play a simple tune. He cranks the lever and a portal to another world snaps open. Before he can react, Theodore finds himself in a posh hotel, navigating a mysterious and menacing masquerade ball in 20th century London. In the maze-like halls of the hotel, he brushes shoulders with a coquettish young woman who, coupled with the mysterious allure of the masquerade, ensures he'll return to this foreign world to uncover more. But as he delves deeper, he finds himself in the middle of a socioeconomic conflict across a mercurial and hostile landscape where cocktails and charisma are more dangerous than loaded guns. If he wants to lead the substantive life a part of him has always known he deserves, he must not only outgrow his circumspect ways and face the dangers of a socially adept furtive society, he must also face the demons of his own past which crawl to the surface as he unravels the mysteries of a bygone world.

In Solitude's Shadow by David Green

Named #1 Book of 2021 - Magic Book Corner Review The tides of fate are shifting. The Banished have returned, and they have set their eyes on the walls of Solitude. Zanna Alpenwood, a powerful mage, and two hundred aged and forgotten Sparkers are all that stand between the Banished and the nation of Haltveldt. With time running out and the world at stake, Zanna is forced to reach out to her estranged daughter, Calene, and set her on an impossible quest. Calene quickly learns that enemies make unlikely allies as she teams up with both friend and foe on her journey to save her mother and Haltveldt. Forging their way over land and sea, uncovering dark plots and secret societies, Calene is forced to decide between her masters and her own conscience. Will they arrive in time to save the fortress of Solitude from destruction? Only one thing is certain; Ruin is assured if Solitude falls.

Orphan Planet by Rex Burke

SPSFC 2023

They needed some help. They woke up the wrong guy. The colony ship, Odyssey Earth, is on a 17-year voyage across the galaxy to a new home. And Jordan Booth is exactly where he wanted to be – tucked up in hypersleep, with nothing to worry about until planetfall. However, Captain Juno Washington has other ideas. She’s got a quirky ship’s AI, Reeves, and a crew of loners and oddballs, but what she doesn’t have is anyone to look out for the Odyssey Earth’s six ship-born teenagers. When Jordan is revived and given the job, he’s far from happy about it. Then again, nor are the kids. Tight-knit, whip-smart, resilient – the last thing they need is a chaperone, and they make sure he knows it. After an unexpected change of course, everyone needs to join forces if they’re going to survive. But Jordan is out of his comfort zone – and the teenagers are in no mood to listen. Still, if they pull together and stop squabbling, they might all just make it. Yeah, right. Good luck with that. If you like feelgood, character-led SciFi with heart and humour, then you’ll love Orphan Planet. Perfect for fans of snappy dialogue, snarky space crew, strong, relatable characters, slow-burn action, and coming-of-age, found-family adventures.

The Tickle Monster by David Washburn

There is comfort in the wholesomeness of family. Pure joy to be cherished in the innocence of a child. …But what happens when a looming sense of dread has a death-grip on a child’s mind? Teddy is ‘only a boy’ but there is a rebellious fire in his belly that urges him to forge his own path as a man. With much to learn, his father does his best to teach him about being a man and respecting family traditions while appreciating the mundane. After Teddy’s father tells him not to go into the woods, in what was meant to be a teachable moment, Teddy is soon faced with a choice that sees him in the very place where he shouldn’t be. Teddy encounters something that he cannot make sense of that will haunt him in the coming days. This tale of colonial era horror proves that a child’s imagination isn’t always a safe place.

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.

See These Bones: A Post-Apocalyptic Superhero Novel by Chris Tullbane

Some superheroes want to save the world. Damian is just hoping to save himself. In the post-Break world of superpowers, necromancy is the one gift nobody wants. Everyone knows what happens to Crows; they go mad and they go bad. That's the story of infamous mass murderers like Crimson Death, Gravedigger, and Sally Cemetery. It's also the story of David Jameson, an otherwise unremarkable man who came home one day and killed his wife, orphaning their five-year-old son, Damian. Thirteen years later, Damian has inherited more than just grey eyes and a beak of a nose from his father. He too is a Crow, doomed to become a killer unless he can find a way to avoid the violent madness endemic to his powers. When a Finder offers enrollment at Los Angeles' Academy of Superheroes, he jumps at the chance, believing training could be the key to changing his fate. His classmates despise him, the majority of his teachers want him expelled, and his mom's ghost hasn't said a word since reappearing when he was nine, but Damian isn't the kind to give up. He's going to take control of his destiny or die in the process. It's that or end up like his father.

When Shadows Fall by Lindy Enns

SPFBO10

“Everything I hated and feared was outside that window. There was nothing between me and the night, nothing but a boy I didn’t know and shouldn’t trust.” Afflicted with debilitating panic attacks and constant anxiety, Ara Holstenner is the last person who would ever oppose the tyrant lord who subjugates her people. But when her sister is taken by shadow creatures, Ara must defy The Lord's edicts and brave the forbidden night world to save her. Can Ara overcome the fears that have defined her since childhood, or will she doom her sister—and herself—to a lifetime of torment?

Imbued by Helyna L. Clove

Calla has no memories of her childhood except for hazy, recurring nightmares. Working as a servant in Kiriong, the picturesque terrace garden home to one of the most influential families in the Kamphua Dominion, she's content to live a simple life. As long as no one finds out about the forbidden magic stirring under her skin. When the estranged family heir, Gray—a magehunter in servitude of the royal hold—unexpectedly returns home, Calla's secret threatens to surface. Instead of turning her in, however, Gray offers her the one thing she always feared: to teach her how to use her powers. And as the turbulent tides of long-forgotten magic draw them together, Calla finds it harder and harder to deny her potential. But Gray knows more than what he admits. In the aftermath of a vile political plot targeting him and with the shadow of a mage uprising cast upon the land, finding out what happened to Calla in her forgotten years might be their only chance to survive. Except the knowledge could break them both. It could break the world.

The Visitor by Sergio Gomez

On Christmas, during one of the worst snowstorms Indiana has ever seen, five strangers are forced to take shelter inside of a roadside diner. As the night progresses, the snowfall shows no signs of relenting, ice begins to build up on the roads, and the temperature seems to be dropping by the hour. But the worst has nothing to do with the weather, and everything to do with the sixth visitor coming to the diner.The jolliest time of the year quickly turns bloody as the diners find themselves fighting for their lives. This Christmas won’t just be white. It’ll be red, too

Christmas Night of the Scurry Furry by E. Reyes

Amber, a young woman working in a small retail store on Christmas Eve, finds herself amid chaos when the hot holiday toy, Scurry Furry, comes to life and begins wreaking havoc. The once-adorable creatures become a horde of vicious monsters, leaving a trail of destruction and gore in their wake. With no outside help, Amber and her employees must take matters into their own hands and fight against the Scurry Furry army. The situation is darkly humorous, as Amber and her team wield anything they can find as a weapon, from baseball bats to candy canes. The battle is gory and intense, but Amber refuses to back down. Will she be able to save the store and survive the night?

Meshkwadoon by Alex Tilley

Meshkwadoon is a psychological, atmospheric experience, more focused on the individual perception of events rather than on the events themselves. As a perspective driven tale, it delves into the minds of a woman, a man, and a boy, as they are dragged through an experience of fear, obsession, trauma, and terror. Where the foundational spirit of the land seeks to fulfill its obligation to an exchange of life for the life of all. Discover the unspoken impact a melting pot society has on the folk lore and language of a land whose roots go deeper than 150 years. A world whose spirits carry on despite the hunger of the living. Genre: Fiction/ Thriller/ Folk Horror/ Magic Realism Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexander_tilley/

Foundations by Richard Holliday

HOW DID STREETS IN THE SKY BECOME THE TOWER OF TERROR FEARED FOR DECADES? Foundations is yet another page turner that I simply couldn't put down. It brilliantly explored the origins of the world in which Nightmare Tenant is set, and the author has excelled at giving the reader another wonderful story. Foundations is a thrilling period tale setting up the origin story to the creepy psychological thriller, answering questions and leaving some lingering in the mind! An exciting and engaging precursor. If you enjoyed Nightmare Tenant, Foundations lays the groundwork in another exhilarating adventure! And if you've not yet read Nightmare Tenant, then Foundations is just the start of a thrilling and creepy story in an unusual and effective setting Stephen Norris is a young man in a new job with an almost-famous architect at the turn of the 1970s. Quickly immersed in the murky world of town planning, he finds the transition from drawings and blueprints to brick and mortar is night and day. A discovery of ruins on the site of a state-of-the-art new tower block brings him into conflict with the construction workers, in particular the foreman, Peterson. Lurking inside the ruins is an ancient power are lost spirits. They channel through Norris, imbuing him with power to do the right thing and save their legacy. Within the modern world of the 1970s, complexities of life cloud Norris’ judgment. Those closest to him – friends, family, even the girl he loves – are dragged with him into a whirlpool of mistrust, deceit, danger and lies. All seems lost when the forces of darkness – money and progress – appear to triumph and obliterate the past. Instead, the darkness unleashes the lost spirits who turn vengeful at this defilement of their mortal remains. Norris must battle these forces and save the woman he loves from being a prisoner of Chivron Tower’s new nightmare tenant… Foundations is the precursor to the novella Nightmare Tenantby Richard Holliday. Length: 20,000 words

The Flight of the Darkstar Dragon by Benedict Patrick

SPFBO6

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!

Prince of the Sorrows by Kellen Graves

Without an academic endorsement to make him valuable to the high fey, Saffron will be sent back through the veil to the human world. The place he was traded from as a changeling-baby, and a place he is terrified of. And while getting an endorsement shouldn't be impossible, it's hindered by the fact his literacy is self-taught, using books stolen off of Morrígan Academy's campus of high fey students. When mistaken identity leads to Saffron learning the true name of brooding, self-centered, high fey Prince Cylvan, what begins as a risk of losing his life (or his tongue) becomes an opportunity to earn the future he wants. In exchange for an endorsement, he and Cylvan form a geis where Saffron agrees to find a spell to strip power from Cylvan's true name. While Prince Cylvan doesn't know Saffron can barely read, Saffron is determined to meet his end of the deal in order to remain in Alfidel—or, maybe, just to remain by Cylvan's side, as affections grow stronger every night they spend alone in the library together. But as other human servants soon fall victim to a beast known only as “the wolf”, Saffron realizes he has embroiled himself in a manipulative reach for power like he never anticipated—and even Prince Cylvan cannot be trusted. Between the wolf, uncovering forbidden magic, and his growing feelings for the prince, Saffron will have to decide which is most important to him—his endorsement, the lives of his friends, or the prince’s life and wellbeing.

It Haunts the Mind and Other Stories by Nick Roberts

Nick Roberts delves into the darkest corners of the soul, where horror meets raw emotion. Dive into the chilling depths of the human psyche with Nick Roberts, the acclaimed author behind bestsellers like The Exorcist’s House and Anathema. Presenting a collection of fifteen tales, It Haunts the Mind masterfully weaves horror with raw emotion, leaving an indelible mark on the reader's soul. From the malevolent presence in “Sally Under the Bed” and the eponymous “It Haunts the Mind” to the raw brutality of “The Noose” and “The Bitter End,” Roberts showcases his unparalleled ability to terrify. Yet, it’s not just supernatural dread that lurks in these pages. Stories like “Thanks for Sharing” and “The Weeping Wind” delve into the very real horrors of addiction and grief, while “The Paperboy” and “Voodoo Bay” introduce monsters that defy reality. John Durgin, author of The Cursed Among Us and Inside The Devil’s Nest, praises the collection, stating, “Come for the horror, stay for the heartbreaking emotion that bleeds into every page... It Haunts The Mind is that damn good.” James Aquilone, a Bram Stoker Award-nominated editor and writer, warns of the collection's potency: “Nick Roberts has an uncanny ability to scare the bejesus out of readers... Highly recommended if you don’t want to sleep in the dark again.” Perfect for aficionados of horror short stories, suspenseful tales, and narratives that explore the human condition, It Haunts the Mind is a testament to the power of storytelling, blending supernatural terror with the very real demons that haunt our lives. Whether you're drawn to tales of possession, substance abuse, or coming-of-age horror, this collection promises to both terrify and move you in equal measure. Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.