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The Hidden King (The Coming of Ăed #1) by E.G. Radcliff SPFBO6 Indie Recs Indie SFFOasis Hidden truths. Hidden power. Hidden destiny. On the shores of a rusty sea, in the streets of a starving city, a young man named Ăed scraps to build a life for himself and the makeshift family he loves. Scarred by a trauma he cannot remember, and haunted by the brutal damage it left behind, he has no idea of the courage his future will demand. When tragedy strikes, a desperate Ăed risks a treacherous, life-changing journey in his last chance to save the only family he has left - but an ancient legacy smoldering within him is about to turn deadly. Neither he - nor a kingdom - will ever be the same. |
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A Canticle of Two Souls by Steven Raaymakers A magic sword forged of a demon. A broken boy seeking revenge. A grim coming-of-age tale with a Sanderson-esque magic system. Raziel watched the Rhotian Empire slaughter his family. When a sentient sword promises him the head of the emperor, Raziel carves a bloody path in an epic journey across a land filled with banshees and mercenaries in pursuit of his revenge. But forced to travel with a strange young woman with a dark past, will Raziel even reach his destination? Alicia has plans of her own. Gifted with a terrible magic that can bend others to her will, she also has revenge on her mind and Raziel in her sights. Can two enemies put aside their differences to seek a higher goal, or will mistrust and inner-demons condemn their fates? Magic is a dangerous thing. So is hope. The âAria of Steel Trilogyâ is a heavy-metal power ballad of clashing blades, blood-soaked betrayal, and sweet revenge. Will you walk away or join the fight? |
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Cradle of Sea and Soil by Bernie AnĂŠs Paz The Primordial Wound has festered with corruption since the birth of the world. The island tribes have warred against its spawn for just as longâand they are losing. Burdened by the same spiritual affliction that drove the first Halfborn insane, ColibrĂ lives in exile with little more than her warrior oaths and her son. But when ColibrĂ discovers corrupted land hidden away by sorcery, those same oaths drive her to find answers in an effort to protect the very people who fear her. Narune dreams of earning enough glory to show that he and his mother ColibrĂ are nothing like the Halfborn that came before them. Becoming a mystic will give him the strength he needs, but first, Narune will need to prove himself worthy in a trial of skill and honor. Together, ColibrĂ and Narune must learn to become the champions their people needâand face the curse threatening to scour away their spirits with fury. |
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Vile & Blessed by A. H. Serrano A Cursed Existence. A Hidden Land. An Insidious Spirit. There has never been an Anmerilian born without ability. Never, until River Kennry. River has no place in a world where worth is measured by the power of oneâs ability. He is an anomaly and an outcast, afflicted by an ailment no one can see or explain. Caught in the unrelenting hold of his government, he falls further into the pit of hopelessness as he wrestles with the mysteries of his past.After a fated meeting with a cryptic stranger, River realizes the only way to uncover his past is to return to the Instituteâthe very place that scarred and violated him. And if he goes back, it could mean forfeiting his life.But could everyone be wrong about him? Though he remains untouched by power, there is something inside him. Something alive and entangled with secrets that could upset the balance of everything his generation has ever known to be true.Welcome to a world where the secrets are as big as continents, the monsters hide in plain sight, and there is always something sinister at play. Vile & Blessed, the first book in The Vile & Blessed trilogy, is perfect for readers who love their dark fantasy with a touch of horror, plenty of mystery, and realistically imperfect characters they can grow with. |
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Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson Miss Mildred Percy inherits a dragon. Ah, but weâve already got ahead of ourselves⌠Miss Mildred Percy is a spinster. She does not dance, she has long stopped dreaming, and she certainly does not have adventures. That is, until her great uncle has the audacity to leave her an inheritance, one that includes a dragonâs egg. The egg - as eggs are wont to do - decides to hatch, and Miss Mildred Percy is suddenly thrust out of the role of âspinster and general wallflowerâ and into the unprecedented position of âspinster and keeper of dragons.â But England has not seen a dragon since⌠well, ever. And now Mildred must contend with raising a dragon (that should not exist), kindling a romance (with a humble vicar), and embarking on an adventure she never thought could be hers for the taking. |
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A Feeling Like Home by Haleigh Wenger Sword and Silk Books WriteHive Book Club Indie Recs Indie Sixteen-year-old Paige Williams canât stop self-sabotaging. Not when her dad gets sick, not when her relationship implodes, not even when her parents send her to another-freaking-state for the summer to live with her sister. Paige just wants to have fun, spray paint a few walls, and block out everything stressful, including her growing concern that she might be sick as well. To make things worse, her parents threaten her with boarding school in the fall if she canât prove sheâs changed her bad habits. Paigeâs parents sign her up for a rebuilding project in Texas where her sister lives. Meanwhile, Paige reluctantly befriends her sisterâs straight-laced teenage neighbor, Joey, who is a frequent guest. Heâs so different from her, but Paige realizes that may not be a bad thing, especially since being around Joey curbs her urge to vandalize and ignore the rules. He even makes her forget about the debilitating stomach cramps she struggles to hide. Just as Paige begins to feel settled in Texas, her dadâs worsening Crohnâs disease brings her home to Seattle. When her own health fails her, she has the choice of staying at home and receiving care. Or, she could go back to Texas and prove for once and for all that sheâs more than her mistakes and more than a disease. Torn between two worlds and two versions of herself, Paige must decide where, and with whom, she truly feels at home. |
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The Gatekeeper's Staff by Antoine Bandele TJ Young has been surrounded by magic his entire life, yet he has never tapped into it⌠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 TJâs 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 Olosaâa 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. |
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The Headsman by Christina MĂŽrzoi 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. |
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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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The Black Sun (Tales of Askalon #1) by Sebastian P. Melang "âwhen found, the bodies bore no signs of injuries, other than the eyes that appeared as if they had burned out from the inside and turned into stone; dark, black, like obsidian." So reads the report, which Lorian holds in his hands. As an inquisitor and servant to the aristoiânoble and sublime beings revered by the mortals of Askalonâhe had taken an oath to uphold their sacred law, to uncover any forbidden magic, and to hunt those who dared to cast it. Gruesome as these words are, they also remind him of another murder that happened so long ago. And a woman; a woman who seems to have left a mark on his very soul and has not granted him peace to this day. And so Lorian sets out, through the stormy sea to the north, to the frozen continent, to investigate the murder of two young boys who were killed by a form of magic about which the Inquisition knows almost nothing. He does not yet suspect the great forces that will soon confront him, nor how the fate of Askalon and all mortals is about to be decided; for the black sun has awakened. |
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Daughter of Shades (The Venatrix Chronicles #1) by Sylvia Mercedes A huntress with no past. A rival with a secret. A kingdomâs fate hangs in the balance . . . Ayleth and her shade move as one, ever hungry for the hunt. Under her mentorâs tight control, she fears her memories are being stolen. Now nineteen, apprenticed for as long as she can remember to the mysterious Holy Order, she longs to rise in the ranks and banish untamed spirits for the prophesied Golden Prince. When shadowy threats descend on the crown, Ayleth seizes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prove her worth in open competition. Seeking to win the princeâs favor and escape her scheming mentor, she resolves to hold her own against Terryn, a handsome, arrogant opponent who may be more than a match for her untested powers. But as the two rivals follow a trail beyond the Great Barrier and confront legendary evil, the stolen secrets of Aylethâs past may return to haunt her . . . Can Ayleth win the trial and reclaim her true self? Can she even survive her first day? |
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Ascension: Wolves of Goose Creek (Tales from the DarkWorld Book 3) by Ronnie Massey In a world where vampires, werewolves, witches, and all other manners of beings not only live their lives freely and out in the open but are some of the mediaâs biggest celebutantes, werewolf Still Waters is an anomaly. Although she is an honorary member of the Eastern Seaboardâs largest pack, Still lives her life as a lone wolf. But when a freak accident claims the life of a loved one, the delicate façade that is Still's life comes crashing down. Not only is Still forced to out herself, but she also becomes first in line to assume the position of alpha of her birth packâŚa pack whose members make it clear they want nothing to do with her. But with the chaos, there comes calm in the form of Dee Stratton, the one that got away. Where Still was taught to hide, Dee was raised to embrace her status as a werewolf. Those differences ultimately drove the two apart. But when Dee returns to offer Still support, the two quickly fall back into their relationship. Their joy, however, is short-lived when family skeletons from Stillâs past creep from the closet and threaten their bond. Now Still must fight for the very things she once thought she could live without, Dee and the Goose Creek wolves. Still will either rise to the occasion and become the alpha and mate that Dee believes she can be or walk away from her pack and her relationshipâŚthis time for good. |
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We Men of Ash and Shadows by HL Tinsley âWe Men of Ash and Shadowâ is the first book in the Vanguard Series and follows the journey of protagonist, John Vanguard, through the dark and corrupt city of DâOrsee. A Grimdark gas lamp novel, âWe Men of Ash and Shadowâ explores themes of redemption, loyalty, and betrayal against the backdrop of a world where survival often means compromising your values. Amidst the gas lamp shadows former soldier-turned-mercenary John Vanguard hunts criminals at the behest of his corrupt employer, Captain Felix Sanquain. Shamed by his deserter past and seeking to make amends for his many misdeeds, a chance encounter with Tarryn Leersac â a skilled young would-be-assassin fallen from the graces of high society â leads Vanguard to become an unlikely mentor. Charged with hunting down the killer of two guards left washed up on the banks of the canal, the further Vanguard delves into the underbelly of the city the more he finds himself entangled in a web of secrets and lies. A prominent aristocrat is missing. Crime lords, con men and harlots run amok and the city teeters on the brink of another revolution. With his already precarious reputation hanging by a thread, Vanguard must piece together how and why the last war came to pass, find a way to earn redemption for his mistakes and come to terms with the past in a city where few survive, and even fewer can be trusted. |
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Knight of Flames (Inheritance, 2) by AK Faulkner Some men are forged in fire. Others are consumed by it. Quentin dâArcy survived a showdown with a god. Now, he must face something far more terrifyingâhis feelings. Falling in love was never part of his plan, and the secret heâs kept from Laurence may burn them both. Kane Wilson is building a better world, leaving a trail of bodies as he goes. To him, no price is too high to create a future where psychics are out, proud, with no need to fear those who hate them. Through fate or fortune, Quentin is the psychic communityâs last defense against Kaneâs murderous plans and monstrous power. Where others have no choice but to obey Kaneâs every word, only Quentin can shrug off Kane's compulsion. Quentin alone can walk into the fire, but not even Laurence's prophetic gifts can say whether he will emerge unburned. |
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Fate of the Drowned by Carrie Summers The Empire is shattered. From the northern ice fields to the storm-battered coast, chasms gash the landscape. Hordes of twisted beasts ravage towns and cities, and still, the people riot. But the prophecies offer hope. Bolstered by the newfound, if fragile, peace with Stormshard, Emperor Kostan begins to fortify his rule. Savra, torn between her desire to learn her familyâs fate and the duty she feels to her Emperor, delves deeper into her magic in hopes she can answer both calls. At the heart of the Empire, an ancient seal will soon fail. But Savra and Kostan will fight to the end. Together they represent the Empireâs last hope for salvation. |
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Eldritch Sparks: Shadows of Otherside Book 2 by Whitney Hill The deal that secured Arden Finch a measure of freedom came with strings, and now everybody wants to pull them. Arden has carved out a place for herself in Othersideâat a price. Pressure mounts as she juggles her day job as a private investigator with her new obligations, fraying relationships, and growing elemental powers. If that wasn't enough, a lich has appeared in the Triangle, sowing violence and raising zombies. Everyone wants Arden to get rid of itâ , including the gods. But the lich offers something Arden has always wanted: enough power to stand alone. All she has to do is put herself first for once...and betray everyone she cares about. Urban fantasy and paranormal fans of Kim Harrison, Faith Hunter, Seanan McGuire, and the early Anita Blake series will find a kick-ass heroine in Arden. Praise for Eldritch Sparks: Shadows of Otherside Book 2 "A compelling book of Otherside that goes from strength to strength." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review) |
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Aestus, Book 1: The City by S. Z. Attwell An underground city, built centuries ago to ride out the devastating heat. A society under attack. And a young solar engineer whose skills may be the key to saving her cityâŚif she doesnât get herself killed first. When Jossey was ten, the creatures of the aboveground took her brother and left her for dead, with horrible scars. Now, years later, sheâs a successful solar engineer, working to keep her underground cityâs power running, but sheâs never really recovered. After she saves dozens of people during a second attack, she is offered a top-secret assignment as a field Engineer with Patrol, but fear prevents her from taking itâŚuntil Patrol finds bones near where her brother disappeared. She signs on and finds herself catapulted into a world that is far more dangerous, and requires far more of her, than she ever imagined. The creatures and the burning heat aboveground are not the only threats facing the City, and what she learns during her assignment could cost her her life: one of the greatest threats to the City may in fact lie within. With thousands of lives at stake, can she act in time? Aestus is an adult dystopian science-fiction series set centuries after climate change has ravaged much of Earth. An epic story of vengeance, power, shifting loyalties, and survival that looks at just how far people will go to protect what they love, brought to you by science writer S.Z. Attwell, Aestus paints a picture of a world in which far too little has changed. |
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When the Devil by Emma E. Murray In When the Devil, Libby finds salvation in a new sapphic partner, homebrewed poison, and facing a God she no longer believes in. |
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No Rest for Wicked Thieves by Jonathan Pembroke For Kayla Tanglebrush--the fabled thief known as the Nightcat--life just doesn't get any easier. After botching a high-profile job and seeing other opportunities dry up, Kayla is forced to take on the most dangerous task of her career: infiltrate the remote fortress known as the Ice God's Retreat and steal the Rime Diamond from under the nose of the Lord of Frost and his worshipers. Except ... she has no idea how she's going to do it. With few options, Kayla is forced to accept the help of a naive but powerful priestess and a dashing rogue. Kayla's past and present collide as she and her companions rush towards a perilous confrontation. And all the while, greater forces stir and awaken. Pieces are moved on the cosmic chess board as the Gods watch ... and wait ... |
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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. |
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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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A Pale Box on the Distant Shore by P.J. Nwosu A silent killer stalks the slum towers of Death City. In the shadow of a drowned death god, a young soldier risks his life to solve a violent crime. To catch a killer, Soldier Honnan Skyin carves a bloody trail over the behemoth bones of a dead giant and through the deepest forest of a frozen island. But some secrets should stay buried. Welcome to Death City. The Red Kingdom is a new series of dark mysteries in fantasy worlds that delve into a land of vicious crimes, strange lore and Purge House zealots. |
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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 peopleâs freedom â but an impossible choice awaits⌠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. |
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Gold, Lock and Key by E J Doble From grimdark author E J Doble, comes a fairytale with a dark twist... "All it needs, is a bit of tenacity... and three little bears." Goldie, an outlaw and contract hunter of the Baron's State, accepts a new assignment from her employer to find an old cabin in the woods, home to three 'shapeshifters' who can morph into bears. Considered to be little more than a myth, Goldie assumes at first that the shapeshifters are an exaggeration - but with the sizeable bounty her employer is offering, she soon realises there may be more truth in it than she realised. And that isn't the only thing on her mind: she discovers her main rival - a manipulative and incredibly cunning trapper named Southey - has also taken on the contract, and will be contending for the same bounty she so fervently desires. Having waited many long years to have her revenge and outsmart Southey for past mistakes, Goldie sees the new contract as a perfect opportunity to do so. All she has to do is play her cards just right. And kill three bears... |
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Tales of Lunis Aquaria by Tessa Hastjarjanto Lose yourself in the wondrous world of Lunis Aquaria. Explore daunting deserts, treacherous mountains and the deep blue of the Morcain sea. If you enjoy the fairy tales of old you will enjoy this collection of nine short adventure stories. ⢠Coming of beasts: A mysterious Lady uses her powers to cultivate the land. When five otherworldly visitors arrive, she gives them a set of powers to aid them on their quest. ⢠The sacred maiden: When a young girl's house is raided, she escapes. One thief chases her into the night. Both of them find something they never thought they would. ⢠Moon Flower: To win the heart of a girl, a young man sets out to find the most beautiful flower there ever was. He faces the dangers of the mountains, looking for a flower that might not even exist. ⢠Thomas and the wolf: A wolf finds a little boy watching a blazing fire in which his family is trapped. The wolf takes the boy to meet the only one he trusts. ⢠The witch of Monterra Mountain: The blacksmith's apprentice falls for a woman who's accused of witchcraft. ⢠Shepherd's Stick: A scholar ventures into the desert to experience the ghost stories the elders tell to scare the children. He finds much more than just a ghost. ⢠Archipelago of Wonder: A fisherman survives a storm and ends up on a tropical island. As he looks for resources to repair his ship, he receives help from an unexpected source. ⢠Decapod's Ire: An archer joins a seafaring crew to hunt the creature that destroyed a handful of fishing boats. ⢠Lovers through time: A time traveller finds the love of his life in the past and must find a way for them to be together. |
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The Century Blade by Rob J. Hayes Orochi, the king of the dragons, has ordered his brothers and sisters to destroy humanity. It falls to a young hero to assemble a team and stop the dragons' rampage. It falls to the Century Blade. This is a short story set in the world of the award-winning Mortal Techniques. It is designed to be read as a standalone story, completely independent from the full length novels set in the same world. |
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The Legend of Black Jack by A. R. Witham Thrilling fantasy adventure debut from Emmy-winner A. R. Witham. Jack Swift can tell you every element on the periodic table, recite Treasure Island verbatim, and would remember in perfect detail every word youâd ever say to him. He has been alone for a long time, so he has buried himself in books, using them to plan his escape. But no textbook could ever prepare him for the land of Keymark. At 3:33 a.m. on his fourteenth birthday, Jack is kidnapped by a hideous monster to another sphere of existence. Now there are two moons in the sky, and he is surrounded by grotesque creatures and magical warriors training for battle. They want the impossible: Jack must use his abilities to save a life or be trapped in this bizarre world with no chance of rescue. Jack doesnât have secret magic, a great destiny, or any experience. So why do they all expect him to become a legend? |
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Roots and Steel by Casey White Where monsters go, hunters follow. Hunters of the guild wait all year for the Festival of Knives, when they put their skills to the test and claim new ranks with every fiend they slay. Trapped helping the family business instead of pursuing his own career, Trellin has never been allowed to participate. But when he risks expulsion to sneak out and claim a kill beyond his rank, his hunt is spotted by a senior guildmember. Rather than turn him in, she offers him a chance for freedom: Join her, and sail to the distant isle of Deldynne to compete in the bloody race for the rank of Guildmaster. If they can kill the monster that calls Deldynne home before the other teams do, he'll soar to new heights as apprentice to the leader of the Hunterâs Guild. But not everyone wants his new mentor to be Guildmaster - and if they fail, neither will leave that island alive. |
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SPFBO7 SPFBO Finalist SPFBO Winner âAll magic is beautiful...and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.â She is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. He is an unwanted prince with the power to destroy. She is order and intellect, a woman fit to rule in a man's place. He is chaos and violence and will stop at nothing to protect his people. His magic answers hers with shadow for light. They need each other, but the cost of balance may be too high a price. Magic is dying and the only way to save it is to enlist mages who wield the forbidden power of death, mages cast out centuries ago in a brutal and bloody war. Now, a new war is coming. Science and machines to replace magic and old religion. They must find a way to save their people from annihilation and balance the sacred Wheelâbut first, they will have to balance their own forbidden passion. His peace for her tempest, his restlessness for her calm⌠Night and day, dusk and dawn, the end, and the beginning. |
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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! |
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The Briar Crown by Helen Rygh-Pedersen They say love conquers all⌠but can the conquered ever love the conqueror? Twenty-five years ago, there was life. Twenty-five years ago, there was peace when the descendants of the dryads and naiads kept all life in balance. Until one fateful night when the Oderbergs invaded, executed the royal house of Domonov and took Domovnia for their own, ruling with an iron fist and an edict of fear. Roslyn Pleveli, like most of the orphans of that night, wants revenge and an end to the persecution of her kind. Yet, even if the Domovnianâs use of magic was permitted, she wouldnât be much help, able to command only a few lowly weeds. But everything changes when she saves the life of an injured young man in the forest not knowing it was the prince of the Oderbergs himself. Ordered to see to the rest of his treatment, Roslyn is snatched from her home and all that she loves by his soldiers. Now, in the Oderberg stronghold, she has the chance to change things. With the royal family within her grasp all she has to do to free her people is kill them⌠but can she do it, or will something more powerful than revenge heal the wounds of the past? |
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Helpless: A Short Story Collection by Tiffany Christina Lewis A Short Story Collection Women are powerful and can be rational thinkers under pressure. They can also be devious and vengeful. A woman is not just a ball of emotion. Women can fight, they can protect, and they can win. These eight stories of women kicking ass, standing tall, and refusing to be victims are Tiffanyâs opposition to the tropes of true crime. With stories from five genres including Paranormal, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Romance, and Crime Fiction, you are sure to find a story you love. Content warnings: https://tiffanychristinalewis.com/2021/02/25/helpless-warnings/ |
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Glimmer of The Other by Heather G Harris I can tell when youâre lying. Every. Single. Time. Iâm Jinx. As a private investigator, being a walking, talking lie detector is a useful skill â but letâs face it, itâs not normal. Youâd think it would make my job way too easy, but even with my weird skills, I still havenât been able to track down my parentâs killers. When Iâm hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar â yet my gut tells me thereâs more to this case than a party girl gone wild. Firstly, sheâs a bookish soul whoâs as likely to go off the rails as Mother Theresa. Secondly, Iâm not the only one on her trail; sheâs 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 â a place where there are vampyrs and werewolves, dragons and trolls. And where my skills are more than just detecting lies⌠Oh, and my dog? Heâs 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 Stone⌠|
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Scribbles and Scrawls: A Short Story Collection by Bethany Votaw Bethany Votaw gives you sixteen short stories featuring the darkness and the monsters surrounding us. Experience the uncomfortable realities lurking beneath the surface. Meet a devil at a coffee shop, discover what the Night Man is really after, and stumble upon strange creatures and events lurking just beneath the surface. If you like supernatural horror, psychological thrills, and mind-bending twists, then youâll love this debut short story collection by Bethany Votaw. Unlock Scribbles and Scrawls and begin the journey into madness. |
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When Shadows Fall by Lindy Enns âEverything I hated and feared was outside that window. There was nothing between me and the night, nothing but a boy I didnât know and shouldnât trust.â 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 sisterâand herselfâto a lifetime of torment? |
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Legacy of Flame by Rebecca Bapaye 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. Thereâs just one problem: what Elia reads in those accounts may not be true. To unravel the mystery, Elia needs more than an allyâshe needs a fire priest. An immortal Ice Realm prince whoâs 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, heâs 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 doesnât, the lies and propaganda of the fire priest order will cost Elia hers first. |
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The Syren Stories: Meraki & Kairos by Naomi Kelly MERAKI and KAIROS come together to form THE SYREN STORIES in a never-before-seen duology collection. In Meraki, seventeen-year-old Wren believes 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, and figure out what the Hel do the gods have planned? Syrens are bound to tell the truth, but that doesnât mean their lives cannot be riddled with lies. And in Kairos her adventure continues. Having survived the battle against Kestrel, and with spring arriving, everything appears to be going swimmingly for Wren- that is until an arrow knocks her out of the sky. When the mortals she defeated last winter come seeking retribution, Wren learns that although these mere men are not immortal, they have no problem biding their time. Revenge, after all, is a dish best served cold. And forgiveness is a gift which can swiftly be retracted. |
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Strong Fort Spathi by Heather C. Wright Sinikka is returning home after a late meeting, but never makes it. Her best friend, Jordan, discovers sheâs missing. Before Jordan and his werewolf pack can begin looking for her, he finds himself host to Andrew Farkas. Andrew hopes to gain the support of Jordanâs pack in his bid to become the leader of all the American packs. When Andrewâs ward, Tyler, disappears as well, the entire situation becomes even more complicated. Will Jordan and Andrew be able to find Sinikka and Tyler? Will they be in time? |
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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! |
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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 JĂŠmoon 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... VarĂŠsh LĂşm-talĂŠ 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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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 realityâŚand then shatter it. Destiny stalks three to the brink of oblivion. A dead prince that isnât actually dead. Barodane buried his shameful past in a stupor of drugs, drink, and crime, and now, heâd rather watch the world fall apart than wear a crown again. An orphan with heroâs 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 allâher grandson must die. If any of them fails to pay the price⌠The cost will be the worldâs 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. |
