Monsters-in-Law by Jeannin Counts

Huck finally feels like he has it all: His own place in New York City, far away from his tiny, idyllic hometown. His dream job as an investigative journalist. And now, Kai, the cute new trainee he’s been assigned. Every minute they spend together makes them both fall a little harder, and before long they’re in ‘meet the parents’ territory. Should be simple enough, right? For Huck, nothing has ever been simple, and now he has to take the next Explaining to his boyfriend that he isn’t quite…human. Or rather, that he inherited the human sides of both his very inhuman parents. Also, that ‘tiny, idyllic hometown’? It’s actually a pocket realm full of monstrous and mythical citizens, from mothmen, harpies, and sirens, to Huck’s hung-like-a-centaur-ex-boyfriend. Even with Kai’s support, making a trip back to The Vale isn’t easy for Huck. Between the cozy gazebo concerts in the town square and the beautiful nature hikes, he can’t help but revisit the most difficult parts of his childhood. But the longer they stay, the more Kai seems to feel at home. If he wants to keep the man he loves, Huck might just have to face everything he’s been running from and learn to embrace the best of both his worlds.

Behind Closed Eyes: A Tragic Tale by Jalen Tellis

Love Lost, Secrets Unveiled. In a Game of Terror, Every word could be his last. When bestselling author Malik Johnson's wife, Lisa, vanishes without a trace, his world shatters. As a brutal serial killer known as The Reaper terrorizes the city, Malik becomes convinced that Lisa's disappearance is somehow connected to the killer's grisly spree. Tormented by the nightmare that his wife could be yet another victim, Malik's grip on reality begins to unravel. Desperation drives him into a deadly confrontation with The Reaper, where every step forward reveals horrific truths that link their fates in a twisted web of dark secrets and shocking revelations. In this race against time, Malik must confront the horrors of both his own mind and the killer stalking them all.

Ourselves and Immortality by Logan Sage Adams

John Hall, a shy man with a persistent stammer, has always had trouble connecting with people. Ashamed of both his eccentricities and his nearly lifelong fascination with mortality, John mostly keeps to himself. But when he lets his caring-yet-often-critical brother convince him to open his own funeral business, he finds himself overwhelmed by the more people-centric parts of funeral planning, and soon realizes that he needs to find someone personable to work with or else risk his business perishing. Calvin Wright, a charming con man with a tragic past and mini-library of stolen books, is struggling to survive in the city of Philadelphia without resorting to work as a laborer. Desperate for money, Calvin tricks a woman into handing over her necklace, and by selling it, brings about a series of events that leads him to becoming John Hall’s business partner. Once John and Calvin begin working together, they easily become friends. Captivated by each other's opposing personalities, it isn't long before the two men fall in love. But John's struggles with navigating emotional intimacy cause Calvin’s insecurities to worsen, and soon, John's brother's continuous mistrust of Calvin threatens to break their still-tenuous bond. When Calvin's trauma is fully unearthed, it leads him to make a mistake that could put his and John's relationship in peril. Ourselves and Immortality is a heartfelt MM historical romance set in 1902 that explores the importance of connection, the consequences of feeling othered, and the fragility of love.

The Witch of Wall Street by M.J. Etkind

“In a subgenre known for its small towns, THE WITCH OF WALL STREET shoots above the crowd like a skyscraper.” —The New York Times “Etkind’s book is not so much about choosing pure good versus pure evil, but rather about how to create opportunities for doing good in a world full of shades of gray.” —The New York Times Will The Witch of Wall Street Fall for the Wizard of Small Miracles? When Nelson unexpectedly woos Miriam at a benefit, they reconnect in a night of ill-advised passion. Due to a bit of chaotic magical misfortune, Nelson and Miriam are forced into a supernatural quest across New York City. Miriam’s chaotic magic only seems to muck up their adventure as they encounter an enchanted dumpling house, a Jinn who runs a CPA firm, and a poisonous leather shop in Little Italy. Lucky for her, Nelson can right it all with a wave of his hand. Through their unlikely partnership, Miriam finds herself unexpectedly attracted to the altruist. Their budding affection makes Miriam begin to wonder if she can stand by and watch her firm crush the dreams of the wizard who miraculously stole her heart. Miriam Blum is a witch with a prestigious finance job. Independent to the core, she has mastered her chaotic magic and excelled at her high-powered career. Her personal life, not so much. She practically lives at the office with little time for anything or anyone. Though, she occasionally allows herself some fun, like turning her coworkers’ computer mice into the live furry version. Nelson Copperfield has always been the golden boy, do-gooder, and the wizard of small miracles. He also happens to be Miriam’s high school rival. Nelson has always been the type to lend a magical helping hand. Much to Miriam’s self-sufficient consternation, she was often on the receiving end of these little miracles when they were younger. It was unsurprising to Miriam to learn Nelson found a career in nonprofit work. She is highly skeptical of people who help for a living, sure of an alternative motive.

Incursion: A Novel by Jalen Tellis

In the jaw-dropping mystery sci-fi thriller from author Jalen Tellis, a YouTube conspiracy theorist is on a quest to warn the world about the secrets that have been kept from them. And a potential alien invasion that is happening in Ten Days. How Far In the gripping pages of this enthralling tale, delve into the world of Riley Marson, a YouTube conspiracy theorist on a quest to investigate the enigma of the missing ufologist Timothy Hall. Will You Go Marson embarks on a quest that will send shivers down his spine. Unearthed secrets are laid bare. Marson digs deeper into Hall's mysterious disappearance, unraveling a web of intrigue that leads him to a startling revelation: a profound discovery of evidence pointing to an imminent extraterrestrial incursion to unfold in 10 days. To Know The Truth? With heart-pounding suspense and brilliant storytelling, this mesmerizing account will take you on an exhilarating journey as Marson races against time to expose the truth. Can you decipher the clues and save humanity from an impending alien invasion? Prepare to be enthralled, and hold your breath as the clock ticks down...

The Sapphire Heart by Three Scribes

Elorah longs to revive her wasting homeland, but everything she’s been taught suggests the path is nothing but myths and legends. That is, until a vision from a Founding Dragon affirms her as the fated Erynvor, the one who will restore the power centers of Eolemar. Now, Elorah and her assembled group—a noble-born terramancer, a wind-harnessing gryphon-tamer, a firestarter in love, a wide-eyed innocent, a deal-making rapscallion, and a mysterious dreamwalker—must align their powers and embark on a quest spanning not only a waking world full of dangerous men and terrifying beasts, but an even more perilous dreamworld, where an immortal being with a grudge threatens to steal their souls. Will Elorah and her companions restore balance to Eolemar, or will their realm be forever lost?

Noxious by Ayrton Silva

After the incidents in her village, Lina has a new goal: to journey to the city of Vrysta and become a Slayer. On the surface, it looks like it will be simple. A short trip, followed by a test, with her dream practically in arm's reach. She couldn't be more wrong. A series of mistakes upon arrival sees Lina not only failing the test, but being forbidden to take it again. Stranded in an unfamiliar city, now she must find a way to get by. More importantly, she has to find a way to keep her dream alive. She knows it won't be easy. Vrysta is a sprawling city, and the obstacles she has to navigate are just as daunting as the city's size. Slayers are stranger and messier than they seemed. The only familiar thing is the curse, the ever-present threat that Lina's world can fall apart at a moment's notice. Ironically, that curse is the very thing that Lina wants to fight.

The Pawns of Havoc by Dave Lawson

No Mercy, No Questions Asked. Cork has quickly made a name for himself among the Kosellan mercenaries, but now his boss has come to him with an unusual job. Cork’s erstwhile countrymen, the Winn, have hired him to travel into the barren Frozen Lands and destroy a convoy, leaving only one survivor. Cork isn’t sure he can trust the Winn. He feels like a pawn in their political game. However, his mother is sick and the Winn have promised to heal her if Cork does the job. And killing is what Cork does best. To make matters worse. Cork’s crew has been decided for him: Arabella, an inexperienced and infuriating archer, and Nessa, a gloomy criminal with murder on her mind. Cork will have to figure out how to complete the job, avoid Winn treachery, and manage conflicts with Arabella and Nessa along the way. It's going to be chaos.

The Lucky Machine by Aimee Cozza

After a life of subservience wrought with extensive memory wipes, personal autonomous android model NX makes the fateful decision to slip from the mid-upper reaches of the city. In the dilapidated lower levels, she meets a talented but disillusioned cyborg named Sylvan who extends to her a temporary place working in his shop. As they sew the bonds of friendship and regain Sylvan’s lost passion, NX hones her own unique talents: for optimism, for charm, and for creating. With a little help from some friends – and a bit of luck – NX evades the forces that intend to recapture her or destroy her. The lower levels are easy to get lost in, but can she hide forever?

Well of Souls: a queer romantic tragedy by Harmonia Grey

An ancient katabasis, retold. Eurydice, a superstitious bard-turned-huntress living the good life with her sellsword wife, is compelled to venture into the depths of the Underworld to save the souls of her estranged once-lover and fellow bard Orpheus and that of his new wife after their royal wedding ends in tragedy. With only Hecate to help and guide her, Eurydice must survive not only taunting spirits, but her own psyche as well. Nestled between Xena: Warrior Princess and the works of Madeline Miller, Well of Souls is a queer reimagining of the mythological tale of Eurydice and Orpheus—a novella filled with love and tragedy in equal measure, featuring a trans bi Eurydice prone to anxiety and a bi Orpheus.

Fimbulvinter’s Fires: a queer apocalyptic sci-fi horrormance by A.M. Weald

Worlds and hearts will be set aflame… Within moments of his escape pod crash-landing in a night-clad frozen forest, musician Asher Hollin is frostbitten, bleeding, a thief, and a killer. If not for technology looted from a dead prison guard, he’d be long dead, either from hypothermia or from being attacked by battleaxe-wielding not-quite-human marauders. Without hope of rescue from those he’d fled, there’s only one choice: keep going. Fight. Survive for those who didn’t. Somewhere out there is food, shelter, civilization. Indeed, just as the darkness threatens to consume him, help comes from an initially unwilling source. Compassion and a yearning for companionship spark an unlikely relationship, but a lack of understanding of language and culture endangers Ash and everyone around him. Inspired by the tale of Ragnarök and its harbinger, Fimbulvinter’s Fires combines achillean love stories with first-contact sci-fi, survival horror, and apocalyptic tragedy. This snowpocalypse contains violence and death, steamy scenes, strong language, deep snow, and high heat. Tread carefully.

Hunt Monsters, Do Magic, and Fall in Love: a contemporary fantasy triptych by A.M. Weald

A little spooky, a little sparkly. Father Winter is a malevolent ancient spirit. The veil between worlds really is thinnest on Halloween. Dragons exist, but they’re just demons. And demigods walk the earth, protecting humanity from it all. THE HUNTER & HER GIRLFRIEND: 2020. When Margot invited her new girlfriend Emili to meet her parents over Christmas, she should have realized that Father Winter might show up… and try to kill her. THE MAIDEN & THE LIAR: 1990. When a hunter fails to slay Father Winter, Poe’s family holiday road trip is waylaid by the ensuing dangerous blizzard, and they’re forced to take shelter in a highway rest stop. Thank goodness other teens are there, including a cute boy and his high school hockey team. THE HEALER & THE HAMMER: 1989. Nora’s on the run for murder, hiding out at a hunter academy where famous Thom “The Hammer” is currently contracted to hunt and kill the Jersey Devil. A rare healer, she’s assigned to his detail because the asshole is a f*ckin’ demon magnet. Great. Hunt Monsters, Do Magic, and Fall in Love is a triptych of modern fantasy stories interrelated by family—stories with myths and demons and ghosts (oh my), and with romance and secrets and lies (and someone dies).

Campus of Shadows: A Psychic Battle for the Soul by Jo Loveday

When the mind breaks, who walks in? Something dark has found Dave Everest at college—something hungry. A neurodivergent freshman craving independence, Dave steps onto the sun-baked campus of the University of Mann with high hopes and a shaky sense of self. But freedom quickly spirals into chaos when he’s drawn into the orbit of Zane Maddox, his dangerously charming, party-obsessed roommate. While Dave chases acceptance in all the wrong places, his childhood friend Maria Vasquez warns of forces that go far beyond hangovers and heartbreak. She carries psychic insight and the burden of guilt, sensing something ancient and malevolent stalking him. Zane mocks her as a “crazy religious freak,” but his grudge isn’t spiritual—it’s personal. As Dave's loneliness deepens, he reaches out into the void—and something answers. A whispering voice named Ivan slithers into his mind, awakening memories soaked in addiction and violence. As family tensions erupt over Thanksgiving and Dave’s grip on reality slips, the boundary between madness and possession begins to blur. Ivan’s ghostly power grows. And the vulture circles closer. Maria may be the only one who can help him. But will she reach Dave before the darkness does?

Spider Island by T. C. Duck

What happens to a reality show when the island disappears? Twelve contestants. Thirty-six days. One deserted island. Welcome to Far Island Warrior, where players from different island nations compete for a grand prize of one million farra. Enrick was a safety supervisor on FIW until a disagreement with the producer cost him his job. The studio invites him back as a consultant to investigate the mysterious death of a crewmember on set, but not everything on the show is what it seems. His investigation leads him to the secret labs of one of the studio’s sponsors, and a sinister conspiracy that could threaten the family he’s fought to rebuild. Jaz’s dreams have come true when he’s selected as a contestant on FIW. It’s his chance to leave his tiny, spider-worshipping home and prove to his family—and himself—that he can survive on his own. Blessed with the ability to climb walls, he believes he’s prepared for whatever the island throws at him. Then contestants begin disappearing. Jaz is left to wonder, is this another twist from the producers, or is something darker lurking behind the scenes? When a cataclysmic event throws the production into chaos, Jaz and Enrick must trust in their abilities, for strange, supernatural forces are stirring across the Far Islands, along with a season finale that could forever change their world.

The Glamorous Nineties: Kopp Chronicles by Gregory Kopp

The Glamorous Nineties, a world of unbridled wealth, explodes into financial turmoil, transforming an era that still resonates today! Follow investigative journalist Nellie Bly on a whirlwind adventure, traveling in an opulent and luxurious Pullman Palace railway car, and reporting on the stark struggles of industrious immigrants lured to Chicago by George Pullman’s promise of a worker's paradise, a promise shattered by higher tariffs and financial uncertainty. Step into high society and attend the extravagant inaugural ball of a new president, where well dressed women in sparkling jewels accompany ambitious and politically powerful men involved in secret machinations. Journey to the United Kingdom and witness the presentation of a wealthy American debutante to the Queen and London’s exclusive social circles. Explore the technological marvels and cultural showcases of the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris and the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, and experience one of the greatest spectacles of all time, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. Encounter a world of espionage and intrigue with Madame Duvernay, a French spy of unparalleled beauty, and the shrewd British agent Richard Cordwell, sent on perilous missions fraught with danger, their failure could plunge the world into the abyss of dictatorship and ignite threats of invasion between nations. Immerse yourself in this riveting tale set in Buckingham Palace, Belle Époque Paris period, the United States Capital, and the gritty railyards of Chicago. This volume of the exciting Kopp Chronicles delivers suspense, intrigue, and glamour along with the indomitable hope of the American dream.

The Backwards Knight by Matthew Siadak

When the magic that can shape the world is tainted, can hope survive? Centuries have passed since The Paladin outlawed magic in the sequestered lands stolen from the elves, but eldritch forces rarely remain sealed forever. This ancient magic seeks hosts, marking mortal flesh to herald devastation. An old knight clings to the hope that he can discover why magic has returned corrupted. A frightened farm boy marked by magic must escape the knights hunting him. An elf bound in service to The Paladin stalks mages to bring them to justice. Destruction binds them, but can it also save them?

13 County Road 666 by CL McCollum

It’s the full moon again, and that means Melanie Smithson’s job just got a lot harder. She’s got a demon boss, a drunken werewolf tearing up the place, a long-time crush on her straight trans girl best friend, a toxic witch-with-benefits situation, and brand new interest in the aforementioned drunken werewolf. But Mel’s relationship problems are hardly her worst problems. A stranger appears on the property after a vicious attack by what looks like a rogue werewolf, but may be something even more sinister. Worse yet, one by one, Mel’s tenants turn up possessed and violent, forcing Mel to kill in order to protect herself and her other residents. Mel has to track down the one responsible for all the carnage before she risks losing one or more of the people she cares about. But finding that killer may not save her from a monster much closer to home, and that confrontation may change Mel in ways she could never predict.

Rule of Extinction by Geoff Jones

A civilization-ending comet is headed for Earth. Two days before impact, thousands of mysterious pods land in a swath across North America. When people touch them, the pods open. Anyone who climbs inside is carried away. No one knows where the pods came from and no one knows where they go, but finding one is David Williams’ only chance to save his family from the end of the world. … and escaping Earth is just the beginning. The Preservation of Species trilogy begins with Rule of Extinction, a post-apocalyptic science-fiction adventure filled with unforgettable heroes, terrifying monsters, and heart-pounding action.

The Glass God by Forrest Bezotte

In a city that’s forgotten its own name, power is taken—not given. Welcome to Glass—a neon-drenched empire where crime syndicates masquerade as pop stars, youth is preserved in a bottle, and freedom is a currency few can afford. Daniel Kostov, better known as Captain, has just murdered a legend. With blood on his hands and his father’s empire in ruins, he sees a chance to rebuild something bigger—something entirely his own. As Captain recruits new allies and makes enemies of old ones, a quiet war begins to simmer beneath the city’s glittering surface. Among his recruits is Benji—a haunted young man with secrets of his own—and Sparks, an unsettling stranger with ulterior motives. Every choice Captain makes threatens to unravel the fragile illusion of control he’s fought to create. Betrayals will come. Loyalties will be tested. And the City will decide who gets to become a god... and who gets swept into the gutter. The Glass God is the first book in 'The Glass Trilogy'—a stylish, hard-hitting cyberpunk saga of power, identity, and the cost of trying to become unforgettable. Grab a copy of this book and follow Captain's thrilling and tragic story in this sci-fi noir novel for those who love Blade Runner, Scarface, and Breaking Bad!

The Language of Roses by Heather Rose Jones

A Beauty. A Beast. A Curse. This is not the story you know. Join author Heather Rose Jones on a new and magical journey into the heart of a familiar fairytale. Meet Alys, eldest daughter of a merchant, a merchant who foolishly plucks a rose from a briar as he flees from the home of a terrifying fay Beast and his seemingly icy sister. Now Alys must pay the price to save his life and allow the Beast, the once handsome Philippe, to pay court to her. But Alys has never fallen in love with anyone; how can she love a Beast? The fairy Peronelle, waiting in the woods to see the culmination of her curse, is sure that she will fail. Yet, if she does, Philippe’s sister Grace and her beloved Eglantine, trapped in an enchanted briar in the garden, will pay a terrible price. Unless Alys can find another way… This is the third volume of the Queen of Swords Press Mini Series.

A Life in Too Many Margins by S. E. Thomson

David is dying, or maybe he isn't. Hard to say, really, because no one ever gives you a timetable when you're disabled, autistic, queer, and stuck improvising your way through existence. What he does know is this: if life is going to keep punching him in the gut, he might as well write it all down first. A Life in Too Many Margins is the story of a man looking backward while time keeps nudging him forward. From childhood misunderstandings to medical disasters, David is collecting the fragments of a life shaped by truths he didn't discover until far too late: that he's neurodivergent, that his body will never play by the rules. That gender was never the box people insisted it had to be. If you've ever felt like the world wasn't built with you in mind, or if you just enjoy a dark laugh in the middle of disaster, David's story will remind you that sometimes real life only happens… in the margins.

Ambrosia by Lenia Lenient

At fourteen, Katya signs her life over to entertainment monopolist W-Media to be broken down and reshaped into the perfect superstar. At twenty-one, now under the name Ambrosia, she is the centerpiece of wildly popular girl-group Moxxy, female lead in hit-block-buster S.L.Y., and firmly cemented as one of W-Media's most lucrative creations ever. She, also, hides a mental-breakdown-induced shaved head under her wig, keeps bleeding out of her nose due to experimental performance-enhancing drugs, and is about to turn the most prestigious award ceremony of the year into a whirlwind of shattered glass and bloodshed. AMBROSIA is a non-chronological story with a frame narrative that spans only a single day, while the story-within draws from anywhere within the past seven years of management-dictated shower times, content-factory dorms, and a life made for consumption that slowly but surely turns the pleasure of being looked at by everybody into the overwhelming urge to claw out eyes.

A Hidden Witch’s Spell For Scrying A Lost Vampire: An urban fantasy magical rescue mission by C.N. Rowan

Kidnap plus theft equals total catastrophe. Our first date ends in disaster—Silas is kidnapped by his vampire brethren, and worse, our magical masks that allow us to travel between worlds are gone too. Which means I’m officially more than a little screwed. With no way to reach the vampire homeworld, Silas is doomed—branded a traitor and marked for execution. But I’m not giving up. Walking between worlds is my family’s magical inheritance. If I can find someone to guide me through the In-between, I just might reach the vampire realm in time to save him. All I have to do is outwit an entire planet of deadly super-predators. Oh, and not get lost forever in the space between worlds. Easy, right? A Hidden Witch’s Spell For Scrying A Lost Vampire is Book Three in The Broken Hotel for Magical Misfits—a series that’s custom-made for lovers of strong heroines, quirky magical characters and found family, all woven together with heart, humour, and action-packed adventure. And that’s to say nothing of the slow-burn romance that spans the series…

A Hidden's Witch's Spell for Freeing a Captive Olympian by C.N. Rowan

Save the house, or save my best friend? There’s no way to do both. Our hunt for the magical amulet my mum left me has finally borne fruit. But the trail leads somewhere completely off-world—Olympus. Home to the so-called gods of legend… who, as it turns out, aren’t all that friendly to regular mortals. But that’s not even the worst of it. Tisha—my brilliant, reckless, fiercely loyal best friend—was poisoned saving my life. And the location of the only cure? Yep, it's Olympus too. So now I’m heading into enemy territory to face immortal beings who’ve never learned to share. The clock is ticking, and the stakes are brutal. If I choose the amulet, I might never heal the Portal. If I choose the antidote, I might lose Tisha forever. There’s no winning move… and if I get this wrong, I’m not the only one who’ll pay the price. A Hidden Witch’s Spell for Freeing A Captive Olympian is Book Two in A Broken Hotel for Magical Misfits—a series that’s custom-made for lovers of strong heroines, quirky magical characters and found family, all woven together with heart, humour and action-packed adventure. And that’s to say nothing of the slow-burn romance that spans the series…

A Hidden Witch's Spell for Making a Tiny Giant Mighty by C.N. Rowan

This morning, I’m worried I might lose my business and my flat. This afternoon? I’m worried I might be losing my mind... I’ve been struggling to keep my little bookshop afloat for years, and closure seems inevitable—until a mysterious letter arrives on my doorstep. Apparently, I’ve inherited a crumbling hotel from a grandmother I never even knew, complete with long-term residents who redefine “quirky.” Especially Silas—the brooding, infuriatingly hot recluse who always wears black and never opens the curtains. In a moment of frustration, I slip on my grandmother’s old mood ring. Pro tip? Maybe don’t try on emotionally reactive magical jewellery while having a meltdown—unless you want your kitchen to catch fire. That’s when things get properly weird. Turns out, the hotel is a magical portal. Not just to one world… but many. And someone—or something—is willing to do anything to take it. Now I’m fighting for my new home, my found family, and a future I never asked for… armed with zero training and a flair for chaos. A Hidden Witch’s Spell For Making a Tiny Giant Mighty is Book One in a A Broken Hotel for Magical Misfits series that’s custom-made for lovers of strong heroines, quirky magical characters and found family all woven together with heart, humour and action-packed adventure. And that’s to say nothing of the slow-burn romance that spans the series…

Where The Soul Goes by Katherine Silva

1989: Floods and record rainfall have turned the United States into little more than a drowned world. People left and right lose their wills to live and are coming down with a degenerative disease called The Ash. It burns people up from the inside out, numbing the senses, erasing memories, turning people into nothing more than crumbling, shambling echoes of who they used to be. Eliot Lamb, a once successful chef, is terrified when he discovers he has the Ash. Just when he thinks there is nothing left for him, he encounters Death in the form of his deceased protegee, Alexis. She has a proposition that might turn the tide against the Ash for the human race and he's the only man for the job: find four people and change their lives. Inspire them. Eliot is skeptical but convinced only after a run-in with the FBI forces him out onto the road with a well- meaning plumber sidekick, Terry. As they journey from flooded New England to the swamps of the American South and across the fog-saturated midwest, Eliot and Terry are pursued by an agent hell-bent on finding the source behind a string of domestic terrorist bombings that seem to be connected to the Ash and a man of the cloth convinced that Eliot is a devil in need of cleansing. For Eliot, the road ahead gets murkier and murkier as the person he once was slips through his fingers with every bite he takes. Inspired by Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Simon Stalenhag's dystopian tales, Where The Soul Goes explores the abyss of human connection through the culinary arts amidst an alternate 80's backdrop.

The Dragon Next Door by Vanessa Ricci-Thode

Tollar’s got a stolen dragon egg, and that’s the least of her problems. Tollar is a hero for hire who just wants to deliver a stolen dragon egg to its kin and get on with her next adventure. But when the dragon hatches, imprints on her, and refuses to leave, Tollar enlists her pyromancer best friend and neighbour, Beenala, to help keep the dragon alive. Tollar’s chaotic life exacerbates Beenala’s overwhelming anxiety, and being stuck at home leaves Tollar feeling stifled and unwanted. To make matters worse, in order to hide an entire dragon from local and foreign hostile factions, Tollar must risk exposing the truth behind her unprecedented power as an aquamancer and face being chased out of the only home she’s ever known. When Draminedes, perhaps the worst spy in the world, lets slip that the people Tollar stole the dragon egg from are much worse than she thought, Tollar and Beenala realize their home is in danger. Now Tollar needs to stop making herself the outsider and Beenala needs to find some courage so they can team up with this unlikely ally to save everything they love, including each other. This sapphic ace romantasy is complete with mutual pining and odd-couple energy and is full of marginalized characters out living their best lives and having adventures while being nurturing and supportive in their relationships, including bonds between humans and dragons.

The Paragon by Molly Collier

HARDSHIP BREEDS HEROES. PEACETIME INSPIRES PARAGONS. When the sacred artifact at the center of his society becomes mysteriously corrupted, Doha, a brilliant and reclusive engineer, is tasked with the greatest challenge of his career: dealing with other people. That, and solving the mystery to fix the Mirror before the complete collapse of his community. Isla, a talented mage reeling after the devastating loss of everything she’s ever known, becomes the sole keeper of dangerous secrets that could crack the crooked foundation upon which her nation was built. She's finally found something and someone to fight for, but sinister forces may prevent her from finding peace at last. Through love, loss, and loyalty, Isla, Doha, and the family they’ve found will see their convictions challenged as they fight to protect those they love and that which they believe in. In a beautiful disaster of complex characterization, imperfect people learn to understand themselves and each other, all while life as they know it hangs in the balance. The Paragon is an epic fantasy charged with science, romance, and mystery, perfect for fans of Blood Over Bright Haven, Attack on Titan, and Naruto Shippuden.

A Gaze So Longing by River Flynn

Favian still thinks of the kiss he almost shared with Prince Leonardo five years ago. A servant in a palace ruled by an abusive king, Favian’s life is governed by monotony and desolation. When the prince returns to the palace after five years at war, Favian’s life is transformed, and he soon has to admit that the feelings his younger self developed for the prince never really went away. While Leonardo is eager to pretend that no hierarchies are keeping them apart, Favian tries to keep his distance, unable to get past the prince’s status and the dangerous position it puts him in. As the two inevitably grow closer, Favian has to grapple with his feelings for a prince he yearns for only in the secret confines of his bedroom, recognize his responsibilities for the people around him, and confront the realities of the oppressive system they inhabit.

First Oaths by C.J. Tuma & Quinn Cameron

“We weren’t meant to burn our dead.” After escaping the cult that nearly destroyed him, Kit Mosel has built a new life. He’s sure that no one in town knows his real name or what he did, until Penwell Oliver appears, desperate for help retrieving his father’s stolen remains from the very cult Kit fled. Kit knows he should say no, but there's something about Penny he can't refuse. Together, Penny and Kit plan to infiltrate the cult and earn their trust. Kit knows how to blend in and play their games, but Penny isn’t like him; he’s always been too soft. Too quick to trust. Worse, Penny draws attention from people who would gladly hurt him just to punish Kit. The deeper they go, the more Kit unravels. Penny isn’t just a liability—he’s a temptation. A reminder of everything Kit thought he didn’t deserve. And in a place where weakness is punished and love is weaponized, wanting each other could cost them both everything.

Dove's Eyes by Kienn Nguyen

Queer horror in the style of House of Leaves and Cormac McCarthy. Hallucinatory. Hidden ciphers. No quotation marks. This is a challenging read. Proceed with caution. Consult sample chapters and content warnings. A disgraced detective is hired to investigate a ritualistic killing in an isolated prison town. Falls into the hands of a charming doctor on a crusade to cure mankind of sin. a queer gothic neo western horror novel, ergodic literature, psychological horror, religious trauma, lobotomies, m/m, trans, biromantic, ace, 70k Bentham, Wyoming. A deserted ghost town built upon abandoned coal mines. Once windtorn woodrot, now a private penitentiary set in a reformative community pledged to clinical testing. Neurosurgeon Dr. Wayne Sykkes truly believed he had found the cure for all sin. But one year into testing and Belle Rivera, twenty-four, was found dead. Bloodied in the underbrush. A sprig of hyssop pressed to her lips. Enter Corey Handler Delgado. Fallen angel scorned. Five years ago he was nothing more than a scruffy detective. For an act of brutal justice he was arrested in the attempted murder of an innocent man. One call and the charming doctor has convinced him to take a second chance. Insists that he can be saved. But something is wrong. Something is wrong with this town. Something is wrong with this body. Something is wrong with this cure. Cora isn't dead.

Gray Messiah by F.J.R. Halbertsma

Bound by blood and prophecy, a prince must master his powers before they destroy him, while his imprisoned sister's doomed rebellion may hold the key to the world’s salvation. Together, they are the last hope to free God... before the coming darkness consumes everything. For centuries, the world has waited for the Gray Messiah to liberate God from imprisonment in the Vortex. With an ancient evil awakening to threaten all, the souls of the dead stirring in the forgotten dark, and many of the empire’s provinces in near-rebellion, the world desperately needs its celebrated savior. Prince Azaleum is the Gray Messiah, but on the day he is meant to save the world, his powers awaken in a storm of fire that leaves hundreds dead and an empire in ashes. Branded a murderer and a traitor by the very people he was meant to save, Azaleum vanishes into exile, consumed by guilt and haunted by the legacy he can no longer bear. Driven by a desperate need to find his long-lost sister, he searches for redemption and the secret of their combined powers, the strength prophesied to liberate God. Iva, Azaleum’s forgotten twin, survived twenty years of death, misery and suffering on a prison island. When her powers as a Gray Messiah manifest, a mysterious young man entices her with the possibility of change and freedom from her tortured existence. When an ancient evil awakens beneath the island, and the prison colony turns into the center of a primordial war, she becomes the leader of a rebellion doomed to fail. Gray Messiah is the epic beginning of a saga exploring the weight of choices and the triumph of human will over any odds.

Chapel at Ender’s Ridge by Beckett Krane

Decker Belmont loathes being a vampire. Leaving his bloody past behind him, Decker finds refuge in the quiet town of Ender’s Ridge where creatures like him thrive, and strikes up a tenuous balance between survival and sanity. When a troubled preacher arrives to fix the chapel next door to the saloon, Decker discovers he’s not the only one struggling with his nature. Laurie Lane is eager to start his new life away from seminary, but the town’s history doesn’t favor preachers—neither does Decker, especially when change follows Laurie like a plague. As the veil protecting Ender’s Ridge cracks, and tensions rise, Decker and Laurie are forced to find peace in who they are and what they mean to each other before Ender’s Ridge succumbs to a disaster of biblical proportions.

Dead Malls by Darby Harn

Sometimes, you can take retail therapy too far... You work the night shift as a security guard in a dying mall. You're living out of your car. Suffice to say, you're looking for an escape. One night in the mall, you happen upon an intruder dressed as if she’s an extra from a Mad Max movie. You discover the mall is a gateway to another world. But it's not a world anyone wants to escape to. Diane's world ended in 1983 in a nuclear holocaust. Ever since, she's clawed out a broken existence in a scorched wasteland, clinging to a ragged department store Christmas catalog from her youth. You have more questions than answers, but you do have choices, and the first presents itself when an armored knight riding a radioactive snake arrives in search of Diane and her book. Make your choice. Protect Diane, fight her strange pursuer, flee the mall as it becomes a surreal trap deformed by his unusual powers, but always go back to the start: what is the secret of the catalog? Why does Diane's pursuer want it, and why is Diane so determined not to let him have it? Can you find out before your world ends, too?

Winter's Bite by Kelly Schweiger

When the grid goes dark and the world freezes over, survival isn’t just about food and firewood—it’s about family, trust, and grit. The Callahans thought they were prepared for anything. Tucked away in their mountain lodge, they’ve faced power outages, harsh storms, and the uncertainty of a world unraveling. But as winter deepens, hunger prowls, violence draws closer to their door, sickness spreads, and even kidnapping becomes a weapon of desperation. In a season where every decision could mean life or death, the Callahans must decide who they can trust—and how far they’ll go to protect the ones they love. Fans of One Second After, The Borrowed World, and Alas, Babylon will find themselves snowed in with this gripping tale of survival, resilience, and the fierce will to endure.

Last Light by Kelly Schweiger

A Post-Apocalyptic Family Survival Story of Strength, Family, Resilience, and the Unbreakable Will to Live “When the world goes dark, how far would you go to protect your family?” Nestled deep in the remote pines, the Callahan family thought they were ready for anything. Years of preparation, isolation, and sacrifice had hardened them for survival. But nothing could prepare them for this, a complete blackout, no power, no communication, and no one coming to help. As their supplies run low and their emotional bonds are tested, trust, resilience, and hard choices become their only currency. Can they hold on to hope when the world outside starts to unravel? Last Light is a gripping, post-apocalyptic story about family, endurance, and the courage it takes to survive when everything else is stripped away. ✔️ Perfect for fans of One Second After, Edge of Collapse, Borrowed World, and Station Eleven ✔️ Clean, emotional, and family-driven survival fiction with a strong female perspective ✔️ First in a thrilling new series, discover where the Pines will take you

Reserve by Penny Heart

Enjoy more of the continuing Why Choose adventures of a once-shy librarian as she deepens advanced friendships and learns more about herself in the process. Sheila’s dating history is nothing to write home about, so she gave up on dating entirely. Until she spent some private time with Derek at the library where she works, she thought she was destined for lonely nights and solo activities. Instead, that adventure set her on a road to new experiences wilder than her previous daydreams. In “Reserve,” Sheila clings to her plans to avoid relationships while exploring her newfound desire, but Pete and Derek tempt her resolve. Pete introduces her to the fun of a non-date at a drive-in movie and an empty parking lot. In contrast, Derek taunts her with a remote control toy at a friend’s restaurant while offering more than she’s ready to accept. The two men tease and titillate, and things get even hotter when they work together—separately—in an unexpected way to bring all her current fantasies to life. “Reserve” is the third book in the Booked for Lust series, but each book can be read as a standalone erotic adventure. Contains explicit sexual language.

The Floating Castle by L. N. Holmes

“5 stars, no notes.” —Millie Abecassis, author of DAUGHTERS OF THE BLUE MOON and A LEGACY OF BLOOD AND BONE “Holmes’ fantasy novel churns with warring empires and palace intrigue. The novel boasts strong worldbuilding in the rich ceremonial details of Toguan’s court and the earthy rituals of the Gildacrest witches…” —Kirkus Reviews In a world where demons control the supply of magic and dragons are both feared and sentient, three women combine forces to oppose an evil prince and escape his floating castle. She wants to control him. He wants to kill her. To secure her position as the emperor’s favorite daughter, Princess Fu Liling sails across a monster-infested sea to marry and subdue Elias of House Zartisval, crown prince of a rival kingdom. When she meets Elias, however, he unexpectedly refuses to marry her. At risk of being cut off from the imperial family, Liling tries to force the wedding, only to discover that Elias is a murderer and she is his disposable hostage. Liling resolves to expose this betrayal to her father and plots an escape, relying on a reluctant guard and a rebel witch to aid in her flight. Elias, who’d rather see them all dead than free, gives chase. The ensuing battle may cause the Floating Castle to literally fall, and Liling must decide: surrender and die to keep the peace or dishonor her father in exchange for her own life and liberty. The repercussions of her choice will ripple across a continent.

A Death Worth Living by Trey Stone

A Life Relived Jacob, dead at twenty and feeling robbed of what he thought would be a long and fruitful life. He’s met by a mysterious figure whose job it is to guide him through his memories and into whatever comes next. Yet, the figure seems . . . familiar. As Jacob recounts his memories — some good, some bad, and some forgotten — he comes to the realization that he could have done some things differently. His guide, who calls themself Eran, tells Jacob that he can change one thing, and only one thing about his past, if he dares.

Loyalty to the Max by Maya Darjani

Max Dupont stars in his own standalone adventure in the second installment of the Broken Union series, taking place one year after Ancient as the Stars. Captain Maxime Dupont of the Earth Union is a rogue. A maverick. A clear-headed arbitrator of right and wrong– rules be damned. But even Max stumbles when he encounters his latest challenge. The Union is collaborating with former enemy Mars to fix the collapse of interstellar travel–but at the cost of vulnerable citizens. Max has to figure out where his loyalties lie–and if treason is a price he's willing to pay for doing the right thing. Meanwhile... Lieutenant Ren Yilmaz has finally found a crew. A home. A rewarding career, on the ESS Knight. But Ren gets drawn into a web of espionage. Her captain, Max, has shady dealings with anti-Union rebel groups and assigns her shipmates off-the-books tasks. It's Ren's duty as an officer to investigate. But snooping can be disastrous. Not only would she be betraying her newfound family, but Ren has secrets too–and if she digs too far, her own past as a spy could get spectacularly exposed. As tensions mount, the choices Max and Ren make will test their loyalty not only to the Union, but to each other--and the crew they call family.

Arcanoforge: Midnight Metropolis by Caroline Barnard-Smith

A genetically modified thief. A cursed electric ghost. A downloaded daemon. In a neon-drenched dystopia, she’s the glitch in the system. Tattiana the Blood Seer plies her odious trade in Noctara—a festering wart clinging to the blackened hide of a lightless planet. Tattie just wants to break sky and leave Noctara behind, but the fungus-choked metropolis isn’t done with her yet. Tattie’s one-time lover reappears, packing an illegal implant and begging for help she refuses to give. Then her co-worker makes a pact with a tentacled daemon, and their grimy back-alley club is shuttered for good. With few options left and a disgruntled electrical ghost to feed, Tattie accepts a lucrative gig from the cryptic Verna Shade. The payoff? Enough credits to buy her own space bucket and punch a permanent exit hole in the stratosphere. The job should be easy: break into a vault patrolled by the N.E.X.’s emotionless grunt army and steal Noctara’s most closely guarded secrets. But nothing’s easy on this cursed ball of dirt. Failure could get her exiled, husked, or killed. Success would shatter the planet’s fragile hold on peace. Armed with the dire blood magicks of the Arcanoforge, Tattie is done hiding. It’s Noctara's turn to bleed.

The Obsidian Druid by Caroline Barnard-Smith

Three monstrous tumari escaped the labyrinthine dungeon beneath the sea. One ripped apart the frozen homeland of the Asrai, staining the ice crimson with their blood. One blundered its way into the ancient forest of Nymed, and one rose in the city of Armoria, crushing buildings and bone beneath its great webbed feet. Only Dewer—ageless High Lord of the city—knows the truth behind the creatures’ wanton destruction, and he hasn’t trusted anyone with his secrets for over one hundred years. Gwin, a moon-blessed Asrai with the ability to freeze flesh, arrives in Armoria determined to raise an army against the man who slaughtered her family. When she discovers that city guard, Vanth, harbours magick of her own, she knows she would make a powerful ally, but Vanth would rather see Gwin hang than turn traitor. Vanth the Vile is many things: a skilled swordswoman, a debauched tavern crawler, and a Salt Sword fiercely loyal to the High Lord who saved her from a life on the streets. The one thing she never wanted to be was moon-blessed. In a city where those caught using magick without permission are left to rot in Dewer’s Pit, embracing her burgeoning powers would be a dangerous gamble. The twin moons of Joria are turning. For a century, the night has shone silver in Mamai’s cold light, but when Aikana comes to the fore, the world will dazzle beneath her violet glow. The Changing of the Moons heralds a time of unrest and upheaval, and Vanth has a devastating decision to make.

The Wish of a Dragon by JD Rivers

Otar comes to on a dingy space station and discovers two things: First, he's missing a good chunk of his memories. Second, Andres, his lover, has disappeared. Before he can retrace his steps, a knock at the door demands a debt be repaid—one Otar can't remember. Captain Veil Dreamcatcher is in search of the dragons with only ruins to guide him. Otar agrees to help in exchange for a reduced debt and information about Andres. On their travels, Otar realizes Veil is as adrift in this world as he is. Both are on a quest for the impossible: finding the ones they have loved and lost. All the while, the shadows are watching with red glowing eyes.

Riyati Ripple by Kai Zeal

Every act of defiance steers you into the person you were always meant to become. After Nimaka’s death and the older selves returning to their own time, Kylie ran from all she’d known and grown up with at North Opal Pines, but she soon learns she can’t run far or fast enough. She thought she could leave it all behind: go back to being a normal high school student, make new friends, keep her grades up and her mother happy. But Nimaka’s death has only rallied the two others, and now they’ve stalked Kylie to her new school. Even worse, they have a mysterious new leader who no longer seeks to just kill Kylie but all those she knows and loves…. and the body count is rising. Kylie can’t get by on “just surviving” anymore: to protect herself — let alone those around her — she must become as strong and cunning as Siani was, or everyone she’s ever known and loved will die with her. Riyati Ripple is the third book in a new adult/adult contemporary, low dark fantasy series that seeks to explore themes of identity, legacy, generational trauma, and finding your own path in life. Riyati is set in the modern day fictional Southern US town of Opal Pines and includes multiple first person perspectives with characters across a range of queer, neurodiverse, and socioeconomic statuses.

The Devil Owns Primetime by Sirius

Josiah Tucker is the richest televangelist in East Texas, whose fame and fortune seemingly skyrocketed overnight. He is the charismatic face of the Last Chance for Faith megachurch and the voice of every late-night Southern Gospel radio station. Even more excitingly, he has taken his sermons to the television screen, preaching the word of the Lord live several times a week at primetime. There are very few who see the man he is when he steps down from the pulpit. In a fast-moving, free-spending world of sex and drugs, Josiah is a cold narcissist who never stops listening to his own sermons. He keeps a secret boyfriend hidden from his congregation while stringing along his dutiful secretary after (and during) church office hours. But like the walls of Jericho, Josiah’s world is about to come tumbling down. He will find out that success has come at the price of his immortal soul, and the ink is still wet on the infernal deal he struck six years ago at his most desperate hour. Now the devil is tired of waiting for his due and will take everything Josiah has until the debt is paid. And there is truth in the saying: the higher they are, the harder they fall.

A Seething Heart: Ophelia Requited by T.O. Tate

SHOW ME THE STEEP AND THORNY WAY TO HEAVEN On the unpredictable waters of the Great Lakes, the cargo ship Squall sails from port to port in a world torn apart by a mysterious illness. Orris is an oddity, born wrapped in thorny vines that have lain silent inside their body for decades. Since then, they’ve dedicated their life to caring for those in the last stages of a mysterious illness known as sliversickness, well aware that someday soon, they too will die. After the death of the Squall’s captain under suspicious circumstances, Orris finds themself in the middle of a struggle for power between their lover Hunter and his stepfather Charles. Rumors of ghosts creep through the Squall’s passageways, and Hunter’s behavior becomes more and more erratic. Everyone looks to Orris to help him, worried that he, like so many others, has fallen ill. But as vines begin to stir inside their chest, Hunter kills Orris’s father, leaving vengeance as their only option.

Away From Grace by Jess Autiero

The Archangel Michael had one mission: to stop Lucifer from escaping Hell. He failed. Trapped in a young human body, stripped of his immortality and angelic powers, Michael faces a new life he never wanted. Finding small joys in his new existence, he vows to avoid angelic wars at all costs—until a tragedy forces him to reconsider his promise. As chaos brews and haunting dreams grip him, will Michael have the courage to protect humankind once again? And when his deepest love is his greatest enemy, will he be able to confront the creature he cherishes above all?

Physical Magic by William C. Tracy

**Book Bloggers' Novel of the Year 2025 Semi-Finalist!** Welcome to the Shifting Lands. Silluka was born with only one arm and could never practice the exacting motions to summon the favor of the gods. Caught stealing, she is forced to test her powers or be branded an outcast. She fails, and loses citizenship to her village. In a fit of desperation, Silluka tries to steal a badge of citizenship from a mysterious elder, but instead, Elder Quilqi shows Silluka a different path to gain the powers of the gods, aided by an octopus-like technological wizard who worships their own eldritch divinities. Time is short for training however, because a new island is speeding toward the coastal town, throwing deadly hurricanes and tidal waves before it and threatening all who live there. Only the gods and godlike storm warriors protect the village from destruction, but all of them fail when a mysterious creature bursts through the wall. It's only one forerunner for a species of terrifying fast, deadly, and ready to invade the larger island. The village must flee inland before the invasion, while Silluka is weighed down by her outcast status and her brother’s failing abilities. To save herself, her family, and her village, Silluka must overcome stigma and self-doubt. She must learn the scope of the world outside her village. She must learn Physical Magic.

Crying Out for Magic by P.S.C. Willis

A meet-cute across worlds! Draven Montrose’s world, Galdorsfarne, is like a soggy firework; so much potential, so little sparkle. Magic is running out, and so are his dating options. Whilst he should be grateful for a cruelty-free world, he’s never known anything else. His (entirely realistic and modest) goals for the year are to solve the magical energy crisis…and get a proper boyfriend. Niall Silverstein lives in Northern England, wishing fantasy stories were real and he had the guts to talk to cute boys. He isn’t out to his parents, he’s never kissed anyone, and he’s convinced he’ll die alone in a corner of the library, a spotty and unloved nerd. A magical portal between worlds and a chance meeting might be all that’s needed to fix both their broken worlds. But does Draven’s world contain enough magic to keep their meetings going? Find out in Crying Out for Magic, by P.S.C. Willis!

It's You, Isn't It? by Antony Paschos

Who are the heirs to the colony? On the world of Terra-Octa, colonists Avra, her sister, and their friend Penko are the first to catch sight of a massive guardian of the native trees producing Chloron, vital to building the colony. Three years later, the colony is destroyed by an uprising of chlorobots, powered by that same resource. But all is not as it seems. What at first is a childhood memory to Avra turns deadly as her alien caretaker reveals herself to be more than Avra could understand. At the same time, her father, the general, firms his grasp on how the colony is run. Told in the past and the present, Avra’s story unravels in time and meaning until she finally understands her family, her blossoming romance with Penko, her alien caretaker, the origins of life, and the betrayal at the base of the colony. Get ready for It’s You, Isn’t It? by Antony Paschos!