stories in and

The Final Shroud

The Final Shroud by Nathan Burrage

The Holy Land, 1099: Jerusalem has fallen. As the Christian factions vie for power, Godefroi de Bouillon and his companions unearth markers to the Keystone, a mystical artefact with the power to shape history. Yet progress has its price: Godefroi's bodyguard lies gravely wounded; the Arabic cabal guiding Hugues is broken; and the forces of Severity are gathering to claim the Keystone. France, 1307: Bertrand de Châtillon-sur-Seine was a knight for a single day before fleeing with the mysterious Salome. After a pitched battle that claims most of his brethren, Bertrand agrees to become Salome's new Shroud, binding his fate to hers. A refuge lies across the English Channel, but will they reach it in time? And when will Salome finally reveal her secrets? The Keystone awaits, but is it meant for mortal hands?


The Hidden Keystone

The Hidden Keystone by Nathan Burrage

July 1099: sweltering in the merciless heat, Godefroi de Bouillon’s desperate army finally breach the walls of Jerusalem. Concealed within their ranks are members of a secret fraternity. The Salt Lines seek a mystical artefact called the Keystone, and they’re willing to sacrifice everything Godefroi values to possess it: the lives of his closest confidants, the only woman he has ever loved, even his very soul. October 1307: when Bertrand joined the Brotherhood of the Temple of Solomon, no one anticipated the brutal suppression of the Order that followed. Forced to flee for his life, Bertrand unwittingly becomes the only person who can lay the Keystone to rest. But can he resist its temptations whilst evading the forces of the French throne? With the veil of secrecy in tatters, truth has become the most dangerous possession of all.


The Earl's Assassin

The Earl's Assassin by Kyro Dean

In a game of kill or be killed, a reformed assassin is at a serious disadvantage. **** Reviewers say about Rogue Royals: "Delicious dialogue." "So much fun." "I can't wait for more!" **** Rana Maathornefurer is the last assassin of the gods—scratch that—former assassin. But keeping her sapphire blade at her side is harder than it looks when she is forced to join with persnickety and rude Lord Sheffield in a business deal they both desperately need to work. Add in an assassin who is hot on Phillip's trail—though she can't for the life of her figure out why—and Rana finds herself in a comically ridiculous dance to keep him alive while wanting to kill him—at least until she no longer needs him. When sneaking feelings that could get her killed catch her off-guard, however, she realizes the charade can't last. With everything she cares about falling into deadly chaos, Rana must decide what is most important. Will she be the person Lord Sheffield wishes her to be and risk him dying? Or will she become the monster she's always been to save his life?


The Guild Master's Daughter

The Guild Master's Daughter by Geneva Price

In 1816 New York City, there is no place for women in the world of art, especially not for Faith, the gifted step-daughter of a renowned artist. Her step-father expects young women to be dutiful, reserved, and respectable, traits utterly incompatible with Faith’s innate nature and the attention her extraordinary talent would attract. Faith masks her feelings, holds her tongue, and hides her drawings. But when her step-father draws an apple that Faith can pick up off the page and hold in her hand, she can no longer deny her calling. The mystical Ink he uses to bring the imaginary to life offers freedom and power she can never have on this side of reality. It may not get her out of an arranged marriage, but it might keep her from suffocating in it. Denied access to the Ink by the Guild that guards it and the Guild Master, her own step-father, Faith finds a way to train in secret. As she learns to manipulate the imaginary world where fantasy and fear are equally real, she discovers that even her reality is not what it seems. As the lines between real and imagined blur, Faith’s quest for self-agency may cost her everything she holds dear in both worlds.


Part-Time Monster Hunter

Part-Time Monster Hunter by Nicholas Woode-Smith

I was orphaned and left for dead… Until a ghost found me and taught me to slay monsters. My name is Kat Drummond. Part-Time Monster Hunter. After watching a necromancer dissect my parents, I swore vengeance against the undead and the maniacs who bring them into the world. But hunting monsters isn’t easy. Especially in Hope City. Lucky for me, I’ve got a ghost from another world here to train me. He’s got a bone to pick with the undead just as much as I do. Together, we’ll become the greatest monster hunters Hope City has ever seen. There’s a new necromancer on the block, and an army of undead monstrosities at his command. This could be my shot at entering the big leagues. Or wind up a walking corpse.


The Archimedean Heart

The Archimedean Heart by BJ Sikes

Paris 1880, the City of Electric Light Clockwork nobles of the Court promenade through the halls of Versailles, while Watcher spheres and cyborg police menace citizens of France in the streets. The Royal Scientist Doctor works frantically on an automaton designed to replace the failing sovereigns, but will it be ready in time to save the monarchy? In the cafes of Montmartre, Henri paints the common people chafing under the reign of the Augmented monarchs and dreams of a France free of machines. John yearns to capture the essence of beauty in his paintings with the luminous Marie-Ange his muse-and handmaid to the ancient Queen of France. With his brother Henri entangled in revolution, he must choose between the artificial beauty of Court and the movement to restore France. How much humanity can be lost before you are no longer human?


The Limit of the Lonely Man

The Limit of the Lonely Man by Becky James

Evyn is running out of time. A princess could have a solution–or be her downfall. Newly made Rangers, Thorrn and Aubin race to find the cause of Evyn's strange illness, seeking out Princess Sabatha of Rush. Aubin’s self-doubt threatens the outcomes of the mission while King Gough is making political moves, hoping that Evyn continues her betrothal to Prince Gerlay of Dinahe rather than choosing anyone else. But destiny weaves around them, drawing the multiverses and their hearts together. What is Evyn’s calling as the Spirit Shaper, and what does it mean to be the Lonely Man? The third book in the thrilling King's Swordsman series, perfect for fans of sword and sorcery portal and multiverse fantasy.


The Bind of Blood and Bonds

The Bind of Blood and Bonds by Becky James

“Special Forces is harsh. It could be a lot harsher.” Treason takes many forms. Once trust is broken, it is hard to reforge. Thorrn discovers this all too clearly, much to his detriment. But someone wants Thorrn dead, and they don’t care how many lives they ruin in the process. Meanwhile, there is a spate of murders targeting Oberrotian officials, and Thorrn’s contingent is sent to investigate. Back to being the lowest of the low, Thorrn struggles to trust again – especially when he finds two of the most powerful mages in the world working together, and one of them is the woman he loves.


The Heavenly Sword

The Heavenly Sword by Alice Poon

The Heavenly Sword and its sequel are a unique blend of an epic wuxia story and Chinese myths. Set in a world of human conflicts, fantastical martial arts, sorcery and celestial magic, Alice Poon’s debut fantasy follows a martial maiden’s heartbreaking adventures in her quest for love and justice. The goddess Chang’e is sent to the mortal world to rein in the tyrant Zhu Di, formerly a Sky Wolf. Reborn as Tang Sai’er, a simple village girl, her celestial mission requires her to master a special martial arts skill, but to succeed, she must fight her growing feelings for a member of Zhu Di’s court, Ma Sanbao. When Zhu Di incites a civil war that imperils her village people, she is forced to lead the White Lotus Sect in direct combat. But even though she gets help from the gracious immortals in the violent feuds, she finds that her mission is on a collision course with her dreams.


Jesus and John

Jesus and John by Adam McOmber

Jesus and John is a Weird re-imagining of the New Testament as a novel of allegorical horror. John, a fisherman from a rural village on the shores of Galilee, is tasked with protecting the risen body of his lover who was crucified for disrupting Roman order in the city of Jerusalem. The body, having miraculously emerged from its cave-like tomb, refuses to speak and walks in a dream-like silence, disrupting the clear-cut message of the Apostle Peter and eventually leading John on a dangerous pilgrimage to a mysterious mansion in Rome known as the Gray Palace. There, the few inhabitants promise a celebration that may lead to a sacrifice John is unwilling to make. Incorporating Christian Gnosticism, Pagan dreams, and a contemporary will toward queer disruption, Adam McOmber's new novel tells a powerful story of devotion.


Serenissima

Serenissima by Orazia Moritmer

SFINCS

Would you risk knowing the future? Venice, 1470. The city is filled with rumours of a Turkish fleet sailing the Mediterranean. Isabetta Zorzi, who walks the fine line of being a respectable courtesan, worries about the for-now distant threat. That threat seems even more distant to her twin, Catarina, living a quiet scholar's life in a convent. But a chance encounter with a sailor changes that. They now possess a magic glass gem that Catarina can use to see the future. It's a future no one wants to see: a future where Venice's colonies fall to Ottoman armies, while the Venetian fleet does nothing. The women can't tell anyone what they know, though, because they would be denounce for witchcraft. They need a man, but the only one who knows about the glass gem is a runaway slave from an enemy city. Can a courtesan, a nun, and a (former?) slave save Venice?


Spellswept

Spellswept by Stephanie Burgis

SFINCS

In the world of the Harwood Spellbook, 19th-century Angland is ruled by a powerful group of women known as the Boudiccate - but in order to become a member of that elite group, any ambitious young politician must satisfy tradition by taking a gentleman mage for her husband. Amy Standish is a born politician...but Jonathan Harwood is her greatest temptation. On the night of the Harwoods' Spring Solstice Ball, in an underwater ballroom full of sparkling fey lights and danger, Amy will have to fight the greatest political battle of her life to win a family and a future that she could never have imagined. It will take an entirely unexpected kind of magic to keep everything from crashing down around her. Warning: this novella contains forbidden romance, dangerous magic, and political intrigue in an underwater ballroom. What could possibly go wrong?


Rat City: Book One in The Rat City Chronicles

Rat City: Book One in The Rat City Chronicles by Laurie Silvers

SFINCS

In the walled city of Aman Kala, the grisly murder of a sacred Rat Keeper pulls Detective Derya Mack into an investigation that threatens to expose the power struggles that guarantee the very safety the fortress offers from the plague world. The year is 986H/1578CE and Derya Mack lives and works in Aman-Kala, a plague fortress located between Arab, Persian, and Turkic lands. The rebel Zanj have toppled the Abbasid Caliphate, outlawed slavery, and turned regions and cities into client states. The Zanj Caliphate governs from Baghdad backed up by the force of their empire-wide army. Regional militaries are outlawed and cities are left to govern themselves without police or jails. In Aman-Kala, private detectives solve crimes, large and small. Derya Mack is one of those detectives. Rat City is a retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo OUT NOW IN REVENGE IN THREE, a collection of novellas based on the classic novel entitled Revenge in Three.


Rise: Birth of a Revolution

Rise: Birth of a Revolution by Mark Moore

A fragile peace teeters on the brink of collapse; new players threaten the colonial world order in this award-winning debut historical fantasy novel. Damien Flynn is going to die. And it’s going to happen because he finally stood up for what’s right. After years of observing and taking part in the enduring corruption and oppression of the Ricchan people, Damien Flynn’s conscience wakes. He pushes for the Ricchan right to a vote, for control of their own destiny. He soon learns that bleeding hearts don’t make for good politics, exchanging quills for shackles. Former friends and colleagues sentence Damien Flynn to death for treason. With time running out, Damien Flynn only has one chance, one opportunity for survival, and it comes from one of the most unlikely sources. Victoria Montgomery, the reluctant leader of an army composed of little more than ragtag criminals and vagrants, must make a change. And in Damien, she sees the catalyst to bring about the full-scale rebellion her people need to flourish. He is the key to bringing about a legitimate revolution that may have the strength to succeed where past attempts have failed. All she need do is gamble on the unknown, gamble on the strength of Damien’s morals and convictions and hope that she’s judged him well, less the entire rebellion is forfeit. Victoria and Damien must unite to save Riccha from Braiton’s control. In order for this revolution to succeed, these two seemingly unlikely partners must believe in each other. A tough task when they barely even believe in themselves. Amidst the horrors of war, the cruelties of betrayal, and the unleashed wrath of long-held grievances, the righteousness and convictions of humanity will be tested like never before. Will the courage and resilience of the oppressed be enough to overcome the tyranny of their oppressors? Or will the flames of conflict engulf everything in their path, leaving nothing but destruction in their wake? In this epic tale of struggle and survival, the fate of a world hangs in the balance. Set in a richly imagined world of fantasy and history, this award-winning novel is a gripping tale of revolution, betrayal, and redemption. With its unforgettable characters, thrilling action, and poignant themes, it will captivate readers. Don’t miss out on one of the most exciting fresh voices in historical fantasy. Award-winner: 2021 Royal Dragonfly Fiction: New Author 2nd Place: 2022 Storymonster Scifi/Fiction Awards Finalist for the 2019 OZMA Fantasy Fiction awards, Chanticleer International Book Awards


Ordinary World

Ordinary World by Jack T Canis

'Life often boils down to simple questions with complex answers. Olivia Buchanan's question was simple, if twofold: 'Was sixteen year old Olivia Buchanan truly the culmination of a secret 30 year genome project, by a clandestine research organisation, to create the ultimate human in order to save humanity from itself? Or: Has she merely inherited her mother's delusional schizophrenia, spiralling her into a nightmarish hell created by a diseased and fractured mind?' Simple.


The Reanimator's Heart

The Reanimator's Heart by Kara Jorgensen

A reluctant necromancer, a man killed before his time, and the crime that brings them together. Felipe Galvan’s life as an investigator for the Paranormal Society has been spent running into danger. Returning home from his latest case, Felipe struggles with the sudden quiet of his life until a mysterious death puts him in the path of the enigmatic Oliver Barlow. Oliver has two secrets. One, he has been in love with the charming Felipe Galvan for years. Two, he is a necromancer, but to keep the sensible life he’s built as a medical examiner, he must hide his powers. That is until Oliver finds Felipe murdered and accidentally brings him back from the dead. But Felipe refuses to die again until he and Oliver catch his killer. Together, Felipe and Oliver embark on an investigation to uncover a plot centuries in the making. As they close in on his killer, one thing is certain: if they don’t stop them, Felipe won’t be the last to die.


Imperfect Illusions

Imperfect Illusions by Vanora Lawless

A drafted empath. A dreamwalking poet. A world at war. Chicago, 1917. Idealistic, aspiring poet, Elliot Stone can make people feel euphoria or horror with a simple touch. But that's only part of his magical abilities. He can also wake in the dreams of people he cares deeply for. Stubborn, fiercely independent Warren “Sully” Sullivan is an illusionist with a secret of his own: he feels the emotions of others as visceral sensations. That, and a lifetime of fending for himself, has left him guarded. On their last night of freedom before shipping off to training—military and magic—Elliot and Sully indulge in an explosive, emotional night together. Elliot assumes it's a one night stand and nothing more, until he awakens in Sully’s nightmare. The urge to rescue Sully is impossible to resist. And when dream-Sully begs him to keep coming back, something Sully would never do while awake, Elliot can’t resist that either. As real life draws them into battle, their shared dreams become a refuge that only Elliot recalls. So when Elliot has the opportunity to recruit Sully to the secret elite unit of magical soldiers he leads, he’s willing to risk everything for the man he’s fallen in love with in dreams. But being away from the front lines doesn’t mean Sully’s safe. Now they battle enemies with twisted magic where their secrets are a liability. Can they bring their dreams—and love—to life? Or will the war cost them everything?


Twisted Tome

Twisted Tome by Vanora Lawless

For empathic illusionist Warren 'Sully' Sullivan dreamwalking Captain Elliot Stone is more than the only thing keeping him sane and safe. He's the keeper of Sully's heart, even if he can't seem to admit it out loud. When an ancient grimoire infused with catastrophic magic comes into play, they've got to do everything in their power to keep it from landing in enemy hands. Unfortunately, that means working closely with a man who once shattered Elliot's heart. Someone he would have done anything for. As insecurity, jealousy, and fear threaten the fledgling relationship between Elliot and Sully, will the darkness closing in around them bring them closer or tear them apart forever?


The Training Grounds: From the Ashes

The Training Grounds: From the Ashes by Jason Clark

After suffering devastating losses in the pursuit to destroy the reaper, Millicent, Adelaide, and Oakes try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. As they prepare for another year at the Training Grounds, events unfold that provide hope—and the promise of more bloodshed. The discovery of an ancient map presents a world of possibilities, along with whisperings of a device that holds the potential to bring Darius back. Millicent and her friends will embark on an epic journey and attempt the impossible—to cheat death. While increasing her control over the elements, a strange voice from beyond reaches out, offering a deadly proposal. As the three students search for a way to bring Darius back—or decide to finally let him go, Dean Anders joins forces with Bao and Bixia to prepare the Training Grounds for an imminent attack. Not only must Anders juggle the external threats of Belladonna and the Unified Republic, but a new foe emerges, threatening to destroy the school from within. The stakes are higher as cataclysmic battles bring Merchant Valley to the brink of annihilation. Will the new weapons Anders creates for his prize students be enough? Can they possibly withstand the inevitable onslaught destined for the school? This time everyone must fight to stay alive—or die trying.


The Dragon’s Reign

The Dragon’s Reign by Tim Mullins

Nothing felt overly exciting for twenty-four-year-old Blake. His career as a courier driver was hardly something to brag about and although he raced cars on the weekend, life seemed to have slowed to a crawl. For his housemate and best friend James, however, life was peachy; he was about to ask out the girl of his dreams and was entering his final year at university. Social media sensation Emma Riley was living her best life: her following was booming, her sponsors were calling, and people just could not get enough of her. If only her father, Thomas, could get off her back once in a while. Will was ready for the next big step. The restaurant was booked, the evening was planned, and the diamond ring was perfect. All he hoped now was that Lila, his girlfriend of four years, would say yes. But after a mysterious fire-breathing creature leaves the Australian city of the Gold Coast in ruins, this group of strangers are forced to leave their old lives behind and band together in a fight for survival. With no way to communicate with the outside world and no help in sight, a greater mystery begins to unfold around them. What is the monster that attacked the city? Where did it come from? Is our reign, our way of life, really over? Is the dragon’s reign about to begin?


Blood Lust

Blood Lust by L E Scott

Benigo's lust tastes so good, Sangue wants it to be the only thing he feeds on for the rest of his life, but Benigo is dying. Sangue tries to turn him despite having been warned that Benigo will not remember much about his life as a human. They can get to know each other again after he's a vampire. 'Even if he doesn't remember' Sangue thinks. 'As long as we're together.' But the ritual doesn't work and Benigo heals from his terminal illness instead. Now, armed with the knowledge that vampire blood has healing capabilities, Sangue and Benigo set out to stop an epidemic, but there are powerful forces that wish to stand in their way, and this just might be the most dangerous thing either of them have ever done. Although this is the third book in the bloodlust series, it can be read as a stand alone.


Wishhobbler

Wishhobbler by Francis O'Dowd

Somewhere in the damp, twisting alleyways of an alternate 19th Century slum there lives a hideous freak of nature. Driven by poverty, Spin and her makeshift family move to the Songwynds in search of work. There they share a tiny, rat-infested tenement room with their adoptive Ma: a ferocious wishhobbler. A monster of a mother, and the mother of all monsters, the wishhobbler’s viciousness has caused fear and mayhem among the slum dwellers. Unable to hit back at the wishhobbler, her victims turn their attention to Spin. An outsider wherever she goes - haunted by thugs and bullies - Spin finds a way to enter the carefully guarded and lethal world of Victorian Racing Televisions. When the wishhobbler disrupts the carefully laid plans of the mysterious Racers, Spin finds herself at the centre of a deadly confrontation. But it’s with the revelation of a centuries old Knight of the Implicate Order that things really take a turn for the worse ... Featuring over 50 stunning illustrations, this dark urban fairy tale is a must for anyone who's ever been bored, bullied or lived with a monster.


Miss Bennet's Dragon

Miss Bennet's Dragon by M. Verant

Foreword INDIES Winner for Fantasy. Royal Dragonfly Award Winner for Fantasy. “A charming retelling”—Locus Magazine An unforgettable fantasy retelling of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that is romantic, funny, and more relevant than ever. Elizabeth Bennet is hiding a forbidden power. She can speak to draca, the fire-breathing creatures kept as status symbols by English gentry. But Mr. Darcy has noticed, and he has his own dark secret. When Elizabeth’s sister falls deathly ill, the cure lies in the mysteries of draca. Elizabeth, aided by her brilliant sister Mary, defies restrictive English society to hunt for lost draca lore. She must hurry. England’s war with France has drawn other dangerous hunters. Elizabeth’s search leads her to the fabulous Pemberley estate, home of the entitled and infuriating man whose proposal she scorned. There, Elizabeth’s worlds smash together—protocol against passion, and exultation against the risk of love. But the stakes are greater than her sister’s life. Elizabeth must test herself against a distant war. And her enemy is not who she thought. “Thrilling, superbly paced, and moving. I highly recommend this novel to fans of Jane Austen, as well as to anyone who has ever pondered the mystery of dragons.” – Katherine Sturtevant, author of At the Sign of the Star “A historical romance that encompasses the Napoleonic Wars, arcane marriage laws, and women with the power to command the fiercest, most dangerous, and wisest of beasts” – Vanessa MacLaren-Wray, author of All That Was Asked Miss Bennet’s Dragon is a stand-alone story that begins a trilogy of Jane Austen Fantasy.


The Training Grounds: Mystery of the Immortals

The Training Grounds: Mystery of the Immortals by Jason Clark

SPSFC 2023

Debut author Jason Clark presents an exciting new genre-bending sci-fi/fantasy story set in a brutal future world, where swords settle disputes and those who can control the elements are the most feared warriors. Get ready for a fantastic escape from reality. When Darius receives an invitation to attend the Training Grounds, he wonders why an insignificant farm boy would be asked to join the most elite training academy in Merchant Valley. The only thing special about him is that he has unsettling visions he can’t understand. Despite the unknown, he accepts this privilege, and with his best friend, they set out on this new adventure. While there, they quickly form alliances with a skilled archer, a talented blacksmith, and a powerful wielder of the elements. Together, this new band of friends will learn that not all is as it seems at this new school. In fact, secret plots abound. It makes them question everything and everyone, including the head of the school, Dean Anders. Now it’s up to this adventurous group to uncover the truth about their world and find out the meaning of Darius’s vision. Visions that include a weapon known as the reaper that carries with it apocalyptic repercussions. But between classes, finding love, and training, will he and his friends be able to discover the truth before it’s too late?


Off-Time Jive

Off-Time Jive by A.Z. Louise

Set during an alternate Harlem Renaissance where new forms of magic created by Black joy strain against the white establishment, Bessie Knox is an investigator of magical mysteries. When her old colleagues at the Bronx Academy of Magic start turning up dead, Knox's weakened abilities are pushed to their limits, but if she can't solve the case, she'll be next.


A Path of Blades

A Path of Blades by R.E.Sanders

Ingvar Darelle is a fighting knight, tasked with defending his country whenever he is called to battle. Violence and war provides no glory for Ingvar, who only wants to be at home on his rural estate. His dreams of a quiet life are shattered as he becomes a pawn in the ambitious schemes of others. How will his friendships and family cope with the forces that try to tear them apart? Which path will he choose?


The Children of the Black Moon

The Children of the Black Moon by Joseph John Lee

Torrential did the storms become. Torrential shall be the days to come. Exiled in disgrace and defeat after a vicious coup, Tez seeks an alliance with the militant Lake Tribe. Retaking the Stone Tribe is the key to a unified north in the face of the Invaders’ impending offensive…if she can only stop her allies from warring amongst themselves. After finally successfully breaching the dense forest barrier dividing north and south, Aritz a Mata wants more. Seeing opportunity and resources in those untouched lands, he is eager to show the Tribes the full might of his forces…and the fear he wields as the Sword of the Savior. Stripped of everything she held dear, Sen is given the opportunity to start anew among a group of fellow Eclipseborn. But quickly are her loyalties tested as she must choose between those who provided her a home and Tribe yet rejected her all the same, and her newfound kin who would see fit to destroy the Tribes entirely…something they have sought for almost four centuries. The flames of war approach, and they seek to reduce all memory of the Tribes to nothing more than ash.


The Gift of Blood (Crimson Tears book 1)

The Gift of Blood (Crimson Tears book 1) by Vaela Denarr & Micah Iannandrea

“Shit, people keep killing me off. It’s like some bad TV show.” A lesbian vampire on a revenge quest, distracted by a slow burn romance. One person’s gift is another’s curse. And sometimes the dark hides very real monsters. This is certainly the case for Ryann Ly, professional kickboxer, MMA athlete, and freshly Turned vampire. When the people who abducted, faked her death, and cursed her to burn in the sun attempt to enlist her into their ranks, Ryann decides she has absolutely no time for any of their nonsense. Even if she has to kill them to get some peace and quiet. It’s only fair. They killed her first. She just wants to get her life in order and navigate this strange new reality she finds herself trapped in. But vampire turf wars, monsters in the dark, and people hunting Ryann for mysterious reasons make that very difficult. Luckily, she’s not alone. Helping her along is a soft werewolf dad, a polyamorous couple of badasses, a vampire with PTSD and a dry sense of humour, a childhood friend, and Rachel, a human girl that Ryann thinks is very cute. Will Ryann defeat the darkness that haunts her, and the things within? Will she be able to avenge the injustice done to her, or will she become another monster, destined to be slain? Will she find out why people keep declaring her dead? And will she ever figure out why her found family keeps calling her and Rachel girlfriends? Only time will tell.


Winter's Fury

Winter's Fury by A.E. Rayne

IN A WORLD RULED BY MEN, ONE WOMAN WILL RISE She was their greatest warrior; the daughter of the king. But her uncle stole the throne and sent her away to marry Eadmund, the drunken son of their worst enemy. Now she must pick up her sword again to restore her family’s honour and return to the home she loves. Despite her skill with a sword, her prowess in battle, and her reputation as the greatest warrior in Brekka, without her father to protect her, Jael was merely a pawn, a woman to be married off so her uncle could forge an alliance to fulfil his own desperate ambitions. Eadmund is broken hearted, tortured by the murder of his first wife, but his father had lost patience with him. He wanted heirs for his kingdom. He wanted his son back, restored to the fierce warrior he had once been. And when his daughter has a dream about Jael, the woman who would save him, he eagerly jumps at the opportunity to make an alliance with his worst enemy. Jael and Eadmund will fight against their union, but the dreamers know that this marriage is meant to be; it must happen for the sake of all Osterland. For without them... without Jael and her sword, without Eadmund by her side, the five kingdoms will not survive the darkness that is coming to claim them all.


Eye of the Wolf: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Lords of Alekka Book 1)

Eye of the Wolf: An Epic Fantasy Adventure (The Lords of Alekka Book 1) by A.E. Rayne

A mysterious woman with many secrets. A lord forsaken by the gods. A kingdom on the brink of war. Alekka is an ancient kingdom, riven with rivalries, and though there has been a period of relative peace, the king’s enemies are now emboldened, seeking to rise against him and steal the throne. Trapped in a small village with two young children, an unhappy Alys is oblivious to the rising danger. Winters have been brutal, raiding expeditions proving unfruitful, and her husband has grown violent. Fearing for her safety, she hides away supplies, preparing for the escape she must make. Soon. Lord Reinar Vilander is acutely aware of the king’s precarious position, for his fort guards the bridge to Alekka’s capital. Enemies range above him, planning their attack – enemies with dreamers capable of wielding dark magic – and Reinar knows that a skilled dreamer is worth a few thousand men. Desperate to shore up his defenses, he takes to sea, looking for slaves to sell, hoping to earn enough silver to tempt more warriors to join him, though one of the women catches his eye, then captures his attention entirely. A beautiful woman in a green dress. Her name is Alys. And though Reinar doesn’t know it, Alys is about to save his life... Eye of the Wolf is the first book in A.E. Rayne’s thrilling six-part fantasy series, The Lords of Alekka: an epic adventure of swords and sorcery, love and betrayal, and dark magic, where warriors are tested, friendships are forged, and even the gods are forced to enter the fray. Come and start the journey today...


A Legend of Hidden Magic: A Fated Mates Paranormal Romance Filled with Celtic...

A Legend of Hidden Magic: A Fated Mates Paranormal Romance Filled with Celtic... by Stephany Wallace

How would you feel if you discovered magic was real, and the kind of powers that until now you’ve only read about are actually part of this world? Cynwrig "Cyn" Bressall is a Celtic warrior with the unique ability to harness and wield Druid magic in a way never before seen. Making him the only Druid Warrior to ever exist. After surviving a horrible night that began the extinction of his race, Cyn has spent the last two thousand years searching for the only man that can lead the Order of the Druids and mend the scars marring his soul. Instead, his quest leads him to a woman whose essence is unlike anything he's ever felt. Orphaned as a baby and raised by her loving but over protective grandfather, twenty-three year old Briana "Bri" Anwell has led an isolated life. Friendless and stuck in a job with no prospect, the self proclaimed flower child finds solace in her only friends. Books. And imagines an adventurous life in a magical world where anything is possible. So when a sexy stranger suddenly appears in her world as though he stepped out of her favorite story, she dismisses him as a figment of her imagination. But soon she realizes he's so much more than he seems. He signifies everything she's fantasized about, but is there a place for her in his extraordinary world?


Queen of Roses: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Blood of a Fae Book 1)

Queen of Roses: A Dark Fantasy Romance (Blood of a Fae Book 1) by Briar Boleyn

A doomed love, a dangerous mission, and a kingdom on the brink of war... A cast-off princess… Born into a life of duty and sacrifice, Morgan Pendragon’s destiny has never been her own. Rumored to carry the tainted blood of the fae in her veins, her birthright is stolen from her when she is a mere child. Growing up in the shadow of her brother the king, she has been promised to the goddesses when she comes of age. So, when her brother commands that she seek out a fae weapon of legendary power, Morgan seizes the chance to break free from the chains of her fate. A dangerous temptation… As she travels, Morgan finds herself drawn into a strange group of outcasts, led by a dark and enigmatic warrior whose sharp wit and fierce beauty set her heart ablaze. But while Morgan struggles to reconcile her desires with her duty, she and her new comrades discover dangers that await them beyond anything in their wildest nightmares. A slumbering kingdom awoken by blood… Believed to have vanished generations ago, a fae kingdom dreaded by mortals is ascending once more, bound to reclaim what was lost by violence and bloodshed. As the fae world, with its intricate web of lies and mysteries, is slowly revealed to Morgan, she is led to the terrible realization that the secrets she carries in her blood make her a greater threat than she could ever have imagined. The first in an action-packed new series brimming with magic, danger, morally gray characters, and spellbinding slow-burn romance, Queen of Roses is perfect for fans of Holly Black, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Sarah J. Maas.

Author's Note: This upper YA/NA series features mature situations and adult language, with a slow burn romance that gradually builds to a satisfying spice that intensifies with each book. Don't be fooled by the tame beginning, be prepared for the steamy ride ahead. This book has multiple TW/CWs. Please check the book's trigger warning page in the table of contents for more information.


The Pharaoh's Curse

The Pharaoh's Curse by Kyro Dean

There was a reason the assassins always won in the end. Why her family always died. He was smarter than her, whoever he was. More prepared. A mongoose to her cobra. And it didn’t matter how hard she fought back, how hard she bit. In the end, he’d eat her up. Zarina Nefartari is the last descendant of the ancient queens. As novel and grand as a royal heritage sounds, descending from a line of queens has only ever brought her trouble. She is, after all, a descendant of the sun god who can’t bear to see its light without getting migraines and who needs colored lenses just to stand in its rays. The laughing gods were cruel like that. Not to mention the assassin that has been hunting her family for millennia. The begrudging family of killers has been the end of every one of her female ancestors since the great queen herself--and they're coming for her next. To make matters worse, her god-appointed bodyguard since birth, Farak, does not reciprocate her growing feelings. Too bound to his godly oath, he has committed to forsaking love and protecting her at all costs. Unsatisfied with the lot the fates have dealt her, Zarina wants more than anything to free them both from the curse of an early death. She leaves her life of hiding to solve the mystery that has shaded her family for two-thousand years, hoping that if she takes fate into her own hands and fights back against the assassin, Farak's allegiance will change. The problem? Lord Richard DeClare: an over-excited Brittanian Aegyptologist who finds her absolutely mesmerizing--and who reveals her identity to all of Aegyptus. With the mysterious assassin hot on her newly-announced trail, a street lord who wants her dead so he can steal her family's treasure, and that pesky Britannian who happens to possess the resources she needs, Zarina is thrown into a foray of chaos that threatens to kill her at every turn. Now, she must use her colored lenses to solve the clues in the tunnels and tombs of her family's legacy to figure out who the assassin is and why they've wanted her family dead since Queen Nefertari's reign over two millennia ago. Deep in the heart of an alternate-history Egypt, Zarina must learn what matters more--family or fate--and how much control she has over a life ruled by the gods.


The Bee King

The Bee King by Mathilda Zeller

When the crops fail, the monsters come. When the monsters come, they buy the daughters. Alice would do anything to keep her sister and cousin out of the hands of the monsters. She would even accept a marriage proposal from the Bee King, the mysterious honey magnate allegedly driving the prosperity of the empire. But when she arrives at the Apiary, the secluded estate of her betrothed, nothing is as it seems. The empire's wealthy and famous are converging upon the estate and she soon learns that the Bee King is not marrying her for love or lust, but third reason--a dark, strange, and deadly reason.


The Doctrines of Fire

The Doctrines of Fire by CL Jarvis

SPFBO9

Edinburgh, 1779. An academic rivalry turns deadly. George Stephens is a lousy medical student. Lacking the social and financial resources to succeed in Edinburgh’s elite medical school, his dream of becoming a physician appears over before it began. Then George comes to the attention of two famous professors, William Cullen and Joseph Black. Medical students are dying mysteriously - the professors suspect a disgraced former student is to blame - and they need George’s help uncovering the truth. Believing the partnership will bolster his academic standing, George agrees. Their investigation pulls them into the murkiest, most dangerous corners of Enlightenment Edinburgh. The professors are secret wielders of fire magic, but their foes are courting even darker forces. With violence threatening to erupt, and George struggling to navigate this confusing city, getting justice for the dead will be harder than he imagined. Ninth House meets A Declaration of the Rights of Magicians in this thrilling fantasy debut from CL Jarvis.


Panacea

Panacea by Alex Robins

SPFBO9

At the heart of every legend lies a truth. Twisted and reshaped by the currents of time. For twenty years, strategos Dexios has led the phalanx of Thena against its enemies, pulled from one battleground to another in a relentless cycle of war and bloodshed. Now, finally, he has found the courage to leave that life behind. To relinquish his officer’s sword and return to the verdant slopes of his vineyard with his wife and son. Peace, however, is fragile and capricious. When Thena’s northern allies bring word of an enormous tauran horde gathering on their borders, Dexios has no choice but to answer the call to arms one last time. As humans and tauros collide, another evil wakes. Whispered rumours of a clawed creature that stalks the shadowy streets. Of violent murders committed in the name of deities long thought vanquished. To speak their names is heresy. They are the Exiled. The Banished. The Ruined Gods.


Speakeasy Times

Speakeasy Times by M. W. McLeod

Vinny's living it up on easy street. His crew's latest job hitting the police station for their confiscated booze will keep his speakeasy running for a few weeks, and, with that success, he's cemented himself firmly in the hierarchy of the family. When he received an invitation to dinner between the lords and the Queen of faeries, he knows that the crown will be his, only to have his world suddenly turned on its head with news of the line of succession. Now, Vinny finds himself torn in two directions. Do what is right by the monarch or back the uncle he owes a favor. If he chooses wrong, everything he's built will crumble at his feet, and buying out comes with an impossible task. He must figure out how to dodge the FBI, break into the most secure bank vault he's ever seen, and avoid a mythical creature even the faeries don't believe exists anymore.


The Rise of Runes and Shields, Book I The Seidr Sagas

The Rise of Runes and Shields, Book I The Seidr Sagas by JM Stephen

Witchcraft need not be evil. Twins Freyja and Bjorn live in a time when Viking magic, called the Seidr, is deemed witchcraft and forbidden. When their home is attacked by men sent from the tyrannical local earl, who accuses their mother of a murder she did not commit, the twins are forced to flee into the night and onto an adventure to not only prove their mother’s innocence but also set to rights the ills created by the misuse of the Seidr. Along the way, they both make new friends, reunite with lost allies, visit hidden worlds, and learn the true ways of the Seidr, until they find themselves caught in the middle of the never ending war of the Fire and Frost Giants. Bjorn must learn the ways of magic and Freyja the life of the shield maidens if they are to survive.


The Tricksters: There is Gold in the Jungle

The Tricksters: There is Gold in the Jungle by Kobyna T

NO ONE WAS MAD ENOUGH TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING SO OUTRAGEOUS "But that man, he went there and did it. Not once, not twice, but many times over... Just think about it. Who is looney enough to get himself captured on purpose and cause a riot to free those enslaved alongside him, just to tell some stupid stories about it afterward? Who does that? Who else but him? That silly old geezer...the Spider.” In the first volume of The Tricksters, Ticco meets the Spider, who helps him to escape from bondage. Ticco gets tutored in the Forbidden Arts of Trickery by the old man and with the help of other tricksters, they hunt for the raiders of Anansekrom, Ticco's village. Vengeance is a forbidden fruit to bite, but no other fruit should taste sweeter on the day Ticco gets his paws on a certain man. The one who goes by the codename 'the Vulture'. But on his quest through the hazard, Ticco also realizes that there's gold in the jungle, so will the juice ever be worth the squeeze?


Azanian Bridges

Azanian Bridges by Nick Woods

“I read Bridges with much pleasure… Chilling and fascinating.” – Ursula K. Le Guin In a modern day South Africa where Apartheid still holds sway, Sibusiso Mchunu, a young amaZulu man, finds himself the unwitting focus of momentous events when he falls foul of the system and comes into possession of a secret that may just offer hope to his entire people. Pursued by the ANC on one side and Special Branch agents on the other, Sibusiso has little choice but to run. Azanian Bridges is a truly ground-breaking book from South African-born author Nick Wood. This, his debut novel, is a socially acute fast-paced thriller that propels the reader into a world of intrigue and threat, leading to possibilities that examine the conscience of a nation. “A very good novel indeed; the emotional intelligence is as high as its political insightfulness – the whole is compelling and moving.” – Adam Roberts


The Young Druids: Fire and Blood

The Young Druids: Fire and Blood by Gwyn Morgan

Think you know about The Druids? Think again! Young Druids : Fire and Blood is the second of a series of three novels that reimagines Druids. Suppose that women could be Druids. Suppose that many of them would have been young. Now take a real leap of imagination and suppose that some of them could have real mental and spiritual powers such as telepathy and transformation! That is the imaginative jump that Author and ex History teacher Gwyn Morgan takes in this novel as he blends aspects of the real history of the Roman conquest of Britain with fantasy and adventure in this page turning tale of powerful and passionate young Druids fighting against the odds to defend their ancient culture against the mighty Roman Empire and British traitors thirsty for a share of Roman wealth and power. In this tale they are up against cunning spies, bitter renegades and the evil Wizard King of the last remnants of the Fair Folk. The Young Druids must use their powers and intelligence to try to stop the impetuous Queen Boudicca from a suicidal head on battle with the Legions and then try to free their beloved mentor, Myrthin from his dark and dangerous prison. Once you begin this carefully spun tale of courage, magic, fire and blood, you not want to put it down until it reaches its exciting climax


Rise of the Centurio Immortalis

Rise of the Centurio Immortalis by C. Thomas Lafollette

It’s dangerous business getting mixed up with gods… ...but a centurion always follow orders. When blood sucking monsters attack, can even the gods protect a loyal soldier of Rome? After three years campaigning in Armenia and Mesopotamia and a meteoric rise through the ranks of the legions, Lucius has been promoted to centurion and given a final mission from his dying emperor—go to Armenia to protect a remote temple dedicated to the god Mithras. With a Parthian assassin on their trail and a ferocious Caucasus Mountains winter in front of them, Lucius and his men are running out of time. And with dark demons waiting for them at Mithras’s temple, Lucius may be running out of luck. Enemies—mortal and not—are dogging Lucius’s every movement, and he isn’t sure he’ll be able complete his emperor’s mission…or even make it out alive. You’ll love this blend of historical fantasy and vampires, because history is better with fangs. Get it now! Rise of the Centurio Immortalis is a Luke Irontree Historical Adventure.


For Better and Worse

For Better and Worse by E.B. Roshan

Boris and Anna's first baby is due any day, but the thought of raising a child in the war-torn city of Dor fills Anna with dread. Because Boris is so focused on keeping his struggling business afloat, he brushes her fears aside. When White Horse gangsters attack his illegal employee, Boris's attempt to protect him puts his own family in danger. Will doing the right thing cost him more than he's willing to pay?


Disrupting Destiny (Book 1 Naturae Series): A thrilling Tudor fantasy romance where forever isn't certain - trust no-one... (The Naturae Series)

Disrupting Destiny (Book 1 Naturae Series): A thrilling Tudor fantasy romance where forever isn't certain - trust no-one... (The Naturae Series) by Jan Foster

She thought she was safe. Hidden. Happy. She was wrong. And now her life, her race and her heart will pay the price for trying to disrupt destiny. Once a mortal, when homebody Joshua is torn apart from his wife, only his belief in her innocence and the kindness of strangers keeps him alive. In a dangerous quest through the turbulence of Reformation England to find his lover, he finds himself questioning his own faith as much as being a fae. Heartbroken and alone, Annabella refuses to comply with the future envisaged for her until a darker secret threatens to destroy the realm and fae immortality. The fate of an entire race rests on their shoulders, but can destiny be changed? Rebellion, danger and intrigue threaten the future in a thrilling journey, weaving Tudor times with magical fantasy. Disrupting Destiny – forever isn’t certain, trust no-one…


Wrath of Olympus: Ships of Britannia

Wrath of Olympus: Ships of Britannia by E. M. Kkoulla

The Roman Empire never fell. The Gods are real. Ships are alive. In the Province of Britannia, ruled by descendants of King Arthur and on the brink of an industrial revolution, young Maia Abella is on the run. Something unseen has murdered her cruel mistress and she’s being blamed. The streets and factories of Portus are no place for a friendless girl, trapped in events beyond her control. The city authorities and the Royal Navy are both desperate to find her - one investigating a killer, the other to recruit her, while the deadly legacy of a tragic past stalks her every step. Aided by Raven, an ancient, blind Mage with a terrible secret and Milo, Crown Agent and spy, Maia must discover and overcome the fatal consequences of her birth. Meanwhile, the Gods are making their moves. And not all of them are friendly.


Silent is the Crown

Silent is the Crown by M.J Weatherall

“What am I doing here? What is this place? Who am I?”A mute girl with no memories embarks on a journey of self-discovery, revenge and heartache. Through rigorous assassin training, a trial by combat and an ancient family feud coupled with adjusting to post-apocalyptic life and heart-breaking grief, Belladonna finds out everything she ever wanted to know. But at what cost?“… The fighting isn’t done yet, she thought.”


Adamant

Adamant by Emma L. Adams

Ever since a devastating magical war tore apart Ada Fletcher's homeworld, she and her family have lived undercover on the low-magic Earth. Stuck in a dead-end job in London, Ada has spent her life hiding both her true identity and her forbidden magic from the Inter-World Alliance: the organisation that polices the Passages between Earth and its magical neighbours. At least until a high-ranking Alliance official is murdered, and Ada is arrested as the main suspect. Kay Walker, grandson of the Inter-World Alliance's late founder, expects to spend his first week as an Alliance employee hunting rogue monsters in the Passages, not solving his supervisor's murder. However, the main suspect is a fierce young woman with dangerous magic from a world that should no longer exist… and the closer Kay gets to uncovering the truth, the higher the body count rises. The last thing Ada wants to do is help the infuriating Alliance guard who arrested her, but it soon becomes clear that the Alliance knows too much about Ada's homeworld -- and her magic. More, in fact, than she knows herself. One thing's certain: she's not the only one keeping secrets, and trusting the wrong person might cost more than her life.​


Braided Dimensions

Braided Dimensions by Marie Judson

Kay Halefin is drawn into a world beyond anything she conceived as a professor of ancient languages. She follows Baird, a medieval bard, into the past. Enigmatic, enchanting, he “kens her spirit.” But he has a partner in his time, Kyna - healer, weaver, magic worker, and Kay’s doppelganger. Living in Kyna’s mind, Kay gains knowledge of magic, time travel and mind melding. Yet her new skills will soon be tested by the most powerful mages of that time who would like to control Kyna and the Thirteen, her magical council. With a golden crystal and other tools, Kay begins to wield her own powers as she finds herself tangled in a web of connections with the past, as she tries to keep danger from those she loves in the 21st century.


Fyskar: Book 1 of Legend of the Bai

Fyskar: Book 1 of Legend of the Bai by Chapel Orahamm

1692 The Isle of Skye Eoin has returned as a plague doctor after ten years of banishment for revenge and a birthright. Fearchar and Seonaid have allowed the man to set up shop in their croft at the request of an old friend. The Plague Doctor is keeping secrets, though, and killing an entire clan is only the beginning. The void is waiting.


Heroes & Harbingers

Heroes & Harbingers by ARK Horton

Food fights. Detention. Dissecting fairies for science class. Just another day for teachers at a Magical Public School. Ms. Sirin’s fate as a death harbinger has ruined her life. She longs to be more than a herald of doom, aspiring to impact lives in her teaching career. But when a new student with bold dreams joins her class and is picked as this century's Chosen One, Ms. Sirin’s dark power senses a terrible sacrifice to come. Finn MacCool’s warrior past didn’t prepare him for a hundred years of teaching for his community service. Spending the last decade of his sentence at a new school, the immortal develops a crush on his tempting but aloof coworker. The Irish legend blows his chance when he butts heads with the Council of Pantheons’ latest brave heroine—who also happens to be Ms. Sirin’s favorite pupil. However, the Chosen One’s quest isn’t all it seems. Pavlina’s lethal prophecies come to pass, and her gift warns of more to come. Will this daring trio of heroes have what it takes to make the grade, or will they fail before they even make it to Summer Break? Set in an alternate reality of Jacksonville, Florida, this adult urban fantasy is the first book in the Secret of Pantheons series. If you enjoy a hearty helping of mythology, found family, and unbreakable bonds, this book is for you. Class is in session with Heroes & Harbingers—delve in now before the bell rings!


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