Runedance by Beth Hudson

A deadly curse will shape a young king’s future. The gods have given Traedis Atenel the kingship of Tolin. Already she has stopped the export of assassins and altered her country’s destructive course. Still, not everyone agrees with the changes she has made. Her uncle and brother are leading a rebellion, and they will not hold back simply because Traedis is family. And the curse that binds her pulls tighter with each move she makes. With a lethal deadline looming over her, Traedis needs to find her uncle before it’s too late. But a new danger has emerged, and now she must learn the secrets of bardic runes before they topple her rule.

Queen of the Dawn by S.M. Gaither

"The light cannot always overcome the dark. But it can rise to meet it.” Against all odds, Casia Greythorne has survived battles with gods and monsters alike, and the most powerful crown in the Kethran Empire is now securely in her grasp. Yet a seemingly impossible task still looms: finding a way to rid her world of its darkest god so she actually has a future to rule over. The path to sealing that god away has been revealed, but to follow it will mean venturing into a deadly and strange new realm, facing old fears and enemies, and deciphering ancient magic that raises more questions than answers. Meanwhile, chaos continues to spread throughout the empires. Armies rise and fall. The bonds between allies begin to fray—and hope along with it. And with every bloody battle, the final cost of saving their world becomes clearer. Dawn is coming, but will Casia and her friends survive to see the new day?

Exile by AJ Calvin

Andrew grew up in the royal palace of Novania, the eldest son of the queen. He went on to achieve fame and glory as a renowned soldier, and was eventually named commander of the king’s army. The kingdom believed he would be named heir to the throne, but he has long known he is ineligible. The king is not his father. The truth of Andrew’s lineage is only partially known to the king; the identity of his father is a mystery that even Andrew is unaware of. He knows only that his father was a dragon-mage, and the dragons have fled to another world. Andrew is a skin-changer, but the laws of Novania forbid his very existence. If the king were to learn the truth of what he is, he would face execution. The laws are equally hostile to humans born with the Mark of the Magi and the ability to wield magic. Andrew’s younger half-brother, Alexander, bears the Mark. The pair keep one another’s secrets into adulthood…Until the king dies unexpectedly and Colin ascends the throne. When Alexander’s Mark is revealed for all to see, Andrew is faced with a choice: To watch his brother be killed, or reveal his true nature in an effort to save him from the headsman’s axe.

I will Paint the Night by Sam Muller

Allii has a busy schedule Stay alive Find the killer of her beloved stepmother Stop her father's people from decimating her mother's people. Allii is 17. She has no family to back her, no army to protect her, no manifest destiny awaiting her. Just Spooky, a daemon-dog who thinks humankind is beyond redemption. I will Paint the Night is a murder mystery set in a fantasy land of magic and dragons, a tale of betrayal, dysfunctional families, and friendships that save worlds.

Merchants of Light and Bone by Erika McCorkle

Sorrow in paradise. A parent’s worst nightmare. When grief drives one to revenge. Living in a tropical paradise with his spouses and kids, Amiere is a merchant of light, a sculptor who carves glowing crystals into spectacular and powerful, demon-killing works of art. When the ground opens up near his idyllic village to reveal a massive supply of crystals, the whole nation of Aloutia celebrates. The merchants are guaranteed money for decades and officials predict Aloutia will be safe from demonkind for generations. But Amiere isn’t rejoicing—when the ground split apart, his seven-year-old daughter fell to her death. Amiere’s grief turns to rage when an old enemy returns to the village with a young daughter displaying signs of starvation and abuse. Having witnessed his own daughter’s death, Amiere cannot bear the thought of watching another child die, especially when he can prevent it. Unable to ask police for help due to the village’s reputation of hostility toward authority figures, Amiere takes matters into his own hands, even at the risk of being exiled and separated from his family forever.

Eleganta: A Novel of Fairykind by Denny R. Swartzlander

Eleganta is book one of the Eleganta series. On a hidden isle in the seas near dark age England, a young fairy named Ethywyne Eleganta secretly gives birth to the first youngling in fourteen years. She and her child become the hunted prize of the wicked troll general Sunderin. Ethywyne must make the perilous journey across the Fairy Realms, to get her child to the Fairy Queen, the only one who can protect her from the shadow that seeks to destroy all of Fairykind. Her experience takes her from a humble life of gardening and craft-making to the center of an adventure that grows to involve fickle goblins, giant ogres, magic fairy dust, thieving pixies, an enchanted hedge maze, and even Vikings of the Norse lands who happen upon the isle in their plundering voyages.

Violetta: A Fae in the House of the Fairies by Denny R. Swartzlander

Violetta continues the story from book one of the Eleganta series—Eleganta: A Novel of Fairykind. Ten years after the march of Sunderin and capture of Ethywyne Eleganta, the trolls continue to poison the Fairy Realms, and Violetta, Queen of the Faes, occupies the Fairy Castle. The surviving fairies live in hiding on the Isle of Naviila where they’ve sheltered Ethywyne’s daughter Lira, the only fairy youngling. When Violetta ensnares Lira with a promise to help find Ethywyne, the fairies are forced into a questionable alliance. As they struggle to unravel the tangled web of secrets motivating Violetta’s mysterious actions, the fairies must return to the Realms and embark on a perilous quest that will decide the fate of Fairykind. This second entry in the Eleganta trilogy is a tale of goblin pirates, hidden chambers, unpleasant men, magical beards, hairless wolves, fabulous feasts, impeccable fairy hospitality, a chilling game of hide and seek, a plethora of fairy dust, and so much more. It’s a story of trust and betrayal, of redemption and revenge. It’s the tale that must be told. Violetta is intended for readers aged 12 and up. With themes such as the eternal fight of the light against the dark, the power of a mother’s connection to her child, and the growth of courage through tribulation, Violetta reaches a wide range of readers. Anyone who treasures fantasy and imagination will enjoy this novel.

Vessel by Lisa Jane

“The war of the Sun and Moon rages on. The light fades. Death stirs.” Zach has only ever known a life of servitude, living as a slave and servant to the powerful magus Magister Rashid. Yet Zach is no ordinary slave, for he shares his body with the soul of a dormant death goddess, Almaw. The extraordinary slave lives an ordinary life, that is until his master is called on a perilous military expedition deep into the desert. Zach soon feels dark forces stirring within him, and as they trek across the vast desert empire, with the goddess of death strengthened by the scent of war. And this war is Zach’s only opportunity to escape the bonds of slavery, an opportunity which he takes with the help of two mysterious strangers- the grim magus Tenin and a proud warrior from the enemy nation, Taia. Freedom proves to be a hard-won prize as Zach and his new companions find themselves pursued by the mysterious Cult of Almaw that would see Zach slain and the goddess unleashed with his death. Zach and his companions must enlist the help of unlikely allies to out-manoeuvre the cult, while Zach comes to terms with new, dark powers growing within him, as well as distrust of those that call themselves his allies. A sudden strike by the cult leaves Zach dying from a magical wound, and it becomes a race against time to reach an ancient order hidden deep in the mountains to save Zach’s life and the world as they know it. Zach must learn to trust his new companions or perish. But everything is not always as it seems, and secrets hide behind every face. As his life continues to slip away like sand in an hourglass, Zach soon learns that the distinction between friend and foe is not always clear… A new, fantastical adventure steeped in myth, magic, and the mystery of the desert.

The Executioner of Rowling by Voshin Machin

Hunting in her forest, Iris glimpses ominous signs of bloodthirsty witches and white beasts descended from The Pearl Mountains. Many times, she has confronted her own mortality, and often she yearns for greater strength. Her life and sanity stand as testaments to her resilience, but a mercenary's arrival thrusts her far beyond her own limits. Surrounded by an aura of power and mystery, the helmetless knight carries a well-worn sword over his right shoulder. The Executioner. The Arm of the Reaper. The Storm Sword. Of course Iris has heard of him. The notorious witch hunter's reputation precedes him, but Iris's independence tempers her belief in rumors. After all, no one is truly invulnerable. Fueled by curiosity and a thirst for growth, Iris seizes the opportunity to approach The Executioner, only to find herself in the midst of a witch hunt that transcends any story or rumor. Too late, she learns that

Light and Shadow: Revenge of the Forsaken by Denis Shanagher

In this first book of the Light and Shadow trilogy, the kingdoms of Amoria, unbeknownst to them, are at their breaking point. While political tensions build in the south, a forsaken history emerges in the east after many years in the shadows. As chaotic war sweeps across the world, a question is asked: who can rise up against unfathomable power and insidious plot? Royals, Knights, soldiers, and citizens alike attempt to resist against this destiny written in darkened past, but it will take more than just sword and rifle to achieve victory.

Company of Slayers (The Company of Slayers Book 1) by Justin Waine

Money and Blood For over a thousand years the Nerlinean Ocean has been the fulcrum of the world. The battleground for waring empires, conflicting religions and avaricious merchant companies. On a ship in chains are five slaves, a small group among the many that are traded across the waters every day. These five are not like the others for they are resolved to escape. Kyrian the champion wrestler and his sister Dryana a priestess of the Great Goddess. Balinor a slave since birth but with the instincts of a warrior. Slinker the last war mage of the Tancree. Saliana a singer of songs and a teller of tales. Their escape will begin a journey from servitude to wealth and power, but the group have secrets, some so terrifying they will shape the fate of kingdoms.

A Gyrfalcon for a King: A fantasy novel of intrigue, loyalty, and dark portents (Stormclouds) by Jane Wiseman

A peregrine for a prince. A tiercel for an earl. But a gyrfalcon for a king. Rascally King Ranulf struggles under a dark curse brought down on him by a mighty gyrfalcon appearing on the tail of a comet foretelling blood and change. Why this king, no stupider, no more callous than many another of the ordinary folk wielding power in the kingdoms underneath the Nine Spheres? Merlin knows why the mighty bird has singled out King Ranulf, and he knows the damage the curse brings to the world beneath the Spheres. Locked in a battle of wits and will with another of his kind, the rogue mage Gilles de Rais, Merlin despairs for the world. The prophecy against Ranulf is stark: “One of your sons will do his duty. One will try to destroy you. One will ride out as leader of The Rising to avenge you.” But of all King Ranulf’s sons, the most mysterious is his misbegotten son John. John the bard. “Bards are dangerous,” Gilles de Rais tells John, deep in the forest. “Did you know that?” Terror-stricken by these words and his own hidden powers, John flees, aided only by the birds whose language he speaks. A younger son, an illegitimate son, barely acknowledged at all, how can John possibly help his father the king? “Or the world itself,” Merlin whispers. Dark bird. Comet screaming out of a cloudless sky. Dark portents. Merlin can read the signs. He fears the role John must play. He worries he won’t be able to help John, or not enough. The fate of the Spheres rests on John, a heavy weight to bear. Just as heavy, to John, the deep hidden knowledge he must learn to wield, to hone like the sharpest weapon so that The Rising can use him for its vengeance. Book I of the Stormclouds fantasy series.In chronological order, the Stormclouds/Harbingers fantasy novels are: STORMCLOUDS prequel series--A Gyrfalcon For a King, The Call of the Shrike, Stormbird. HARBINGERS fantasy series--Blackbird Rising, Halcyon, Firebird, Ghost Bird. BETWIXT & BETWEEN companion series--The Martlet is a Wanderer, The Nightingale Holds Up the Sky. STAND-ALONE novel set in the world of the Stormclouds/Harbingers fantasy series: Dark Ones Take It, being the origin story of Caedon and his brother Maeldoi, the Dark Rider. Read less

The Dark Protect Us: Book 1 of The Gatherers of the Light by Freenan Isaac Hyzer

Nimroden, Kinslayer, and Stealer of the Light, Dark God of the mountain of Conde, sealed his people away after he burned the world with fire. Before he closed the mountain, he vowed to create a nation to destroy the God of Light. For over a millennium, he used perverted powers to change his followers into unnatural beasts that he would unleash upon the world. The only prophesied hope for the world was a single line. A Child of Darkness would restore that stolen light. Abran, a young child born in the mountain of Conde, remembered his mother's simple prayer. A prayer of love and light. It sent him on a journey where he discovered the joy of family and found his faith in the God of Light.

Elementas: Yamay by Haley Anna Marie

In the muddy underworld under criminal control, Yamay, a young and powerful Dharkeri, is surviving the streets she was raised on. When Yamay is forced into the unknown world on the surface with dark forces swirling around her, she has no choice but to adapt and endure. While staggering through torment, waiving her mortality, she discovers the Realm of Darkness holds more secrets than she was led to believe. Can Yamay outrun destiny?

Elementas: War of the Gods by Haley Anna Marie

The Realm of Elementas is a serene land with unique races based on their natural surroundings. After five centuries of prosperity, a new Lihtari king has taken the throne, envisioning a different order. The gods made an oath never to involve themselves in mortal disputes, but when genocide threatens the Dharkeri, nothing will stop their goddess from raising arms. She believed she would face no foe greater than a mere mortal, but she was blind. What world is this, where the gods are against each other?

Keeper of the Stone: The Cavern by J.S Lundy

Thirteen stones, 12 dark, 1 white guard the land from the nothingness of chaos. For a thousand years the ruling class protected the twelve stones and peace reigned. Until five years ago when civil war broke out between two sisters. The Lady Gabrielle of the North Kingdom, the most powerful mage in history and the Lady Edith of the East. Lady Edith declared herself Queen; stole her sister’s power, cursed her kingdom and darkened her stone. Defeated and powerless Lady Gabrielle languishes in a dungeon, only kept alive for the knowledge she possesses as Keeper of the Stone. A small band of outlaws refuse to give up hope. Led by their Captain, Merrick and his men are hunted by the Queen. They must evade her clutches to rescue their Lady Gabrielle and take her to her awaiting uncle, across the land to the West mountains. Together, the Lady Gabrielle and Merrick must find a way to defeat the Queen and free the lands from her tyranny. But they will also face the hubris of their ancestors and uncover a prophesy hidden in myth that tells of one born in the West to bring peace.

The Dark Lord Lurking (The Chronicles of Aarastad) by Micah Swanson Harris

Enjoy character-driven fantasy? Then this adventure in the Chronicles of Aarastad is for you. They defied the Dark Lord to be together. Now, as their old enemy reaches out from beyond death to seek revenge, Princess Freyja and her forbidden suitor Ambrose face a new threat: A seductive prince who will stop at nothing to make Freyja his. Necromancy, romance, court intrigue...it's just another day in the kingdom of Aarastad. Note: This is Book Two in the Agents of the Rune Stone Ring Trilogy, but it also contains a complete story that can be enjoyed on its own. The historical fantasy epic reaches its conclusion in Book Three: Royals, Rogues and Dragons Arise!

The World Queen Awakens: Royal Secrets Meet Sword and Sorcery in a Classic Fantasy (The Chronicles of Aarastad Book 1) by Micah Swanson Harris

An innocent princess possessed! The evil goddess within her is ready to rise and reign in wicked glory as the Last World Queen! Then Princess Freyja meets Ambrose, the young royal tutor who is as lonely as she is…and who secretly loves her. Her only hope: if he can activate a ring of secret agents to combat her curse. But their leader is long dead, leaving the operatives unknown to each other. How will Ambrose assemble in time a group whose members each believe he or she is an order of one? Who will stand when... The World Queen Awakens! The World Queen Awakens isBook One in the Agents of the Rune Stone Ring Trilogy. It also contains a complete story that can be enjoyed on its own.

Ascension of Light (Chronicles of the Endless Book 1) by Joseph Melnick

The Endless… They are beings immune to age and imbued with godlike abilities. Their struggle for power has gone mostly unnoticed since the Immortal War, 3000 years ago, when the Dwarves divided the world at the Dwarf Gate and the Mages of the Nine Powers dropped the peak of Cairn on the Shrine of the Endless.

Necromancer Arising: Book One of The Asterisian Chronicles by Devon Salvin

"His power flooded into dead flesh, forcing it to move. The flesh remembered how to work, and as Lyre commanded, limbs obeyed. Back muscles contracted, the spine snapped straight. Lyre fed more and more power into his Risen and imparted but one order: to kill." Hated and feared for their magic, Necromancers have been hunted to extinction- or so it was believed. After ten years of isolation, Lyre Asterisian escapes an enchantment containing the ruin of his town and plunges into a plagued world on the verge of war. Lyre is forced to develop his unique powers and uses Necromancy in ingenious ways to survive. By steel, bone, and Risen flesh, Lyre defies death and, instead, strives to control it.

ReBirth: Zodiac Book One by Azshure Raine

Time is something we all have too much of and too little. Our world turns at the mercy of the clock. Gaea is one of those worlds. The world has been reset Twelve times. Zodiac Book One is a romantic fantasy novel with “Final Fantasy” level storytelling. It tells the tale of the Gaea’s thirteenth cycle through multiple POVs, energetic prose, and deep world-building. If Titans, Zodiac, Star-Crossed lovers, and villains you love to hate are your thing, then grab an apple, pick up a copy, and may Fate smile upon you. Threads of gold, ancient and dangerous, pull them together; a bond neither can deny. Jase Raion receives an unexpected assignment—locate and retrieve a girl he was certain was dead. Expecting nothing, he goes to Brighton—a port town on the island of Aria—and finds her. The girl who escaped the fall of Aria. The girl who bears the symbol of Eternity. The girl whose blood the Titan of Time thirsts for. Liya Fairaway, the Princess of Aria, and his target. The moment he sees her, he knows she is not safe, from the Zodiac meant to protect her, the Titan of Time, nor his father—the King of Chall.

City of the Seventh Moon by Antano Sparreboom

When he is chosen as champion of the noble Urwilar family, Verhan knows well that his main job is to fight other champions to settle political disputes. What he doesn’t count on are the machinations of the beautiful Lady Morani, and his pride is mercilessly turned against him. As he fights to survive the dangers of the capital, the influential Three Cities Council plans to assassinate the emperor’s chief advisor and take control of the entire imperial court.

The Bastard Prince: a midlife fantasy adventure (Dragonspeaker Chronicles Book 1 by Patty Jensen

She has a dragon, and she’s not afraid to use it.Nellie Dreessen is a kitchen maid in the palace of Regent Bernard of Saardam. She has worked for two kings and two regents, has seen two royal families murdered through magic, has seen ghosts and demons, and kept her head down like a good girl.On her fiftieth birthday, she receives her late father’s diary, which describes a magical item that is so evil, it needs to be kept in the church crypt: a box that contains dragon.Problem is, someone has stolen the box.Regent Bernard holds a banquet for his eldest son’s sixteenth birthday. Distinguished guests come from far and wide. Because she knows what the box looks like, Nellie discovers it in a nobleman's luggage.Removing the box from a thief’s room is not stealing, right? Not if you intend to return it to the rightful owner: the church.But someone poisons the nobleman, and everyone in the kitchen is a suspect. Nellie's friend in the church advises Nellie to flee with the dragon box. The Regent is on a mission to stamp out magic, and Nellie plans to do what she does best: keep her head down and hide.Problem is, the dragon has other ideas.

The Wizard Priest (Dragonspeaker Chronicles Book 2) by Patty Jensen

A young prince, an evil wizard, and a city that no longer seems to care. Cast out from the palace, Nellie survives in the streets of Saardam with the poor and destitute and a dragon whose behaviour she can't control, but is the key to finding the last member of the royal family. The pompous Regent is hell-bent on finding the person who has killed his court advisor and he has decided the dragon is guilty. If he doesn't find a culprit, his main source of money is at stake. The guards comb the city. It's only a matter of time before they find Nellie. A terrible mishap caused by the dragon puts Nellie's friend and a number of other innocent people in prison. Nellie can no longer run and hide. She concocts the most daring escape plan ever, but in gathering help to carry it out, she makes discoveries that may change the future of the city.

Galaxy of Thorns: Rise of the Empress by Bogdan Tăbușcă

SPSFC 2023

Divided between great wicked minds and cruel beings of unnatural power, the world of Artia has long been under the cycle of war and suffering. A child is born, conceived in an unholy union. A mighty empress to bring the world within her grasp, through mercy and kindness, through sword and fire. But will she be any better than the horrors that came before her? Or will she succumb to the vices of power and rule this world as its new dark master?

Echoes of Avalon by Adam Copeland

SPFBO9

Patrick Gawain knows monsters. He's seen plenty of the human sort in the Holy Lands, and as he sails home from The First Crusade, a hooded apparition begins to stalk him. Convinced that he's lost his mind, he holes up in a monastery to convalesce and, if recovery proves impossible, to hide his demons from the world. But a stranger comes to find him and presents a barely credible invitation: travel to Avalon and serve with the Avangarde, an order of knights sworn to protect young scholars from around the world. Thinking it will be a fresh start, Patrick agrees, and soon discovers that Avalon is more than a myth; it is the site of a vibrant secret academy - and it's also full of ghosts, goblins, and talking wolves. He can capably protect the castle from the island's supernatural beasts, but in the relative peace of the academy life, his hooded demon returns and his troubled heart causes him to sabotage the love of a young woman, Katherina. When an ancient being with sinister designs for the island infiltrates the academy, Patrick is the first to suspect its true nature when it begins its quest by seducing Katherina. Patrick soon learns that before he can defeat monsters, he must first defeat his personal demons.

An Inheritance of Ash and Blood by Jamie Edmundson

SPFBO9

The One They Fear is The Hero They Need 
Sorcery is dying out.

No one misses it. Feared and despised in equal measure, Sanc is only tolerated because he’s the son of the powerful Duke of Morbaine. But Sanc is more important than he knows. When his life is threatened, he is forced to confront his true inheritance. For a new god has arrived in Dalriya. Unstoppable, Ezenachi brings only conquest and slavery. Sorcery is dying out, and now Dalriya needs a sorcerer more than ever.


An Inheritance of Ash and Blood is the first book in a new series, Heirs of War. It combines coming of age character journeys with rich worldbuilding, dark sorcery, political intrigue, and bloody war.

Grace Defend Us by Michael J. Hedayat

SPFBO9

Ghosts. Heroes. Monsters. Magic. When the ghosts that haunt Valentino’s palace tell him that he’s won the apprentice lottery, he is ecstatic! Finally, the student he’s been waiting to teach is walking the ghost path to his fantastical world. When those same ghosts tell Valentino that giant, talking snakes have ambushed his apprentice in the haunted forest, he becomes furious. Valentino, son of the Gorgon, is not the kind of prince that allows a member of his household to become some monster’s dinner. Unfortunately, even if he does save his new student Sophia—the serpents that he’s trying to stop already have an invitation to the festival being hosted at his House of Grace. Either he’s going to be without an apprentice, or these giant snakes are going to come back for a second chance at a free meal. Can Valentino save his new student from becoming dinner? Can he teach her enough to survive her next encounter with these fearsome monsters?

The Fires of Time by Alexander Wyatt

SPFBO9

Young mage Kya has a list of questions she longs to ask her guardian Dwen, who took her from her parents as a baby, allegedly to protect her from the Wooden King. Why can’t she leave the imprisonment of the walls of Raftengrad? Why does he allow her friendship with Thyme, a ghost girl who clearly makes him uncomfortable? Why has he spent her entire life training her to fight with magic? And how did he know the oil mage who tried to kill her? After the attempt on her life Kya tries to learn more about her forgotten home across the Serpent Sea, and hatches a plan to escape her captor. With the help of a rare cricker and accompanied by Thyme, Kya breaks the seal of the Journey Stones, hoping to find freedom in Myrsguard, where she was born. But instead of freedom, Kya finds trouble in the land once ruled by the All-Queen. The invasion of the Wooden King is imminent, and her role in the war was put into motion long ago. Before long, she’s caught in the middle of a deadly struggle that can have catastrophic consequences. Now, Kya realizes by trying to run from Dwen, she may have run straight into something far worse.

The Nightingale Prince by Zack Bel

SPFBO9

The crown of a Fae Prince is a dangerous thing Toby’s boyfriend just kicked him to the curb, so when he inherits a decrepit mansion in the remote Aussie bush, he jumps at the chance for a break. He finds a charming little town full of big personalities, and a handsome, mysterious gardener. But Toby will soon discover that everything he thought he knew is a lie. He’s not even human. The Fae are real, and he’s one of them. The ancient nature Fae Amaethon has buried the pain of losing his lover a century ago. These days, he finds plants easier to talk to than people, but Toby pulls him out of his shell so easily. When the same evil that took his lover returns, he'll fight to protect Toby and the chance to love again. An ancient magic is reawakening, and Toby is the heir. To make matters worse, Fae hunters want him dead, and they’ll destroy this quiet town to stop the Nightingale Prince from rising. Amaethon and Toby will have to fight together to survive, and failure means the end of all Fae kind. The Nightingale Prince is a paranormal MM romance with a touch of the gothic. Book 1 of The Songbird Princes, each book follows a different main couple with a HEA, but the series must be read in order. May contain: Lots of chocolate chip cookies, a crumbling mansion with a library to put Belle to shame, an eccentric old lady who might’ve given King Arthur his sword, a magical housekeeper, and a badass witch librarian. It contains explicit content. Check the copyright page for content warnings.

Hearts Lost by Meredith Hart

SPFBO9

I was sent to stop the monsters. I'm trapped with one of them instead. In exchange for my sister’s freedom, I have to enter the Lands Below, stop their attempts to bring down the barrier that keeps them all trapped underground, and kill Princess Elanerill. There’s no way this ends well, but I don’t have a choice. Not if I want my sister to make it out of King Grathgore’s court alive. But my borrowed magic backfires, knocking me out of the Lands Below and into a forest filled with strange shadow animals where the ground itself shifts beneath my feet. And I’m not alone. Aloserin, the dangerous Royal Guard from the Lands Below who’s trapped with me, calls this place the void. He claims those who enter the void’s twisting forests and shifting paths rarely return. Still, I have an advantage those previous travelers did not: I can communicate with the shadow animals that so terrify Aloserin. Perhaps the two of us can survive long enough to find our way out. As long as Aloserin doesn’t discover that I’m the reason we’re both trapped here.

Perfect for fans of Uprooted and A Court of Thorns and Roses, Hearts Lost is a complete stand-alone fantasy romance adventure that's impossible to put down!

The Awakening Fire by Cassidy Faline

SPFBO9

The price of war, The plague of death, Was Ancients' curse Of final breath. The sea, it carried us, Time passed over us, But we did not repent. Faithful people! Lift your eyes! For future's sake, We must rise! Faithful people, Take your stand! Bring the Ancients back To our holy land. Even though the Ancients have been gone from the world for nearly a thousand years, their law still holds sway over the minds of men. Three men hold a claim on the kingdom's empty throne, each jockeying for power with their own conflicting ideology. With unrest brewing among the citizenry, violence breaking out between the lords, and a dark secret kept just under the palace floors, can the kingdom of Retall survive another war of the Ancient

The Blood of the Lion by C. D. McKenna

SPFBO9

An Empire is rising . . . the question is, will you join? **** Destiny is irrefutable. And Syra, Morei, and Cyrus all have something in common: death. The Demon Killer, once responsible for the Diyrặllian Massacre, has been found after being lost for centuries. Millions of lives fell victim to this treacherous relic . . . and now Syra holds it. Torn from the sanctuary of her home, she must learn to live on the run in search for freedom, hunted by forces known and unknown. Fate can be cruel, and Morei Geral knows this firsthand. As the king and sole heir to his bloodline, Morei must hide the twisted truth of who he is becoming. But as the king slips further into his curse, war becomes inevitable, and he will have to make a choice that could undo everything he's worked for. Meanwhile, as chaos rages and fear grips the heart of all, attention is turned on the first Dragon Rider to rise in nearly eight centuries. Cyrus wants nothing to do with prophecies and war. But he will protect his dragon, Sozar, above all else. His only choice is to cast aside the life he once knew and traverse the mysterious Releuthian Mountains, said to be the home of the God of Darkness himself. Everyone has a destiny. No one can be trusted. Not even the Gods. **** The Blood of the Lion is the first of a nine book saga and Silver Medalist in Fiction-Magic/Wizardry with 5-Star Recognition from the 2022 Readers' Favorite International Competition.

Summoning and Sacrifice by Nathan Hartle

SPFBO9

A hunted woman. A missing god. The adventure of a lifetime. All that Shada desires is peace and freedom. What she has is fear and hunger. She’s a servant on the run from her cruel master, who is determined to lock her away. Then comes a chance at a new life. Alone in the vast, cruel city of Ronia, she meets the Lady. This enigmatic spirit makes her an offer: Shada can accept her dismal lot… or undertake a quest to find Ronia’s vanished god. For the gods disappeared without a trace in the long-ago age of legend, leaving the worlds of humans to chaos and war. Without its god, Ronia’s once-mighty empire is crumbling toward an abyss. To save their people, Shada and her ragtag companions will journey to the ends of the universe. But first, they must escape Ronia alive. Many in this city of blades, poison, and shadow mean to stop them at all costs. If they fail, slavery or death await them... and their world will fall into darkness. Summoning and Sacrifice is the opening book of the Liturgy of Worlds epic fantasy series.

City of Mages by A.J. Cerna

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Born a fire mage, destined for something greater. For hundreds of years, Sombria has lived in peace thanks to the delicate balance the Council fosters between those with magic and those without. But unrest is brewing under the surface of Sombria, and the Council's tenuous hold may be on the verge of collapsing. All Alara ever wanted was to become a soldier, fighting to protect Sombria from the bruya rebels that threaten its borders with their chaotic magic and lawlessness. In order to succeed, she must first conquer her worst fear--her own innate magical abilities. Quenti, raised to hate the oppressive thumb of the Council, has only ever wanted a life of peace away from those who wish to control her. When her abilities are revealed, she finds herself at the center of a world she grew up despising, where magic is suppressed under the illusion of control. And her only means of escape may lie in trusting those she grew up doubting most. When Alara is given one final chance to prove she's worthy of being called a Mage of Sombria, the key to her success may lie within the untrusting Quenti. And Quenti doesn't plan on making things easy. Though as their two lives come crashing together, trusting each other may be the only choice they have to survive what's coming.

Prince of the Fallen by M. H. Woodscourt

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Raised by ghosts. Trained by gods. How far will he go to save those who betrayed him? Abandoned in the wilderness, Lekore lives with ghosts and fallen gods, until his efforts to rescue a traveling princess and her entourage bring him into a civilization unlike anything he’s ever known. Caught in a net of silk and secrets, Lekore finds himself ensnared by court intrigue, midnight assassins, and a deviant faction of the Church of the Sun Gods—all thirsting for his blood. He just wants to find the man who deserted him, until a storm rises out of the north, furious enough to destroy the city and outlying lands. Now Lekore must find the source of its wrath, deep in the wilds of the deadly Lands Beyond, if he can flee a city that won’t let him escape.

Darkstrider by Aaron Hodges

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A man outside of space and time, Mikael Heaton wakes in a new world. One hostile to his very existence. Offworlders are not welcome in the Seventh Realm. But with his memories veiled in an enigmatic haze, Mikael must defy his physical limitations and forge new alliances if he is to survive. There is power in this world—magic. Impossible, his instincts scream. Here though, its secrets could mean the difference between life and death.

As his journey unfolds, Mikael uncovers pieces of his forgotten past. Tantalizing fragments. Of a world of technological wonders. And a dark secret, one best left buried. A mortal does not simply cut the ties of reality without sacrifice. But there are greater forces at play in the Seventh Realm, and Mikael will need every scrap of cunning and resolve he has at his disposal to outwit them.

Can an Offworlder reforge his destiny in a new world?
Or will the forces beyond the veil crush him before he has the chance? Discover a new fantasy world by New York Times Bestselling Author Aaron Hodges as the enigmatic Mikael Heaton struggles to survive in a world of gods, monsters and magic!

A Searing Faith by Audrey Martin

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When sixteen-year-old Rena finds herself the sole survivor of the fire that destroyed her home town, the only thing keeping her going is the suspicion that the tragedy wasn’t an accident. She is determined to find those responsible, no matter how far her quest might take her. But no one in charge of the kingdom of Kal-Hemma seems to care that this isn't the first town destroyed by a mysterious fire. And according to Rena’s travelling companions, there’s a lot the members of the Royal Council aren’t telling their subjects. If Rena is truly the only survivor of the tragedy, why did she find her sister’s ring outside of their destroyed home? Who planted the strange bird figurines around the town’s church before the fire? And what do the old, forgotten Gods have to do with any of this? A Searing Faith is the first book in an epic fantasy series and based on the award-winning, interactive audio drama The Heart Pyre.

Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web - Vol. 1 by Thomas J. Prestopnik

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NICHOLAS RAVEN AND THE WIZARDS’ WEB - Volume 1 4 Kings. 3 Wars. 2 Nasty Wizards. 1 Magic Key. An epic fantasy in three volumes for adults and older teens. Volume 1: Prologue & Chapters 1 - 39 Volume 2: Chapters 40 - 85 Volume 3: Chapters 86 - 120 & Postscript Nicholas Raven, a young gristmill accountant, just wanted a little adventure in his life. But he gets more than he bargained for when tumultuous winds of the past sweep him away on a journey he’ll never forget. Invisible webs are being spun over the lands of Laparia; webs of war, deceit, revenge and manipulation, all by two corrupt wizards with different objectives. When Nicholas becomes an inconvenience to their plans which pass by his very doorstep, he finds himself unwittingly ensnared in their vindictive schemes. After being accused of crimes he didn’t commit, Nicholas reluctantly flees home. But whether by chance or fate, his personal problems collide with the turbulent state of affairs around him, and he soon finds himself on a journey to the far corners of Laparia. Against a backdrop of war, kidnapping, mistaken identity and newfound love, Nicholas becomes embroiled in a rescue mission along the shores of a sprawling sea, takes part in a quest to reforge a magic key that could tip the balance of power in a growing war, and is ultimately drawn into the center of the tangled web of intrigue that has plagued his life from the very start.

Witch Stone by Mandy O'Dell

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A half witch with no power. A warlock who’s betrayed his own kind, and the monster that’s hunting them both. Destined to fail, Rossi is only a half witch. Her coven, her mom, even her troll were constantly trying to make up for lack of magic, but Rossi knows. And she’s over being a burden, but unsure how to fix it. On a stormy night, a bolt of lightning makes the choice for her, while at the same time, sending a pulse out into the magical world. Within hours, strangers start showing up in her small mountain county by the bucketloads. An annoying, but somewhat swoony warlock with plenty of his own secrets.
An unusual unicorn who had delusions of grandeur.
A monster that uses tricks of the mind to trap its prey.
And more witches than Rossi could possibly count. All of them interested in only one thing. Rossi.

Curse Breaker Enchanted by Melinda Kucsera

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Start no fires. Carry no weapons. Do no harm. Follow the rules of the enchanted forest and live. Break them, and you will die. Sarn wakes in the enchanted forest, far from home, with nothing but his magic, the clothes on his back, and the three rules he must not break if he wants to survive. Monsters and murderous trees, twisted by the same dark magic he found earlier, stand between him and home. To save his family, Sarn must unravel a mystery before it claims any more lives, but he's never done anything like that before. How will Sarn solve this deadly mystery and defeat its architect before he loses everyone he loves? Curse Breaker Enchanted features two fantasy adventures, starring a loving father and his young son set in an immersive world of intrigue, dangerous monsters, missing heroes, and magic.

Tales of Sand and Stars by Juliet Vane

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Let me tell you, dear ones, a tale of sand and stars. The Kingdom of Sand found Nima wandering in the desert as a young girl. Now seventeen, Nima is the storyteller for her adoptive kingdom, weaving tales for their entertainment while yearning to learn the truth of her past. When the king from the nearby Kingdom of Stars demands that Nima be brought to him, she has no choice but to go with the warriors. The palace is dark and stifling, and the king's rule is tyrannous. Nima immediately begins plotting her escape, even though it means traveling back through a desert full of windhaunts—memory-stealing spirits that roam the dunes. As Nima grows closer to one of the king's sons, though, danger from the windhaunts and palace secrets threaten her at every turn. She must use her stories to discover—and create—the truths of her past and the shared history of the kingdoms in order to preserve her freedom, save her people from the windhaunts, and reunite the Kingdoms of Sand and Stars. Tales of Sand and Stars is a luminous, lyrical fantasy full of the beauties and dangers of the desert and the creatures that roam the dunes.

Shadows That Bind Us by Amber L. Werner

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When magic comes at a terrible cost, who will pay the price? Kayda grew up believing she was only destined for a loveless political match. But when she overhears her bullying stepbrother plotting behind her beloved grandfather’s back, she vows to stop him. Even if it means mastering dangerous magic and allying herself with savage beasts. Conall only wanted a simple life. But after a wolf rescues him from a deadly betrayal, he learns of a plot that endangers his sister, Lark. Now he's determined to save her from trading years of her life away. A chance encounter lands him a traveling companion who offers to help, but can he afford to give her his trust? Lark’s always dreamed of becoming a healer. She jumps at the chance to train with the Palisade Mages, only to stumble into a trap. Now escape is all that matters. Can she outsmart her captors before being sold into slavery? To the east, an ancient evil sleeps. When its cage threatens to crumble, the Kingdom of Dracwood may never be the same…

Embers: Book One of the Ascension Saga by Brock Mays

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Aleksander awoke to a world on fire with only one clue to his forgotten past: a fresh scar of his name carved into his arm. After discovering the ability to create fire from his hands, he was captured by a race of winged beings called Sangorans; their master, High King Valistaran Talohir, plans to end the war between Talohira and Thanatanos forever. But when he is finished, will anything remain? Now Aleksander and his only ally, a warrior by the name of Shanthah, must fight to survive in the brutal Talohiran slave camp. However, even with the power to create fire, escape seems impossible. One prisoner in particular, a young woman named Mara, appears to hold a key to Aleksander’s past, but may also be instrumental in saving his future. Even if they make it out alive, they will learn one terrifying fact: The world is on fire in more ways than one.

The Spider's Friend by M.C. Burnell

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Last week, he didn’t know he had a family. Now he’s trying to save the world from them. Wrapped around an inland sea, Dhashere is a broad land of fecund coastal woodlands, rocky heights, and arid grasslands called home by more than humans; there are sapient species styled elemental peoples inhabiting its seas, its skies, even underneath its streets. Peacefully, it used to be. Now, the Premier is failing, and that shouldn’t be a problem. Rulership is shared with four senates, and he has children to succeed him. But there may be too many. Maru was raised in isolation in a monastery, convinced he was a foundling. Then a glamorous foreign magician appears. He claims to be an emissary of Maru’s father, none other than the Premier, who has sent this trusted intimate to fetch his secret son home to the capital. A more cynical person might wonder if there’s a catch, and a more cynical person would be correct: Jaalen was hired by a shadowy contingent keen to pit their own candidate against his father’s legitimate children. It's not as simple as deciding whether he’s willing to vie for the throne. An army of bovine zealots gathers at the border, ready to invade, and someone is murdering elemental shamans by means as malignant as they are mysterious. There’s no question it’s one of Maru’s siblings, but he doesn’t know which and now he’s in their custody. Did anyone mention there are ten of them? The only person he trusts is the lying magician who tricked him into getting involved. And if he wants the help of Dhashere’s most infamous witch-for-hire, he’ll need to start by saving him. The Spider’s Friend is a thrilling, twist-filled adventure, a palace intrigue with less palace and more battling-giant-jellyfish. A must-read for anyone interested in novel second worlds, it has mole-people and a city made of waterfalls; one of the narrative characters is an ambulatory plant. Ready to separate the liars from true friends? Plunge into the decaying chaos of the Dhashereen Dominion!

Bastards of Liberty by Matthew Zorich

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In the heart of the Holy Imperium, a family's lives are shattered. Runt Ashburn, the youngest of three siblings, journeys to seek his father needing answers. His sister Alsyha, now an indentured servant to blacksmiths, plots her escape and revenge. At the same time, the oldest, Ashburn Benjamin, juggles the life of a soldier and the pressure of a father who's the General of an army. Political forces twist around the three siblings. Could one of their deaths lead to a revolution? Bastards of Liberty features a gritty adventure and deep world-building in an alternative America where orcs, elves, and dwarves strive to gain the same rights as their human counterparts as they struggle under the yoke of a newly formed royal government.

The Exile of Zanzibar by Daniel Maidman

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Claire built a device to fold space and time. It had a flaw...   When the smoke clears, she finds herself halfway across the world, thousands of years in the past, and no device in sight.   In bronze-age Florence, war has lasted for generations. All Claire wants to do is get home, but she'll need help from the locals. She wins an ally in Marcus Diophantus, a pickpocket turned soldier turned general, who hopes to turn into something more than just her champion. Together, they broker peace between Florence and its enemy.   If Marcus is going to help Claire, he'll have to survive. Peace has upset the balance of power in the capital city. The king stands increasingly alone against: the Constantines, a commercial enterprise as much as a clan, who aim to profit from peace as they have from war -- the warrior nobles, descended from the founders of Florence and quick to turn against a weak throne - and Reburrus, the high priest of Florence, convinced Claire answers to hostile foreign gods. As the city comes to a boil, Claire and Marcus - and Marcus's formidable army - will have to decide where their allegiance lies.   Claire becomes a reluctant participant in a savage campaign. While Marcus leads the battles, she tries to gain control of the unimaginably powerful Ctesiphôn - a ghost tower in the heart of Florence, shrouded in magic and myth.

Terminus Rex by Kevin Wright

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Mystery. Mayhem. Monsters. Murder. The Grey Waste stretches on vast and infinite, into the unforgiving reaches of the east. Clans of monstrous reavers prowl the wasteland, hunting, harrying, and slaughtering any they encounter. But reavers aren’t the worst the Grey Waste has to offer. Sir Luther Slythe Krait is a knight errant on a quest. He's vowed to locate the lost scion of a fallen dynasty, and reunite him with his last remaining kin. But the lost scion was last seen beyond the far reaches of the Grey Waste. Can Sir Luther survive the trek across the wasteland? Will he survive the endless attacks by reavers and worse? How will he find this last scion when those around him begin falling one by one, victims to a murderer who may be more than he seems?

Strangers in the High City by J.E. Cabrera

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Dwarf Gladiators. Elven Holy Warriors. Men and women powered by the gods themselves. These are the kinds of characters you will fall in love with in Strangers in the High City. The Lunar Gods have abandoned their children. In their absence the world has grown cold. The Covenant, a nation that was meant to unite Elves, Dwarves and Humankind, is broken. The dwarves are forced to endlessly produce resources to support The Covenant’s unending hunger for expansion. The Covenant’s caste system continues to divide its once proud human citizens. The elves have grown disinterested in the toils of the humans choosing instead to live in their own lands. It’s all coming to a boiling point where there is no turning back. Follow the strangers that inhabit this land as they fight for a place in it… Gareth Stormkin a farm boy in search of adventure. Little does he know it will soon find him at a great price. Auric Redbeard a dwarf that has finally earned his place as a citizen of The Covenant. Ruxson a stable hand on a mad quest for revenge. This tale is for the fantasy lover, the reader looking for characters to fall in love with and worlds to discover.

The Price of Power by Michael Michel

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Prince Barodane could not hold back the darkness. Not even in himself. He laid an innocent city in its grave and then died a hero. In his absence, war whispers across the land. Power-hungry highborn dispatch spies and assassins to the shadows as they maneuver for the throne, while an even greater threat rises in the South. Monsters and cultists flock to the banners of a mad prophet determined to control reality…and then shatter it. Destiny stalks three to the brink of oblivion. A dead prince that isn’t actually dead. Barodane buried his shameful past in a stupor of drugs, drink, and crime, and now, he’d rather watch the world fall apart than wear a crown again. An orphan with hero’s blood who is forced to make a harrowing choice: betray her country or sacrifice her first love. And a powerful seer who has no choice at all–her grandson must die. If any of them fails to pay the price… The cost will be the world’s complete annihilation.