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The Acros Raiders: From the Ashes by Sara Tunder While trying to escape the genocidal Castist Regime, Scotty Sedgewig and her fiancĂ© run into some grave misfortune. Amid the chaos, in a revenge-fueled fury, Scotty becomes entangled with The Acros Raiders, an elite rebel division. When itâs revealed there is a traitor in their ranks, Scotty is singled out to uncover the identity of the mole. She must figure out who the traitor is before The Acros Raiders are destroyed from the inside, or her fight for revenge will be in vain. Dive into Sara Tunderâs action-packed tale following Scotty and The Acros Raiders on their mission to end High Priestess Tapscottâs theocratic rule. An unorthodox fantasy series, The Acros Raiders tests the boundary between fantasy and science fiction, introducing readers to an exciting new world blended with steampunk elements. |
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The Spirit Well by R.K. Ashwick When a bard saved the day, he never expected an encore. After saving their home from a magical disaster, Emry, Cal, and forest spirit Aspen ascend to high society: Emry and Aspen to the illustrious musiciansâ guild, and Cal to the cutting edge of spirit research. But their new roles send them far beyond the concerts and balls they expectedâŠand deep into a city of dying spirits. In the neighboring city of Matlock, a strange blight has withered their gardensâand the spirits living within. The trio rushes to investigate, whirling into Matlockâs social season in search of allies and gossip. Here, Emry frantically navigates the dazzle and decorum to seek information, start his debutâŠand propose to Cal. But when the glittering chandeliers illuminate more enemies than friends, Emry, Cal, and Aspen must race to stop the blight before it spreadsâand the spirits shrivel away for good. |
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The Hallow serum was once sacred to the Auld Bloods. Used to gain access to their lost ancestral powers, now it is regulated and administered by the powerful Providence Company. Evolved from the echelons of the Auld Church, the company exists to maintain the balance between faith, science and politics. But keeping the peace between humans and Auld Bloods isnât easy. Taking Hallow comes at a price. Providence Company Assessor Cam must deal with backstreet bootleggers, burnt-out addicts and floating nuns that wonât stay on the ground. When a string of Auld Blood deaths appear to have been caused by a corrupted batch of Hallow, Cam begins to suspect all may not be as it seems. Bodies are piling up. Someone is hiding something, and the consequences are becoming monstrous. |
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Burgling a quarantined ship should have been easy money. It wasn't. Now Danny and Eli, Saintstown's pettiest thieves, have a traumatized former captive on their hands and the city's most powerful fixer breathing down their neck. And that's just the start of their problems. |
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The Scent of Blood by Kit Walker Calebâs life has spiraled out of control ever since the day a stranger sank her teeth into his hand. Drifting from port to port in a haze of blood and guilt, he eventually lands in the city of Saintstown and is promptly arrested for murder. But the night before his execution, Caleb is offered both freedom and a job by the enigmatic Mr. Faulkner. Faulkner says he can teach Caleb to control the animal raging inside him â but what must Caleb sacrifice for the guidance that Faulkner offers? |
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Grace Foster's hunt for her husband's murderer has brought her to the city of Saintstown. But her quarry has killed again, and she'll need to rely on new, unexpected allies to bring her hunt to an end. |
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City of Spores by Austin Shirey Welcome to Madripol, city of artists and madmen, city of mushrooms. Thereâs something wrong with this city. When a strange plague infects Old Town, Johanna Kolibrik thinks the graffiti messages scrawled all over the city might be right. Kolibrikâs got her own problems, thoughâlike paying the bills and keeping her PI business afloatâso when a well-dressed man from New Town offers to double her fee to find his missing wife, she ignores her gut and takes the case. But when she stumbles across a manuscript that shouldnât exist, Kolibrik finds herself caught up in a vast web of conspiracy that will challenge everything she believesâa conspiracy that could shake the city of Madripol to its very foundations. Because in Madripol, everything is connected ⊠|
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The Illusion of Fear by Kel E Fox The best cure for a broken heart is to solve an art crime. Obviously. After his partner is killed on a mission gone wrong, disavowed spy and magician Del Fevre exiles himself to Acrusi, the only city in the world where his agency canât find him. But his plans for a peaceful hideaway where he can make illusion art and avoid awkward questions are thwarted when his arrival coincides with a mysterious art theft, and Del might be a suspect. Danger, daring and a handsome detective conspire to make Delâs exile anything but peaceful. The Illusion of Fear is a prequel novella for the Whisperers series, a romantic gaslamp fantasy with art crime and political intrigue. |
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The Dragonfly Delivery Company: (The Hammersmyth Tales Book 2) by Keith W. Dickinson Pirates rule the skies, robbing ships at will They're ruthless, efficient, and surprisingly well informed. There's a rat in the Air Courier's Guild, and to catch a rat you need a rat catcher. You need Dexter and Sinister. Up in the air and out of their depth, John and Dexter will have to watch their backs on this one. The Guild might be on their side but the captains sure aren't. They have secrets to keep, secrets that could get a man killed, and it's a long way down for those who stick their noses in where they don't belong. And their cats too, if they're not careful! With airship battles over the English lakes, marauding vegan chefs, and the return of everyone's favourite muscle for hire, Agnes Goodenough, The Dragonfly Delivery Company is a tale of heroism and high adventure, full of fun, laughs, and the sort of steam-powered shenanigans everyone can enjoy. |
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Dexter & Sinister: Detecting Agents (The Hammersmyth Tales Book 1) by Keith W. Dickinson John Sinister is not having a good week. Hired to look into some shady goings on at the airship factory, his investigation has barely begun before people start dying. Soon he's on the wrong side of some fairly unpleasant people, and that's before he meets Dexter, the world's only walking, talking, mechanical cat. That's when things get complicated. With secret societies, arrogant aristocrats, and criminal chocolatiers to contend with, John and Dexter will have to keep their wits about them if they're going to come out of this alive. And if John happens to fall in love with his employer's daughter along the way, well nobody said catching a killer was going to be easy now did they? |
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The Darkness of Dying in the Light by S.E. Reed Sultry Savannah is where we lay our scene, from a time that once, but never was. Two households, both alike in dignity, collide in the chaos of civil unrest igniting a forbidden romance between a pair of star-crossed lovers. â Seventeen-year-old automaton, Sephony Roulette, is beautiful and headstrong. Against her will, she's been betrothed to an ambitious politician desperate for her father's money. Sephony would rather die than marry him and her mechanical heart breaks to set her free. â Marcus Wexhaven is called in to use his micro-cogs to repair Sephony's damaged heart. When she wakes in his arms, the fiery passion between them cannot be denied. To prove to their feuding families their love is worth celebration, Sephony and Marcus work in secrecy to unravel a vicious political plot. When Sephony finds herself on the receiving end of a hideous crime, it's Marcus who comes to the rescue, again. â He is willing to fight to protect her, even if that means his own death. Sephony is far too proud to let Marcus die alone. For never was a story of more darkness than of Sephony and her Marcus. |
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The Hammersmyth Tales: A Steampunk Short Story Collection by Keith W. Dickinson A collection of tales to delight and amuse, introducing readers to the steampunk world of Hammersmyth and the many characters that live there. Meet Dexter the mechanical cat, Nomko the engineer, and Agnes Goodenough, everyone's favourite muscle for hire. And get to know Hammersmyth itself, a city at the forefront of the great steam revolution, and the setting for the two steampunk novels DEXTER & DETECTING AGENTS and THE DRAGONFLY DELIVERY COMPANY. |
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Non Omnis Moriar by Sfarda L. GĂŒl The city state of Vencenza rots, and Giorgianna, vengeful, enlightened, an outlaw and witch, seeks bloodâthe dues sheâs owed for the crimes committed against her and those she loves. As summer withers to autumn, she is faced with a deadly quest: infiltrate the ministerial court, unspool the inner circleâs darkest secrets, and aid the resistance in bringing forth a revolution to finally break the shackles of tyranny. All while remaining under pretences amidst the stateâs most violent and powerful men. But explosive tensions mount among the revolutionaries, bodies pile in the streets, the church gains frightening authority, and Giorgiannaâs psyche teeters along its final breaking pointâmade only worse by a lovesickness more agonising than hunger. With winter looming upon the horizon, civil war seems inevitable, and love could never be a saviour. How dearly will those dues cost? |
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Expressing emotion is prohibited by law in the city state of Vencenza. Beneath its tyrannical shadow, Giorgianna, a deranged former playwright turned political fugitive, flees a brothel to seek justice for the murder of a beloved friend. When the last remnants of her bloodline are reaped by the incorrigible Minister of Dominion, Giorgiannaâs crooked path to retribution crosses with Vencenzaâs Machiavellian revolutionary hellbent on regime overturn. All the while, the weight of unending tragedy erodes Giorgiannaâs psyche into a vengeful bloodlust plagued by cabbalistic visions hinting at an ever-darker face of the violent Powers That Be. |
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Shadows Dark and Deadly by Andrea Marie Johnson Slowly freezing in the snow and a knife to the gut are two awful ways to die. And Cerise would very much like to avoid both. A mysterious man steps from the shadows with an offer of food, a bed, and a roof over her head. The catch? Sheâll have to become his assassin apprentice. Her hands are already stained with the blood of five men. Whatâs a little more? But training to be an assassin isnât easy and learning to control her magic even less. To complicate things, Cerise canât fight her attraction to her mentor, Keir, or his charming best friend, Damara. It wouldnât be a problem if she wasnât a dirty street rat. Well, that and society isnât ready for two women to be together. Everything heats up as an arsonist stalks the streets. His targets? Brothel owners and Ceriseâs aunt is at the top of his list. Can Cerise get strong enough to help Keir hunt him down or will her aunt become another tragic death that haunts her nightmares? |
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The Godsblood Tragedy by Bill Adams An orphan, without a trueborn name, returns to the city of her birth to uncover her past. Hounded by the servants of the Dark God and dying from the poisonous mist that covers the land, her path leads to one of the magical seals protecting the holy ruin of Eminence. A father, murdered and reborn, aims to bring down the floating fortress hovering over his homeland. Burdened by loss, heâs willing to sacrifice his soul to free his city and get revenge for the destruction of his family. A mother, captured and bonded to a daemon, kills in the name of the Dark God so she can free her tortured daughter. Relentless in her vengeance, she hunts the one person who could end her suffering: the man who would destroy her vile master. A drake, the banished hatchling of a failed advisor, seeks his fatherâs stolen horns. Untested, he desires to right his fatherâs wrongs in the eyes of the gods and restore his familyâs honor. As all converge in the occupied desert city where the worldâs fuel source is mined, one familyâs bond will be tested. Old betrayals will resurface, anger and resentment will flourish, but one thing remains clear: blood rules all. |
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A Witch in Isenshire by Azalea Forrest A Witch in Isenshire is a bold cup of coffee made with determination, personal growth, and adventure. Magnolia Hanna never thought sheâd forgive Basil Olivander, the witch who inadvertently upended so many lives in Lightview. Yet four months after their battle, Basilâs learning to deal with his heartache and make amends. Heâs become Maggieâs roommate, her technomancy teacher, andâjust maybeâher friend. Now, theyâre packing for a trip to visit Maggieâs family in the hidden hamlet of Emelle. Maggie and Basil face their grief together, finding closure at her late uncleâs grave and comfort among her friends and family. If it were up to her, she would stay for a fortnight, but their trip is cut short at the behest of Lightviewâs mayor, who sends the two witches on an adventure of a lifetimeâto the advanced city of Isenshire, the birthplace of the automaton. To Maggieâs dismay, Isenshireâs witches can only use magic with a permit, and their jobs have been reduced to fortune telling and parlor tricks. Magnoliaâs fear of her skills being replaced by tech is reignited tenfold. Are the witches in Isenshire truly happy, or are they complacent to the powers that be? Magnoliaâs only wish is to make magic relevant again, but she soon finds that the power of the automaton is too awesome to ignore. Book Two in The Witch of Emelle Series |
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A Dragon of the Veil by Nick Snape With the realm falling apart, the fate of a people falls upon Laoch and Suraâs shoulders and the Godsâ weapons they now bear â a thousand years of faith and lies reconciled in a single moment of hope and redemption. For Laoch, the Crusades never ended, yet the embittered Ranger finds hope in his love for the dishonoured elven warrior, Sura. Together, they must face a new conflict when a powerful enemy crashes into a Meisterâs alchemical experiment, setting off a wave of fear that ripples through the realm. With the secrets of the Godsâ scripture exposed and whispers of an ancient evilâs return, Laoch and Sura are left reeling by the power their enemy wields when an even larger threat rises from the forest depths. One even the Godsâ weapons fear. In a world no longer devoid of magic, a thousand years of secrets and lies spill out, and cracks form in the last bastion against an ancient foe. For cast in iron and spiritfire - here be dragons. ââŠartfully mixes elements of arcanepunk and high fantasy ⊠this is a riveting start to a new fantasy series from an undeniably skilled storytellerâ â â â â â SPR editorial review |
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The Songs That Beckon by M.A. Brown Their grief binds them The Song calls them The Darkness wants to claim them As winter wraps Areth in its frozen embrace, nightmarish beasts descend upon the Hastings household kidnapping Mr. and Mrs. Hastings and leaving behind their daughter, Bianca, as sole witness. In the wake of their abduction her quiet world is turned upside down and shaken revealing the secrets and lies her parents have buried. As truths unravel it binds her to those who have similarly lost. Together they must wade through the thorny tangles of growing love and grief to find those that they hold dear before the looming threat of darkness is unleashed to destroy them all. Travel worlds in this dark, dreamy and romantic debut filled with dusty books and pining looks. |
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Cursed Cocktails by S.L. Rowland When life gives you lemons, squeeze them into a stiff drink and stir. After twenty years defending the frozen north against some of the most dangerous threats in the nine kingdoms, Rhoren âBloodbaneâ has finally earned his retirement. While the blood mage's service to the realm may have ended, burning veins and aching joints remain, and Rhoren soon learns that a warmer climate offers relief from his chronic pain. And a chance at a fresh start. In the warm and relaxing atmosphere of Eastborne, the umbral elf finds a new purpose and a sense of belonging. He may have left the frozen north behind, but he brings with him the skills and strength gained from a lifetime of defending the realm. Along with his most prized possessionâa book of drink recipes inherited from his father. Spilled cocktails may not carry the same weight as spilled blood, but opening a tavern brings a unique brand of challenges. With the right friends and a little bit of luck, he might just have a recipe for success.âšâšWelcome to the enchanting world of Tales of Aedrea, where small-scale stories, low-stakes adventure, and cozy fantasy come to life within an epic, high-fantasy realm. |
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The Desert Heiress by Shoshana Rain Nothing will stop Lis from regaining her family's powerânot even the three tempting men standing in her way. In the desert port of Cenefra, the Sun Rose is life blood. A magic plant with the ability to grant people greater abilities. Sale of the plant is strictly forbidden, its growth restricted only to farms owned by the Empire's shipping company. Liseya Moroeste has only ever wanted one thing: to run the syndicate smuggling it. But her family has been cut off for over a century, forced to advise but never lead. When the government cracks down on all illegal export, Lis is ready to seize her chance. To do so, she must best her three rivals. Filip, Deo and Adrian each want to court her, control her, cajole her into doing what they want. Liseya finds herself drawn into their complicated web, but to survive, she must learn if she can trust them, or if she must cut them down before they can do the same to her. The Desert Heiress is the first book in The Seven Star Empire Series. It is a slow burn, MMMF why choose, second world fantasy with steamy scenes and a guaranteed HEA at the end of the series. It contains both MM and FF scenes, and involves the FMC in a relationship before getting involved with her main love interests. |
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The Stars Would Curse Us by Stephanie Combs & Valerie Rivers The Iris were sent to us from the stars, but their rule is controlling and oppressive. Every season, we send our brothers and sisters to the marriage drafts . . . but the selected never return. Aella My world falls apart when my best friend and I are drafted to compete for the hand of Esterraâs most eligible bachelor, the devastatingly handsome Iris prince. As an elemental fae, it should be the greatest honor, but the competition is filled with violence. I question my true purpose as we fight to survive in games rigged against us. Arianwen Life should be simpleâgo on my rite and return to marry a man Iâve never metâbut when a handsome stranger falls from the sky, everything is turned upside down. Secrets and lies unravel, leading me to question everything as I find myself pulled into a rebellion. My heart longs for a better world, but am I willing to forsake duty in pursuit of it? We both face choices: LOVE or DUTY LOYALTY or ADVENTURE FIGHT or SURRENDER Is fate truly written in the stars, or have they abandoned us? |
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The Treachery of Ravens by Steven D Nickell A daring robbery. Magic out of control. One last chance to do the right thing. All Meryl Gaspard ever wanted was to fly, but a life lived on her terms means turning her back on her mother and the Liberty Belle salon. So, she lives a secret double life: dutiful daughter by day, professional thief by night. Meanwhile, for a nameless young acolyte, living like a prisoner on an isolated island, using her magic to heal the sick would give meaning to all the suffering her powers have caused her. And, on the dark streets of Pelz, Inspector Michel Aubergon hunts an elusive thief while the greed and corruption around him tears at the fabric of his ideals, seeking to consume his very soul. Soon, a skyship will arrive in Pelz carrying an object of untold value, and Meryl must steal it. But her friend, the mysterious cleric possessing forbidden magic, is under threat, and the police inspector charged with apprehending her is closing in. Meryl must stay a step ahead and pull off a high-stakes burglary, but she canât do it alone. She needs allies, and those allies might come from some very unexpected places. For fans of fantasy and steampunk, experience a tale of swashbuckling action and adventure set in a world where coal and steam are ascendent over alchemy and magic, and giant skyships rule the air. |
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Tall & Dark by Suzannah Rowntree Ghosts, griftersâŠand a missing heir in 1890s Europe. Itâs easier to conduct a sĂ©ance when the dead arenât trying to contact you. As Molly Dark knows all too well, the problem with being able to see ghosts is that they never tell you what you wish to know. For instance, how a proper young lady like Miss Dark is supposed to support an impoverished family after her father has died a ruined man. Or how she is going to impersonate a missing princess long enough to steal a fortune out from under the collective noses of a whole family of royal monsters. Or exactly why the charming imposter claims to be none other than Grand Duke Vasily Nikolaevich, when he certainly isnât a princeâŠor a vampire. Alas, the dead normally have something far more unsettling to impart⊠Return to the BĂȘte Epoque, an 1890s Europe ruled by monsters, in Miss Darkâs Apparitions! Leverage meets The Parasol Protectorate in this whimsical historical fantasy caper. Join Miss Dark in the spooky mansions of 1890s Europe - read Tall & Dark today! |
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Legacy's Price by T. L. Rolston When Lady Elizabeth "Liz" Bryne suddenly manifests ancient magic during a duel, she finds herself at the center of an ancient mystery that puts her at odds everyone around her. Complicating matters, her grandfather, the King, has gone missing on a diplomatic mission and everyone seems to believe that she is somehow responsible. In order to clear her name, Liz will have to save the King herself. Failure means the end of Segen as she knows it. But when her journey forces her to confront the truth behind the incident that stole her memories, will she be strong enough to complete her mission? |
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Rise of the Forgehearts by Emily Huffman R-0âs existence has always been dedicated to one simple directive: protect the king. Like all the constructs, they complete their orders without thought or feeling. But when a magical phenomena sweeps over Haiden, the constructs transform from mindless metal to fully sentient beings. Now R-0 sees the world through new eyes. Beauty, curiosity, and endless questions that used to be out of reach now overwhelm them. Despite their potential, not everyone views the change favorably. The organics they used to serve fear what the constructs have become and what they may be plotting. When constructs begin disappearing, Haidenâs council sees it as proof of the constructsâ nefarious intentions and threatens to decommission them all. While navigating their newfound thoughts and feelings, R-0 must solve the mystery of the missing constructsâeven if the truth may put the king theyâve sworn to protect in danger. Because if they fail, the constructsâ lives could be over as quickly as they began. |
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Haelend's Ballad by Ian V. Conrey "Some call me Murderer, others call me Lord. I've been called Savior and Enslaver. But no one has ever called me Child." A young man signs his own death warrant when he joins an already failing militia. A teenage girl is haunted by her childhood abuse and begins to crave the very things she hates. A childless mother finds herself on the run as a convicted murderer. Yet they are all unaware that their own fates are tied to a young orphan who has drowned and come back to life in a foreign land where he will be the death of everyone he meets. HĂŠlend's Ballad is a grimdark fantasy/steampunk tale about what happens when men and women from two colliding cultures realize they may not be on the right side. Heroes are villains. The persecuted are oppressors. And when rumors begin to spread that the world is dying, the darkness of their own hearts betrays them. |
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City in the Dragon's Eye by Jordan Loyal Short Red Dragons. Black Comedy. White-Knuckled Adventure. Viktorâs magic is turning him into a dragon. And itâs not pretty. To save his friends who've bumbled into a deadly ambush, Viktor draws too deeply on the power of the Dragon Well, and now a magical tumor has begun to change him...one scale at a time. Viktor sets off on an irreverent quest for a cure that will lead him to a remote sanitarium. Here, he will uncover a mad doctorâs strange experiments, a stubborn dwarf with stinky feet, and rumors of an ancient mirror that may hold the key to Viktorâs very survival. As a mustache-twiddling secret society of dragon fanatics closes in, Viktor must choose between the power his transformation offers, and the hope of finding a cure. To the fabled Tyrantâs Tomb, Viktor races the mysterious Thule Society, where deadly traps and cryptic puzzles protect a treasure of unspeakable power. With every heartbeat the tumorâs corruption spreads. Can a court dandy and a disgraced scholar help Viktor find his cure? Or is it too late to save the city from a mad doctorâs dark designs? |
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Dawn of the Darkest Day by K.C. Woodruff An artist plagued by a violent past. An heir destined never to take her own throne. A tyrant bound to life, consumed by his bloody trail.âšDawn breaks over a dying land. Ever since surviving the bloody coup that cost Ara her home and Stedd his family, theyâve found solace in each otherâs arms, dreaming of a life where Ara can cultivate her gardening and engineering talents while Stedd flourishes in his art. But the old magic that once held Evenia together has long faded, and when King Vayne Savant learns of Araâs godly heritage and royal bloodline, she turns from a budding engineer into a reluctant bride, and a pawn in his cunning plan to dominate the continent amid its technological collapse. Desperate to escape her husbandâs bloodstained grasp, Ara strikes a dark deal with the king: a childâthe heir to two thronesâin exchange for her freedom. Her plan should have been simple, but in between sieges, squabbling, and sessions of pleasure are nights spent waking to assassinsâ blades at her throat and the threat of sinister societies formidable enough to outsmart even Savantâs cunning. Unwilling to lose Ara, Stedd sets down his paintbrush and picks up a blade, entering a war he doesnât understand. But the line between love and hatred is a thin one, and Stedd soon finds himself torn between rescuing the love of his life or pursuing revenge on the man who destroyed it. The fate of the continent lies in the hands of a ruthless conqueror and a pacifistic queen, their destinies far more than they understand. If they can find common ground, Evenia may be saved. But the obstacles that lie in their wake are more than they can anticipate, and the consequences for failure greater than they could imagine. |
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The world must fall. Sade has always lived in the shadows of the Society, surviving only by risking her life in dangerous dives over the abyss during airship heists. But her time among the street gangs of Vale is coming to an end and she must get hers and get out before it's too late. Seeking an escape, Sade agrees to one last airship heist. When the job goes sideways, Sade finds herself in the refuge of an unlikely pair: a spiraling heiress and the ghost of her violently murdered sister. As Sade is hauled into the underworld of magic, she is thrust into the middle of a conspiracy that runs ages deep and Society wide. Forced to confront the reality of her repressed past and the complexities of her own abilities, she discovers the truth of the gods, and the lengths they will go to maintain a controllable populace. To free the world, Sade must risk all life. |
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What would you do if you found a rare magical animal? Nico, who has just begun passing as a transgender man, relishes the quiet life working as a bonsai bodyguard. But during a chance encounter one night amidst the aftermath of a territory dispute, he meets Brant, an excitable, good-natured cookie bodyguard, and the two strike an instant friendship. They form an irresistible bond with Gustopher, a baby gargoyle in need, setting off on a thrilling 3-day adventure to rescue the little creature and reunite it with its rightful owner. As they set out on their mission, the mismatched duo encounter predicaments unusual to new foster parents. Unscrupulous enemies lurk in the shadows, eager to exploit Gustopher on the black market. In order to ensure Gus's safety, Nico and Brant must quickly learn how to nurture (what do gargoyles eat, anyway?) and safeguard their newfound charge. Fortunately, their journey leads them to encounter Remi the vampire, an eccentric cheese guard from Wisconsin, and Jasper, a seasoned traveler, who faithfully accompanies the renowned Manley Cup, the cherished trophy of a championship hockey team. Together, this peculiar quartet must combine their unique talents navigating both gargoyle-raising and crime-boss hunting. As they traverse the mountain metropolis of Multnomah, their hidden secrets gradually come to light, forging unbreakable bonds and solidifying their motley chosen family. And in the midst of it all, Gustopher surprises them with delightfulâŠqualities, adding an extra dose of astonishment everywhere they go. |
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Fortitude's Prize by Ceril N Domace The Master of Fortitude, the largest city in the Flying Isles, has been robbed. Normally, this wouldnât concern Edward Bardsley. Heâs an alchemist and surgeon on a small privateering vessel, and there are much larger and better equipped ships in Fortitude. It only becomes his concern when his crew is commissioned to retrieve the masterâs stolen property. Between storms, injuries, and secrets that could see Edward exiled from the skies the way his father was, just getting to the thiefâs hideout is enough to test the hardiest crew. Thrust into the middle of an adventure that will take him from one end of the Flying Isles to the other, Edward must use every ounce of his alchemical and sailing knowledge to keep the crew intact as they inch closer to their goal. |
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Father of Constructs by Aaron Renfroe #1 Best Seller and #1 New Release - LitRPG with heart! Lorith's magic is fading. Centuries ago, heroic adventurers stopped the World Bossâ cycle of rebirth by reducing the creature to one hit point and sealing it away so no one would ever find it. But, by ending one calamity, they halted the natural flow of magic within the world and brought about the Havoc Plague. With all civilization now on the brink of collapse, humanity's only hope is to find and kill the World Boss in order to restart the monster's rebirth cycle and bring back magic. When the Plagued janitor Harvey stumbles into a mysterious wreckage and accidentally kills the missing World Boss, he gains a million experience points, making him the target of almost all the would-be adventurers of the world. Burdened with ancient knowledge, and hunted by countless rivals, he must join with unlikely allies to do the unthinkable: find the reincarnated World Boss and defeat it again, before it can ravage the world anew. Father of Constructs is an optimistic LitRPG novel with a dash of Slice of Life. |
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A Witch's Guide to Business by Alex Evans In the free port city of Barramar, the only law is the law of money. Here, the dingy taverns and the opulent teahouses alike thrum with the whispers of dark dealings. It's a place for the ruthless â spies and smugglers, or the desperateârefugees running from war, opression and poverty. Trust is a rare currency and alliances, as fluid as water. After spending their youth on opposing sides of a brutal war, Tanit Murali and Padma Amrithar are as different as night and day. One is a former spy, a rogue with a serious taste for violence, brandy and handsome men. The other is a compassionate surgeon and devoted family mother. They share but one thing: their rare magic gift. Forming an unlikely partnership, they run together an occult business. Their enterprise is thriving until two peculiar cases land on their doorstep: a murderous vampire ensnared by a hex and a string of deadly mishaps in a notorious factory operated by zombies. Pursuing the truth leads them to the city's influential high priest of the god of wealth. Soon, they uncover a web of intrigue and realize that humans are far more dangerous than magic creatures. A special note for readers: this book contains a lot of different characters and a lot of worldbuilding. If you prefer your settings conventional and your story focused on a few heroes and villains, you probably won't enjoy this novel. |
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Ferren and the Angel by Richard Harland An angel falls from the sky and crashes to the ground! Miriael, the Fourteenth Angel of Observance, has been shot down in the thousand-year war between Heaven and Earth. Damaged and helpless, she prays for extinction. The young tribesman Ferren finds her lying in the grass. She ought to be an enemy, since his people are on the side of the Earth. But seeing her there, unable to fly, his curiosity outweighs every rule and every warning. Ferren knows almost nothing about the terrifying world he's grown up in. Now he's going to learn the truth about the war, the Humen army camp and what military service really means. His unique friendship with Miriael is about to change the course of history. Richard Harland, author of the Worldshaker books, creates a whole new world of angels and apocalypse! |
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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 godsâscratch thatâformer 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 trailâthough she can't for the life of her figure out whyâand Rana finds herself in a comically ridiculous dance to keep him alive while wanting to kill himâat 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? |
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Moonlight, Roses & Murder by Lorri Moulton, Anna-Violetta Carsini This is the first part of the story, so there will be cliffhangers! Selina is a woman with a secret...and she has been hiding it for a very long time. With her nieces, she runs Luna's, a nightclub in downtown Seattle, catering to Steampunk and Goth clientele. When someone leaves a body behind her club, she is drawn into a web of mystery and murder. Puncture marks on the body indicate a vampire might be responsible and as more women are killed, a red rose is left by their bodies. When a vampire hunter with secrets of his own comes to investigate, Selina wonders who she can trust... |
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Ice Flight (Flux & Flight Book 2) by Andi C. Buchanan The mountain sanatorium on the edge of a glacier is a world away from the noise and hustle of Liquid City. For Rosalie, it offers a chance of health, and for Abra, AdĂšleâs daughter and a future art student, a thrilling taste of freedom. Things are rarely as peaceful as they seem. As Rosalie tries to piece together the past, a metal bird offers the first clue there is someone hiding in the mountains. Abra teams up with the doctorâs son Jem, to follow the mystery through the snow. As secrets come to light, and new are connections are made, their lives will take new trajectories and none of them will remain unchanged. |
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Liquid City (Flux & Flight Book 1) by Andi C. Buchanan Abandoned as a teenager on a strange planet, Casp Alkin earns a living transporting cargo through the ancient tunnels which lie beneath the rapidly industrialising Liquid City. Itâs a dirty, dangerous game but one which affords them the independence they always longed for. But the offer of a lucrative contract persuades Casp to break with their established routine and journey into the unexplored parts of the tunnel network, deep underground. Accompanied by an ill-tempered cephalopod and the scientist daughter of their wealthy sponsor, Casp embarks on an increasingly dangerous journey. But they quickly find that success will mean an end to the livelihoods of the tunnel folk who have become their family, destroying the community which has relied on the tunnels for generations. Casp has little hope of saving the tunnelling industry, but they are persuaded to take to the tunnels one last time. Because some believe that humans werenât the first to inhabit this isolated planet, and what they find will shift the balance of power in Liquid City forever. |
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Cast Off (Book Three of the Peridot Shift) by R J Theodore With the very survival of Peridot at stake, the crew of Fortuneâs Storm sets upon a quest to reclaim pieces of the planetâs trapped soul before they can be seized by those who would sacrifice everything and everyone in their race for power over everything. The final entry in the Peridot Shift series is here! Praise for Cast Off and the Peridot Shift: âR J Theodore does a truly masterful job of heightening tension over the three books and bringing it to a satisfying conclusion.â â Emmie Mears, author of the Stonebreaker series âI had so much fun reading Cast Off! As a writer, I was freaking out over how Theodore handled the ensemble cast: I love that the world feels big and fleshed out, but familiar characters also run into each other in such organic ways. Thereâs an element of serendipity that the author pulls off so well. Cast Off feels like a masterclass in how to handle an ensemble cast. I love how the various factions overlap and separate in unexpected ways. The crew of the Not If We Donât Get Caught was heaps of fun, and Hankirk is the kind of antagonist that I love to hate. When his comeuppance arrived my only coherent words were, âHoly shit, yes, he deserved thatâ; the rest of my mental capacity was taken up by gleeful screaming.â â Dominique Dickey, author of âCivilian Assumptionsâ (Lightspeed Magazine) âI canât stop thinking about the world of Flotsam. Science-fiction, alchemy, and airships. Itâs magic.â â Mary Robinette Kowal âTake a pinch of Jim Butcherâs Aeronautâs Windlass, add a dash of Treasure Planet, some vivid imagery from Avatar, a generous helping of banter from Firefly, and you might have an idea of the feeling this story left me with. Rich language and imagery blend with a complex world, a story told with humor and heart, that left me breathless and wrung out. I want to know whatâs in store next for this crew and their already shattered world.â â Ronda âA thrilling conclusion that rights wrongs both within the story and healing from historical ones, definitely a romp that will stay with me and a go-to recommendation for folks looking for a queer adventure expertly navigating the lines between science fiction and fantasy.â â Jo Ladzinski, Jo Writes Fantasy |
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Salvage (Book Two of the Peridot Shift) by R J Theodore A crew of salvagers plot to expose the evil dealings of Peridotâs enemies, but to protect their secrets, those enemies will destroy the crew and everything and everyone they hope to save. Peridot is headed for its second cataclysm. War has broken ancient alliances, sealed borders, and locked down the skies. The Five, Peridotâs alchemist gods, have seen one of their number die and another fall in their efforts to protect their world from invaders beyond the stars. Defeated and diminished, they have ceased to answer the prayers of their people and have left the rapidly unraveling world to fend for itself. Talis and the orphaned crew of the lost airship Wind Sabre have a plan to set things to rights, but theyâre stranded on a rock far from the heart of the conflict. When an old enemy comes and offers them a ship and a path forward, it comes with strings that will pull them further from the home they are so desperate to save. Can Talis and her crew chart a course through hostile skies, shifting allegiances, and subverted governments before the true enemies of Peridot claim a power that can destroy the world once and for all? Praise for The Peridot Shift series: âCombining the best elements of steampunk and space opera, placed in a lavishly detailed and imagined world, Flotsam will hold you firmly till the final page.â â Cat Rambo âFlotsam sucked me in and wouldnât let me go. R J Theodore is a fresh voice who will soon be on your must-read list!â â Jennifer Foehner Wells âI canât stop thinking about the world of Flotsam. Science-fiction, alchemy, and airships. Itâs magic.â â Mary Robinette Kowal âTake a pinch of Jim Butcherâs Aeronautâs Windlass, add a dash of Treasure Planet, some vivid imagery from Avatar, a generous helping of banter from Firefly, and you might have an idea of the feeling this story left me with. Rich language and imagery blend with a complex world, a story told with humor and heart, that left me breathless and wrung out. I want to know whatâs in store next for this crew and their already shattered world.â â Ronda âPeridot is a fascinating, fractured world that truly comes to life on the page; itâs remarkable that Theodore manages to establish the world and its cultures and races so well straight off the bat. And as if that isnât enough, she introduces an alien race and culture into the mix, juggling them all with aplomb.â â Alan Brenik âThe worldbuilding is incredibly epic for a newly minted author and hints at uncovering even more as this series evolves.â â Koeur â1,000% here for the merger of scifi steampunk with fantasy. This is exactly the sort of thing someone who grew up on underappreciated masterpieces like Treasure Planet craves!â â Jenna R, NetGalley Reviewer |
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The Ice Mage by Julianne Munich Marcel lives with one foot in each world. The first world feels as harsh and cold as the ice he casts from his fingertips. They want to use him as a bloodless and efficient weapon, nothing more. The second world is home to three friendly passengers who charter his coach for a journey. Luc, Emilie, and Adelaide are happy to travel to a princeâs castle as retinue servants, while Marcel's heart sinks in guilt and dread with each step his horses take. Luc's amnesia spell is all that separates the good man he's become, from the evil killer within. The coachman is driving him to where his spell will be brokenâand his true self will be unveiled. Marcel is faced with a terrifying dilemma of his own. Either obey the orders of Le Conseil SuprĂȘme and become their henchmanâor die a traitor. All the while, his feelings for a forbidden woman tempt him to risk it all. |
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Flotsam (Book One of the Peridot Shift) by R J Theodore A scrappy group of outsiders take a job to salvage some old ring from Peridotâs gravity-caught garbage layer, and land squarely in the middle of a plot to take over (and possibly destroy) whatâs left of the already tormented planet. Captain Talis just wants to keep her airship crew from starving, and maybe scrape up enough cash for some badly needed repairs. When an anonymous client offers a small fortune to root through a pile of atmospheric wreckage, it seems like an easy payday. The job yields an ancient ring, a forbidden secret, and a host of deadly enemies. Now on the run from cultists with powerful allies, Talis needs to unload the ring as quickly as possible. Her desperate search for a buyer and the fallout from her discovery leads to a planetary battle between a secret society, alien forces, and even the gods themselves. Talis and her crew have just one desperate chance to make things right before their potential big score destroys them all. Praise for Flotsam: âCombining the best elements of steampunk and space opera, placed in a lavishly detailed and imagined world, Flotsam will hold you firmly till the final page.â â Cat Rambo âFlotsam sucked me in and wouldnât let me go. R J Theodore is a fresh voice who will soon be on your must-read list!â â Jennifer Foehner Wells âI canât stop thinking about the world of Flotsam. Science-fiction, alchemy, and airships. Itâs magic.â â Mary Robinette Kowal âTake a pinch of Jim Butcherâs Aeronautâs Windlass, add a dash of Treasure Planet, some vivid imagery from Avatar, a generous helping of banter from Firefly, and you might have an idea of the feeling this story left me with. Rich language and imagery blend with a complex world, a story told with humor and heart, that left me breathless and wrung out. I want to know whatâs in store next for this crew and their already shattered world.â â Ronda âPeridot is a fascinating, fractured world that truly comes to life on the page; itâs remarkable that Theodore manages to establish the world and its cultures and races so well straight off the bat. And as if that isnât enough, she introduces an alien race and culture into the mix, juggling them all with aplomb.â â Alan Brenik âThe worldbuilding is incredibly epic for a newly minted author and hints at uncovering even more as this series evolves.â â Koeur |
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Birthrights by David A Trotter The old gods are dead. The new ones are silver and steam. A lone warrior must rediscover their identity, all while coping with copious amounts change. Gone from the hills and wilds of the north, Darius must acclimate to city life. He must learn to trust in a city filled with deceit, all while trying to discern the true meaning behind these strange dreams that take him far into other realms. |
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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? |
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The Vitruvian Mask by BJ Sikes Are you intrigued by 19th century Paris with its artists and nobility? How about an alternate history version with forbidden technology and nuns with supernatural powers? 1881: The electric lights of Paris have been extinguished. The Naturalist revolution is over. Adelaide was on the losing side. Once the Royal Scientist Doctor for the now-dead cyborg monarchs of France, she's now a fugitive, hiding from the new king's Police SĂ©crĂšte. Pregnant and alone, she seeks refuge in a Parisian hospital but things have changed there too. What was once a cathedral of Science is now a bastion of ignorance and superstition. The battlefield veterans whose Augmented prosthetics she once created are shunned by the new regime and come to the hospital for her help. But her nemesis, the father of her child, has returned to France and threatens to reveal her illegal activities to the authorities. Can Adelaide repair her Augmented patients without losing her freedom ... or her life? The Vitruvian Mask continues the story of Adelaide Coumain, the Roboticist of Versailles, that began in The Archimedean Heart. |
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The Timespeaker by Brit Stanford 2023 Whitney Award Nominee Desperate to be a hero. Born a demon. Win JorHali can steal minutes and years, spreading death and decay with a touch. He should have turned himself over to the gods for rightful execution years ago, but heâs seen death, and he fears it. Determined to prove himself worthy of the life he clings to, Win struggles to smother his growing power and provide for his family. When his secret is discovered, Win chooses to masquerade as his godâs greatest hero: the glorious Timespeaker. As Chief Executioner for the gods, Win thinks heâs found his true purpose, but a violent rebellion is brewing among his people, and the girl he loves has joined its ranks. He has the power to destroy any enemy, but who is the enemy? His gods arenât what they seem, his people are merciless in their destruction, and Time itself seems to be splintering under Winâs ignorant hand. The world is unraveling and Win has the power to save it, but at what cost? And in the end, what will he be? Hero or villain? |
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Can a path of blood lead to redemption? Is redemption enough to amend a wayward world? Morality and reality have shifted from their natural axis. Technology and ideology derive from the remnants of a world long dead and segregated by the monsters that now rule the seas. Crow, a young ranch hand, is swept into an odyssey of redemption and revenge as he strives to hold back the ravages of fate and the urges born of a curse shared with his new mentor. Callus, an exile struggling to find redemption whilst keeping his vampiric curse from tainting his new ward, pursues his prey across the sea. The new world they discover reveals a tyrannical society fixated on their councilâs ascension to godhood. |
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The Inversion Solution by Scott Marlowe The city of Brighton is in chaos. Infernal science inverted half the population. The other half fights for survival. The Alchemancer series continues. Half of Brightonâs population paid the price when Aaron failed to stop the Nullification Engine. The situation worsens when eslar invaders, led by Ensel Rheâs brother-in-law, Balrabbek, arrive in Brighton intent on completing Ingrid Kaneâs work. Forced into an alliance with them, Aaron soon realizes the engineâs effect went well beyond the cityâs borders and that much more is at stake than he ever imagined. When Ensel Rhe learns of Balrabbekâs arrival, he wants nothing more than to take revenge on him for the murder of his son. But his brother-in-lawâs deceit and his ambitions went much further than he thought. Now, he must end those ambitions, no matter the cost. Meanwhile, Serena flees from the chaos consuming Brighton, only to find that escape is a fleeting thing as her inability to control her magic continues to haunt her. When she learns of the Griffinâs mission to retrieve the secrets of a lifesaving vitality serum, she sees it as a way to save both her people and herself. |