Their Village, Their Fortress by Dylan Madeley

"A heroic death is not the goal. Survival is. Our survival, that of this community, and that of everything which matters most to us." When a calamitous new weapon fells a fortress once considered invincible, one soldier rides home to deliver the terrible news. This journey is against orders, but he insists no village is too small to be warned of what's coming, even if he's not sure what they can do. He delivers an impassioned call to action, daring them to try. Reconnecting with his community involves reconsidering why he left it, and what he might regret having left behind; but he soon faces scrutiny when they realize something about his appeal doesn't add up. Join the struggle of eclectic villagers as each decides their answer. Each confronts what's happening however they must, journeying through their emotions and sometimes delving into their personal histories to reconcile themselves. Each resister's specialties enrich their efforts to scrape together a victory from what's on hand. The events to follow reveal not just how they will fight, but why. Their truth, their skills, and their efforts enable them to resist—but even if they believe, can a hastily-prepared volunteer militia of farmers defeat a battalion of trained soldiers?

The Redemption of Jarek by Dylan Madeley

But this day… Jarek knows of none in his life yet worse than this one. Much of Jarek’s youth revolved around making him fit for the throne, but one terrible day in adulthood finds him defeated, humiliated, and banned from the capital. He may only return upon complete surrender. Once home, he faces a trial by his commanders, though they are also fugitives by decree. Their land is a former province cut off from royal support, only kept free by the number of soldiers loyal to Jarek; but he swore to uphold the terms of his defeat, never to attack the capital. As every illusion Jarek lived under is falling apart, he receives a visitor who tells him how people have suffered under his oblivious leadership. He faces a choice: drink himself to death while everything falls apart or change his land for the better. The latter might be impossible. Just as he makes his choice, strangers arrive from a part of the world unknown to him, seeking a free and peaceful life, warning of a tyrant who pursues them. The story of their homeland is also told. What is Jarek willing to do? And will anything ever be enough?

The Fate of Lenn by Dylan Madeley

"Like a book already written, turn a page forward or back, read a line or a page, yet all the words in that book exist at once, unchanging; is this how you see it? Like fate? Do we fall no matter what I do?" Future generations will mythologize Duke Lenn Wancyek, but he is a person like any other. He feels hope, worry, loss, pain, and the weight of a kingdom on his shoulders. When his responsibilities place him in a catastrophic situation from which he may not escape, his values will resonate through his actions more thoroughly than any speech he could ever make. You will meet everyone who looks to him and you will see their struggles which run concurrent with his: a friend and adviser who wishes to steer him right; three musicians who think they have landed the greatest job in the kingdom; a gardener who does so much yet asks so little; a woman who works to free her people. The list goes on, but time grows short. You will meet the man who becomes the legend. You will know the fate of Lenn. Cover by Jenn St-Onge

Prince Ewald the Brave by Dylan Madeley

"No, father. You have gotten your way for too long. This ends here." Meet the Kenderleys, the wealthiest and most powerful family in the world. The youngest, Prince Bonifaz, takes his lessons and trusts no one. The middle child, Princess Isabel, sneaks away to a secret regency of her own making. Their mother, Queen Dulcibella, watches out for her children just as readily as she watches over them. Their father, King Jonnecht, is a capricious tyrant who hopes to control his family as strictly as he does the largest empire, and his violent rage threatens all under his rule. Then there’s Prince Ewald, eldest and heir to the throne. No one is more aware of the threat his father poses to everyone. No one has better legal standing to do anything about it. How can he save everyone he loves while upholding his mother’s kind values? He must learn the lessons required to be the best regent, choose allies wisely and earn their trust, and enact a thoughtful and detailed plan. And even if he succeeds in all that, can one who draws the line and conducts a plan with honour defeat one whose rage, selfishness, and deceit know no bounds? Can Prince Ewald stop his father? A standalone prequel to the Gift-Knight Trilogy. Cover by Jenn St-Onge.

The Bone Drenched Woods by L.V. Russell

Carve the bones. One for the gate, one for the door, two for the mantel, and three for the floor… Hyacinth Turning knows the terrors beyond her village, the insatiable hunger of the Teeth. She listens to the sermons given by the Elders in their hare-skin masks. She watches as the heathens hang and the witches burn. They tell her to be good and quiet. But Hyacinth is neither good nor quiet. After a series of tragic events, Hyacinth finds herself hastily wedded and sent far away from all she has ever known to a settlement at the edge of the sea. Where more than just the Teeth are hungry. Another horror swims below, leviathan shadows kept at bay by offerings of flesh and bone. But no sooner does Hyacinth take root in her new home do the Teeth and the Deep come to feed. Suspicion soon falls upon the outspoken Hyacinth, who spends more time with the outcasted Morgan Carroway than her own husband. The Elders want her burned, her husband wants her hanged, and a long-lost love claws at her dreams, but Hyacinth only wants one thing. A life and death of her choosing.

The Black Carnival by Harlequin Grim

The year is 1886 in New Sarum, England, and Atherton Graves only knows a life surrounded by corpses. Amidst a rash of child deaths, he alone suspects they are the product of murder. At least, that’s what the ghosts in his mortuary tell him. But there’s hardly time to hunt the killer; Atherton has just sold a cadaver to a spiritualist at the notorious Black Carnival, and the town gang known as the Disciples is not going to take that lightly. Caught between a serial killer, a circus bursting with foul characters, and his spiraling madness amongst the restless dead, Atherton will undoubtedly become the villain of his own story. The question remains: who, if any, will be unscathed by the rampant destruction he’s invited?

The Heavens Within Our Grasp by The Furry Historical Fiction Society

When empires collapse, when plague and invasion threaten, when the knowledge and culture of the old order is slipping away and being forgotten, it is writing that safeguards the future. Study these tales, then. By candlelight, by lamplight, by the noonday sun. Find in them the strength, and weakness, of feudal monarchs, the piety of monks both literal and figurative, and the fear of forgetting and being forgotten that is the beginning of knowledge: for it is these which may yet put The Heavens Within Our Grasp.

Unseen by RD Baker

One forced vow One devastating truth One forbidden obsession London, 1865 Born a baron’s daughter, young Evangeline Brimworth knows a thing or two about aristocracy’s politics. Though she never thought she’d be the bargaining chip. When her family winds up penniless and her hand in marriage is sold to a man old enough to be her geriatric grandfather to restore their fortune. But Evangeline refuses to be caged without a fight—and she’s willing to risk everything to escape. The last person she expected to get in her way is her stepson. Azriel Caine. Cynical, mysterious, and seemingly following her every step. Because somehow, he holds a dangerous secret about her over her head, and unless she wants to destroy her reputation, she must do as he says. Including wed him. Their impropriety is nothing new for Azriel, and he hardly cares. He believes in obsession. In possession. And the more Evangeline peels back his layers, she finds herself craving his darkness almost as much as she fears it. Fans of Bridgerton craving the scandalous, wicked underbelly of high society will devour this dark, taboo romance from bestselling author RD Baker that will leave you swooning, reeling, and gasping at every turn.

Manzakar by R. Laham

The Gohari are nomads—pansexual, magic-born, and feared. Under the wrath of Cenk, the god of Anzor, their freedom has been stolen. Their unmatched skills in horsemanship and archery have been twisted into weapons, forging the Manzakars—an unstoppable army of slave-soldiers. Tikran became a Manzakar to save his starving family, rising through the ranks to become the king’s most celebrated bodyguard. To him, the brotherhood of soldiers meant honor, justice, and glory. Until the campaigns brought him back to Gohar. Until he saw his people subjugated, their magic drained to feed Anzor’s power. Until he realized he was fighting for the enemy. Now Tikran must choose between loyalty to the crown and the survival of his people. To defy the king could cost him his life. To stay silent could doom a nation.

Forged of Immortal Blood by V. M. Nelson

A Norse farm girl fated to save the gods. A best friend and lover turned valkyrie. A fierce right hand to the jarl with a secret that might end his life. Their forbidden love for each other may ruin them and the gods’ plan to change their own future. Every year, the gods pay a visit to Skuld—the most powerful seer—to receive a vision of what their future holds. This year’s foresight will lead them to Solveig, a young woman fated to save them from their demise. Solveig doesn’t know that she is part of the gods’ destiny. She only knows she was born into a world that will not let her love her best friend—Hilde—and instead takes everything from her, including her choice of who she will marry. In a desperate attempt to plan their getaway, Solveig and Hilde encounter the gods’ seer, who tells them their prophecies. After that, nothing is the same. Solveig, desperate to get away from her betrothed—a man of great cruelty—runs away, leaving everything behind. Alone and afraid, death comes for her, and she finds an unlikely ally who offers her two different paths. Become the warrior she has always wanted to be and maybe one day return to her family or hide in a neighboring village and change everything she is, in hopes that the man she is running from never finds her. When the odds are against you, what path would you take?

Tales of Yamato by Odessa Silver

Yamato. A land of lavish forests, full of life… and loss. The beautiful string of islands, surrounded by expansive seas, hide a harsh reality: Wrathful gods, dangerous yokai, and humans who could end your life with a slice of the sword. Follow the lives of those surviving in any way they can, while cherishing love found along the way. When the great sea god Susanoo is controlled more and more by the destructive part of his soul, he must do all he can to keep himself from harming humanity. A tanuki father goes on a quest to prepare his young pup to blend in to the dangerous human world and causes mischief and mayhem along the way. Lightning brings both luck and tragedy to a young boy who desperately picks peaches to save his sick mother. Fourteen tales will take you on a journey with humans, gods, and yokai, showing how each one isn’t so different from the other. And that, even in death, there will always be those who will honour your life.

A Designer Magick by Fox N. Locke

Vlyn Adare is an illegal magick user hiding in plain sight, a seamstress going nowhere fast. When she’s not dreaming of being Vlyn’s beau, socialite Shirley Hollister fantasises about being a fashion designer but is stuck in a rut as a receptionist. To escape his fundamentalist family, Ellory Miller begrudgingly becomes a mage, even if he only wants to make magickal couture. Rejected by both the mages and gender critical witches, Niven is forced to become a freelancer, hunting rogue magickal users to avoid arrest themself. Lien Bassett, a trans journalist living stealth, has been trying for decades in vain to hold the mage Tower to account. All five are brought together after Ellory blows the whistle on the Head Mage’s criminal activity. Hidden prisons, protests, dramatic magick battles, and plenty of fabulous fashion await them. Unashamedly queer – and built around a slow burn F/F romance – A Designer Magick investigates mental health, gender, and freedom of speech in an evocative 1920s style setting. For fans of V.E. Schwab and C.L. Polk.

Blood of the Kami by Baptiste Pinson Wu

For centuries, the Yaseki have fought the corrupted souls who seek to plunge Japan into darkness. But the fragile balance is now shifting toward the forces of evil. Ren Fudō, a young Soul Hunter blessed with the blood of the kami, receives a mission from Amaterasu Ōmikami. This simple errand is a spirit-given chance to pay off his debt to the Yaseki. But as he and his new companion, a shrine maiden possessed by a violent land kami, take to the road, Ren remembers that spirits never give for nothing. The mission turns more dangerous and crucial with every step. The future of Japan now rests on their shoulders, and an army of Yōkai stands on their path.

Swords & Stones by Kimberly Lynn Hanson

It started with a sword. And it will end with one, too. Seventeen-year-old Ren Bedivere is no stranger to the protected life in Camelot, even though the rest of the kingdom is war-torn in the aftermath of King Arthur’s reign. As the son of a respected Knight of the Round Table, he’s trained his entire life with the expectation of becoming the first person knighted since Arthur’s death. But when his name isn’t called at the knighting ceremony, and his girlfriend betrays him by joining forces with Mordred’s vengeful sorcerer son seeking the throne, Ren is thrust into a world of self-doubt, questioning the life he knows. With a nudge from Merlin, Ren sets out on a rogue quest with his friends by his side—his supportive twin sister, the wise-cracking best friend, and a mysterious druid girl who is more than she appears. Together, they must venture to retrieve the legendary sword Excalibur to protect their home. The quest leads to an ancient magic that may save Camelot but uncovers a generation of lies about the king and his knights that, once revealed, threaten to destroy the kingdom. In the shadow of betrayal, Ren must choose to embrace the legacy of the knights who came before or shatter the myths to tell his own story.

Witchborne by Rachel Grosvenor

In medieval Locklear, Agnes harbours a dangerous secret - she can touch fire without being burned. As war rages beyond the town and whispers of witchcraft echo through its streets, Agnes navigates arranged marriages, rival’s schemes, and the threat of the hangman’s noose. When a desperate bargain with a local widow goes awry, Agnes’s world erupts in flames - she is accused of witchcraft. In a society that fears female power, can Agnes find the strength to forge her own destiny?

Chapel at Ender’s Ridge by Beckett Krane

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

Waves Take Your Bones by Athena Giles

Tallis and Finn, simple farmers, find their quiet village overrun by shriekers, a horde of undead revenants. After a devastating attack and heartbreaking losses, they must flee the only land they’ve known for the capital of the kingdom of Okaesa. Along the way, Tallis and Finn are separated from the other refugees, with their only escape across the Nightmare Bridge, a thing of horrific legends, which leaves them both scarred from the experience. In the capital, there is still no safety, for Tallis and Finn are drafted into the navy aboard separate ships, under dueling commanders. Amid struggling with the loss of their home they might find themselves crossing blades with those dearest to them who have fallen to the mysterious undead disease. The capital, an island fortress seems to be the last refuge of the kingdom, until Tallis discovers the undead have learned to sail… Check out Athena Giles debut book, Waves Take Your Bones!

A Legacy of Blood and Bone by Millie Abecassis

“A gothic gem, rich with dread, desire, and a magic system as haunting as it is original.” —April Yates, author of Ashthorne For fans of Shannon Fay’s Innate Magic and Alix E. Harrow’s Starling House comes A LEGACY OF BLOOD AND BONE—a spellbinding debut set in an alternate Belle Époque France, brimming with intrigue, dangerous magic, and a swooning, slow-burn sapphic romance. “Blood is life. Bones are strength. Flesh is control. Skin is death.” Every blessed family knows this mantra, and Aubeline—gifted with blood magic and heiress to the powerful Sterraux line—is no exception. When her father dies unexpectedly, Aubeline inherits the title of Countess. But her brother Renan soon challenges her claim, demanding the title of Count for himself—and quietly coveting guardianship of their young niece, Damarisse. As sinister forces gather around Renan and his allies wield forbidden, deadly power, Aubeline must seek out unlikely companions to protect Damarisse, expose her brother’s true intentions, and stop a catastrophe that could unravel their world. She never expected her greatest ally to be Damarisse’s new private teacher, Vinnie—a clairvoyant woman cursed with uncontrollable visions. Nor did she expect to fall in love with her, defying every rule of polite society and risking everything for a chance at love in a world built on blood and secrets.

Echoes by Utunu

Tales of times long past fill us with wonder, allowing us to envision lives and possibilities far from the worries of our own, very real world. Echoes is a collection of short stories and poems written with anthropomorphic animals in mind. From tales of magic at the dawn of civilization to historical fiction of the antiquity and beyond, may they inspire you to dream of worlds all your own.

His Name is Junsaku by Tenkara Smart

Amidst the grandeur and tradition of feudal Japan, where samurai warriors clash in deadly battles and the shogunate reigns supreme, one man stands out. Junsaku Aoyama, driven by an unshakeable belief in his destiny, is determined to become Japan's greatest samurai. But as Junsaku pursues his dreams, he is faced with a difficult choice when he meets a Lithuanian woman who disembarks a Dutch merchant ship. Caught between his loyalty to his country and his growing love for her, Junsaku must navigate the treacherous waters of honour and duty, even as a mysterious ghost draped in black warns him of impending danger. His Name is Junsaku is the page-turning sequel to She Named Me Wolf, transporting readers to 17th-century Japan, where Junsaku, much like Wolf, encounters a ghost that brings him messages and warnings about his life’s path. As he faces various challenges and opportunities, Junsaku evolves into a skilled warrior and a master of martial arts. Yet, beneath his growing prowess lies a shadow of past-life tragedy that lingers in his soul. Will Junsaku unravel the cryptic meanings of the apparition’s messages before time slips away, or will his past continue to haunt him until it is too late?

Blood Ties: A Collection of Three Covenant of Blood Shorts by J.S. Living

Liz is trapped in a mind prison. Dmitri wants to marry the girl of his dreams. Angelo wants to keep his research from being destroyed. Blood Ties is a companion collection to The Covenant of Blood, and answers questions like how Liz came to exist in Elizabeth Bathory Tepes's subconscious; how Dmitri became the PI; and why Angelo agreed to a marriage he didn't want. If you loved The Covenant of Blood, this short story collection will be a perfect addition to your library.

The Covenant of Blood by J.S. Living

What would you do if someone granted your deepest desire for one tiny favor? What would you give up to gain your freedom? And, if it came down to it, who would you save: yourself, or a loved one? Elizabeth Bathory-Tepes wants to find the mother that abandoned her. She wants to find her father's soul. And she wants to know why she blackouts from time to time. But getting what you want comes at a cost. And, sometimes, the cost of blood is too high.

Koala and the Darkness: A Bermuda Triangle Mystery by Jared Michael Bull

When Koala, a teenaged orphan misfit living in an island seaport village, encounters a mysterious dark illness that is killing her hunting obsessed town, she sets off foot into the dark forest to discover a cure. But the forest is deadly, home to the village's greatest enemy, the Griffins, massive wolf-like creatures which hunt the villagers relentlessly at night and whose soul desire is to eat man flesh. As if the forest isn't dangerous enough there's even rumors of a dark witch that haunts unsuspecting townspeople making random appearances during the rising and settings of the sun. As Koala journeys the forest her adopting Father King Doti, the lead warrior of the elite griffin hunting team called the Gurkhas, must discover a new way to fight the threat across the ocean, the East Indian Company. Having just upped the quota for the island's fur production which is maintained by killing Griffins for their fur skins Doti must find and recruit more warriors and train them. If not, the East Indian Company will wreck, pillage, and burn their village. As Koala braves the forest with her trusted side-kick fox Fennec, she learns of her adopted Father's dark history, discovers the dark origin of the mysterious illness, finds her real mother, and races against time to find a cure and defeat the mercenaries of the East India Company to save her people.

Chasing Moonflowers by Pauline Chow

A gothic historical fantasy perfect for fans of These Violent Delights, House of Hollow, and Enola Holmes, Chasing Moonflowers is a coming-of-power tale that asks: What truly makes a monster? In 1925 colonial Hong Kong, young herbalist Ling Shaw witnesses a murder committed by a bloodthirsty creature. When her uncle is wrongfully arrested for the crime, Ling is the only one who can clear the family name and find the real killer. Teaming up with her private academy best friend and a Red Society thug from the Kowloon Walled City, she uncovers dark family secrets, occult rituals, a vampiric curse, and a sinister plot to bring down the Canton Labor Strikes. Ling must overcome ancient and eldritch forces to save her family—and all of Kowloon. Email paulinechowstories@gmail.com for a reviewer's copy or ARC.

Rainsquall by Penny Moss

Lone shepherd Folke is content to drift through life without the hassle of others. Yet his quiet days come to a thunderous end when a storm forces three enigmatic men to seek refuge in his secluded cottage. Suddenly, Folke’s world is crowded with all the things he worked to avoid, while opening up to many alluring possibilities. Warm skin, shared breaths, and the caress of lips beguile him into what he knows will lead to heartbreak. Each day he grows closer to the men is another day until their inevitable departure—and to secrets that could change all he knows.

Saints and Monsters by Ellen McGinty

With her crooked spine and reckless heart, Princess Meera always knew she wasn't meant to become queen of Ezo. But when her sister, the rightful heir, is cursed on the eve of her coronation, Meera must defend her kingdom from ruthless invaders by taking the throne. Yet, while some countries have simple coronations, in Ezo . . . The princess must first claim a sea dragon. Only the dragon is vicious, perfect, and whole-everything Meera is not. And if the dragon doesn't deem her worthy, it will devour her. Turning to the Saints for help, she doesn't anticipate that her actions will transform the dragon into a mortal, or that she'll steal his heart . . . literally. Now, as two hearts beat inside Meera's chest, she's reminded that her life is entwined with a dragon, who despises her weaknesses. Despite their differences, they must work together to reverse the curse and save the kingdom before more is lost than their stolen hearts.

Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch

An entrapped lord and a magician whose sex life melts windows; will love destroy them, or set them free? Lord Thornby has been trapped on his father’s isolated Yorkshire estate for a year. There are no bars or chains; he simply can’t leave. His sanity is starting to fray. When industrial magician John Blake arrives to investigate a case of witchcraft, he finds the peculiar, arrogant Thornby as alarming as he is attractive. John soon finds himself caught up in a dark fairytale, where all the rules of magic—and love—are changed. To set Thornby free, both men must face life-changing truths—and John must accept that the brave, witty man who’s winning his heart may also be about to break it. Can they escape a web of magic that’s as perilous as love? Genre: Fantasy historical m/m romance Novel-length standalone book, approx 80,000 words

The Wisp and the Wolf by Jeanne Renee

Meg Quinn has a promise to keep. A talented but withdrawn artist, she begrudgingly travels to the wilds of North Wales to fulfill her late mother’s dying wish—to make amends with her estranged and pregnant identical twin with whom she shares a clairvoyant bond. But before Meg can reach her sister, an inexplicable encounter with an eldritch yew tree thrusts her deep into the past. The year is now 1402 and the native people of Wales, the Cymry, are locked in an ambitious uprising against England. Here Meg meets Steffan Blaidd, a war-weary Welsh archer who finds himself outlawed by a powerful rival and forced to join the revolt after saving Meg’s life—a revolt Meg knows to be doomed. Plunged into the harsh, vibrant world of the Cymry, Meg knows the mystical connection with her sister demands resolution—as does her growing affection for Steffan and the world to which he belongs. Torn between desire and duty, the future and the past, Meg must discover her own strength if she is to survive the treacheries of war and grasp her true fate.

Dissonance of Bird Song by Alexandra Beaumont

In the storm-riven wilds of ancient Cornwall the sea's whisper will charm us all. "Dissonance of Bird Song" is the folkloric-fantasy tale of Eseld, a song-weaver fleeing her home to cure the sacred birds of her people and save her sister. Locked between the lies of land-dwellers and the snare of an ancient sea queen, Eseld must fight to find her own path. Amidst a storm of betrayal and heartbreak, what will Eseld sacrifice to save the ones she loves? Readers who enjoyed Lucy Hounsom’s "Sistersong," Naomi Novik’s "Uprooted," and Sam Horton's "Gorse" will love "Dissonance of Bird Song."

The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles

A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell. Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn’t expect it to turn up angry. Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude…and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual. Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn’t the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die.

Scythe and Pen by A.C. Hobbs

Demetrius Raske strikes a deal with the Devil to stop a monster stalking the city, but he may have unleashed another villain entirely… The Capital of the United League of Nations glitters like jewels on a dame’s neck—a city of wicked splendor and possibility. The deals struck in the Senate are as ruthless as the ones struck in the city’s criminal underbelly. No one knows this better than vampire politician Demetrius Raske, who walks both worlds. Demetrius fights for a bill that will grant humans and vampires equal civil liberties. But many citizens don’t share his sentiment, especially after the murders begin. Body after body, drained of blood, appear throughout the city, threatening the League’s tenuous peace treaty between humans and vampires. If Demetrius’s bill doesn’t pass the Senate, his campaign for a united future will be crushed. Only one man has the ability to apprehend the bloodthirsty monster—a man known simply as the Devil. And rumor has it, he isn’t a man at all. Together, they strike a deal to catch the murderer before Demetrius’s bill fails—a disaster that would push the League to the brink of civil war. But Demetrius’s calculated moves don’t go unnoticed. He catches the attention of Gabriella Rose, a journalist whose hunt for her next big headline pushes her right into the murderer’s path, costing her everything she holds dear. Now something dark grows within Gabriella—a power her allies wish to control and her enemies want to exploit. The only way Demetrius and Gabriella can save themselves—and the city they love—is to strike another deal with the Devil. But their villainous partner is playing his own game. And soon they will learn how the Devil earned his name.

Coup de Coeur by Halli Starling

A queer historical fantasy/romance set in a version of 1899 New York City where magic is common and convenient, Coup de Coeur follows the journey of three men whose fates are tied to the seemingly sudden appearance of a strange, possibly sentient, grimoire. Calix Addington, Earl of Batherton, has a complicated relationship with his friend and former classmate, Lawton Adler. Lawton’s tendency to attract, and often cause, trouble leaves Calix sometimes holding the bag (which definitely happens). Calix is also harboring a secret – he’s an Oracle, like his mother, and in a world where small magic is meant for aesthetics and convenience, larger displays of magic are frowned upon, sometimes illegal, and very much what the church and several important organizations fear. When Calix is stuck with a strange book after Lawton’s shady dealings go wrong one spring morning, he takes shelter in Ethaniel Harkness’s magical tailoring shop. Calix and Ethaniel know each other as customer and tailor, but Ethaniel’s kind heart won’t let Calix stay in danger. As Calix hears the strange book speak in his mind, Ethaniel contacts his old flame Aubrey Lavigne. Aubrey’s expertise with magical objects as the curator for the Magnificus Collectio, an archive hidden behind a tourist trap museum, will be key to understanding what this book truly is. Magic, love, lust, fear, and danger run rampant as this strange book becomes the catalyst for a much larger plot conducted by a secret sect known as The Golden Order. With The Golden Order giving chase to retrieve the book, Calix, Ethaniel, and Aubrey’s lives tangle and they must flee the city to separate Calix from the book, shake off their pursuers, and find time for their burgeoning attractions. COUP DE COEUR has deep roots in the real-life queer history of New York City, but also in art and culture.

The Half Killed by Quenby Olson

A dark apparition stalks the streets of Victorian London... Dorothea Hawes has no wish to renew contact with what lies beyond the veil. After an attempt to take her own life, she has retired into seclusion, but as the wounds on her body heal, she is drawn back into a world she wants nothing more than to avoid. She is sought out by Julian Chissick, a former man of God who wants her help in discovering who is behind the gruesome murder of a young woman. But the manner of death is all too familiar to Dorothea, and she begins to fear that something even more terrible is about to unleash itself on London. And so Dorothea risks her life and her sanity in order to save people who are oblivious to the threat that hovers over them. It is a task that forces her into a confrontation with her own lurid past, and tests her ability to shape events frighteningly beyond her control.

Keep Me by Brien Feathers

Time is a great wheel, and history repeats itself... unless it breaks, plunging the city of the living into the realm of death. Reaper volunteers to drive his sensei home to Yukiyama, believing the road trip will benefit his teacher’s spiraling mental health. However, unbeknownst to them both, a thousand-year-old enemy has resurrected and awaits them at Moonlight. Out of time and options, Ayame must go to the Immortal Court. But Jade Palace is a thicket of tall grass teeming with slithering snakes, and she must discern friend from foe if she intends to return to the floating world to help her family. Death descends upon Nara as Immortal Father comes to Sunlit City in search of the royal diviner. As the final hour approaches, everyone must choose their allegiances, including Ayame, whose father and lord are destined to clash. Keep Me is the conclusion to the Royal Diviner Trilogy and has content advisory for violence and intimate situations.

Find Me by Brien Feathers

No crime is too atrocious to save a beloved. Storm spirit Reiko meets the peculiar girl, Yuki, at the Palace of a Thousand Rays to continue the story of Immortal Ayame and Warlord Kyuzo on the road to Sunlit City. Nara winter is harsh, and enemies wait around the bend. The entourage arrives at the capital with a loss of life. Yet the dying is only beginning. When the emperor crowns Sora, the Ishii clashes head-on with Prince Hissing Blade. In the twisted games the dark diviner plays Ayame becomes a hostage, and to save her Kyuzo must break an oath to his emperor. The Sinai War begins in the second installment of the Royal Diviner Trilogy, and heavy losses mount on both sides. Full of heartbreak, betrayal, magic, and morally grey characters, Find Me is a dark fantasy tale with a hefty dose of romance. Reader discretion is advised for violence and intimate situations.

Remember Me by Brien Feathers

Guard your heart and go home or fall for a stranger and perish. Reiko is the immortal spirit of the storm. Seeking to unravel a reoccurring dream that perplexes her, she visits the mortal realm during the Soul Festival and boards a train to the historical district of Sunlit City. There, in the imperial palace of old Nara, she finds no answers, only more questions as a peculiar girl indulges her with a tale of a disgraced deity and a mortal warlord. Ayame has a bad temper. She slapped the Immortal Emperor’s sorceress, and her punishment was to spend a decade on earth as a mortal—a task easier said than done. Nara is amidst its centuries long warring era, the age of the warlords. To navigate this treacherous new world, Ayame befriends a wine-loving, trickster fox spirit, and scrapes by as a servant in the household of one of the greater clans. Toiling day and night, she’s made do for five years and dreams of the day she can return home. But war arrives. When death announces itself outside her door, she assumes the identity of a noble and finds herself betrothed to the youngest son of an enemy clan, his father a ruthless warlord. To live, Ayame must play her role, but she soon she finds herself dangerously drawn not to her intended husband, but to the infamous warlord himself. In the tumultuous world of a warring empire, trouble is always on the horizon. Betrayals run deep within families and clans, and nothing is as it seems. All Ayame wants is to survive her banishment and return home, yet she may risk it all for a mortal man. A vicious killer, twice her age, nothing is right about him, including his insanely possessive concubine out to get Ayame. She knows it, but can she control her temperament, or will she find herself at odds with yet another court, this time a deadly one? A slow burn dark fantasy, Remember Me is Book 1 of the Royal Diviner Trilogy, and comes with content advisory for violence and intimate situations.

Reclaimed by Seth Hadon

Saba Vasili, a scholar of the astral sea, faces a harrowing accusation: an arcane device he designed has malfunctioned and an entire district of the city has been obliterated and a foreign dignitary has been killed. Charged with murder, Saba is incarcerated on the orders of Byrengrad's ruling council, the Triad. Ambassador Luan Zek of the Rezwyn Empire is dispatched to take custody of the alleged murderer of his countryman. But seeing Saba's pathetic state, Zek questions whether Saba is truly guilty or only the Triad's scapegoat. With Byrengrad's fate in the balance, Saba and Zek must uncover the truth behind the arcane catastrophe and stop the malfunctioning device that is jeopardizing the fabric of their whole world. Can one act of compassion save the world?

A Tragedy of Sacrifice by Kaylea Prime

Freedom demands sacrifice, but only from those brave enough to inspire change. Haunted by a life-shattering decision she will forever regret, Arínor craves a sense of belonging instead of being branded as wicked. Feared for her Celestial magic and her ability to shape-shift into a lightning bird, she draws unwanted attention both from supporters and opposers of the evil Vashi. When her own people accuse her of treachery and threaten her family’s lives, Arínor flees Arwé through a portal to Earth, sacrificing everything she knows to protect those she loves. Then she meets Clemency. Though restricted by society’s expectations of a married woman and mother in 1769 Boston, Clemency longs to influence change with her astute political insights on the rising tensions between the Patriots and Loyalists. When she meets Arínor, a woman seemingly freed from the constraints imprisoning Clemency, she is inspired to start an empowering women’s group and try publishing her political writing. Arínor, in turn, is inspired to use her Void magic for healing instead of deprivation. But as their friendship grows, and Arínor’s feelings for Clemency deepen, tensions escalate in Massachusetts. Rallies turn to riots, jealousy and fear weave webs of distrust, and rumours of witchcraft follow in Arínor’s wake. Faced with once again losing everything she loves, Arínor must choose whether to right her wrongs and sacrifice for the greater good or embrace her wickedness and become the person everyone fears her to be. A Tragedy of Sacrifice is a prequel novella set almost one hundred and fifty years before A Spark From Embers - volume one in the fantasy series, Tears of Flame.

A Spark From Embers by Kaylea Prime

A spark smolders within every fading ember. Awaiting the right moment to reignite. To blaze into an inferno. Eighteen-year-old Sadie’s fiery ambitions have faded to embers. Her dreams of escaping the shackles of her conventional life and seeking heroic adventures have been doused by an arranged marriage. Women in 1914 were expected to be Helen of Troy, not Achilles. Doomed to the life of obscurity she always feared, Sadie takes a chance on an anonymous note—and finds a mirror portal to Arwé, the parallel world featured in her shunned great-grandfather’s book. But when she steps through, the portal closes behind her. Cut off from her brother Connor and stuck with Tristan, the enigmatic man sent to guide her to Arwé, Sadie learns it will take more than trading the mundane for the magical to reignite the embers of her heart. Controversial fire and forbidden celestial magics threaten to consume her, layered secrets mask friend from foe, and she’s caught in a civil war she inadvertently accelerated. Walking through that portal should have been freeing. Empowering. So why did she feel more trapped? Convinced his sister is gone forever, Connor enlists in a war he doesn’t believe in. Before long, he uncovers a dark conspiracy rooted in emerging electrical science. When her enemies offer her the chance to return home, Sadie discovers not even her wild imagination has prepared her for the sobering reality of what happens when you play with fire. A SPARK FROM EMBERS is The Ten Thousand Doors of January meets the Narnia series, except if Lucy had gone through the wardrobe alone, leaving Edmund to enlist and battle the demons of his inner Witch.

The Alpha’s Concubine by Claudia King

Taken from her people. Claimed by an alpha. Forced into a new life. In a time before tools of metal and houses of wood, tooth and claw rule the wild places of the world. The Moon People have been enemies to Netya's kind for as long as the stars can remember. They are monsters, demons, men and women who take the shapes of beasts. The murderers of her father. An outsider taken as a prize by the pack, Netya must overcome suspicion, rivalry, and the division of her own heart as she grows to realise that monsters wear many different faces. Among the Moon People she uncovers the potential of a life she never knew existed. The chance for a woman to become something more than a prize, or a mother, or a concubine. But as the alpha and others vie for her heart, the powerful huntress Vaya seeks to purge Netya from her pack. Before Netya can decide where she belongs, she must endure the trials of love, hatred, and heartbreak. The girl taken as a trophy must become a woman.

The Sneaky Lass by Kennedy Sutton

Jane has been many things in her life. A wife. A widow. A thief. A prostitute. Most recently, a woman seeking any means of escape from Grand Port. Flying no colors and desperate for crew, Sneaky Lass is a damaged brig in no position to look too closely at any volunteers, no matter how ill-suited to sea life they may be. After a series of decisions Jane can’t turn back from, she commits one final act of desperation; she dons stolen boots, shorn hair, and the name Dixon Ables to take up with the crew of Sneaky Lass. Now she finds herself in a position where she must keep up her boyish disguise or be thrown into the briny deep. Concrete plans to leave the ship at the next port turn fluid as Jane becomes enamored by the mystery of the ropes, the lullaby of waves against the hull, and the wind in the sails. That the crewmen are far from the salty rogues she expected doesn't help her resolve. Among the filthy men, the roar of cannons, the critical eye of a whip-wielding quartermaster, and beneath the weight of her own lies, Jane finds something she long believed a fantasy—Family. Even the frequent gaze of the fine and fair-minded captain isn't enough to send her towards shore… yet. She doesn't want to sacrifice everything until she is sure he knows her secret, or perhaps his attentions are something else, something more. The problem is her new life belongs to the man called Dixon, not the woman called Jane. The longer she stays aboard Sneaky Lass, the closer she grows to losing everything she's come to value; new friends, the only home she's ever known, her life. Deceptions are difficult on land, but in the close quarters of a pirate ship, they can be deadly.

The Potion Gardener by Arden Powell

Desperate to escape a messy romance, Florian Mulberry flees London: tipsy, panicked, and without a plan. It’s while hiding in a rural garden shed that he meets Kells, a potion witch, who agrees to shelter him in exchange for manual labor until he gets his life together. Leaving his pampered London existence to work on a secluded cottage farm is a shock, but Florian throws himself into it with passionate determination. And it’s not just gardening he's passionate about. In no time, Florian falls head over heels for his skillful, hardworking mentor. There’s just one problem. Florian is only disguised as a boy, and the enchantment hiding his real body is going to wear off. Florian’s main concern is how to explain himself when it happens. He's definitely not a girl, but he's not entirely a boy, either. With all the magic in Kells’ garden, there must be a way for him to achieve his ideal androgyny. However he looks, Florian will have to face his past if he wants a future with Kells. Even if he avoids London forever, eventually his past is going to come looking for the girl he used to be. The Potion Gardener is a low-stakes, low-angst cozy fantasy novella in the Flos Magicae series, a collection of queer romances set in an alternate 1920s world with magic. All the Flos Magicae stories are standalones, and can be read in any order.

The Famine Witch by Stephen Black

Belfast, 1847. They would come to call it Black ‘47. A town on the brink, ravaged by the Great Hunger sweeping across the island of Ireland. A town living in fear as a crazed killer stalks the streets at night, butchering young women. They call him Bloody Hands. Amidst the chaos, nineteen-year-old Maggie Malone and her young brother, Jinks, fight to survive each day. But there is worse to come when a mysterious ship limps into port, having miraculously emerged from a savage storm. A ship carrying death itself, summoned by a malevolent force that has haunted the mountain overlooking Belfast for centuries, hellbent on devastation and ruin. They call her The Black Lady. Maggie and Jinks become unwitting pawns as Bloody Hands and The Black Lady take their ancient feud to new levels of barbarism, threatening the future of Belfast and its hapless population. Can Maggie unlock the dormant power within her and save Belfast from toppling into the abyss? Can she transform into the savior that the people so desperately need? Can she become The Famine Witch?

The Assembly of Magic The Story of Myrddin in Ancient Atlantis: Book 1 of The Myrddin Chronicles by Sam Carnes

Myrddin has lived for millennia, but his life truly began as a young scholar and magician in the Assembly of Atlantis. We follow his journey of self-discovery, from his thirst for knowledge and magic, to his coming out as gay and experiencing love and loss. Myrddin’s life in Atlantis is full of adventure, gay romance, and magic, but it's not all fun and games. Myrddin travels far and wide looking for answers that could change the world forever. He also endeavors to educate people against circumcision, always extolling the benefits of keeping one’s foreskin intact. Join Myrddin on his first epic journey through Ancient Atlantis and discover the power of love, courage, perseverance, and friendship. The Assembly of Magic The Story of Myrddin in Ancient Atlantis is a captivating tale of love and romance, adventure and magic that will leave you longing for more.

Borrowed Time by Russell Dean

Tom Jacob is bored with his life. He’s stuck in a job he doesn’t like, his love life is non-existent, and he’s tired of being seen as boring and dependable, so when his wayward twin brother convinces him to spend a night partying instead of doing paperwork, Tom reluctantly agrees. The following morning he wakes up in a field. In Wales. In 1889. Stranded more than a century in the past, Tom has to overcome language barriers and suspicion as he attempts to adapt to the world around him and find a way back to his own time, but with two people from the sleepy village of Cwm Newydd now missing, one local resident seems hell bent on pinning the blame for their disappearance on the strange Englishman who appeared out of nowhere. Determined to find his way home, the discovery of a long hidden family secret will change Tom's life forever, and when romance comes knocking he'll be left wondering in which timeline his heart truly lies.

The Dryburgh Chronicles Part 1: The Existence of Shadows by L. P. Halliday

SPSFC 2024

Scotland is a land steeped in magic and mystery, but Lilian Darling doesn’t believe in such things. She has dedicated her career at Oxford University to clearing the names of those falsely accused of consorting with the devil, and that never involves any actual witchcraft. Until now. When she and her research partner, Edgar Falkirk, head to the misty hills of the Scottish Borders to meet a promising source, their journey takes an unexpected turn. Edgar’s accidental discovery of an ancient spell book, combined with an encounter with an overly enthusiastic research student, thrusts them back through time to the 16th century at the outbreak of the witch craze ensnaring early modern Scotland. In this perilous era, the pair of astute academics must navigate a landscape where their modern knowledge and skepticism could mark them as heretics. As they race to find a way back to their own time, they must confront the very myths they sought to debunk and uncover a truth that transcends reason. The Dryburgh Chronicles Part 1: The Existence of Shadows is a fast-paced magical mystery that combines quick wit with enchanting scene building weaving a time-traveling tale where nothing and nobody are what they seem.

The Spellmaster of Tutting-on-Cress by Sarah Wallace

You can’t orchestrate true love…can you? Spellmaster Geraldine Hartford has everything she could want — a successful spell shop and close friends and family — but she’s still waiting on her own swoon-worthy romance. Her friends think their matchmaking efforts are helping, but it’s the tall, handsome stranger in town who immediately catches Gerry’s eye. Basil Thorne’s life has turned upside down. After his father’s death, he’s found himself uprooted from Bath to become the head of a family he barely knows. Overwhelmed by responsibilities, not to mention the clamor of Tutting-on-Cress locals wishing to befriend him — only the lovely spellmaster with a twinkling smile seems to soothe Basil’s heart. And he’s not the only one who’s noticed… Soon it seems as though everyone in Gerry and Basil’s lives is determined to match them up. But Gerry is waiting for the surefire spark of romance and Basil is waiting until his life settles down. They may be perfect for each other, but it will take some meddling — and a bit of magic — to bring them together. This book is the fifth installment in the series Meddle & Mend. It can be read after Dear Bartleby or as a standalone.

Flowers for a Vinok, Roses for a Babushka, Poppies for a Grave by Solomon Skalozub

Courage for his oath, vengeance for his breath, fearing not his death. This is the story of Amvrosiy, a Cossack swordsman. This tale tells of how he grew from a girl to a man, and of his home, and of those he loved. I will tell you of how he fought for them, protecting them no matter the cost.

Black Brilliance by Dr. Joel Anthony Hamilton

The unheard ancient Egyptian tale of Aqil, the great musician and scientist. It was luck, or rather, fate that he stumbled upon a cursed microscope; stolen from the god Thoth himself. It gave him the power to see something no man had seen before: DNA. Aqil had the unusual gift of seeing DNA as music, could apply his knowledge of science, and performed miracles by playing his Egyptian ney; miracles that could replicate or even mutate DNA. Whispers spread that he could heal the injured, cause life-threatening afflictions, and cure the sick. Rumors also spread that he could change a frog into a fish and a mouse into a snake. Others say he could turn a human into a demon, or even a god. The truth to the rumors was unknown. However, one thing was certain. Any person who peered into the microscope was placed under a heavy curse. Aqil was often given difficult tasks, having to rely on his mind to keep himself, and others alive. When asked to do the impossible, he had to utilize his brilliance to combine his musical abilities, his knack for science, and the cursed microscope to perform miracles. His story will be heard across the world. However, pray you never hear the distinct melody of his prized instrument, his Egyptian ney, for that would mean one of two things. You could be in earshot of him performing a miracle, or you could be the target. Some have very different perceptions of what a miracle is.

The Sound of Starfall by Scott Palmer

This is the end The Warlocks of Yehven have ruled over the Remembered Lands with their songs of dark sorcery since the skies were new. But now, beneath the shadow of an approaching comet, a mysterious death cult from the wild lands have arrived in the name of Nature to exterminate the Warlocks and their sorcerous Words with them. As the death cult breaches the walls of the Golden City and Ailar crumbles into anarchy, a Warlock, an enslaved man, and a guard are forced to make decisions that will shape the world for thousands of years to come. The sky is falling Nightmares are waking The sound of starfall eats all else