stories in and

Siren's Test (#2 Siren Series)

Siren's Test (#2 Siren Series) by Jessica Cage

The sins of those before us often lay the building blocks for the hurdles that appear in front of us. Syrinada learns this lesson firsthand as she faces the Naiad's Walk. This series of tests will determine if she is worthy of getting the powers that at a time, a siren was born with. Thanks to the actions of the women before her, this trial is put in place as a punishment by the witch covens. Should she fail, she will never gain full access to the magic that lay dormant within. Syrinada needs her power if she is going to stay alive but she doesn't want to leave Malachi, her brooding protector, behind. He has just suffered a great loss, and she feels guilty. If she goes, she leaves Malachi to mourn alone, if she doesn't, they may both lose a lot more when the covens find them. What Syrinada doesn't realize is that by crossing the portal into the Naiad's Walk, she may ultimately crush the very person she is trying to save. Will Syrinada be able to prove herself and gain her powers? Will Malachi survive without her? Siren's Test is the second installment of the Siren Series, a Paranormal Fantasy series written by USA Today Best-Selling Author, Jessica Cage. Find out what Syrinada chooses, grab your copy today!


Tales of Novia, Volume 1, Book 1

Tales of Novia, Volume 1, Book 1 by Jessica Cage

When vampires play with their food, new creatures are born. Remy's hope to rid her territory of a vampire invasion backfires when she gets captured outside of the vampire's new home. Though she hoped to escape, Xavier, the head of the den, had other thoughts. Tempted by the sweet delicacy that was fairy blood, he kept her. What started as an innocent effort to preserve the fairies' way of life ended in death. Remy's misguided efforts would set off a chain of events that would change the face of Novia forever. Inspired by creators found on TikTok, Tales of Novia is a new project written by USA Today Bestselling Author, Jessica Cage! Grab your copy today and dive into this collection of interconnected stories that will take you on an exciting new adventure!


Siren's Call (#1 Siren Series)

Siren's Call (#1 Siren Series) by Jessica Cage

A Siren for a mother, A Warlock for a father, and a Family tree that wants her dead... Snatched off the street and drugged, Syrinada wakes strapped to a bed with a predator in the next room. At that moment, a side of her, she never knew existed emerges. While relieved to be free, she finds herself plagued by questions she can't answer. When Malachi-a longtime friend-witnesses her tapping into this unknown power, he steps in to help. Soon she realizes he knows far more about her heritage than he lets on. After diving into secrets of the past, mounting truths of fin and scales challenge everything Syrinada thought she knew. Despite Malachi's warning to stay hidden, the call of her newfound heritage is a strong one. Can Syrinada deny her welling urges? Or will the ravenous darkness closing in consume her?


May A Divine Awaken

May A Divine Awaken by Michael Tinsley

On the lost continent of Pyris, eight lands are controlled by Divines-powerful beings with abilities to manipulate metals, harness the wind, and turn flesh to ash. Since their inception, Divines have been responsible for protecting eight sacred keys. Keys that if combined will unseal a forbidden relic of omnipotent power known as the Book of Pure. Desperate to claim the book's power, the King of Aypha devises a sinister plan to eliminate the Divines and obtain the eight keys. Caught in the middle is Marcus Azure, a young Aypha soldier born with blemished skin marks that leaves him ostracized by his people. When assassins attack his village, Marcus vows to prove himself and sets off on a quest of revenge. But along the way, he encounters Sinclair Bonet, a disgraced queen who reveals to him that his skin blemishes are a sign of great potential. She offers to awaken Marcus's power, but doing so comes at a grave consequence that will force Marcus to either betray his people or advance his king's mission. Unfortunately, the final decision may not rest in his hands...


Rising (The Coven of Zora)

Rising (The Coven of Zora) by L.D. Valentine

When Xavier arrives home on the last day of school, he walks into a horrifying scene of his uncle being consumed by a demon. After being rescued by a vampire named Serea, he finds himself thrust into a dark reality as a fledgling witch. Now Xavier must chart a new life while within the confines of the mysterious organization known as Zora. Can Xavier and his fellow witches protect themselves and humanity from a plot that threatens their nation?


The Education of a Wetback

The Education of a Wetback by Marcos Antonio Hernandez

He left to seek a future. Can he escape his past to find his fortune? El Salvador, 1979. Young Toño has grand ambitions. But as the second son of a poor farmer, he sees little hope of taking over the family business. And when he catches his secret girlfriend cavorting with her ex at the carnival, he decides the path to riches lies north of the border. Arriving in LA single and desperate for money, Toño works under the table while cohabitating with his fellow immigrants, hoping to earn enough to help his family and attract the right woman. But when his illegal status always results in rejection, the stubborn migrant becomes frustrated at being caught between two worlds. Can Toño break through social barriers and ingrained prejudice to create the future he'd envisioned? The Education of a Wetback is a candid, fictionalized account of one man's true journey into adulthood. If you like insightful Hispanic American literature, engaging characters, and elements of magical realism, then you'll love Marcos Antonio Hernandez's exhilarating quest for freedom.


Revolution

Revolution by Sam Pigg

SPFBO9

“In a world ruled by the wicked and depraved, sometimes killing is the choice weapon of the righteous.” Prince Eerion Talvios of the Kingdom of Nalg has had an unimaginably privileged life, with every vice known to man available. But after a horrific revelation about his father, King Nyflon Talvios, his entire worldview is shattered. United only by the goal to see Nyflon brought down, Eerion must reluctantly ally himself with a few unlikely comrades, some of whom wouldn’t mind seeing his own death as well as his father’s. But such a task is rarely so easy. Assuming they can survive the bandits and ruffians who wouldn’t hesitate to slit their throats for a loaf of bread, not to mention the companies of soldiers hunting them, can they live with the choices they make? The path to revolution is inevitably stained with blood, but how much is acceptable? And who’s blood? Eerion is determined to stop his father and rule the kingdom with justice and mercy. But he can’t shake the guilt of his past. Are his allies right that he is irredeemable in the eyes of man? And can he ever make up for what he’s done, or will he be forever burdened to live with the sins of his past?


Night's Reign

Night's Reign by Daan Katz

SPFBO9

A floundering priest. A woman in a wheelchair. An ancient curse. On the run from a cursed king and his army of assassins, priest Niels Bosch seeks sanctuary in rural Briscona. What he gets is a barrage of intimate and unsettling questions from his new cantor, Beldenka Nadinov. Questions he can’t risk answering. Accompanied by his friend and bodyguard Mikhandor, and Bel’s protector Leks, the pair set out to challenge the mad king. But Bel has a dark secret of her own – a secret that could endanger the entire mission. When Niels unearths the chilling truth and realises there’s much more at stake than just his life, it’s too late to turn back. He must lift the curse and end Night’s reign forever.


A Whisker Behind

A Whisker Behind by W.R. Gingell

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Searching for redemption in the shifting realm between the human and fae worlds, not-so-reformed fae steward Athelas seems likely instead to find death, dismemberment, and deadly magic… Exiled, excommunicated, and with a bounty on his head, Athelas is lying low in Seoul for exactly one reason: he has a wedding to attend. Whether or not he’s welcome is another matter. Luckily for Athelas, several bodies have turned up with their soft insides gnawed out, whether by magic or Behindkind—and the latest of those bodies is at the very wedding hall he has been staking out. The Behindkind investigators suspect one of Athelas' housemates: YeoWoo, a gumiho with a thirst for revenge and an even greater appetite for soft underbelly than Athelas. To buy herself time, YeoWoo barters alibis with the suspiciously quiet fae sharing her house, but to remain free, she must find the real murderer. By joining the investigation, Athelas has exactly the chance he needs to prove that he is now a repentant, changed, and selfless fae, bent on atoning for former deeds…no matter how many Behindkind and humans he has to cut through to confirm that impression. NOTE: A Whisker Behind is the first book in the Worlds Behind series, a 5-book spin-off from the main "City Between" series which occurs several years after those events. Please read the "City Between" books first for a more thorough appreciation of this spin-off (or do what you want—I'm not your boss. Just be aware that there will be reasonably major spoilers).


Deathless Beast

Deathless Beast by Andrew D Meredith

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Fates intertwine - Pantheon calls - Darkness Grows Far too many blame their own bad luck on Hanen and Rallia Clouw. When opportunity knocks, they leap to put their past behind them. In the turmoil of a holy order fraught with lies, frustration, and heresy, the paladin Jined Brazstein is called to deeper faith. When Katiam takes up a seemingly ageless seed pod from a botanist's desk, she cannot imagine the change it will bring. Life stirs within that seed, the path to deeper faith beckons, profits are made upon the road, darkness moves-a winged, deathless wrath invisible to the gods. For those who seek the heroes path, Fate takes more than bargained for. Hubris breeds a deathless wrath, That always hungers after more. Deathless Beast is Volume One of the Kallattian Saga, the Epic Fantasy series from Andrew D Meredith.


The First and Last Demon

The First and Last Demon by Hiyodori

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Meet Char: a once-renowned human warrior, trapped in an abandoned city with a demon who hates her. A demon who woke her from a fifty-year magical slumber specifically for the sake of tormenting her. The demon’s name: Vesper. She and Char go a long, long way back. They used to be partners on the battlefield. National heroes. An unbeatable team bonded by magic. That bond was supposed to last for the rest of their lives. Now Char’s memory is full of holes. The sealed city is full of hostile magical beasts. And Vesper, with her sharp teeth and unpredictable moods, is the most vicious of them all. As an ageless demon, she’s fully prepared to keep holding Char captive forever. Char struggles to unravel the mystery of why they've ended up pitted against each other, locked in a private war that seems certain to end with one or both of them dead. Does Vesper’s senseless cruelty stem from simple demonic bloodlust? From years of suppressed loathing? What else could have driven her past the breaking point—compelled her to suddenly snap and betray her own bondmate? To uncover the truth, Char will have to face her demon as she would any other deadly monster: as an enemy of humanity, the most formidable and vindictive foe she's ever encountered. The First and Last Demon is a dark f/f enemies to lovers story with a heavy emphasis on the enmity—but an indelible slow-burning love at its core. Although it's set in the same contemporary fantasy world as the Clem & Wist series, this novel can be fully enjoyed as a standalone tale.


Legacy of the Vermillion Blade

Legacy of the Vermillion Blade by Jay Tallsquall

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Talon Cour-Vermane is not only the sole inheritor of his House’s lands, titles, and political power, but also of the pact his family has forged with darkness through countless generations. From birth, Talon’s father tethered his son’s life to the family’s bloodline and his own ambitions of power, but everything changes when a new blacksmith and his young apprentice, Richen, join the staff at the Cour-Vermane estate. With their fateful meeting, Talon’s life changes course forever, derailing the meticulously laid out existence planned for him. From his family’s estates and the countryside of Eleryon to the extents of the Xallian Empire and the dwarven kingdom of Lymehold, Talon discovers the different aspects of love, true family, and himself as he battles his cursed blood and the shackles to darkness his father bound him with. “I wanted to craft an epic fantasy story featuring the incredible diversity of love and relationships that span the asexual spectrum in my LGBTQIA+ inclusive world. The new continent of Rhymera acts as the backdrop for Talon’s story, and I’ve filled it with a rich tapestry of living characters and unique locations that followers have come to expect from my storytelling.” — Jay Tallsquall An accessible tale of high fantasy adventure for all of those who have yearned for love and felt the heartbreak of its loss, Legacy of the Vermillion Blade is for the hopeful broken-hearted and the broken hopeful-hearted in us all.


A Rival Most Vial: Potioneering for Love and Profit

A Rival Most Vial: Potioneering for Love and Profit by R.K. Ashwick

SPFBO9 SPFBO Finalist

Two potion shops, one heated rivalry…until hate bubbles over into something else. Any adventurer worth their sword knows about Ambrose Beake. The proud, quiet half-elf sells the best, and only, potions in the city—until a handsome new shopkeeper named Eli opens another potion shop across the street, throwing Ambrose’s peace and ledgers far off balance. Within weeks, they’re locked in a war of price tags and products—Ambrose’s expertise against Eli’s effortless charm. Toil leads to trouble, the safety gloves come off, and right as their rivalry reaches a boiling point… The mayor commissions them to brew a potion together. The task is as complex as it is lucrative, pushing both men to the limits of their abilities and patience. Yet as the fires burn and cauldrons bubble…they find a different sort of chemistry brewing.


Warlock of Muscovy

Warlock of Muscovy by Brien Feathers

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When words fail, bring out the guns, swords, and death spells. Marina is the daughter of Tsar Alexander the Cruel, the most powerful warlock. She's also a princess of the Court of White Rose. The only problem is that she's mundane—she has no magic. On her sixteenth birthday Marina fled from her father's tsardom to the revolutionist side of Muscovy, and five years later she's doing all right, working as a seamstress in the United Workers' Factory. Despite the political police, the never-ending witch hunt, and her best friend living as an orange cat, she's happy. She gets along with her cottage mates and is even seeing a guy... until the city blows up, she's implied in the sabotage, her guy turns out to be an enemy, her friends are murdered, and an alchemist maniac hunts her down for a blood vendetta. With the Red Army and the Alchemist Federation on her heels, Marina runs back to the Court of White Rose, but when death follows her home she must uncover a prophecy, reconcile with the warlock, and stop an oncoming war. It's a tall order for a seamstress. The first book in the Sun War Trilogy, this intensely dark tale of magic and mayhem is full of grey characters that blur the line between good and evil. Content warning for strong language, graphic violence, and intimate situations.


The Blood-Born Dragon

The Blood-Born Dragon by JC Rycroft

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A bond she didn’t choose.
A love she can’t escape.
A creature so powerful it bends the limits of time… Smart, sassy, and sanguine, Des Mildue is a traveling sellsword in Rescalin, a dry and dusty kingdom full of rogues, opportunists, and thieves. She keeps her nose clean, brazens it out with a blade when she can’t, and keeps others at arm’s length where they can’t mess up her plans. That is, until a sword fight gone wrong leaves her tied by blood to the first dragon hatched in centuries. Suddenly, Des has to contend with a new voice in her head: haughty, willful Esquidamelion. Des wants to leave Squid by the roadside, but the blood bond has other ideas. With half the world on their tail - including Liv, her beautiful, faithless ex who Des is definitely over - Des must search for answers for why so many are willing to kill, maim and torture to get their hands on Squid. But she’s beginning to suspect her blood bond has tied her not only to a dragon, but to a fight for Rescalin’s future… …and no one else even knows it’s at risk. If you like the kind of story that grabs you by the shirtfront and hauls you through mystery, magic, adventure and betrayal, with a side of sapphic romance, pick up The Blood-Born Dragon, first in a new trilogy from debut author J.C. Rycroft.


No Heart for a Thief

No Heart for a Thief by James Lloyd Dulin

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We are the stories we tell ourselves...even the lies. The Thief, a great spirit, and her descendants have abused their ability to steal magic for centuries. When Kaylo starts to hear the song of other people’s magic, he must learn to hide from his people as well as the invaders. A gift or a curse, Kaylo may be able to save his people from the Gousht Empire that claimed their land with this stolen magic.

 Eighteen years later, Kaylo still prays to the spirits, but not out of loyalty or love. He knows better than to rely on those selfish bastards for anything. While hiding in the forest from his foolish acts of rebellion, he encounters a girl, Tayen, being pursued by two soldiers of the empire. Against his better judgment, he risks facing the consequences of his past to intervene.

 When Tayen attempts to run off seeking vengeance for her family, he offers to train her to wield her magic and a blade. If he can’t convince her to relinquish her need for vengeance and stave off the demons of his past, he’s going to get them both killed.


Crown Prince: Book One of New Blood

Crown Prince: Book One of New Blood by W.D. Kilpack III

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2024 International Impact Book Award Winner • 2022 The BookFest Award Winner • 2021 International Firebird Book Award W The future of Mankind relies on the Guardian of Maarihk. Will his Sight be true? Or will his impure Firstblood prove the ruin of us all? Natharr is Guardian of Maarihk, one of a long line of protectors dating back to the Firstborn Age, before the Aa Conquest. Natharr's is an ancient role, rooted in his Firstblood, giving him Sight to see what is yet to be. He adheres to his sacred duties even in the centuries since the Firstborn were forced to the brink of extinction by the Aa. Natharr still stands guard over all men, Aa or Firstborn, Seeing what will come to pass, deciding what is unavoidable and what is not. He spends decades planning how to save the life of the newborn Crown Prince Vikari so he may one day reclaim the throne of the land where Mankind was created, back in the time when the Olde Gods still walked. "I've been won over by Crown Prince! The world is deeply conceived. The prose is well crafted. The solemn, almost-inhuman Guardian/seer standing guard during a deadly siege as the young queen gives birth makes for a hell of a great start! That weightiness to his character was a key point of interest to me that comes across right from the opening pages, plunging right into the thick of it for a wonderful change of pace. Crown Prince is intriguing, grand, strange, and shadowed by ill-omens. It is Shakespearean." — Tom Mock, author of The Long Nights "A very good book ... [and] a very great read! Natharr is very much tested as he strives to save the life of newborn Crown Prince Vikari. This book reads wonderfully, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know the story. It is full of pulse-pounding adventure and also features great, extensive world-building! Definitely a recommend from me!” — Philip Chase, Ph.D., medievalist and author of The Way of Edan "Author W.D. Kilpack III presents an atmospheric and immersive journey into a richly crafted fantasy world, balancing a strong character-led adventure with a wider web of plots, setting up a highly complex and enjoyable fantasy saga to follow. There’s a clear flair for character, dialogue, and attitude from the start, with Natharr's intense presence affecting all who encounter him and making for some really dynamic clashes. The weightiness of his responsibilities and the depth of the world-building immediately gripped my attention and, as the story unfolded, the way the characters’ attitudes and actions were shaped by the realism of the worldbuilding was totally compelling. This book delivers on every promise, thanks to the swift pacing of the plot, coupled with dark storytelling, strong descriptive skills, and captivating character development that balances emotion with duty well. Overall, I would certainly recommend Crown Prince." — K.C. Finn, author of The Book of Shade for Reader's Favorite


The Unchosen

The Unchosen by Laura Huie

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The gods have been silent for too long. Humanity is rising against them, starting with her. Fia is one of the few chosen by the gods, bestowed with extremely powerful magic; a master of illusions and portals. Except, anytime she uses magic it causes headaches and she can not make a portal back to Earth. After a whirlwind encounter with an old friend, she can’t remember, Fia discovers the place she thought was her home is a façade and unearths a land hostile to her. The gods have not spoken to her, and they do nothing to save her as she and her friend, Winston try to reveal the truth about her past. Both want the past for different reasons. She wants her magic back to go home, he wants her to recall who she was and why she should stay. But staying could mean the gods sealing her destiny; to be killed by humanity for a crime she doesn’t remember.


Hack, Slash & Burn

Hack, Slash & Burn by Todd Herzman

SPFBO9

This is a completed trilogy. The orc apocalypse has arrived. In the small village of Berring, Calder runs the Broken Mug tavern. He was a gifted swordsman, and would have been a war hero if only his side had won. His injured leg tells him his days of fighting are over. When a Dark Portal opens in his village’s main square and orcs stream through it, slaughtering his neighbours and setting everything on fire, it brings with it a second chance. A Soldier of Light appears and grants Calder a Weapon Stone, so he can help fight against the forces of Darkness. His leg is healed. His body pulses with superhuman strength. And he’ll do anything to protect his people. Hack, Slash & Burn is a medieval LitRPG fantasy series with portals to other worlds, different classes, stats, levels and spells.


The Last Ranger

The Last Ranger by J.D.L. Rosell

SPFBO9 SPFBO Finalist

Betrayed. Hunted. Left for dead. But not even death itself can keep the last ranger from vengeance. Leiyn “Firebrand” is no stranger to a fight. A brash ranger of the Titan Wilds, she takes up her bow to ward against the colossal spirit creatures known as titans, ever a threat to the colonies she has sworn to protect. But no amount of skill can guard against treachery. When tragedy strikes the rangers’ lodge, Leiyn vows to avenge the fallen. But if she is to succeed, she must embrace a power within her she has long denied. Power to move mountains and rivers. Power over life and death. She did not choose this path, but Leiyn knows her duty. For if she fails, the legacy of the rangers dies with her—and all the Titan Wilds will fall into shadow. The Last Ranger is an epic fantasy tale full of friendship, magic, resilience, vengeance, and wonder. If you enjoy archery, fantasy rangers, and small party adventures, then start this new journey with the first book in the Ranger of the Titan Wilds series.


The Vow That Twisted Fate

The Vow That Twisted Fate by Katherine D. Graham

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A world without evil is all Queen Arlena has ever known. But when an ominous pentagram appears in the sky, her innocent days of blissful court life, playing politics with other races, and daydreaming of marrying the stoic elven prince Talen come to an abrupt end. When an eerily familiar phantasm warns her of the imminent collision of a parallel world ruled by an ancient sorceress, Arlena must confront the true nature of not only her own world, but her very existence. Calling a company of legendary dwarven warriors forward into her time, Arlena and her allies must brave a world they are completely unprepared for in order to save their own. Will the naĂŻve Queen and her companions be able to stop the invasion without being forever changed in the process? --The Vow That Twisted Fate is a stand-alone NA (New Adult) Epic Fantasy. This book placed as one of five fantasy finalists in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and is a 5-star rated IndieReader Approved Novel--


The Girl And Her Demon: First Pact

The Girl And Her Demon: First Pact by M. X. Walker

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Cut your palm. Make your pact. Wield your power. Sure, in a deal with a demon there’s always a price to be paid—but it’s not like I have anything to lose. In the wake of my mother’s death, my family has been torn asunder. With my demon by my side I’ll go to Ademmon Academy, learn all I can about magic, and find a way to bring her back. That is, if I can survive my first year. My fellow students are treacherous, and worse still are the Red Glove demon hunters that roam the city. But the secrets and lies of the past are catching up to me. And my demon might have some secrets of its own. A deal with a demon. A deadly magic school. What could possibly go wrong?


Notes on Monster Hunting

Notes on Monster Hunting by Chad Retterath

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The world is filled with creatures that have grown too big or too aggressive. These animals are considered monsters. Skrale's monster hunting company travels without affiliation to any kingdom, undertaking contracts to eliminate creatures that pose a threat to human life. Beatrice journals and records the hunts as part of Fourth Squad. She roams farther from her home into unknown kingdoms and conflicts.


Death's Disciple

Death's Disciple by Emma L. Adams

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Seven years ago, Captain Yala Palathar was a hero. She and her squad of close-knit dragon-riding warriors were Laria’s elite, fighting for their nation alongside the monarch and his magic-wielding Disciples. Seizing control of an unmanned island should have been a simple mission, but Yala’s squad was little prepared for the horror and tragedy that awaited. Instead of triumph, all Yala and her allies found was death. Years on, Yala lives in seclusion in the deep jungle, ignoring the rumours of unrest in the capital following the end of the war. She little expects assassins to find her hideout - nor does she anticipate the mission that ended her career to have given rise to rumours that see her targeted by mercenaries vying to claim a price on her head. With the other survivors from her squad being picked off one by one, she has little choice but to return to the capital in the hopes of finding answers. Whether the truth lies with the Disciples of the Flame - who refused to believe her stories of the monstrous beasts that haunted the island - or with the long-dead king who sent her squad to their doom, one thing is clear. Yala must finish the battle she started all those years ago… even if it brings her face to face with the god of death Himself.


The Deep Space Between

The Deep Space Between by Cassandra Stirling

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A deep slash crossed out the total population of the “Welcome to Merricott” sign. Underneath it, a new number appeared in white, drips of paint streaking the sign like tears. Forty-two flames extinguished, her mother, father, uncle, and grandfather among them. Seraphina clenched her jaw, wiping away her tears. It was just a town. Her hands clenched into fists on her lap. She forced them to relax. It was just a town. Maybe if she repeated it enough, it’d be true. Seraphina Lastra Covington had never planned to set foot in the Magical Community of Merricott, New Hampshire again. When she reluctantly returns after a twelve-year absence, she finds that the town has changed: the bustling square she once knew is quiet, and a Magic Wielding child has gone missing. It is not until she starts heeding advice from the voice inside of her head that she realizes everything in her childhood home is not as it seems. The Deep Space Between is a character-driven urban fantasy that explores friendship, grief, and identity while unearthing Merricott’s — and the Lastra family’s — deepest secrets.


Crown of Rebellion

Crown of Rebellion by Felix Taylor

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An apprentice healer. An exiled noblewoman. To defy tyranny, they’ll need to even the odds. They’ll need to grow stronger.

Every year, the youth of the North are tested for a Reyad—a magical bond with an animal with the potential to grant immense power. Pirin is ripped away from his village, and from his healer’s duty. As far as he’s concerned, he’ll be tested like everyone else. He doesn’t expect anything to come from it. He certainly doesn’t expect to meet Myraden, a noblewoman whose hunt for revenge draws him into a destructive war.

Desperate to fulfill his mentor’s dying wish and stay alive, Pirin embarks on a quest to earn a power greater than he could have ever imagined. Surrounded by enemies, all odds are against him. Worst of all, he can’t shake the feeling that something is very, very wrong… 

Read if you like: Multiple perspectives Healthy, positive relationships Slow but consistent increases in power A mix of Epic Fantasy and Progression Fantasy plotlines


A Crown of Blood

A Crown of Blood by Lincoln Law

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A bloodthirsty army. A long forgotten god. A power believed lost. Roisin Latenda is a Groundformer Acolyte in training, a person with the ability to manipulate the earth. Long ago—before the people rose up, killed their Gods, and fashioned their corpses into weapons—these powers could move mountains, form cities, shift countries. Now with the Gods dead, the powers are weaker, but humanity controls it. And wrestling power from the gods was always about autonomy. When a powerful army arrives in Roisin’s small village, supported by an unknown god named the Soulmonger, all is sent into chaos. They ravage the village, killing many, and force Roisin to choose between those she loves, and her duty to her Groundformer training. But Roisin’s life isn’t the only one to be horrifically transformed by the Soulmongers’ arrival. Piritta, the political aspirant, will find her drive for power warped in the most terrible way. Bree, the apprentice cartographer, will have to face her past; a past bathed in blood. And Kaori, whose porcelain mask hides many secrets, will seize the vengeance she seeks for a world which wronged her. These four young women find their fates intertwined. If they make the right decisions, three of them may save the world from this new and deadly force. And should they fail, one will destroy it. A dark and epic tale about friendship, power and the cost of war begins in A Crown of Blood, the first book of the Deimachy Trilogy.


The Heron Kings Rampant

The Heron Kings Rampant by Eric Lewis

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The Vril has changed everything. The kingdom of Greater Argovan stands on the verge of an industrial age ushered in by the mysterious energetic substance. But revolutionary technology brings revolutionary ideas. When Master Alchemist Castamar's apprentice is wounded by a terrorist bomb, he demands answers. Cast's search leads him to the Heron Kings, folk heroes of old thought lost to history and legend. But some legends die hard. Ellyx, the band's thief and forger, joins Cast to hunt the terrorists down and plumb the depths of his past for clues. When they learn that fanatics led by a shadowy Duchess have devised a terrifying variant of Vril that can decimate cities, Cast and the last of the Heron Kings must race to prevent mass destruction.


The Cataclysm

The Cataclysm by Aaron Jackson

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The world has never recovered from the Cataclysm a century ago. Though the fires have died, and the famines ran their course, the scars left behind blur the lines between right and wrong. Caldera, one of the remaining great cities of the world, trembles as the balance of power shifts. Rivals maneuver to take control of the city and will stop at nothing to come out on top. Asher, a mercenary mage, is given a job too big to refuse. He and his companions must navigate the city's landscape of corruption, betrayal, and political upheaval, or it’ll be their heads on the next contract. Short stories and custom illustrations start each chapter, telling tales of the Cataclysm from dozens of cultures and different perspectives.


A Crack in the World

A Crack in the World by James Mordechai

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England, 1994. Villages in Sussex are vanishing into thin air at an alarming rate. Gino Marcotti – the Gran Maestro Occultist, son of the official occultist of the Fascist Italian Regime – is tasked to investigate by the Royal Paranormal Institute in Greenwich. His investigation takes an unexpected turn when he realises that the Black Metal scene, with its recent homicides and arson attacks on Norwegian churches, is connected to these disappearances. But he soon discovers that there are bigger and more malevolent forces at play – and the only way to defeat them is to connect with his dead father. A Crack in the World is a fast-paced Occult Detective novel that plays with paranormal, cosmic horror and dark academia themes. A thrilling race across multidimensional portals for the fans of The X-Files, Twin Peaks and H. P. Lovecraft.


Forged in the Fallout

Forged in the Fallout by Ben Green

SPFBO9

Clayson Spangler navigates the wreckage of a strange underground world threatened by nuclear magic and his family’s secrets. I turned fourteen a couple of days ago—maybe. Dad keeps the exact date under a mountain of secrets. On a tranquil evening in the Appalachians, my solitary life crashes into Dad's impossible past: a kingdom under the Rocky Mountains; his wife enchanted to forget her own son; strange metal objects filled with magic; and Dad's most dangerous secret—mithrium—a metal strong enough to level cities. Now, Dad is on the run, Mom is on trial for treason, and I'm ordered to hide in the last remaining safehold—Tungsten City. To stay out of danger, I'll need help from my new mentor, Rugnus, a master of the elements, and Andalynn, the sister Dad kept hidden from me. After years of secrets, I won’t stand by as a world of enemies—both known and unknown—threatens to eradicate my family and ignite a war between the last two cities deep under the Rockies in the Kingdom of Rimduum.


Where Madness Lies

Where Madness Lies by Heidi K. Allen

SPFBO9

"A monstrously good reimagining of mythology in the modern world, Where Madness Lies is a psychological and mystical thrill for fans of the darker side of fantasy. Visceral prose, powerful character bonds, and a deeply original plot make this female-driven adventure a contemporary standout." —Independent Review of Books Her visions foretell darkness…but no one believes. Alex is cursed and miserable. Hospitalized once again for the devastating visions she struggles to control, the lonely mortuary technician longs for her safe and quiet life away from the living. But after befriending a depressed, anorexic waif in her ward, Alex is stunned when the stranger reveals herself as Artemis…the former Greek Goddess of the Hunt. Alex agrees to help her distraught new friend uncover the dangerous force that’s killing her Olympic family. The rest of the ex-gods are deeply shocked to meet her as well—as far as they knew, all the oracles had been wiped out centuries ago. But when the impossibly strong Venetian assassins strike again, a terrified Alex and shattered Artemis must fight to escape a web of immortal family secrets, mysterious cults, and devastating revelations that leave no one unscathed. Where Madness Lies is a captivating contemporary mythological thriller, with strong female protagonists, a hint of romance, page-turning suspense, twists you won't see coming, and a pantheon of delicious characters. Heidi K. Allen’s fresh, stunning debut is simply unputdownable.


Rada

Rada by Tracy M Joyce

SPFBO9

Welcome to the Zaragarian Empire. Rada's newborn sister is disfigured and her father has decreed that her fate lies at the Seat of the Gods. Rada knows what that means - he wants her sister dead. To save both her sister and her mother, Rada must find the Emperor and beseech him for help. Rada is six. The Emperor terrifies her, but there is no one else. In a world of intricate politics, rivalries, dissent and revolt; where old gods lay in wait, the fate of two little girls will change the course of an empire. Everything depends on a six-year-old with a slingshot *Rada is set approx 16 years before "Altaica" and forms part of a companion series.


The Sparrow and the Oak Tree

The Sparrow and the Oak Tree by Jamie Jackson

SPFBO9

Unicorns don't exist, and dragons aren't real, but the Fae are. And they are to be feared. Or so the tales say. As the sole sorceress within the Lion King's court and kingdom Isolde is valued for her power, provided she fulfills the king's commands. Her task? Deal with a child who has emerged from a forest no one has returned from in over one hundred years.As Isolde works to fulfill her order, accompanied by her nameless guardian, she'll encounter a creature she's only heard of through myth and legend... When he kidnaps her.


Beautiful Undone

Beautiful Undone by Melissa Polk

SPFBO9

It’s been nearly ten years since Quade last heard from Victor, his childhood friend and eventual lover. Resigned to a life of work and drudgery, the last thing Quade could have anticipated was an ominous summons from Victor to attend him at his home, Suriyel. With little thought to the consequences of his actions, Quade makes immediate plans to leave the city. After all, no matter the time or distance between them, Quade could never deny Victor anything. Victor, a powerful and reclusive mage, is now the Lord of Suriyel. With all the years he’s spent hiding from the world, he’s no longer able to imagine a life outside the boundaries of his lands. His every moment is devoted to untangling the curse wrapped around his sister, compounding her already failing health. Unbeknownst to the world at large, the tarn at Suriyel acts as a gateway to myriad alternate worlds. That gateway has been breached by Tristan Armoni, a power-hungry duke from another dimension–a duke who happens to be Victor’s mirror image and seeks to control more than just his own world. All that stands between Suriyel and Tristan is Victor’s magic. Without knowing the full extent of Tristan’s goals, Victor is desperate to find a way to save both his world and his sister. For Tristan, no act is too depraved and no step too far. He will stop at nothing to see his mysterious plans through to the end.


A Donkey, A Stablehand & An Empire

A Donkey, A Stablehand & An Empire by David Heyman

SPFBO9

Will civilisation collapse with a donkey on the throne? Carson Barker certainly doesn’t think so, and quickly appoints himself into the unenviable role of imperial translator. However, it isn’t going to be an easy ride. With assassins, blood-thirsty fishmongers and furious homemakers around every corner, each seeking to be the first to kill the new regent and seize the throne themselves, Carson finds himself squarely in the firing line by association. Little do they know this is no ordinary donkey, and the future of the Empire, possibly even the world, rests on Carson's ability to keep this extraordinary animal alive. Will he manage to save his ass? Find out in the witty and action-packed book one of the Three Crowns series. A Donkey, A Stablehand And An Empire is book 1 in the 9 book saga of the Three Crowns


Crucible of Lies

Crucible of Lies by Mitchell Hogan

SPFBO9

I founded my empire on lies and bloodshed. Thus they are built. Some name me cursed, but I am an immortal emperor. Attend to my tale. If you dare… I was born when the world was a glorious place, but my parents were betrayed and murdered. I was raised by my sister in fear and poverty instead. That was merely the beginning. I lived through untold death and destruction when the old world was shattered, when creations turned against creators, and a new evil rose to assert power. I fought back against the new order, and broke humankind free from the shackles of terror that enslaved them. I discovered secrets beyond the lore of all other sorcerers, knowledge that ensures my people will not lack a shepherd on their long march through eternity. And yet the ungrateful world forgets. Bites the hand that feeds it. Comes for me with armies. Sharpens the assassin’s blade. Do you think that I, immortal emperor, greatest of all sorcerers, guardian of my people, will not meet you with fire, sorcery and steel?


The Outside

The Outside by Jack Batchen

SPFBO9

The Vale is safety. The Vale is prosperity and protection. Yet the Words of Life themselves state that every young man must leave the safety of the Vale at age sixteen and cross the deadly wasteland that is the Outside. Kaere has lived her whole life within the mountain walls of the Vale, dreaming of somewhere else, anywhere else, dreaming of a future that is anything but being one wife among many to a husband she barely knows.
So when her oldest and dearest friend stumbles back through the mountain pass seven years after he left, battered and bruised, declaring that the Outside is alive, moving, eating places of safety like the Vale, all Kaere can see is a chance at another life, a life Outside the Vale Walls. But when she follows Janzen back Outside — against his wishes — she realises that everything she thought she understood is not as it seems, including her oldest friend.


That Which The Deep Heart Knows

That Which The Deep Heart Knows by RJ Wheldrake

SPFBO9

Adala Radagorian, innkeeper’s daughter, seems an unlikely pawn in the great game played between those rival gods who contest the fate of the world and whose machinations have influenced the course of human history since time immemorial. Possessed of wit, beauty and an education uncommon in her class, she finds herself bound up in events where the fate of empires lies in the balance. An equally unlikely love imperils the foundation of her world, tears her away from the simple circumstances of her upbringing and thrusts her into the centre stage of imperial politics. In the heart of the Empire of Erenor, the greedy and the unscrupulous plot the destruction of the established order, setting in train momentous events that will shape the course of history. A corrupt and venal emperor, a proud and evil empress, an embittered rival long thought vanquished and a humble slave all play their parts in a great unfolding drama that will shake the empire to its core. Amongst the highest and the lowest in the land, Adala stands at the centre of that drama, one that obliges her to explore the utmost limits of her strength. Through many adventures, trials, successes and disappointments, she learns that the head and the heart may stand at odds, but the voice of the heart is the truest guide at last.


A Gallery for the Barbarian

A Gallery for the Barbarian by Taylor Hartley

SPFBO9

An untamed barbarian, his undead portraitist, and the city of magic and mirrors. Svinheim: glittering city of the fine arts. Fleshless painter Violetto scouts the streets for his next subject, and finds unexpected inspiration in the beastly Brask of Bannavaria. Hailing from the brutal North, with his immense appetites for gold and glory, Brask is sure to become a sensation in civilized Svinheim—by brush or by axe. As two shadowy and competing cults threaten to engulf the powers that be in the Fine City, will Brask and Violetto achieve the fame and fortune they believe to be so rightfully theirs? At once a callback to episodic, vintage sword-and-sorcery fiction and a dark, queer fairy tale, A Gallery for the Barbarian is Taylor Hartley’s debut work of fantasy and the first in a new series, THE VIOLETTO PAPERS, sure to please fans of Michael Moorcock’s Elric and Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian.


A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga)

A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga) by Melissa Blair

The BookTok sensation from debut author Melissa Blair—now with exclusive bonus content! "Gripping and fierce. This is much-needed fantasy with its fangs honed sharp by the power of resistance. Melissa Blair has built a tremendous world."—Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights My body is made of scars, some were done to me, but most I did to myself. Keera is a killer. As the King's Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king’s favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow. She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems . . . and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can't help but wonder who her enemy truly is: the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace? As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom. Fans of fast-paced high fantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses series, The Inadequate Heir, and From Blood and Ash author Jennifer L. Armentrout, will enjoy the fierce female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance of A Broken Blade.


A Shadow Crown

A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair

The highly anticipated second installment of the new adult fantasy saga that took BookTok by storm picks up where A Broken Blade left off... To the kingdom, Keera is the king's Blade, his most feared and trusted spy and assassin. But in the shadows, she works with Prince Killian and his Shadow--the dark, brooding Fae, Riven, who sets her blood on fire. Together, they plot to kill a tyrant king. In Myrelinth, the lush, secret city of trees, Fae, Elves, and Halflings like Keera live in harmony. But Keera cannot escape her past: her crimes against her own people have followed her all the way to the Faeland. There is a traitor in their midst, and Keera is the top suspect. Keera finds comfort in the allies that have become her family. She swore she would never open her heart again after a loss she barely survived. But she will soon find she has more to lose than she ever imagined . . . Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series, A Shadow Crown is a tour-de-force high fantasy novel with stunning world building and a slow burn enemies to lovers romance. Readers seeking more LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation in the fantasy realm will fall in love with the unforgettable cast of characters introduced in A Broken Blade, whose sagas are only beginning...


Alfajiri

Alfajiri by Michael LaBorn

When three Alfajirians flee the capital after a brush with fate, they are forced to abandon everything they understand about their destiny in order to embark on a journey of self-discovery. A journey that threatens to not only change the fabric of their lives but to unravel the infrastructure of Alfajiri itself. With the heir to the throne on the run, the people of Alfajiri must decide whether they will follow her and her companions into freedom or fall in line behind a now empty throne. Michael La_Born is an indie author, publisher, and TikToker. This is his first published fantasy. He owns DYB Publishing, a publisher dedicated to celebrating and uplifting voices of Black, Indigenous and other marginalized communities.


Heretic

Heretic by Chris Mayne

SPFBO9

BOW DOWN TO YOUR DEMON OVERLORDS The apocalypse is over.
This is not that story.
This is what happens next.
Our final tale.

After the great war of heaven and hell, the Gods moved on,
abandoning a decimated Earth behind.

But a pocket of life survived. And thrived.

A new civilization has emerged.

New nations. New species. And an old evil.

This new earth lies unprotected,
and something has slunk out of the depths to claim it.

To rule.

And in a world with the absence of a sane God,
the laws of physics have twisted,
and allowed for the return of magick. Arlex wakes up in the centre of an impact crater that levelled a third of the Palace District—without a scratch on him.
He will discover that he is the most wanted sapien in all of New Tartarus. And Lord Malus has dispatched his pack of monstrous Nephilim to hunt him down.
Joined by a devious cleric and a dangerous pair of escapees from Downshade Asylum, Arlex must come to terms with the truth: that somehow he caused the devastating explosion.
Arlex embarks on a journey to clear his name and uncover the secret of his newfound powers.
He will need to learn if he is meant to be this world’s saviour or the one destined to destroy it all – and usher in true hell on earth.


Red Mage

Red Mage by H.D. Woolf

SPFBO9

When Maggie was thirteen, a warlock murdered her parents and cursed her to remain the same age forever. Ten years later, Maggie hunts warlocks, magi who have defied the Council of Mage Lords, hoping to find and exact vengeance on the one responsible. However, the council is tracking her and has forced her to team up with Lester, an incompetent overseer, whom she only tolerates because he can provide information on her next target. When Lester's new apprentice claims to know of a mage who can halt the aging process, Maggie receives her first lead in years.


The Castle of 1,000 Doors

The Castle of 1,000 Doors by Kenny Gould

SPFBO9 SPSFC 2023

Looking for a place to die? Try the Castle of 1,000 Doors!

King Crow isn’t having a very good day. The Empire’s most famous athlete suddenly finds himself convicted of treason and sentenced to the Hunt, an annual event where the city’s most undesirable prisoners are sent into a dungeon filled with treasure, magic, and… bloodthirsty monsters. Crow didn’t commit the crime, so why is he in the dungeon? Who set him up? And why—for the love of god—is his only weapon a fast-talking, sapient, electromagnetically charged potato named Spud? Join King Crow and Spud in the first book of a new progression fantasy series as they attempt to survive the dungeon of Toroth-Gol.


Fortress of the Lost Amulet

Fortress of the Lost Amulet by Michael Webb

SPFBO9

Part Indiana Jones. Part Percy Jackson. All fantasy adventure. Peter cares about three things: his family, his friends, and escaping an apprenticeship he hates. He works to appease his parents but bides his time until he can adventure on his own. Rumors surface of a legendary treasure, the Amulet of Power, that’s been lost for centuries. When a clue to the artifact’s location falls in their laps, Peter and his friends embark on a quest to uncover the long-forgotten mysteries of the fabled prize. Unfortunately, the group of friends aren’t the only ones seeking it. An enemy will stop at nothing to receive the limitless power the Amulet supplies. The closer Peter gets, the higher the stakes become. Not only is his city threatened, but the lives of his friends and family hang in the balance, and the only way to save them is to find the treasure first. From the hot, new, young-adult fantasy author, Michael Webb, comes an epic adventure of treasure, danger, incredible powers, betrayal, and found family.


The Sunset Sovereign

The Sunset Sovereign by E.M. McConnell

SPFBO9

Destiny was found in a Voice. Join the Seven Supplicants as they journey to the mysterious, utopian Capital, guided by the Voices, known as the Sovereigns. Lynn and Willow find themselves drawn to the realm of Sunrise, the quarter celebrating beginnings and the embrace of mornings. Accompanied by a resolute spirit, Fabio and Aidan venture into the realm of Day, while Isobel and Hollie seek their calling amidst the calm fire of Sunset. Yvaine, guided by a dark destiny, treads the mysterious paths of Night. Witness their extraordinary quest as they undergo Trials, determined to find their dreams. Yet, as their path unfolds, will their dreams come to fruition, or will they instead find a nightmare? Because the once utopian Capital is crumbling, and the arrival of the Seven brings about changes even the Sovereigns did not foresee. This is a tale of ambition, courage, and the delicate balance between triumph and belief. Follow the Seven Supplicants on their journey as they navigate their own challenges, questioning what they have been brought up to believe, unraveling the mysteries that lie ahead.


The Moss Dragon of Brittlekeep

The Moss Dragon of Brittlekeep by Ashley Capes

SPFBO9

When Penny stumbles across a dragon’s tooth beneath the city cemetery, she unwittingly becomes a target of the Brittlekeep’s master and his dark magic. Worse, Lord Masamor seems to know about her Fire-Hands – a magic he wants to possess. With only her talking locket (the mysterious Bear) to rely upon, Penny tries to flee the city but when she encounters a group of rebels, she realises that Masamor is not the only one seeking her… Faced with flight into the unknown or capture by those who will stop at nothing to harness her power, Penny must walk a perilous path to freedom. A YA Adventure Fantasy Novella


Between Land and Sea: A Little Mermaid Retelling

Between Land and Sea: A Little Mermaid Retelling by Paul Mouchet

SPFBO9

Why can’t sea witches have their happily ever after? The sea witch, Calypso, was unjustly banished by the crown prince she was once set to marry. Now cursed to live as a hideous beast, Calypso spends her days alone, hiding in shame with only a surly crab for company. When her best friend Luna, princess of the merfolk, goes missing, Calypso reluctantly emerges from her sea cave to team up with the crown prince she hates in the search for the missing mermaid. Forced to work together, the feuding pair journey ashore in a harrowing race against time to save the princess. But will Calypso finally set aside her differences with Prince Draven only to lose her heart along the way? And what will happen when their perilous adventure unearths an ancient evil that has been laying in wait for centuries? With the fate of the entire merkingdom now in their hands, the pair’s resolve will be tested and their destinies reshaped in an enthralling tale of magic, love, and transformation. ~ A Veil of Entropy Story ~


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