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The Bachelor's Valet by Arden Powell Alphonse Hollyhock is blessed with wealth, class, and more beauty than brains. Though he hasn't got a lick of wit or magic to his name, he's perfectly content living life as an airheaded bachelor with his valetâthe clever, unflappable Jacobiâby his side to ensure everything runs smoothly. All he lacks, according to his mother, is a wife. Despite Alphonse's protests, he's to marry Aaliyah Kaddour: a bright, headstrong young woman who would probably be charming company if she didn't threaten everything about Alphonse's way of life. Marrying means giving up his fashionable flat, his fast car, and, worst of all, it means losing Jacobi. Perhaps most distressingly, this talk of marriage is bringing all sorts of confusing feelings to the forefront. Because rather than falling for the beautiful girl being pushed into his arms, Alphonse seems to be falling for his valet. Except a man can't fall in love with another man. Can he? Meanwhile, Aaliyah has plans of her own. She's as devious as she is pretty, but if Alphonse wants to get through this marriage business in one piece, he'll have to trust her. Her and Jacobi, and, most dangerously, his own feelings. The Bachelor's Valet is a novel in the Flos Magicae series, a collection of queer romances set in an alternate 1920s universe with magic. All the stories are standalones and can be read in any order. |
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Heliotrope by Palmer Pickering Teleo is a retired soldier descended from Mages, who were cast out of power generations ago. After years of war and sorrow, he wants nothing more than to live a quiet life on his farm and work his stonemasonâs craft. His wife and daughter had been murdered during a war raid several years earlier and his young son stolen by the enemy side. He spent years unsuccessfully searching for his son and returned home broken-hearted. At the local castle, he comes upon a war orphan stolen by his side from the enemy and rescues him from abuse, adopting him as his foster son. Teleo is working as a mason at the castle when he finds himself in the middle of a coup. This launches a journey to protect his new family, uncover the secrets of the ancient ways, and reclaim the magic of the Mages. "Heliotrope," by Palmer Pickering, is a Sword & Sorcery title by the award-winning author of the science-fantasy sensation, "Moon Deeds." |
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Trial of the Alchemist by Trevor Melanson Auroraâs greatest entrepreneur has been murdered, and only the truth will save Alchemist Ortez from the gallows. Facing a heated courtroom of strangers, he must now recall the events that brought him here as a fellow alchemist probes his memory. Such is the job of alchemists: administering elixirs in order to see into the minds of men. Their dreams. Their nightmares. Their secrets. But while everyone believes him guilty, Alchemist Ortez knows what they do not. He was hired by the victim for a job unlike any they could imagine. Nor would they ever guess what other mysteries lie buried beneath the mountain metropolis of Aurora, a cave-enclosed city where countless gas lamps illuminate the endless night. Trial of the Alchemist is a gaslamp mystery rife with twists, adventure, and romance. |
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Jagged Emerald City by R. K. Brainerd Meet Fairian Leynthall. Sheâs irreverent, the unwilling heiress of her familyâs business empire, and obsessed with learning magic. Sheâs also got two big problems. One, thereâs evidence the magical being who killed her sister is in town. Two, thereâs this supernatural jerk interfering with her field research. He keeps spouting nonsense about danger, treating her like she matters, and distracting her with big lonely eyes. Not to mention itâs aggravating how much being around him makes her feel like her true self. Then it turns out that her supernatural jerk, Daimyn, is some kind of lynchpin in the magical community, and people are desperate to control the power he holds. As Fairian struggles to unravel the truth about her sisterâs death, a ridiculous rumor of Daimynâs affection for her spreads, and she becomes a target. Fairian convinces Daimyn to work together to fix it, but she wonât let herself get close to him. Because the last magical being she trusted? Killed her sister. History threatens to repeat itself as Fairian falls further into the tangled web of supernatural politics. Becoming a pawn would be the easy path. The hard path will mean believing in herself, being vulnerable enough to trust, and take back power to be her own piece on the board. Jagged Emerald City is the first in the OBSIDIAN DIVDE series, set in an eco-city and following the adventures of Fairian Leynthall as she discovers and finds her place in the magical underworld. |
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Eleventh Cycle by Kian N. Ardalan GRIMDARK MAGAZINE: "Eleventh Cycle checks all the boxes of a grimdark masterpiece. It is a stunning achievement, establishing Kian N. Ardalan as one of the most exciting new voices in speculative fiction." â¨It has been a thousand years since the last Seed abandoned their duty. The mists are closing in. Finally, the Morning Bell tolls. A new Seed is born, but is it too late? The rot eats away at mortals. The Witnesses pray so that they may not turn into one of the forgotten. And the constricting mists infect the lands with fear. But there is more to this tale than just the Elders and their Seeds. Four mortals will have a part to play in Minethriaâs fate. A farmer girl with only love in her eyes. A warrior born to the life of a refugee. A highborn stuck between the realm of gods and men. And a woman running into front lines and away from home. Will the cycle finally be completed? Or will the mist swallow all? A seed is born and the evil is slain, so doth another cycle commence. Yet the last Seed born hath turned traitor, and the mists which had been pushed back, returneth. |
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The Shattered Spire by Ted Cross The magic of the Spire of Peace has banished evil from the Known Lands for more than twelve hundred years. When a dragon destroys the spire and murders the king, the realm is thrown into turmoil. As civil war looms, can the royal Kaldarion family regain control over the kingdom and restore peace? Livia, 20, is the eldest child of the slain King Varun Kaldarion. Though the wisest and most learned of the surviving family members, tradition says she cannot inherit the throne. Balmar, 18, is too feeble-minded to rule, but his uncle, Duke Erol, crowns him anyway in order to appoint himself regent. Darus, 17, was exiled by the spire's magic due to his bitterness that his father never named him heir. By force of personality and skill at arms, he has risen to command the army of exiles at the fortress of East Gate. Now he plans to invade the realm and take back what he feels is rightfully his by birth. Imric, 13, was disavowed by his father after his mother died birthing him. Raised by his sister Livia, few in the realm even know he exists. Little more than a pawn in the conflict between Duke Erol and his brother Darus, Imric may hold the key to reuniting the fractured realm. |
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Scarlet and Sunder by Mike Rousseau Giant magical mecha, transforming heroes, and titanic monsters clash in this love letter to Mighty Morphinâ Power Rangers, Pacific Rim, and Godzilla, blended into an epic fantasy journey of self-discovery. Every step is a choice. Seven years after being kidnapped and forged into a Pilotâa magical knight tasked with slaying giant beasts sent from another worldâMaia Sunderland is ready to give up the battle. Most of the world blames her for the lives sheâs failed to save as she continues to wage a war she never wanted to fight. Her family and allies are gone. All she has left is Scarlet, her magic-fueled, walking war machine. As the last of the Vanguardians, Scarlet is the only weapon capable of standing against the invading menace. As an incurable disease ravages Maia from within, a young officer emerges from an oppressive empire with orders to claim Scarlet for her emperor. Though reckless and inexperienced, this new Pilot somehow shares Maiaâs ability to command Scarlet, making her uniquely suited to succeed Maia when she passes. With little time left before she succumbs to her illness, Maia is left with a deadly choice: train an unlikely apprentice to take her mantle, placing the most destructive weapon in the world in the hands of a tyrant, or save her would-be successor from walking the same bloody path Maia was forced down, leaving the world without a defender. |
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Fae Gods: Maze by Philinna Wood Greek mythology and fae fantasy romance collide in this sweeping story of divided loyalty and forbidden love. I am the daughter of the king, and he is the fae monster my father sent me to kill. For years, the people of my kingdom have whispered tales of the monstrous Minotaur in the depths of an underground maze. Every night, he enters my dreams. His golden eyes capture mine. His horns caress my spine. And I always wake drenched in fear. Heâs waiting for me, I know. But when I venture into the darkness, I find that the monster is in fact a handsome man, cursed by the fae gods to roam the maze. Trapped in the labyrinth with him, I start feeling something that I know I should notâa strange desire wells up within me. My heart is torn between my loyalty to my kingdom and the man whose loneliness echoes my own. As we attempt to escape the treacherous maze, secrets that were meant to remain hidden in its depths beg to be revealed, and with them comes a love so forbidden yet so powerful that it could forever change my life. Authorâs note: The story is a loose reimagining of the Greek myth of the Minotaur, and it is a standalone fae fantasy romance with an HEA. |
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The Untold Prophecy by R. R. Hunter Lord Berik Eddingson, a man known for his ability to handle any situation, faces his toughest challenge yet when he is tasked with unraveling a one-thousand-year-old prophecy that foretells his failure. Fate seems to be against him, and his only leads are a heinous crime, a cursed artifact, and an orphaned girl named Joell. On the continent of Karata, athier-powered machines have propelled society from an agricultural to an industrial age in a time when magic is slowly dying. Those few with the talent possess abilities to see through past, present, or future, or the ability to alter the very world around them. The ancient Templar, a powerful and overbearing force, are struggling to maintain order in the provinces of the Karatian Palatinate as unseen forces chip away at civilization's foundations. Berik soon realizes that the fate of his homeland is inextricably tied to the secrets he seeks to uncover, and he must decide what he is willing to sacrifice to hold onto his beliefs. When everyone and everything has a secret, he must not only pay a steep price but also justify it when that price is too high. Do the gods of Fate stand by and watch as the world crumbles, or can fate be changed? |
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Shortlisted for the 2022 Chaucer Award. 'A skilfully written, beautifully researched coming-of-age story set in Viking Orkney.â Lexie Conyngham, the Orkneyinga Murders series Loyalty has a price the children pay In the twilight of the old gods, when the last Vikings rule the seas, two cursed orphans meet on an Orkney beach and their fates collide. Stripped of honour, facing bleak loneliness ahead, Skarfr and Hlif forge an unbreakable bond as they come of age in the savage Viking culture of blood debts and vengeance. To be accepted as adults, Skarfr must prove himself a warrior and Hlif must learn to use womenâs weapons. Can they clear their names and choose their destiny? Or are they doomed by their fathersâ acts? The award-winning author of The Troubadours Quartet returns to the 12th century, with skalds instead of troubadours and Viking warriors instead of crusaders. Get ready for authentic medieval adventures steeped in poetry, politics and passion. Perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell Matthew Harffy and Madeline Miller. |
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Carved Amidst the Shadows by M.T. Fontaine When the gods shaped the continent into five kingdoms to be ruled by their progeny, they did not account for the greed of men. When they created the Order from their god-blessed followers to mediate between realms, they neglected to plan against the hoarding of power. War between the royalists and the godly was inevitable. Five centuries later, the borders between kingdoms are impenetrable. No branded-born Marked can cross them without burning to ash, except the Orderâs Stewards. But a damaging new war has been prophesied, one that haunts the Order, one that will come to pass if Carved traitors roam free and brandless-born Flawed are left alive. It starts with one girl that survives the impossible. Kaianne, the Carved. It takes shape through one prince with ambition. Andreiyes, the Marked. It hinges on one grieving man who is ready to give up hope. Rau, the Steward. Three people bound by fate â whether they like it or not. The first book in an epic new saga about family, vengeance, and determination with a varied cast of characters. *Please note: This book contains explicit content and dark elements that might be triggering to some. It includes mature scenes of a sexual nature, violence, death including that of an infant, drug references, addiction, childhood trauma, and mentions of suicide. |
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Sul: From Gold to Iron and Rust by Jacqui Davis, Katy Grierson A king destined to rule. A priest determined to protect his land. A demon out to Create chaos. A princess with her eyes on the throne When a demon murders the regent, young King Elmes leaves his island palace and sails north to conquer a frozen wilderness rich in resources his people have squandered âand of course, hunt down the demon. Elmes has no doubt heâll prevail. After all, he is great like his ancestors. But the land is already home to half-wild barbarians led by an immortal priest, who are used to weather more savage than any warrior. With a court losing confidence and a wife set on keeping the crown no matter whose head it sits on, the decisions at home prove the greater danger. With mounting threats on all sides, Elmes wins his empire, but his arrogance leaves him cursed and trapped in the north. Without his armies, his magic, or even his own name, Elmes must face his selfishness and irresponsibility to preserve what truly matters: his young sonâs life. |
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A brooding wolf. A heroine who doesnât need protecting. And a curse that only love can overcome. Gran's stories of horror and violence have dictated Red's whole view of the forest outside her village and the wolves who live there. Sheltered but bold, Red longs to explore that forest for herself, but the Huntsmen who guard her village keep her trapped. When Gran is injured, Red sees her chance. To save Granâs life, Red ventures down a path Gran hoped sheâd never follow. In the woods, Red finds a secret, hidden world full of death and danger. The beasts in it all try to kill her...so why does she feel so alive? The Huntsmen will stop at nothing to get Red back. They will kill every wolf in the woods, and thereâs one in particular Red is determined to save. The villagers have magic on their side, and all Red has is love. Will it be enough? |
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His love is locked inside an enigma. Can he solve the mystery to make himself a home? A hidden kingdom. The 18th century. Alden grew weary of battle long ago. And now the honorable soldier seeks to put the horrors of war behind him to settle in a land of peace and start a family. And while an attractive shopkeeper catches his eye, he finds himself caught up in the kingdom's greatest riddle: the twelve daughters of the king and queen vanish every night and reappear in the morning with their shoes worn out. Drawn to a shared passion for dancing as he spends more time with the woman of his dreams, Alden can't avoid a growing involvement with the land's enchanted magic. And as he does so, he starts to realize that the alluring woman he's falling for may hold the key to answering the perplexing mystery. Can Alden unravel a magical entanglement and find his way to happily ever after? Twelve is a charming fairy tale retelling. If you like upstanding heroes, picturesque romance, and delightful surprises, then you'll adore Joan Marie Verba's heartwarming story. |
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Echoes of Dragons by C. Borden A decade after Mythniumâs suns eclipse each other, the White Lordâs malignant shadow stretches north to Mythos once more. There, he unleashes his secret weapon: a massive dragon long thought to be extinct. Three groups of travelers set off on separate journeys, drawn toward the elven city of Elmnas and the answers they hope to find within. Along the way, they face strange factions of creatures united against them as the White Lord's influence grows. As their paths intersect, the travelers face an uncertain new world where echoes of dragons come to life. |
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The Ghosts in the Flames by Seann Barbour For centuries, the Four Kingdoms have lived in fear of the dragon Raksen-Kal, who roosts upon the peak of the Black Mountain. To satiate his hunger, a noble maiden is sent to the dragon as tribute every Autumn, with each of the kingdoms trading off the duty of sending the sacrifice year by year. Shivuri is the youngest princess of Endaru, the smallest and poorest of the Four Kingdoms. Today, her cousin is sent to the dragon, and in four years' time, she will be as well. As the day of her death draws ever closer, the young princess seeks solace in darkness, and explores the forbidden art of witchcraft. In doing so, Shivuri learns of secrets that would once have filled her with terror-- and of freedom that she never before could have imagined. ---- Please be aware this novel contains depictions of violence, gore, abuse, sexuality, and assault. |
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Watchers of the Evenfall by Joe Field The Vampire Prince. The Werewolf Brawler. The Dark Elf Warlock. The Girl. Even monsters can become heroes â¨Resurrected through strange necromancy, sixteen-year-old Hazel Enda adjusts to her new life and loss of emotions. Uncertain of the future, she receives a strange invitation to join the Evenfall Vigil, a group dedicated to protecting the kingdom from nocturnal supernatural threats. Hazel unites with three fearsome outcasts to hunt the criminal genius known as "The Alchemist." They must battle monsters, magic, and a religious cult to discover the Alchemist's identity and save the kingdom, and themselves, from the mastermind's increasingly lethal schemes. Will they fulfill the oaths they've sworn or die as Watchers of the Evenfall?â¨â¨Watchers of the Evenfall is a high fantasy story filled with monsters, magic, and mystery. |
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Night Demon by Stephen Wolberius Lilian, a thirteen-year-old factory worker in an industrialising town plagued by a serial killer, can see an invisible affliction within other people. When her search for her missing best friend ends with a confrontation with a demon â and learning that the affliction turns humans into demons â another demon named Lucian saves her life and promises answers. Her first clue is that demons are responsible for the many murders. Unfortunately, Lilianâs new lead has problems of his own â Demon Hunters, who claim Lucian is the serial killer and who see Lilian as an accessory. Night Demon tells a claustrophobic gaslamp fantasy and horror story with a dark fantasy twist and edge-of-your-seat suspense. If you're a fan of classic American and British horror fiction but also like dark fantasy world-building and epic fights, you're in for a treat. What can you expect from reading Night Demon? A strong female lead discovers that she needs to confront her mortality as well as her morality. Fast-paced, engaging and brooding at once. Plenty of unexpected twists. Well-developed characters, both major and minor. Language magic called Elilim, based on proto-indo-european, Mycenean and proto-Semitic languages. Set in Victorian times and written in the King's English, the classic gaslamp fantasy British horror fiction atmosphere. Classic strong prose, but that doesn't take away tempo. Demons and Vampires with compelling and terrifying worldbuilding and lore behind them Inspired by deep Saxon ghostly folklore. Tragic, tense and emotional. Terrifyingly brooding, doom impendent and action-packed story structure that will never bore... A satisfying ending! |
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The Fractured God by Gerard Howard Jaded mercenaries Aelred and Xyla have come across the most clichĂŠd of contracts: rescue a missing princess to end a series of brutal wars waged in her name. Much to everyone's surprise, the rescue does not pan out too well. A god gets involved and hurls the three of them into another universe where technology rules in lieu of magic. It's not too bad, though. Saving the multiverse from the destruction of a bored god who wants to experience nonexistence is an additional responsibility that could've fallen on anyone. Despite their social skills, they'll find a decent set of companions to help ease their burden: a speechless outcast from a species of arachnoids living inside a giant space worm, a disgruntled soldier living on a deserted prison planet, and a chirpy salvager with a horrific past and a droid that has a difficult time ignoring its primary torture functions. Take a trip through the multiverse in this humorously dark adventure where bad things definitely don't happen to good people and everything is always fine! |
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The Wickwire Watch by Jacquelyn Hagen ***WINNER OF THE 2023 REALM AWARD FOR BEST DEBUT NOVEL*** ***2023 REALM AWARDS FINALIST FOR BOOK OF THE YEAR*** ***AWARDED THE INDIE B.R.A.G. MEDALLION*** TRUST NO ONE. It's the first and greatest rule Inkwell Featherfield ever learned. It's also the only way he knows how to surviveâbesides picking pockets, dodging the law, and using every ounce of his plucky charm. But none of this will be enough to save him now. If only he'd never snooped around a dead man's house. If only he'd never found that pocket watch full of strange magic. If only he'd known the old man had snuffed it at the hands of the ghostly Spektors, or that such dark spirits even existed, because now they're after him. When Ink is approached by an enigmatic group offering to keep him safe, he acceptsâonly to discover his rescuers are a band of infamous fugitives. Who knew they had a flair for winemaking? Or a penchant for sing-a-longs? Thrust into a world of arcane horrors, powerful politicians, and dangers on every side, the boy has no choice but to finally break his rule and decide who to trust. But with all the secrets, magic, and mystery thickening around himâand the stakes so much higher than he ever imaginedâit might just be downright impossible. The Wickwire Watch is the first book of the epic fantasy series The Riverfall Chronicles. For more information, visit jacquelynhagen.com. |
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A Magical Imperative by Edith Pawlicki One binding destroyed her family; could another save it?â¨â¨At thirty-six-years-old, history professor Aurelie is resigned to a childless existence. It's not her age - it's the absence of male Unseen. Her species has been so desperate to hide among humans that it is quietly dying out. Now her family is broken; eager to leave behind a painful past, Aurelie accepts a teaching position in Nara, Japan. But she's unprepared for the future she finds...â¨â¨Twenty-two-year-old Kazuki is the favored son of the Hayashi family - a clan of Unseen that has not only survived in Japan, but thrived. Though he knows hundreds of Unseen, heâs unprepared for Aurelie and the overwhelming attraction he feels for her, a biological imperative to mate.â¨â¨Or perhaps a magical one because, as Kazuki and Aurelie grow closer, the reasons for hiding come out.â¨â¨And they are hungry. A Magical Imperative treads a delicate line between reality and fantasy, painting a detailed picture of cross-cultural romance while also adding subtle strokes of whimsy and fate. The first book of a series, itâs a sure winner for fans of atmospheric writing, intelligent fantasy, and character-driven plots. Visit a magical Japan with A Magical Imperative today! |
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The Dark Heart of Redemption by Darran M Handshaw "Some secrets are best left undiscovered." Pyramid, the great heart of Redemption, lies under siege by tribal invaders that threaten to destroy the very civilization that the Dominions have created. The Engineer, Actaeon, leads a force of Raedelleans from the south, where they pause to investigate the secrets of abandoned Travail in search of aid for the battle to come. At the same time, the new Princess of Raedelle, Eisandre, sails down the River of Arches with her Thyrian allies to attack from the Great Sea to the west. Travail's secrets are darker than expected, and the reason behind the Loresworn evacuation may soon spread to the rest of the city. Meanwhile, far to the north, Ajman and Shield fight over the lands of Czeryn, left desolate by an artifact that just might extinguish all life in the city at the hands of an unseen enemy known only as the Veiled One. In his quest to save Redemption, will Actaeon be able to overcome the old enmity between the Dominions to unite against these threats? Or will all civilization fall, just as the Ancients had ages ago? One thing is certain: in Redemption, everything comes with a cost.â¨â¨------------â¨â¨The Dark Heart of Redemption is Darran M Handshaw's second novel and is a standalone sequel to The Engineer (an SPFBO semi-finalist!). |
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In the fertile lands of the River, squabbling city states continue thousands of years of bloody warfare. Some fight for land, others for food, others still for personal glory. Unknown to all, a storm brews in the West. Will one man stand against the storm as it sweeps away his life? Can the River States put aside their old rivalries to face a bigger threat? Or will slow simmering hatred lead to bitterness and murder? |
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Doll Girl Meets Dead Guy by Lidiya Foxglove Itâs not easy being a doll girl in a flesh-and-blood world. Although her race was created from magic as second-class citizens, Sorlaâs baked goods are now famous for miles around thanks to her hard work and unrelenting optimism. Sheâs even attracted the notice of Prince Seldon, who invites her to work at the royal bakery in the capital. The one thing Sorlaâs life is missing is love. Her youthful crush ditched her for a normal girl with generous curves (of course), and technically she is unsexed (parts sold separately). Flesh girls certainly donât have to save money to buy themselves lady bits before they can even date. Her ride-for-hire to the capital? Dorr, a soldier revived from a battlefield death, as is the way of his necromancing clan. He might rather have been left to die with his comrades. Instead, a few parts of their bodies were stitched on to fix his. Scarred and broken, Dorr wants to drop off his overly cheerful companion as quickly as possibleâuntil he realizes that her pastries are the only thing thatâs tasted good since his revival. As they slowly open up over dog rescues (her idea), graveyard strolls (his idea), and of course, delicious pastry, love and trust grows between these two misfits. But the war isnât over, and when the royal family expect Sorlaâs pastries to save the life of the hero of the realm, she might lose Dorr and everything sheâs worked for. Cross a Ghibli movie with The Nightmare Before Christmas, add a little spice, and you might have the quirkiest of romcoms. |
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Dream of the Sphere by Jay S. Willis Three thousand years of tradition torn asunder. When the truth comes out, will a hero emerge to pick up the pieces? Dashira Eisenheart takes ultimate comfort in her community. So sheâs thrilled when her brother ascends to the coveted order chosen to protect the world from safely sealed-away, millennia-old, dangerous magic. But her faith in her beloved parentsâ loyalty cracks after she spies her mother sneaking about town to meet with the enemy. Striving to stay focused on her own academic studies, Dashira becomes caught in family tensions that soon reach a boiling point. And as her fatherâs Brotherhood and her motherâs rebel group head toward a cataclysmic clash, the young seeker finds herself trapped by conflicting choices. Will she face her fears and accept her role in a grand destiny? Dream of the Sphere is the intricate first entry in the expansive The Sphere Saga epic fantasy series. If you like gargantuan conflicts, jaw-dropping twists, and deep explorations of humanityâs beliefs, youâll love Jay S. Willisâs hard-hitting tale. |
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The Book of Zog by Alec Hutson What were the Great Old Ones like before they were old? In the shadow of cosmic horrors, newly-birthed entity Zogrusz must come to understand his true nature, learn how to wield his dreadful powers, and search for meaning in the mad spaces between the stars. Hopefully, heâll make some friends along the way. Also, thereâs a cat. A Lovecraftian cozy fantasy. |
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Born to a life of abandonment and servitude, Syl'Kara is confronted with a horror she could not have imagined. Still a child, by elven standards, she is ill-equipped to handle life on her own, but that will soon become the least of her worries. Faced with an enemy that it seems no one else can withstand, she is left with a simple choice: run and hope someone else can put an end to the terror, or take matters into her own hands, despite her crippling fear. |
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A band of medieval castaways is stranded in an Otherworld they first believe is paradise. However, they come to believe that a toxic tree fruit enhancing the beauty and power of their women is an offering by the devil. This âEveâs Appleâ eventually upsets the established patriarchic order. Over a millennium later, Howard and Julia tumble into this alien world as a couple settled comfortably in a relationship based on her supremely self-confident boyfriendâs need to take care of his insecure girlfriend. Civilization is now thriving there with absurdly powerful women due to an uncontrollable addiction to the refined extract of the tree fruit. Their relationships with the weaker male sex are generally based on some form of explicit or implicit domination. Men are mainly objects of their outsized erotic appetites or perform menial service. After a period of disorientation where the couple unsuccessfully attempts to extract themselves quickly from this upsetting situation to return to their previous comfortable lives, Julia is relentlessly tempted by her host to become like the women of this new world and eventually succumbs in an act of betrayal of Howard who reacts adversely to the breach of trust and begins to reject his girlfriend on account of jealousy and fear. Julia doesnât understand his problems as she considers the change to be a purely practical matter to protect themselves while they figure out how to leave this world. As Howard realizes the enormous magnitude of Juliaâs new abilities he withdraws ever more to the ongoing disappointment of Julia. In the wake of a relationship in crisis, Julia warms up to what the new world has to offer to women and begins to indulge. In the process, Julia realizes that something new inside her makes her prone to act and feel in ways that she would never have condoned before, and is deeply conflicted about that. Gradually she begins to see fault in Howard for this state of their affairs and prods him to adapt which he refuses to do despite several cathartic experiences he is subjected to. Eventually, she loses patience and lets her new nature break free after giving her boyfriend a debilitating taste of her power. |
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Angel from the Rust by Jason Link They say Earth was a place of wonders, where towers pierced the clouds, cities lit up the night, and flying machines streaked across the sky. It was magic. But the magic conjured the End War. Fire fell from the sky, and metal beasts leveled the cities. That was six hundred years ago. Now the ruins of the Ancient world are buried or overgrown. And the technology of the past is feared as forbidden magic. Corvala, a young musician on the run from the law, never intended on getting mixed up with history. But when a murderer falls from the heavens and sets himself up as a god, sheâs driven into the wilderness and discovers the secret of her bloodline: a code of immense power embedded in her DNA. The code could save thousandsâor plunge her into madness. To defeat the tyrannical false god, Corvala must do something more terrifying than confront the demons of Earthâs history. She must confront her own. |
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Gates to Illvelion by A.R. Rathmann A strange adventure in a world beyond the edge of our own... When Lord Agravaine's daughter, Gwenhivar, tumbles over the edge of the forest and into the fairy realm, he will stop at nothing to save her. But his own life is threatened too, and it is Gwen who must save them both from the magic of the woods. As they face bewitchment and worse, Gwen and her father confront the dazzling Queen of Illvelion -- a woman once human who rules with terrible magic and the bitter sting of loss. Can the human child overcome her enemies and find the power to save her kin? Or will her enemies destroy her soul? |
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An unstoppable disease. A fanatical doctor. A nightmare obsession. As a deadly plague rips through Harriet's village, unexpected salvation arrives in Adam: the bright-eyed novice healer with a hidden gift, who vanishes as quickly as he came. Haunted by weird nightmares and a witch's dying words, Harriet seeks the truth about Adam and his mysterious home at Wolfern Priory. But the world of healers is changing. The royal doctor Lady Hawkes is on a quest to perfect humanity, with her miraculous and addictive new treatment: the Mordant Sleep. Swept along by dark rumours, guilty secrets and ancient powers, Harriet is drawn into the shadowy conflict between Mordancy and medicine, and finds that perfection can be deadlier than any plague. Mordicax is Book 1 in the Creatures of Flyn fantasy series. |
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The Fall Is All There Is by C.M. Caplan SPFBO9 SPSFC 2023 SPFBO Finalist All Petre Mercy wanted was a good old-fashioned dramatic exit from his life as a prince. But itâs been five years since he fled home on a cyborg horse. Now the Kingâhis Dadâis deadâand Petre has to decide which heir to pledge his thyroid-powered sword to. As the youngest in a set of quadruplets, heâs all too aware that the line of succession is murky. His siblings are on the precipice of power grabs, and each of them want him to pick their side. If Petre has any hope of preventing civil war, he'll have to avoid one sibling who wants to take him hostage, win back anotherâs trust after years of rivalry and resentment, and get an audience with a sister he's been avoiding for five years. Before he knows it, he's plunged himself into a web of intrigue and a world of strange, unnatural inventions just to get to her doorstep. Family reunions can be a special form of torture. |
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Path of the Warrior by Melissa Stone Ashrinn Chimekin is a Fugitive Recovery Agent tasked with helping the crew of the Shrike in their pursuit of the rogue Cult of Atraxia. When something goes horribly wrong during an infiltration attempt on the cultâs compound, Ashrinn and the crew find themselves on a strange, new world. Worse yet, the cultists made their way to this new world as well. Told that the capture of the cultists will lead them back home, the simple task becomes much harder when Ashrinn and the crew discover the cultists have allied themselves with the Darkriders, people who will stop at nothing to gain total control over their world. And making matters worse, the cultists have gained mysterious, dangerous magic powers... Ashrinn forges alliances with the Dragonlords, the force in opposition to the Darkriders, in hopes of stopping both the cultists and the Darkriders once and for all. As she fights, she finds herself getting closer to uncovering the mystery behind the black sword that appears when sheâs in dire need - and if it will affect her desire to return home. |
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Throne of Deceit by Richard Fierce Their royal parents assassinated, two young siblings are separated and hidden to protect their future and the future of their kingdom. Only when their adoptive families are murdered do they discover the truth of their heritage. Now it is time to reclaim what is theirs.But to do that, they will need an army â and magic. With many interested in their royal roots, they must decide who can be trusted ⌠and who is trying to kill them.Throne of Deceit is the first book in the series Dragons of Isentol, a tale of dragons, magic, and a growing rebellion against tyranny. |
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Litany of the Destroyer by Chaz Lebel Sir Galien Banforth is damned. He watched a demon drag his lord to Hell, and he knows heâs next. When war once again pulls him into a theater of pillage and butchery, Galien abandons the battlefield, and his knighthood, to find a way to repent. Fate is about to give it to him. The dark cult of Apollyon the Destroyer grows by the day, its adherents spreading a catastrophic sickness. Galien is about to find himself in a new war, against the apocalypse itself, and the demons that carry it on noxious wings. |
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The Dragon's Hide by Dustin Porta and D.K. Holmberg A cozy tavern on the edge of the empire holds a deadly secret. When Treylen's mentor died, and his bonded dragon failed to grow like the others, he feared heâd be stuck forever at the mountain abbey where the queenâs assassins train. Fate has other plans for him. A message arrives ordering him and his dragon, Rime, on a dangerous mission to kill the glyph scribe who is enchanting weapons for the enemy army. Infiltrating the enemy city requires a mastery of disguise, deception, and interrogation. Treylen must learn these skills quickly from his new spymaster if he hopes to locate his target. But the comforts of the Dragonâs Hide Inn make it a favorite watering hole of enemy rangers and a deadly training ground.â¨â¨All his training may not be enough to stop the wizard intent on destroying everything Treylen cares about. The Dragonâs Hide is the start of an exciting new fantasy series! |
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Gloaming by Charlotte E. English Once upon a chime... Every day at four oâ clock, an enchanted twilight sweeps over Vale Argantel. Strange things happen under its eldritch influence: mists boil up out of the ground, rain pours out of a cloudless sky, and the roses grow wild and fey. Such is the way of things. But when her friend falls through a magic mirror and disappears, Margot realises somethingâs changed. An ancient enchantment has gone awry, and chaos quickly spreads. Magic-drunk, confused and hampered at every turn, Margot must find a way to reclaim Oriane â and before anybody else disappears. But for Oriane, things are stranger still. Lost in a topsy-turvy world, how can she ever find her way home? For sheâs adrift in a place very like Argantel â eerily familiar, yet strangely different; a place which follows none of the usual rules⌠Get drunk on magic â try this atmospheric fantasy from the author of the Tales of Aylfenhame and Faerie Fruit. |
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âDestiny is a ride on the back of a wild beast. You canât control it. You can only slap its hide and hope it takes the path you want.â Nila cares nothing for destiny. She steals relics for the danger. Running the roofs, evading guards and dodging traps in her pursuit of these coveted but illegal artifacts makes her heart race, reminds her that she is more than just the ghost of a girl forced to flee her homeland. Danger turns deadly, however, when a cloaked stranger lures her into a plot to rekindle a magic that once destroyed a world. Destiny is driving her down a path of horror and darkness, and she must change its course before she loses everything. |
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The Zero of Destiny by T. R. Peers There was a prophecy. There usually is, in these kinds of situations. Invictus Kul is an invincible hero, destined to save the world. He even has a piece of paper that says so. But it turns out that knowing youâre invincible rather takes the shine off winning, and life in general. Death Scream, a wandering barbarian warrior, would like to take rather more than the shine off Invictusâ life. In fact, sheâd like to cut it abruptly short, but that canât happen until he fulfils his destiny and saves the world. Of course, Vic (to his friends, which she isnât) has no plans to do anything of the sort, so sheâs going to have to help him. Or force him. Along the way sheâll encounter Dark Lords, a nightmarish maid who gets a half-price discount at the opticians, ancient magics, gainfully-employed Orcs, and Union Regulations. All this and more can be found in âThe Zero of Destinyâ, a fantasy-comedy that absolutely nobody should take seriously, but everybody should read. Unless you donât like puns, and/or really like geraniums. |
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When good men forsake the light, humanity pays the price, and the dead collect. Vas was raised to be a clerical healer who channels the Light of Heaven. When he loses his uncle, Vas rejects the Light and embraces necromancy to resurrect him at the cost of several other lives, including the sister of the girl he loves. Vas seeks to understand the horrors he has wrought and absolution for his sins. But when dark forces seek him out, Vas must choose between watching his new family die or becoming darkness itself to save them. |
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Stars and Ravens by Francis Deer and Mika Hunter Investigating a murder case, Valerian Crow is drawn into a mystery discernible only to him due to his unwanted magical abilities. Joining forces with unlikely companions, he finds himself increasingly entangled in enigmatic events. When Valerian accepts work from strange employers, magic is more and more invading his world, endangering his hold on reality. Valerian has to decide whom to trust and learn to rely on others. A challenging task, even more so since all his life he has been forced to lock certain parts of himself away and thus never deciphered the ways of his own heart. |
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The Rise of the Falsemarked by Samuel Gately What if James Bond carried a sword and worked for a dragonarmy? Since the return of dragons, armies and corporations have divided the skies. War was inevitable. It only took master spy Aaron Lorne moments to start the war with the falsemarked. Now he has just five days to end it. He and his team will need every alliance they can get to fulfill this mission. Surviving in a city that longs for their blood is not enough. They have a war to win. Rise of the Falsemarked, the second Spies of Dragon and Chalk adventure, combines elements of Ian Flemingâs James Bond novels and crime noir into a thrilling world of epic fantasy. Mixing spy craft, dragons, and good writing, Samuel Gately certainly won me over. â The Fantasy Book Critic Blog |
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On a world without a sun, one boy sees something he shouldn't. Young, alone, afraid. The only thing Loe can hope for is help. Hope is not always answered, but sometimes the door opens. Ilian stands in the doorway. She takes Loe when no one else will and they do the only thing they can - run. They run beneath the galaxy's light as their country tears itself apart. It's a dark world but that is not always a disadvantage. There is a place of safety. There is hope. They must get there. They must run. |
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This is the story of Isfael, a young wytch who practices the art of magic as the village healer. The development of her skills, however, does not come without struggles: Not only are some of her fellow elves, amongst them the elderly wytch superior, suspicious of her as an ambitious young healer, but her talents are also put to the test when Isfael comes into possession of a powerful gem that turns her dreams into nightmares. Isfael must also learn that even the most well-meaning actions we take can reap terrible consequences. |
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A sleepy town on the west coast of England. Nothing really happens here. Until now⌠Two stabbings. The victims: a man named Arthur and a mysterious knight. Detective Inspector Niamh Khalid finds herself drawn into a world of myth, magic, and betrayal. Can she solve an impossible case and keep her brother safe? Things arenât looking too great for DI Niamh Khalid. Her brother Lance has been arrested, her superior officer is breathing down her neck, and she is investigating an attempted murder, with no suspects and no clues to the identity of the victim. Then, Lance and his friends discover another dead body: a young man, dressed as a knight. Soon, a series of terrifying incidents threaten to derail Niamhâs investigation. Lance is clearly hiding something, and Niamhâs journalist ex-fiancĂŠ is back in her life, asking awkward questions. When criminal barrister Merlin Rhys seeks her out with a stunning revelation, Niamh begins to appreciate just how strange and frightening a mystery she and Lance have become involved in. Can myth and magic be real? Can they help Niamh solve her case, and save both her brother and her world? Police procedural meets Arthurian fantasy. Fans of Ben Aaronovich, V.E. Schwab and women detectives will love Kingsrise, an urban fantasy mystery by first-time author Anne Mattias. |
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A feast will come, of carrion all⌠Kenrig Ebermann has devoted her life to the pursuit of the unquiet dead, but when a chance encounter draws her into a bargain with the otherworldly Unseelie she faces a threat unlike any other. The dread spectres torment the living and the dead alike, and their presence heralds misfortune across the disparate Marches. Aided by her apprentice Dandall she must find a way to free innocent souls from the Unseelieâs strange feast, but Dandall is reeling from grief and his presence might just doom them both. Unknown to him, Dandall is the subject of prophecy and Kenrig is forced to question the tenuous trust between them. The veil between life and death draws thin. The shadow of the Otherworld falls across a divided land. |
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The Darkness Calling by Joe Coates The Darkness Calling is a gritty, stylish, action-packed novel from start to finish. Populated with vividly portrayed characters, thrilling moments and plenty of dark humour, it is brilliantly written, and will keep you turning the pages far into the night. Perfect for fans of Lee Child, J.J Connelly, Ben Aaronovitch, Iain Banks and Warren Ellis. When a contract goes out on the head of a human-trafficker living in one of London's most exclusive suburbs, romantically deprived hitman, Archie Nyx, assumes it's just another day at the office. In a profession that usually comes with minimal moral high ground, being paid a hefty sum to expunge an excrescence like Andras Janos is as close to a good day at work as Archie gets. It's a nice thought, but when the hit goes south and the unexpected elements rear their heads, Archie must track down the mysterious client who seems to want more than just Janos dead. Beautiful but hard-boiled Detective Inspector Valentina Galanti is back at work at the Met after an accident that tore her life apart. Her old friend and boss, Detective Superintendent Jack McNeill, assigns Val to a brutal multiple homicide by way of a welcome back. Val embraces the carnage as a pleasing escape from the grief and fury that are threatening to overwhelm her. By chance, or so it seems, Archie and Val meet one afternoon. Lies and deceptions breed more lies and deceptions, with the assassin and copper having no idea that they are both working towards the middle of the same problem from opposite sides. Set in a near-future London not too dissimilar to the one we know, The Darkness Calling is a soft sci-fi novel that explores whether any silver lining can be found in the midst of a son's hatred for his father, a mother's heart-crushing grief, and the place where the bullets fly. |
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Of Thieves and Shadows by B. S. H. Garcia Some secrets are best left to the shadows. But shadows have a mind of their own. The ancient land of Quinaria teeters on the brink of war, as its most precious resource is unearthed and exploited. Three nations have maintained tenuous peace for centuries, but as the life-giving nevethium dwindles, rumors of an ancient evil long thought dead spread like wildfire. Elaysia never wanted to lead. As the high chieftainâs only surviving heir, sheâs thrust into a role that jeopardizes the already fragile peace. A deadly attack on the day of her induction strengthens her resolveâand her suspicion that her parentsâ murders and these disturbing rumors are connected. With newfound companions, she embarks on a journey to uncover the truth. But as they unravel layers of secrets, they find themselves in the clutches of a dictator whose unethical nevethium experimentation threatens to bring about a new world of terror and violence. Elaysia and her allies could be all that stands between war and a dying worldâif their conflicting ambitions donât destroy them first. |
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Fifty-nine nights of peace. One night of terror. This sequence has repeated itself since before history was recorded on the scrolls. Galenâs life is ruled by the cyclic attacks of the Harvesters, the twisted, vampiric creatures of the night who can only be seen by the children they hunt. In order to stay unharmed, he, along with the other children, must rely on their own wits and the mystical sap gathered from the Grove Trees. Much as they try, their parents can offer little protection. For as a child matures, the Harvesters become invisible to their eyes. After a Harvester breaches the protective barrier around the house and wreaks havoc on the family within, Galen vows revenge on the monsters. His father, devastated by the attack and repulsed by the discovery that his son can Channel magic, sells Galen to the most powerful family in the town to serve as a decoy for their own prize heir. Here, Galenâs true potential is recognized, and he is sent to The Spire for formal training. It is within these walls that he learns an invaluable lesson: Danger does not always wait for darkness to emerge. Faced with the challenges of his new life, and with the time before the Harvesters fade from his sight drawing near, Galen must use every bit of his knowledge to make good on his oath of vengeance while struggling not to lose himself in the process. |