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Atra Hart has spent the last seven years locked away in Vanishing Plains Psychiatric Hospital. In that time, her shadow has transformed into its own entity and is growing stronger by the day, threatening to devour her mind. She calls that shadow Dread, and only her missing father knows what it is. When a fire breaks out at the asylum, Atra makes her way to freedom just in time to see an electric-purple rift sunder the sky. Like Dread, the rift is only visible to her. Atraâs already loose grip on reality unravels when she learns the rift is a gateway to the world of the dead. And the Queen, an ancient evil lurking on its fringes, wants Dread for her own. Even worse, Atra canât tell if any of this is really happening. She might have escaped one asylum, but the closer she gets to unearthing answers about Dread, why her father knows itâs there, and its role in the Queenâs plans, the more she risks getting trapped inside her own mind forever. Maybe some truths are meant to stay buried. |
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The Memory Tree by Ellie Lieberman "The Memory Tree reminds us that it is okay, and sometimes necessary, to remember the not so good during the holiday season... It almost feels like we are given permission to feel bittersweet, which is something I personally find comforting the older I get."- Roadside Reader A collection of old ornaments come alive to aid a grandmother, on her last Christmas Eve night, in telling family stories and imparting her final wisdom to her granddaughter. |
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The consequences of freedom, the sacrifices for what is loved, and the battle for the future... All in the shadow of a castle that looms large over all who preside within the kingdom. |
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Rosemary & Iron by Dorian Valentine When a ritual to restore Mana goes wrong and sends him into the distant past, CĂ©lestin Edevane seeks the help of a strange man inhabiting an even stranger estate in order to prevent the calamity that destroyed Mana. Faced with a fascinating world unlike his own, filled with vampires, fae, witches and old gods and an unexpected love affair...will he even want to return to his time? |
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The Reluctant Mage by Journey Windrow FAERIES, TROLLS, AND VAMPIRESâIS IT THE END OF THE MUNDANE REALM? I lost The Great War of the Elflands and everyone I loved. Then the Guild of Light Mages appointed me, Miranda Hunter, as Mage-in-Charge of Boston. Harpies and hornpipes! MUNDANES BREACHED THE VEIL TO THE REALMS OF MAGIC. How? Got me. I'm no quantum mechanic. Predatory preternaturals are pouring in like some joker put up a sign that says THIS WAY TO MUNDANIA . THERE ARE TROLLS IN TUNNELS. Canât mundanes identify troll stench? Nope. They donât believe in myth and magic. BABIES ARE MISSING. Changeling fae kids turn up, leaving mundane parents looking for their missing children. The mystery is how to get them back. A VANISHED GIRL Add one transportation spell to faery and itâs a magical abduction. WITH PRETERNATURAL PREDATORS STALKING ME WITH INTENT TO KILL, HOW DO I SAVE EVERYONE ELSE? There's only me, my hellhound, and my sidekick, Nigel-the-Absent, to protect the mundane world. I need sleep and calories to fuel my magic. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? With my sort-of-dead husband winding through my mind like a ghost, Iâm drowning in self-doubt. I SHOULD PACK SOME SNACKS! |
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In this dark fantasy set in a world of Machiavellian Angels and honour code demons, one outcast Angel and a vampire spirit of war must work together to prevent an atrocity causing a spiral into a deadly war between the races. Azshael is a disgraced Angel lost in remorse and shunned for falling in love with the enemy. Unexpectedly tasked with investigating the death of a vampire elite on Angelic soil, it quickly becomes personal when he discovers her murder bears similarities to that of his dead vampire lover. Seeking answers, he joins forces with the 'Serrate' Lytta, an ancient vampire war spirit and sacred warrior bound in flesh, and the potent pair unearth a conspiracy which could destroy the long-standing truce and reignite the war between the races. As a day of reckoning looms, Azshael will need all his wits to survive. But surviving is the one thing heâs always been good at. Heâs not the âdead angel walkingâ his enemies think he is. |
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The Wizardâs Butler by Nathan Lowell "He thinks he's a wizard," they said. For five grand a month and a million dollar chaser, Roger Mulligan didn't care how crazy the old geezer was. All he had to do was keep Joseph Perry Shackleford alive and keep him from squandering the estate for a year. They didn't tell him about the pixies. |
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The Blue Fairy and the Pyromancer by Zeiss Schreiber An isolated fairy seeks answers. A sorcerer trying to lay low. An inquisitor determined to catch the sorcerer. And a secret that will alter the course of all their lives forever⊠As a fairy, Breeze has been taught never to talk to humans or leave the forest. But when she meets a human sorcerer, she learns that everything sheâs been taught puts fairykind in danger. She must find Nana, her caretaker, and learn the truth to save her people. Kieran, the sorcerer, knows magic is forbidden. On the run from a dangerous inquisitor, he must lay low or risk being caught. He has always had to hide his magic â any other action on his part would have him hunted by inquisitors; and inquisitors make witches and sorcerers pay in blood. Faith is determined to bring down the sorcerer. But sheâs hiding her own dark secret. A secret even she isnât aware of. The kind of secret that puts her â and everyone around her â in danger. Three lives, entwined by fate, converge. Will they find the answers they seek? Or will they destroy one another in the process? |
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âDonât trust anyone, Lady Caitlin. Not even me. Especially not me. You can have allies here, but this court does not allow you the luxury of friends.â The land is dying, commoners are protesting, and workers are revolting. The king is ailing, but the prince is not stepping in to quell the unrest. Caitlin doesn't careâshe hasn't cared about anything since the day her world shattered and she lost everything. But fate intervenes to make her care, throwing first a rebellion leader and then the spoiled prince in her path, giving her the influence and power to rule the realm as queen or tear it all down from the inside. Caitlin would be more than happy to destroy the kingdom, but there's more to the story than the rebels know. Darker forces lurk behind the throne, and if Caitlin is to keep her head attached to her shoulders, she will need to learn more about court politics and ignore the fluttering of her heart whenever she sees a certain court lady. Caught in a web of deception and conspiraciesâmilitant revolutionaries, cryptic priestesses, and a secretive lady-in-waiting with a ruthless familyâCaitlin must unravel the truth of a long-hidden magical prophecy, or she will become yet another pawn of an enemy far more dangerous than a tyrannical king. An enemy that has been plotting in the shadows for centuries. And it has its sights set on making Caitlin into its weapon. |
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A Vermilion Curse by DC Guevara Former scholar turned mercenary Ryesand Valafar rummages through a ransacked city for banned religious texts, seeking information about ancient and dangerous magic. While investigating an abandoned temple, he encounters a threatening woman with a price on her head high enough to fund his research. Wanted by both the crown for her involvement in the dead king's occult studies and a menacing cult, Cressida Benoit searches for a way to get rid of a brand that scars her in the besieged capital in order to make her grand escape. An encounter with a demon leaves her in bonds. When this unlikely pair of opposing personalities discover that they have similar objectives relating to the outlawed religion, they agree to work together to find the place where all dark magic stems from. This proves to be a difficult task when their journey is tracked by a war commander set on bringing them to justice, a family they must escort back to a circus, and the growing tension rising between Ryesand and Cressida, serving as a distraction from their individual goals. In the midst of shifting rulers, villages, disarray, and a scattered court of decadence - falling in love was never in the cards. |
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The Last Lunar Witch by S.F. Henne I only wanted to control my magic, but a single potion catapulted my life into chaos⊠Iâm Nyssa Thornheart, a witch with broken magic. I escaped to the big city to pursue my passion for alchemy and hide from my coven until I fix my powers. If my unstable gifts are exposed, they will be stripped away. To live without magic, thatâs a fate worse than death. So I drank a long-forgotten potion in a desperate bid to harness my volatile powers. But when Iâm cornered by thugs, I unleash a rare and dangerous magic, tearing the veil between our world and a demonic realm. My new powers are growing stronger and resisting every attempt to subdue them. Now Iâm a hunted witch, pursued by both demonic creatures and the authorities determined to protect the realm from the threat I pose. Can I master my magic or will I have to sacrifice my powers before the city falls to demons? For fans of Heather G. Harris and Lindsay Buroker, The Last Lunar Witch is the first book in the fast-paced Lunar Order Chronicles. An urban fantasy series filled with strong women, found family, inner growth, and cozy vibes mixed with heart-pounding action. Dive into S.F. Henneâs gripping adventure now! |
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A Corruption of Souls by Taylor Hubbard Deklyn Delonir , Captain of the Order of the Redemptor and Knight of the Hawkeron Kingdom, has spent his entire life serving his goddess and realm to earn redemption for his past sins. Everything he does is in service to his King and the people under his protection and leadership. For his entire life, Deklyn pushed away the deepest desires of his heart, burying them and praying that they never come to the surface. When his King calls on him for the most important job of his career, one that would put an end to a war against an unknown enemy simply called The Corrupted, Deklyn doesnât think twice before readily accepting it. Once the job is completed, the war will end and the people Deklyn swore an oath to serve will be safe and the bloodshed will end. Crown Prince Kai of Hawkeron has never known what freedom feels like. Everything has been lain before him before he was born. Swayed by the whims of a fate outside of his control and duty that is inescapable, Kai doesnât know who he is. Kai is a political entity, used for his fatherâs gain. When his father calls on him to fulfill his duty as the Crown Prince, Kai knows he is defeated. He will be sent to a neighboring kingdom to marry its princess to create an alliance that will provide his fatherâs military with the resources needed to put an end to the war they waged against The Corrupted. Knowing that his failure to complete his duty would lead to the deaths of many people and the annihilation of the Hawkeron Empire, Kai resigns himself to his fate. As Deklyn and Kai travel together, they quickly learn that through the struggles they face and the desires that come to the surface, they are more than their duty. As secrets about The Corrupted come to light, they must come to terms with their fate while grappling with the very real fact that they are falling for each other. With the fate of their homeland in the balance, Deklyn and Kai must choose between duty and desire. |
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Shades and Silver by Dax Murray The birthright of every ĂstfrĂĂ°ur is to know each metal in the earth, command it, and bend it to their desires. To hear metal singing, some of it waiting just beneath the surface, so much of it deeper in the earth. If they wanted, they knew they could pluck that metal from the earth, melt it with a thought, and shape it as they pleased with a breath of air and their will. Each ĂstfrĂĂ°ur must choose which metal they would wear upon their heads, denoting the path they would walk. They craft beautiful horns to wear on their brow, forged with the metal they wish to identify with. But Britt does not know if they can choose the path they want; if they can overcome a past that has stolen their identity. The day has come for them to choose, and they have no idea if they have any right even to try to. And Astrid has never felt the pull of the metal at all. Wearing a forged circlet and horn, they try to navigate a world that they feel has rejected them, all the while fearing someone will learn their secret. The Veil of the ĂstfrĂĂ°ur has kept them hidden from the world and safe from intruders. Yet Britt and Astrid feel they are imposters in their own homes. Shades and Silver is a duology of novellas about identity, doubt, and acceptance. |
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The Compound Network nearly killed them. Now theyâre the only ones who can save it. The rules have changed. 1. The compound canât be saved . . . unless it can. (Major Henry Mortimer is determined to fix the organization that almost destroyed him and everyone he cares aboutâeven if his âsupportersâ seem to be working against him.) 2. Empaths are doomed to self-destruct . . . unless they arenât. (Bastian Lucas thinks heâs accepted that his power is killing himâuntil a questionable ally offers him a dangerous way out.) 3. Failed experiments get buried . . . unless they donât. (Laurel was done looking back, but when a presumed-dead asset turns up at the compound very much alive, she has the opportunity to right past wrongsâor to make everything worse.) With their fledgling new compound sinking into chaos, Henry, Bastian, and Laurel must come together to unravel a conspiracy that starts where their pasts inexplicably meet . . . before everything they've been trying to rebuild goes up in flames. |
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Not Your Mountain by Greg Yates / AJ Alexanders He wanted to be an adventurer, but adventure could cost him his home. Matty has spent his whole life working in the mines, it's all he's ever known to do: sing to the stone, extract its riches, and learn its properties. But after an unexpected visit from a dwarven adventurer, his life takes a seismic shift. Dwarves never leave Craig'n Dell and guests never visit, but now Matty wants to change all of that. With his cunning, bravery, and will, Matty sets off with his left foot forward... and stumbles. Join Matty as he embarks on a comedic fantasy adventure meant to captivate and amuse; where monsters, adventure, and unlikely companionship await! |
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In The Garden Of Echo by H.S. Wolfe Echo and Ender have existed nearly as long as the earth itself. Theyâre hungry, in love, and indestructible. For centuries theyâve wandered across continents feeding from their favorite food source - humans. But the mess theyâve left in their wake starts their prey on the path of discovering that they are not what they seem. After being forced to curb their feeding and go into hiding, a tragic incident leads Echo and Ender to learn about what they are, and the power they are truly capable of. In The Garden Of Echo is an erotic botanical horror about two codependent monster of unknown origins born to torture the human race for their sins against the earth. Please see author's carrd for full TW's. |
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For an empath, "How do you feel?" is never just a question. Not when it can kill you. These are the rules: 1. Rare and powerful empaths never escape the compound. (Bastian Lucas escaped a year ago, and just because heâs been dragged back doesnât mean he won't escape again.) 2. Compound officers donât ask questions. (Captain Henry Mortimer has always followed orders, but Bastianâs arrivalâand the disappearance of one of Henryâs teamâhave him wondering things he probably shouldn't be wondering.) When Major Valentine orders Bastian and Henry to investigate a series of murders committed by an asset with powers similar to Bastianâs, it brings to light more than just a cover up. Things like why an empath who shouldn't exist is killing senators, whatâs really behind the compoundâs sinister asset program, and whether Bastian and Henry will live to see the end of this case. Because they're in danger of breaking rule number three as well: 3. Donât fall in love. |
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Set during an alternate Harlem Renaissance where new forms of magic created by Black joy strain against the white establishment, Bessie Knox is an investigator of magical mysteries. When her old colleagues at the Bronx Academy of Magic start turning up dead, Knox's weakened abilities are pushed to their limits, but if she can't solve the case, she'll be next. |
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Up-and-coming necromancer, Nezael, has lived a quiet, solitary life with his lord, the Great Sorcerer Carrow deep in the woods of thorns and brambles to hide from those seeking to hurt them. For a time, Nezael was content, but now that he is ever closer to becoming a necromancer in his own right, he finds he wants more than this life. In that desire for more, he finds Yorick, a handsome woodsman from the nearby town⊠|
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As the Divine of Blackburn, Morgan sends its departed souls into the afterlife. It's a sacred job spanning generations of Divines before him, but there's a problem: the process invites the dead's memories inside and those memories quickly erode and erase his own. Before long, he fears he will completely lose who he is and no one seems to care. Then Fin, a familiar face from town, sneaks into Morgan's room to beg for a resending of his grandmother and Morgan quickly agrees, knowing it means an opportunity to escape. As escape quickly turns into a road trip with Fin to replace the memories he's lost, Morgan has to confront what it means if he never returns. Without him to send souls, they die completely, leaving a void in the world where nothing will live or grow. Returning, however, means he will lose himself. And so, Morgan must decide if never returning and living his life as himselfânot the Divineâis worth more than the souls he's leaving behind. |
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A Harmony of Water and Weald by Dove Cooper She warned of the pain. She did. But no warning can prepare you. Nothing can. Maris has always been intrigued by humans, whether new among them or having lived with them for a year, her curiosity remains. A Harmony of Water and Weald is a collection exploring some of Marisâs darker moments as she learns what it means to be human and a glimpse at what her life and family is like after the Sea Witchâs deadline has passed. Though her desire to learn about humanity is insatiable, her new life isnât all sweetness and love. Sheâs abandoned her sisters to live among a people she doesnât understand, walking on feet like she was never meant to. Sometimes her life is homesickness, sometimes frustration, often confusion. Always, though, it is wonder and fierce delight at life. A Harmony of Water and Weald is a companion to Sea Foam and Silence and contains pieces set both during and after events in that verse novel. |
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A Recipe for Disaster by Chris Durston "With the cleverness and humor of a Douglas Adams novel, A Recipe For Disaster will make you fall in love with its colorful characters and cozy yet adventurous premise. Youâll almost certainly be asking for seconds!" - Astrid Knight, author of the Mages of Velmyra Saga "A perfect story for fans of Discworld" - JamReads In the desert city of Achten Tan, built within the bones of a long-dead leviathan, there's one truth everyone knows above all others: North Ribs Ribs is the best dang ribs restaurant in town. Rebellious teenager Old Crawman never wanted to inherit the North Ribs Ribs empire, but when he discovers an unsettling secret about their new competition, he has to do something. Unfortunately for him, that something gets him tangled up with an evil wizard of ancient legends... who is not at all as he expected. With Achten Tan's powers-that-be keeping a close eye on Old Crawman, he'll need all the help he can get if he wants to have his ribs and eat them too. |
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A Promise Broken by S.L. Dove Cooper Itâs a rainy day when four-year-old Eiryn has to say goodbye to her mother. Scared, confused and unwilling to do so, Eiryn tries to summon water to stop the funeral from happening and her life falls apart. Her uncle is always sad and busy; she keeps hearing her motherâs voice asking her to follow; her best friend keeps getting into fights; and some of her classmates hate her for existing. ArĂšn never wanted children, but heâs desperate to protect his niece from his peopleâs extreme caution regarding magic and other races. Kerisaoina children arenât capable of using it and his niece is no exception. Despite being only half-kerisaoina, Eiryn is already starting to show that sheâll be one of her generationâs most talented magic-singers and those who donât approve of her existence are trying to take advantage of a young girlâs grief. Eiryn is determined to make her uncle happy, but itâs hard to make other people happy when you have to struggle through the day yourself. Sheâll find a way, though. Sheâs promised. And even if her mother wonât keep her word Eiryn will keep hers. Sheâll make everything right again. Youâll see. |
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Seekers: The Winds of Change by Troy Knowlton After an assassination attempt that could lead to an all-out war, Tyras and Oren, two young Seekers of the Argan Empire, are each given secret missions in an attempt to thwart the coming chaos. Both tasks require the Seekers to venture through the war-torn continent of Tiarna where the young men face mortal danger, horrible monsters, and hostile groups â all challenges Seekers are trained to combat. Luckily, the two Seekers also find guidance, friendship, and romance along the way. However, powerful and mysterious forces are conspiring behind the scenes and both Tyras and Oren will have to overcome a host of obstacles, including their own inner demons, in order to maintain a glimmer of hope for success. With war imminent and the unknown ahead, will the Seekers triumph, or will they be swallowed by the turbulent, relentless Winds of Change? Set in a new, masterfully created high fantasy world, Seekers: The Winds of Change is perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and We Free the Stars by Hafsah Faisal. |
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A Peddler Of Chains by Allegra Pescatore Asherah of Vine died five times in bloody service to her Queen, but now her Queen is dead. The cycle of reincarnation has ended, and Ash is ready to set her trusty bow aside and live out the rest her days in peace. All she wants is to live a quiet existence on the Rim, but her past, it seems, is intent on catching up with her. She's tried to outrun him, but he's not a man to be trifled with. Willow of Herb has been hunting the butcher Asherah for over two hundred years. She slaughtered his parents and his people, and he intends to bring her to justice. It is because of her that he was turned into a weapon of war, and it is her face that haunts his darkest nightmares. When he finally catches her scent nothing can stop him, but what happens when he captures his greatest enemy and finds out that not everything is what it seems? As they travel through the icy Lands of Nadir chased by a rival band of bounty hunters, Willow and Asherah must face their pasts and learn to work together if they wish to survive. Trust between enemies isn't easy to build, but as they fight Feral Fae, face down snowstorms, and run from Retribution, Will and Ash find that maybe they're stronger as allies than as enemies. |
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These Gossamer Strings by Allegra Pescatore A Silence is Broken. The River Beckons. The Forgotten Wait. With eighteen days until her tribunal and Water Rite, Elenor must find a way to save her doena and keep her throne. The threat of war looms larger and only an alliance through marriage has the potential to save it. But who to trust when all her closest allies have secrets of their own? The past is creeping up on them, a web of maneuvers and lies spreading back to before the fall of the Empire. Gabriel can feel it constricting around them, drawing him ever closer to a future he never wanted. Confronting the truth of his heritage may be the only way to save Lirin, but at what cost? Perhaps one the desert has already paid. Shaken after the death of the Red, the Mondaer must choose their path forward. Protect the new Gatekeeper and Incarnate as they have always done, or embrace a future without reliance on Gifts? Fedrik and Fayâs safety depends on the answer, and itâs not looking good. Would they be better off trusting Daemon, or is North right that he intends to use them as a weapon? These Gossamer Strings is the final installment of the first arc of the Last Gift Series. Threads torn asunder are weaving back together and the Gatekeeper is coming for his Incarnate. |
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A Contract in Sol Forne by Ălan MarchĂ© , Christopher Warman A standalone fantasy adventure featuring djinns, dangerous wishes, political factions, and militias. A djinn. A boy. A terrible contract. "I wouldn't have asked for that if I knew I could ask for anything." Vaelin is an ancient djinn on a quest to seek the artifact to which she is enslaved. Her centuries-long journey lands her in the southern port city-state of Sol Forne, where she is certain the artifact is held. There, she meets Dorovan, a disaffected youth from a dissolved noble house. Though their initial connection is cursory, their bond becomes one that may endanger the entire Cycle of Nature. |
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Finally Lord and King of Eastrealm, Othrun aims to restore the glory of his drowned homeland, Atalantyx. But dangerous warlords are determined to stop Othrun from rising to further power. Furthermore, Eastrealmâs ruler must confront internal forces that could tear his new kingdom apart. Embattled Othrun is also devastated by personal tragedy. His belief in his Single God, and his ambiguous guiding spirit, has never been more tenuous. To fight his enemies, Othrun needs more than faith, or his formidable knights. He needs a mage on his side. Is the conniving Queen Lysi, with her divided loyalties, and her own designs for Othrun, the ally he needs? Or, are there other mages who can help the beleaguered young king, who he can trust? And, Lysi is not the only formidable queen Othrun must contend with. An inexorable power, tied to ancient founders of Eltnish civilization, is coming. A legendary ruler, the likes of whom has not been seen for centuries, plans to reclaim what's owed to her. She is named, Undala. Fear for Othrun, and anyone else who dares stand in her way. Othrun is clever, bold, resourceful. Yet, kingship comes with many challenges, including facing the cunning, powerful, vengeful enemies surrounding him, marking him for death. Will Othrunâs reign end on the battlefield, in blood, before it's barely begun? |
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The Shimmering Prayer of SĂ»kiurĂąq by S.L. Dove Cooper A deliciously queer magical person story in a secondary world with floating cities and airships, perfect for fans of She-Ra and Steven Universe. All thaes life, Oibe EkĂȘmai has wanted to become a lĂȘqnaemi, a travelling dancer skilled at nudging the worldâs magic into making everyoneâs lives a little easier. Thae has trained years for their chance at the Festival of Paths, where new apprentices will be chosen. But the lĂȘqnaemi have secrets they only reveal to those chosen to join their ranks and Oibe EkĂȘmai and thaes new friends soon find themselves thrust into an age-old conflict. With almost no preparation and certainly no training, their group will have to face the horrors all lĂȘqnaemi have sworn to face and triumph, or the entire world may be lost to darkness forever. |
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The Last of the Atalanteans by P.L. Stuart A painted mage. An unfaithful queen. A stolen throne. Three lords in disguise. Escaping Atalantyxâs destruction, Prince Othrun has forged alliances with Eltnish kings: former enemy Hert and King Wely, who has promised Othrun a kingdom of his own. When Welyâs realm was stolen by Welyâs wife, a powerful mage, and Welyâs brother, a feared warlord, Othrun hatched a daring plan to restore the rightful king. The bold scheme involved Othrun entering Lynchun in disguise, risking his life and the life of those with him, to topple the usurpers. But for Othrunâs plot to succeed, he must entrust his Atalanteans into the uncertain hands of Hertâon the cusp of confronting his own political challenges to kingship, while tasked with protecting Othrunâs followersâeven as Wely, a captive where he should be king, gambles both crown and the head upon which it sat on Othrunâs survival. Othrunâs abilities, faith, and trust in his mysterious guardian spirit are soon to be tested. The mage Lysi continues to entangle herself in Othrunâs affairs, tempting him, challenging his beliefs, and threatening to bring his plans to ruin. But Othrun, Lord of the Last of the Atalanteans, does not intend to fail. He will be a king. Or die trying. Othrun will go to battle, and he will triumph against the odds. If not, all will be burned to ashes, consumed in the fires of his ambition. And so, the ancient war banner of Atalantean kings will fly. One last time. A kingdom has fallen. A legend will rise. |
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The Binding of Bloom Mountain by Siggy Chambers âOne fool in search of money wins a cursed mountain and a lifetime of nightmares...â When Celeste Foster loses her job with the US Forestry Service, she finds solace in drinking herself stupid every night. But when she sees an ad that says âADVENTURERS WANTEDâ and âcompensation upon completionâ, she pulls herself together to head for the town of Milton. In the mountains of Northwest Virginia, she enters a portal to an alternate Shenandoah Valley. Here monsters and gods live alongside humans, and every family has magic in their blood. But a curse festers on the slopes of Bloom Mountain. A decade has passed with no one to bind the magic, and soon the curse will destroy Milton. Armed with a recording, a bag of ritual items, and fresh scones from the cute barista that housed her, Celeste starts up Bloom Mountain. The Binding tests her endurance, sanity, and ability to adapt to this new world. If she can survive the horrors on the mountain, there might be more than just money waiting for her at the end. |
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Stones of Light by Zack Argyle Stones of Light continues the story begun in Voice of War, the multi-award-winning start to the Threadlight series. FEAR THE ROSES. FEAR THE LIGHT. Chrys swore to never again let the Apogee take control but, in a moment of desperation, he gave in. Now, he will learn what the Apogee truly wants. In Alchea, Laurel will do anything to get her threadlight back, even if it means working for the leader of the Bloodthieves. But she has no choice...a life without threadlight is no life at all. To the west, Alverax travels with the Zeda people to the large port city of Felia, where they seek refuge after the fires in the Fairenwild. But he shattered the coreseal, and no one quite knows what the consequences will be. They only know it won't be good. Together, they changed the worldânow, they must save it. |
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The Tale That Twines by Cedar McCloud All we have is now. Forty years before THE THREAD THAT BINDS, Juniper Starstitch returns to Caspora City young and hopeful. Chosen to be Head Librarian Opaline Sweetfrond's last apprentice, June arrives at the Eternal Library looking to discover the magical manuscript art of Illuminationâand to recover the memories lost to the trauma of the massive earthquake that killed one of eir parents a decade earlier. June quickly discovers that these memories can be recovered through the ancient art of reading etheric Threads, the spiritual ties that link the world together. But remembering can be painful, and living in the past means missing out on the present. Even to the point that Juneâs beloved apprenticeship is threatened by eir inability to let go. It will take the help of friends both old and new for June to untangle the knotted threads of time, including the mysterious and stern Aeronwy Greengrove, who June may or may not be falling in love with, one song at a time. |
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Sea Foam and Silence by Dove Cooper She warned of the pain. She did. But no warning can prepare you. Nothing can. Long, long ago, a little mermaid became intrigued by the way tall-crabs donât act at all like the prey sheâs more comfortable chasing. Her quest to understand will take her places she had never dreamed possibleâonto land and beyond the endless cold. But quests always come with a price and hers is no exception. If she cannot find love within a year, sheâll become sea foam. With only a month left and no closer to understanding âloveâ at all, what is Maris to do? Tall-crabsâhumansâare confusing and contradictory and love comes in so many forms, how can she ever know which one is right to win her life amidst friends and family on land? Fantastical worldbuilding meets verse novels in this queerplatonic retelling of The Little Mermaid, the first story in a series of queer fairytale retellings. |
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Heir To The Empire: The Next Generation by Jonathan Taylor Martha always admired her veteran father and sought to emulate his example. Her wish was granted when she, along with her prodigious and reclusive best friend Elisabeth, was accepted in the premier military academy in the world. Once there, the two are assigned in a unit with Giuliana, a free-spirited and passionate fellow cadet, as well as Viktor, a young man who maintains his cool in almost all situations and is seemingly full of surprises. As the semester rolls through, they face the hardships the university pushes on them as well as befriend some of their fellow cadets, however a looming terrorist threat and the secrets they keep from each other threaten to tear their careers, and friendships, apart. |
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The Thread That Binds by Cedar McCloud The books are restless. At the Eternal Library, books are more than the paper, ink, and thread they're made from--they're full of spirits. Only a handful of people will ever be invited to the Bindery to learn the craft of Illumination: the magical creation of intricate illustrated manuscripts, bound with a secret that will make them last forever. Tabby is a dreamwalker, a witch who escapes into the stories of sleep to avoid a birth family that's never loved em enough. Amane is a cartomancer, a medium who speaks for the Unseen, but doesnât know how to speak her own needs. Rhiannon is a psychic, an archivist who can See into the past, but only has eyes on the future. Their stories intertwine as they discover the secrets of Illumination, the Library's archives, and those of their mentors--the three of whom are competing to be the next Head Librarian, the Speaker for all the books. How do you know who's truly worth being part of your family? Sometimes we must forge connections in order to heal; other times, those bonds must be broken. |
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A Goddess snatched by a monsterâ and the priestess devoted to them both. I love my Godling, I love her more than the priestesses allow. After giving myself, giving my body and pleasure in service of the Rheavia, a punishment must be served. Descend into the mountain where the boarish monster, Pyx resides. I can not outrun himâ it is impossible to outsmart him in the labyrinth of his own creation. The very labyrinth where my Godling, my Rheavia remains trapped. Though not everything is as it seems. My Godling demands submission, patience, and above all elseâ devotion. I have a choice: maintain my virtue or give in to my monstrous desires, my need to belong to them both. I beg, I plea, and with any hope, I will receive what I crave⊠|
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The Severing Son by Vaughn Roycroft Tales of the Bringer of Urrinan had been told for generations, but never had the prophecy felt so near to so many. Elan wasnât sure if she even believed one man could cause the sort of upheaval that would change the world. And yet, just as the prophecy foretold, dark forces were on the riseâincluding the many Spali warbands raiding across the borderlands. It was in pursuit of one such warband when Elanâs host discovered the hidden compound of the Outcast. Sheâd heard how the former chieftain of the mighty Amalus Clan had been unjustly accused of murdering his rival. How the conflict had begun over a woman. How the Outcastâs sonâborn of that same womanâperfectly matched the prophecyâs foretelling of the Bringer. Prophecy aside, it seemed that fate had led Elan into the midst of a legend. Because of a choice made in the heat of battle, Elan found herself bound to an outlaw hunted by friend and foe alike. Whether she believed in the prophecy or not, she found herself entangled with a lone figure who vowed to seek the sort of upheaval that might just change the world. Could Vahldan, son of the Outcast, truly be the Bringer of Urrinan? |
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Heir To The Empire: The Path Not Taken by Jonathan Taylor Martha has learned a great deal in her first semester at a prestigious military university, yet her most intriguing lesson didnât come from her professors. As she returns home for spring break, she takes it upon herself to lift the curse inflicted upon her family, despite the dangers that goal can bring upon her. The curse-lifting ritual Martha performs brings her to a different world, a world similar to her own, but with changes she struggles to work around. Once she finds her bearings in this new world, as well as some unlikely allies, Martha goes on the quest she was meant to undertake, a quest which will test her to the full extent of her wisdom, might, and abilities, along which she must battle strange and powerful enemies in order to overcome her familyâs blood curse. |
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Phoebe's Festival by A.A. Fairview A dissatisfied wife finds herself in the hedonistic throws of a caravan of satyrs. I may have been betrothed to Taeon all my life but I hardly expected our marriage to be this unbearable. Itâs deep in the woods, after hunting for days, that we come across the satyr women. Beautiful, plump, and everything my husband is not. When I stop him from harming one of the satyrs, things between us only get worse. Who else comes to my aid, but the satyrs themselves. Soon I find myself torn between my lifelong duty to my betrothed and the promise of a life of pleasure. The path is uncertain. What is certain is my affection towards these satyr womenâan affection they return twofold. Theyâre not the only ones⊠There is a whole group of satyr women ready to welcome me into their arms! |
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Tale of Gael: Love for a Master and His Creation by A.A. Fairview A Master sculptor and his talented, dutiful, and madly in love apprentice. Under the tutelage of my Master Malion, Iâve grown as a sculptor and am on track to become a city artisan just like him. But that hardly weighs on my heart as much as my feelings⊠My utter devotion to him. Malion is oblivious and so I throw myself at other, less impressive men. That is till I kiss the lips of my Masterâs artwork, a sculpture of a young warrior⊠To think marble could make me feel more than any man. It must be wrong to take so much pleasure from something carved from stone. Yet my Masterâs creation breaks the cold temple surrounding my heart. I love my master still, but if he wonât have me Iâll take his creation instead. Gleefully. |
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The Bloody Chorus by John Marco Two empires...one in decline, the other ascendant and hungry for conquest... Upon his fatherâs mysterious assassination, young Haru reluctantly becomes rulerâTainâof his once-fearsome island nation. Threatened by a world they once dominated, Haruâs people, the Cryori, struggle with the peace the old Tain championed, nostalgic for the violent glories of their past. But across the ocean, an alliance of old enemies has formed, led by a madman bent on righting old wrongs. Enigmatic and fanatical, Reius decries the Cryori and their living gods, determined to erase their influence and beliefs. Now Haru must get justice for his murdered father and defend his people from the coming scourge over the sea. Promising his ancient, grieving goddess to kill Reius, he reunites his fatherâs failed circle of protectorsâa magical band of avenging misfits known as the Bloody Chorus. |
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A story about a traveler going to evict a spider shifter lady and her children from their manor, and it goes about as well as you'd expect in a horror/dark fantasy. |
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Remote Angel Volume 1 by Yennie Fer and Banunu After a freak accident of an attempted assault, Alice Desangi wakes up in a different apocalyptic universe. Gifted with mysterious powers of an earth angel, she dies in unfortunate occurrences. She wakes up to relive that day again in a confused manner. Depending on her choices, they could change history. |
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My warped sense of morality embarrasses me. Ruta Pawlak is one of the most successful contract killers Pier-Upon-Pier City has ever seen. Convicted of five murders that landed her multiple life sentences, her kill count allegedly sits between fifteen and two hundred people. Some were just for practice, others for revenge, and others she executed for money to keep her potentially world-record setting reading collection going. For the first time, a biographer sits down with the legendary killer to hear her story in her own words. Get the details on her relationship with her depraved bosses and her eclectic arsenal of murder weapons from ice magic to poison to even the sun itself. From her impoverished upbringing to her introduction to the Syndicates to her bizarre affair with fellow killer Frieda Masters to Rutaâs eventual downfall, this account goes beyond headlines and court proceedings, weaving a story of love, family, survival, and murder. This novella is perfect for fans of true crime, fantasy, noir, The Last Podcast on the Left, and the interview portions of AMCâs Interview with the Vampire series. Humans killing other humans wasnât natural. Human killing monsters, however, might be. |
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Unburnt: a speculative firefighter novella by A.M. Weald A different kind of superhero story... After emerging unscathed from the house fire that killed his father, Ed Stoneman had recurring dreams about rescuing himself as a boy, sitting amongst the flames, unburnt. The dream stopped once he became a firefighter, later earning the nickname of "Dodge" by surviving a lethal flashover fire. Dodge embraced his supernatural imperviousness to the heat of fire by going in when no one should, breaking the rules of rescue because he had to, because he could. With the Wyoming steppe becoming increasingly arid and fires igniting every few days, his 'talent' is needed now more than ever. On his 50th birthday, Dodge dreams of the boy not on fire for the first time in over 30 years. Chalking it up to stress, he thinks nothing of it. With retirement from active fire duty in his near future, he's depressed and aimless. Other than firefighting, what purpose does he have? Twice divorced and childless, believing himself to be infertile in exchange for his superpower of unknown origin, he has no one to confide in but his cat, and he daydreams of walking into a wildfire just to see if he'd finally burn. But when he answers an emergency call about a local house fire, renewed purpose greets him in the flames, making him question everything he once believed. |