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Return of the Dragonriders (DragonBirth, DragonWing, DragonSword) by Raina Nightingale The dragons are extinct. None have been seen in a lifetime, and it is all to the good of the world that the soul-devouring demons are no more. In a small village in the foothills, a devout girl named Silmavalien and her agnostic fiance, Noren, find two mysterious objects. When an albino dragon hatches in her room and Silmavalien's soul is bonded to the dragon's in a song of fire, her world is changed forever. Everything she has been taught is a lie, and everyone she knows is to be feared. Before she can marry Noren, she flees into the wilderness, where the challenge of winter in the mountains almost proves her and Minth's end. Noren fears for Silmavalien's disappearance. When his object hatches the dragon Elninya, just outside the gates of the Oracle's city, Noren finds his answers, but questions why Silmavalien would not trust him. He half-heartedly tries to find her, while struggling to hide his identity and his growing dragon in kingdoms where to be discovered is to be burned alive. But his fear could turn him into the monster he fears. No matter how far they run, neither Silmavalien nor Noren can escape the Nightmare that seeks to devour their souls and slay their dragons. But if they accept it, the Gift of the Volcano, born in fire and darkness, will be enough to win their battle. Includes an exclusive short story and over 40 illustrations. |
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The Warrior Midwife by E.P Bali "The fae are no joke, girl. Be wise. Be smart. Be cunning if you canâŠ" PRINCESS. MIDWIFE. WARRIOR Her father made a binding agreement with the fae king to protect his kingdom. Now Crown Princess Saraya must pay the price: marry the crown fae prince, go into the monster's lair and give up her protection of the vulnerable women of her home, Quartz City. But fate would not have her sent into the fae kingdom, instead, forces far greater than she could have imagined plot the destruction of humanity. The Order of Temari, an ancient guild of warrior midwives, sworn to protect women in childbirth from the demons who would take their baby's magical abilities are all but dead. But with Saraya's coming of age, the Order has a chance at rebirth. Instead of going to sit as a human caged and betrothed in the fae kingdom, Saraya disguises herself as a fae warrior and sneaks away into the Mountain Academy, where fae males learn to become full blooded warriors⊠She's the Man meets Sarah J. Maas in this romantic fantasy adventure |
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The Witch Queen's mate by Jennifer Karter There couldnât have been a worse time for Barra to be chosen by her gods as the next queen of the Neamairtese. She and a group of her people are being marched to the distant Empire of Victricus to be slaves. Headstrong and independent, Barra never saw herself as a leader, and her chances of saving her people dwindle when her heartâs mate turns out to be a Svekard, the ancient sworn enemy of the Neamairtese. Without her mate, Barra cannot complete her connection to divine magic and free her people. Silvi, a Svekard veterinarian, was simply trying to survive the march south when she was kissed by the Neamairtese witch, Barra. Now, Silvi has inhuman speed and strength to protect the witch, even at the cost of hurting her own people, an incredible dishonor. Can Barra and Silviâs love overcome their ingrained hatred and prejudice to bring their people together and save them all not just from slavery, but destruction? |
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Zena the Lesbian Space Pop Star by Summer Rena A brilliant scientist, skilled fighter, adored pop star, and incredibly modest about it all, Zena Starr is the most beloved woman in the galaxy. And only a few people want to kill her for it. One of them? A bloodthirsty aristocrat from Zena's past. The other? The mutant assassin she hired to bring back Zena's head. Thereâs nothing Zena hates more than losing, and the assassinâs trap awaiting her at an empty lunar amusement park risks the loss of everything Zenaâs ever given a damn about: her stardom, her reputation, and her eccentric crew of misfits that have become Zenaâs family. To protect what she loves, Zena must survive a life or death battle with the most dangerous assassin to ever cross the stars, facing off with murderous singing robots, rogue petting zoo monstrosities, and off-the-rails hyperspeed trains along the way. |
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Kershin the Fire mage by Stephen J Wolf How do you control a power you hate? Kershin's attempts at a normal life have always been fruitless, but now he's sure he'll be cursed forever. After shunning his fire magic for years, he's now forced to either tame it himself or be tamed by a persistent mage hunter. The harder he tries, the worse the situation gets, and as he's hunted across the land, he leaves destruction in his wake. Hessia has been scarred by a fire mage before, but she's determined to never be helpless again. On her mission to tame the destructive fire mage, she faces trials that shake her to her core. Trials that test her mettle, threaten her beliefs, and decimate the villages she's trying to protect. Will she fall prey to her own hunt? The fire takes. The fire consumes. The fire kills. These two know that very well. As they clash, they discover that the threats they face may be greater than either of them imagined. |
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The Endless Forest by Ever Hobbes Freyja's village is on the brink - pushed to the edge of the world by the trees. They grow so fast that if left untended for a week would be sprouting in every nook and cranny of her town. But worse than that is what lives within the cursed growth. Freyja is a nahvel - a knight protector tasked with defending her people from the horrible creatures that spill forth from the woods. She inherits a great treasure, and great burden - her sword, shield, and suit of armour. All of them are relics of the old magic, now long forgotten. So when something attacks from the shadows, being the only one with the means to do so, she is duty-bound to hunt it down. However, she soon finds out the forest holds much more than monsters. It harbours secrets that could change her perception of the world as she knows it. She is poised to discover them all, and more, when she enters... The Endless Forest. |
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Children of Artifice by Dania Ware An ancient city, sealed in a vast crater. A history of metallurgical magic, and of Builders that could craft the living, breathing stone. Caphen Talmar is the high-born son of an elite family, descended from the Builders themselves, his artistic career ruined when his ex-lover broke his fingers. One night, gambling down at the wharfside â somewhere he shouldnât have been in the first place â he meets Aden. An uncomplicated, rough-edged dockworker, Aden is everything Caph needs to forget the pressures of his fatherâs constant criticism. But this isnât just another one-night stand. Aden is trying to find his sister, and he needs Caphâs help. Soon, they find themselves tangled in a deadly game of trust, lies and political rebellion. And, as Caph begins to understand the real depth of the horrors theyâve uncovered, he learns that Aden is not what he seems. And Aden knows more about the coming destruction than Caph could ever have guessed. âA skilful alchemy of raw emotion, renegade sensuality and emboldened fantasy. Ware tears out her readersâ hearts and dips them in molten gold.â â Kim Lakin-Smith Excerpts of a Review by Tej Turner Children of Artifice is one of those novels where, from the very beginning, it is hard to know what to expect (and I mean that in a good way!). The author has described it as an âurban fairy taleâ, which is very fitting. It does have that feel of old and new. It is quite gritty at times, and yet full of beautiful moments. I am particularly pleased with this novelâs diverse voices. Both same-sex and heteronormative romances take place during the story but none are presented as bring particularly shocking and the characters are never given labels, and yet it still examines issues of identity, prejudice, and sexual fluidity which are relatable to a modern day reader. It is refreshing to read a novel written in such a way. Children of Artifice has a fantastic story, one I would recommend to readers of any genre and age. It conjures beautiful imagery and puts you in a state of living dream, taking you on an emotional journey which stays with you. I am looking forward to the sequel. |
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Shackin' Up: Shackinâ Up: Short Stories of Queer Romance and Forced Proximity by Augusta Connor Get cozy with Space Fruit Pressâs collection of stories, where queer couples find themselves getting unexpectedly close. Whether itâs a vacation rental, cabin in the woods, or a run-down motel, any port in a storm can get awfully hot when itâs the right pair trapped inside. There may only be one bed, but thereâs plenty between these covers to keep you warm. |
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Chronicles of My Alien Invasion Life by Jes McCutchen Chuck and her friends lost a good one last summer, but none of them are convinced that Ghost is truly gone. Once she recovers from her accident, she's ready to find the truth behind where he went. With the help of her friends, Bailey, Corrin, and Pacey, Chuck will do what she can to track down Ghost, even if it means she maybe kinda gets abducted. It's complicated. Will Chuck be able to reunite her crew, and, more importantly, will she do it without embarrassing herself? Probably not, but she's gotta try. |
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Returning to You by Gwen Tolios Monicaâs relationship with her father is falling apart, made more obvious when her return to Madison after years aboard results in him throwing her out of the house. Lisa Carson, her BFF and old college roommate, takes her in. Turns out Lisa has her own issues with her parents â theyâre pushing her to date despite her lack of desire. So when Monica joins a Carson family dinner, she lies and says itâs starting a relationship with Lisa that brought her back to America. Lisa goes along with the ruse â it gets her parents off her back and itâs only until Monica repairs her relationship with her father and moves out. What Monica failed to take into account however is that crush she had on Lisa in college? Yeah, that didnât go away. |
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Everybody's Missing (Somebody) (Stake Sauce Arc 2) by RoAnna Sylver Arc 2, In Which: Our friends, some old and some new, must awaken a powerful, centuries-old magical force - before an old enemy gets there first... Life for Jude is finally getting back to normal - or as normal as it gets when your new boyfriend has fangs, your old maybe-boyfriend isn't dead after all (and has even bigger fangs), and everyone's scrambling to adjust their lives accordingly. There's enough to worry about without evil, ancient vampires closing in, preparing dark rituals, and threatening to undo everything Jude, Pixie, and their loved ones have built together. But as they've all seen, normal doesn't tend to last for long. And it's hard to shake the feeling that something's missing. But then, it seems like everybody's missing somebody. |
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The Lifeline Signal (Chameleon Moon Book 2) by RoAnna Sylver Parole is still burning. And now the day everyone has been waiting for is finally here: itâs collapsed. A lucky few managed to escape with their lives. But while their city burned, the world outside suffered its own devastating disaster. The Tartarus Zone is a deadly wasteland a thousand miles wide, filled with toxic storms, ghostly horrors, and just as many Eyes in the Sky as ever. Somehow, this new nightmare is connected to Parole. And itâs spreading. Now Paroleâs only hope lies in the hands of three teenagers reunited by their long-lost friend Gabriel - in their dreams. Growing up outside Parole, Shiloh Cole always had to keep xir energetic powers a secret, except from xir parents, Paroleâs strategist-hero Garrett, and Tartarus expert Maureen. When Parole collapsed, all contact was lost. Now, connected by Gabriel and their colliding pasts, xie joins collapse survivor Annie and the enigmatic, charismatic Chance on a desperate cross-country race, carrying a disc of xir motherâs vital plans, whose encrypted contents may be Paroleâs salvation. First theyâll board the FireRunner, a ship full of familiar faces that now sails through Tartarusâ poison storms. Together, theyâll survive Tartarusâ hazards, send a lifeline to lost Parole - and uncover the mystery connecting every one of them. The world outside Parole isn't the one they remember, and it didnât want them back. But they'll save it just the same. It's what heroes do. |
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The Blood We Spill by Jo Havens What would make the most ruthless ice-queen assassin in the Kingdom hesitate? Bound to the Kingdom for life, Cie serves a cruel King, her knives pledged to his word, her life at his mercy. She is also one of the Kingdomâs most privileged slaves â one of the Praetoria: five of the best, sworn to protect the Prince and, one day, to rule at his side. Itâs not a bad life â luxurious parties in any of the eighteen worlds, beautiful women falling over themselves to land in her bed, her orders to be obeyed by over forty-eight billion citizens. But when a routine job goes spectacularly wrong, Cie discovers there is a witness to her failure â a witness to a political assassination the King would never want revealed. Itâs Cieâs intense misfortune that the witness is a beauty â a woman with sweet, warm skin that Cie longs to sink into, with deep, brown eyes that hold promises that Cie has only ever dreamt of, a woman whose embrace offers a gentleness and a kindness Cie craves above all else. Jemma thought sheâd been in love before, but when she falls for the Kingâs assassin, she falls hard. Cie burns her up â the assassin plays fast and loves harder, and Jemmaâs head is whirling even as her body is thrilled. Jemma watches as a growing terrorist threat pushes the King to madness and Cieâs orders become more and more violent. The woman she thinks she loves is steeped in red. Is it even possible for a girl from the suburbs to love a person so drenched in blood? |
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Stake Sauce (Arc 1: The Secret Ingredient Is Love. No, Really) by RoAnna Sylver Jude used to leap out of helicopters to rescue/protect people from terrifying infernos. Now, by day, he protects the local mall from rowdy teenagers who ride their skateboards inside. By night, he protects the the parking lot, and the rest of Portland, from undead, bloodsucking creatures of the darkness. Or would if he could find them. Pixie refuses to bite anyone. Assault/murder/draining fluids isnât punk, even if being a vampire really kind of is. Heâs very hungry by now, and the much bigger, meaner, deadlier vamps kick him around on the nightly. Jude would love to find and fight some actual undead bullies. And Pixie could use some help staying⊠âalive.â Time to make a deal. Of course, life still sucks when youâre a vampire who refuses to suck blood. Fortunately, thereâs a really interesting new barbecue restaurant in the mall, with an intriguing new recipe. (They say the secret ingredient is⊠love. No, really.) |
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Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylver The city of Parole is burning. Like Venice slips into the sea, Parole crumbles into fire. The entire population inside has been quarantined and left to die - directly over the open flame. Eye in the Sky, a deadly and merciless police force ensures no one escapes. Ever. All that's keeping Parole alive is faith in the midst of horrors and death, trust in the face of desperation... and their fantastic, terrifying, and beautiful superhuman abilities. Regan, silent, scaly stealth expert, is haunted by ten years of anxiety, trauma and terror, and he's finally reached his limit. Evelyn is a fearless force on stage and sonic-superheroic revolutionary on the streets. Now they have a choice - and a chance to not only escape from Parole, but unravel the mystery deep in its burning heart. And most of all, discover the truth about their own entwining pasts. Parole's a rough place to live. But they're not dead yet. If they can survive the imminent cataclysmic disaster, they might just stay that way... |
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Shades: the dragon and the fire by Atlas Theseus Schmidt The year is 2635. A techno-biological virus has transformed the human race and gifted some with superhuman abilities. Artemis Rhyex has lived in this virus-stricken dystopia for sixteen years, beaten and starved, surviving virtually on the bottom of society. As luck and choices take her higher through the echelons, she begins to notice that the divide between the privileged Overseers, the commoner Purities, and the super-human terrorist Shades, is far deeper than she has been led to believe. When Artemisâs status takes a sudden plunge, and she transforms from a Purity into the one thing she fears most, she is forced to confront the worldâs growing injustice while adapting to her new powers and learning to survive in a world that now wants her dead. She joins forces with the insane Shade âPyroâ on a vendetta to destroy the Overseersâ fascist regime, and ultimately challenge societyâs fundamental ideas of what it means to be a person. |
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Epilogues for Lost Gods by Cat Rector Sigyn: We survived Ragnarok and tried to usher in a new era. Now the realms consist of two minuscule factions encamped in the remnants of Asgard and Vanaheim. But the gods are greedy. Anyone not under Asgard's control must fall. When they come, they're going to win. The realms are empty. There's no one left to help us. No one except the dead in Helheim. _________ Loki: When I died, I took everyone with me. Almost everyone. I've waited for Sigyn every day, but she never comes. Never dies. Everyone down here knows what I did. Who I am. And I must live-exist-with the weight of that guilt, those scars. She's going to come back someday, and I'm going to be alright. Be better. I'd do anything for her. I'd do anything to be with her. If only she'd ask. _________ Epilogues for Lost Gods is a story about grief and healing, and is the final chapter of The Goddess of Nothing At All |
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The Dreamer and the Marked by Airic Fenn In the wake of her Mam's death, Krystal Monarain has turned to escapism, throwing herself into the fantastic stories she was told as a child and the strange, recurring dreams she has at night. But she never quite believed her Mam's tales that her birth mother wasn't human-That is until Draqa, a stranger from one of her dreams, appears in her life and tells her she's part fae. So she does the unthinkable and risks following him into Arai, the realm where the fae have lived unbothered for hundreds of years. For Draqa, however, Krystal's arrival in his world could mean his execution, and he must do everything he can to get her off his hands before they're caught. Meanwhile, unrest is growing between the fae and those they deem a threat to the safety of their realm, and when someone from Draqa's past comes to him seeking aid, he and Krystal may have no choice but to get involved. |
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City of Deceit by Claudie Arseneault City of Deceit is the third installment in the City of Spires trilogy. As such, please be advised that its blurb contains spoilers for the first two books. The Myrian Enclave is in disarray after a Dathirii strike team interrupts Avenazarâs dangerous ritual, but Diel Dathirii is in no position to take advantage of it while his home is lost to Allastamâs soldiers. Despite the Myrian trade warâs brutal turn, its key battles still happen in the shadows. Resistance inside the Dathirii Tower organizes itself around the familyâs new steward, Yultes, even though he is as uncertain of his allegiances as everyone else. Outside, Branwen reaches to every spymaster resource she has to strengthen their position and undermine the Myrian-Allastam alliance. When Master Avenazar recovers from his grievous injury and sets his mind to revenge, the unsteady alliances forged within and without the Dathirii Tower will decide the cityâs future. |
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City of Betrayal by Claudie Arseneault The whole city is searching for Hasryan. Lord Allastam wants to take bloody, ruthless revenge for the murder of his wife. Inspector Sora Sharpe wants to bring him to justice for his crimes against the city. Yet no one knows where to find him except Lord Arathiel Brasten, who vanished 130 years ago only to magically return. While the cityâs eyes are turned to these two, no one is willing to help Lord Diel Dathirii free Isandor from the influence of the Myrian Enclave and their vengeful leader, Avenazar. High Priest Varden Daramond could help Diel, except Varden has been imprisoned. Lord Dathiriiâs only hope of rescuing Varden is Arathiel. An alliance with him, however, would invoke the wrath of the Golden Table⊠and Lord Allastam himself. With enemies gathering around him, Diel is left without allies in Isandorâs upper spheres and must place his fate in Lower City residents. But little does he know, the city heâs trying to save might well save him in return. |
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City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault Isandor, City of Spires. A hundred and thirty years have passed since Arathiel last set foot in his home city. Isandor hasnât changedâbickering merchant families still vie for power through eccentric shows of wealthâbut he has. His family is long dead, a magical trap has dulled his senses, and he returns seeking a sense of belonging now long lost. Arathiel hides in the Lower City, piecing together a new life among in a shelter dedicated to the homeless and the poor, befriending an uncommon trio: the Shelterâs rageful owner, Larryn, his dark elven friend Hasryan, and Cal the cheese-loving halfling. When Hasryan is accused of Isandorâs most infamous assassination of the last decade, what little peace Arathiel has managed to find for himself is shattered. Hasryan is innocent⊠he thinks. In order to save him, Arathiel may have to shatter the shreds of home heâd managed to build for himself. Arathiel could appeal to the Dathiriiâa noble elven family who knew him before he disappearedâbut he would have to stop hiding, and they have battles of their own to fight. The idealistic Lord Dathirii is waging a battle of honour and justice against the cruel Myrian Empire, objecting to their slavery, their magics, and inhumane treatment of their apprentices. One he could win, if only he could convince Isandorâs rulers to stop courting Myrianâs favours for profit. In the ripples that follow Dielâs opposition, friendships shatter and alliances crumble. Arathiel, the Dathirii, and everyone in Isandor fights to preserve their homes, even if the struggle changes them irrevocably. |
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The Hereafter Bytes by Vincent Scott Come for the cyberspace, stay for the laughs. Come for the laughs, stay for the cyberspace. Romeo is a digital copy of his dead bio selfâa ghostâin a spindly robot body. When Romeoâs friend Abigailâa dominatrix with a gift for uncovering secretsâtells Romeo sheâs at risk because of dangerous info from a client, Romeo agrees to help her investigate. Pursued by digital Golden Retrievers and a real-world assassin, Romeo slips in and out of cyberspace in a madcap race for survival. Can he unmask the criminal who threatens the integrity of cyberspace and the real-world economy before itâs too late? |
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Itâs Jenniferâs 24th birthday and she planned to spend it having fun with her friends. Instead, she ends up running for her life through the dark streets of London. Her world is torn apart by a new disease, the likes of which have never been seen before. The governmentâs decision to conceal its deadly nature exacerbates the panic, and in all the confusion Jennifer is bitten by an infected person. Thatâs it, right? Her life over. Wrong. Immune to the virusâs ravaging effects, Jennifer finds herself with a small group of survivors. Together they must fight to stay alive long enough for a cure to be found. Humanity wonât be beaten so easily. But madness looms large, and safety seems forever out of reach. |
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What The Stars Didn't Show Us by Margherita Scialla Life isn't easy when you have a brother who's always considered better than you. Hyunsuk's situation is even worse since he shares the same face as his so-called perfect twin. His life starts to change, however, when a new student arrives at his school and she sees something in him no one else had ever bothered to look for. Hialeah, already too familiar with the feeling of being alone, is set on befriending him, but can Hyunsuk finally come out of his twinâs shadow and open up to someone, when his brother makes it clear he doesnât want him to find happiness? |
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Song of Phoenix and Ink by Margherita Scialla [new adult fantasy novel with polyamory themes.] All Nadzia Kaminski wanted was to finish writing her novel. When she finally finished the manuscript for Crimson Mayhem, she did what any writer would: gave it to her best friend to read. Her friendâs reaction, however, wasnât what she had expected and, upset by her criticism, Nadzia left her at the cafĂ© where they had met. Waking up the next morning, Nadzia was no longer in her bedroom, finding herself in a world of her creation, surrounded by dangerous magic and vaguely familiar settings. With a country at war and no clear way home, time is running out and Nadzia has to find a way to gain the trust of the very people she created and figure out her confusing feelings for two of her own characters. She soon realizes stories arenât perfect when there is no one left to write them. |
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In the aftermath of WWI, Adelaide Frost is on the run from a family who do not understand her. Hoping to do some good, she signs up to become a nurse at Ashthorne, a manor house newly designated as a convalescence home for injured soldiers. She quickly falls in love with the ownerâs daughter, Evelyn, who hides a warm heart beneath a chilly exterior. But Evelyn has her suspicions about whatâs really happening at the hospital, and as Adelaide helps her investigate, it soon becomes apparent that there are more inhabitants residing at Ashthorne than first thought. A romantic Gothic treat perfect for fans of Sarah Waters and The Haunting of Bly Manor |
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The Ghosts of Tantor by Adam Gaffen They think they're ready for this mission. They're wrong. The Terran Federation is finally at peace and ready to begin serious exploration. The TFS Pike is the newest ship in the Fleet, purpose-built for deep space missions. Four kilometers long, with a crew of four thousand, sheâs well-equipped for the years ahead. If only her crew was as prepared. Ensign Nicole Crozier, the former Premier of the Luna Free State, has left politics behind to pursue a career in the Fleet. But her stint as the Artemis Minister of War has landed her in Tactical instead of Science, her passion, and sheâs not happy about it. Still, sheâs been promised a chance to switch tracks, so for now sheâll deal. Everything changes when Nicole discovers a rogue planet, and sheâs given command of the landing party. Sheâs irritated her superior but thatâs the least of her problems when an ancient alien artifact emerges from the ice. As Nicole and her team explore the interior, the planet and her team vanish. The crew of the Pike must use all the tricks and tools available to get their missing people back. When they finally do, Nicole brings aboard a discovery which could change the course of history. Or end it. If you're a fan of Star Trek: Voyager, Battlestar Galactica 2003, Interstellar, or 2001: A Space Odyssey, then this is for you. |
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How do you navigate your life when you can finally make your own decisions? As Tucker Peterson moves away from home for the first time to attend college in Orlando, this is a question he must ask himself. He still hasn't told his family he's gay, he has no idea what he wants to do with his life, and now that he can do whatever he wants, he hasn't the slightest clue what should come next. Tucker, with the help of his new assertive friend Kiara, must learn to balance his newfound freedom with school and a job, and if he meets a cute boy on the way, then that's just an added bonus. Paint is a story of self-discovery, of queerness outside the family-friendly safety net of a high school drama, and of drag queens when you need them the most. If you grew up enjoying coming of age stories like Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower and John Green's Looking For Alaska, then you will enjoy the similar themes expressed through a more adult and queer lens in Paint. |
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The Banished have made their move, now Haltveldt answers back. Reeling from the events at Solitude, Calene Alpenwood embarks on a journey to find meaning in all that she's seen, and discover the answers she so desperately seeks. Finding herself more alone than ever, Calene is trapped between doing what's right, and doing what needs to be done. Meanwhile, Kade Besem continues his search for his son, Arlo, and the strange warrior-monk Tilo. His hunt takes him deep into Banished territory and into the jaws of danger. Revelations are revealed, ancient secrets are uncovered and those who stand in the Empire's way can't hope to win when Haltveldt walks the Path of War. |
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In Solitude's Shadow by David Green Named #1 Book of 2021 - Magic Book Corner Review The tides of fate are shifting. The Banished have returned, and they have set their eyes on the walls of Solitude. Zanna Alpenwood, a powerful mage, and two hundred aged and forgotten Sparkers are all that stand between the Banished and the nation of Haltveldt. With time running out and the world at stake, Zanna is forced to reach out to her estranged daughter, Calene, and set her on an impossible quest. Calene quickly learns that enemies make unlikely allies as she teams up with both friend and foe on her journey to save her mother and Haltveldt. Forging their way over land and sea, uncovering dark plots and secret societies, Calene is forced to decide between her masters and her own conscience. Will they arrive in time to save the fortress of Solitude from destruction? Only one thing is certain; Ruin is assured if Solitude falls. |
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Kiss Me Deadly by Jessie Thomas A necromancer and a vampire walk into a cemeteryâŠand if youâre wondering how this joke ends, that makes two of us. Iâm Seraphina Mason, Buffaloâs only resident necromancer. While other people are on normal sleep schedules doing regular human things, I spend my nights conjuring spirits, resurrecting the dead, and sometimes a bit of poltergeist removal, if you need it. But Iâm not even the most dangerous nocturnal creature lurking around the cemeteries. Thatâs where vampire Nathaniel Caligari waltzes inâall devastating eternal beauty and brooding charm, ready to ruin my life. Heâd rather have a wooden stake shoved through his chest than ask for my help, yet here we are. Turns out the bloodsucker has something of a heart after all because heâs desperate, fearing his missing son is dead. Neither of us are excited about this, but I could really use the paycheck. So, weâre just going to have to set aside our petty insults and work together before this city buries his kid. If we donât kill each other first. |
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Fyskar: Book 1 of Legend of the Bai by Chapel Orahamm 1692 The Isle of Skye Eoin has returned as a plague doctor after ten years of banishment for revenge and a birthright. Fearchar and Seonaid have allowed the man to set up shop in their croft at the request of an old friend. The Plague Doctor is keeping secrets, though, and killing an entire clan is only the beginning. The void is waiting. |
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As You Wish (Shatterproof Bond #1) by Isobel Starling 1 wedding, 2 best men, one hell of a love story! Declan Ramsay was set to be the best man at his brother's wedding in Scotland, sharing the best man duties with the bride's gay kid brother Sam. Sam was abroad finishing his studies so the best men communicated by email for more than a year and wouldn't meet for the first time until a few days before the wedding But on meeting Sam Aiken, Declan is surprised to see he isn't a kid at all, but a striking, athletic blond man with gorgeous green eyes and a wicked sense of humor. Declan is alarmed by the ferocious attraction he feels for Sam. And as the attraction is reciprocated, the events at Dunloch Castle change everything Declan has ever believed about himself. But is Sam Aiken all he appears to be? Also available in paperback and as an award-winning audiobook, narrated by Gary Furlong. |
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'Love Is A Stranger' by John Wiltshire Ex-SAS soldier Ben Rider falls in love with his enigmatic married boss Sir Nikolas Mikkelsen, but Nikolas is living a lie. A lie so profound that when the shadows are lifted, Ben realises he's in love with a very dangerous stranger. Ben has to choose between Nikolas and safety, but sometimes danger comes in a very seductive package. |
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Paper Forests by Tegan Anderson âWhile your children and grandchildren are away, I like to think that theyâre visiting a fantastic place, somewhere where they arenât restrained by an illness or held back by their own emotions, a place where there is nothing but health and happiness to greet them.â Once upon a time, Oliver wakes up in a Forest full of magic and monsters, not quite dead, but not quite alive either. He wakes with three other people whose lives have been cut short, each more tragically than the last. Together, they embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the Forest, where they will have to face the ghosts of their pasts and their long-hidden secrets. Secrets that will force Oliver to choose between finding a new life in the trees and finding a way home. Welcome to the Paper Forest. |
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Wanted (All That Glitters #1) by Shalaena Medford Tsingsei "Song" Gould has always led a privileged life, never wanting for anything. When Song is told she must choose a suitor, she flees with a street urchin who claims to know the location of a legendary lost treasure. Armed with a map, a stolen skyship, and no real plan, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime. Now, away from the comforts of her home, she must learn to exist in a dangerous world of magic and pirates. Wanted is the republication of two novellas, now combined into one novel! ï»żContent Warning: Contains graphic depictions of violence and situations which some may find triggering. |
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The Stars Will Guide Us Back by Rue Sparks The special ability of a jellyfish may be one man's only hope to save his husband. In a world where the gods have returned, their only folly was not expecting humanity to fight back. When trauma disconnects someone's soul from their body, one person has the ability to reunite them. A family gift of reading the spirits in flames has taken everything from her, but can it give her everything she needs? In The Stars Will Guide Us Back, thirteen short stories encapsulating the elements of speculative fiction and magical realism travel the themes of mental health, loss, mortality, self-confidence, and finding hope through difficult circumstances. Explore the immersive worlds within, along with a range of peculiar, distinct, and queer characters. Sometimes confidence comes from knowing we have no other choice, and the ones who rescue us come from the strangest places. Dark and light collide in this collection that highlights the liminal spaces of the human experience. --- Content Warnings: Apocalypse/End of the World Scenario Brief Mentions of Toxic Masculinity Depression & Anxiety Cosmic Events Domestic Violence (Off-screen/Implied) Gaslighting Grief & Loss Homophobia (Verbal) Mentions of Unsupportive Parenting Terminal Illness |
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The Fable of Wren by Rue Sparks âThere are wonders and terrors out there you can't yet imagine, and people out there you don't yet know are family." I donât mix well with people; I prefer the birds. I spend my time trying to find the Tricksterâa finch treasured by the locals. My smart mouth, brash behavior, and being non-binary in this secluded southern town keep me on the periphery of Spastokeâs society. Fine by me. All I need are the birds and my uncle Jeremy. Until he dies, and I canât do anything to stop it. I want to withdraw from the town into the comfort of birdwatching and forget everything. Instead, Adrian Turney, my uncleâs friend and mentor, is found dead in the woods. My only hope of unravelling the truth is Jethro; a chatty newcomer that appears earnest, but can I trust him? When my uncle appears to me in my dreams, I quickly learn what started as a search for answers is so much more: a journey into the townâs shady past to uncover a danger in the woods lost to time. Along the way, I might discover Iâm not alone as I thought. ---- Content Warnings: Chronic Illness Death Grief & Loss PTSD & Anxiety Attacks Terminal Illness |
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Luck has never really been on Chance's side. Fresh off a five year stint in prison, he's ready to start over, but all his plans come to a halt when he's murdered. Not one to let a little thing like death stop him, Chance sets out to track down his last worldly possession: the coin that brought him back to life. With his murderer trying to put him back in the grave, the last thing Chance needs is to find a reason to stay alive... Avery has been a mortician for close to a decade, and though he's had his fair share of strange experiences, he's never had a person wake up on him. When one does, his otherwise mundane life suddenly gets a lot more interesting. Post Mortem is an ownvoice gay thriller romance with trans MCs, low heat romance, and a HEA! Content Warning: Death; Emetophobia; Mild to moderate gore/violence and body horror (autopsy scars, mouth trauma); Past Drug Addiction; Drug Usage; References to Homophobia and Transphobia; Suicide; and Referenced Self Harm. |
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A bitter war with Raazenia has seized Sylva. Beaten-down revolutionaries fight for survival in the dark world. As the Order searches for a way forward in the face of rampant uncertainty, Mianna is forced to confront dark secrets about the Order she has served all her life that will shake the foundation of everything she has ever known. As Z'xolkuloth's iron grip increases on the dark world of Hatheg Kla, the last scraps of revolt may at last find the leader they have long searched for... |
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When a young daemon becomes host to his father, the eons-old progenitor of his kind, it seems his only purpose is to kill and kill again, to build a new world fit for the dark to rule. Unseen by humans, the world has long been controlled by the strings of a shadowy secret society of immortal beings, the Order of Azoth. As the organization fractures and begins to unravel, he may be the last hope of the Order to quell the spread of corruption and change the path of the future. Just as they may be his only hope to discover his own humanity. |
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String of Stardust by James Margaret Rose "It is a farce for a wildflower, so meek and common, rooted firmly in the Earth, to fall in love with the Moon..." Despite her status as a noblewoman, Suzette always dreamt of becoming a baker; however, she never had the courage to fly away from her gilded cage. But once an ill-arranged marriage pushes her to the brink, she escapes with the help of her dear friend Hikaru, a mysterious man who lonesomely wanders the Earth. By his side, Suzette discovers a magical world unlike any she believed could existâand most surprising of all, that this is not the first time she has known Hikaru...nor the first time she has been in love with him. But that life ended long ago. Suzette is an entirely new person, and much has changed in their decades of absence. As much as she wishes to recreate the idyllic life of her new memories, there may be no choice but to also recreate its tragedy. Note: Contains mature content that may not be suitable for younger readers. |
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Gerald Poole And The Pirates by Johannes T. Evans Gerald Poole, a young Englishman, is miserable when he is dispatched abroad aboard a naval vessel, and is reluctantly attended to by the cold and put-upon Lieutenant Jack Wicks - this tense relationship is interrupted and put under pressure when the two are kidnapped by pirates. A novella with a little bit of adventure, M/M/M romance, and queerness in the 18th century Mediterranean! CONTENT THEMES & WARNINGS (POTENTIAL SPOILERS): This story is set at sea in the late 18th century, and throughout there is language and behaviour typical to the period, including racism, homophobia, and ableism throughout, as well as blood and violence. Itâs a kidnapping narrative, and therefore consent could be considered coerced, although everybody is enthusiastically consenting. Although there is no label applied due to the period, two protagonists are depicted as ADHD, Gerald Poole and Orion Thwaites. |
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The Wife in the Attic by Rose Lerner Goldengroveâs towers and twisted chimneys rose at the very edge of the peaceful Weald, a stoneâs throw from the poisonous marshes and merciless waters of Rye Bay. Young Tabby Palethorp had been running wild there, ever since her mother grew too ill to leave her room. I was the perfect choice to give Tabby a good English education: thoroughly respectable and far too plain to tempt her lonely father, Sir Kit, to indiscretion. I knew better than to trust my new employer with the truth about my past. But knowing better couldnât stop me from yearning for impossible things: to be Tabbyâs mother, Sir Kitâs companion, Goldengroveâs new mistress. All that belonged to poor Lady Palethorp. Most of all, I burned to finally catch a glimpse of her. Surely she could tell me who had viciously defaced the exquisite guitar in the music room, why all the doors in the house were locked after dark, and whose footsteps I heard in the night⊠|
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Heart of Stone by Johannes T. Evans The year is 1764, and following a glowing recommendation from his last employer, Henry Coffey, vampire, takes on a new personal secretary: young Theophilus Essex. The man is quite unlike any secretary - or any man, for that matter - that Henry has ever met. --- 'Heart of Stone' is a slowly unfolding period romance between a vampire and his inimitably devoted clerk: lushly depicted in flowing, lovingly appended prose, we follow the slow understanding these two men grasp of one another, and the cross of their two worlds into each other's. Henry Coffey, immortal and ever-oscillating between periods of delighted focus upon his current passion project, is charming, witty, and seems utterly incapable of closing his mouth for more than a few moments; in contrast, Theophilus Essex is quiet and keenly focused, adopting an ever-flat affect, but as time goes on, he relaxes in his employer's presence. Craving resounding intimacy but with an ever aware of the polite boundaries for their situation, Coffey and Essex perform a slow dance as they grow closer to one another, and find themselves entangled. |
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"Eugene didnât know if he believed in the devil beyond the wicked things people did of their own accord, but if the devil had a face, it would look like Johnny Walkerâs." Small-town Louisiana, 1935. When Eugene was twelve, a girl from town disappeared. Everyone said the gators must have got her when she strayed too near the bayou. No foul play, just a terrible accident. But Eugene can't shake the conviction that Mary Beth's death had something to do with the man who used to haunt herâthe man no one else could see. Now, nearly two decades later, there are more dangerous things than gators in ChanlarivyĂš. People are disappearing again, and this time, no one can find the bodies. As the town's unease grows, charismatic fugitive Johnny Walker arrives on the scene, shedding bullet casings and stolen bank notes in his wake. He tangles himself up in Eugene's life and awakens memories Eugene thought he had laid to rest years ago. Memories of the mysterious man who followed Eugene into his dreams, and memories of the bayouâ And of the horrifying entity that lurks beneath the water's surface, slowly seeping into the town like a stain. |
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When broken-hearted Carrie Rickard falls in love with a ruined house, her life changes forever - especially since this house loves her back. Fairwood House, known locally as The Crows, is no ordinary ruin. As Carrie pours herself into its restoration, she learns that it comes with a curse and an unsolved sixty-year-old child murder... and a mind of its own. As she digs into the secrets of The Crows, Carrie is dragged into a world of witchcraft, blood magic and the supernatural, aided by her eldritch soothsayer neighbour, Ricky Porter, who's as obsessed with the house as she is. Ricky, desperate to become the master of Fairwood and of the arcane artefact it guards, sees Carrie's future is set in stone - and so is her death-date. But is his offer of help sincere, or is he the reason she's doomed? |
