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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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Invention Is a Mother by Rob Brownell RESPONSIBILITY IS OVERRATED. A recently graduated and happily unemployed engineer, Shaughnessy shirks responsibility whenever possible. He coasts through life, sidestepping every opportunity to follow in his father Waltonâs footsteps, until Walton begins to suspect that he has MFD (Mysterious Fatal Disease). The family coerces Shaughnessy to impersonate his father as a senior engineer at Critical Think Inc. There, he is immediately entangled in the development of an irrational consumer product. Pressured to innovate in the face of absurd challenges and fantastical demands, Shaughnessy teeters on the edge between breakthrough and breakdown. In a near future where you are what you wear, can an idling young engineer successfully navigate corporate startup culture, accept his familyâs medical crisis, and harness his full creative potential? Fans of The Hitchhikerâs Guide to the Galaxy and Good Omens will enjoy laugh-out-loud collisions with the limits of reason in Invention Is a Mother. |
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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 Unraveling of Luna Forester by Marisa Noelle MATTHEW HAS ALWAYS PROTECTED LUNAâS SECRET. NOW HE MUST PROTECT HER LIFE. When his best friend Luna is found catatonic after a devastating house fire, Matthew begins to fall apart. âTake care of them, Matthew.â âAlways.â âProtect my secret.â âOf course.â Thatâs the promise he made to her only three nights ago. A solemn vow to protect their large found family of humans and supernatural creatures alike. Fated to love her for the rest of his life, and unwilling to break his solemn vow, Matthew knows the only person who can help Luna is her grandmother. Through the woods they must go, just like a fairytale. But the forest is filled with deadly peril: poisonous black moss, chimeras, and worst of all, members of their family who don't want them to continue. As they are picked off one by one, Matthew races to get Luna to safety, all the time doubting everything he thought was true. Can Matthew untangle the twisted threads of Lunaâs secret before he himself unravels? A dark fantasy horror with Little Red Ridinghood undertones, perfect for fans of Last House on Needle Street (Catriona Ward), Split (J.B. Salsbury), Legion (Brandon Sanderson), Pretty Girl 13 (Liz Coley), The Quiet at the End of the World (Lauren James), Primal Fear (William Diehl), & Tell me your Dreams (Sydney Sheldon). |
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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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Perception Check by Astrid Knight Her favorite tabletop roleplaying game is real, and her kidnapped childhood best friend is trapped in a far off land. Will she be able to save her? Let's roll initiative! Violet Spence wants nothing more than to have a normal life. After witnessing her childhood best friend get abducted by monsters, thatâs easier said than done. At twenty-three years old, Violet cannot seem to move past that fateful night ten years ago. Her only solace is Mages of Velmyra, a tabletop roleplaying game filled with goblins, fairies, and all-powerful magicians. But of course, thatâs all fantasy. Or, so she thought. As it turns out, the land of Velmyra is very real and the home of the monsters that took her best friend. With the help of her friends (and the creator of the game itself), Violet must navigate the once-fictional creatures and powerful mages of Velmyra to retrieve a set of ancient relicsâall in the hopes that the journey will lead her back to her friend. But for Violet, fighting monsters and magic workers doesnât seem nearly as terrifying as confronting her own demons. And sheâll soon realize fighting the battle within herself can be just as tough as those fought against demigods. Perception Check is the magical first installment of the Mages of Velmyra Saga, great for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, Critical Role, and The Magicians. With endearing and hilarious characters, an exploration of mental health and trauma, LGBTQ+ representation, gut-wrenching twists, and a whirlwind of an ending, you will never want to leave the world of Velmyra. |
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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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The Brother's Curse (The Brother's Curse Saga Book 1) by Christine M. Germain A year after the brutal death of her parents, Crystal Francois moves back home to the eerie small town of Lakeview Falls. When one of her neighbors goes away abruptly leaves his home to be watched by a young man named Jason Warwick, Crystal finds herself falling for him instantly because of his charming ways and dashing good looks. Two weeks before her 25th birthday, she receives a rare antique purple amethyst stone necklace left for her by her late mother; A necklace with a deadly past and horrible consequences when worn. She finds out that wearing the necklace causes her and her friends to be the target of two sadistic tyrannical evil 18th-century old Shapeshifter brothers who will not stop till they find her and retrieve the chariot stone necklace that holds their father and 24 demonic Shapeshifters captive. When young men from town go missing, bodies appear eaten or skinned alive. Lakeview Falls is on high alert. It doesn't take long for Crystal to discover that the new guy in town isn't who he claims to be or if he is even human. |
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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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A Canticle of War by Steven Raaymakers When the world is threatened with total destruction, can warchildren unite to save it? A grim story of trauma and power with a Sanderson-esque magic system. In this epic conclusion, all bets are off as Raziel and his rag-tag crew must finally come together against the rising dark power. If death doesnât find them first. The city of Archehan lies in ruins, banshees circle the crumbling towers. Famine and violence spread across the fallen kingdom. An empire marches its armies to war. Ancient magics are stirring, woken by Razielâs choices. With the fate of the world in their hands, will Raziel and his companions find the way forward through the darkness, or will they be the architects of their own doom? The âAria of Steel Trilogyâ is a heavy-metal power ballad of clashing blades, blood-soaked betrayal, and sweet revenge. Join the fight today! |
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A Canticle for the Fallen by Steven Raaymakers How far would you go to change the past? After four years in exile, Raziel is forced to return to his homeland, Renas. Meeting a companion who shares his abilities, he sets off to find the rumoured âLady in Whiteâ, an enigmatic woman who promises an end to the persecution of their kind. Raziel is soon faced with a terrible choice over life and death. He bears serious wounds, and the path ahead grows ever more violent. Wracked with indecision, and with his soul in turmoil, he sets off on a bloody mission. Will his pain lead him to the light, or will the shadows claim his scarred soul? Set in a grim world of emotion-based magic and twisted fates, this is the second book in the Aria of Steel trilogy. |
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Heard: How Loss Led Us to Love by Ligia Cushman What if your greatest loss led you to love? Professional Counselor and Director of Adoptions Ligia Cushman unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to thrive when life doesn't turn out as they had planned. Some moments in life catch us off guard while others shatter us completely. For Ligia, it was the night she miscarried her first child. Ligia understands personal loss deeply and discovered that loss can be exactly what our soul needs to radically encounter God and feel heard. In Heard: How Loss Led Us To Love she invites us on her own journey with grit, gut-honest vulnerability and authenticity. |
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Cthulhu Armageddon by C.T. Phipps âUnder an alien sky where gods of eldritch matter rule, the only truth is revenge.â CTHULHU ARMAGEDDON is the story of a world 100 years past the rise of the Old Ones which has been reduced to a giant monster-filled desert and pockets of human survivors (along with Deep Ones, ghouls, and other âtalkingâ monsters). John Henry Booth is a ranger of one of the largest remaining city-states when heâs exiled for his groupâs massacre and suspicion heâs âtainted.â Escaping with a doctor who killed her husband, John travels across the Earthâs blasted alien ruins to seek the life of the man who killed his friends. Itâs the one thing he has left. |
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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 Song for the Road by Catherine Labadie An outcast in her tight-knit community, Larkspur endures her poor health with help neither from her family nor her fickle sweetheart. At a yearly moon festival she beseeches the spirits for better luck...but they lead her to a foundling elf child she did not want and a quest she did not ask for. Yet she and the mute spryte form a bond over their shared struggles. When danger arrives at their cottage, Larkspur sets out with the girl she's named Gentian from the country of her homefolk into the land of songs and tales itself. Through leagues of treacherous border woods lies miraculous Beledan, where dwarven chieftains quarrel amongst themselves and, far to the north, the mysterious elves marshal for war. |
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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? |
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A Canticle of Two Souls by Steven Raaymakers A magic sword forged of a demon. A broken boy seeking revenge. A grim coming-of-age tale with a Sanderson-esque magic system. Raziel watched the Rhotian Empire slaughter his family. When a sentient sword promises him the head of the emperor, Raziel carves a bloody path in an epic journey across a land filled with banshees and mercenaries in pursuit of his revenge. But forced to travel with a strange young woman with a dark past, will Raziel even reach his destination? Alicia has plans of her own. Gifted with a terrible magic that can bend others to her will, she also has revenge on her mind and Raziel in her sights. Can two enemies put aside their differences to seek a higher goal, or will mistrust and inner-demons condemn their fates? Magic is a dangerous thing. So is hope. The âAria of Steel Trilogyâ is a heavy-metal power ballad of clashing blades, blood-soaked betrayal, and sweet revenge. Will you walk away or join the fight? |
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The Case Files of Sheridan Bell: The Vanishing Beast by Em Rowene A strange woman comes to Detective Bell with an even stranger problem: sheâs about to be arrested for murder and needs Detective Bell to clear her name. When the police confuse a simple protection charm for something more sinister and arrest the wrong person, Bell must untangle cons, confront powerful sidhe families, and find the mysterious beast that roams the streets of his city. |
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Dreamtaker is the sequel to ReBirth: Zodiac Book One. While darker than its predecessor, Dreamtaker continues Jase and Liya's story as they face the consequences of their actions. Fate walks Gaea once more, but in an unexpected form. Familiar faces join Jase and Liya in their journey, including Tokei Fairaway, June, and of course Reve, the guardian. Along the way they make new friends in the form of one called Crowâa spindly mercenary who doesn't always listen. The story expands on Undall, Chall and their tenuous relationship. Gaea just got a lot bigger, and more dangerous. Fate smiles upon a thriving Chall under the rule of its new king. A time of celebration has come to the once guarded metal walls. Flowers bloom, and people arrive in anticipation of the royal wedding of the King of Chall to his princess. But... An unknown evil lurks beyond the eastern mountains. Smoke billows out of an abandoned outpost where a mad scientist tinkers with the blood of a titan. A new threat is born. Will Fate have the strength to endure? Only Time will tell... |
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When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Chair by Ryan Rae Harbuck Her story has (not) defined her. From where she sat, her perspective of the world was both quite ordinary and rivetingly extraordinaryâfrom a paralyzing car accident in her teens to traveling overseas on a journey of self-reflection to becoming a mom. Throughout everything she experienced, she fervently believed in following her given path. She wanted to trust its trajectory. She wanted to be sure. Her story is not about a chair. Her story is about her strengths and how they rose out of her instinctive vulnerabilities. Her story is about her struggles and how they became her victories. Her story is about being willing to hold it all, for herself and the whole of her world. Everyone has a chair. That thing you are bound to or unwillingly defines you. An element that makes you different from the rest. One that you have little choice in the matter. Whatâs YOUR chair? |
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A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Rueckert When an assassin kills Princess Jiaraâs older sister Scilla, her vengeful ghost is doomed to walk their city of glittering canals, tormenting loved ones until the murderer is brought to justice. While the entire kingdom mourns, Scillaâs betrothed arrives and requests that seventeen-year-old Jiara take her sisterâs place as his bride to confirm the alliance between their countries. âMarrying the young king intended for her sister and traveling to his distant home is distressing enough, but with dyslexia and years of scholarly struggles, Jiara abandoned any hope of learning other languages long ago. Sheâs terrified of life in a foreign land where sheâll be unable to communicate. Then Jiara discovers evidence that her sisterâs assassin comes from the kingâs own country. If she marries the king, Jiara can hunt the murderer and release her family from Scillaâs ghost, whose thirst for blood mounts every day. To save her family, Jiara must find her sisterâs killer . . . before he murders her too. |