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Finn I wasnât even supposed to be going to the reunion. Chloe needed help packing up her momâs house and I offered to go back to Gomillion with her, as any best friend would. That doesnât mean I want to reunite with people I havenât seen in over twenty years. Iâm even less interested in socializing at the town bar, especially with the former captain of the football team who I shared a kiss with at the end of senior year. Thereâs no way heâll recognize me, and even if he does, I donât know what heâd think of how much Iâve changed. Iâm finally the man Iâve always known I was, but thatâs not how Brad Willson used to know me. Brad Everything is finally coming together. I got the promotion Iâve been working towards for years, and Iâm back in town to celebrate with all my high school buddies⊠except itâs been tough to keep up with everyone. My job runs me ragged, from one end of the country to the other, recruiting for college football so I can one day hope to become the a coach. Part of me has started to wonder if all these lonely nights are worth it, and the gorgeous guy I run into at the bar isnât helping the matter. When it turns out heâs more than just a random guy, what does that mean for my new job and for me? |
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Almost a year after the murder that shook Lobell College to its core, the start of a new academic year brings familiar faces back to the scene of the crime. Daniel Rosenbaum starts his first year as dean of the English department and takes a hands-on role in advising students. Lily Peterson and Gianna dâAngelo return to continue their undergrad studies after the death of the professor they were both in love with. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Hudson, Tony dâAngelo is working hard. With his sister back in college, itâs all hands on deck to keep his dadâs auto shop running and take care of his infant niece. He still finds time to spend most nights with his boyfriend, Daniel, although he canât seem to find the words to talk to his family about his relationship. Tonyâs life is exactly what heâs always wanted it to beâso why does he feel like heâs struggling to be himself? When a Lobell professor is once again found murdered, the idyll of the last months is turned on its head. Can Tony and Daniel stay out of harmâs way this time? Or will the fragile new peace theyâve found together be shattered? |
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Daniel Rosenbaum leads a predictable life. Heâs a professor at Lobell, a small liberal arts college in the Hudson Valley, where he spends his days teaching classes and doing research alongside his friends and fellow professors, Colette and Mario. The biggest change Danielâs routine has seen in years is when car trouble leads him across the Hudson and into an unexpected romantic encounter with local mechanic Tony. When tragedy strikes in the form of Marioâs murder, Danielâs orderly life is thrown into chaos. Not only is his friend dead, it seems Mario was keeping secrets that could cause rifts in Lobellâs close-knit community. At first, Danielâs intensifying relationship with Tony is the only way he can find solace from his grief and confusion. But all too soon, the trail of Marioâs secrets leads Daniel to the same place heâs been seeking comfort: Angel Automotive, the auto repair shop run by Tonyâs family. Before long, Daniel is forced to question everything: his friends, his job, the way he lives his life, and the relationship heâs not even sure heâs in yet. Only one thing is for sure: Daniel is falling heart-firstâin love or into mortal danger. |
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Two for Holding by S.B. Barnes Tom Crowler has been captain of the San Francisco Sea Lions for a decade of failures. With no cups or trophies to show for his time in the NHL, Tom retreated into himself a long time ago, and thatâs exactly where he intends to stay until he retires. But when he catches the new team superstar, Jaxon Grant, in a compromising position, Tom finds it impossible to continue hiding his deepest secret behind a bland, pleasant mask. Jax is everything Tom isnât: loud, flashy, the winner of multiple NHL Awards, andâoh, yeahâgay enough to get traded to San Francisco because of a potential PR scandal with his old team. At first, he thinks Tom catching him means the next trade, the next rejection for being just a little too much for other people to take. When it turns out the two of them have more in common than talent on the ice, though, Jax finds himself drawn in by pulling Tom out. As animosity gives way to a partnership neither of them saw coming, Tom and Jax are left facing new challenges. Will Jaxâs impulsive nature put Tomâs deeply valued privacy at risk? Or will Tomâs reticence force Jax into pretending to be someone he isnât? And if they canât even figure each other out, how can they save a struggling NHL team from bad coaching and internal division? |
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Retelling of the classic Cinderella story, with a gender reverse and old money aesthetic. When a prestigious scholarship competition is announced by the renowned Lagen Institute for Music, Casimir sees an opportunity to be free from life within the Cruz Manor. He finds an unexpected ally in Erik, who appears to be disengaged with everyone and only broods in the school music room. As their bond deepens over their fervent passion for piano, dark secrets and unspoken burdens threaten to tear more than just Casâ dream. |
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Roanne lives in the darkness. In the labyrinth, people exist without words or noise, trying not to provoke the beast down from the mountains. They communicate their fears and uncertainty in sign and whisperâitâs all any of them have ever known. Silence means life, and the dark is a good place to keep secrets. Roanne has spent seventeen years in the labyrinth, never knowing the outside world. While hiding from the minotaur, Roanne discovers a small green journal that holds another secret that could change her path. She also realizes her mother and the Oracle of the labyrinth have kept secrets of their own. Will Roanne be brave enough to do what she must? Or will the minotaur be her undoing after all? |
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Black Smoke Rising by Caroline Cuell After generations of war, the world has settled into an uncomfortable peace, the foundations of which are built on the simple premise laid out in unwritten law â you keep to your own kind. For the fae of Viriador and the elves of Carpathia, this way of life has seen them flourish and thrive, content with their own ways, the stains of bloody wars nothing more than words on pages of old scripture. For the dragon-shifters of Predoran, however, the lust for bloodshed is proving hard to suppress. King Dracul was the one to force the fae and elves from his lands, driven by the need to be cleansed of his sworn enemies. Now though, the disappointments of peace see him craving violence. His decision to take the lands of those he despises threatens to destroy all that has been built â and in doing so will change the course of six lives forever. |
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A Study in Black Brew by Marie Howalt âThey say life is a string of chances held together with grit and guided by passion, and who am I to disagree?â Kellieth ReinAraneinth was headed for a career as a field chemist on a newly settled planet when their dreams and ambitions were crushed by coincidences and chronic illness. They return broke to the wendek homeworld, Ganmak, where everyoneâs basic needs are covered, but import luxuries like Kelliethâs favorite human-made beverage, black brew, is costly. While piecing together a new life and recovering from their ordeals, Kellieth ends up sharing lodgings with the attractive, enigmatic, and infuriating Raithan WeinZalneinth. When a human is found dead next to an alarming message on the wall in an empty house, Kellieth gets caught up in a gruesome mystery involving Raithan and the local peace corps. Who is the human? How did he die? What is Raithan hiding? And when will Kellieth have the time to catch their breath? |
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Every thing and every person has its place and purpose in Society. This is a truth that all Attisians know, ever since the founding of their settlement on the Outpost planet of Attis many megas ago. Minty Bradford 8 has never doubted her place and purpose in the world. As an 8 - a direct descendant of the first settlers - Minty has a responsibility to one day take her place in the Advocacy and legislate the laws that govern her planet, even if all she wants is to quietly run the Farm her parents left to her. But the bounds of Minty's solitary life are shattered when she becomes entangled with an Earthen girl and her fugitive brother, and Minty begins to question the truths she once knew as irrefutable. As Minty shelters the Earthens against the laws which she swore to uphold, she must ask herself: how far is she willing to go? And what will she choose to do with the life she has inherited? Is Minty willing to risk everything she's ever known in order to save two Earthens? LEGEND meets RED RISING in this historically-inspired adventure of compassion, self-discovery, and sacrifice. |
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Esther is excited to start a new job on a beach TV shoot. Sure, maybe it is strange how the ocean seeps in overnight with weird sea snails everywhere, but the technical issues are down to science, not myths. As an electrician, Esther understands facts. If only women were so simple. In her daydreams, Estherâs a passionate woman. Who cares if she lacks the courage for the real thing? And, yeah, maybe a girlfriend is better than a fantasy, but whoâd put up with Esther? Her shyness keeps her from socialising, so itâs a shock when she ends up sharing a bed with the star of the show. Beautiful, gentle Layla becomes fascinated by a mythical selkie who guides lesbians to physical love. If only! Layla craves a real woman who will wait for sex until theyâre ready for intimacyâŠa strong, kind woman exactly like Esther. Midsummer magic, faulty wiring, sexual awakenings, an ancient diary. Everyone knows about the lost selkie with a broken heart: she may only return to the sea once she finds her missing fur. Can Esther fix the setâs electrical issues and reunite the selkie with her lost love? Will the TV show ever be ready to broadcast? And, most importantly, can Esther and Layla come together on the beach and discover what matters most? Pretty Selkie from the sea, Canât you spare a kiss for me? |
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Never Forgive and Never Forget. Hunted as witches during the Salem Trials and haunted by their past sins, the Crowhart women carry a deep secret and an inescapable curse. Rhiannon Crowhart, the renegade second sister of the notorious family, returns to Dragons Island and its sleepy town of Crowâs Nest in a flurry of storms and scandal. Her homecoming is not hospitable, as the townspeople and her own sisters are keen to hold onto old grudges. Not that Rhiannon requires their welcome. She left twenty-two years ago and has never looked backâuntil now. After all, she hated everything about the island, the town, and the old Atelier she recently inherited. Everything except a pair of gray eyes that look at her from the bookstore next door. Eyes that belong to the Mayorâs daughter. Eyes that Rhiannon keeps seeing in her dreams. Prudence Fowler has never seen a more fascinating woman than the one who glides around town in four-inch heeled boots carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Rhiannon Crowhart is as beautiful as she is troubled. And, above all, Rhiannon Crowhart is dangerous. When their connection upends both their lives, Prudence needs to choose between family loyalty and loving the woman who is Wind herself. |
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The Milkyway Hotel by Jude Silberfeld-Grimaud ; Marguerite Grimaud The day she loses her job and her apartment, a third surprise awaits Celeste Dorin: her great-aunt left her a hotel in a tiny town in the mountains. Is the universe nudging herânot very subtlyâin a new direction? For the first time in years, Celeste ignores her anxiety and rushes to the French Alps. To Montlouis, where she has refused to go back since she was a child. Rose Beauvoir has two passions: chocolate and the stars. Or three, if you count Montlouis. The arrival of the clumsy Parisian disrupts her well-oiled routines, and sheâd lie if she said she doesnât enjoy the blast of fresh air. As Celeste learns about life at high altitude and Rose shares her love for her home town and its surroundings, the two women canât deny the attraction blooming between them. The shift from Celesteâs boring yet comfortable life as a paralegal in the city to that of a hotelier in the mountains isnât for the faint of heart, however. Will the beautiful scenery, the welcoming townies, and the deceptively reserved chocolatier convince her to stay? A sapphic tale of Christmas, swoon-worthy chocolate, and blessings in disguise. |
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Their Sunflower Girl by Amelia Lascaux Melina was stuck in a dry spell. Her love life, and sex life, were like a broken recordârepeating the same lonely, unfulfilled song. Until she was offered an invitation to a fae pleasure house where all her desires awaited exploration. The pleasure house was filled with monster lovers from beautiful naga women to telepathic tentacle creatures, all looking for a casual hook up for the night. It was the perfect place for Melina to finally explore the bisexuality she'd buried her whole life. As she visited each themed room, two monster drew her attentionâa stoic femme dryad determined not to let their connection blossom in and a genderfluid unicorn shifter who wants more than just one night together. Hours of pleasure with knots, tails, and scales later, the night was coming to an end. But Melina had a problem. She couldn't go back to an empty home when there was an ache in her heart that could on be filled with both of them. This FFX monster romance is a bi awakening where the FMC falls in lust with two sapphic partners ending in a spicy ever after. This story has multiple open door scenes, both with and without the love interests. This novella includes pairings with the FMC across the sexual and gender identity spectrum with monster characters. |
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Non Nobis (Not For Us) by Tom Rhymer Oliver Oakeshott, misbehaving son of a proud line of English nobility, has made England too hot for himself. In the Kingdom of Jerusalem he follows an exileâs path, far from the disapproval of his powerful father, seeking a genteel oblivion in drinking and dicing. Ruadhan Ui Neill has taken the long journey beyond the sea for reasons of his own and joined the powerful and solemn Poor Knights of Christ of the Temple of the feared Knights Templar. A mystery on the pilgrimâs road waits to bring them together, but the two warriors live in a world that would keep them apart. Will they hold true to themselves and each other in the face of deadly intrigue? |
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Sally Delavega, the best demon-binder the world has ever seen, would do anything to banish the two hundred ghosts trapped in his headâeven if it means swimming up from the bottom of his tankard. When the Navy that destroyed his life comes sailing back to offer enough coin to get the job done, Sally agrees. All he has to do is help the crew of the Steadfast track down the ancient abyssal that lies sleeping at the heart of their drowned world. Why the Navy wants the demon isnât Sallyâs problem. But as they sail on, Sally begins to dredge up disturbing truths about how the world flooded and their ancient eldritch quarry that might just want to be found⊠Imaginative and poignant, funny and bizarre, Demon Engine brings us a bold, queer high-seas adventure that asks how deep we might venture for what we arenât willing to lose. |
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The Silence of Storms by Nico Silver Everyone knows that a seer must never take life, but no one seems to know what happens if they do. StĂgandr Tovarsson never dreamed they would learn the answer to that puzzle, but one night a prophetic state leads them into the forest where they stumble upon a pair of spies. Still half-caught between reality and the spirit world, StĂga accidentally kills the men and finds out first-hand what it means when a seer takes a life. Now, stripped of their family name and their inheritance, faced with a life without hearing, and plagued by visions of being pulled into the oceanâs depths by a Sea Folk man, StĂga chooses to follow the magic that constantly pulls at them. It leads towards the sea, but when they get there, will they find a cold death by drowning, or a chance for mutual healing in a pair of deep brown eyes full of anger, hate, and desire? |
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Satyrs are real and someone is sacrificing them, but love is the most terrifying thing of all. After too many years of letting social anxiety dictate their life, Alder Lewis is done. Theyâre determined to make it through the MA program in Folklore, no matter how many presentations it requires, or how much socializing with other students. The horrors of a joint project donât seem so bad, after all, once they meet their study partner Silas. Silas is handsome, kind, and interested in Alder as much for their brain as for their body. It also doesnât hurt that he looks like a Greek god, and Alder is obsessed with Greek mythologyâespecially satyrs. Only Silas has secrets, and thereâs someone in Great Valley whoâs extremely interested in finding out what those secrets are. When Alderâs thesis research leads them to the enigmatic leader of a gentle nature religion, it seems like everything is working out perfectly: Alder has found a new love interest, a new spiritual path, and a new research subject. But Ego Arcadia has secrets, too, and Alder will have to draw on every strength they didnât know they had to survive. |
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The Gohari are nomadsâpansexual, magic-born, and feared. Under the wrath of Cenk, the god of Anzor, their freedom has been stolen. Their unmatched skills in horsemanship and archery have been twisted into weapons, forging the Manzakarsâan unstoppable army of slave-soldiers. Tikran became a Manzakar to save his starving family, rising through the ranks to become the kingâs most celebrated bodyguard. To him, the brotherhood of soldiers meant honor, justice, and glory. Until the campaigns brought him back to Gohar. Until he saw his people subjugated, their magic drained to feed Anzorâs power. Until he realized he was fighting for the enemy. Now Tikran must choose between loyalty to the crown and the survival of his people. To defy the king could cost him his life. To stay silent could doom a nation. |
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Happy Face by Sirius Casper makes his living by chasing the dead. He specializes in helping confused spirits, and the people they leave behind, move on. Heâs also deathly afraid of clowns. Lately, all his nightmares have centered around Buttons the Merrymaker, a clown-like entity who trapped and tormented him while he was fleeing his Appalachian home. Casper has been willing to write off the whole experience as a bad dream for the past 20 years. But now, the clown is calling him back, as are the family secrets he so desperately tried to leave buried. His fears are catching up to him, whether heâs ready to face them or not. Taking the reins of his own fate will mean returning to that funny little town of Bustagut. Where, in some ways, it will be just like he never left. |
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The rebellion won them freedom. The war for survival has only begun. The Manzakar Rebellion has ended. The chains are broken. But freedom is fragile. In the aftermath, the kingdom of Anzor teeters on the edge of collapse, its throne mired in intrigue and its people divided. Once slave-soldiers, Tikran, Coxani, and their brothers must carve out a place in a world that still sees them as outsiders. Beyond Anzorâs borders, the rival kingdom of Dilovar shatters its truce, driving east into Gohar to hunt nomads and seize their magicâthe fabled Essence. As Tikran is pulled into a deadly web of betrayal and court politics, Coxani journeys into Gohar to unite its scattered tribes for the coming war. Empires are stirring, gods are watching, and the fate of a people hangs in the balance. Tikran swore the Gohari would be free. Now he must decide what price he is willing to pay to keep that promise. |
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The Break of Dawn by Eule Grey Cora âI am all that I needâ Richards has a prison reputation for being an ice queen. She exists via a strict code of survival: people equal painâthe end. Surprises lead to disappointment; therefore, Cora wonât tolerate the unexpected. Friends? No. Lovers? Never. A hollow nighttime ache in her chest is bothersome, true, but the issue certainly isnât caused by loneliness. Cora knows who she is and what she isnât. She gladly accepts a placement at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, not to meet the elusive artist, Sky Sunday, but to finish her prison sentence early. Itâs work, nothing more. But the breathtaking landscape, woolly lambs, fluffy ducklings, and friendly artists challenge a woman trying not to feel. Life at the Sculpture Park is vibrant, messy, and warm. Still, it would take someone extraordinary to melt an ice queen such as Coraâthe end. Sky Sunday wears dungarees and muddy yellow boots, talks in riddles, listens to Coraâs suggestions, and never belittles her. From the first awkward meeting, attraction sizzles between them. But Sky is rubbish at talking. So is Cora. How can two impenetrable women ever get close? From dawn to dusk, the workers toil on a mysterious, humming sculpture, and nobody knows what itâs supposed to be. If they trust their instincts, Sky insists that something unique will happen on Easter Sunday. Cora abandons the last of her ice armour as dawn breaks, but is it too late to be vulnerable and take a second chance? What happens when an ice queen and a fluffy chick kiss? Can Cora and Sky forget their past and begin a new life together? This story is not the end. |
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Byron, PhD student and waistcoat admirer, knows about yearning and betrayal. Itâs been four years since the love of his life, Ruben, walked off without explanation. Byron dreams of midnight sex he canât fully remember and a beloved man with dancing eyes. If only Ruben would return⊠But life moves on. At least it did until you-know-who unexpectedly pitches a tent in the garden, provoking ghosts from the past as well as Byronâs aching heart. Ruben understands how to push Byronâs buttons. But he doesnât know why someone is stalking them or why his memories are haunted by students playing a naked truth-dare game in an ancient room. What happened on the claw-marked table covered with crispy skin flakes? Halloween draws close, and with it comes a rollercoaster ride of sex, fear, and love. At the back of their minds, a chilling, familiar voice reminds Byron and Ruben of a game from long ago and a pact that canât be abandoned or left unfinished. True love never dies. |
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Mission Skyscraper by Eule Grey So, anyway, the world doesnât make sense. By day, Iâm a student who avoids teachers, parents, and rules because all they do is shout. I wish theyâd leave me alone and stop calling me a lad when sometimes Iâm a lass. Oh, plus, I canât remember where I lived last year. By the way, have you noticed the handsome boy who keeps chatting with me after school? Thereâs more. By night, Iâm a spy on a mission, strong and essential, see? Some call it dreaming, but I know better. My assignment is to track two people who are trapped inside a skyscraper. Iâm scared, and so are they. What if Iâm not brave enough to save them? So, yeah, things are tricky in both worlds. Two realities and a lot of questions are about to collide, and when they do, nothing can prevent the truth from spilling out. Whatâs inside the heart of a skyscraper? Iâm about to find the answer. See you on the other side. |
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Reborn in Ash by Gabrielle Steele Magic abandoned humanity millennia ago. Now it returns, bringing ruin to a wanted thief, and her chance for redemption. When ash fell like snow, everyone it touched grew ill with fever. Most died. Ada Renwick didn't. She endured the ash plague, food shortages, and brutal riots, only for one merchant's greed to threaten her livelihood. To keep her jewellery business afloat, Ada turned to thievery. Now she wants revenge. Breaking into the merchant's manor, Ada discovers unfamiliar gems that carry a shocking truth. Earth magic hides within them, and she can wield it. But the first time she does, she makes a mistake that leaves a man dead. Sickened by her crime and hunted for it, Ada runs. Yet, using magic feels as natural as breathing. She'll do anything to keep it, even join a war she wants no part of. It's not until Ada meets a woman who can wield fire magic that she realises some things are worth fighting for. But fire burns anything that gets too close. |
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Masks Worn by Magical Wives by Hiyodori "Look humble. Look bashful. Look harmless." Masks Worn by Magical Wives is a slow-burn f/f romance packed with secret identities and surreal magic. The story unfolds in a unique contemporary fantasy setting: a twisted yet beautiful realm where kings slowly turn amphibious and snake-worshipping nuns lurk in colossal caverns. Nemesia is one such nun. Chosen by an eldritch god, she spends most of her life underground, but her sect sends her on occasional pilgrimages to work in the land above. This time, in her mid-thirties, she gets hired to snoop on a mage named Eden... by going undercover as Eden's wife. In a world of cold and unsociable mages, Eden alone is the opposite: both powerful and well-loved. Perhaps too well-lovedâshe's left behind a long string of angry paramours. The exasperated king of the land orders her to settle the issue by taking a spouse. Despite her friendly facade, Eden would rather marry a stranger than someone who adores her. Nemesia (who has spent decades living devoutly in a hole) is the perfect candidate. Eden welcomes her new bride with warmth and generosity. But one of her oldest enemies ordered Nemesia to accept her offer, and it's only a matter of time till she finds out. Their marriage of convenience feels strangely comfortable, even with multiple layers of mutual deception. Yet as the seasons turn, Eden begins to lose control over her magic, and Nemesia begins to lose sight of her mission. Secrets unlock deeper secrets as tentative, unwished-for emotions spill over into a relationship that was never supposed to mean anything at all. This standalone fantasy novel has loose connections to the author's other work, but can be read and enjoyed without any prior knowledge. |
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No One Else Could Heal Her by Hiyodori âI want to see you cry. I want to see you destroyed.â No One Else Could Heal Her (a standalone prequel to the Clem & Wist series) marks the contentious beginning of a lifelong f/f romance. Their slow-burn relationship deepens in a stratified magical academy packed with rules designed to keep them apart. Theyâre opposites in every way. Their feelings for each other are stifled, unfamiliar, charged with resentment. And impossible to deny. In this modern-era fantasy world, mages get all the magic and glory. Mages run the nation. Healers shuffle around in their shadow. Clematis is a talented healer. Thatâs what traps her at a prestigious boarding school for high-class mages and the healers being trained to serve them. Her only goal: keep her head down. Pretend to be mediocre. Avoid catching the interest of any mages whatsoever. Tall, dark-haired Wist is a quiet loner, despite being the strongest mage student in the entire academy. She seems just as determined as Clematis to cover up her true gifts. Yet every once in a while, she cracks and shows more glimpses of her power. For some reason, those moments usually have something to do with Clematis. Clematis canât begin to understand why a top-tier mage would try to avoid the spotlight. The sheer infuriating mystery of Wist keeps dragging her in closer. Even if they're supposed to be enemies. Even if it means making herself a target for envious classmates. Even if every step she takes toward Wist puts her at risk of expulsion. Once Clematis wouldâve been thrilled to escape the academy. Nowâconfronted with a cold, secretive, long-suffering mage unlike any otherâshe finds herself scrambling for excuses to stay. |
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Rise of the Phoenix by Brendan Arnold Winner of Debut Author of the Year, Young Adult Book of the Year and Book Cover of the Year at the Bookstagram Awards 2025. Filled with emotional stakes, heartwarming angst, and shocking revelations, Rise of the Phoenix is the first book in the Phoenix Chronicles where magic is just the beginning. One moment can change your life forever. Will Tavner never imagined his quiet life in Fawkeston would end with fire and shadows. Marked by a strange glowing symbol and plagued by visions he can't explain, Will's dreams of leaving his small town behind crumble as he's thrust into a world where magic is more than myth - and far more dangerous. Together with his fiercely loyal friends - Aylise, Seb, and Rupert - Will is drawn into an ancient conflict brewing across the kingdom of Arulean. The ruthless Queen Haveena and her husband, King Rickard, rule the land with fear, wielding their powers to crush dissent. When whispers of rebellion stir and a long-forgotten power begins to rise, their reign threatens to topple. As secrets unravel and loyalties are tested, Will must decide who he can trust and what he's willing to sacrifice to awaken a long-lost power. In a world teetering on the edge of revolution, his choices will either spark a new dawn - or doom it to ashes. Why you'll love Rise of the Phoenix * A rich new magical world filled with loveable and love to hate characters, strong, powerful women and magical gays. * A blend of fantasy, action, mystery and self-realisation that will hook you in from the beginning. * A slow-burn romance formed from a lifelong friendship. * It's is a love letter to anyone who's ever felt different or had to fight to be themselves. * Perfect for readers looking for a less brutal Game of Thrones (George R. R. Martin), a queer twist on Throne of Glass (Sarah J. Maas), or looking for the self-discovery and friendship of Heartstopper (Alice Oseman). |
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Ghost: A Small Town Age Gap OTT Instalove Biker MC Steamy Short Romance (Steelwood MC Book 1) by Julia Stone He stole her to save her. Now he canât let her go. I found her by accidentâjust a glimpse during a job finished a few months back. One little discovery turned into an obsession. I told myself to forget her, but that was a lie I never stood a chance of keeping. When I learned her father planned to trade her to another clubâs bastard, I couldnât let it happen. So I took her. Now sheâs here, hidden away in my world of smoke, leather, and scars. She looks at me like Iâm her captor, and maybe I am. But Iâm also her only chance. Every day sheâs near, I lose another piece of the restraint I swore Iâd keep. I canât let her goâbut I canât let myself have her either. Because if I touch her, thereâs no coming back from it. My whole life has been planned for meâevery breath, every choice, every future moment dictated by my father. I never questioned it until Ghost tore me from that life and dropped me into his. Heâs chaos made fleshâscarred, and dangerousâbut somehow, he feels more honest than anyone Iâve ever known. He says he took me to protect me. Maybe thatâs true. But the way he looks at me burns hotter than any lie. The longer I stay, the more I see the man beneath the rough edgesâthe protector, not the villain. Somewhere between fear and fascination, I start to fall. Ghost may have stolen my freedom... but heâs the first person whoâs ever made me feel free. Each story in the Steelwood MC series is part of a shared storyline that is best enjoyed read in order. Each couple ends with a HFN ending that will result in their HEA by the end of the series! |
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Mediterranean Waves by L.E. Minx & T.J. Fox After over a year Sam has broken free of a narcissistic online lover, but mentally, a shell of who she used to be; Sam is lost. Her oldest friend, Nina, insists Sam take a healing journey to the scenic country of Greece. Samâs hesitation about the journey melts away as sheâs entranced by Greeceâs lovely scenery, kind people, and gorgeous men, one in particular. Lucian, the sarcastic and flirtatious Florida boy, instantly charms Sam and offers a chance to step out of her comfort zone and experience the fun in life. âYouâre thinking too much, Sam, life is an adventure, you should live it,â Lucian says and a sassy new friend, Jenny, agrees. Together, they take Sam on an awakening journey that changes how she feels about herself and life. When Samâs heart is opened and she loves herself again, unexpected, perfect love finds her, now she must be brave enough to trust it. Mediterranean Waves is an adult Contemporary Women's Romantic Fiction novel featuring unconventional romantic relationships open door spice 4-5 level. It features an independent, sex positive FMC, and includes multiple lovers and friends. LGBTQ and CNM relationships present. |
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The Secret of Magik and Blood: Witches of Tradbeldam Book 1 by Laura E. Thompson Sowenaâs life changes forever when she is forced from her home chased by soldiers and dogs. Her birth motherâs coven, that she never knew existed will reveal her motherâs sordid past and her own magik gifts. She will join a lifelong sisterhood and learn the truth of her lineage as well as how to hone her magik. Amid the chaos of war, fear of capture, and struggle to learn her magik spells, Sowena will experience something she didn't expect, the confusion of first love. The witches need to join forces with other magik allies, some of whom are not thrilled to be working with them. They will all need to act fast together because war is coming! A high NA fantasy, Witches of Tradbeldam is an epic series that is full of romance, action, adventure, secrets and surprises. |
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A Chord of Silver Moons by Tylisha Washington Aryam Sinanan has spent her life training to fulfill her bloodline oath to defend the princess of Beldemar. An ancient seal keeps the vengeful creatures known as the akbarrin trapped in a devastating wasteland called The Shadows, and Aryam believes they will never return. So why should she sacrifice her youth and happiness for such an unlikely calling? Instead of dedicating her every breath to her training, Aryam pushes the boundaries of her oath, trying to lead a somewhat normal life. But on the day she turns sixteen, the captain of the royal guard arrives and summons Aryam to duty with dire newsâthe king has been assassinated, and the princess is in danger. Worse, the captain believes akbarrin are responsible and that the seal is weakening. Too soon, Aryam is forced to leave behind everything and everyone she loves, joining her sister guardians to battle the akbarrin with their spirit weapons. The problem is Aryam doesn't have one. And without it, she might not only fail Beldemarâshe might doom it. |
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That Girl Who Ran Off and Kissed a Vampire by K.R.S. McEntire Eighteen-year-old Raven has always had a college, a stable job, and marriage to her high school sweetheartâall within the safe boundaries of her comfort zone. As a neurodivergent girl adopted into a family of high achievers, she understands the importance of stability. But when a single disastrous day leaves her without a job, her best friend, or her boyfriend, Ravenâs carefully planned future unravels. Desperate for a fresh start, Raven takes a leap of faith in the form of a mysterious job offer that lands her in a magical realm where humans coexist with fae, dragons, vampires, and other fantastical creatures. Her unlikely guide is Hunter, a snarky and secretive vampire who insists her bloodline holds the key to breaking an ancient curse. Reluctantly, Raven agrees to help, embarking on a quest filled with impromptu hip-hip concerts in medieval taverns, sassy talking unicorns, and growing feelings for Hunter. But as sparks fly, so do her suspicions about his true intentions. To save a kingdomâand herselfâRaven must uncover the secrets of her heritage and decide if sheâs willing to risk everything for a magical world and a love that feels too impossible to be real. |
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Return of the Sistah Samurai by Tatiana Obey Afro Samurai meets The Boondocks in this anime-inspired novel I've wanted nothing more than to become a Sistah Samurai. When I was expelled from the training academy for sneaking in my stupid ex-boyfriend, I still had hope that I could cry enough to convince them to take me back. Then, demons invaded the capital and decimated the clan, and there went my dreams of ever naming my own pair of pink swords. Until I heard a rumor of one last Sistah Samurai. I packed my favorite outfits and my trusty teddy bear, and recruited my forever bestie to help me find her. If we could manage not to interrupt her lunch, maybe we could convince her to train us? We were ready to do whatever she asked, even if that meant confronting old flames and taking down the patriarchy. As long as we looked good while doing it. The sequel of Sistah Samurai is an Action Fantasy novella that is an homage to the anime, Afro Samurai. Both works feature a feudal Japan-inspired setting that is rife with anachronisms. In the words of Samuel L. Jackson, âIs that a motherfâing RPG?â |
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Death Among the Stars by C.M. Lockhart âThis is not what I had in mind when we agreed âtil death do us partâ.â Kyra Johnson is married to an alien. At least, she was until he was murdered. Left with only his ship and a gaping hole in her life where her husband used to be, she takes to the stars with his crew as their unwilling captain. But grief isnât a thing so easily discarded, and sheâll have to confront his memory â and the man who killed him â before she can face a future without him. And the best thing for heartbreak is revenge. |
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May Chaos Reign Over You by La Purvis Hezi is the purveyor of wine and chaos at Wayward Sip, the safe haven she created to escape her abusive ex. As chaos incarnate, she bestows her golden apples at her discretion and it is there that she meets Edno. The young dragon carries a darkness that threatens unmeasurable destruction and Hezi can't help but offer him the thing he wants most -- power. But when he returns days later with Emry, the alpha of his coven, Hezi realizes she made a mistake. Edno was consumed by chaos. But rather than feeling remorse, Hezi is amused and Emry is incensed. Emry decides that Hezi's life will be a suitable replacement for Edno's, but when their eyes lock, Emry's demands become far more personal than she'd anticipated. Bigger problems arise however as Emry is called back to her home to deal with the growing mistrust between her coven and The Regime, while Hezi's ex is trying to force his way back into her life. Hezi knows that getting attached to anyone is a risk, but she doesn't know which is more terrifying -- pushing everyone away for fear of losing them, or succumbing to the love of a dragon hellbent on claiming Hezi as her own. |
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The Ruin of the Watcher by Collings MacCrae When a trail of shattered innocence leads Fox Argall to a twisted empire of silence and secrets, his razor-sharp mind unravels the threads of betrayal binding his closest allies. But in this prequel to the Fox Argall Mysteries, the hunter becomes the haunted: one wrong step, and the watcher fallsâruined forever. Dive into The Ruin of the Watcher by Collings MacCrae, where loyalty bleeds into obsession, and his fractured armor echoes through every case to come in this great series. The scars? Those linger. |
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Walking the Knife's Edge by Elise Carlson Itâs hard to focus on your studies when youâre from the wrong side of town, your dadâs an abusive prick and classmates are intimidated by your skills at hand to hand combat. But for Rarkin, getting into Sythe School means monsters, the chance to contain ones that stray into human occupied zones, and the opportunity to do something meaningful with his life. Even better; it includes an Electric Way pass out of town and travel beyond city limits.â Rarkin seizes his chance at his dream job with everything heâs got, forcing down traumatic memories to focus on work he knows he could love. But itâs a dangerous time to be holding everything in, to have little contact with friends like brothers, or to be keeping new friends at armâs length. Sytheâs nemesis, Organised Crime is no longer playing by the ârules,â and Rarkin and his classmates are on the front line. Organised Crimeâs bold new tactics tear at the bandages of Rarkinâs unhealed wounds and his unresolved CPTSD. To be the person Rarkin doesnât believe people saying he can be, he must change his toxically masculine approach to emotions, and break the cycle of violence in his family. If he doesnât make peace with his past and stop fighting EVERYTHING, heâs on the road to self destruction. In working for Sythe; Rarkin is Walking the Knifeâs Edge. |
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Keepers of the Crossing: The Handsel Witches by Ryan J Hamshaw Four months after the defeat of the Dark Friars, Liam O'Connor is finally finding some balance in life. He's juggling college, his friends, and his role as a Keeper of the Crossing. But that balance is about to break, and his friendsâ safety is on the line. Tariq Ashar is trying to make his new relationship with Liam work while dealing with old secrets tied to Lucas Martindale, the obnoxious and unpredictable grandson of the Head of the Guild. When Lucasâ troubled past comes back to haunt him, it pulls Tariq and Liam into danger, putting everything at risk. Meanwhile, a new enemy is rising in Sarumbourne, driven by anger and revenge. As darkness spreads through the city, the Keepers must fight to protect it - or lose what theyâve sworn to defend. |
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Memories of Enaros Vol 1 by Astrid E. Abell Memories of Enaros Volume 1 is a collection of short stories centering around the time Inarora Beservera, the protagonist of Inarora's Excursion, was a young child. Three of the short stories are from Kaedan's point of view and one is from Byron's point of view. Precious Protection Kaedan and his parents finally take the opportunity to lock out his soon-to-be ex-fiancĂ©e, Iris. However, they are not prepared to what lengths she will go to in order to remain in Kaedan and Inarora's lives. Babysitting with Fibro Kaedan and Xarlen leave Byron and Seri alone with the baby for the day for a court hearing. Unfortunately, both men discover babysitting isn't very easy when both of you are in a fibromyalgia flare. Kaedan's Injury The Second Rhanalanian War needs code breakers like Kaedan and his team. Unfortunately, that puts them directly on the front lines, forced to witness the atrocities of war. Even worse, they are targets themselves when Kaedan and his comrade, Xavier, break a code from the Patriot Defense Forces. Kaedan has to evacuate the Rhanalanian Defense Force headquarters, but what is the cost? Mela SĂșle It's Kaedan Beservera's first Mela SĂșle in a wheelchair and without his mother. With his father and grandfather both sick, this year's celebration will only be spent with his child, Inarora. As Kaeden worries he will disappoint his daughter, the two stumble upon a foreign family enjoying Mela SĂșle for the first time. It will be a memorable winter holiday season for all. |
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A lonely mothman⊠The little piece of almost heaven I carved out for myself ain't bad. I've got my truffle pig, Rampy, and my farm, and my work. It ain't much, but it's honest work, and a peaceful existence. There ain't nothin' else I really need. But every year when the moth mating call comes along, I'm reminded of how lonely my life can be. Then I meet Ollie, and a smidgen of somethin' is growin' like a breeze between us. I ain't nothin' special, though. Ollie cain't possibly want me. After all, I ain't normal. Ollie's a little strange, but their weird cain't possibly match mine. A shy flatwoods monster⊠I finally return to life in West Virginia, where my kind first took root. Nothing's worked out for me, and I'm ready for something less stressful and more peaceful. I don't expect to meet Glen, the sweet guy at the farmer's market selling mouthwatering ramps, my favorite West Virginia specialty. I keep coming back for more, but Glen's kind eyes and welcoming smile are just as alluring. All I wanted was peace and quiet. I wasn't looking for love, but it sneaked up on me out of the woods, and now I'm falling hard for Glen. But I'm a cryptid, a frightening monster. There's no way he'd still want me if he knew how weird I really am. Moth Woods is a 20k word novella about an autistic mothman and an anxious flatwoods monster, two classic West Virginia cryptids. It features a pansexual x genderfluid sweet, spicy, and cozy romance with a side of angst, and of course, weirdness. The Contemporary Cryptids series are standalones and can be read in any order. |
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The Goblin and the Dancer by Allison Tebo Grik the goblin spends his days as a janitor cleaning the Metropolitan Dance Hall, drawn to the Elvish world and tired of the darkness of his underground home. He secretly pines for the ballet companyâs lead dancer, Rosanna, but his own ugliness and shyness stands in the way of confessing his love. When a handsome rival appears on the scene, Grikâs jealousy bubbles over and he commits the unthinkable, plunging the threesome into a river and down into the depths of the earth. Determined to redeem himself, Grik leads Rosanna and Paul through the place he calls home: but even a goblin canât be prepared for everything that is found underground. Trapped in the dark, nightmares both within and without rise to the surface, threatening to destroy them all. A magical and heartfelt retelling of The Steadfast Tin Soldier about finding your worth. |
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A One-Time Thing by Kate Hawthorne, E.M. Denning Gil Valentine knows three things: he doesnât want kids, he doesnât want a relationship, and he likes to be alone. He spends Sundays tinkering in the garage, cruising on his motorcycle, and enjoying the luxury of a bed that he doesnât have to share. After his last relationship with his best friendâs brother ended in disaster and nearly cost him a friendship, Gil swore off anything that might lead to complications. Rowan Verne knows two things: being a single dad is hard, and being a single dad to a pre-teen is harder. After the death of his wife and a tough few years as a struggling single dad, heâs determined to give his son a better life in a new town. Between moving into a fixer-upper and handling the demands of parenting a twelve year old, heâs juggling more than he anticipatedâand then his son turns up down the street, talking to a very handsome, and very single neighbor. Rowan is everything Gil doesnât want and Gil is everything Rowan doesnât think he needs. Even though theyâre opposites, the chemistry between them is undeniable. Whatâs supposed to be a one-time thing quickly turns into something both men want to continue. And when tensions get high and memories from the past flare their ugly heads Gil and Rowan realize everything has changed, but they both know one thing to be true. Once is never enough. |
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The Killing Song by Felix Graves Fierce pirate captain Romada is about to retire from her high-stakes life when her siren girlfriend, Neiara, is abducted right in front of her. Together with Injagoâher brother and quartermasterâand the rest of her crew, Romada sets out on what should have been a simple rescue mission, but as they begin raiding the siren holding camps and witness horrors there, they have to make a choice: fully commit to a burgeoning resistance against these atrocities, or stop for nothing and no one to find Neiara before sheâs lost to them forever. |
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Our Funny Love Story (Resistance #1) by Byrd Koto Normal People meets 10 Things That Never Happened with a literary whodunit twist in this Achillean romantic mystery set in Tokyo. A comedy of errors, until fate decides to reveal its twisted sense of humor. Kamada Eizo, a popular young web novelist, lands his dreamâa flagship fantasy series with an ambitious publisher. Miyamoto Ran is the brusque, uncompromising editor assigned to turn his series into a hit. Perfect opposites, they clash at the start. Eizo is skilled at spinning tales; Ran hates liars. Eizo is quick to notice Ranâs aversion to touch; Ran sees through Eizoâs polished smiles. What follows is a frustrating series of one-upsmanship games with no clear winners, only bruised egos. As the weight of their high-stakes project closes in, Ran senses something amiss about Eizo. He begins to uncover the man behind the writer, a truth that forces Eizo to double down on his defenses, fighting not just for his story but to keep Ran out. But exposing the truth will come at a cost; Ran isnât prepared to pay, not when his long-suppressed feelings are becoming as complicated as the mystery heâs trying to solve. Expect dual third-person perspective, layered narratives, and banter teeming with romantic tension and psychological intrigue. This is Book 1 of a duet that ends in a happily-ever-after. |
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Darker Than the Starless Night by Rebecca Brodkey A tale of gods and titans, the humans caught between them, and the chemistry that binds it all together Yom has found a simple solution to avoiding the obsessive thoughts that have haunted her since burying herself beneath powdered drugs, bodies, and coin. But when her gangâs leader demands loyalty at all costs, Yomâs position as the gangâs head chemist comes under threat. Forced to investigate, she crosses paths with a cagey royal archivist named Quia as they unearth a horrifying conspiracy to reopen the ancient war that ripped the world in two. Quia offers a tenuous cross the dangerous network of provinces to reach the queendomâs capitol, and seek the one mythical person capable of halting the forces of war. On the treacherous odyssey, Yom reckons with blood-thirsty crime lords, the queenâs personal guard, bounty hunters, forest spirits, old gods, and the specter of a friend she lost as a childâher first loveâwho might still be alive out there. The chemist must face her addiction to powder, her growing feelings for Quia, and the obsessive thoughts that threaten to tear her mind in two, lest she lose herself in her quest to save the world. |
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Jason June meets F.T. Lukens in this YA debut thatâs two parts fluffy romcom, one part contemporary fantasy, and all epic love story. First love is magic. Sometimes literally. Sixteen-year-old Phoenix âNixâ Ashwell has spent his whole life looking for his soulmate. Heâs also spent that life living a lie. After discovering his parents kidnapped him as an infant, he runs away to a town built inside an ancient crater to search for clues about his past. And, no, heâs totally not there to look for a boyfriend. That is, until he meets Max, a boy straight out of his dreams. Okay, fine, heâs definitely there for a boyfriend. Desperate to be closer to Max, Nix takes a series of bizarre tests to get into the special program heâs part of. Thereâs just one problem: Max is magic. And, after unknowingly cheating on the tests, everyone thinks Nix is magic tooâincluding a group of ex-students whose attempts to reveal magic to the world put Max in danger. Now Nix has way more to worry about than figuring out if Max is flirting with him or just super nice. Heâll have to find his own magic to protect the guy heâs falling so hard for heâs seeing stars. But then he learns his birth parents are hiding even more secrets than the ones he ran away fromâone being that he was born to wield the most dangerous kind of magic. Heâs faced with an impossible choice: risk the life of the boy heâs spent his whole life looking for or let him go to save him. What began as a quest to find where he belongs becomes a battle between the fire of who he is and the gravity of who he loves. |
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Call Forth the Moonlight by Z.M. Celestaire Deubrise is a land blessed by the breath of the slumbering gods. MagĂq lives within nature, powerful and beautiful. Few else can harness it besides the gryphons that reside in the mountains near Nico De Falcoâs home, and the rare magĂqon like Nicoâs little sister. But magĂqon are shunned and feared by modern society. To protect himself from such treatment, Dr. Ackerleigh Sebring keeps his magĂq a secret. Yet his âradicalâ teachings of magĂqal history gets him fired from Ravensbourne University. Desperate, he finds a gamekeeper job caring for an imprisoned gryphon. Finally, he can be his whole self. That is, until Nico follows a misguided impulse and frees the gryphon, injuring Ackerleigh accidentally. Their fatesâand feelingsâbecome entangled in their determination to protect the sacred magĂq of the gryphon. Ackerleigh and Nico will stop at nothing for the sake of liberation. |
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The Time Trials by Jon & Dayna McConnell "Four players. It's in the rules." "Is this like, some sort of academic decathlon or something?" "Something like that." Walkman-toting, guitar-playing Finn Mallory blames himself for his parents' deaths and would do anything to turn back time and set things right. So, when he's recruited into a secret club at his new school that specializes in competitive time travel games, Finn sees a world of opportunity open before him. The games, however, are far from benign. Competition is cutthroat. Scenarios are rigged. And the mysterious timekeepers who organize it all have no qualms about using-or disposing of-players to suit their own sinister plans. Now Finn must decide who he can trust while making peace with his past if he's to have any hope of leading his team to victory and surviving his junior year. As the games commence, it's time to press rewind. âA resonant blend of teen drama and SF adventure." - Kirkus Reviews |
