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Zena the Lesbian Space Pop Star by Summer Rena A brilliant scientist, skilled fighter, adored pop star, and incredibly modest about it all, Zena Starr is the most beloved woman in the galaxy. And only a few people want to kill her for it. One of them? A bloodthirsty aristocrat from Zena's past. The other? The mutant assassin she hired to bring back Zena's head. Thereâs nothing Zena hates more than losing, and the assassinâs trap awaiting her at an empty lunar amusement park risks the loss of everything Zenaâs ever given a damn about: her stardom, her reputation, and her eccentric crew of misfits that have become Zenaâs family. To protect what she loves, Zena must survive a life or death battle with the most dangerous assassin to ever cross the stars, facing off with murderous singing robots, rogue petting zoo monstrosities, and off-the-rails hyperspeed trains along the way. |
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Kershin the Fire mage by Stephen J Wolf How do you control a power you hate? Kershin's attempts at a normal life have always been fruitless, but now he's sure he'll be cursed forever. After shunning his fire magic for years, he's now forced to either tame it himself or be tamed by a persistent mage hunter. The harder he tries, the worse the situation gets, and as he's hunted across the land, he leaves destruction in his wake. Hessia has been scarred by a fire mage before, but she's determined to never be helpless again. On her mission to tame the destructive fire mage, she faces trials that shake her to her core. Trials that test her mettle, threaten her beliefs, and decimate the villages she's trying to protect. Will she fall prey to her own hunt? The fire takes. The fire consumes. The fire kills. These two know that very well. As they clash, they discover that the threats they face may be greater than either of them imagined. |
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Chronicles of My Alien Invasion Life by Jes McCutchen Chuck and her friends lost a good one last summer, but none of them are convinced that Ghost is truly gone. Once she recovers from her accident, she's ready to find the truth behind where he went. With the help of her friends, Bailey, Corrin, and Pacey, Chuck will do what she can to track down Ghost, even if it means she maybe kinda gets abducted. It's complicated. Will Chuck be able to reunite her crew, and, more importantly, will she do it without embarrassing herself? Probably not, but she's gotta try. |
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Returning to You by Gwen Tolios Monicaâs relationship with her father is falling apart, made more obvious when her return to Madison after years aboard results in him throwing her out of the house. Lisa Carson, her BFF and old college roommate, takes her in. Turns out Lisa has her own issues with her parents â theyâre pushing her to date despite her lack of desire. So when Monica joins a Carson family dinner, she lies and says itâs starting a relationship with Lisa that brought her back to America. Lisa goes along with the ruse â it gets her parents off her back and itâs only until Monica repairs her relationship with her father and moves out. What Monica failed to take into account however is that crush she had on Lisa in college? Yeah, that didnât go away. |
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Everybody's Missing (Somebody) (Stake Sauce Arc 2) by RoAnna Sylver Arc 2, In Which: Our friends, some old and some new, must awaken a powerful, centuries-old magical force - before an old enemy gets there first... Life for Jude is finally getting back to normal - or as normal as it gets when your new boyfriend has fangs, your old maybe-boyfriend isn't dead after all (and has even bigger fangs), and everyone's scrambling to adjust their lives accordingly. There's enough to worry about without evil, ancient vampires closing in, preparing dark rituals, and threatening to undo everything Jude, Pixie, and their loved ones have built together. But as they've all seen, normal doesn't tend to last for long. And it's hard to shake the feeling that something's missing. But then, it seems like everybody's missing somebody. |
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The Lifeline Signal (Chameleon Moon Book 2) by RoAnna Sylver Parole is still burning. And now the day everyone has been waiting for is finally here: itâs collapsed. A lucky few managed to escape with their lives. But while their city burned, the world outside suffered its own devastating disaster. The Tartarus Zone is a deadly wasteland a thousand miles wide, filled with toxic storms, ghostly horrors, and just as many Eyes in the Sky as ever. Somehow, this new nightmare is connected to Parole. And itâs spreading. Now Paroleâs only hope lies in the hands of three teenagers reunited by their long-lost friend Gabriel - in their dreams. Growing up outside Parole, Shiloh Cole always had to keep xir energetic powers a secret, except from xir parents, Paroleâs strategist-hero Garrett, and Tartarus expert Maureen. When Parole collapsed, all contact was lost. Now, connected by Gabriel and their colliding pasts, xie joins collapse survivor Annie and the enigmatic, charismatic Chance on a desperate cross-country race, carrying a disc of xir motherâs vital plans, whose encrypted contents may be Paroleâs salvation. First theyâll board the FireRunner, a ship full of familiar faces that now sails through Tartarusâ poison storms. Together, theyâll survive Tartarusâ hazards, send a lifeline to lost Parole - and uncover the mystery connecting every one of them. The world outside Parole isn't the one they remember, and it didnât want them back. But they'll save it just the same. It's what heroes do. |
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Stake Sauce (Arc 1: The Secret Ingredient Is Love. No, Really) by RoAnna Sylver Jude used to leap out of helicopters to rescue/protect people from terrifying infernos. Now, by day, he protects the local mall from rowdy teenagers who ride their skateboards inside. By night, he protects the the parking lot, and the rest of Portland, from undead, bloodsucking creatures of the darkness. Or would if he could find them. Pixie refuses to bite anyone. Assault/murder/draining fluids isnât punk, even if being a vampire really kind of is. Heâs very hungry by now, and the much bigger, meaner, deadlier vamps kick him around on the nightly. Jude would love to find and fight some actual undead bullies. And Pixie could use some help staying⊠âalive.â Time to make a deal. Of course, life still sucks when youâre a vampire who refuses to suck blood. Fortunately, thereâs a really interesting new barbecue restaurant in the mall, with an intriguing new recipe. (They say the secret ingredient is⊠love. No, really.) |
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Chameleon Moon by RoAnna Sylver The city of Parole is burning. Like Venice slips into the sea, Parole crumbles into fire. The entire population inside has been quarantined and left to die - directly over the open flame. Eye in the Sky, a deadly and merciless police force ensures no one escapes. Ever. All that's keeping Parole alive is faith in the midst of horrors and death, trust in the face of desperation... and their fantastic, terrifying, and beautiful superhuman abilities. Regan, silent, scaly stealth expert, is haunted by ten years of anxiety, trauma and terror, and he's finally reached his limit. Evelyn is a fearless force on stage and sonic-superheroic revolutionary on the streets. Now they have a choice - and a chance to not only escape from Parole, but unravel the mystery deep in its burning heart. And most of all, discover the truth about their own entwining pasts. Parole's a rough place to live. But they're not dead yet. If they can survive the imminent cataclysmic disaster, they might just stay that way... |
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Shades: the dragon and the fire by Atlas Theseus Schmidt The year is 2635. A techno-biological virus has transformed the human race and gifted some with superhuman abilities. Artemis Rhyex has lived in this virus-stricken dystopia for sixteen years, beaten and starved, surviving virtually on the bottom of society. As luck and choices take her higher through the echelons, she begins to notice that the divide between the privileged Overseers, the commoner Purities, and the super-human terrorist Shades, is far deeper than she has been led to believe. When Artemisâs status takes a sudden plunge, and she transforms from a Purity into the one thing she fears most, she is forced to confront the worldâs growing injustice while adapting to her new powers and learning to survive in a world that now wants her dead. She joins forces with the insane Shade âPyroâ on a vendetta to destroy the Overseersâ fascist regime, and ultimately challenge societyâs fundamental ideas of what it means to be a person. |
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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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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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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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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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Wanted (All That Glitters #1) by Shalaena Medford Tsingsei "Song" Gould has always led a privileged life, never wanting for anything. When Song is told she must choose a suitor, she flees with a street urchin who claims to know the location of a legendary lost treasure. Armed with a map, a stolen skyship, and no real plan, they set off on the adventure of a lifetime. Now, away from the comforts of her home, she must learn to exist in a dangerous world of magic and pirates. Wanted is the republication of two novellas, now combined into one novel! ï»żContent Warning: Contains graphic depictions of violence and situations which some may find triggering. |
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The Stars Will Guide Us Back by Rue Sparks The special ability of a jellyfish may be one man's only hope to save his husband. In a world where the gods have returned, their only folly was not expecting humanity to fight back. When trauma disconnects someone's soul from their body, one person has the ability to reunite them. A family gift of reading the spirits in flames has taken everything from her, but can it give her everything she needs? In The Stars Will Guide Us Back, thirteen short stories encapsulating the elements of speculative fiction and magical realism travel the themes of mental health, loss, mortality, self-confidence, and finding hope through difficult circumstances. Explore the immersive worlds within, along with a range of peculiar, distinct, and queer characters. Sometimes confidence comes from knowing we have no other choice, and the ones who rescue us come from the strangest places. Dark and light collide in this collection that highlights the liminal spaces of the human experience. --- Content Warnings: Apocalypse/End of the World Scenario Brief Mentions of Toxic Masculinity Depression & Anxiety Cosmic Events Domestic Violence (Off-screen/Implied) Gaslighting Grief & Loss Homophobia (Verbal) Mentions of Unsupportive Parenting Terminal Illness |
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The Fable of Wren by Rue Sparks âThere are wonders and terrors out there you can't yet imagine, and people out there you don't yet know are family." I donât mix well with people; I prefer the birds. I spend my time trying to find the Tricksterâa finch treasured by the locals. My smart mouth, brash behavior, and being non-binary in this secluded southern town keep me on the periphery of Spastokeâs society. Fine by me. All I need are the birds and my uncle Jeremy. Until he dies, and I canât do anything to stop it. I want to withdraw from the town into the comfort of birdwatching and forget everything. Instead, Adrian Turney, my uncleâs friend and mentor, is found dead in the woods. My only hope of unravelling the truth is Jethro; a chatty newcomer that appears earnest, but can I trust him? When my uncle appears to me in my dreams, I quickly learn what started as a search for answers is so much more: a journey into the townâs shady past to uncover a danger in the woods lost to time. Along the way, I might discover Iâm not alone as I thought. ---- Content Warnings: Chronic Illness Death Grief & Loss PTSD & Anxiety Attacks Terminal Illness |
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Luck has never really been on Chance's side. Fresh off a five year stint in prison, he's ready to start over, but all his plans come to a halt when he's murdered. Not one to let a little thing like death stop him, Chance sets out to track down his last worldly possession: the coin that brought him back to life. With his murderer trying to put him back in the grave, the last thing Chance needs is to find a reason to stay alive... Avery has been a mortician for close to a decade, and though he's had his fair share of strange experiences, he's never had a person wake up on him. When one does, his otherwise mundane life suddenly gets a lot more interesting. Post Mortem is an ownvoice gay thriller romance with trans MCs, low heat romance, and a HEA! Content Warning: Death; Emetophobia; Mild to moderate gore/violence and body horror (autopsy scars, mouth trauma); Past Drug Addiction; Drug Usage; References to Homophobia and Transphobia; Suicide; and Referenced Self Harm. |
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A bitter war with Raazenia has seized Sylva. Beaten-down revolutionaries fight for survival in the dark world. As the Order searches for a way forward in the face of rampant uncertainty, Mianna is forced to confront dark secrets about the Order she has served all her life that will shake the foundation of everything she has ever known. As Z'xolkuloth's iron grip increases on the dark world of Hatheg Kla, the last scraps of revolt may at last find the leader they have long searched for... |
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When a young daemon becomes host to his father, the eons-old progenitor of his kind, it seems his only purpose is to kill and kill again, to build a new world fit for the dark to rule. Unseen by humans, the world has long been controlled by the strings of a shadowy secret society of immortal beings, the Order of Azoth. As the organization fractures and begins to unravel, he may be the last hope of the Order to quell the spread of corruption and change the path of the future. Just as they may be his only hope to discover his own humanity. |
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String of Stardust by James Margaret Rose "It is a farce for a wildflower, so meek and common, rooted firmly in the Earth, to fall in love with the Moon..." Despite her status as a noblewoman, Suzette always dreamt of becoming a baker; however, she never had the courage to fly away from her gilded cage. But once an ill-arranged marriage pushes her to the brink, she escapes with the help of her dear friend Hikaru, a mysterious man who lonesomely wanders the Earth. By his side, Suzette discovers a magical world unlike any she believed could existâand most surprising of all, that this is not the first time she has known Hikaru...nor the first time she has been in love with him. But that life ended long ago. Suzette is an entirely new person, and much has changed in their decades of absence. As much as she wishes to recreate the idyllic life of her new memories, there may be no choice but to also recreate its tragedy. Note: Contains mature content that may not be suitable for younger readers. |
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Gerald Poole And The Pirates by Johannes T. Evans Gerald Poole, a young Englishman, is miserable when he is dispatched abroad aboard a naval vessel, and is reluctantly attended to by the cold and put-upon Lieutenant Jack Wicks - this tense relationship is interrupted and put under pressure when the two are kidnapped by pirates. A novella with a little bit of adventure, M/M/M romance, and queerness in the 18th century Mediterranean! CONTENT THEMES & WARNINGS (POTENTIAL SPOILERS): This story is set at sea in the late 18th century, and throughout there is language and behaviour typical to the period, including racism, homophobia, and ableism throughout, as well as blood and violence. Itâs a kidnapping narrative, and therefore consent could be considered coerced, although everybody is enthusiastically consenting. Although there is no label applied due to the period, two protagonists are depicted as ADHD, Gerald Poole and Orion Thwaites. |
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The Wife in the Attic by Rose Lerner Goldengroveâs towers and twisted chimneys rose at the very edge of the peaceful Weald, a stoneâs throw from the poisonous marshes and merciless waters of Rye Bay. Young Tabby Palethorp had been running wild there, ever since her mother grew too ill to leave her room. I was the perfect choice to give Tabby a good English education: thoroughly respectable and far too plain to tempt her lonely father, Sir Kit, to indiscretion. I knew better than to trust my new employer with the truth about my past. But knowing better couldnât stop me from yearning for impossible things: to be Tabbyâs mother, Sir Kitâs companion, Goldengroveâs new mistress. All that belonged to poor Lady Palethorp. Most of all, I burned to finally catch a glimpse of her. Surely she could tell me who had viciously defaced the exquisite guitar in the music room, why all the doors in the house were locked after dark, and whose footsteps I heard in the night⊠|
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Heart of Stone by Johannes T. Evans The year is 1764, and following a glowing recommendation from his last employer, Henry Coffey, vampire, takes on a new personal secretary: young Theophilus Essex. The man is quite unlike any secretary - or any man, for that matter - that Henry has ever met. --- 'Heart of Stone' is a slowly unfolding period romance between a vampire and his inimitably devoted clerk: lushly depicted in flowing, lovingly appended prose, we follow the slow understanding these two men grasp of one another, and the cross of their two worlds into each other's. Henry Coffey, immortal and ever-oscillating between periods of delighted focus upon his current passion project, is charming, witty, and seems utterly incapable of closing his mouth for more than a few moments; in contrast, Theophilus Essex is quiet and keenly focused, adopting an ever-flat affect, but as time goes on, he relaxes in his employer's presence. Craving resounding intimacy but with an ever aware of the polite boundaries for their situation, Coffey and Essex perform a slow dance as they grow closer to one another, and find themselves entangled. |
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"Eugene didnât know if he believed in the devil beyond the wicked things people did of their own accord, but if the devil had a face, it would look like Johnny Walkerâs." Small-town Louisiana, 1935. When Eugene was twelve, a girl from town disappeared. Everyone said the gators must have got her when she strayed too near the bayou. No foul play, just a terrible accident. But Eugene can't shake the conviction that Mary Beth's death had something to do with the man who used to haunt herâthe man no one else could see. Now, nearly two decades later, there are more dangerous things than gators in ChanlarivyĂš. People are disappearing again, and this time, no one can find the bodies. As the town's unease grows, charismatic fugitive Johnny Walker arrives on the scene, shedding bullet casings and stolen bank notes in his wake. He tangles himself up in Eugene's life and awakens memories Eugene thought he had laid to rest years ago. Memories of the mysterious man who followed Eugene into his dreams, and memories of the bayouâ And of the horrifying entity that lurks beneath the water's surface, slowly seeping into the town like a stain. |
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When broken-hearted Carrie Rickard falls in love with a ruined house, her life changes forever - especially since this house loves her back. Fairwood House, known locally as The Crows, is no ordinary ruin. As Carrie pours herself into its restoration, she learns that it comes with a curse and an unsolved sixty-year-old child murder... and a mind of its own. As she digs into the secrets of The Crows, Carrie is dragged into a world of witchcraft, blood magic and the supernatural, aided by her eldritch soothsayer neighbour, Ricky Porter, who's as obsessed with the house as she is. Ricky, desperate to become the master of Fairwood and of the arcane artefact it guards, sees Carrie's future is set in stone - and so is her death-date. But is his offer of help sincere, or is he the reason she's doomed? |
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Mud Crab Kingdom: The Soft-Shelled Prince by Dr. Joel Anthony Hamilton In a time ruled by fair-skinned kings and racial divides, the son of a fair-skinned king and mud-skinned peasant, Marcious Leojé, spends his days far beyond his father's kingdom in the muddy mangroves with his best friend, Etel Duetman. Here, they form an unusual kinship with the native crabs and build a mud kingdom. These two mud-skinned teenagers feel invincible within this playground-sized fortress. The discrimination within the kingdom cannot reach them and the mud walls provide a sense of security. However, they soon learn that their kingdom is nothing more than a mud wall, as it is unable to protect those they love. Cast into despair and the unknown world, they must learn to build a kingdom capable of protecting those they love. Along their journey they encounter people who show them the products of love, war, and despair. However, Marcious cannot envision his product, his own kingdom. Everywhere, being mud-skinned is worse than murder, and being "different" is worse than being mud-skinned. Will his vow to create a kingdom withstand the rising tides or will it wash away like that of his childhood? |
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The Savior's Rise by Talli L. Morgan WHEN GODS FALL, LEGENDS RISE. Taja Ievisin thought the Oracle Stone would fix all his problems, but all itâs left him with are a city in shambles, shocking truths about his gods, and a role he canât possibly fill. He is Sawwia Setukkda, the Second Savior of his people, but without a drop of magic in his blood and no idea how to get his people to trust him, how is he supposed to save anyone? Jekku Ajâere is finally free ââ from his maddening curse, from the Royal Sorcerer who wished to control him, and from the influence of the Oracle Stone. But now what? Grappling with ghosts from his past and torn between two paths, Jekku has to figure out where to turn, even if it means leaving someone behind. But before either of them can move ahead, theyâve got a mess to clean up. BĂ„thĂ€lla is divided ââ and most Elshalans remain stubbornly loyal to the gods. If Taja canât win over his people, itâs only a matter of time before the gods strengthen their hold and snuff out BĂ„thĂ€llaâs magic for good. Return to the magic-rich world of THE ORACLE STONE for another adventure in Talli L. Morganâs page-turning duology. |
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Something Between Us by D.T. Brandt Raith is an Ichthien, a water-dwelling species that wears a mask on shore to protect the humans that live there from falling victim to their coercive siren-like voices. He has a crush on Cam, a human who works at the forge where Raith delivers carts of oreballs dredged from the lake floor. Once they finally meet cute and start spending time together, Raith begins to fall prey to the expectations of others and the constraints of their separate worlds. Meanwhile, Raith's sister Kiela is trying to uncover a secret about the Ichthiens' past that he doesn't think even exists. As her research chips away at his doubts it also uncovers a possible path forward with Cam, but at a steep cost that Raith must be certain he's willing to pay. |
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Structural Strain by Tabitha O'Connell After realizing how badly he was failing his partner, Yaan promised to do better. Being open and vulnerable with Kel isnât exactly easy, but itâs worth it for the closeness they now share. Kel, meanwhile, continues to combat his conflict-avoidant nature and be honest about his own wants and needs. The payoff includes not just an increase in affection from Yaan, but also Yaan getting to know his family, and even pledging to help get the old neighborhood theaterâthe catalyst for their reconciliationâopen again. When Yaan begins noticing other ways the city government he works for has failed its working-class residents, his renewed commitment to Kel leads him to push back against his bossâs policies. Kel, however, is concerned Yaan might be taking on too much. When heâs proven right, their relationship will be tested anew, as Yaan is forced to decide what really matters to him and Kel must choose how far heâs willing to go for Yaanâs sake. |
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Structural Integrity by Tabitha O'Connell Messenger boy Kel never expected to strike up a romance with a government official. But Yaan lacks the self-important snobbery of the others, seeing Kel as more than just a pretty face. Living with him in the cityâs plush government complex is everything Kel could want: no more expenses, kitchen workers and resident animals to befriend, and of course seeing Yaan every day. Even if Yaan does spend most of his time working or worrying about work, and seems to have forgotten that they used to have actual conversations⊠When the city decides to tear down the iconic theater building in Kelâs old neighborhood, Yaanâs indifference toward his pleas to help save it forces Kel to confront his growing unhappiness. In the aftermath, both will have to decide whether their relationship is salvageable. |
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Ascension: Wolves of Goose Creek (Tales from the DarkWorld Book 3) by Ronnie Massey In a world where vampires, werewolves, witches, and all other manners of beings not only live their lives freely and out in the open but are some of the mediaâs biggest celebutantes, werewolf Still Waters is an anomaly. Although she is an honorary member of the Eastern Seaboardâs largest pack, Still lives her life as a lone wolf. But when a freak accident claims the life of a loved one, the delicate façade that is Still's life comes crashing down. Not only is Still forced to out herself, but she also becomes first in line to assume the position of alpha of her birth packâŠa pack whose members make it clear they want nothing to do with her. But with the chaos, there comes calm in the form of Dee Stratton, the one that got away. Where Still was taught to hide, Dee was raised to embrace her status as a werewolf. Those differences ultimately drove the two apart. But when Dee returns to offer Still support, the two quickly fall back into their relationship. Their joy, however, is short-lived when family skeletons from Stillâs past creep from the closet and threaten their bond. Now Still must fight for the very things she once thought she could live without, Dee and the Goose Creek wolves. Still will either rise to the occasion and become the alpha and mate that Dee believes she can be or walk away from her pack and her relationshipâŠthis time for good. |
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Forever Love by Abigail Taylor Leia's a bright-eyed dreamer, believing in destiny. Blake's an ambitious skeptic who thinks true love doesn't exist. Will these two very different women find a spark between them, or will it be a passing glance? Leia is creative and thoughtful, and when a chance encounter with Blake, a stranger, stirs something deep inside her, she believes it is the universe speaking to her soul. Blake, despite her success, feels something is missing from her life but disguises her discontentment with a tough façade, which keeps her from opening her heart. Will Blake and Leia be each other's missing piece, or will it turn out to just be a dream? Join Blake and Leia as they are swept into a journey of self-analysis and soul-searching that could change their perception of love forever. This is lesbian author Abigail Taylor's debut novel and part of the Looking for Love lesfic series. |
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Spells of Summer (Inheritance, 8) by AK Faulkner Learning magic doesnât come cheap, and the bill is long overdue. Rufus needs his studentâs help to solve his parents' murder, and after a year of tuition, Laurence has run out of excuses to put off witnessing the gruesome secrets buried in the past. But his vision only raises more questions. The mystery isnât how they died, but how Rufus survived. The only clue is a teddy bear nobody remembers, and it holds magic powerful enough to hospitalize Freddy, entangle a god, and hide a murderer. Maybe some secrets are better left buried. |
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Sigils of Spring (Inheritance, 7) by AK Faulkner We all fall down. When Quentin is accosted by YouTube ghost-hunters with a crackpot theory about his mother, he writes it off as nonsense â until they kidnap him right off the street in broad daylight. Not even his psychokinesis can save him, but Laurence will. He must. Except Laurence can't find Quentin. His powers have never failed him like this before. There's only one hope left: a stranger called Angela is willing to teach him more magic than he currently knows. Normally he'd write her off as bad news, but Quentin is running out of time, and Laurence is all out of options. He has less than 48 hours to save Quentin's life, and no price is too high. The clock is ticking. |
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Rites of Winter (Inheritance, 6) by AK Faulkner Let the Wild Hunt begin! Tortured. Broken. Laurence and Quentin need time to heal. A layover in New York offers just that, but then Quentin vanishes in the worst blizzard the city has ever seen, and all Laurenceâs Hunter gifts arenât enough to track him down. Two gods have warred for centuries. One is trapped in Manhattan, and needs Laurenceâs aid if heâs to continue his vendetta. The other is confined to Annwn, the Land of the Dead. He needs Quentinâs help if heâs to win once and for all. Unlike gods theyâve encountered before, these ones arenât frail. Not even close. But there really can be only one, and Laurence must fight to save Quentin before they both get trampled into dust. He canât do it alone. |
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Page of Tricks (Inheritance, 5) by AK Faulkner Thereâs nowhere left to run. Quentin dâArcy has escaped his fatherâs clutches for six years, but the life he has built in San Diego is about to come crashing down. The skeletons in his closet wonât stay hidden. The Duke of Oxfordâs pawns are all in place. One move triggers a catastrophic chain of events: Freddy kidnaps Laurence, and Quentin is thrust into a race against time to save both his loverâs sanity and his own. Every family has secrets, but the dâArcy line is built on them. Nothing will ever be the same again. |
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Reeve of Veils (Inheritance, 4) by AK Faulkner Truth is a matter of perspective. Frederick dâArcy is determined to unearth the truth behind his motherâs untimely death, but the only witness is a man whose mind Frederick cannot read: his twin brother, Quentin. And Quentin is up to his neck in trouble half a world away. That troubleâs name is Kane Wilson. As Wilson works to out psychics and kill anyone who gets in his way, Frederick enters into a deadly game of cat and mouse. He must outwit, outthink, and outmanipulate Wilson without revealing the extent of his own powers, or the vengeance he seeks could be snatched from his grasp. This isnât the Knight of Flames you remember. |
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Lord of Ravens (Inheritance, 3) by AK Faulkner Hunter and prey. Which is which? Laurence Riley believed that he was nothing. He couldnât have been further from the truth. Descended from Herne the Hunter, his own need to seek prey has long gone unfulfilled. Now itâs out of control. Something ancient is coming to take Quentin home: a creature of nightmare who feasts on the flesh of children. But Laurence has seen the real monster. The one who is pulling all their strings from afar. Only Herne can prepare Laurence to face an evil which far outmatches him. Their enemy wields the most powerful weapon of all, and will destroy everyone Laurence loves unless he can master the same power. He must learn magic. |
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Knight of Flames (Inheritance, 2) by AK Faulkner Some men are forged in fire. Others are consumed by it. Quentin dâArcy survived a showdown with a god. Now, he must face something far more terrifyingâhis feelings. Falling in love was never part of his plan, and the secret heâs kept from Laurence may burn them both. Kane Wilson is building a better world, leaving a trail of bodies as he goes. To him, no price is too high to create a future where psychics are out, proud, with no need to fear those who hate them. Through fate or fortune, Quentin is the psychic communityâs last defense against Kaneâs murderous plans and monstrous power. Where others have no choice but to obey Kaneâs every word, only Quentin can shrug off Kane's compulsion. Quentin alone can walk into the fire, but not even Laurence's prophetic gifts can say whether he will emerge unburned. |
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Jack of Thorns (Inheritance, 1) by AK Faulkner Youâd think seeing the future would make life easy, but Laurence Riley knows better. No matter how hard he tries to master the chaos, everything slips out of control. His violent ex-boyfriend, his supernatural talents, his drug addictionâseeing whatâs coming doesnât help with any of them. He needs help and he knows it. Help that only a god can provide. The answer to his prayers is Jack, who offers aid with reining in his powers and mastering his life. In exchange, all Jack asks is regular offerings of sexual energy from Laurence's conquests. A month ago, that would have been just fine with Laurence. If not for Quentin, it still would be. Devastatingly handsome, incredibly desirable, and so far out of Laurenceâs league itâs not even funny, Quentin is the flame to Laurenceâs moth. Laurence doesnât want anyone else, he canât think of anyone else, and neither Quentinâs frustratingly chaste behavior nor his uncontrollable telekinesis are enough to put him off. Not even if his focus on Quentin means breaking his bargain with Jack and facing the consequences of disappointing a god. Laurence doesnât need to see the future to know thatâs a bad idea, but he has no clue how dangerous Jack really is⊠|
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The You I See by Danny Freeman What happens when two gay boys meet at a fundamentalist church and talk about tits? Brandonâs family are long-time members. In fact, his dad is the preacher. Alexâs skeptical parents reluctantly attend after repeated invitations from a colleague of Alexâs father. Alex and Brandon feel an immediate and undeniable attraction to one another, though both of them are confused about their own and each otherâs feelings. They soon develop an affectionate, endearing friendship, mostly by balancing out their opposite personalities and quoting their favorite lines from The Princess Bride until they nearly wet themselves. Brandon is loud, impulsive, irreverent, and foul-mouthed. Alex is quiet, thoughtful, shy, and considerably more precocious than Brandon. With the support of Alexâs unconventional and affirming parents, Alex and Brandon navigate the challenges of being gay teenagers in Houston in the early 1990s. They face obstacles, setbacks, misunderstandings, and outright homophobia but remain resolutely committed to their unique friendship and budding romance. From beginning to end, The You I See by Danny Freeman is an infectiously funny, relentlessly hopeful, and ultimately life-affirming celebration of friendship and young love in one of its many-hued variations. Danny Freeman be donating 75% of proceeds to The Trevor Project to support the emotional and psychological well-being of LGBTQ+ youth! #ownvoices |
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A Whisper of Solace by Milena McKay What makes an Ice Queen? Neve Blackthorne, head of one of the most successful Studios in Hollywood, is the one to rule them all. Powerful, beautiful, and aloof, sheâs ruthless, yet irresistible. Above all, she has an unquenchable survival instinct. Surely a fleeting entanglement with one Audrey Avens, a bright, young, rising star in her company, wonât bring down the Wicked Queen of Tinseltown. Or will it? Neveâs public persona has no chink in the untouchable armor, but when the lights go out and the cameras stop rolling, what becomes of an Ice Queen whose heart is ruled by love and fear? |
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The Devil Wears Tartan by Katia Rose Some couples are a match made in heaven. Moira and Kenzie are convinced the only place theyâre a match is in hell. Raised as the shining prodigies of warring highland dance schools, the two grew up with blaring bagpipes as the backing track for a feud that took them all the way to the world championships. Moira could never keep Kenzieâs icy glares from getting under her skin, and Kenzie could never hold back an eye-roll as she watched the crowds fawn over her rivalâs happy-go-lucky charm. Starting college has forced both women to hang up their kilts, but when their local highland dance association announces a scholarship for a life-changing amount of money, they find themselves back onstage for one last season. The stakes are higher than ever, but between shooting daggers at each otherâs backs and insults at each otherâs faces, their eyes start lingering, their hearts start pounding, and the sparks begin to build into a fire neither of them can control. Hell could freeze before either woman would admit their attraction, but that wonât stop them from using it to play dirtyâand getting caught in the crossfire of their feelings along the way. After all, sometimes the devil wears tartan. The Devil Wears Tartan is a New Adult, F/F dramedy from Katia Rose featuring more bagpipes than anyone asked for and two fiercely competitive heroines caught in a sizzling shift from enemies to lovers |