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A Million Little Souls by Chase Connor In the last two weeks of the school year, four teenagers check out books from the Long-Moore High School Library. Mrs. Clark, the high school librarian, says she has never seen the books before. They must have been shelved incorrectly because all of the books are from the city public library. Entrusting the teens to return the books to their rightful home once they are done, she lets them check out the books. Inside of each, the teens learn, is an invitation to attend a special eventâone that only happens every 25 years. You have been selected. Your presence is requested at 7 pm on the 5th. Tell no one. Come alone. Otherwise, your invitation will be invalidated. Cordially, The Librarian. Though all of them think better of it, one by one, they all arrive at the City Public Library alone, ready to attend this mysterious event the messages in the books conveyed. As the night unfolds, they find themselves locked inside the dark building all alone, with nothing to do but wait for dawn. But are they alone? Or is there something more than books inside the libraryâŚ? Get to know each other⌠Take a stroll through time⌠Reach a higher plane⌠Go by the numbers⌠Respect the books. |
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HE BOKAI HAVE RETURNED Kamryn Coe and her friends are spread out across the east coast, struggling to stay alive and find answers. Her powers are growing, but at what cost? She begins to realize that her unique gifts may not be all that unique, after all. THE FINAL BATTLE APPROACHES Spider stalks the dreams of the survivors, a talent stolen from another. The orange sneakered goblin believes that she will be rewarded, provided she can complete one more task. THIS IS HOW IT ENDS And Quinn Flowers, after a beyond the grave visit from Lucy, realizes that he may have a more important role to play in the salvation of all things. Heath, Dani, Gabe, Wyatt, Jordan, Olin, Trip, they've all come so far, but sacrifices must be made. NO ONE IS SAFE FROM THE GLOWING |
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APPRENTICE - a story from the Road to Xibalba by Joaquin Gil The story of Fiona Robles, an aspiring student Gatekeeper in Gateway's Bio-Design program and her adventures in the Gold Coast of California, her first love, her travels, what she did wrong, and how Xibalba affected her life, and what she did right, and the friends she found on the way. Hand drawings over computer graphics. |
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Of Courage and Chaos (Book 3 - Worlds Afire) by Scott Kelemen Book 3 of the "Worlds Afire" Series Having survived the final trials of the Academy, Johanna and her friends begin their careers amidst the stars as Midshipmen in the Alliance Navy fleet. As they take their first steps, hidden forces continue their work to de-stabilize the very Alliance so many have fought to protect. Their plans will empower a madman, whose murderous attempt to usurp power will incite war for the first time in centuries. The Alliance Navy is summoned to stop him, and those ships will carry Johanna and the others right into the heart of the storm. |
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Thicker Than Blood (The Journey Missions Book 3) by Holly Ash Lieutenant Commander Crystal Wolf's hatred of politics has never been a secret through her spotless military career. So why is she being sent to Earth to speak at a military hearing on behalf of The Lands and Waters of Neophia Organization? When Crystal's team is tasked with convincing the US military to continue the officer exchange program that first brought Lieutenant Desiree Flint and Ensign Justin Anderson to Neophia to serve on Journeyâs first tour, the stakes are already high: if they fail their mission, Flint and Anderson wonât be able to return for the second tour. And to make matters worse, they arrive on Earth to find relations between the two planets are far worse than anyone let on. Things escalate when a terrorist group attacks a string of hospitals, demanding the US government acknowledge Neophiaâs superiority. Divided from their team in the wake of a retaliatory order that detains anyone with Neophian blood, Flint and Anderson, the only two pure humans, must find a way to complete their mission--and get the rest of their team home in one piece. |
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Models and Citizens by Andrew Sweet In the year 2185, models (or clones) do the jobs that others wonât. Failure to work is punishable by death. Ordell Bentley flees from the violence of the Human Pride Movement and discovers the death of his lover. Ordell chooses to escape rather than return to his life of forced-labor. Harper, his loverâs daughter, hides him from bounty hunters in her family home. Haunted by an unseen stalker, Ordell relies on Harper to help plan his refuge trip to Canada. The reward for Ordellâs capture steadily ticks upward⌠Can Ordell make it to freedom? Will his unlikely friendship with Harper prove to be his undoing? |
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Entanglement: A Dystopian Sci-Fi Thriller by Alina Leonova Cay thinks he may be going insane. His partner isnât herself. He can only surmise that sheâs been replaced, which is impossible. And yet⌠In a desperate attempt to discover the truth, Cay gives up his identity and flees home. Cutting out the implant that connects him to society is an unforgivable crime, but it may be the only way to find the people who can help him. His path leads him to the underworld where he meets Vietra. She wants to run from her past but canât leave it behind. Together, they get a chance to discover why the world has set out to destroy them. Will the answers they find save them, or bring their downfall? Readers call Entanglement mind-bending, exciting, and unpredictable. This cyber-punk thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page. |
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A Tale of Stars and Shadow (A Tale of Stars and Shadow #1) by Lisa Cassidy Dumnorix princess and born warrior, Talyn Dynan was the finest fighter of her generation. With her Callanan partner at her side, she was invincible, reckless, a death-knell to their enemies. But after her partner is torn away from her, Talyn is left broken, wracked with guilt and unable to regain the confidence she once had. Could an unexpected mission to the mysterious country of Mithranar, home of the magical winged folk, be the thing that saves her? Or will the danger and secrets she finds there finally break her completely? The Shadowhawk lives a life in the shadows. Constantly hunted for his criminal exploits, yet desperate to help the human folk of Mithranar who are oppressed by their winged folk rulers, he haunts the streets of Dock City. The arrival of a foreign warrior threatens to upset the carefully balanced life he leads, but when she begins to offer a hope for the humans he's only ever dreamed of, can he risk trusting her? And unbeknownst to both, a mysterious foe stalks the dark corners of Dock City. One that answers to a single purpose... Vengeance. |
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Sowing (The Purification Era #1) by Angie Grigaliunas They can take your house, your daughter, whatever they want. For Ariliah, life under the militarized Hulcondans is one of order and safety. Despite the soldiersâ ruthless policies, she trusts their judgment. They alone provide protection from the enemies lurking beyond the city wall. For her older sister, Rabreah, every glance from a Hulcondan is a threat. Though even a whisper against them is treason worthy of death, Rabreah is determined to end their tyranny. Joining an underground resistance is her only hope â until she realizes she doesnât know the people sheâs aligned herself with at all. Unsure who to trust but unable to back out, she must work alongside the attractive yet infuriating rebel leader who reminds her far too much of the soldiers she hates. But with subversive posters appearing throughout the city and people dying on the blade of an unknown assailant, the sistersâ world begins to crumble. And as the line between friend and enemy blurs, both girls must face the truth: everything is about to change. Sowing is a gritty, slow burn spy thriller set in a dystopian world on the brink of war. Perfect for fans of the characterization and political tension in Leigh Bardugoâs Six of Crows, Sabaa Tahirâs An Ember in the Ashes series, and Pierce Brownâs Red Rising saga. **This series is meant to be read in order.** |
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Pilgrimage to Skara by Jonathan Pembroke Finalist in the 2017 Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off contest! It has been nearly two decades since Pell Wendt abandoned the power and prestige of Collum. Ruled by the semi-divine Ajudicar, the city had been his home all his life, but no longer. Spurned by the woman he loved, the former pathfinder, adventurer and criminal walked away from his life of escorting promising youngsters to the shrines of power, and retreated to his farm in the Sogras, to live a life of bitter and brooding rejection. Now, House Kettiburg has reached out with a an offer he can't refuse: a pilgrimage to Skara, a mythical and dangerous shrine far out in the barbarous Outlands, for the supplicant Keilie - the daughter of the very woman who rejected him. Trapped by the love his heart cannot deny, Wendt agrees to the pilgrimage and finds himself embroiled in intrigue and betrayal, with far-reaching implications for himself, Keilie, and the tattered remains of the human race. |
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The Wall: A Post-Brexit Dystopian Fantasy by Margaret Mason The only road to escape ends at The Wall. In a desolate post-Brexit England, nothing is as it seems. There is no chance, for those who remain in England encased behind The Wall, to live a long and healthy life in the smog drenched, almost abandoned cities. None. Apart from one. Walking North, alone, through a desolate and deserted landscape, on old, cracked roads, long since abandoned, Harra has only two items to guide her. A sheet of paper with a list of instructions to direct her steps to The Wall and an ancient Casio watch to ensure her timely arrival. Yet neither of those can guarantee success, not when the ever-vigilant Border Drones must be avoided to chance the final crossing. And with every step she takes, the Establishment lies begins to unravel, revealing to Harra just how far the Government has gone to ensure its âtruthsâ are not only never questioned, but that they also come to pass. Harra has a future to gain, and a past to unravel. The Wall both beckons and repels, but there is no other means of escape. |
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The Void Revealed (Origo Essentia #1) by Stephen J. Ethier The first book of the Origo Essentia Series, a Sci-Fi Fantasy adventure with a female protagonist. Sitting atop the Spire, Windhold is governed by the theocratical Brotherhood and the secular leadership of the Sentinel. Below them lies the Void, a barren land filled with the Red Death that arrived with the blistering winds of the Fury. The corruption in Windhold has left everyone at the mercy of a madman. The only hope is Elise, groomed to be the Aspirant and replace the Sentinel for a peaceful new world. But when she ventures into the Void, she discovers that Windhold may not be everything it seems. |
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The Usurper (Brutal Saga #0.5) by James Alderdice When a tyrant wears the crown, a hero must become an Usurper... The Fates weave a tapestry of life and death for young Gathelaus the Sellsword. Now an unexpected opportunity presents itself for the famed mercenary, he has but to claim the blood red crown⌠But once you wear the crown, how long can you hold it until that power is turned against you? Follow Gathelaus on a journey through a life of magic, action and intrigue; battling gods and monsters across a mystic realm ⌠The Usurper is an action-packed heroic adventure in the vein of classic pulp fiction and heroic fantasy. If you like Conan the Barbarian, The Witcher and Logen Ninefingers along with vengeful sorcery, savage duels, larger-than-life characters, and witty humor, then youâll love James Alderdiceâs barbaric tale. |
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Telluria (Telluria, #1) by Jodi Trask The earth was on the brink of a futuristic utopia when a new and deadly disease threatened to wipe out humanity. Telluria slowly dissolved its victims into one of the four primordial elements of water, fire, earth or wind. Terra was a child when her parents caught Telluria. The corporation New Atlantis developed a cure and distributed it for free just in time, saving her parents and the world from extinction. The world was just beginning to rebuild when Terra caught Telluria herself. She planned to simply go get the cure, but when her best friend Grey is killed by New Atlantis officials for trying to warn her against it, Terra is on the run for her life and the truth. |
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Stray Magic (Faerene Apocalypse #1) by Jenny Schwartz When magic crashes through the Rift, Earth devolves into an apocalyptic nightmare. Survival becomes the only game in town, and college girl, Amy Carlton, learns sheâs a more ruthless player than she ever imagined. Magistrate Istvan signed up for the Faerene Migration knowing that the price of Earthâs future would be paid for in hellfire and blood. But the black griffin hadnât anticipated humans accessing magic. Now, a new and impossible bond must be forged between a Faerene invader and a human familiar. But first Istvan and Amy must survive to form the bond. *Note: âFaereneâ refers to the many peoples of another world: the griffins, dragons, unicorns, werewolves, elves and ogres who've crossed to Earth. No prepper or survivalist could have been prepared for their arrival. |
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Star Compass (Victoria Eternal #1) by Anthea Sharp Charles Dickens meets Firefly in this tale of an orphan destined for the stars. Steampunk with a twist! Enter a fantastical world filled with alien spacecraft and Victorian sensibilities, ball gowns and travel to the stars - where a pickpocket with a particular gift yearns for the stars⌠(Note: This novel was part of the Dominion Rising collection) |
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Squire Derel (Knight Protector #1) by Rachel Ford In the fires of war and death, she'll make her own destiny. Ana Derel was never meant to be a knight protector. She was never meant to be a squire. She was supposed to marry well, and raise sons who would become knight protectors. Ana had other plans. After years of hard work, Squire Ana Derel has earned the respect of her peers. She's a crack shot, and lethal with a blade. She's weeks away from earning her own knighthood. Then a deadly ambush leaves her charred, defeated and wanting justice. With the South readying for war, and the North demanding answers, Squire Derel finds herself alone in the epicenter of the coming storm. Alone, until she meets the enigmatic Knight of the Shire. Will their unlikely friendship be enough to prevent a war? Or will war consume them too? |
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The Nothing Within by Andy Giesler Root is... different. Though raised in a fearful society that reveres tradition and conformity, sheâs irreverent, outspoken, and deeply curious. Her blindness sets her even further apart. Centuries after the Reckoning, a global biotech plague, savage chimeras still threaten human survival. After Root hears a voice that no one else can hear, she flees into the wilderness. Outcast and hunted, she must confront a dire threat to her people--and unravel the mystery of who she really is. |
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Meadowcity (Arcera #1) by Liz Delton The first war in a thousand years has only just begun... Sylvia Thorne is one of the few people brave enough to travel through the empty lands of what remains of once great civilizations. She is a Rider: delivering messages betwen the Four Cities and setting up trade are her business, one that thrives only because she knows how to defend herself in the empty spaces called the wilds. Everything changes when Sylvia returns home to Meadowcity, carrying a message from the Governor of Skycity. She quickly finds out that what sheâs been carrying isnât some trifling correspondenceâbut a declaration of war from Governor Sorin Greyling. And the message isn't their only cause for concern... Join Sylvia as she embarks on a journey that will decide the fate of Meadow Cityâand all of those who live in the Four Cities of Arcera. And relive the past to discover what drove Sorin down his path of destruction... |
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Lazarus Code (First Family Saga #1) by Sharon Van Orman "I am Ryder of the Pentimalli, a member of the first families and Captain of the deep space exploration vessel, Serendipity." In the centuries since our forefathers tamed an uncivilized land and revolted against a King we had grown complacent. When our government waged cyber war on us the spirit of those long dead patriots was ignited, sparking a second revolutionary war. It was then that the First Families were born. Genetically enhanced humans who carried within our blood stream nano-bots that repair and regenerate. We were meant to be the record keepers. The vanguard of our species as we spread across time and space. I have returned home after a decades long mission to find Earth devastated by the Weeping Death. A disease that has made it possible for the dead to rise. With the help of my brothers and my crew we will find who is responsible. They expected us to be complacent. They were wrong. |
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The Five Trials (Tsun-Tsun TzimTzum #1) by Mike Truk My name's Noah Kilmartin. I'm from Ruddock, Ohio, and I'm absolutely, 100% unqualified to save the universe from the slavering demonic hordes of the super evil bitch queen Lilith. Too bad nobody asked my opinion. All I've got to do is pass five lethal trials that'll prove I'm the universe's last chance at salvation. To do so I'll have to lean hard on those three years of Okinawan jiu-jutsu classes I took in highschool, learn to wield my new magic sword, and oh yeah - select five women to flesh out my team, bonding with each one for arcane purposes and desperately trying to stay alive in the process. Piece of cake. Right? Warning and minor spoilers: "The Five Trials" is an 18+ book intended for mature readers. It contains graphic sex, medieval violence, and nudity. People curse, piss their pants, hack off heads, get a little dizzy, tortured, seduce each other, try to seduce each other, and scared witless by horrors from the darkest dimensions. Most importantly, you'll meet gorgeous, powerful women, some capable for hurling lightning, others of swinging battle-axes, and one that's Noah's unrequited crush from highschool. All of them are willing to enter unconventional, polyamorous, harem relationships if it means saving the universe, and luckily for Noah, this time it actually does. Read at your own risk. |
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First Steps (Meandering Paths #1) by Luke Daher Not all roads lead to desired destinations... A swordsman struggles beneath the burdens of lost friends, survival in the lawless Wilds and a fate he wishes to outrun. An artist stands on the fringes of her society, derided by her peers while striving to impress the Divine her people worship. An uncaring world shifts around them, leading their feet onto greater paths unknowingly. |
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Few Are Chosen (K'Barthan #1) by M.T. McGuire Charming outlaw with own transport and limited social skills seeks lucrative, employment at minimal risk. When you're running from a murderous government and work for an equally murderous gangster, accidentally torching his apartment is a bad move. The Pan of Hamgee just wants a quiet life but destiny has other plans. |
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Emissary (Emissary Quintet #1) by E.B. Brooks Ewan OâMeara dreams of becoming the greatest adventurer Veridor has ever known. Problem is, there havenât been any epic quests since the ancient war of independence. His parents keep badgering him to take a respectable profession, and the overbearing Church soaks him for penance gold every time he dies. When he encounters a young woman fleeing arrest, he canât resist helping her. At first glance, Treanna Rothchild needs it: sheâs clueless about Veridian life. But she has other skills that defy Ewanâs understanding, and she knows things. Unsettling, seditious things the Church wants kept secret at any cost. And sheâs here to raise an army. Risking both life and soul, Ewan follows Treanna where no Veridian has been, but he must come to terms with the harsh world she reveals as he discovers how much they have in commonâand how much they depend on each other to survive. |
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The Edge of Nothing (The Lex Chronicles #1) by Crystal Crawford An evil force terrorizes Arameth, but those out to stop it have a serious problem: their prophesied hero is dead. Centuries ago, a malevolent magicborn overtook Arameth, fracturing their world and unleashing a devastating war between magicborn and their non-magic neighbors. To protect their magical heritage, the Ancients of Arameth sealed themselves off in The Core, wiping all memory of magic from the ordinary people. The remaining magicborns retreated into hiding, unable to use their abilities for fear of inciting the wrath of the Ancientsâ dark regimeâor the terror of their own neighbors. Two hundred years later, the damage wreaked by the Fracture threatens to unravel their world. A dark energy from The Core is slowly corrupting once-beautiful Arameth, and the Worldforce, the source of all Aramethâs magic, is destabilizing. The heroes sworn to restore the balance fail catastrophically in their final battle, and tensions peak between the peoples of Arameth. Fluctuations in the unstable Worldforce bring frequent disasters. But not all of Aramethâs problems come from The Core... Lex is a seventeen-year-old with no memories before this morning, and no clue why a group of villagers want him dead. Realizing they have mistaken him for a destructive magicborn who slaughtered innocents in their village, Lex flees for his lifeâonly to discover heâs more tangled in the conflicts of the past than he ever imagined. And the mysterious girl he stumbles upon during his escape creates a whole new set of problems... An epic fantasy / portal fantasy / soft sci-fi mashup, this book is teeming with quirky characters, fantastical creatures, surprises and suspense. With subtle clean/sweet romance, high-stakes adventure, and a strong focus on friendship and second chances, this all-the-feels fantasy debut will keep you flipping the pages. |
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Duckett & Dyer: Dicks For Hire by G.M. Nair Michael Duckett is fed up with his life. His job is a drag, and his roommate and best friend of fifteen years, Stephanie Dyer, is only making him more anxious with her lazy irresponsibility. Things continue to escalate when they face the threat of imminent eviction from their palatial 5th floor walk-up and find that someone has been plastering ads all over the city for their Detective Agency. The only problem is: He and Stephanie donât have one of those. Despite their baffling levels of incompetence, Stephanie eagerly pursues this crazy scheme and drags Michael, kicking and screaming, into the fray only to find that they are way out of their depth. They stumble upon a web of missing people that are curiously linked to a sexually audacious theoretical physicist and his experiments with the fabric of space-time. And unless Michael and Stephanie can put their personal issues aside and fix the multi-verse, the concept of existence itself may, ironically, no longer exist. |
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The One-Hundred Percent Solution by G.M. Nair The Future Group is the cityâs biggest and most lucrative company even though no one really knows what it is they do. Michael Duckett has worked there for four years and he still has no clue. All he knows is that he hates his meaningless job and all the people in it. But it pays the bills. Bills that have been stacking up since his roommate and best friend Stephanie Dyer decided to open a detective agency â despite her chronic inability to commit to anything. When Michael is suddenly fired, he and Stephanie are forced to return to the world of private investigation against his better judgment. A mysterious woman wants to enlist the services of Duckett & Dyer: Dicks For Hire to track down an assassin who has a bone to pick with Michaelâs former employer. Apparently, The Future Group has been harboring a deadly secret for decades. One that could put the world in the grip of an indescribable horror. It turns out Michael was lucky to get out of that job alive. Too bad he and Stephanie are being dragged back to work. |
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Across the Broken Stars by Jed Herne LEON HAS A SECRET. He was once an angel â a winged warrior sworn to protect Paya, a realm where people live on discs that float in space. He failed. Now, Leonâs a broken man, trying to forget the past. He thinks heâs the last angel. But then a young fugitive stumbles onto Leonâs doorstep. Sheâs an angel, too. And she has a riddle leading to a place where angels still live. Or so the stories claim ... Desperate for redemption, Leon begins a perilous quest through myth and folklore. But will Leon and the fugitive find their legendary destination? Or will Leon lose his last chance for salvation? Brutal and gripping, this is a story about a flawed manâs search for forgiveness, set against the backdrop of an incredible world. |
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My Friend, The Gifted: A Sci-Fantasy (The Universe of Infinite Wonder Book 1) by E.L. Aldryc What would you sacrifice to become extraordinary? ⨠⨠Elodie Marchand struggles to stand out at the Sight Institute. With so many brilliant minds pushing the limits of AI, alchemy, and nanotechnology, it feels impossible to compete. A stark contrast to her best friend, and the Instituteâs unrivalled favourite - Soraya Gourrami. ⨠Sorayaâs firm encouragement curbs Elodieâs impatience, and in turn, she helps keep Sorayaâs temper in check. A perfect symbiosis. ⨠But all that is about to change with one simple meeting. ⨠When the Instituteâs psychic organisation mandates a thorough search for new gifted blood, Elodie jumps at the opportunity to finally reach for greatness. ⨠Even if she may not survive the test, or the process that follows. ⨠Elodie will need all the help she can get to keep her life and sanity through the test that will establish her suitability for a life of duty and prestige. But Sorayaâs friendship suddenly comes with a single new rule. ⨠Elodie can never look into her past or future. ⨠But accidents happen. And some secrets are too big and dangerous to keep. ⨠Itâs time to choose. Friendship or a chance to claim her true self at any cost? |
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IRONSHIELD (The Ironshield Saga, #1) by Edward Nile A Pile of Scrap, Held Together by an Ideal. It's been almost thirty years since the budding nation of Arkenia used Kaizer Warsuits, gas-powered mechanical giants, to wrestle independence from a tyrannical empire. Now, Arkenia is pressured into disarmament by that same power, strong-armed into a deal that will strip them of the very weapons that won their sovereignty. The Southern provinces agree to the terms. The Northern Industrialists do not. Led by commander James Edstein, heir to the legacy of the mighty Ironshield Warsuit, the North defies the Southern Appeasers. Intent on keeping their Warsuits, and their nationâs hard-fought independence, from Imperial rule. Senator Samuel Mutton, veteran of the Revolution and a key leader in the South, wants nothing but peace for his nation. No matter how high the cost. As the Civil War ramps up, both men are forced to question their morals, forced to decide what matters most. Victory, or Honor. |
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Illegal Adult by Aditya Balaji A lawyer-turned-vigilante conducts a fatal experiment to discover the perfect set of laws. It's the year 2035, and Tillamet is now a bustling smart city. With its city-wide blockchain and rich internet-of-things ecosystem, it serves as a glowing reminder to the world that investment in the right technologies can empower every fathomable industry. What is not apparent to the outside world, is that these same technologies are being used to give each Tillamet citizen the license to create his/her own laws and live by them without legal consequence. Are all human beings similar on some level? And will different peoples' preferences for the law eventually converge to create the best possible laws for society? Tarun Ladda, the mastermind behind the city's functioning, seems to think so. At least, that would explain why he sacrificed his career and his morals, got the blood of an entire community on his hands, and imprisoned thousands of men and women within the boundaries of Tillamet. But it's only a matter of time before the web of deceit around which this city was built will begin to unravel. Plus, there's the added issue of an abused teen killer in Tillamet who's acquired the power to escape the city, raring to hunt down the very people who put her in there... |
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What Branches Grow by T.S. Beier A boldly imagined, exhilarating quest through post-apocalyptic America, where human nature is torn between the violent desperation to survive and the desire to forge connection. Thirty-five years ago, the world was ravaged by war. Delia, driven from her home in Savannah by loss, travels North in search of a future. Gennero is tortured by his violent past and devotion to his hometown. Ordered to apprehend Delia, he follows her into the post-apocalyptic landscape. The wasteland is rife with dangers for those seeking to traverse it: homicidal raiders, dictatorial leaders, mutated humans, and increasingly violent and hungry wildlife. What Branches Grow is an unflinching depiction of life after civilization, where, above all else, trust is the hardest thing to achieve and to give. The survivors have an audacious dream of a better life, but their quest may end up being a fruitless endeavour in a world openly hostile to hope. |
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The Shoggoth Who Loved Me by K. X. Douglas What does it mean to love? Peter Nelson is a shoggoth, a shapeshifting creature bio-engineered by humanityâs ancestors as a beast of burden. But humanityâs ancestors are long gone, and Peter has since began living as a human in Canada with his adoptive parents. Now convincingly eighteen years of age, he is set to begin attending Summerfield Academy, a local community college. He moves into the dormitory and starts making new friends. But why does he keep falling into suggestive situations with his coeds? Meanwhile, people in the area are vanishing or turning up dead under mysterious circumstances, and Peter finds himself compelled to investigate. But can he keep his new friends safe while protecting humanity as a whole from the myriad horrors of the cosmos? |
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The Engineer by Darran M Handshaw Indie Recs Indie SFFOasis SPSFC 2022 "We are born in the shadow of fading memories and fallen dreams, living our days within the decaying bones of an age long gone." When the Engineer, Actaeon, arrives at Pyramid in the heart of Redemption, nothing goes according to plan. Mysterious raiders pursue him relentlessly across the shattered remains of the ancient metropolis, and the leaders of his homeland pay no heed to his ambitious ideas. Meanwhile, deep beneath Pyramid, a deadly creature stirs. And, when Actaeon meets a skilled young Knight Arbiter with brilliant blue eyes, he starts down a path he could never have imagined. The vast, fallen city of the Ancients is home to a new people who face the constant struggle to find resources needed to survive in the dangerous ruins. For the Engineer, however, Redemption is a treasure trove of technology, opportunity, and answers. But his unique skills make him a target for those who would use his talents to achieve their own dreams of power and control. In his endless quest for the truth, will Actaeon discover the fallen cityâs greatest secrets? Or will he share the same fate as the Ancients of whom nothing remains but a whisper? One thing is certain: in Redemption, everything comes with a cost. |
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Grace's nine-year-old son, Jordan, is dying. . . . First, the Metagenesis disease will tear his soul from his body, and then it will kill him. Desperate for a cure, Grace agrees to take part in an illegal clinical trial cloning souls. Supported by her best friend Kay, the two embark on the ultimate "Vegas Vacation" to the past in search of the right soul to clone, racing against time to save Jordan's life. But someone is trying to stop them and when they discover why, Grace must make a choice: let her son die or kill her husband. If she kills her husband, she triggers widespread Metagenesis, sealing the fate of the human race with a new plague. Humanity is counting on Grace choosing to let her son die. Book trailer: https://youtu.be/nZwRXDKHZ-4 Praise for Hamartia: âRich spins an ambitious and imaginative concept into a plot thatâs full of fantastically complicated twists. . . . Throughout, the narrative raises and resolves questions at a brisk pace, making for a compelling page-turner.â â Kirkus Reviews "The love story is a complex, thought provoking relationship with a seductive touch of heat. Ms. Rich delivers a mind-bending futuristic thriller with seductive skill and a unique perspective to the dilemmas of time-travel!" â InD'tale Magazine |
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Always Greener by J.R.H. Lawless A smash-hit reality show is offering a lifetime of luxury to the one person living the worldâs worst life, and now everyone is out to prove just how bad theyâve got it. |
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The Necromancer's Prison by Alec Whitesell and Craig Bonacorsi She wanted to find her place in the universe. She never imagined it might not be on Earth. When Emily Murphy over slept the morning of her college entrance exam, she thought missing her test was the worst thing that could happen. She never expected she would wind up lost halfway across the galaxy, battling aliens with laser guns and mages hurling lightning. Like most seventeen year olds, Emilyâs main concern had been navigating the perils of high school, not surviving shootouts and sorcery. That changed when her school was attacked and a student was kidnapped. While everyone else smartly fled from danger, she recklessly ran toward it mounting an impossible rescue that would lead her on a journey unlike anything she could have imagined. Dropped into a strange world teeming with merciless criminals and ruthless aristocrats, surrounded by violence and betrayal, Emily must untangle a web of intrigue and deceit to solve the mystery behind the abduction, save her classmate, and discover the destiny which awaits her. It is either that, or die trying⌠|
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Consequences: A Wilders Finale by Cass Kim The exciting conclusion to the captivating Wilders Series. The virus is morphing and moving fast. Wilders aren't following the three rules anymore. Nobody is safe. Running low on supplies while waiting for a response from their plea for help, the camp in the Adirondak forest can't wait any longer. Emerson is selected to lead a supply run on what should be a short trip into town. With the world sliding dangerously close to a full apocalypse, his team will have to make hazardous decisions. Back in the camp, help arrives. But the form it takes is unexpected. Renna doesn't know who to trust. Or how she'll survive. Bold choices always have consequences. Now it's time to face them. |
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Michael McGillicuddy and the Most Amazing Race by Trevor A. Dutcher Puzzling Intrigue. Epic Adventure. Cut-throat competition. When a quiet introvert and gifted tinkerer, Michael McGillicuddy, is invited to participate in the annual race organized by a secret society called the Order of the Blue Cloak, he forces himself to take a chance. Participation in this yearâs race represents a dual opportunity: To honor his fatherâs legacy, and to win a prize sufficient to pay taxes on his motherâs land to avoid foreclosure. The action-packed adventure that follows features a vibrant cast of characters, and includes some of the brightest minds and most unscrupulous characters 1895 Europe has to offer, including a Luxembourgish railroad baron, a middle-eastern mystic, a lone-wolf bounty hunter, a British female spy and a Dutch female alchemist. A devious circus ringmaster, and his equally devious crew, including a strong-man with a mechanical arm and a ruthless female enforcer with a chip on her shoulder and a penchant for poison, provide the main antagonistic forces.Follow the racers over land, sea and air, from Londonâs outskirts all the way to Paris, as they risk life and limb to embark on a scavenger hunt-style race with few, but important, rules. The winner of this yearâs race will be the first to solve all the milestone puzzles and arrive at the finish with a complete and matching set of milestone tokens. Along the way, Michael will encounter intellectual challenges, fantastical creatures, games youâve never heard of, physical peril, sabotage, betrayal, love, heartbreak, and even a touch of magic, all while discovering himself and a newfound taste for adventure. But as a novice among experts, and with the odds so strongly stacked against him, how will Michael survive, let alone compete? |
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The Recoil Trilogy by Joanne Macgregor FROM RECOIL (BOOK 1): When a skilled gamer gets recruited as a sniper in the war against a terrorist-spread plague, she discovers thereâs more than one enemy and more than one war. The Game is real. Three years after a series of terrorist attacks flooded the US with a lethal plague, society has changed radically. Sixteen year-old Jinxy James spends her days trapped at home â immersed in virtual reality, worrying about the plague and longing for freedom. Then she wins a war simulation game and is recruited into a top-secret organisation where talented teenagers are trained to become agents in the war on terror. Eager to escape her motherâs over-protectiveness and to serve her country, Jinxy enlists and is trained to become an expert sniper. Sheâs immediately drawn to Quinn OâRiley, a charming and subversive intelligence analyst who knows more about the new order of government and society than he is telling. Then a shocking revelation forces Jinxy to make an impossible decision, and she risks losing everything. THE RECOIL TRILOGY is a fast-paced, exciting, original Young Adult dystopian romance series, which makes great reading for lovers of Rick Yancey (The Fifth Wave), Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games), and Veronica Roth (Divergent). |
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Courage (The Legacy Chronicles #1) by Lauren H. Salisbury Can one woman evade an alien empire to save her son's life? Gilla and Elias have the perfect lifeâor as perfect as life can be for slaves living deep in the Esarelian Empire. Elias wants freedom for his precious wife and daughter, and the rest of their people, and he is willing to fight to get it. Pregnant with her second child, Gilla only wants a happy, healthy family who share a strong faith in the God of Old Earth and to get through her workload each day. When the Esarelians decide to teach their rebellious slaves a lesson they will never forget, Gillaâs entire life is turned upside down. She must trust that God has a plan to protect her new-born son, and have the courage to follow it, choosing the strangest of allies in an effort to ensure his survival. |
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The Frost Eater by Carol Beth Anderson Sink your teeth into The Frost Eater, a new novel reviewers call âa great readâ that âsizzles along to an unexpected endâ with âheavy-hitting action,â âmagic and dragons,â and âa touch of romance.â ***** A lonely princess. A flying teen. A kidnapped girl who only remembers what happens at night. Seventeen-year-old Princess Nora is a frost eater who creates magical ice. Her royal life is luxurious but stifling. Krey West has a rare magical talent: when he eats feathers, he can fly. His one goal is to find his missing girlfriend, Zeisha. He thinks someone in power abducted her. Kreyâs daring feats of magic earn him an invitation to the palace. Craving adventure and friendship, Nora offers to help him find Zeisha. Heâs desperate enough to acceptâthough he hates the monarchy. The truth is more terrible than they could imagine. Every night, Zeisha wakes in a dark room full of sleeping people, unable to remember what she did in the light. Her dreams provide violent glimpses into her forgotten days. If Krey and Nora canât save her, Zeisha may lose herself forever. The post-apocalyptic fantasy world of The Frost Eater will keep you compulsively turning the pages. Devour it today. ***** Quotes are from Goodreads reviewers Mike, Clarissa Gosling, and K. Law, and Booksprout reviewer Beth H. |
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Reactive (The Elite Trials #1) by Becky Moynihan AN INESCAPABLE CITY. THREE DEADLY TRIALS. ONE WAY OUT. Lune Tatum, adopted daughter of the Supreme Elite, has lived within her fatherâs walled city for eleven years. â¨â¨But she wants out. â¨â¨ Except she canât leave, and not because of the clans and mutated beasts that roam beyond the impenetrable, electrified walls protecting her life. Her plan has always been to win the Elite Trials and earn Title of Choiceâher only chance at freedom. And the only way to return home to her mother. â¨Then a boy from her past arrives on her eighteenth birthday. His presence threatens Lune's carefully laid plans and exposes memories she's desperate to forget. He canât be trusted. Especially as he possesses dangerous secrets. And what he reveals could ruin the chance at freedom sheâs willing to die for. Perfect for fans of the Hunger Games, Divergent, and Shatter Me series, THE ELITE TRIALS trilogy is the gripping story of Lune Tatum as she fights for freedom in a futuristic dystopian world plagued by danger, secrets, and betrayal. An emotional, action-packed journey of resilience, second chances, and fierce love. |
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Hil Mills is missing. Worse, her boyfriend Ronnie can't find out anything about her because she's been living off-the-grid since childhood, and doesn't even have an online profile. In a world loaded with Screens, where robots do almost every job, Ronnie and a team of misfits try to solve the mystery of Hil's disappearance. Through warehouse raves, transcendentalism-obsessed communes, and bougie corporate parties, Ronnie digs for answers. Meanwhile, Hil's busy saving herself from her past, and a future she never wanted. Is it a conspiracy, a terror plot, or just a bad break-up? Spoiler alert: it's all that and more. |
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Witches' Gambit: Book One of the Seven Worlds by Charles Freedom Long FINALIST- BEST SF/F BOOK OF 2018âNext Generation Indie Book Awards. Aidan Ray, successful attorneyâand psychicâsecretly communes with the dead in a fascist fundamentalist society that would call her âWitchâ and wipe her mind. Earth is split into separate warring theocracies who want to dominate the planet. They are on the verge of expanding their conflict into outer space. Michael good, an executive who likes to live dangerously, leads a secret insurgency in Aidanâs home state. Fate places them together. And together, they must face a crisis that could destroy the earth. A mediating alien, concerned about the future of their shared universe, has come to earth. His galaxy is on the verge of making a preemptive strike against earth, to prevent the spread of a species that resolves its problems by murdering each otherâa diseased specimen that may have to be exterminated before it infects other worlds. He ponders if earth is worth saving? And asks Aidan and Michael to plead humanityâs case to the council of the seven worlds, before the earth is destroyed. But to do that, they must brave the hazardous passage to another galaxy from which they may never return. Or have anything to return to. |