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Inheritance by Joyce Reynolds-Ward YOU CANâT ESCAPE THE INHERITANCE OF THE PASTâŠOR CAN YOU? Rancher Ruby Barkley and her ex-husband Gabe Ramirez are competing head-to-head for the AgInnovator game showâs new one-shot award, the Ag Superhero. The winner walks away with $3.75 million per year for five years, with no accountability or need to re-earn the Superhero, unlike the Innovatorâs other awards. But issues beyond those raised by their long-ago acrimonious divorce face Ruby and Gabe. Fence cutting. Rogue biobots destructively ranging beyond programmed parameters. Physical attacks. And the realization that they may need to reunite to save their son Brandon from indentured servitude. Then the secret shadow of Gabeâs hidden inheritance reveals itself. Will he step up to the Martiniere Legacyâand what role will Ruby accept in any future they may share? |
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Life in the Shadows by Joyce Reynolds-Ward IN A TECH-DRIVEN BIOREMEDIATION FUTURE, HARD CHOICES MUST BE MADE. Powerful mother. Powerful daughter. Sarah Stephens and her daughter Diana Landreth run bioremediation companies dependent upon neural nets and nanotechnology to operate complex biobots. Sometimes competitors, sometimes collaborators, while they disagree, they are still mother and daughter. And then the Disruption Machine begins its campaign of devastation. In the process of their collaboration to stop the Disruption Machine, the shadows in their lives force their paths into a dangerous divergence. Sarah chooses politics and power. Diana chooses research and family. What happens when their choices collide? |
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A Different Life--What If? by Joyce Reynolds-Ward What if Gabriel Martiniere's family didn't die in a plane crash when he was twelve? What if he didn't have to go into hiding after testifying against the atrocities committed by his father, Philip Martiniere? What if he met and fell in love with Ruby Barkley as himself, not as Gabe Ramirez, a broke saddle bronc rider on the run from indenture bounty hunters? Gabe's a billionaire nerd with a conscience, unlucky at love, striving to overcome the shadows of his past while searching for agritech to fight climate change. Ruby's a former rodeo queen, trying to get her degree in agricultural robotics, searching for agritech means to fight climate change, also unlucky at love and struggling with a shadowy past. Can Ruby and Gabe successfully negotiate the complexities of the Martiniere Group and launch Ruby's world-changing biobots without interference from competitors? |
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Adrift in Starlight by Mindi Briar When set adrift in the universe, some things are worth holding onto. Titan Valentino has been offered a job they canât refuse. Tai, a gender-neutral courtesan, receives a scandalous proposition: seduce an actor's virgin fiancĂ©e. The money is enough to pay off Taiâs crushing medical debt, a tantalizing prospect. Too bad Aisha Malik isnât the easy target they expect. A standoffish historian who hates to be touched, sheâs laser-focused on her career, and completely unaware that her marriage has been arranged behind her back. This could be the one instance where Taiâs charm and charisma fail them. Then an accidental heist throws them together as partners in crime. Fleeing from the Authorities, theyâre dragged into one adventure after another: alien planets, pirate duels, and narrow escapes from the law. As Tai and Aisha open up to each other, deeper feelings kindle between them. But that reward money still hangs over Taiâs head. Telling Aisha the truth could ruin everything... Their freedom, their career, and their blossoming love all hang in the balance. To save one might mean sacrificing the rest. |
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Perception Check by Astrid Knight Her favorite tabletop roleplaying game is real, and her kidnapped childhood best friend is trapped in a far off land. Will she be able to save her? Let's roll initiative! Violet Spence wants nothing more than to have a normal life. After witnessing her childhood best friend get abducted by monsters, thatâs easier said than done. At twenty-three years old, Violet cannot seem to move past that fateful night ten years ago. Her only solace is Mages of Velmyra, a tabletop roleplaying game filled with goblins, fairies, and all-powerful magicians. But of course, thatâs all fantasy. Or, so she thought. As it turns out, the land of Velmyra is very real and the home of the monsters that took her best friend. With the help of her friends (and the creator of the game itself), Violet must navigate the once-fictional creatures and powerful mages of Velmyra to retrieve a set of ancient relicsâall in the hopes that the journey will lead her back to her friend. But for Violet, fighting monsters and magic workers doesnât seem nearly as terrifying as confronting her own demons. And sheâll soon realize fighting the battle within herself can be just as tough as those fought against demigods. Perception Check is the magical first installment of the Mages of Velmyra Saga, great for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, Critical Role, and The Magicians. With endearing and hilarious characters, an exploration of mental health and trauma, LGBTQ+ representation, gut-wrenching twists, and a whirlwind of an ending, you will never want to leave the world of Velmyra. |
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Braided Dimensions by Marie Judson Kay Halefin is drawn into a world beyond anything she conceived as a professor of ancient languages. She follows Baird, a medieval bard, into the past. Enigmatic, enchanting, he âkens her spirit.â But he has a partner in his time, Kyna - healer, weaver, magic worker, and Kayâs doppelganger. Living in Kynaâs mind, Kay gains knowledge of magic, time travel and mind melding. Yet her new skills will soon be tested by the most powerful mages of that time who would like to control Kyna and the Thirteen, her magical council. With a golden crystal and other tools, Kay begins to wield her own powers as she finds herself tangled in a web of connections with the past, as she tries to keep danger from those she loves in the 21st century. |
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For all intents and purposes, Gloria Harrison has the perfect life: a rich husband, a beautiful home, and all the free time she needs to work on her art. And yet, she is deeply unhappy. Initially resigned to be pushed around by her snobbish, manipulative husband, Greg, she discovers a shocking truth about him she simply cannot ignore, and has to get out. As Gloriaâs world unravels around her, she has to team up with friends new and old to escape not only her husbandâs clutches, but also the country, even if that means giving up everything. Gloria must rediscover who she used to be and realise her true worth to finally free herself from Gregâs stranglehold forever, or risk losing the person she holds most dear in the world â her daughter. |
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Embargo on Hope by Justin Doyle Even gods have secrets⊠On planet Vastire, worth is set by the sins of oneâs ancestors. Good families rise to the elite and the wicked fall into poverty. Unfortunately for sixteen-year-old Darynn Mark, his father incited a revolution. Now, Darynn scrounges his way through life in the slums. When Vastire is surrounded by an embargo, it gets even harder to survive. That all changes when an alien ship slips through the embargo, seeking Darynn with an offer: finish the revolution and the embargo ends. He might have a chance thanks to mysterious magic powers, and his two companions: clairvoyant crush Fyra and soldierly alien Kaylaa. Cutthroat killers, mystical beasts, Vampires, power-hungry priests and lords, and self-serving spies stand in their way. If the three of them can crack his fatherâs secret, maybe they can end the embargo and save the poor. If not, another poor orphan will be added to the growing piles of dead. |
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Fyskar: Book 1 of Legend of the Bai by Chapel Orahamm 1692 The Isle of Skye Eoin has returned as a plague doctor after ten years of banishment for revenge and a birthright. Fearchar and Seonaid have allowed the man to set up shop in their croft at the request of an old friend. The Plague Doctor is keeping secrets, though, and killing an entire clan is only the beginning. The void is waiting. |
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Heroes & Harbingers by ARK Horton Food fights. Detention. Dissecting fairies for science class. Just another day for teachers at a Magical Public School. Ms. Sirinâs fate as a death harbinger has ruined her life. She longs to be more than a herald of doom, aspiring to impact lives in her teaching career. But when a new student with bold dreams joins her class and is picked as this century's Chosen One, Ms. Sirinâs dark power senses a terrible sacrifice to come. Finn MacCoolâs warrior past didnât prepare him for a hundred years of teaching for his community service. Spending the last decade of his sentence at a new school, the immortal develops a crush on his tempting but aloof coworker. The Irish legend blows his chance when he butts heads with the Council of Pantheonsâ latest brave heroineâwho also happens to be Ms. Sirinâs favorite pupil. However, the Chosen Oneâs quest isnât all it seems. Pavlinaâs lethal prophecies come to pass, and her gift warns of more to come. Will this daring trio of heroes have what it takes to make the grade, or will they fail before they even make it to Summer Break? Set in an alternate reality of Jacksonville, Florida, this adult urban fantasy is the first book in the Secret of Pantheons series. If you enjoy a hearty helping of mythology, found family, and unbreakable bonds, this book is for you. Class is in session with Heroes & Harbingersâdelve in now before the bell rings! |
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As You Wish (Shatterproof Bond #1) by Isobel Starling 1 wedding, 2 best men, one hell of a love story! Declan Ramsay was set to be the best man at his brother's wedding in Scotland, sharing the best man duties with the bride's gay kid brother Sam. Sam was abroad finishing his studies so the best men communicated by email for more than a year and wouldn't meet for the first time until a few days before the wedding But on meeting Sam Aiken, Declan is surprised to see he isn't a kid at all, but a striking, athletic blond man with gorgeous green eyes and a wicked sense of humor. Declan is alarmed by the ferocious attraction he feels for Sam. And as the attraction is reciprocated, the events at Dunloch Castle change everything Declan has ever believed about himself. But is Sam Aiken all he appears to be? Also available in paperback and as an award-winning audiobook, narrated by Gary Furlong. |
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'Love Is A Stranger' by John Wiltshire Ex-SAS soldier Ben Rider falls in love with his enigmatic married boss Sir Nikolas Mikkelsen, but Nikolas is living a lie. A lie so profound that when the shadows are lifted, Ben realises he's in love with a very dangerous stranger. Ben has to choose between Nikolas and safety, but sometimes danger comes in a very seductive package. |
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Spectacular Silver Earthling by Mara Lynn Johnstone Hubcap used to be a rescue bot, getting humans out of every boneheaded scrape imaginable. His new career as a TV star suits him better: he can poke fun at the humans instead, while harvesting jetpods and tackling alien predators faster than any of them. It doesnât hurt that heâs also immune to the mysterious âspace frenzyâ that keeps sending his coworkers into a froth. The robot worries for his human friends, though he would never admit it. Not when itâs much more fun to deploy weapons-grade sass. The pressure ratchets up when a rival show aims to steal their sponsor. Hubcap has to film his most spectacular footage yet, while avoiding dangerous wildlife, plantlife, and emotions. But if anyone is up to the task, itâs the robot with skills second to none, and an ego to match. |
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Cambion's Blood by Erin Fulmer "I may have been a whole damn mess, but I was a whole damn mess on a mission." Half-succubus attorney Lily Knight has blood on her hands. Haunted by guilt, behind on her rent, and facing professional disgrace, Lily must figure out how to survive in the wreckage of her former life. To make ends meet, she accepts a contract job she never wanted but canât refuseâhunting another demon murderer. This time, the victims are human, and a shadowy government agency will reward Lily with a way out of her dire financial straits. If Lily doesnât solve the case before the news gets out, fear and hatred will put all demonkind at risk from the proverbial torch-carrying mob. But when a young succubus on the run from the authorities begs for her help, Lily faces a new conflict of interestâespecially after the suspect, Eve, reveals her father is Lilyâs old frenemy. Now Lily must juggle the pressures of a high-stakes murder case, her complicated relationship with her ânot-boyfriendâ Sebastian, and responsibility for a wayward teenager as she races to find the real culprit. When her investigation brings her face to face with an ancient, implacable entity fixated on bloody justice, Lily must reckon with her worst fear: the truth about what went down with Eveâs father in the desertâand its consequences. If you love Richelle Mead, Lisa Edmonds, or Seanan McGuire, discover a paranormal mystery series complete with a fierce heroine that will have you begging for the next book! |
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Lawyer. Demon. Lily Knight is bothâhalf-human, half-succubus, and utterly dangerous. Lily protects her secret and the safety of those around her by abstaining from the skin-to-skin contact that would grant her superhuman powers. An ambitious criminal prosecutor, sheâs all work and no play, determined to prove herself in the courtroom to atone for the ex-lovers sheâs left for dead in her past. But after a fellow succubus turns up murdered and the police arrest an innocent man, Lily discovers evidence of a supernatural killer stalking the foggy San Francisco streets. And when human justice falls short, she launches an unsanctioned investigation to find the real culprit. To stop the killer, she must embrace the full power of her heritage and risk the soul of the handsome suspect she canât help but fall for. Can Lily face her true nature without losing her humanityâor will she become the monster she fears most of all? If you love Richelle Mead, Lisa Edmonds, or Seanan McGuire, discover a paranormal mystery series complete with a fierce heroine that will have you begging for the next book! |
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Beauty in the Breakdown by Tegan Anderson "We can't hide like this forever, Josh. How did we even get into this mess?" Family. Money. Run. Three things that Josh Ray and Clara Roberts have their entire life based around. It's an endless loop of get away from family, get money and get running. After a few months of what feels like stability, Josh and Clara have to start the cycle all over again until everything finally comes to an end. There was something beautiful in the way that things broke down. 'Beauty in the Breakdown' represents the importance of trust and self-discovery in an unstable lifestyle through the eyes of Josh Ray, someone who believes that there is always something beautiful in a breakdown. |
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Paper Forests by Tegan Anderson âWhile your children and grandchildren are away, I like to think that theyâre visiting a fantastic place, somewhere where they arenât restrained by an illness or held back by their own emotions, a place where there is nothing but health and happiness to greet them.â Once upon a time, Oliver wakes up in a Forest full of magic and monsters, not quite dead, but not quite alive either. He wakes with three other people whose lives have been cut short, each more tragically than the last. Together, they embark on a journey that will take them deep into the heart of the Forest, where they will have to face the ghosts of their pasts and their long-hidden secrets. Secrets that will force Oliver to choose between finding a new life in the trees and finding a way home. Welcome to the Paper Forest. |
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The Brother's Curse (The Brother's Curse Saga Book 1) by Christine M. Germain A year after the brutal death of her parents, Crystal Francois moves back home to the eerie small town of Lakeview Falls. When one of her neighbors goes away abruptly leaves his home to be watched by a young man named Jason Warwick, Crystal finds herself falling for him instantly because of his charming ways and dashing good looks. Two weeks before her 25th birthday, she receives a rare antique purple amethyst stone necklace left for her by her late mother; A necklace with a deadly past and horrible consequences when worn. She finds out that wearing the necklace causes her and her friends to be the target of two sadistic tyrannical evil 18th-century old Shapeshifter brothers who will not stop till they find her and retrieve the chariot stone necklace that holds their father and 24 demonic Shapeshifters captive. When young men from town go missing, bodies appear eaten or skinned alive. Lakeview Falls is on high alert. It doesn't take long for Crystal to discover that the new guy in town isn't who he claims to be or if he is even human. |
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Skins & Needles by Bailey Elizabeth Two souls, too many secrets. What makes the criminal organizations of Phoenix, Arizona so efficient, and so untraceable? Charlotte Acosta doesn't know, nor does she care to find out. She just wants to tattoo her heart out and stay on the bad guys' good sides. But when one of her regular clients invites her to a glitzy party with all the city's most dangerous in attendance, she can't help but accept. She's neutral ground, after all. What could possibly go wrong? Arsen Volkov never wanted a tattoo. He was only in the shop for his brotherâs midday appointment. Yet something about the zany, red-haired, spitfire of an artist makes him want to change his mind. But how can he justify his attraction to her when they come from two different worlds? Not to mention species... |
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âWho are you?â I asked when I caught her, grabbing hold of her arms and trapping them at her sides. Violetâs cheeks were flushed from exertion, and her eyes twinkled with mischief as she wiggled a hand free and reached into my coat pocket. She withdrew the key, unlocked the door behind her, and tugged me into the suite. âCome find out.â â Vitale Fierro, a mafia Capo in the height of his career, finds himself thrown off balance when a sporadic, Christmas Eve hookup with a fiery art student leads to unexpected feelings. Violet accepts his criminal status in stride, but there's one problem; the two of them come from different worlds, and marrying outsiders is forbidden by mafia law. |
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V is for Venice by Bailey Elizabeth BOOK 2 Violet Harcourt has finally escaped her past. She avenged her sister, regained her love of painting, and ran away from the mafia Estate she was imprisoned in. Now, she has the chance to live the life she wanted before her quest for vengeance. But can she truly be happy when the man that helped her feel alive again is left behind in the very place she fled? Violet may be fast, but she canât run forever. Vitale Fierro lost the love of his life when he let slip that she could never be more than his mistress under mafia law. She left him with heartbreak, and the sole ambition to find her and bring her home, never to lose her again. But when his duties as Underboss of the powerful Salvaggi Family begin to conflict with his search for Violet, it all begins to slip. Someone is killing off members of the Family, and a certain purple-haired woman is hired to find them. |
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V is for Violet by Bailey Elizabeth Vengeance. Vendetta. Violence. These three words are all Violet Harcourt knows. For years, her world has been centered around killing Bill Pfeiffer, the hitman who murdered her father and sister. She's learned the criminal underground inside and out while masquerading as a quiet art student, bringing her closer and closer to her target. Now, it's time to blow her cover, and Bill Pfeiffer's brains out. Vitale Fierro lives a carefree life at the top of the Salvaggi Mafia. Business has been good, and Chicago isnât a bad place to call home when youâre a professional criminal. But when a girl with purple hair murders the Familyâs prized hitman, heâs given the responsibility of what to do with her. To kill, or not to kill seems to be the ultimate questionâ one he must answer while managing a promotion, taking down a rival Family, and trying not to fall in love. |
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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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Falling Through the Weaving by Leia Talon With elements of Outlander, Thor, and The Time Traveler's Wife, book one in the ROOTS AND STARS series follows a time-traveling minstrel who weaves her destiny with three men in alternate histories, and plunges so far into the past that dragons still exist. As Sheltaâs music bridges worlds, her fate is intertwined with three men who share the same soul: A Scottish spymaster. An ex-vigilante hunted by outlaws. A Viking demigod with the secrets of dragons. To be a family they must pay Time's price: Love. Grieve. Surrender. Fight. PRAISE FOR FALLING THROUGH THE WEAVING: "A spellbinding, genre-bending delight for fans of romance and fantasy alike.â â Kat Turner âThis book is sweet and steamy with a dreamy vibe that will suck you in. Like cowboys? How about Scottish Lords? Maybe you prefer Norsemen. Dragons? Blend Outlander and Game of Thrones with a few cowboys and gods and youâll almost capture the essence. Falling Through the Weaving has something for every romance reader.â â Elysia Lumen Strife âSheltaâs journey of discovery left me with an enormous sense of peace and trust. A vivid and lyrical adventure. I look forward to the next part of the tale!â â Halla Williams âTalon has the timeless voice of a classic, undying author. From beginning to end, the writing was masterful⊠each page a new brushstroke against the canvas of not just one life, but many across time. I really felt like I was living it with her.â â Kristina Castillo âThis is some seriously good series writing. Some series start slow, but this isn't one of them. This was on full boil almost from the first paragraph and it did what seems the impossible. Gave us a place to stop and catch our breath without doing any harm to the next book. It's just remarkably well done; you will absolutely love it.â â Tom Wacker |
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Second Star to the Left by Megan Van Dyke Tinker Bell, banished from her homeland for doing the unthinkable, selling the hottest drug in Neverlandâpixie dustâwants absolution. Determined to find a way home, Tink doesnât hesitate to follow the one lead she has, even if that means seducing a filthy pirate to steal precious gems out from under hisâŠhook. Captain Hook believes heâs found a real treasure in Tink. That is, until he recovers from her pixie dust laced kiss with a curse that turns the seas against him. With his ship and reputation at the mercy of raging storms, he tracks down the little minx and demands she remove the curse. Too bad she canât. However, the mermaid queen has a solution to both of their problems, if Tink and Hook will work together to retrieve a magical item for her. As they venture to the mysterious Shrouded Isles to find the priceless treasure, their shared nemesis closes in. However, his wrath is nothing compared to the realization that achieving their goal may mean losing something they never expected to findâeach other. |
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The worst day of Laura Greenwood's life began when she learned that her brother had been arrested on suspicion of murder. It only went downhill from there. Within hours, Laura finds herself swept up in a bloody vendetta, framed for a crime she didn't commit, with no way of proving her innocence. Enlisting the help of homicide detective Zachary Zimmerman, Laura sets out to track down the real culprit, following the only lead she has: rumors of an enigmatic assassin who wields a power that defies logic and reason. A man of legendary status in the criminal underworld. And now he is after Laura. It's kill or be killed, and Laura is in no mood for mercy. Laura's quest for retribution takes her to far darker places than she could ever have imagined. But sometimes, the deepest darkness is that which we create ourselves. Deep within her heart, beneath the rage and lust for revenge, something more sinister is starting to grow... |
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Impress of the Seventh Surge by Jessica Mae Stover In an outbreak everyone must make choices. What will yours be? With the definitive American pandemic accounting still pending, itâs trailblazing scifi author Jessica Mae Stover who brings the receipts and then sets them aflame in Impress of the Seventh Surge, a novella about a conscientious pandemic evacuee working to free the next victims of a mysterious virus. Familiar and otherworldly, explosive with originality and utterly unconventional, coated in the residue of rage and the red tinge of fever dreams, Impress of the Seventh Surge is a plunge into near-future social bonds, technology, law, love and fascism; a profound story about justice, psychic AIs, and rising body counts that demolishes the borders between literature and technology. In these electric pages Stover ingeniously devises the next evolution in cyberpunk fiction. With her trademark âdeep point-of-viewâ that pierces the veil between reader and character, impressionistic and startling prose, and the surreality of a video game, every twist of phrase in Seventh Surge is a knifing reminder that Stoverâs experimental framing is, in fact, all too real. Impress of the Seventh Surge is an astounding work of gravity and furious speculative fiction â a scifi âwhat ifâ that doesnât ask what would you do? but instead demands to know what you will do. |
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The Tower's Alchemist by Alesha Escobar British intelligence wants her spying skills. A vampiric warlock wants to steal her powers. The Master Wizards who trained her want her dead... Nazis have unleashed occult forces throughout Europe, and the Allies are forced to recruit wizards to counter their attacks. Among them is battle weary spy, Isabella George, a Gray Tower dropout trained in Alchemy. Longing for retirement and a life of peace, she accepts one final job...extract a deadly warlock from Nazi-occupied France and prevent him from unleashing an alchemical weapon that will devour the continent. But France is crawling with the Cruenti, vampiric warlocks who feed off other wizards. When things don't go according to plan, one Cruenti sets his deadly eyes on her. Plans within plans. Plots versus counter plots. Heists gone wrong, Vatican wizards, and the greatest manipulation of history that has ever been seen, is just a taste of what Isabella George is in for, in her final mission. Readers who enjoy great fantasy mashups will devour this urban fantasy series that has been described as "Agent Carter meets Hellboy." |
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Awaiting Arrival by Steven Jaeger Follow the lifelong journey of Rick Lanson and his crew as they travel through deep space to a recently discovered planet, in hopes that this planet will be a new home to Earth's inhabitants. Throughout his voyage, Rick quickly learns that it is not his ship that poses the highest risk for mission failure, but himself. He will have to combat the trials inherent with deep space exploration, maintain his health as he ages, and cope with the mental stress of being part of a small, isolated crew. His mission will take him farther in space than anyone has gone before, if he can make it. |
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Soul Wizard: Awakening by Wesley CP Reeve Hern's life is going pretty well. He's attending college and lives with his beautiful girlfriend, Mari. But when Mari suddenly disappears, Reeve's world crumbles. Searching for answers, he enters a realm of magic and myths that exist in secret around the world he thought he knew. Soon after discovering this new reality, Reeve is recruited by a veteran Soul Wizard named Art. As Reeve learns about his new power, a growing threat of darkness looms as ancient enemies reawaken in the world of humanity. Reeve and Art become embroiled in the fight to keep the realms of magic and of humans safe from each otherâa fight that's deadlier than either imagined. |
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The Soul's Instruments by Mark Holloway Kehlem the Butcher. Hero. Villain. A pale ghost that haunts the empire, or righteous revenant of Casere. Titles thrust upon him that he had no desire to bear, charged by the Aspect itself to end the Vin Empire. And yet his only true desire is to get to Mercy before the empire, to salvage his only chance at redemption. But change is coming. He can feel it in the crushing weight of his waking nightmares. See it in the uprisings in the empire. Hear it in the hushed rumours of assassinations. The Aspect demands retribution. Balance. Where there was Order, now comes Chaos. |
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Wings of the Storm (The Dunes of Aelaron: Book One) by Aaron Bunce, Christopher Guhl My name is Vayo, and I am a slave. My people lived in Argia, the City of Light, before Nabonidus the Defiler swept across the land. He conquered, murdering and enslaving the other tribes. I was born after the fall, in a crumbling pit of despair and sadness. Nabonidus crowned himself ruler of the land, building his new kingdom from the rubble of our fallen world. I live and serve them now, my head bowed, and my eyes down. That is, until a master servant chose me. My new duty? Attending the King himself, serving the man that ruined my people. Desperate for blessings, I placed an offering to the Mother Goddess on my roof. Afterwards, I fell into a strange dream. One where I soared over the dunes on wings of radiant feathers. Shouts and screams startled me awake, and I watched as the Kingâs men carried my friend away. I followed, deep into dark tunnels beneath my fallen city. Fleeing the horrors I witnessed below, I hid in the one place they would not think to look. Inside that forbidden temple and buried beneath the rubble of our broken past I stumbled upon a peculiar sight. A beautiful warrior, with her arms wrapped around a shimmering, blue egg. Life as I know it will never be the same. |
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The Last 0-Day by B. R. Russell The cybernetics revolution knows no compromise. Luciana Gutierrez, a police officer, works ninety-six-hour shifts with a eugeroic hangover around the corner. Her investigation into those who stole her life is sidelined as a crime syndicate turns her precinct into a war-zone. Sent for backup, sheâs offered experimental technology that could turn the tide, if sheâs willing to risk mind, body, and soul. Anton Grissomâs birth was a crime, and his sentence is military service. Molded into an elite soldier, his path of atonement falls away when heâs caught on the losing side of a massacre. In the aftermath, heâs offered a second chance at lifeâif heâs prepared to pay. Weaver heals the broken and disposable, and in the process makes cybernetics a reality. Superhuman strength, intelligence, and connections to one another, it could solve humanityâs problems or tear society apart. But those concerns are secondary to Weaver, who just wants to see the next sunrise. All three are augmented for their own personal crusade and are on a collision course that will change the world. The Last 0-Day is an action packed adventure of the first cyborgs. Itâs Neuromancer meets Malazan Book of the Fallen with a dash of cli-fi. |
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The Clan of the Moon Wolf - The Watcher's Monk by Kelly Strickland Morrow A family find they are descended from an ancient clan, the Tua De Denaan. Ancient ancestors appear to help them train to battle a rival clan and rescue one of their own. They are aided by "Light" Monks, and a supernatural pack of wolves, light orbs and Fae (Fairies). The Dark Skhaid seek to destroy a member of the clan who holds the key to their destruction. |
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Fogbound: Empire in Flames by Gareth Clegg London 1899, a ruined city under martial law. It was just another bounty job for Simmons - recover a killer escaping beyond the massive walled city, while avoiding the toxic red fog and the tainted creatures who make their home Fogside since the failed Martian Invasion of '94. When he stumbles across a dastardly plot to overthrow Empress Victoria, the hunter becomes the hunted. With the brutal military police on his trail, he needs to gather others to his cause, learn who is responsible for this treason and keep the Empire he loves from plunging into eternal darkness. But in the darkest and most fogbound areas of the flooded London streets, a sinister intelligence watches, biding its time until the hour of reckoning is at hand⊠|
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Siggy Smith is an immigrant, a wife, a mother, a soldier, and a shapeshifter. She served in special forces, did her job well, and was honourably discharged so she could start her family. Today, she is a confessed killer convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to liquidation. Aberrants don't have the luxury of sitting in prison for years awaiting their final sentence and making appeals. Aberrants sentenced to liquidation are terminated quickly, efficiently, and brutally. Siggy Smith has accepted her fate, welcomes it, and while she sits in shackles waiting for her time to come, she's visited by a government official who offers her the chance to wipe her record clean. An unprecedented move that could not only grant her freedom, but possibly change laws for future Aberrants. The deal? Serve five years on a new, elite, experimental military squadron tasked with hunting down and killing the monsters and threats deemed too dangerous for standard military to face both on and off U.S soil. Chances are she won't live long enough to enjoy her freedom when the contract is up, but whatever happens before then will be far more interesting than being dismembered and incinerated in a public execution. |
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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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Orphan Rock, that little sunset town in the middle of the Ghost River Nation. Locals call the land haunted. Wiser folk call it cursed. Whatever the case may be, something evilâs stirring under the dirt. This is the story about the folks who still live out there. And the dead ones too. Part horror, part American magical realism, Chad Ryanâs Ghost River is a dark, gritty, and desolate journey into the peaks and gulches of the human spirit. |
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The Garden of the Golden Children by Ashley Hutchison We all live somewhere. The children of Somewhere attend a prestigious Academy with a spectacular garden that celebrates its finest pupils. The history of the Academy is rich as chocolate, but things are not as they seem. Experimental and emotional, Ashley Hutchison delivers a somber, enchanting, and dark journey in this must-read literary fantasy. |
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A Canticle of War by Steven Raaymakers When the world is threatened with total destruction, can warchildren unite to save it? A grim story of trauma and power with a Sanderson-esque magic system. In this epic conclusion, all bets are off as Raziel and his rag-tag crew must finally come together against the rising dark power. If death doesnât find them first. The city of Archehan lies in ruins, banshees circle the crumbling towers. Famine and violence spread across the fallen kingdom. An empire marches its armies to war. Ancient magics are stirring, woken by Razielâs choices. With the fate of the world in their hands, will Raziel and his companions find the way forward through the darkness, or will they be the architects of their own doom? The âAria of Steel Trilogyâ is a heavy-metal power ballad of clashing blades, blood-soaked betrayal, and sweet revenge. Join the fight today! |
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A Canticle for the Fallen by Steven Raaymakers How far would you go to change the past? After four years in exile, Raziel is forced to return to his homeland, Renas. Meeting a companion who shares his abilities, he sets off to find the rumoured âLady in Whiteâ, an enigmatic woman who promises an end to the persecution of their kind. Raziel is soon faced with a terrible choice over life and death. He bears serious wounds, and the path ahead grows ever more violent. Wracked with indecision, and with his soul in turmoil, he sets off on a bloody mission. Will his pain lead him to the light, or will the shadows claim his scarred soul? Set in a grim world of emotion-based magic and twisted fates, this is the second book in the Aria of Steel trilogy. |
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The FInder of the Lucky Devil by Megan Mackie How can she keep her secret safe from his charms? When a charming and deadly corporate cyber-spy, shows up on the doorstep of Rune Leveau's bar, he wants only one thing: For the secretive Finder of the Lucky Devil to use her magical Talent to find a wanted criminal. This criminal is the key to something very special... she can lead him to a computer program rumored to do the impossible: cast magic spells. But Rune has a dangerous secret. She IS Anna Masterson. And despite the attraction between them, she refuses St. Benedict. If her secret gets discovered, she could lose everything again, even her life. The cyber-spy isn't going to take no for an answer. Not with his long-sought prize so close. |
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The Rarkyn's Familiar by Nikky Lee An orphan bent on revenge. A monster searching for freedom. A forbidden pact that binds their fates together. Lyss has heard her fatherâs screams; smelled the iron-tang of his blood. Sheâs witnessed his execution. And plotted her revenge. Then a violent encounter traps Lyss in a blood-pact with a rarkyn from the otherworld and imbues her with the monsterâs forbidden magic. A magic that will erode her sanity. To break the pact, she and the rarkyn must journey to the heart of the Empire. All that stands in their way are the mountains and the Empireâs soldiersâand each other. But horrors await them on the road, horrors even rarkyns fear. The most terrifying monster isnât the one Lyss travels with... Itâs the one thatâs awoken inside her. Monsters of a feather flock together... |
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The Vilification of Aqua Marine (Working Masks #1) by Megan Mackie One Parent was a superhero, one parent was a supervillain, Aqua Marine is a work in progress. Despite Aqua Marineâs super lineage, this wannabe superhero can only control a cup of water at a time. Not very effective as far as superpowers go. Never mind being able to stop the new nefarious villain, The Overlord of the Dance from taking over part of the city. That is until she discovers there is a cup of water in the human heart when she accidentally blows his out. Now her villainous mother wants her to join the League of Extraordinary Evil. Aqua Marine would like to hide under a rock. And Overlord of the Dance? Is apparently not quite dead yet, and he would like to have a word with her about becoming his new nemesis. If the road to hell is paved with good intentions, Aqua Marineâs is a slip and slide, with capes. |
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St. Elmo's Fire by Oliver Theakston 1519, the earliest years of European colonialism. After years of planning, Ferdinand Magellan is finally ready to plunge into the uncharted oceans of the New World in his search for a mythical strait and the untold riches beyond. Joining him is Juan de Morales - a physician desperate to break free from the ghosts of his past. But de Morales' hopes of a new beginning are quickly dashed as he discovers the web of treachery into which he has unwittingly entangled himself. From the windswept tundra of Tierra del Fuego to the searing emptiness of the Pacific Ocean, St. Elmo's Fire is a descent into the madness, mutiny and cruelty of the first circumnavigation of the globe. |
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Heard: How Loss Led Us to Love by Ligia Cushman What if your greatest loss led you to love? Professional Counselor and Director of Adoptions Ligia Cushman unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances and shows readers how to thrive when life doesn't turn out as they had planned. Some moments in life catch us off guard while others shatter us completely. For Ligia, it was the night she miscarried her first child. Ligia understands personal loss deeply and discovered that loss can be exactly what our soul needs to radically encounter God and feel heard. In Heard: How Loss Led Us To Love she invites us on her own journey with grit, gut-honest vulnerability and authenticity. |
