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Blood Song: A Fantasy Romance (Warriors of the Five Realms Book 3) by Hollee Mands She owes her blood. Heâll pay with his life. Ruthless assassin Gabriel has little fear and even fewer scruples. Every head has a price, and every hunt is a thrill. He saunters through life on a tightrope, mocking fate and defying death with every step. So when heâs forced to hunt down and deliver a prophesied blood sacrifice, Gabriel has no reason to expect trouble. Until he realizes just who the mark isâa wildcat of a woman with dark eyes and an even darker secret⊠She may be voiceless, but she speaks to his soul, and giving her up may be a cost too steep to bear. Shyaree has lived her whole life under the weight of a terrible sin and the shame of her Changelessness. When her brother falls prey to a curse, healing him is her one chance at atonement. Only she never expected to be kidnapped by an arrogant and insufferable fae. She canât trust him or his bargainsâŠor can she? Heâs a cutthroat bent on using her, yet working with him may be the only way to survive⊠He demands her blood, but she canât deny the way he calls to her body, or the danger he poses to her heart. Author's Note: Blood Song is Book 3 in The Warriors of the Five Realms adult fantasy romance series. This book features a standalone couple with a guaranteed HEA, but for full enjoyment of the overarching fantasy arc, please start with Book 1, Little Fire. Blood Song is intended for readers aged 18+. It contains mature language and explicit scenes of violence and sex that may be offensive or upsetting to some readers. For a comprehensive list of possible triggers, visit the author's website. Please read with care. |
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Nyle doesnât want to be there. But something is very wrong in the District of Portland, and the cold call of death forces his arrival. If he canât lay the dead fast enough, his long life, begun in Anglo-Saxon England, will end. Portlandâs electronic walls do more than keep the mutants out. The government is using them to block Nyle and his kind, the ravens, who roam the world, freeing the dead from their bodies where they remain trapped till a ravenâs arrival. Cait, a Portlander working as a beautician, has her own troubles, dodging the GM (genetic modification) police and struggling with rent. But the dead are invading her dreams. Nyle tells Cait that sheâs not genetically modified. Sheâs a necromancer. In the District of Portland, the dead are being trapped indefinitely and used as energy sources. Nyle and Cait must stop the technology from spreading before the abuse of the dead becomes a worldwide menace and they themselves end up on a laboratory table or trapped in a machine. Grave Cold is a biopunk novel about the value of life and the power of taking a stand in a grim near-future world of exploitation and authoritarianism. |
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The Kings of Nowhere by C.G. Drews Avery Lou has given up stealing houses â now heâs meant to build them. Forced to stay with the De Lainey family until Samâs return from juvie, Avery feels like heâs drowning. He hates that Sam chose the De Laineys instead of running away with him. And he hates working in their construction company while Vin, the thief who hurt Sam, still walks free. Avery wants revenge. Swapping the sharp-edged world of burglary and car theft for the homey chaos of big family life is a wild adjustment, and Averyâs determined to sabotage his time with the De Laineys and get locked up with Sam instead. Avery just has to stay immune to Jeremyâs charming shenanigans. EasyâŠsort of. But Averyâs war against Vin has brought trouble to the De Lainey door and he canât survive this fight alone. |
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The Ascendant: Tales of Pern Coen by Hannah E. Carey Defeating the Raven Spirit could cost them everything. After fleeing Castle Ciall, Ciara has chosen to remain at the side of the rightful Ri of Blaidd, even though Niall's future is uncertain. The two of them have finally confessed the truth of their feelings, but she still struggles to gain his complete trust, no matter how hard she tries. Niall knows he cannot abandon his people, but he also knows they greatly fear his power. To regain control of the clan, he must reveal his secrets and seek aid from the one man he loathes: his father. Ciara and Niall's journey to thwart the Raven Spirit and Niall's usurping brother, Bleddyn, eventually leads them back to Ciara's homeland. Alliances are made and traitors are revealed, until the fate of the island and Niall's very life fall into Ciara's hands. Will she break under Bleddyn's lies or become the warrior she has always longed to be? |
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The Betrayer: Tales of Pern Coen by Hannah E. Carey A broken warrior. An outcast king. And a darkness that threatens to destroy them both. Niall never imagined he would become king, nor did he ever imagine that he would be granted the abilities of a seer. His unnatural power, however, has proven to be no great gift, for it has already cost him the woman he loves and it threatens to cost him his kingship. His people already don't trust him and if they knew of his power, they would view him as nothing more than a monster. Niall's future looks grim, but a twist of fate returns Ciara to his life when he least expects it. He latches onto the hope of a different future, only to discover that things have changed while he has hidden away in his castle. When the man Ciara trusted the most disappeared, she turned to his brother, a man she never saw herself falling for. Bleddyn has shown Ciara that there is more to him than she first thought and she has carved out a life at his side, but things are unsettled on the island of Pern Coen. A dark power is stirring, one that hasn't been seen in decades. One man is at the center of the growing darkness, but is it the man that Ciara, and the people, think? Is Niall innocent or is he hiding more than just his powerful abilities? |
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The Children of Chaos (The Cruel Gods #2) by Trudie Skies WHEN THE SAINTS CALL, THE SINNERS ANSWER. Chaos stalks the steam-powered city of Chime and threatens the existence of the gods and their domains. Kayl swore to protect Chime's mortals from their gods' cruel whims, but when she agrees to represent the mortals of a god long thought dead, Kayl is thrust into a political role that goes against everything she's ever stood for. As the newly appointed ambassador to the god of time, Quen's goal is clear - protect Chime and the domains by any means necessary. But as the gods make their demands, Quen is caught between his loyalties and his conscience. To ensure a future for all mortals, Kayl and Quen must unite the gods against the threat of chaos and decide what they're willing to sacrifice for Chime - before the gods choose for them. For the gods are capricious and have their own divine plans. The Children of Chaos is the second book in The Cruel Gods seriesâa gaslamp fantasy featuring magical portals, gothic cosmic deities, quaint Britishisms, and steampunk vibes. This is an adult book containing strong language and mature themes that some readers may find disturbing. For a full list of content warnings, visit Trudie Skies's website. |
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Coffee, Alcohol, and Heartbreak: A Poetry Collection by Tyler Wittkofsky Coffee, Alcohol, and Heartbreak is Tyler Wittkofsky's debut poetry collection. Spanning a four year period, Tyler wrote these poems in his darkest of times as an escape from reality. From happiness to darkness, these poems range the emotional spectrum connecting those with their inner self. |
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The Seeds of Love: Sunflower Kisses Book One by Tyler Wittkofsky The story readers are calling âhard-hitting and meaningfulâ and "touching and realistic", The Seeds of Love: Sunflower Kisses Book 1 is the story of two lost souls who find each other at the right time in life. Clay Dabrowski is a recent college graduate who has his life planned out. He knows what he wants to do in life and embarks on those goals with the support of his family and friends. But when he meets the fiery red-haired Bailey Childe, she suddenly shifts all of his priorities. She gives him the strength and courage to do and be more. While he battles his insecurities and mental illness, Clay and Bailey forge a path through lifeâs ebbs and flows as a new, young couple. Their journey seems to be all but perfect. But is everything as it seems? |
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(Not) Alone by Tyler Wittkofsky (Not) Alone is the story of Henry Hovishky, a recent college graduate who is exploring life one step at a time. Already in his young career, he is the winner of multiple awards and recognitions. He is soon to be married to the girl of his dreams. His best friends are more than friends, they're family. His family supports him and raises him up. And yet, he can't help but to feel alone. How can someone who seemingly has everything be so alone? Everything seems to be great in his life on the outside, but this story shows the truth of Henry's life. He struggles with depression, anger issues, severe anxiety, and bipolar disorder. With so many successes in his life, he still fights an uphill battle every day. |
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The Sword of Mercy and Wrath by N.C. Koussis In a cathedral at the south of the Istryan Empire, young men and women are trained to be killers. The Order of the Golden Swordâs inquisitors are feared for their brutality masked as piety. Masters of blade, poison, and crossbow, their quarry is the god-cursed werewolf, whom they hunt with impunity to herald the return of their god. Betrayed by her monstrous father, Selene loses her left arm and nearly her life when sheâs saved by a traveling inquisitor. Scarred and broken, she swears vengeance on the cursed beasts and joins the Order. It takes all her will to overcome her limits, only for her violent past to drag her back into blood. With the fabric of the empire at stake, Selene must master her hatred, hone it to a sharp point, then let it loose on her enemies. |
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Girls of Might and Magic: An Anthology By Diverse Books With Magic by Various Find your might. Discover your magic. A disabled teen tracks down an elusive sea beast. A young, Indian detective finds a magical artifact. A Black teen who can see the dead solves a murder mystery. An Ethiopian girl discovers magical secrets when she is kidnapped by her teacher. A teen survivor of a deadly plague realizes she and her robot companion are not alone. Across realms, worlds, and dimensions we bring you sixteen fantasy and/or science fiction tales that explore the tribulations of growing up. In Girls of Might and Magic, we aim to put characters of color, characters with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ characters front and center in stories about strength and resilience. Full of diverse characters and #ownvoices authors, the protagonists in these coming-of-age YA adventures will not only discover powerful magic but discover themselves along the way. Don't miss this magical collection of stories about witches, fae, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, jinn, and more! The collection includes: Heartburn by E. M. Lacey Wind and Silk by Alice Ivinya Faith by Sudha Kuruganti Grace and Ghosts by K. R. S. McEntire The Outside by C. C. Solomon Daughter of Soil and Gold by Meghan Rhine Check Yourself by Kat Zaccard A Meeting in the Woods by Nicole Givens Kurtz Pretty Young Things by LaLa Leo Funnel Cake by Amanda Ross Outcast by D. L. Howard Serenity Dawn by C. I. Raiyne The Cursed Gift by Courtney Dean Chasing Waves by Kendra Merritt Sight by Tamika Brown Memories of Magic by Ashley Ford |
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Sometimes life doesnât turn out how you thought, but you can still find your place. Alicia is a single mother to her eight-year-old son, Kenny. Being a single mother is hard enough, but her sonâs principal seems convinced that she is unfit because she is on the autism spectrum. The school keeps accusing her son of the weirdest things, such as making the school garden grow and disappearing in the middle of class. Uncertain if the school is being delusional or if more is going on, Alicia decides to track down her sonâs father. Except that she only saw him one night, a night she has tried hard to forget. Now Alicia has a man following her and claiming that her son is the heir to the elvish throne. All Alicia wants to do is keep her son safe, but to do that, she has to give up everything she has ever known and go to a place that follows its own set of rules. In-Between is full of magic, motherly love, and found family. It has a positive own-voice autism rep, Aromantic/Asexual rep, and a M/M romance. |
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Defending Jessica by Benna Bos From the author of the Lesfic Bard Award winning novel âInvestigating Helenâ comes another stand-alone installation in the Murder by the Bay Mystery Series⊠Few people accused of murder are as unlikable as Veronica Turnerâs client, Jessica French. So to give the haughty heiress the best defense possible Veronica needs help from her favorite true crime podcast. But when she meets the newest sound tech for âMurder by the Bayâ, she is instantly enthralled. She wants nothing more than to get close to the stunning, shy woman. Focused on her new job, Kaia Kent pays little attention to the pushy attorney defending their latest podcast subject. But Veronica just keeps coming around, and every time she does, Kaia finds herself slipping a little further away from dislike and toward serious attraction. With an innocent woman to defend, a murderer on the loose, and opposites that are smashed together in a whirlwind of fear, intrigue, and passion, defending Jessica will prove to be anything but easy. |
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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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Itâs Jenniferâs 24th birthday and she planned to spend it having fun with her friends. Instead, she ends up running for her life through the dark streets of London. Her world is torn apart by a new disease, the likes of which have never been seen before. The governmentâs decision to conceal its deadly nature exacerbates the panic, and in all the confusion Jennifer is bitten by an infected person. Thatâs it, right? Her life over. Wrong. Immune to the virusâs ravaging effects, Jennifer finds herself with a small group of survivors. Together they must fight to stay alive long enough for a cure to be found. Humanity wonât be beaten so easily. But madness looms large, and safety seems forever out of reach. |
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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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Invention Is a Mother by Rob Brownell RESPONSIBILITY IS OVERRATED. A recently graduated and happily unemployed engineer, Shaughnessy shirks responsibility whenever possible. He coasts through life, sidestepping every opportunity to follow in his father Waltonâs footsteps, until Walton begins to suspect that he has MFD (Mysterious Fatal Disease). The family coerces Shaughnessy to impersonate his father as a senior engineer at Critical Think Inc. There, he is immediately entangled in the development of an irrational consumer product. Pressured to innovate in the face of absurd challenges and fantastical demands, Shaughnessy teeters on the edge between breakthrough and breakdown. In a near future where you are what you wear, can an idling young engineer successfully navigate corporate startup culture, accept his familyâs medical crisis, and harness his full creative potential? Fans of The Hitchhikerâs Guide to the Galaxy and Good Omens will enjoy laugh-out-loud collisions with the limits of reason in Invention Is a Mother. |
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A Song for the Road by Catherine Labadie An outcast in her tight-knit community, Larkspur endures her poor health with help neither from her family nor her fickle sweetheart. At a yearly moon festival she beseeches the spirits for better luck...but they lead her to a foundling elf child she did not want and a quest she did not ask for. Yet she and the mute spryte form a bond over their shared struggles. When danger arrives at their cottage, Larkspur sets out with the girl she's named Gentian from the country of her homefolk into the land of songs and tales itself. Through leagues of treacherous border woods lies miraculous Beledan, where dwarven chieftains quarrel amongst themselves and, far to the north, the mysterious elves marshal for war. |
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When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Chair by Ryan Rae Harbuck Her story has (not) defined her. From where she sat, her perspective of the world was both quite ordinary and rivetingly extraordinaryâfrom a paralyzing car accident in her teens to traveling overseas on a journey of self-reflection to becoming a mom. Throughout everything she experienced, she fervently believed in following her given path. She wanted to trust its trajectory. She wanted to be sure. Her story is not about a chair. Her story is about her strengths and how they rose out of her instinctive vulnerabilities. Her story is about her struggles and how they became her victories. Her story is about being willing to hold it all, for herself and the whole of her world. Everyone has a chair. That thing you are bound to or unwillingly defines you. An element that makes you different from the rest. One that you have little choice in the matter. Whatâs YOUR chair? |
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A Dragonbird in the Fern by Laura Rueckert When an assassin kills Princess Jiaraâs older sister Scilla, her vengeful ghost is doomed to walk their city of glittering canals, tormenting loved ones until the murderer is brought to justice. While the entire kingdom mourns, Scillaâs betrothed arrives and requests that seventeen-year-old Jiara take her sisterâs place as his bride to confirm the alliance between their countries. âMarrying the young king intended for her sister and traveling to his distant home is distressing enough, but with dyslexia and years of scholarly struggles, Jiara abandoned any hope of learning other languages long ago. Sheâs terrified of life in a foreign land where sheâll be unable to communicate. Then Jiara discovers evidence that her sisterâs assassin comes from the kingâs own country. If she marries the king, Jiara can hunt the murderer and release her family from Scillaâs ghost, whose thirst for blood mounts every day. To save her family, Jiara must find her sisterâs killer . . . before he murders her too. |
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Aerovoyant by Patricia L. Tavormina On planet Turaset, droughts ravage farmlands, cyclones rip through coastal cities, and with every barrel of oil the combustion industry pumps from the ground, the climate worsens. Alphonse has just refused a council seat because taking it means serving that rapacious industry. He leaves the city to seek solace in the wilderness, and there, a power to live the past awakens within him. Alphonse walks the steps of his distant ancestors on long-dead Earth, soon growing plagued with memories of its collapse, and he's left with a troubling certainty: he must infiltrate the combustion industry to secure proof of its treachery, or Turaset will be next to fall. Alphonse finds an ally in Myrta, a farmgirl who sees air, every molecule in every pulse of breath or blast of exhaust. With her talent, she can evade the patrols on the industry's grounds. Together, Alphonse and Myrta can prove the industry lies about emissions. They can convince the councils to shut down fossil fuel use permanently. But people in the industry have grown wise to Myrta's power--and now she's marked for death. |
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Whispers of Stone by Allegra Pescatore A God is Dead. A Queen is Missing. Secrets are Unraveling. On trial for the murder of the King, Elenor and Gabriel must become allies if they want to survive. His magic is spiraling out of control, awakening a mystery hidden in the very walls of the palace. She has one month to pass her Water Rite and find a way out of the marriage her parents set up. But things are about to get much more complicated. Between sadistic family members intent on taking Elenorâs throne, Tirit Mindel breathing down Gabrielâs neck, and a Golden Dragon appearing in the sky above the Mondaer Desert with an ominous warning, more than the Kingdom of Lirin is at stake. If that werenât bad enough, time is ticking down for Fedrik and Fay as well. With the desert turning against them and Daemon as a questionable new ally, figuring out how to control Fedrikâs Gift has become a matter of life and death. Picking up in the fallout of Where Shadows Lie, In Silence Abiding is the long-awaited and non-stop second installment of The Last Gift. Dive back into the world of Dracona and hold onto your hats. Things are about to get⊠salty. |
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Tropical Punch (Bubbles in Space Book 1) by S.C. Jensen HoloCityâs only cyborg detective really sucks at her job. Bubbles Marlowe is broke, newly sober, and hating her life. All she wants to do is find a girl and deliver a message. Itâs supposed to be an easy gig. Itâs supposed to pay her bills. Itâs supposed to be exactly what she needs. Instead, the easy job devolves into a gruesome murder. Bubbles has to solve the case or take the fall, and a HoloCity prison sentence might be the only thing worse than her current apartment. But when she uncovers a conspiracy that threatens the entire city Bubbles has to get her act together quickly, or there will be more than one personâs blood on her hands⊠|
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Becoming Animals by Olga Werby Humans have always wanted to know what goes on inside the minds of other animals. But what if humans could become animals? Tobyâs father leads a team of neuroscientists directly connecting the brains of humans with those of animals. And Toby is a prodigy at throwing her mind into the animal subjects in his labâsheâs the best there is. But Toby suffers from cystic fibrosis and sheâs not likely to live into adulthood. Could a radical plan to embed her consciousness into an animal allow Toby to survive? And what does it mean to live without a human body? Can Toby and her father solve the problem of fully merging two beings before she takes her last breath? Will the government succeed in stopping their efforts before they are done? Itâs a race against death and into the minds of animals. |
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Invisible: Personal Essays on Representation in SF/F by Edited by Jim C. Hines 13 essays on the importance of representation in science fiction and fantasy, with an introduction by author Alex Dally MacFarlane. Proceeds from the sale of this collection go to support the Carl Brandon Society. |
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No one with half a brain would rob the jungleâs most notorious energy cartel. The vibrations of their power-producing stones are the only thing that calms the mer-snake Cacaoâs agonizing sensory condition thoughâand after being banished from his homeland swamps for similar thefts, heâs desperate. When his attempt fails stunningly, a chaotic escape leaves him chained to a cartel prisoner: a self-proclaimed hero with a hidden stash of power stones so large, Cacao would never need to steal again. Heâs determined to get his hands on it, even if it means guiding her home straight through the mist-laden and monster-filled swamp that exhaled him, with scheming poachers and a desperate cartel leader on their tail. But the selfish and the self-righteous can only flee together for so long before something snaps... Return to Our Bloody Pearl's steampunk-inspired world of merfolk in this fun, fast-paced adventure with a hate-to-love romance, a boat-load of sass, and even more heart. |
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In this vibrantly-illustrated graphic novel, a mute warrior named Thrud and her companion, Kvasir (a sentient puddle of god-spit she carries around in a flask), explore a post-Ragnarok Norse world. The stories, told through a series of short vignettes, are delightful twists on familiar stories from Norse mythology. Encountering gods, sea giants, viking hordes, magical artifacts, and more, Thrud never backs down from a brawl! |
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NACL: Eye of the Storm by Allegra Pescatore & E. Sands Lani should never have trusted any plan that started with the words, "So, I have an idea, but first you need a drink." When a crazy Precog handed Lani the coordinates to a stretch of ocean just off the Salt Spire, she should have thrown them overboard. Going there would be a horrible idea. Lani, though, was a pro at making bad decisions. A not-so-chance encounter with escaped salt slave Adavera launches them on a path to forsake all that they know and dare to take on the cruel Corporation that controls every grain of salt on their planet. With the help of old friends, new friends, and people they are pretty sure might be enemies, Adavera and Lani travel outside the protective reef that keeps the worst of the Storms off the Islands and venture into a world of piracy, astonishing powers, and unexpected love. The odds might be against them, but with a little planning and a lot of brass, this team of misfits intends to do the impossible. They have very little in common, except for two things: They all want to blow the Crystal Corporation into oblivion... And are willing to sacrifice anything to see it done. NACL: Eye of the Storm is a high-octane, non-stop, foul mouthed and steamy roller-coaster of a novel. Grab your favorite bottle of rum and revolutionary spirit, and jump into the ride of a lifetime. |
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A Feeling Like Home by Haleigh Wenger Sword and Silk Books WriteHive Book Club Indie Recs Indie Sixteen-year-old Paige Williams canât stop self-sabotaging. Not when her dad gets sick, not when her relationship implodes, not even when her parents send her to another-freaking-state for the summer to live with her sister. Paige just wants to have fun, spray paint a few walls, and block out everything stressful, including her growing concern that she might be sick as well. To make things worse, her parents threaten her with boarding school in the fall if she canât prove sheâs changed her bad habits. Paigeâs parents sign her up for a rebuilding project in Texas where her sister lives. Meanwhile, Paige reluctantly befriends her sisterâs straight-laced teenage neighbor, Joey, who is a frequent guest. Heâs so different from her, but Paige realizes that may not be a bad thing, especially since being around Joey curbs her urge to vandalize and ignore the rules. He even makes her forget about the debilitating stomach cramps she struggles to hide. Just as Paige begins to feel settled in Texas, her dadâs worsening Crohnâs disease brings her home to Seattle. When her own health fails her, she has the choice of staying at home and receiving care. Or, she could go back to Texas and prove for once and for all that sheâs more than her mistakes and more than a disease. Torn between two worlds and two versions of herself, Paige must decide where, and with whom, she truly feels at home. |
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Of Honey and Wildfires (Songs of Sefate #1) by Sarah Chorn SPFBO6 Indie Recs Indie SFFOasis From the moment the first settler dug a well and struck a lode of shine, the world changed. Now, everything revolves around that magical oil. What began as a simple scouting expedition becomes a life-changing ordeal for Arlen Esco. The son of a powerful mogul, Arlen is kidnapped and forced to confront uncomfortable truths his father has kept hidden. In his hands lies a decision that will determine the fate of everyone he lovesâand impact the lives of every person in Shine Territory. The daughter of an infamous saboteur and outlaw, Cassandra has her own dangerous secrets to protect. When the lives of those she loves are threatened, she realizes that she is uniquely placed to change the balance of power in Shine Territory once and for all. Secrets breed more secrets. Somehow, Arlen and Cassandra must find their own truths in the middle of a garden of lies. |
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The Hidden King (The Coming of Ăed #1) by E.G. Radcliff SPFBO6 Indie Recs Indie SFFOasis Hidden truths. Hidden power. Hidden destiny. On the shores of a rusty sea, in the streets of a starving city, a young man named Ăed scraps to build a life for himself and the makeshift family he loves. Scarred by a trauma he cannot remember, and haunted by the brutal damage it left behind, he has no idea of the courage his future will demand. When tragedy strikes, a desperate Ăed risks a treacherous, life-changing journey in his last chance to save the only family he has left - but an ancient legacy smoldering within him is about to turn deadly. Neither he - nor a kingdom - will ever be the same. |
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Where Shadows Lie by Allegra Pescatore The Chosen One Is Dead. Magic Is Going Haywire. Time Is Running Out. When the King of Lirin murders Elenor's brother during a failed coup attempt, she must choose between turning a blind eye to her people's suffering or joining the rebellion and helping bring down the tyrant king. There's only one problem--the king is her father. Helped along the way by a grouchy old doctor, a boisterous group of nobles, and a well-meaning assassin, Elenor is forced to dance between duty and defiance as she tries to save her kingdom. Meanwhile, from the rainy streets of Lirin to the scorching dunes of the Mondaer Desert, the ripples of her actions have inadvertently broken a chain of events five centuries in the making. Ancient forces move in the shadows, calling in debts and striking deals. A monster with a thousand faces fingers his knife, ready to kill, and a pair of fugitives run for their lives. Where Shadows Lie is a non-stop, epic fantasy ride featuring an lgbtq+ and disabled protagonist and filled with court intrigue, sizzling romance, adorable baby dragons, and the battle between oppression and freedom. Dive in and get swept away! |
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The Reach Between Worlds by Cameron Hayden Posing as a sorcerer was never a smart idea. Now, it may cost Taro his life. Sixteen-year-old Taro lost his right leg years ago, but with a family to support, he doesn't let it slow him down. For years he's worked for a notorious crime lord named Victor Mathan; Mathan deals in stolen magical artifacts, and trusts Taro to finish his work with as few questions as possible. When an absurdly well-paying job comes up, Taro is quick to volunteer. Mathan wants him to break a powerful sorceress out of her magical prison, but her cell is under the control of an ancient military order called the Magisterium. To get to her, Taro must pose as a Magisterium recruit. The courses are grueling, the tests drive students mad, and the magic they teach can be as deadly to the caster as it is to the target. |