|
Chrysalis and Requiem by Quinton Li At Adraredon Academy, fervent passion, contemporary companionship, and forbidden desires intertwine with tall gothic spires, ancient halls, and centuries of history. Veaer Rosell can't imagine a better place to satiate her craving for beauty, knowledge, and art. Yet senior year shatters her illusion of tranquillity and civil intellect when she witnesses the headmaster's daughter murder another student and is confronted by an unthinkable choice: avenging her fallen peer or taking this secret to the grave, one way or another. But fate laughs at Veaer's expense when the headmaster's daughter requests her aid. Driven by an all-consuming thirst for answers, Veaer becomes an untimely partner in solving a murder they both know the answer to, unaware of the intricacies that come with learning the bigger picture and playing with death. Chrysalis & Requiem is a haunting thriller of tragic obsession and relentless grief, weaving two young, queer women in a spiral of clandestine violence and illicit love. |
|
The Rest to the Gods by Joshua Walker On the peak of the Mountain Pass, the Four-Front War takes its final breaths. The walls are closing in. The allies are dwindling. The last front is on its knees. The Rest to the Gods is a prequel novella inspired by the hard magic of Brandon Sanderson and the character-driven storytelling of Peter V Brett and Bradley P Beaulieu, beginning a new epic fantasy adventure series, The Song of the Sleepers. You can find out more about Josh and his work at www.joshuawalkerauthor.com. |
|
Remembering Demons by J. Cornelius "...Imagine One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest colliding with the imagination of Angela Carter, broadsiding Lovecraft, and then travelling on into uncharted realms..." - Jonathan Oliver, award-winning editor and author of The Language of Beasts Have you ever wondered what lurks in the mirrors? Daryl doesn't have to wonder... he knows. But why do they stalk him? Why can't he remember anything? It's enough to drive a guy crazy! Meanwhile, the eerie asylum seems to know more than an old pile of rock and mortar has any right to and his therapy is uncovering a blood-stained past of pain and death, alongside something dormant within him of disturbing power. When Dr. Walker teaches him how to face his demons, the psychoses and dreams conspire to warn him of something even worse stalking him. Something ancient and evil. To survive, Daryl must confront the repressed memories that drove him insane. For madness—is a blunt instrument. |
|
Flowers for a Vinok, Roses for a Babushka, Poppies for a Grave by Solomon Skalozub Courage for his oath, vengeance for his breath, fearing not his death. This is the story of Amvrosiy, a Cossack swordsman. This tale tells of how he grew from a girl to a man, and of his home, and of those he loved. I will tell you of how he fought for them, protecting them no matter the cost. |
|
Accidental Intelligence by Bryan Chaffin TALES FROM THE QUANTUM VAULT In his debut novel, Bryan Chaffin transports us to the year 2139, where corporate combines have their own Senate seats, the surveillance-state is all-encompassing, humans live most of their lives in the Omninet, and sentient AIs are partners with the world government. It's not all bad, though. There are docbots, you never have to wait for a taxi, and if you can afford it, you can get your coffee made the old fashioned way, strained from the algae tanks. ACCIDENTAL INTELLIGENCE Private detective Mason Truman is being yanked around by invisible strings, and it's an AI doing the yanking. Miranda. She's subtle. Crazy. And she thinks she can see the future. It's enough to drive Mason nuts. Miranda believes her fellow AIs are up to some kind of grand conspiracy against the Terran Republic, and she wants Mason's help proving it. Conspiracies are above Mason's pay grade, though, the kind of time-sink that can put a crimp in more serious pursuits. Like drinking coffee. And staying alive. But Miranda won't take no for an answer. Mason can help or Miranda will make sure he becomes intimately acquainted with the finer conversational techniques of the secret police. So Mason digs until he uncovers a cache of stolen communications between a cabal of rogue AIs. They're planning what they call Eschaton—the divinely ordained end of humanity. Unless Mason and Miranda stop the arrogant pricks, the conspirators will destroy Earth. Mason and Miranda have one chance, a way of bottling up the rogue AIs. All Mason has to do is lure the conspirators to the right spot in a sim world. That's how Mason learns that when Miranda said she needed help, what she meant was bait. |
|
Conscious Connection by Gina Capobianco Gina Capobianco’s first book of poems, Cognizant Introspection, documented her journey from the darkness of depression back into the light. The ending was positive, but as Capobianco knows, depression and anxiety are lifelong companions who eagerly return when the light flickers and fades. As with Cognizant Introspection, Conscious Connection documents Capobianco’s journey to healing. Her themes have, as the years have passed, become more reflective and insightful. While before she wrote her evocative free verse with passion and ferocity, she now writes with a more mature sense of purpose, intentionally confronting the darkness that continues to periodically encroach on her life. Many of Capobianco’s best poems are dark, exemplifying the despair and isolation of depression. Yet as the collection and her healing progress, she moves you toward a dawning hope for connection with other people—a hope that becomes reality as Capobianco finds the help and healing she needs. A powerful, emotionally intense examination of depression, Conscious Connection demonstrates the healing power of the written word. If you, like Capobianco, suffer from depression, you’ll see yourself in her words and realize her final message—the darkness may return, but so does the light. |
|
The Missing Piece by Zaylan Flynn All Astra knows is she woke up in the woods while it was raining. She had no name other than the one given to her by the druids. She had no memories before waking up. Five years later, she has made a life and runs into someone who seems convinced she is their missing person. Dovan was the personal guard for Ally. He was one step away from becoming a knight and having the hand of the princess. Until she went missing. No one knows what happened or where she went. He went out with the rest of the party to look for her. After five years of traveling from island to island, he finally found her. The downfall is that she has no idea who he or she is. |
|
There is Light: Poems about Mental Health by Lucy DeRose From book blogger and poet, Lucy DeRose, comes her debut book, There is Light. A series of poems about mental health, anxiety, self-care, social media and what's important in life. Honest thoughts and feelings from someone who has dealt with depression, anxiety and OCD. Lucy tries to end each poem with a positive note, focusing on the hope and help that is out there. Because, no matter how dark things seem, there is light. |
|
ROTGUT by H.S. Wolfe All I want to do is play drums in Cluster Headache, but I can’t even get that right. Between my on-again off-again shituationship with one of my band mates, the drinking problem-I-don’t-really-have and losing my job along with my will to live... I’ve kind of botched up my life. As if things weren’t crummy enough I’m being followed by strange creatures that no one else seems to notice. Right before a big show too, that can’t be a good sign. I've got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about it. |
|
Almost a year after Aden follows his ex-dealer Gage across the country, he finds himself mostly alone in the dead of winter as Gage hides in plain sight as a bartender. The hasty introduction to Gage's new “business partner”—a silver-tongued local named Travis—doesn’t help. Desperate for details and beguiled by Travis's easy going nature, Aden tentatively places his trust in him, only to develop feelings equally forbidden and undeniable. Strung between two dangerous men willing to kill for him, Aden eventually learns more than the simple truth of what Gage and Travis are planning—and that he’s just as capable of making bloody decisions to protect them. WHITE SMOKE is a 58k m/m dark erotic novella. As it's the direct sequel to BLACK CLOUD, reading as a standalone is not advised. Content warnings and tags are located in the front matter. |
|
South of Home by Rebecca Amiss Boston, Massachusetts, 1946. Born with a silver spoon in her mouth, twenty-three-year-old Maggie O'Hanlon lives a charmed life. Filling her days dancing with handsome sailors or dress shopping in high end stores, she gives very little thought for anyone besides herself. Despite her affluent upbringing, Maggie has a strained relationship with her parents, who are more keen on growing her father's grocery store empire. The one and only person who understands her, is her Uncle James, who was severely wounded during the war. When Maggie’s careless antics land her on the front page of the newspaper, she is horrified to discover that she is being sent to Savannah, Georgia where she is to assist an elderly widow tend to her large house and pecan farm, wrenching her from the comfort that luxury brings. Flora Alcott is as sweet as the pecan bread she bakes. Welcoming an angry and entitled Maggie with open arms, Flora shows Maggie something she has yet to grasp: kindness. While struggling to adapt to her new surroundings, a devastating tragedy strikes, forcing Maggie to reexamine everything she's ever known in life. |
|
The Shepherd in Shadow by M. Daniel McDowell To forge a new destiny, he must confront the demons of his past. Mehren Tevaht wasn’t supposed to survive his desperate gambit. Throwing himself into the abyss along with the truename of the demon prince should have been the end of as worthy an end as Mehren can picture for such a coward as himself, anyway. When Mehren awakens in a shadow-realm he’s only seen in dreams with his beloved, the warrior princess Vierrelyne du Talorr, at his side, he knows the spell he meant to do went horribly awry. Together, they traverse a realm both familiar and hostile while the sorcerer tries to figure out what went wrong—and how to fix it—if only to restore Vierrelyne home without him. Haunted by his own past history, and the dawning revelations of the doomsday cult which once held his undying loyalty, Mehren must choose a fate that will define the future for himself, for Vierrelyne, and for all the realms beyond... ...the realm of bodies, the realm of beasts, the realm of spirits, the realm of dream... the Scourgelands beyond the Known Lands of Derebor itself. |
|
Gifted hacker and vampire resistance leader Rowan Finley has lived her entire life caught between two worlds, divided by the dual bloodlines that flow through her veins. Her vampire family exploited her as a child for her rare varewolf blood. Now she may be the only person the werewolves, united with her brother Vlad’s rebel vampire faction, trusts to send in as a spy to gain intelligence on the movements of the Vampire Nation at a time when a dangerous rogue operative threatens to destabilize the werewolf military. But allying with shapeshifters will require betraying her mother Zara, leader of the Vampire Nation. Software engineer August Caldwell has been tasked by the Blood Moon pack with dual missions. He has to locate Matteo Rossi, an unstable neural manipulator and projectionist before he can cause irreparable harm to the werewolf pack structure. Even more daunting, he must find Guillermo Montemayor, leader of the North American werewolves, who has gone missing. Rowan Finley is a complication. She can’t know he still bears her claiming mark from a mission where she bound him to her temporarily in order to save his life. In order to keep her safe, he’ll have to conceal his feelings for her, as well as the true reason he walked away. As a chilling communication throws the werewolf community into revolt, August and Rowan must race against the clock to stop a madman intent on destroying the Vampire Nation and countless innocents, while holding werewolves across the nation hostage. ECLIPSE is part of the Blood Moon, Texas Shifters series. Sizzling hot romance. Guaranteed HEA. |
|
The Mantis Variant by Adam Andrews Johnson In the dark future of our world, a small percentage of humanity has evolved with a physiological anomaly that provides them with wondrous abilities. Those gifted few are now targets of the unevolved, looking to steal that power. "The Mantis Variant" follows Agrell, Dozi, and Ilya together in the rundown metropolis of Teshon City. The unlikely trio is set on a path of unexpected heroism through horrifying trials that lead them to sacrifice and redemption. Their group increases throughout the story, and for some, the harrowing events bring growth. However, bizarre eldritch rituals and arcane arts are commonplace in the world of "The Mantis Variant," and tragedy and death are always close at hand. |
|
Callista's Adventures: Preventing a War by Joharra Harper Centuries before the Monster Realm is created, Callista had many adventures. One being with Joan of Arc. The two women are sent by the Goddess Athena to retrieve the only item that can prevent a full-blown war. But it isn't an easy journey. A demon and a saint working together, nobody expected smooth sailing. But as the days turn to nights, both realizes that looks can be deceiving, and they may just learn that what they need, is each other. |
|
The Church of the Mountain of Flesh by Kyle Wakefield THE CHURCH OF THE MOUNTAIN OF FLESH is a cosmic horror novel about mad artists, bodies spiralling out of control, and a trans man's merciless desperation. Sole De Gasinis drowns his grief in wine and buries his hatred of his body in twisted sculptures. When, one drunken night on the beach, God orders him to rebuild his village's church, he knows he wasn't chosen for his piety. Instead, he and God make a deal. If Sole rebuilds the church, God will give him the body of a man. As Sole works in a frenzy for salvation, lifelong friendships decay, a village united to tear down its church fractures into pariahs and zealots, and power and grief reshape the prophet into a tyrant. Grief for a boy he fell in love with ten years ago, who claimed to be a virgin birth, who died in agony in the church crypt when the God inside him wanted out--and whose monstrous remnant Sole must commune with for every piece of his prize. |
|
Towers of Nine by Alyssa Louttit The Towers of Nine School of Magic Study and Practice is an institution rich with ancient traditions and secrets. Serafina Stewart has grown up on stories of this place, passed to her by her witch mother. Now Serafina is finally old enough to attend. But getting in is the easy part. And Mother's stories never included ghosts or deadly spiders. |
|
The Curse's Light by Joharra Harper Skylar Prescott is the only girl who knows the truth about their small little town. The town of Lawnsdale is cursed. No one believes the town's crazy girl. Until a strange boy finds himself thrown into the town, and now he can't leave. With Will by her side, Skylar may be able to finally figure out the missing details of the curse, including who's behind it. As Skylar and Will get closer, they can finally uncover all the secrets. But Skylar may find out how she's truly connected to this. |
|
An Impossible Dream by Ellie Lieberman A Cinderella story of friendship, love, survival, and dreams, even when they seem impossible... Sare has survived fifteen years playing the perfect little servant, but can she survive the castle? After all, nowhere compares to the castle and no one compares to the King. |
|
Oath Keeper: On the Other Hand by Ellie Lieberman "Some promises don't require magic. The most important ones never do." After stealing a dragon egg, an Oath Keeper is caught between a few contradicting, binding oaths. |
|
Where the Heart Is by Ellie Lieberman When everything else was taken from someone, the least they should be able to hold onto was their story. This is Clary's story. She was Princess of Alsceance. "Jewel of the South." Married to the feared Shadow King for peace after years of war. And with the stroke of her hand, she was Queen of Midgrim. For seventeen years, she remained trapped within the belly of the beast, a lonely warrior whose only weapon was her heart. But was she traded for nothing more than the falling sand in an hourglass? |
|
Wherever the Stars Call by S. Jean Living within the federation isn't all it's cracked up to be, so Laurel and Juniper decide to run away from it. If they can get past Jupiter where the fed's hold isn't as tight, they can figure out what they want to do with their lives on their own terms. Unfortunately, along the way, they find a busted federation ship with a vampire on board who may need their help... or their blood. |
|
Love at the Rock Show by Katta Kis A burnt-out former pop star A sweet, broke psychic… who hates him The festival tour that changes everything Broke pansexual psychic Judit is scraping by. She’s got chronic pain and survives (barely) on Tarot reading gigs. When her rent skyrockets, she jumps at the chance to work a merch booth on a festival tour. It’s the perfect escape until Judit spends a lovely evening with her friend’s ex-flame (it’s complicated)—and he ends up touring with the festival. Ex-boy band idol Patrick didn’t want to play the Endfest tour with the guy who stole the love of his life. He was about to quit the label they started together when a last-minute emergency forces him to join the tour. Worse, the mystery woman who turned his anxiety attack into a magical night is there too—and she knew exactly who he was all along. Judit and Patrick are forced to share a bus while navigating the drama of a mismanaged festival, other people’s exes, and drunk drag queens. The more time they spend in adjoining bunks, the less they find to hate about each other. But can this summer fling last, or will what happens on tour stay on tour? |
|
Merittown by Uilleam Whitedale First book of The Lillian Rebellion. Lillian Gillespie is not the everyday grade school teacher she thinks she is. After learning that she is an ultra-creative empath, whose father had her reassigned after she was deemed defective as a child, Lillian flees her recently-capitalized, gaslighting partner, pursuing a relationship with an old school friend, unaware of how controlled her life has been. Her father is also not who he seems and seeks to persuade her to return to her former life, but it is a cage she cannot abide, needing to be free. As she develops her gifts, she is joined by two young empaths who seek her out through feelings. Discovering that she is an empath among empaths and being threatened by the oligarchical class who fear her, she and her friends decide to run to Old New York City, a dangerous journey under the watch of the meta-panopticon. With the help of another powerful empath, they achieve their destination… and the fight against the ruling class begins. |
|
Dreadland by Uilleam Whitedale Following the last Harvest Moon, the world has begun to dim, as a strange mist continues to rise at dusk. DeShawn Lucas witnessed a murder in the street, committed by something he cannot identify. It soon becomes apparent that, as the world grows darker, people are changing, changing into what appear to be monsters. DeShawn and his secret flame, his neighbor, Keneisha Dillon, find themselves trapped and on their own, wondering if they can survive the end of the world or if they will succumb to the mist. |
|
Who Will Hold the Universe by Kel E Fox The world doesn’t have magic… but it should. You only get one Year 12 School Ball. For Gabby, that’s a blessing, for Zenna, it’s a waste, and for Jairo, an ageless god who’s forgotten who he is, it’s a chance to save the world. Come for a night of mystery, magic and dancing. But be warned: you might not leave with your memories intact. Who Will Hold the Universe is a prequel novella for the epic urban-science-fantasy-turns-queer-magical-space-opera Lightless Prophecy series. |
|
The Haunting of Sheila Lee by Uilleam Whitedale Sometimes the human psyche seeks to protect itself in ways that shield one from trauma in the short term through denial, sublimation, projection. Regardless, the emotions shunned must be addressed in due time in some manner. Yet, once in an age, trauma is so severe and the bearer so unwilling to face it that it is wholly displaced, made homeless, and, epitomizing pain in excess, intends to punish its source. Sheila Ann Lee, a narcissistic and neurotic seeker of affluence, creates her own manifestation of trauma and leaves it forlorn. As it tortures her mind, and, eventually, interferes with the true love she finds, it remains unclear to her and all those seeking to protect her whether she is being haunted or she is the source of her own misery, and theirs. |
|
Heir To The Autumn Court by Elle Porter A collection of sordid tales centered around Princeling Fenyr, heir to the throne of the Autumn Court, as they prepare for their upcoming coronation. THE HEIR TO THE AUTUMN COURT takes place in a fae land caught in perpetual harvest season. Each high-heat story centers around a nonbinary princeling and a partner of their choosing, ranging from a minotaur, a stoic warrior from a neighboring land, and a former lover turned palace guard. |
|
Aden suspects his dealer Gage is involved in something dangerous and deadly, but so long as their unique arrangement continues, he’s fine with not asking any questions. Then, when a routine hookup turns out to be their last, Aden impulsively decides to go on the run with a man he barely knows. BLACK CLOUD is a 13k m/m dark erotic novelette with a transmasc main character. Please review author's note and content warnings in the front matter before engaging with this work. |
|
It’s hard to imagine dating when I secretly share a bed with my best friend every night. When we can barely spend an hour apart. When he’ll kill anyone who tries to touch me. We finally escaped the trailer park, but maybe we weren’t ready for freedom. My best friend Beck doesn’t know how to leave the gang he’s always known, even if it costs him his life. And I don’t know how to find my purpose and confidence as a trans man. We’re too lost in our fears to see what’s right in front of us. But when I almost lose him, it only takes five words for us to fall: I heard about a game. I run. He hunts me. And if he catches me… there are no limits in the dark. Daylight is a different matter, full of the ghosts of everything we’ve lost. Until we stumble across someone who needs us, who forces us to take the broken pieces of our pasts and put them together into something strong. The courage it takes to become who we were all along. |
|
The Illusion of Fear by Kel E Fox The best cure for a broken heart is to solve an art crime. Obviously. After his partner is killed on a mission gone wrong, disavowed spy and magician Del Fevre exiles himself to Acrusi, the only city in the world where his agency can’t find him. But his plans for a peaceful hideaway where he can make illusion art and avoid awkward questions are thwarted when his arrival coincides with a mysterious art theft, and Del might be a suspect. Danger, daring and a handsome detective conspire to make Del’s exile anything but peaceful. The Illusion of Fear is a prequel novella for the Whisperers series, a romantic gaslamp fantasy with art crime and political intrigue. |
|
Once Upon a Dark October by Jessie Thomas All curses made in blood must be broken with blood. Dreadmist Harbor sleeps under a near-perpetual veil of coastal fog, home to mortals, vampires, and those somewhere in between. Already down-on-her-luck, mortal charwoman Elspeth finds herself the target of a rogue vampire, shattering the peaceful coexistence. Forced to seek help from a reclusive vampire coven, she barely makes it to their dreary seaside perch before she succumbs to the bite. Morrigan and her coven are haunted by a bitter rivalry that has left them devastated and fractured. As their old feud is once again rekindled, she is inexorably tied to Elspeth, who now carries an ancient vampiric power within her. The two are quickly swept up into a tangle of bloodlust and sorcery after the fraught transformation—realizing that matters of the heart are complicated, especially in undeath. While something sinister gathers in the shadows of their quiet town, they are pulled deeper into a world of curses and magic, dark dealings and betrayal. But Elspeth and Morrigan soon learn that all power must come with a price, for curses are not so easily broken. |
|
Decades of hostilities. A chance for peace. Caught between belligerent groups, will this operation be her last? Sam "Valkyrie" Ryan is reeling. Struggling with her brother's recent decision to make their next assignment his last, the recon specialist fights to change his mind. But she has no time to process her emotions when they're tasked to protect a pivotal reconciliation summit between the Altered and Humans from human-supremacist terrorists. Distracted by a charming female medic, the golden-haired marine struggles to stay focused as events quickly unravel. And with the conflict becoming dangerously unpredictable, secrets from the past catch Sam by surprise as she uncovers a plot to destroy all of humanity. Can she stop a violent and oppressive history from spiraling into a catastrophic future? Of Friction is the fast-paced first book in the Altered Earth dystopian military speculative fiction series. If you like strong women, tense action, and slow-burn LGBTQ+ relationships, then you'll love S.J. Lee's gripping story. |
|
The Hytharo Redux by Jonathan Weiss A THOUSAND YEARS AGO THE HYTHARO WERE WIPED OUT. A THOUSAND YEARS LATER SPIRIC WAS SAVED. Lost among the dune-swept ruins of ancient glass towers, 14-year-old Spiric hunts for his stolen memories. Guided by the exiled scholar that found him, he embarks on a perilous journey across the Droughtlands to uncover his origins. He’s told his red eyes mark him as a Hytharo, one of the long-extinct storm callers that sealed all water into the air itself before they were erased from history. In the thousand years since, thirst has been quenched simply by breathing, but that hasn’t stopped the surviving runic peoples from wanting water any less. For without it, there’s no ink, no runes, no magic, and in the vast desert wastes of the Droughtlands, magic means power. To Spiric, the mantra is eerily familiar. Word of his presence ripples across the Droughtlands and pressure mounts on him to reverse the Hytharo’s final, sacrificial act. It’s only as his memories begin to return that he realises the true reason his people were wiped out. With the fragments of Spiric’s memories growing bloodier and more desperate, he must determine whether carrying out his supposed fate will cause history to repeat, or if he can forge a new destiny, both for himself and the Droughtlands. |
|
A Sharper, More Lasting Pain by Alex Harvey-Rivas After their girlfriend’s best friend is wounded in a monster attack, Simone Allard stumbles across a plot much deeper than they anticipated. As they work to find a cure to their own forming illness and find out the truth, one question remains: how was Nadia involved in this? Nadia DuPont doesn’t know how much time she has or even what is ailing her, but it all gets more complex after meeting Simone on a field trip. As they both work to find a cure to her ailment, all Nadia is certain of is she's on the path to ruin. |
|
Against Fearful Lies by Vivian Moira Valentine In this second book in the series, Amelia Temple's world has changed. As a test subject to a shady government entity, it is 1954 and she has finally been given limited freedom to move around after being kept captive and studied since birth. That freedom came with a price, however. She now has friends, people she cares about. People who care about her. She has a girlfriend, but she manages to hide that fact, knowing how society would respond. And she has enemies, those who want to study her, dissect her, see what she is. Amelia is not sure what they will find. Something strange is going on at the hospital where her friend Ralph is being kept. And not a normal kind of strange, either. The kind of strange that means Ralph is no longer himself, the nurses at the hospital are keeping secrets, and somehow memories are stolen. In trying to save her friends, and herself, Amelia must not only deal with the creature now living inside her, but she must learn more about who she is and what, exactly, she is capable of. Because one thing has become clear: it's not just her and her friends' lives at stake... there are worlds within worlds and a universe of extranormal activity that just might depend on her. |
|
Under the Dragon Moon by Mawce Hanlin To break the thread of weaver’s fate, those who witness must weave anew… Mael Nguyen doesn’t believe in fate, but he does believe in magic. His entire life revolves around the study of the arcane—spells and rituals, potions and illusions. As far as Mael is concerned, all he needs is a book in one hand and magic in the other. Anything outside of his bookshop, hidden away in the streets of New Orleans, isn’t worth his attention. But when a strange human stumbles into his life and hires him for a job, bringing along his blinding smile and curious magic, Mael finds that Fate is just as dangerous as Magic. Leo Greyson refuses to believe in fate, but he desperately wishes to believe in magic. As a small time rockstar, full time radio host, Leo has never been one to shy away from experience and adventure. He’s always lived his life on the edge—always moving, never standing still. But when his twin sister is murdered, and he gains custody of her strangely magical daughter, that constant motion comes to a screeching halt. Instead, he is launched into an entirely new world hidden right beneath his nose, and Leo finds himself wondering if Fate really does exist, and if she’s led him right where he needs to be. A queer take on magic, murder, and romance, fans of The Dresden Files, Howls Moving Castle, and A Marvelous Light will find family, acceptance, and a fantastical new world to get lost in within the pages of Under the Dragon Moon, the first book in the Belamour Archives Saga. |
|
The Whisperer in White by Y. R. Liu When the Whisperer speaks, the universe listens. Growing up, Talia had never given much thought to the gray-robed Whisperers and their powers over reality. Their business was protecting the world; hers was hunting in the forest around her village and trying to stay out of trouble. Unfortunately for Tal, one Whisperer in particular becomes her business when she accidentally injures his companion, a talking cat-shaped creature named Morel. As punishment, she becomes the Whisperer’s prisoner, whisked away to his island home for a year and a day of servitude. There is much to do — for both the Whisperer and for Tal — as he prepares for the ritual that must be completed every hundred years to ensure the safety of the world. Tal does as she is told; her priority is to simply finish out her sentence and return home to her family. Yet there are many secrets on the island, many oddities, and they tug at Tal like an itch. As the year goes on, she learns more of the Whisperer, his duties, and the horrifying evils that he and the other Whisperers keep at bay. But secrets still remain: a room that is always locked, a stone monument in the woods, crimson flowers whose very name causes the Whisperer to storm away. Unbeknownst to Tal, something is watching her, and what she does now may alter the fate of the world. |
|
The Cradle of Eternal Night by Ladz In a land lit only by the counterfeit warmth of magical technology, the Kler prays for the return of the sun, the moons, and the stars. Ceaseless night and the beasts lurking in the darkness keep the congregation within the Kolebka Wiecznej Nocy trapped in mirthless vigil. Their towns remain quiet as graveyards as they wait for day to come again. What no one knows about this ceaseless night is that the Kler themselves can end it. But they haven’t, and they won’t. Long ago, the Kler banished the sun worshipers, but a heretical sect made the journey back to the land of darkness. Now, only one remains carrying their purpose heavy on her shoulders: a maverick technomancer named Basia. She alone will bring back the light, or no one will. Armed with naught but her own cleverness and a sword imbued with sun-embraced charms, she searches for the Kler’s secrets and finds herself in Tawerna. With the Kler on her heels, she infiltrates a private feast and catches Hanka, a docile bard, in the middle of planning her own escape into the world beyond. Hanka wants nothing to do with the heretical outsider until she discovers that her purpose aligns with the darkness buried inside herself. Hanka knows the secrets the Kler keeps, and she knows just where to go to expose their lies. With only each other and their heretical magic to rely on, Basia and Hanka face the eternal night and wonder, are they truly enough to bring light back to the world? |
|
When a monster hunter's last mission is to capture a wasteland girl, his only chance of survival is to turn the hunt around. Hunt the monsters of the wasteland. Bring them back alive. Retire. Ninety years after the devastating global "Fracture," the biosphere has collapsed. The few remaining cities, once bastions of human survival, have become fortresses of power ruled by ruthless corporations. Axel Mercer, a former soldier, explores the hostile plains to recover organisms for scientific research. But the corporations who run civilization want more. As his last mission, Mercer is sent to recover a specimen that could bring eternal life to the corporate elites. He learns this organism is not a monster, but a teen girl—a wasteland fighter hardened by a life of survival. Her spirit and fierce determination challenge everything Mercer has believed about his job, his future, and his questionable past. In a world where power is worth more than life itself, Mercer must decide which side of the fight he belongs on—and what kind of future is worth fighting for. An action-packed dystopian novel with a simple premise, crazy twists, cruel desires, a pinch of humor, and all the blood and violence of an edge-of-your-seat action movie. |
|
Echoes of the Lost by Spectral Drogo My name is Caleb and I can save the dead. - After extreme headaches, Caleb finds himself back at his family home. With his headaches getting worse, Caleb attempts to get to a hospital but is drawn back to his old high school instead. When he arrives at the school he learns about a series of murders. Upon investigating the building, Caleb witnesses a murder and learns he can pull spirits from the afterlife. But his new skill comes with consequences and his growing need for answers might kill him. - |
|
With great power comes your past incarnations and future self playing chess with your existence. Kylie Rae thought she was an average honors high school student but discovered during a life-threatening incident that she’s the reincarnation of an ancient magic kingdom’s crown princess. Now people she’s never met want her dead, and she must learn how to survive in this new world while maintaining the façade that nothing’s changed. Forget making A’s, how will Kylie survive to the end of the year when she’s constantly looking over her shoulder? Riyati Rebirth is the first book of a new adult/adult contemporary, low dark fantasy series that seeks to explore themes of identity, legacy, the greater good, and finding your own path in life. The Riyati series includes multiple first person perspectives and multiple queer characters (currently including demisexual/romantic and lesbian representation with more to come in future books), set in the modern day United States. |
|
Of Blood and Aether by Harper Hawthorne A rare conduit of Light, drawn to the Shadows. A spymaster who can’t seem to stay away. For as long as she can remember, Arken Asher has been searching for answers—driven by an insatiable hunger, a need to understand the meaning behind her dangerous arcane secrets. She’s finally taken that leap into the unknown, leaving her simple life behind to attend the Arcane Studium: a prestigious college of magickal arts & sciences nestled in the heart of Sophrosyne: the City of the Gods. As the Scouting & Reconnaissance Captain of the Elder Guard, Kieran Vistarii deals in Shadows, blood and subterfuge. Scarred by his past but dedicated to safeguarding Sophrosyne’s future, Kieran’s self-imposed isolation is easily masked by charm and cocksure energy. Strange disappearances have kept his cadre busy as of late, and yet the captain finds himself sidetracked, distracted by the inexplicable allure of a certain golden-eyed Conduit and her curious mind. They both know better than to get involved, but the Fates have other plans. The dark threads of prophecy were woven long ago, and the ties that bind just might be what it takes to mend these broken, star-crossed souls… or what forges a deadly bond that could damn them all. |
|
The world is on the brink of ruin. The Goddess’ chosen must fight back, lest Abomination consume everything. Everything is hurtling towards catastrophe. The Blade is lost. People have died. Abomination is still out there. No one knows what to do… but they have to do something. Without the Blade tying him to the situation, Jamirh feels adrift and forgotten about as the government of Romanii tries to brace itself for what’s coming. Takeshi is still trying to navigate whether or not he wants to be a priest of Hades, but the effects of his encounter with the Truth Seekers are making everything more difficult. Ander blames himself for not foreseeing the events at Tilden Base and has locked himself away in his lab. After centuries of being controlled by the Empire, the Seekers themselves have their own plans – which may or may not align with those of the goddess. But what even is Abomination? What is magic? Why do these two forces find themselves in conflict cycle after cycle, and what does it mean for the mortals who find themselves caught between them? As Abomination begins to gain ground, can anything be done to stop it? Or will the world finally end in ruin? |
|
Pray For Him by Tyler Battaglia A psychic priest is thrown headfirst into a battle of faith and love against the forces of Hell when his dearest friend becomes possessed. Father Isaias Flores may not have much, but he has his faith—and his dear friend Hector to keep him anchored when he is mired in self-doubt. But when Hector’s daughter, Violet, comes to Isaias with concerns that her father is acting strangely, Isaias’s doubts only increase, now with no one to keep him steadfast. For Hector seems to be possessed by something darker than even the traumas of the past, and Violet has nowhere else to turn to save her only family. This is a problem that may require divine intervention—the rites of exorcism. Unsure of his place in the church, doubting his gifts from God, and struggling to make sense of his feelings for the man he had thought was only a friend, Isaias isn’t sure if he is strong enough to save anyone’s soul from damnation. For what can one man do against the torments of Hell? |
|
Where we come from does not define where we go A long time ago, Abomination almost succeeded. A man who had lost everything found something to have faith in. A child of the desert found a Master of Blades in a cold forest far from home. A half-Avari struggling to find a place for himself has his life implode around him. These stories from the past, both distant and near, are collected into this anthology. Nine short stories featuring Hades, Jak, Sukra, Ander, and more offer a glimpse into life at different moments on Gaia. As magic pulses through the world in a spectrum of colors, how will it shape the characters we have come to know in Blades of the Goddess? |
|
The Flowered Blade by Taylor Hubbard Crown Prince, the elf Silvyr Quilen is the family disappointment. His father, High King Keryth Quilen of Athowen, wanted a son to follow in his image. A warlord who rules with no regard for those around him and will do anything to maintain his power, the king finds Silvyr's desire to spend his days in the flowers and libraries to be pathetic and useless. Even so, Silvyr strives to receive his father's approval. On a diplomatic journey to Xeatia, where he was meant to collect taxes and return with a report on their financial situation, Silvyr is suddenly forced to confront the consequences of his fathers actions when the Orcs of Ghizol attack his caravan. Chief Brokil of the Ghizol Orcs has been tasked with leading and protecting his people. For years he sacrificed and waged war to ensure the people who voted for him to lead could live in peace. For that reason, the risk was worth the reward. With the approval of the Ghizol council of Elders, Brokil executes his plan: Kidnap the Prince of Athowen, Silvyr Quilen, and send their ultimatum to the King. Leave Ghizol alone, or have his heir be killed. Keeping Silvyr as his ward, Brokil finds that while the prince was the most annoying person he's ever met, he is also nothing like his father who carries the name Tyrant King. Absolutely bewildered and exhilarated, Silvyr and Brokil are forced to confront themselves and each other while the looming threat of Ghizol's demands hang over them. |
|
Abomination has returned. The Goddess must strike back before all is lost — but are her chosen ready? Jamirh: A thousand years ago, the Avari Hero Ebryn Stormlight saved the world from falling to Abomination, making a bargain with the goddess of death in the process. Ebryn reborn, Jamirh wants very little to do with the bargain his predecessor made with Hades. Still, how much of the choice is his own, when the bionic Abominations of the Empire have attacked him directly in the heart of Romanii? He took up the Crystal Light Blade, and has been learning how to utilize his inherent magic as a Master of Blades, but will it be enough? Or is it too little, too late? Takeshi: Haunted by the ghosts the two women he failed to save, Takeshi is fleeing north, trying to accomplish the last thing Hel told him to do - find Ander. It's all he has left to him, since returning to Ni Fon is no longer an option. But with the threat of more debilitating migraines and the realization that something is wrong with him and his magic, even the safety of Tarvishte may not be enough. Ander: The Abomination has attacked Romanii in its capital city. The Eighth High Priest of the goddess Hades, Ander finds himself with more questions than answers - Will they attack again? How did they reach Tarvishte in the first place? How has the Empire managed to combine tech and magic? Why are they being constructed from Avari? He is also responsible for Takeshi as the potential priest makes his way north. They know Abomination has something to do with Takeshi's condition - but what? |
|
The Stars Want Blood by Morgan Lawson When a summer's wind whips through the spring gardens, when air meets earth, a fate that has long since been written amongst the stars will unfurl itself… There was only so long that anybody could handle living while disregarding every single piece of advice from their psychiatrist, and Hazel Culhane was reaching their breaking point. Hoping to recharge themself enough to handle the challenge of getting better, they tuck themself into a hidden cabin for a week. It wasn’t a bad idea, but they couldn’t have predicted that something would be waiting for them in those woods, something significantly more frightening than their own crumbling sanity… All of the Constellites — the celestial gods borne from the stars of the zodiac constellations — knew what fate had planned for them. It was the same in each generation of them. And as the Virgo god, Ezra Thompson should have been no exception. He doesn’t know why his Gemini counterpart came along so late, or why their newfound divinity doesn’t fit them, but it doesn’t take him very long to figure out that the quirky and unstable Hazel — the Constellite of Geminorum — is still his fate. Fate has given them love, but with it, destruction. Will they be able to rewrite fate and save themselves? Or will they get pulled into the event horizon that fate has waiting for them? ... and it will demand blood. |