SPFBO9 SPFBO Participants
Books entered in the competition of SPFBO beginning May 2023.
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Daughters of Tith by J. Patricia Anderson The kandar are the children of the trees. Powerful. Immutable. Nine hundred eternal beings who need no sleep nor sustenance, created at the beginning of time to guard the nine human Earths. That was never meant to change. The youngest of five sisters, Tchardin is about to be acknowledged as queen of the kandar. She must lead them in their Creator-given Purpose–to guide and inspire the humans–but her people have been exiled to their homeworld for generations. None of them have seen the Earths. Not one of them has met a human. Tchardin can think of no way to end their exile until a strange longing calls her from beyond the shore of their island. Most of her sisters tell her to ignore it, to take her place as queen and focus on the kandar. One suggests she answer it, as it might be the key to finally returning her people to their Purpose. |
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The Lady Jewel Diviner by Rosalie Oaks Diamonds, Death, and Devonshire tea… in a magical Regency England Miss Elinor Avely's proper upbringing cannot prepare her for the tiny, spinster vampire who crashes into her sitting room and demands to be fed with a sheep. Elinor already has enough troubles without having to catch ruminants. First, her secret gift for divining jewels has landed her in scandal, exiling her from London society. Second, a nobleman of dubious repute wants her to find a cache of smuggled jewels, hidden somewhere along the Devon coastline. Last – and worst – she is invited to cream tea at the local manor. And while the autocratic and magnificent Earl of Beresford might be there (and perhaps the jewels themselves too), Beresford is the last person Elinor wants to meet over cream tea. When a dead body is discovered along the cliffs, of course, such delicate considerations become secondary. Fortunately, Elinor now has a small vampiric chaperone – even if said spinster has a habit of appearing stark naked – and together they are ready to risk the hard questions. Where are the jewels hidden? Who killed the smuggler? And just when is the cream tea being served? The Lady Jewel Diviner is the first book in the Lady Diviner series, set in Regency England with generous servings of magic, manners, and romance. |
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The Quavering Air by Simone Snaith All that divides Span from its dark sister world, Avid, are two extraordinary clocks set an hour apart. When a mysterious shapeshifter alters their settings, Avid’s beasts start slipping through rifts in the air, wreaking havoc on the many species of Span. Despite her insecurities and fresh heartbreak, the young human Renna answers a summons by the wise founders known as the Appon, to join a motley crew of champions chosen to save Span from destruction. On a journey riddled with attacks from otherworldly creatures, the team must put aside their prejudices and dark suspicions . . . because they dare not abandon the mission. From the author of Between The Water & The Woods comes a new adventure in a strange world full of magic and wonder, danger and humor, and unexpected romance. |
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In a world of darkness where royal vampires are in charge, I spend my days working as a knight in the city formerly known as London. Instead of a lance and a horse, I rely on my trusty axe, Babe, and ride the occasional dragon. Every day new threats emerge that require a dash of magic and a dollop of attitude. Good thing I have both. Naturally danger comes with the territory. What no one knows is just how dangerous it is for me. If our vampire overlords discover what I am, they’ll execute me on the spot—no questions asked—which is why I avoid them at all costs. Until now. If only this one didn’t have a lethal reputation, a princely pedigree, and a quest that leads to more questions than answers. The heat between us doesn’t help matters. Unfortunately I can’t refuse a royal command, so I’m stuck until the job is complete. And even if the job doesn’t kill me, the truth just might. If you like humor, heart, a kickbutt heroine and an enemies-to-lovers romance, check out Wild Knight, Midnight Empire: The Tower, the first book in a new urban fantasy series. |
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The Werewolf of Whitechapel by Suzannah Rowntree Murder, monsters…and a disreputable Victorian lady’s maid. A killer stalks the grimy streets of Whitechapel—but Scotland Yard seems determined to turn a blind eye. With one look at her best friend's corpse, Liz Sharp already knows the truth: the killer is a werewolf. No one important will hold a werewolf accountable—after all, the monsters rule Europe. Certainly, no one will believe a werewolf victim like Liz: the very scars that make her determined to investigate Sal’s death also condemn her as the sort of female who’d sell her blood for easy money. As it happens, Liz’s best hope for justice might well lie with her emotionally repressed employer, Princess May. Though the princess has connections with werewolf royalty, there’s no one else Liz can turn to. Certainly, she can’t risk trusting the irritatingly personable Inspector Short, who dogs her steps from the slums of Whitechapel to the palaces of St James. But as corpses mount up, Liz discovers that no one is precisely who she thought: not Sal, not herself, and certainly not the werewolf. Luckily, she has a few tricks hidden in the pockets of her trusty bloomers… The first novel of Miss Sharp’s Monsters is a witty historical fantasy adventure, perfect for fans of The Parasol Protectorate or Pride and Prejudice and Zombies! Pick up The Werewolf of Whitechapel and join Miss Sharp on the uncanny streets of Victorian London… |
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Many Savage Moons by Ben Spencer A smartly written contemporary fantasy influenced by the genre-bending styles of David Mitchell, V.E. Schwab, Benjamin Percy, and Lev Grossman. In the space of a single afternoon, Nathaniel falls hard for Winter York, the beguiling, tattooed woman he meets at the local bookstore. She entrances him with her enigmatic sophistication, and the fact that she is avoiding another man only increases his interest. What starts as the perfect day ends in a violent home invasion when the man Winter is avoiding tracks her home. Nathaniel fights him off, sure the worst is over. Winter, however, insists that the man is capable of a strange and twisted magic: once he touches someone, he can write them into dreams, dreams where that person can die. How does Winter know? She is the inspiration for the man’s fantasy book series, and she has seen her friends perish at the stroke of his pen. Many Savage Moons is an unconventional love story full of literary references and haunting tattoos, set in a world where a writer wields fantastical powers over those who inspire his work. Straddling the literary and fantasy realms, Many Savage Moons is a compelling work of fiction. |
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The Bleeding Stone by Joseph John Lee The island nation of Ferranda is the jewel of the Acrarian Kingdom, and its Founder, Aritz a Mata, is revered as a god amongst men. But twenty-five years ago, Aritz was merely a man, a colonizer, an Invader seeking glory and fame in the name of his King and Queen, and Ferranda was a nameless union of indigenous Tribes, reverent of the heightened powers and aptitudes granted to them by their Animal Deities, but sundered by the foreigners claiming their lands to the south. In the unconquered north, the Stone Tribe has for fifteen years offered a safe haven for the southern Tribes displaced by Aritz's Invaders, whose occupying march north has been ostensibly halted by a dense forest barrier dividing north and south. Among the Stone people lives Sen, an outcast for the circumstances of her birth, preserved in society only by her status as daughter of her Tribe's Chief. Forever relegated to the fringes of society, she is forced to watch as countless of her kin, including her sister and brother, complete their rites of passage into adulthood and accordingly earn their aptitudes by the Deity to whom they share an affinity - the Bear, the Wolf, or the Owl. Despite this, Sen finds comfort in her life of forced solitude with her close inner circle, but hers is a comfort in days of waning tenuous peace. When Aritz's technologically-advanced forces push north, Sen is thrust into a singular quest to rescue one of her precious few captured in the ensuing struggle. While her goal is earnest - save someone dear to her and prove her worth to her Tribe - her people's goal is far more dire: survival in the face of uncertainty. |
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For fifteen years, queen-regent Fransica de Veard has ruled Atenia alongside the mysterious sorcerer Niklon. Her gilded citadel built on suffering, brutal knights enact her will, leaving her power unquestioned. Until Haidra sets fire to the fields outside the city. Three wraiths appear in the fiery wake, kicking off a rebellion of bloodshed and magic. Swept by the tide of battle, Haidra embarks upon a path of reckoning and redemption, one that will bring her face to face with Atenia’s sins. “It ends,” cries the burning face in the skies above Atenia, “It ends!” Forces gather, the siege is set, and moment by moment the rebellion against Fransica grows…but what will Haidra uncover when the fires burn out? Hope, damnation, and freedom collide in this scorching novel for fans of A Song of Ice and Fire, Shadows of Mordor, and Chronicles of Amber! |
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Seeds of War by JoĂŁo F. Silva "He ran like the monster he was. And the smoke followed." GIMLORE is a single mother and war veteran turned crime boss set on protecting her family and her town. ORBERESIS is a petty thief pretending to be God to protect a terrible secret. REDNOW is the world's most feared mercenary, but his best days are behind him and there's one job left to do. In a world of dangerous monsters and devastating smoke magic, the seeds of war are being planted. Allies must be treasured and enemies defeated. The Smokesmiths is a gritty epic fantasy series with a harsh world of smoke magic, alien creatures and ancient secrets where characters do their best to come out on top. Peace will not last. |
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The Beauty of Dawn by W.D Seitz A stay-up-all-night tale of love, loss, and friendship: The Beauty of Dawn is a debut classic epic fantasy adventure full of magic, non-stop action, and an unforgettable journey toward redemption.

Nathaniel Kade, a mistrustful thief, has never seen the sun. Centuries ago, it is said that the prophets cursed Ealidor with an eternal midnight. While the realm dreams of the sunlight’s return, Nathaniel uses his unique connection to the darkness to survive. But when he saves a knight of the Faith of Auyn from a spectral ambush, an unlikely mentorship blooms. He is thrust into a gruelling and foreign landscape, where prophets are massacred for their dark magic, and murderous wraiths bleed through the Veil into the land of the living. To save all he has come to love, Nathaniel must join the ranks of those who still believe they can bring back the sunlight. A thief burdened by prophecy.
A dishonoured knight.
A sheltered squire with a secret past.
A runaway prince, afraid of the dark. They hold the fate of Ealidor in their hands—and as the darkness threatens to consume them all, they’re the realm's only hope of returning the dawn. |
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The Many Shades of Midnight by C M Debell A mysterious enemy threatens the continent of Ellasia, spreading a deadly sickness that kills or transforms everything it touches. In desperation, the King of Lankara sends an envoy to his disgraced former military commander, Alyas-Raine Sera, recalling him from exile and begging his aid. But when a discovery links the contagion to the mining of Isyrium, the most precious mineral resource in Ellasia, it pits Alyas against the powerful mining syndicates in a conflict that could have catastrophic consequences. Because the syndicates will fight to defend their wealth and power, even if the cost is everything and everyone else. |
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At the heart of every legend lies a truth. Twisted and reshaped by the currents of time. For twenty years, strategos Dexios has led the phalanx of Thena against its enemies, pulled from one battleground to another in a relentless cycle of war and bloodshed. Now, finally, he has found the courage to leave that life behind. To relinquish his officer’s sword and return to the verdant slopes of his vineyard with his wife and son. Peace, however, is fragile and capricious. When Thena’s northern allies bring word of an enormous tauran horde gathering on their borders, Dexios has no choice but to answer the call to arms one last time. As humans and tauros collide, another evil wakes. Whispered rumours of a clawed creature that stalks the shadowy streets. Of violent murders committed in the name of deities long thought vanquished. To speak their names is heresy. They are the Exiled. The Banished. The Ruined Gods. |
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Darkwind (The Starchaser Saga) by Renee Dugan The Middle Kingdom of Talheim has enjoyed peace for decades. But with the threat of war rising from the ruthless South, the dream of a quiet life is fading. And for the noble but naive Princess Cistine, that means embarking on a dangerous quest to the Northern Kingdom, where she hopes to forge an alliance against their southern foes and save her people. But when Cistine is captured by an outlaw and his band of cutthroat warriors, she finds a more deadly adventure than she bargained for - and a greater power within herself than she ever knew. Swept up in the unpredictable tide of a tenuous and shadowy political climate, a ruthless land governed by the stars, and the unexpected revelations that come from her mysterious new companions, Cistine must learn how to fight, how to lead...and above all, how to trust herself. If the young princess can't be forged into a fighter, then her kingdom will fall. |
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A Song of Sorrow by C. E. Page Keep your head down, stay silent, and never use your magic. These are the rules that Deana has lived by ever since she and her brother lost their parents in a tragic accident. Now Kai is gone as well. He was the only thing keeping her anchored to a world that will never truly accept her. A world that sees her connection to Grandmother Ocean as a curse and her magic as an anomaly that will eventually spin out of her control and destroy everything. When Bran arrived in the Faridean Isles to study the magical affliction plaguing its young prince, he didn’t expect to be thrown into a race to stop a tyrant from unleashing chaos. But when Prince Samir is kidnapped and Deana—the only person who knows the truth about the mysterious shrouded ones—goes missing, he finds himself swept up by the machinations of a centuries-old curse. A curse that when triggered will drag the Isles and all in them into the fathomless deep. |
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Under the Lesser Moon by Shelly Campbell “Dragons once led our people across the wastelands, away from storms, and toward hunting grounds.” That’s what the elders say, but Akrist has squinted at empty skies his whole life. The dragons have abandoned them, and it’s Akrist’s fault. He’s cursed. Like every other firstborn son, he has inherited the sins of his ancestors. In his camp, he’s the only eldest boy left. Something happened to the others. Something terrible. When Akrist befriends Tanar, an eldest boy from another tribe, he discovers the awful truth: they’re being raised as sacrifices to appease the Goddess and win back her dragons. The ritual happens when the dual moons eclipse. Escape is the only option, but Akrist was never taught to hunt or survive the wastelands alone. Time is running out, and he has to do something before the moons touch. |
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The Sparrow and the Oak Tree by Jamie Jackson Unicorns don't exist, and dragons aren't real, but the Fae are. And they are to be feared. Or so the tales say. As the sole sorceress within the Lion King's court and kingdom Isolde is valued for her power, provided she fulfills the king's commands. Her task? Deal with a child who has emerged from a forest no one has returned from in over one hundred years.As Isolde works to fulfill her order, accompanied by her nameless guardian, she'll encounter a creature she's only heard of through myth and legend... When he kidnaps her. |
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A Donkey, A Stablehand & An Empire by David Heyman Will civilisation collapse with a donkey on the throne? Carson Barker certainly doesn’t think so, and quickly appoints himself into the unenviable role of imperial translator. However, it isn’t going to be an easy ride. With assassins, blood-thirsty fishmongers and furious homemakers around every corner, each seeking to be the first to kill the new regent and seize the throne themselves, Carson finds himself squarely in the firing line by association. Little do they know this is no ordinary donkey, and the future of the Empire, possibly even the world, rests on Carson's ability to keep this extraordinary animal alive. Will he manage to save his ass? Find out in the witty and action-packed book one of the Three Crowns series. A Donkey, A Stablehand And An Empire is book 1 in the 9 book saga of the Three Crowns |
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Crucible of Lies by Mitchell Hogan I founded my empire on lies and bloodshed. Thus they are built. Some name me cursed, but I am an immortal emperor. Attend to my tale. If you dare… I was born when the world was a glorious place, but my parents were betrayed and murdered. I was raised by my sister in fear and poverty instead. That was merely the beginning. I lived through untold death and destruction when the old world was shattered, when creations turned against creators, and a new evil rose to assert power. I fought back against the new order, and broke humankind free from the shackles of terror that enslaved them. I discovered secrets beyond the lore of all other sorcerers, knowledge that ensures my people will not lack a shepherd on their long march through eternity. And yet the ungrateful world forgets. Bites the hand that feeds it. Comes for me with armies. Sharpens the assassin’s blade. Do you think that I, immortal emperor, greatest of all sorcerers, guardian of my people, will not meet you with fire, sorcery and steel? |
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The Vale is safety. The Vale is prosperity and protection. Yet the Words of Life themselves state that every young man must leave the safety of the Vale at age sixteen and cross the deadly wasteland that is the Outside. Kaere has lived her whole life within the mountain walls of the Vale, dreaming of somewhere else, anywhere else, dreaming of a future that is anything but being one wife among many to a husband she barely knows.
So when her oldest and dearest friend stumbles back through the mountain pass seven years after he left, battered and bruised, declaring that the Outside is alive, moving, eating places of safety like the Vale, all Kaere can see is a chance at another life, a life Outside the Vale Walls. But when she follows Janzen back Outside — against his wishes — she realises that everything she thought she understood is not as it seems, including her oldest friend. |
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That Which The Deep Heart Knows by RJ Wheldrake Adala Radagorian, innkeeper’s daughter, seems an unlikely pawn in the great game played between those rival gods who contest the fate of the world and whose machinations have influenced the course of human history since time immemorial. Possessed of wit, beauty and an education uncommon in her class, she finds herself bound up in events where the fate of empires lies in the balance. An equally unlikely love imperils the foundation of her world, tears her away from the simple circumstances of her upbringing and thrusts her into the centre stage of imperial politics. In the heart of the Empire of Erenor, the greedy and the unscrupulous plot the destruction of the established order, setting in train momentous events that will shape the course of history. A corrupt and venal emperor, a proud and evil empress, an embittered rival long thought vanquished and a humble slave all play their parts in a great unfolding drama that will shake the empire to its core. Amongst the highest and the lowest in the land, Adala stands at the centre of that drama, one that obliges her to explore the utmost limits of her strength. Through many adventures, trials, successes and disappointments, she learns that the head and the heart may stand at odds, but the voice of the heart is the truest guide at last. |
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Welcome to the Zaragarian Empire. Rada's newborn sister is disfigured and her father has decreed that her fate lies at the Seat of the Gods. Rada knows what that means - he wants her sister dead. To save both her sister and her mother, Rada must find the Emperor and beseech him for help. Rada is six. The Emperor terrifies her, but there is no one else. In a world of intricate politics, rivalries, dissent and revolt; where old gods lay in wait, the fate of two little girls will change the course of an empire. Everything depends on a six-year-old with a slingshot *Rada is set approx 16 years before "Altaica" and forms part of a companion series. |
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Where Madness Lies by Heidi K. Allen "A monstrously good reimagining of mythology in the modern world, Where Madness Lies is a psychological and mystical thrill for fans of the darker side of fantasy. Visceral prose, powerful character bonds, and a deeply original plot make this female-driven adventure a contemporary standout." —Independent Review of Books Her visions foretell darkness…but no one believes. Alex is cursed and miserable. Hospitalized once again for the devastating visions she struggles to control, the lonely mortuary technician longs for her safe and quiet life away from the living. But after befriending a depressed, anorexic waif in her ward, Alex is stunned when the stranger reveals herself as Artemis…the former Greek Goddess of the Hunt. Alex agrees to help her distraught new friend uncover the dangerous force that’s killing her Olympic family. The rest of the ex-gods are deeply shocked to meet her as well—as far as they knew, all the oracles had been wiped out centuries ago. But when the impossibly strong Venetian assassins strike again, a terrified Alex and shattered Artemis must fight to escape a web of immortal family secrets, mysterious cults, and devastating revelations that leave no one unscathed. Where Madness Lies is a captivating contemporary mythological thriller, with strong female protagonists, a hint of romance, page-turning suspense, twists you won't see coming, and a pantheon of delicious characters. Heidi K. Allen’s fresh, stunning debut is simply unputdownable. |
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Forged in the Fallout by Ben Green Clayson Spangler navigates the wreckage of a strange underground world threatened by nuclear magic and his family’s secrets. I turned fourteen a couple of days ago—maybe. Dad keeps the exact date under a mountain of secrets. On a tranquil evening in the Appalachians, my solitary life crashes into Dad's impossible past: a kingdom under the Rocky Mountains; his wife enchanted to forget her own son; strange metal objects filled with magic; and Dad's most dangerous secret—mithrium—a metal strong enough to level cities. Now, Dad is on the run, Mom is on trial for treason, and I'm ordered to hide in the last remaining safehold—Tungsten City. To stay out of danger, I'll need help from my new mentor, Rugnus, a master of the elements, and Andalynn, the sister Dad kept hidden from me. After years of secrets, I won’t stand by as a world of enemies—both known and unknown—threatens to eradicate my family and ignite a war between the last two cities deep under the Rockies in the Kingdom of Rimduum. |
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A floundering priest. A woman in a wheelchair. An ancient curse. On the run from a cursed king and his army of assassins, priest Niels Bosch seeks sanctuary in rural Briscona. What he gets is a barrage of intimate and unsettling questions from his new cantor, Beldenka Nadinov. Questions he can’t risk answering. Accompanied by his friend and bodyguard Mikhandor, and Bel’s protector Leks, the pair set out to challenge the mad king. But Bel has a dark secret of her own – a secret that could endanger the entire mission. When Niels unearths the chilling truth and realises there’s much more at stake than just his life, it’s too late to turn back. He must lift the curse and end Night’s reign forever. |
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A Crack in the World by James Mordechai England, 1994. Villages in Sussex are vanishing into thin air at an alarming rate. Gino Marcotti – the Gran Maestro Occultist, son of the official occultist of the Fascist Italian Regime – is tasked to investigate by the Royal Paranormal Institute in Greenwich. His investigation takes an unexpected turn when he realises that the Black Metal scene, with its recent homicides and arson attacks on Norwegian churches, is connected to these disappearances. But he soon discovers that there are bigger and more malevolent forces at play – and the only way to defeat them is to connect with his dead father. A Crack in the World is a fast-paced Occult Detective novel that plays with paranormal, cosmic horror and dark academia themes. A thrilling race across multidimensional portals for the fans of The X-Files, Twin Peaks and H. P. Lovecraft. |
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The Cataclysm by Aaron Jackson The world has never recovered from the Cataclysm a century ago. Though the fires have died, and the famines ran their course, the scars left behind blur the lines between right and wrong. Caldera, one of the remaining great cities of the world, trembles as the balance of power shifts. Rivals maneuver to take control of the city and will stop at nothing to come out on top. Asher, a mercenary mage, is given a job too big to refuse. He and his companions must navigate the city's landscape of corruption, betrayal, and political upheaval, or it’ll be their heads on the next contract. Short stories and custom illustrations start each chapter, telling tales of the Cataclysm from dozens of cultures and different perspectives. |
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Beautiful Undone by Melissa Polk It’s been nearly ten years since Quade last heard from Victor, his childhood friend and eventual lover. Resigned to a life of work and drudgery, the last thing Quade could have anticipated was an ominous summons from Victor to attend him at his home, Suriyel. With little thought to the consequences of his actions, Quade makes immediate plans to leave the city. After all, no matter the time or distance between them, Quade could never deny Victor anything. Victor, a powerful and reclusive mage, is now the Lord of Suriyel. With all the years he’s spent hiding from the world, he’s no longer able to imagine a life outside the boundaries of his lands. His every moment is devoted to untangling the curse wrapped around his sister, compounding her already failing health. Unbeknownst to the world at large, the tarn at Suriyel acts as a gateway to myriad alternate worlds. That gateway has been breached by Tristan Armoni, a power-hungry duke from another dimension–a duke who happens to be Victor’s mirror image and seeks to control more than just his own world. All that stands between Suriyel and Tristan is Victor’s magic. Without knowing the full extent of Tristan’s goals, Victor is desperate to find a way to save both his world and his sister. For Tristan, no act is too depraved and no step too far. He will stop at nothing to see his mysterious plans through to the end. |
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A Gallery for the Barbarian by Taylor Hartley An untamed barbarian, his undead portraitist, and the city of magic and mirrors. Svinheim: glittering city of the fine arts. Fleshless painter Violetto scouts the streets for his next subject, and finds unexpected inspiration in the beastly Brask of Bannavaria. Hailing from the brutal North, with his immense appetites for gold and glory, Brask is sure to become a sensation in civilized Svinheim—by brush or by axe. As two shadowy and competing cults threaten to engulf the powers that be in the Fine City, will Brask and Violetto achieve the fame and fortune they believe to be so rightfully theirs? At once a callback to episodic, vintage sword-and-sorcery fiction and a dark, queer fairy tale, A Gallery for the Barbarian is Taylor Hartley’s debut work of fantasy and the first in a new series, THE VIOLETTO PAPERS, sure to please fans of Michael Moorcock’s Elric and Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Barbarian. |
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Hack, Slash & Burn by Todd Herzman This is a completed trilogy. The orc apocalypse has arrived. In the small village of Berring, Calder runs the Broken Mug tavern. He was a gifted swordsman, and would have been a war hero if only his side had won. His injured leg tells him his days of fighting are over. When a Dark Portal opens in his village’s main square and orcs stream through it, slaughtering his neighbours and setting everything on fire, it brings with it a second chance. A Soldier of Light appears and grants Calder a Weapon Stone, so he can help fight against the forces of Darkness. His leg is healed. His body pulses with superhuman strength. And he’ll do anything to protect his people. Hack, Slash & Burn is a medieval LitRPG fantasy series with portals to other worlds, different classes, stats, levels and spells. |
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No Heart for a Thief by James Lloyd Dulin We are the stories we tell ourselves...even the lies. The Thief, a great spirit, and her descendants have abused their ability to steal magic for centuries. When Kaylo starts to hear the song of other people’s magic, he must learn to hide from his people as well as the invaders. A gift or a curse, Kaylo may be able to save his people from the Gousht Empire that claimed their land with this stolen magic.

 Eighteen years later, Kaylo still prays to the spirits, but not out of loyalty or love. He knows better than to rely on those selfish bastards for anything. While hiding in the forest from his foolish acts of rebellion, he encounters a girl, Tayen, being pursued by two soldiers of the empire. Against his better judgment, he risks facing the consequences of his past to intervene.

 When Tayen attempts to run off seeking vengeance for her family, he offers to train her to wield her magic and a blade. If he can’t convince her to relinquish her need for vengeance and stave off the demons of his past, he’s going to get them both killed. |
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Warlock of Muscovy by Brien Feathers When words fail, bring out the guns, swords, and death spells. Marina is the daughter of Tsar Alexander the Cruel, the most powerful warlock. She's also a princess of the Court of White Rose. The only problem is that she's mundane—she has no magic. On her sixteenth birthday Marina fled from her father's tsardom to the revolutionist side of Muscovy, and five years later she's doing all right, working as a seamstress in the United Workers' Factory. Despite the political police, the never-ending witch hunt, and her best friend living as an orange cat, she's happy. She gets along with her cottage mates and is even seeing a guy... until the city blows up, she's implied in the sabotage, her guy turns out to be an enemy, her friends are murdered, and an alchemist maniac hunts her down for a blood vendetta. With the Red Army and the Alchemist Federation on her heels, Marina runs back to the Court of White Rose, but when death follows her home she must uncover a prophecy, reconcile with the warlock, and stop an oncoming war. It's a tall order for a seamstress. The first book in the Sun War Trilogy, this intensely dark tale of magic and mayhem is full of grey characters that blur the line between good and evil. Content warning for strong language, graphic violence, and intimate situations. |
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A Rival Most Vial: Potioneering for Love and Profit by R.K. Ashwick Two potion shops, one heated rivalry…until hate bubbles over into something else. Any adventurer worth their sword knows about Ambrose Beake. The proud, quiet half-elf sells the best, and only, potions in the city—until a handsome new shopkeeper named Eli opens another potion shop across the street, throwing Ambrose’s peace and ledgers far off balance. Within weeks, they’re locked in a war of price tags and products—Ambrose’s expertise against Eli’s effortless charm. Toil leads to trouble, the safety gloves come off, and right as their rivalry reaches a boiling point… The mayor commissions them to brew a potion together. The task is as complex as it is lucrative, pushing both men to the limits of their abilities and patience. Yet as the fires burn and cauldrons bubble…they find a different sort of chemistry brewing. |
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Legacy of the Vermillion Blade by Jay Tallsquall Talon Cour-Vermane is not only the sole inheritor of his House’s lands, titles, and political power, but also of the pact his family has forged with darkness through countless generations. From birth, Talon’s father tethered his son’s life to the family’s bloodline and his own ambitions of power, but everything changes when a new blacksmith and his young apprentice, Richen, join the staff at the Cour-Vermane estate. With their fateful meeting, Talon’s life changes course forever, derailing the meticulously laid out existence planned for him. From his family’s estates and the countryside of Eleryon to the extents of the Xallian Empire and the dwarven kingdom of Lymehold, Talon discovers the different aspects of love, true family, and himself as he battles his cursed blood and the shackles to darkness his father bound him with. “I wanted to craft an epic fantasy story featuring the incredible diversity of love and relationships that span the asexual spectrum in my LGBTQIA+ inclusive world. The new continent of Rhymera acts as the backdrop for Talon’s story, and I’ve filled it with a rich tapestry of living characters and unique locations that followers have come to expect from my storytelling.” — Jay Tallsquall An accessible tale of high fantasy adventure for all of those who have yearned for love and felt the heartbreak of its loss, Legacy of the Vermillion Blade is for the hopeful broken-hearted and the broken hopeful-hearted in us all. |
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The First and Last Demon by Hiyodori Meet Char: a once-renowned human warrior, trapped in an abandoned city with a demon who hates her. A demon who woke her from a fifty-year magical slumber specifically for the sake of tormenting her. The demon’s name: Vesper. She and Char go a long, long way back. They used to be partners on the battlefield. National heroes. An unbeatable team bonded by magic. That bond was supposed to last for the rest of their lives. Now Char’s memory is full of holes. The sealed city is full of hostile magical beasts. And Vesper, with her sharp teeth and unpredictable moods, is the most vicious of them all. As an ageless demon, she’s fully prepared to keep holding Char captive forever. Char struggles to unravel the mystery of why they've ended up pitted against each other, locked in a private war that seems certain to end with one or both of them dead. Does Vesper’s senseless cruelty stem from simple demonic bloodlust? From years of suppressed loathing? What else could have driven her past the breaking point—compelled her to suddenly snap and betray her own bondmate? To uncover the truth, Char will have to face her demon as she would any other deadly monster: as an enemy of humanity, the most formidable and vindictive foe she's ever encountered. The First and Last Demon is a dark f/f enemies to lovers story with a heavy emphasis on the enmity—but an indelible slow-burning love at its core. Although it's set in the same contemporary fantasy world as the Clem & Wist series, this novel can be fully enjoyed as a standalone tale. |
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Deathless Beast by Andrew D Meredith Fates intertwine - Pantheon calls - Darkness Grows Far too many blame their own bad luck on Hanen and Rallia Clouw. When opportunity knocks, they leap to put their past behind them. In the turmoil of a holy order fraught with lies, frustration, and heresy, the paladin Jined Brazstein is called to deeper faith. When Katiam takes up a seemingly ageless seed pod from a botanist's desk, she cannot imagine the change it will bring. Life stirs within that seed, the path to deeper faith beckons, profits are made upon the road, darkness moves-a winged, deathless wrath invisible to the gods. For those who seek the heroes path, Fate takes more than bargained for. Hubris breeds a deathless wrath, That always hungers after more. Deathless Beast is Volume One of the Kallattian Saga, the Epic Fantasy series from Andrew D Meredith. |
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A Whisker Behind by W.R. Gingell Searching for redemption in the shifting realm between the human and fae worlds, not-so-reformed fae steward Athelas seems likely instead to find death, dismemberment, and deadly magic… Exiled, excommunicated, and with a bounty on his head, Athelas is lying low in Seoul for exactly one reason: he has a wedding to attend. Whether or not he’s welcome is another matter. Luckily for Athelas, several bodies have turned up with their soft insides gnawed out, whether by magic or Behindkind—and the latest of those bodies is at the very wedding hall he has been staking out. The Behindkind investigators suspect one of Athelas' housemates: YeoWoo, a gumiho with a thirst for revenge and an even greater appetite for soft underbelly than Athelas. To buy herself time, YeoWoo barters alibis with the suspiciously quiet fae sharing her house, but to remain free, she must find the real murderer. By joining the investigation, Athelas has exactly the chance he needs to prove that he is now a repentant, changed, and selfless fae, bent on atoning for former deeds…no matter how many Behindkind and humans he has to cut through to confirm that impression. NOTE: A Whisker Behind is the first book in the Worlds Behind series, a 5-book spin-off from the main "City Between" series which occurs several years after those events. Please read the "City Between" books first for a more thorough appreciation of this spin-off (or do what you want—I'm not your boss. Just be aware that there will be reasonably major spoilers). |
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Crown Prince: Book One of New Blood by W.D. Kilpack III 2024 International Impact Book Award Winner • 2022 The BookFest Award Winner • 2021 International Firebird Book Award The future of Mankind relies on the Guardian of Maarihk. Will his Sight be true? Or will his impure Firstblood prove the ruin of us all? Natharr is Guardian of Maarihk, one of a long line of protectors dating back to the Firstborn Age, before the Aa Conquest. Natharr's is an ancient role, rooted in his Firstblood, giving him Sight to see what is yet to be. He adheres to his sacred duties even in the centuries since the Firstborn were forced to the brink of extinction by the Aa. Natharr still stands guard over all men, Aa or Firstborn, Seeing what will come to pass, deciding what is unavoidable and what is not. He spends decades planning how to save the life of the newborn Crown Prince Vikari so he may one day reclaim the throne of the land where Mankind was created, back in the time when the Olde Gods still walked. "I've been won over by Crown Prince! The world is deeply conceived. The prose is well crafted. The solemn, almost-inhuman Guardian/seer standing guard during a deadly siege as the young queen gives birth makes for a hell of a great start! That weightiness to his character was a key point of interest to me that comes across right from the opening pages, plunging right into the thick of it for a wonderful change of pace. Crown Prince is intriguing, grand, strange, and shadowed by ill-omens. It is Shakespearean." — Tom Mock, author of The Long Nights "A very good book ... [and] a very great read! Natharr is very much tested as he strives to save the life of newborn Crown Prince Vikari. This book reads wonderfully, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know the story. It is full of pulse-pounding adventure and also features great, extensive world-building! Definitely a recommend from me!” — Philip Chase, Ph.D., medievalist and author of The Way of Edan "Author W.D. Kilpack III presents an atmospheric and immersive journey into a richly crafted fantasy world, balancing a strong character-led adventure with a wider web of plots, setting up a highly complex and enjoyable fantasy saga to follow. There’s a clear flair for character, dialogue, and attitude from the start, with Natharr's intense presence affecting all who encounter him and making for some really dynamic clashes. The weightiness of his responsibilities and the depth of the world-building immediately gripped my attention and, as the story unfolded, the way the characters’ attitudes and actions were shaped by the realism of the worldbuilding was totally compelling. This book delivers on every promise, thanks to the swift pacing of the plot, coupled with dark storytelling, strong descriptive skills, and captivating character development that balances emotion with duty well. Overall, I would certainly recommend Crown Prince." — K.C. Finn, author of The Book of Shade for Reader's Favorite |
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The Heron Kings Rampant by Eric Lewis The Vril has changed everything. The kingdom of Greater Argovan stands on the verge of an industrial age ushered in by the mysterious energetic substance. But revolutionary technology brings revolutionary ideas. When Master Alchemist Castamar's apprentice is wounded by a terrorist bomb, he demands answers. Cast's search leads him to the Heron Kings, folk heroes of old thought lost to history and legend. But some legends die hard. Ellyx, the band's thief and forger, joins Cast to hunt the terrorists down and plumb the depths of his past for clues. When they learn that fanatics led by a shadowy Duchess have devised a terrifying variant of Vril that can decimate cities, Cast and the last of the Heron Kings must race to prevent mass destruction. |
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A Crown of Blood by Lincoln Law A bloodthirsty army. A long forgotten god. A power believed lost. Roisin Latenda is a Groundformer Acolyte in training, a person with the ability to manipulate the earth. Long ago—before the people rose up, killed their Gods, and fashioned their corpses into weapons—these powers could move mountains, form cities, shift countries. Now with the Gods dead, the powers are weaker, but humanity controls it. And wrestling power from the gods was always about autonomy. When a powerful army arrives in Roisin’s small village, supported by an unknown god named the Soulmonger, all is sent into chaos. They ravage the village, killing many, and force Roisin to choose between those she loves, and her duty to her Groundformer training. But Roisin’s life isn’t the only one to be horrifically transformed by the Soulmongers’ arrival. Piritta, the political aspirant, will find her drive for power warped in the most terrible way. Bree, the apprentice cartographer, will have to face her past; a past bathed in blood. And Kaori, whose porcelain mask hides many secrets, will seize the vengeance she seeks for a world which wronged her. These four young women find their fates intertwined. If they make the right decisions, three of them may save the world from this new and deadly force. And should they fail, one will destroy it. A dark and epic tale about friendship, power and the cost of war begins in A Crown of Blood, the first book of the Deimachy Trilogy. |
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Crown of Rebellion by Felix Taylor An apprentice healer. An exiled noblewoman. To defy tyranny, they’ll need to even the odds. They’ll need to grow stronger.

Every year, the youth of the North are tested for a Reyad—a magical bond with an animal with the potential to grant immense power. Pirin is ripped away from his village, and from his healer’s duty. As far as he’s concerned, he’ll be tested like everyone else. He doesn’t expect anything to come from it. He certainly doesn’t expect to meet Myraden, a noblewoman whose hunt for revenge draws him into a destructive war.

Desperate to fulfill his mentor’s dying wish and stay alive, Pirin embarks on a quest to earn a power greater than he could have ever imagined. Surrounded by enemies, all odds are against him. Worst of all, he can’t shake the feeling that something is very, very wrong… 

Read if you like: Multiple perspectives Healthy, positive relationships Slow but consistent increases in power A mix of Epic Fantasy and Progression Fantasy plotlines |
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“In a world ruled by the wicked and depraved, sometimes killing is the choice weapon of the righteous.” Prince Eerion Talvios of the Kingdom of Nalg has had an unimaginably privileged life, with every vice known to man available. But after a horrific revelation about his father, King Nyflon Talvios, his entire worldview is shattered. United only by the goal to see Nyflon brought down, Eerion must reluctantly ally himself with a few unlikely comrades, some of whom wouldn’t mind seeing his own death as well as his father’s. But such a task is rarely so easy. Assuming they can survive the bandits and ruffians who wouldn’t hesitate to slit their throats for a loaf of bread, not to mention the companies of soldiers hunting them, can they live with the choices they make? The path to revolution is inevitably stained with blood, but how much is acceptable? And who’s blood? Eerion is determined to stop his father and rule the kingdom with justice and mercy. But he can’t shake the guilt of his past. Are his allies right that he is irredeemable in the eyes of man? And can he ever make up for what he’s done, or will he be forever burdened to live with the sins of his past? |
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The Last Ranger by J.D.L. Rosell Betrayed. Hunted. Left for dead. But not even death itself can keep the last ranger from vengeance. Leiyn “Firebrand” is no stranger to a fight. A brash ranger of the Titan Wilds, she takes up her bow to ward against the colossal spirit creatures known as titans, ever a threat to the colonies she has sworn to protect. But no amount of skill can guard against treachery. When tragedy strikes the rangers’ lodge, Leiyn vows to avenge the fallen. But if she is to succeed, she must embrace a power within her she has long denied. Power to move mountains and rivers. Power over life and death. She did not choose this path, but Leiyn knows her duty. For if she fails, the legacy of the rangers dies with her—and all the Titan Wilds will fall into shadow. The Last Ranger is an epic fantasy tale full of friendship, magic, resilience, vengeance, and wonder. If you enjoy archery, fantasy rangers, and small party adventures, then start this new journey with the first book in the Ranger of the Titan Wilds series. |
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The Vow That Twisted Fate by Katherine D. Graham A world without evil is all Queen Arlena has ever known. But when an ominous pentagram appears in the sky, her innocent days of blissful court life, playing politics with other races, and daydreaming of marrying the stoic elven prince Talen come to an abrupt end. When an eerily familiar phantasm warns her of the imminent collision of a parallel world ruled by an ancient sorceress, Arlena must confront the true nature of not only her own world, but her very existence. Calling a company of legendary dwarven warriors forward into her time, Arlena and her allies must brave a world they are completely unprepared for in order to save their own. Will the naĂŻve Queen and her companions be able to stop the invasion without being forever changed in the process? --The Vow That Twisted Fate is a stand-alone NA (New Adult) Epic Fantasy. This book placed as one of five fantasy finalists in the 2021 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, and is a 5-star rated IndieReader Approved Novel-- |
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The Girl And Her Demon: First Pact by M. X. Walker Cut your palm. Make your pact. Wield your power. Sure, in a deal with a demon there’s always a price to be paid—but it’s not like I have anything to lose. In the wake of my mother’s death, my family has been torn asunder. With my demon by my side I’ll go to Ademmon Academy, learn all I can about magic, and find a way to bring her back. That is, if I can survive my first year. My fellow students are treacherous, and worse still are the Red Glove demon hunters that roam the city. But the secrets and lies of the past are catching up to me. And my demon might have some secrets of its own. A deal with a demon. A deadly magic school. What could possibly go wrong? |
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The Blood-Born Dragon by JC Rycroft A bond she didn’t choose.
A love she can’t escape.
A creature so powerful it bends the limits of time… Smart, sassy, and sanguine, Des Mildue is a traveling sellsword in Rescalin, a dry and dusty kingdom full of rogues, opportunists, and thieves. She keeps her nose clean, brazens it out with a blade when she can’t, and keeps others at arm’s length where they can’t mess up her plans. That is, until a sword fight gone wrong leaves her tied by blood to the first dragon hatched in centuries. Suddenly, Des has to contend with a new voice in her head: haughty, willful Esquidamelion. Des wants to leave Squid by the roadside, but the blood bond has other ideas. With half the world on their tail - including Liv, her beautiful, faithless ex who Des is definitely over - Des must search for answers for why so many are willing to kill, maim and torture to get their hands on Squid. But she’s beginning to suspect her blood bond has tied her not only to a dragon, but to a fight for Rescalin’s future… …and no one else even knows it’s at risk. If you like the kind of story that grabs you by the shirtfront and hauls you through mystery, magic, adventure and betrayal, with a side of sapphic romance, pick up The Blood-Born Dragon, first in a new trilogy from debut author J.C. Rycroft. |
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Notes on Monster Hunting by Chad Retterath The world is filled with creatures that have grown too big or too aggressive. These animals are considered monsters. Skrale's monster hunting company travels without affiliation to any kingdom, undertaking contracts to eliminate creatures that pose a threat to human life. Beatrice journals and records the hunts as part of Fourth Squad. She roams farther from her home into unknown kingdoms and conflicts. |
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Death's Disciple by Emma L. Adams Seven years ago, Captain Yala Palathar was a hero. She and her squad of close-knit dragon-riding warriors were Laria’s elite, fighting for their nation alongside the monarch and his magic-wielding Disciples. Seizing control of an unmanned island should have been a simple mission, but Yala’s squad was little prepared for the horror and tragedy that awaited. Instead of triumph, all Yala and her allies found was death. Years on, Yala lives in seclusion in the deep jungle, ignoring the rumours of unrest in the capital following the end of the war. She little expects assassins to find her hideout - nor does she anticipate the mission that ended her career to have given rise to rumours that see her targeted by mercenaries vying to claim a price on her head. With the other survivors from her squad being picked off one by one, she has little choice but to return to the capital in the hopes of finding answers. Whether the truth lies with the Disciples of the Flame - who refused to believe her stories of the monstrous beasts that haunted the island - or with the long-dead king who sent her squad to their doom, one thing is clear. Yala must finish the battle she started all those years ago… even if it brings her face to face with the god of death Himself. |
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The Deep Space Between by Cassandra Stirling A deep slash crossed out the total population of the “Welcome to Merricott” sign. Underneath it, a new number appeared in white, drips of paint streaking the sign like tears. Forty-two flames extinguished, her mother, father, uncle, and grandfather among them. Seraphina clenched her jaw, wiping away her tears. It was just a town. Her hands clenched into fists on her lap. She forced them to relax. It was just a town. Maybe if she repeated it enough, it’d be true. Seraphina Lastra Covington had never planned to set foot in the Magical Community of Merricott, New Hampshire again. When she reluctantly returns after a twelve-year absence, she finds that the town has changed: the bustling square she once knew is quiet, and a Magic Wielding child has gone missing. It is not until she starts heeding advice from the voice inside of her head that she realizes everything in her childhood home is not as it seems. The Deep Space Between is a character-driven urban fantasy that explores friendship, grief, and identity while unearthing Merricott’s — and the Lastra family’s — deepest secrets. |
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The Missing Piece of History by Niranjana Siva and Archana Sujai Cathy Wilde, a 15-year old girl, leading a normal life suddenly experiences some weird happenings in a day. She is more terrified when two strangers appear in her home out of nowhere. She follows them to a world known as Illusia. Little did she know that her Academy was in grave danger. She and nine of her friends discover the hidden truths behind their history. Tremendous Ten are up to something for which they are not completely prepared yet. Will the ten of them be able to stop the dangers or will they fall prey into the hands of destruction? Read to find out . . . A New World . . . New Academy . . . New Life . . . New Friends . . . New Dangers . . . AWAITS . . . |