SPFBO7 Self-published Fantasy Blog-Off Entries 2021
Entries into Mark Lawrence's Self-published Fantasy Blog-off in 2021 (the 7th year of the contest).
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Dive: Endless Skies by Chris Reign Endless Skies, a reality in a game. For most humans, it represents a second life away from the horrors of a broken Earth. To Eyre, her first full-dive into the fantasy realm is a long shot gamble at finding independence, from her family and her past. Determination, cleverness, and luck get her far enough to pick up a quest from a shady wizard, with the promise to fulfill her deepest desire. The catch: become a lodestone to danger as the quest leads her into dubious salvation at the hands of lethal Guild mercenaries. Caught up now in the calculations of the team’s enigmatic leader, Sworn, she finds herself aiding them on a march to clear their own objective: the Dungeon of Ironcross Depot and its master, an Unaligned warlord feared by the Guilds. As the body count grows and the subterfuge deepens, Eyre is forced to decide how far she is willing to go to become the vision she has for herself. |
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The Demons We See by Krista D. Ball Society was rocked when the Cathedral appointed Allegra, Contessa of Marsina, to negotiate the delicate peace talks between the rebelling mage slaves and the various states. Not only was she a highborn mage, she was a nonbeliever and a vocal objector against the supposed demonic origins of witchcraft. Demons weren’t real, she’d argued, and therefore the subjection of mages was unlawful. That was all before the first assassination attempt. That was before Allegra heard the demonic shrieks. All before everything changed. Now Allegra and her personal guards race to stabilize the peace before the entire known world explodes into war with not just itself, but with the abyss from beyond. So much for demons not being real. |
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Norylska Groans by Michael R Fletcher & Clayton W. Snyder SPFBO7 SPFBO Finalist SPSFC 2024 Norylska Groans... with the weight of her crimes. In a city where winter reigns amid the fires of industry and war, soot and snow conspire to conceal centuries of death and deception. Norylska Groans... and the weight of a leaden sky threatens to crush her people. Katyusha Leonova, desperate to restore her family name, takes a job with Norylska's brutal police force. To support his family, Genndy Antonov finds bloody work with a local crime syndicate. Norylska Groans... with the weight of her dead. As bodies fall, the two discover a foul truth hidden beneath layers of deception and violence: Come the thaw, what was buried will be revealed. |
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Shadows of Ivory by T L Greylock and Bryce O'Connor I burned cities and drowned mountains. I pulled stars from the night sky and scorched the world with their flames. I am the Fisher King, and the grave does not bind me. An academic with a taste for adventure, Eska de Caraval has means and influence, wit and charm... and a knack for acquiring artifacts that may not be hers to claim. But when Eska comes into possession of a strange disc of rune-carved bronze, she finds herself abruptly hunted by all manner of adversaries: an assassin in the shadows, a monster in the deep, a bitter rival burning with vengeance. From sword and fang and flame Eska must defend herself, struggling all the while to unravel the mysteries of a dangerous artifact. An artifact so powerful, a dead tyrant will rise again to wield it. |
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Akiri: Sands of Darkness by Brian D. Anderson & Steven Savile Across the perilous expanse of the Great Valharoth Desert, Akiri and Kyra have journeyed seeking fortune among the rich and mysterious kingdoms of the East. He has turned his back on the gods and their schemes and is determined to create his own destiny. But the gods will not be so easily ignored. And once again, Akiri finds himself caught in their web. In the kingdom of Yagash, an ancient evil has spread over the land like a plague. The Cult of Hajazar, at the command of its dark leader, are seizing the innocent for their blood sacrifices. Now they have set their sights on a young lord whom Akiri has vowed to protect. But there is more at stake than the life of one child. Should Akiri fail, it will herald the return of the old gods…and the end of the world. With naught but his steel and his wits as his ally – and Kyra, of course – Akiri will face an enemy of such colossal power and cunning that the heart of the fiercest warrior would be tested to the full. But he is Akiri. His will is iron. And his courage will never fade. |
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The Exiled: Of Shade and Shadow by Niamh Schmid and Rebecca Schmid The Great War is won… so everyone tells her. But even with her brother now king, Astra Verzaer knows the fight is far from over. When her sudden exile finds her alone in the dreary country of Merimeethia with only the aloof Prince Louko for company, she digs deeper in vain attempts to find proof of her suspicions. Yet Astra is not the only one with secrets, and she soon finds herself swallowed up in a sudden uproar over Merimeethia's throne--an uproar which she believes to be caused by the very person she set out to find. But will anybody believe her? Even if they do, will it be too late? |
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The Darkness That Slept by Tristen Kozinski and Keegan Kozinski The world gathers on a precipice over chaos: In the West, the God-Emperor Cardolyn Tyier broods over his vast conquests and plots the subjugation of all other kingdoms. To the South, the Kalvonder plutocracy continues their bloody entertainments, too invested in small schemes, transient vices and petty ascensions to notice one of their own has a far grander design. From the East, a legion of paladins embarks on a crusade of holy conquest against the secluded Northlands, intent on supplanting the land’s sovereign deity and crushing it beneath their pantheon. But these are children’s squabbles, for a forgotten evil hides behind these conflicts, amassing power and guiding humanity toward the precipice. The world has had many names for it, but men always called it the Muntalabacs: Dread Lords. The Avenar know one has resurfaced. They can feel his quiet footsteps resounding across the world and heralding the renewed conflict between their families. The Avenar are spent, though, and will need whatever help they can find, be it from eccentrics, outcasts or madmen. |
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Djinn Tamer: Starter by A.J. Cerna & Derek Alan Siddoway Tame. Train. Battle. Fans of Pokémon, Digimon, and Monster Rancher love this monster-battling series! Jackson Hunt dreams of becoming a professional monster tamer — to raise magical creatures called Djinn and battle them in the big leagues. Unfortunately for Jackson, dreams and reality don’t always coincide. Facing bank foreclosure, Jackson is desperate to save his family's home. Discovering a young, untrained Djinn is just the chance he's been waiting for. But can Jackson and his Djinn level up fast enough? Taming isn’t as easy as the pros make it look. As time runs out, Jackson delves into the shady world of underground fighting, experiences the agony of defeat and learns what it takes to be a true monster tamer. |
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NACL: Eye of the Storm by Allegra Pescatore & E. Sands Lani should never have trusted any plan that started with the words, "So, I have an idea, but first you need a drink." When a crazy Precog handed Lani the coordinates to a stretch of ocean just off the Salt Spire, she should have thrown them overboard. Going there would be a horrible idea. Lani, though, was a pro at making bad decisions. A not-so-chance encounter with escaped salt slave Adavera launches them on a path to forsake all that they know and dare to take on the cruel Corporation that controls every grain of salt on their planet. With the help of old friends, new friends, and people they are pretty sure might be enemies, Adavera and Lani travel outside the protective reef that keeps the worst of the Storms off the Islands and venture into a world of piracy, astonishing powers, and unexpected love. The odds might be against them, but with a little planning and a lot of brass, this team of misfits intends to do the impossible. They have very little in common, except for two things: They all want to blow the Crystal Corporation into oblivion... And are willing to sacrifice anything to see it done. NACL: Eye of the Storm is a high-octane, non-stop, foul mouthed and steamy roller-coaster of a novel. Grab your favorite bottle of rum and revolutionary spirit, and jump into the ride of a lifetime. |
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Lethal Red Riding Hood by Leonard & Ann Marie Wilson Bloody Scarlet, the skull collector of the Crimson Forest, is just a cautionary tale to keep children from wandering in and getting lost — isn’t she? Well something’s out there. In a world dominated by a cruel Inquisition that sees demons and witches everywhere it turns, Keely just wants to make a dishonest living convincing the obscenely wealthy to part with their excess riches through guile and trickery. When the Inquisition shows up to destroy her life anyway, Keely goes on the offensive rather than scurry back into the shadows. To set it up for a fall she lures the Inquisition into an invented race to find a heretical book of prophecy that may never have existed. When Keely builds her lies on existing rumors, though, and points the hunt in the direction of the Crimson forest, a new player introduces herself to the high stakes con game as a deadly wild card. Whether or not the woman in red is the real Bloody Scarlet, the closer Keely gets to the dark, twisted heart of the forest the more quickly things spiral out of control. |
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The Only Wizard in Town by Heide Goody and Iain Grant A city under siege by a barbarian horde… A band of ruthless mercenaries… A trap-filled dungeon… A situation like this calls for the best wizard in town. What they’ve got is the ONLY wizard in town: Newport Pagnell, oral hygiene specialist. More used to soothing fevered gums and extracting rotten teeth, this dental spellcaster has to perform an operation like never before: extracting a fabled treasure from the jaws of certain doom. This time, he might have bitten off more than he can chew… |
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A Dragon's Chains by Robert Vane Dragons are slaves. Using stolen magic, the human Kingdom of Rolm has risen to power on the backs of the world's most formidable predator, but that is about to change. Bayloo is the first of the free dragons. Born into slavery, his shackled mind has awoken to find a human giving him orders and his race enthralled to an evil king. The world shall now face the rage of dragons. Experience a fearsome struggle of magic and cunning between humans and dragons, where victory will determine the fate of the world. A fantasy epic. |
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The End of the Line by David Nelson Two old World War 2 vets end up in the same hospital, suffering from unusual conditions. In another part of the hospital, a ghost is stalking the corridors. This ghost and the two vets have a past, as one of these men murdered him while he was performing a ritual that had cosmic implications. Now it's time to finish the ritual, and these two men, along with others, are transported back to a secluded beach in Asia, and surrounded by the enemy. |
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Rise of the Tobian Princess by D.L. Gardner Book 1 Sword of Cho Nisi, Rise of the Tobian Princess is a high fantasy romance, between the young princess Erika of Potamia whose goal is to be a warrior and fight against the Vouchsaver's minions until she makes a fatal mistake, costing her everything she's ever hoped to have... ​...and a young man who's thrust upon a throne he never wanted, is pitted against an enemy he never asked for, and falls in love with a woman he is forced to exile. ​But there's a lot more than a love story to Sword of Cho Nisi in this trilogy. ​There are kings, and emperors, castles and river towns, skura, falcons, mountain giants, a dragon, and a wizard who has gained enough power to rule the world but seeks one more treasure... ...to gain immortality at the expense of mankind. |
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Greed by Tim Beeden When Gregory Hoffenbach unearths a valuable stone while ploughing, he believes it could put an end to all his woes. It doesn't. In fact it's just the beginning. Greg heads into the city of Calver with his brother Ralph to try and sell the stone but soon they discover that there are plenty of people in the Kingdom who'd like to own Greg's red stone. Over the next few days, the brothers strike a deal with a prominent crime boss, stumble into a plot to overthrow the King and have a hand in the death of an over-ambitious hay salesman. Fortunately for them, they've got help. Some very useful and very violent help. It seems everyone wants Greg's stone and they'll stop at nothing to get it. Greg? He just wants a new plough. A story about working out what's valuable in life and then trying to take it from someone else. |
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Sword of the Scarred by Jeffrey Hall The price of becoming a legend is more than most are willing to pay. Requiem Balestone is the last of the Scarred, a group of warriors with tremendous power that when wielded leaves cruel wounds upon their skin. After a lifetime of battling monsters, he’s gathered enough scars to become a ruined version of his former self. But before he can lay down his blade, one last mission calls him to battle. A mission that pulls him into the middle of a civil war that threatens to destroy the world. And as both sides close in around him, and a mysterious evil begins to stalk the land, Requiem must decide if he’s willing to sacrifice the rest of himself to become the savior of the realm, or walk away from it for good. |
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IN THE YEARS BEFORE THE CORRUPTION CAME, Murrin Kentle lived in a world where the largest island could be walked across in a day, and humans traded and fished in bladeships made from the bones of the gigantic and bizarre sea monsters patrolling its stormy, bottomless oceans. As a truthkeep of the Brotherhood of the First Mind, it’s been his duty to fight the decay of knowledge with religious fervour. A fervour he has increasingly struggled to maintain. Before the Corruption came, Sheehan hahe Seeheeli was a carefree countess of the Shi’iin. Amphibious and fiercely matriarchal, her people have maintained an uneasy coexistence with the human scholars dominating the islands. Then an emissary of the gods brings news of an impending catastrophe. Now, she and Murrin must embark on a desperate voyage in the hope of salvation, although both the subject of their search and the path they must take remain stubbornly obscure. Before the Corruption came, a wild young man named Coll grew up in a desert town, consumed by rage over what was done to his mother. His thirst for retribution will set in motion a train of events not even the gods could fully have foretold. NOW THE CORRUPTION IS HERE, and nothing in Murrin's world, nor any of the worlds of the Sundered Realm, will ever be the same. By turns touching, humorous, tense and horrific, A Time of Ashes is a thrilling and wildly imaginative tale of existential discovery: the first part of Fate and the Wheel, a beautifully written epic tale of friendship, loss, revenge, war, and survival against crushing odds. |
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In a world still scarred two centuries after a nuclear holocaust, a military academy in an embattled nation has been turning out brilliant officers whose skill in fighting is exceeded only by their devotion to the law of courtesy. Then two of its elite students uncover a secret that has haunted its founder for twenty years. As the building scandal threatens Ryswyck Academy, their friendship becomes an indispensable grace for their community and the linchpin of a perilous solution to their country’s desperate struggle. Lieutenant Stephanie Speir has just won a place in Ryswyck’s junior officer cadre. Her buoyant, balanced joy in combat is shadowed by the illness of her father, a retired intelligence officer and former prisoner of war. In the single-combat arena she faces Lieutenant Walter Douglas, the youngest son of a rural family, and they kindle an unshakable friendship. That friendship becomes their anchor when a security breach reveals to them the dark secret behind General Barklay’s drive to found Ryswyck Academy. Already troubled by Ryswyck’s isolated culture and the problems of translating the ideal of courtesy to modern warfare, Douglas becomes profoundly disturbed by the revelations of Barklay’s past participation in a heinous act. His only confidant is Speir, who up till this moment had been shielded from the details of her father’s experiences as a prisoner in Berenian hands. Barklay’s secret sets Ryswyck’s loving ethos against the context of a brutal war with Ilona’s enemy across the strait, a contrast that only grows starker as the two friends take commissions at an inhospitable island base. Soon Speir and Douglas find themselves drawn not only into the looming threat of scandal, but into the overwhelming prospect of battle, which will put their skill, their courtesy, and their friendship to the ultimate test. |
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The Trials of the Core by Michael E. Thies Destiny calls to them all. Only one can seize it… Prince Hydro Paen longs to escape his disdainful mother. So when the Guardian of the Core announces a contest to become his apprentice, the young man leaps at the invitation to participate. Determined to prove himself and uphold the family legacy, he swears not to fail. Orphaned at a young age, Eirek Mourse doesn’t believe he’ll amount to much, so when an invitation to participate in the Trials arrives, he doesn't know what to do. Under the encouragement and advice of his uncle, he enters. But without any skills in combat, he has no idea how he will survive. Zain Berrese is a haunted man. Convinced he’s responsible for the death of his girlfriend, he longs to make amends by becoming the next Guardian. Hoping to outdo his adopted brother, who is also accepted, he makes a decision that accidentally kills his sibling just before the Trials begin, crushing his spirit. With trials increasingly complex and dangerous, each contestant must face his or her own fears as well as their crafty opponents. And with lives on the line, one of them will make an extraordinary choice… Will one of these would-be heroes find the inner strength and wisdom to emerge a champion before they all perish? The Trials of the Core is the first book in the gripping Guardian of the Core adventure fantasy series. If you like ensemble casts, imaginative worlds, and unpredictable twists, then you’ll love Michael E. Thies’s thrilling tale. |
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The Deathless Ones by Niranjan Will they remain as pawns or take their destiny into their own hands? In the world of Terrin, the Elementals are worshipped, but in the war torn continent of Atoth, in the ruins of an old Empire, the warlord Semil plots to imprison them. All that is missing for success is two people who cannot die. Madh and Sadjah have hidden themselves for as long as they can remember. Their inability to die makes those with power hungry gazes want them. When Madh is discovered by the Elementals, everything changes. Truths have to be faced, and they cannot remain aloof from the world any longer. Trapped in a besieged city with Semil's armies at the gates, and the tentative alliance between the other three warlords the only thing protecting them, Madh and Sadjah realise that even the Elementals have their own agendas. Their only way out is an impossible choice, one that would change the world of Terrin for good and leave it more vulnerable than ever. Sometimes, even a choice is a sacrifice. |
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Emily Lee wants nothing more than to live her life in peace, safe in the comfort of home with her father. But when he falls prey to dark magic, trapping him and countless others in a foreign land, she is forced to take action. Compelled only by the desire to save him, Emily travels to the northern nation of Odelia in search of a means to free her father from his terrible curse. Lehksi Olent works as a private investigator, helping those uncover the truth that is often shrouded by a world of magic and mystery. Together with her brother, Marty, she now travels the Odelian countryside in pursuit of the growing unrest taking place within the heart of a country torn asunder by unseen forces. When their paths converge, Emily and Lehksi’s lives will be forever changed. Two paths, one future. Be it for the good of all, or for a singular desire, the fate of Odelia lies within their choices. And should they prove lacking, the world of Oul might never be the same. To the North is the first novel in The Awakener Duology, an urban fantasy that explores what it means to discover the dark truths of an unforgiving land. It takes place in an alternate reality set in a pre-digital world, one that is governed by magic and corporate influence. Two young women must navigate numerous challenges in order to protect what is important to them, but in doing so they will make discoveries that may drive a wedge between them. |
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For thousands of years, elves and non-humans alike had lived freely until humans colonized their land and forced them into hiding and subjugation. After years of living as slaves or second-class citizens, the elves rebelled, but their uprising failed, and humans remained victorious. Mario Deschamps, a new graduate of the Knight’s College, sets off to complete his first deed, an accomplishment that will grant him knighthood and into the ordo equestris. But he has huge boots to fill. His late father, a famous knight and considered the Scourge of Bandits, single-handedly ended the Elven Uprising. Mario’s youthful confidence, vanity, and naivety don’t get him far in the real world, and he quickly finds himself trapped in a political climate where tensions are on the rise and war is inevitable. In a world filled with monsters, outlaws, bounty hunters, demons, and murderous bandits, Mario is forced to make tough moral decisions. In a world fuelled by violence, hate, and bigotry, things are not as clear cut as he once thought. Lines have been drawn, but to complete his task, he must cross them all. With every choice, the consequences weigh greatly on him, leaving him full of guilt and doubting his path . . . and all the while, in the darkness, someone—or something—is waiting for him to break . . .. A.J. Rettger weaves an epic tale of politics and prejudice, war and depravity, and legacy and destiny in his action-packed debut fantasy Oathbreaker. |
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Hated. Hunted. Hooded. In a land of myths and monsters, 17-year-old Carlette is a slave. Her power of enhabitation, the ability to control animals, makes her useful to the island’s colonial rulers. Convinced she’s on the right side, she spends her life doing their bidding, awaiting the day she gets to leave it all behind and fulfill her purpose in their war across the sea. But when an escaped spy forces her to leave the safety of the road, Carlette is plunged into the wilderness with a handsome enemy by her side, rebels at her back, and only her wits to guide her. Among the giant trees of the magical forest, Carlette will begin to realize her world is much more complicated than she’s been led to believe. Will she learn to see through the lies she was raised on? Will she have the courage to choose heart over duty? And will she do it fast enough to save everyone she loves? For fans of Princess Mononoke and Six of Crows, this dark fantasy is Little Red Riding Hood as you’ve never seen it before. |
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Subversive (Clandestine Magic #1) by Colleen Cowley A wizard. An unwilling assistant. An explosive secret. In an America controlled by wizards and 100 years behind on women's rights, Beatrix Harper counts herself among the resistance—the Women's League for the Prohibition of Magic. Then Peter Blackwell, the only wizard her town has ever produced, unexpectedly returns home and presses her into service as his assistant. Beatrix fears he wants to undermine the League. His real purpose is far more dangerous for them both. Subversive is the first novel in the completed Clandestine Magic trilogy, set in a warped 21st century that will appeal to fans of gaslamp fantasy, strong female characters, slow-burn romance and intrigue. |
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Stranger Back Home by E.L. Haines One day, your father is a renowned diplomat. The next day, he's an infamous terrorist. When Sparrow is summoned to the reading of his father's last will and testament, the most he hoped for was a minor bequest. Instead, he inherited suspicion and accusations from the Empire that his father helped unite. Locked away in a vault are the secrets that will reveal Xavier DuMont's mysterious past and shine a light on Sparrow's future. Perhaps even the future of the entire realm. Of course, these secrets won't be obtained easily. Especially when everyone in this magical world seems so casually racist. Social dynamics in this world were already pretty strange. Somehow, Sparrow makes everything stranger. |
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The Inner Lands: Something Stirs by A.J. Austin For centuries, the mountainous borders of the Inner Lands had kept the monstrous Grinth at bay, and people had finally found peace. But their complacency would be their undoing, for everything was about to change. As their world falls apart around them, an unlikely bond between a young girl, beaten by her father, and a conflicted warrior, haunted by his tragic past, could well seal the fate of all humanity. As they fight for their survival, a final battle looms. But before they can stand a chance against the Grinth, they'll first have to conquer their own pasts. Will friendship and strength prevail? Or will the cunning and cruelty of evil twist the world into turmoil? Nothing is certain in the Inner Lands. When Fallor called a meeting for the entire Hillock village, little did Sill know that it was just the beginning in a series of events that would reshape everything she knew about their small world. The banishing of her abusive father frees her to embark on a journey of her own. One in which she encounters incredible natural wonders like the Moonmirror Peak, mysterious people like Draneth the shaman and his hawk Tamarellin, strange men with stranger eyes; and the mighty Rydan Fort, built into the side of a mountain. It could have been the adventure of her dreams, were it not for the monstrous creatures that pursue her all the way; bringing death, destruction and tragedy to everything and everyone she grows to cherish. The power she kept a secret for so long is too much for her young mind to handle but she'll have to learn how to wield it, and quickly, if she's to survive in this harsh new world. |
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SkyView: Lord of The Wills by M. Sheehan Seven-Centuries, Seven-Heirs. If one holds the world's knowledge, then one can shape its reality. A unique perspective on history and time, SkyView draws readers into a seven-hundred-year struggle between good and evil. Eight family lines are on a quest to discover and control the family's centuries-old accumulation of wealth. William Ward, the twenty-first century heir to this wealth, is tasked with destroying the leader and heir of the evil line and ending the malice that has been thrust upon the world. Guided by his uncle and protected by the six others with claims to the fortune, he embarks on a geographical and historical journey that reveals secrets, manipulations, and unbelievable connections. From the vantage point of SkyView, a jet with an Augmented Reality window and the capacity to digitally project history onto the landscape as it happened, William and his team desperately try to follow the fortune. A brilliant combination of science fiction, historical fiction, action and adventure, and mystery, SkyView is a unique reading experience that will keep readers turning the pages. |
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The Mist Keeper's Apprentice by E.S. Barrison Storytelling was outlawed. Magic had all but vanished. That all changed when the woman in black came to town. Branded with the black stamp at a young age, Brent thought he would end up a vagrant like his father. His craft was telling stories, but the Order had long forbidden any weaving of tales. When Brent sees the woman in black, she leads him into a menagerie of tunnels beneath the earth where his life falls into the nauseating, but beautiful, mist of the dead. He finds friendship in Rho, a young woman who hides her face with a tree branch while roots and vines bow to her every whim. Together, they embark on a journey to explore the world, escape the watchful eyes of the Order, and discover the woman in black's secrets. For thousands of years, the mist and the tunnels were under the sole guardianship of the Council of Mist Keepers. But as new monsters enter the mist, and magic is forced out of the shadows, the Council searches for young blood to join their ranks and Brent's next in line. Content Warning: This book approaches issues of sexism, prejudice, and mental illness, and includes mentions of death, violence/sexual assault, adult language, alcohol use, and psychological abuse/trauma. |
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People say that if Charlie Pratt had a penny for every blunder, he'd fill his pockets and then misplace his trousers. When Charlie tries to learn more about Dalia Addair, the peculiar girl who lives in the haunted manor on the edge of town, he accidentally slots himself into her magical trial—a trial that she has spent her whole life preparing for; he gets a day. But something's wrong; the trial is unleashing monsters that haven't been seen for centuries, and powerful forces are determined to stop them at any cost. Without knowing whom they can trust, Dalia and Charlie must work together to survive, and finish the trials, if they don't strangle each other first. Quirky, fast-paced, and brimming with action, Fableman is a middle-grade fantasy adventure that proves how even the most unlikely of heroes will step forward... when there's a ten-foot troll screaming after him. |
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Old Cold Cannibal by Todd Maternowski 1849. Two men —professional con artists on the run— cross the dangerous deserts and plains of Texas and New Mexico, on a quest to find and slay a Dragon that has laid waste to the countryside. |
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The Dividing: The Adamic Trilogy Book 1 by Devin Downing Adamic is the language of the Gods. When spoken, it has the power to create worlds, to raise the dead, to make man as God. Fortunately, no one has spoken it in thousands of years. The only remnants are the written spells. The people of Cavernum depend on these spells. They’re etched into the city walls, fending off the feeders—deadly creatures with a thirst for human blood. They kill and consume any caught beyond the walls. Yet for the lower class, Cavernum isn’t much safer. Children starve, and illness runs rampant. In an effort to maintain order, all children turning 18 are subject to The Dividing—a city-wide competition for the highest paying guilds. Those who aren’t accepted are sent to the fields, condemned to a life of slave-labor. Princess Roselyn Malik has trained her entire life for The Dividing. She’s guaranteed a spot in the royal orchestra, but equalist rebels threaten her throne. To secure her crown, Rose must acquire the power and prestige associated with the guard. Only guardsmen have access to the amulets—powerful weapons that grant dominion over the elements. Meanwhile, in Colorado, Matt will do anything to help his terminally-ill adoptive mother. For now, that means poaching to pay the bills. Until one day, Matt is attacked by a feeder and plunged into the world of Cavernum. There too, Matt is drawn to the guard, in search of a magic strong enough to save his mother. But danger lurks beyond the walls, and Cavernum won’t be safe for long. |
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The Tryphon Odyssey by S.D. Howarth The world of Sanctuary is not a kind place. Many races have fled there across the ages. Fewer still have survived and flourished—or survived. Humankind is the most recent to seek refuge, and the most cataclysmic. Since their arrival within the city-state of Atlantis, the embassies and tribes of man have formed new nations across several continents. Their misuse of magic in a prior age turned the seas acidic and drove their ancient Gods mad. The great contradiction of the current age is that it is only with magic that sailing ships like warship Tryphon criss-cross the oceans to protect trade routes. Navigator Edouard Van Reiver departs from shipboard routine and petty politics when he stops Tryphon against age-old superstitions to rescue two survivors, inviting aboard blood, fire and death. Sunjammer Gabriel Dagmar squanders his precocious talents through daily tedium to hide from the more terrifying depths of magic. Lady Carla's escort mission is in tatters, and needing rescue from the acidic sea is the least of several concerns. Coxswain Grimm will need every one of his decades of experience to keep the Tryphon men alive, the officers on course, and quell the threat within spilling over. No good deed goes unpunished. Events require they assume new roles to fight an unknown assailant, as their anti-pirate patrol mission veers into the unknown. They will need skill, luck, or a hint that the Gods of Sanctuary still exist to rebalance the scales of a power play that could tear asunder the fragile balance the World of Sanctuary teeters upon. Can they hold the line and do their duty, or fail and doom their Spires Kingdom? |
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I Kill Monsters by Dennis Liggio The Nowak Brothers Mikkel and Szandor kill monsters. So what if they're making it up as they're going along? How much do you need to know to bash in a zombie's head with a lead pipe or slice a ghoul with an internet-bought katana? They may in fact have no clue what they're doing. But if you need someone to go down into the sewers to clear out some monsters, figure out why everyone in your neighborhood is getting bitten, or if you swear you really saw a zombie and you don't know who to call, then call them. They'll show up in their van of makeshift weapons, gear, and cleaning supplies to investigate your problem. They may be twenty-somethings with their own issues, but when it comes to monsters they know what they're doing. They probably have no clue what they're doing. That has never stopped them before. Hired by a woman from the rich side of town who believes she's being stalked by monsters, the two brothers think they've finally gotten an easy job that will pay well. But as they follow the clues, nothing adds up. Kidnappings, jackbooted commandos, and mysterious emails are just the beginning. Soon they find themselves involved in something bigger than monsters. It's anybody's guess whether they'll come through it alive, much less get paid. |
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Mage Family by John Ross Elliott The witches finally have their own realm, but who is prepared for what comes next. As a new generation comes to find the scars of those before them. Where do the Mages fit in. Edyone, Ellah and Ellysse will use all the skills to undo the legacy of their ancestor the Wicked Witch of the North. |
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A Drowned Kingdom by P.L. Stuart Once Second Prince of the mightiest kingdom in the known world, Othrun now leads the last survivors of his exiled people into an uncertain future far across the Shimmering Sea from their ancestral home, now lost beneath the waves. With his Single God binding his knights to chivalric oaths, intent on wiping out idolatry and pagan worship, they will have to carve out a new kingdom on this mysterious continent―a continent that has for centuries been ravaged by warlords competing for supremacy and mages channeling the mystic powers of the elements―and unite the continent under godly rule. With a troubled past, a cursed sword, and a mysterious spirit guiding him, Othrun means to be that ruler, and conquer all. But with kingdoms fated on the edge of spears, alliances and pagan magic, betrayal, doubt, and dangers await him at every turn. Othrun will be forced to confront the truths of all he believes in on his journey to become a king, and a legend. When one kingdom drowns, a new one must rise in its place. So begins the saga of that kingdom, and the man who would rule it all. |
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Melody's mum made a bargain with the Fae twenty years ago, but she's the one who ends up paying for it. Somehow she has to survive nearly a year in the realms of the Fae, until her eighteenth birthday, without getting more entangled in their world and unable to ever leave it. The Fae can be vindictive, manipulative and retaliate at the smallest slight, often using your greatest fears against you. Melody needs to make sure they never learn how terrified she is of spiders, particularly when helping a Fae knight brings her to the attention of his enemies, the arachnid people. This story was written by an Australian author using Australian spelling. |
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Amulet of Wishes by Rita A. Rubin The Guardians are the protectors of Aloseria. They are the keepers of the peace and they have a unique ability-they can turn into dragons. Derek Draco is one of them. Haunted by the memories of his past, Derek comes across a piece of a mythical amulet, said to hold the power to grant wishes once all three pieces are brought together. Seeing an opportunity to right the wrongs of his past, Derek sets out on a journey to find the rest of the amulet, along with his friends, Jared and Arabelle. However, Derek is unaware of the true power of the amulet and using it to fulfil his seemingly innocent wish could have disastrous consequences. |
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Banished from his homeland, a warrior of the Northern Clans grows weary of life in a harsh alien land. With the dark god Morrigu haunting his dreams, the warrior and champion Culainn journeys north in search of a merchant's daughter abducted by clansmen. With a desert princess as a companion he will travel through a land baked by a scorching sun, where bandits roam free and dark beasts stalk the night. An ancient evil is rising from the desert. A Benouin myth of a ghost city inhabited by the souls of their ancestors, a bridge to the Underworld is unleashing demonic creatures on an unsuspecting world. Culainn and Persha, warrior and mage, stand alone against a tide of darkness. All the while the dark war god of the north seeks to use Culainn as her own tool, her own champion. |
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Bridget Jones meets Downton in this acclaimed new fantasy. Book 1 of a new series! A modern girl. A door to the past. No way back. Sophie Arundel is stranded in history, stuck in a grand house in 1925 England. Thankfully, she has her faithful dog Charlotte with her. Oh, and fellow student Hugo, annoying and charming in equal measure. Baffled by upper-class rules, courted by boring suitors, Sophie is desperate to get back to the twenty-first century. But the only way home is through a hidden portal — and she must work with Hugo to unlock its secrets. As one clue leads to another, Sophie and Hugo discover that history is unfolding differently. Mobs rule the streets. And when chaos turns into a deadly revolution, anyone in a grand house is fair game. Sophie and Hugo are running out of time… |
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On the wild planet of Talamh, humanity thrived... ...until the alien Alfur conquered their world. Now, defeated and broken, humanity serves their immortal overlords. And pleads to the stars for a hero. Rydian Holt is nothing, nobody. Just another human from the streets of Talamh. Or at least, that’s what he thinks—until his mother is caught up in a fledgling resistance group. Branded a traitor and sentenced to fight in the arena, now Rydian must face hardened gladiators in single combat. To survive and advance through the ranks, he’ll need the help of an enigmatic weapons master—and more than a little luck. But after a lifetime of servitude, survival is no longer enough for Rydian. He seeks a way to fight back— not just against his fellow gladiators, but against the Alfur themselves. If Rydian can uncover their greatest secret—the truth about the mysterious Light that powers their world—he might just win his freedom. |
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UNJU - The Jump by Gleneley Liesl Stander How far would you go, and what would you sacrifice for those you love? In a setting where the multi-verse is real, and travel between them can be manipulated, Katherine and Ethan must learn to navigate to these alternate realities to try to save their dying planet. Humanity is on a countdown towards extinction as climate change, pollution, and radiation have gone unchecked for decades, and it has taken its inevitable toll on their Earth-like planet and all of its inhabitants. The air has become unbreathable, the water undrinkable and mutants in all species have emerged. Trained since they were children to connect with their genetic doubles they work for the corrupt rulers of their planet, the First Family, in the Jump Unit. Katherine and Ethan face many dangers within the multi-verses and the outside world where they uncover secrets that the First Family would rather have remain hidden. |
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The Lantern-Lit City by Vista McDowall Ultimate evil is simple to denounce...unless that evil lives in you. Cara is a monster. Inside her dwells a creature akin to the undead prowlers that roam the kingdom. When a mysterious man kidnaps her lady, Cara ties her identity to the quest to free her. If she succeeds in the rescue, it will prove that she's not evil. But danger lurks along the way to the fabled city Riverfen. Cara’s inner beast is a benefit and a curse, saving her life and endangering her in turn. As she gives into it more and more, Cara fears what such a bonding will produce. As Cara battles her inner self, Princess Gwen hides her forbidden sorcery from the world. After being forced to flee her home by an anti-magic Inquisition, Gwen finally has the chance to pursue her enchantments. But her spellcasting provokes the very man whom Cara pursues. Each woman’s power could free her...or doom the lantern-lit city. This epic fantasy by Vista McDowall is for those who love courtly intrigue balanced by violence, complex magic systems, a lush new world, and diverse characters. |
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Oh Wretched Moon by Kate Ramsey They were never supposed to meet. Stolen at birth and brought up underground, Luna knows nothing but darkness and isolation. When disaster drives her out of the only home she knows, she stumbles into a world of wonders. But monstrous creatures lurk in corridors—and then there’s the mysterious stranger who disappears when danger strikes. Raised by a witch, Aethon has been taught to worship strength and fear nothing. When a hunting expedition keeps him out past curfew, he finally encounters a threat his courage cannot face. With the help of a strange girl he survives the harrowing night, but his life has already begun to crumble. As opposite worlds collide, they will need to rely upon each other to find freedom. But which is more dangerous: captivity or escape? In Oh Wretched Moon, Kate Ramsey puts a new spin on a beloved fairy tale about power, love, and moonlight. If you love stories about dangerous magic, courageous women, and daring escapes, you’ll love this spellbinding fantasy. |
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The Eighth Stone by Bruce Pedersen Lara, a princess still devastated by the loss of her mother; Jethro, an apprentice to a failed painter; Arlan, a warrior barely out of training. Only these three can stand in the way of the dark forces now loose in the Lands of the Faith. Only they can prevent a plot by Lord Draxta of Fornea to find the secret keys that will unlock powers from the past that should have remained buried forever. They must travel eastwards from their homeland Maltia across the other lands, in a race to find the last key before Draxta and the mysterious priest who never leaves his side. There will be a final deadly clash at Hazrakeel, the ice castle in the middle of the desert, where the last key can be found and the gate to the dominion of death can be opened. But none who enter through the gate can return without sacrificing the life of another. |
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College of Shadows by Mark Wells Cambridge is home to the brightest minds… and the deadliest monsters. Can Nick and Annabel banish the beast before freshman year becomes their last? Newly arrived Nick feels out of place at university. The hallowed halls of Cambridge seem impossibly huge and far beyond the mining town of his youth. But Nick has much more than fitting in to fear when he's attacked by a creature straight out of his worst nightmares… Emotionally scarred by the sudden death of her parents, Annabel buries her feelings deep in her studies. But when her new friends nearly fall prey to a monstrous beast that shouldn't exist, she's terrified that her bad luck could bring their demise. As Nick and Annabel plan to trap the creature, they stumble upon a long-held Cambridge secret. And the otherworldly truth is less pass-fail than do-or-die. If you like haunted heroes, unspeakable horrors, and parallel worlds, then you'll love Mark Wells's atmospheric fantasy series, Cambridge Gothic. |
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The Shadows of Dust by Alec Hutson The Streams bind together the vast reaches of the stellar tributary, plied by brave streamsurfers and their telepathic starbeasts. Some of these adventurers are heroes. Some are rogues. And some just want to return from the void with their bodies and minds unbroken . . . Kerin thon Talisien is the heir to a legendary name. When he was a young boy, his grandfather swooped down from the stars and rescued him from the slums of his homeworld. But with the death of the infamous old streamsurfer, Kerin and his crew have fallen on hard times, exiled from the Starfarers Guild and forced to take on risky contracts in the shadowy margins of the stellar tributary. A strange encounter in a glimmer den offers a chance at redemption and glory . . . but the stakes are high, with the fate of the Known potentially hanging in the balance. |
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Eternal Defenders by Tomas K. Grizzly For generations, the blessed warriors and magi of the Order of Eternal Defenders had fought to defend their lands from the endless hordes of demons. The legendary warrior Kraasian Darkwood has lost friends and family to the demons. When Tyr’eshal, his twenty-year-old son, accepts the offer to wield an almost forgotten power, Kraasian realizes there might never be a better chance to defeat the demons forever. But the resurgence of an underestimated foe with their eyes set on Tyr’eshal, and the challenges of waging a war with just a few Eternal Defenders will test Kraasian and his hope. More so when the cost of victory might be higher than he anticipated. |
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Found as a child by the war-hungry tribe of the Grey Crow, Radok has forged himself a legend as the mighty Wolfeater; a warrior feared by all. Yet even legends can die, and when he finds himself inflicted with a fatal disease, Radok sets out on a quest to face his gods and ask them the one question only gods can answer: what was the meaning of it all? With him goes Nyana, the blind eight-year-old girl long held in his care, who has her own question for the gods: what next? They are hunted by friends and enemies alike, some desperate to preserve the natural balance of things, others hungry for revenge. Against them are set a pack of savage cannibals, a blood-thirsty monster, and the servant of a raging god. But if the pair can do the impossible, if they can touch the Blackstone, it could change the destiny of their people… and with it, the fate of the world. |
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Casting in Stone by Morgan Smith They said ill winds blew at her back. They said she was cursed: a hex, and a jinx. And it was true: everywhere she went, no matter what she did, misfortune seemed to follow in her wake. But that, of course, wasn’t the worst of it. The evil that seemed to track Caoimhe throughout her life had caused many tragedies. She fled her old life, trying to lose herself in anonymity , but the unholy circumstances of her birth, and the machinations of those who sought to use her existence to further their own schemes followed her still. Can she overcome a long-dead evil and finally be free? |
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Deliverance of the Blessed by A B Endacott Like all Blessed in the First Country, Kaylene is kept behind the stone walls of the Sanctuary to ensure the protection of others. Life has not been unbearable, though. She has found friends - and in Luka, even love. Then Luka dies in a terrible accident and Kaylene's entire world falls apart. Life itself seems devoid of any hope until a chance encounter with a stranger gives Kaylene a purpose that sets her and her friends on a path that challenges everything she's believed: to reach beyond death itself and bring him back. A standalone book in the Legends of the Godskissed Continent world, Deliverance of the Blessed weaves a tale of loss, longing, and encountering the unexpected, which builds to a thrilling conclusion. |