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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Order of the Magi by Christopher Scott Cantus dreams of glory in magical combat. He should have ample opportunities to win fame by hunting down rogue spellcasters for the Order of the Magi. But when a seemingly simple mission leaves him permanently disabled, he must journey to the center of the Auduwyn Empire to track down the errant mage who can heal him before his magic disappears entirely. To make matters worse, he soon discovers a growing threat that challenges the very fabric of the Order and the lasting peace it has established. A story about hubris, fear, and the occasional fireball, the self-contained novel Order of the Magi transports readers into a world where magic only complicates matters and glory comes at a grisly cost. |
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Death by Miracle by Fowler Brown All persons shall be equal before the law, regardless of divine heritage or status of godhood. That’s the idea, anyway. Detective Sophia Akerele deals with the worst of divinity. Instead of chattering on social media about Apollo’s latest pop song, she’s tracing magical weapons to local gangs… until she takes a fireball to the chest. She expects an afterlife, not a job offer from an international law enforcement agency. The Furies give her a chance to finally make a difference—to return to life with the power needed to tackle the worst supernatural crimes. Her first assignment: Egypt, where a divine bomb throws her hometown into chaos. Sophia works alongside her cynical new partner, the local police, and an adventurous demigoddess with a doctoral degree in thaumaturgy. But that may not be enough, as she confronts organized crime, sinister gods, and, worst of all, the family she had to leave behind. Eliott Dunstan on Reedsy Discovery: "Queer representation, expertly-researched myth and history, and a compelling, morally complex plot driven and populated by badass women! … If you like mythic and/or urban fantasy, worldbuilding that actively works against colonialism, and imaginative takes on modern gods, pick up Death by Miracle. You won't regret it." |
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Daughter of Flood and Fury by Levi Jacobs Aletheia was born a heresy: a girl with a man’s magic, in a city where monks and witches are mortal enemies. Training in her powers only under her father’s protection, head of the monastery, she shocks everyone by becoming the best seer in generations. Until her father is murdered. A suicide, they call it, but she knows the truth: he was murdered for his heresy. For her. Now she must make a harrowing choice: disown everything her father stood for to stay alive, or flee the temple and seek to expose his killers, even as they hunt her down. Daughter of Flood and Fury is the gripping first book in the Tidecaller Chronicles. If you like strong female leads, clever magic and page-turning action, then you’ll love Levi Jacobs’ epic fantasy adventure. Buy it today and find out if the girl born a heresy will live to be a hero. |
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Dani Norris found him: the dead guy. She was on her way home from her job in the PATH, the huge underground mall in downtown Toronto that connects hundreds of office towers, so it wasn’t like he’d been there long. Even though he looked like he had. After that weird things kept happening. Ro Parks from Sentinel Security seemed to have some answers but Dani didn’t want answers. She just wanted things to get back to normal. But they didn’t: things just kept getting weirder. And more dangerous. And weirdest of all? It seems that only Dani can make things normal again. She hopes. |
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Flames of Rebellion by Aaron S. Jones A dying world. A broken mage. An oppressed people. The world of Takaara is about to change but are the people ready for it? A young, nomadic mage, Arden Leifhand, journeys across the harsh Borderlands searching for his place is the world. Taken in by a tribe of warriors, Arden discovers there may be more to him than the bullied outcast he had always thought he was. Meanwhile, south of the Borderlands, Katerina Kane is thrust back into her old life of solving crime in Archania as she searches for the murderer of her lover. Archania has changed since she last worked a case and The Empire of Light is tightening its grip on the land. Through it all, rebellion is stirs with the downtrodden citizens as the land teeters on the edge of war. |
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A Handful of Souls by Stephen Rice Book One from The Split Sea Mud, gold and lies. That’s all you get in Branera. You’ll find no better expert on these things than Lily Kale-Tollworth. Yet she has no clue of the events already in motion around her. WEEKS AGO, a murderer with a bleeding grin was released from the Mountain Head. Lily doesn’t know this pale-skinned giant has been writing to her. She doesn’t even know he’s coming to find her. But as her father, Husker Tollworth feels like it’s his right. DAYS AGO, a tax patrol was slaughtered. Lily doesn’t know her brother’s corpse was pulled from a ditch, stolen by a man who can raise the dead. Lark Kale-Tollworth will follow this bizarre scholar to the Southlands. He will forget how many times he’s died. HOURS AGO, an informant showed Lily’s stepfather an incriminating note. Branera has taxed its villages too hard. An uprising is massing in the Northlands – and they have a noose with Josef Kale’s name on it. At this very moment, Josef is frantically packing their coach, while Lily is drinking whisky in a brothel. She’s met the arrogant idiot who will be their guide south. She doesn’t know he has a hollow soul, filled with thousands of spirits. She doesn’t know his mouth is filled with as many lies. But if there are three things Lily’s good at, it’s mud, gold and lies. ~ ~~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~ ~~ ~ Bringing a bright, messy twist to the gritty fantasy genre, fans of Scott Lynch and Terry Pratchett will feel right at home with A HANDFUL OF SOULS, the first of the Split Sea Novels. |
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The Nameless and the Fallen by Scott Kaelen 18+ (Contains scenes which some readers may find disturbing or offensive.) Widespread madness, rampaging monsters and the reckless choices of monarchs all stem from a pall that has descended upon Verragos. In the midst of chaos and looming war, disparate travellers confront their own nightmares as they become embroiled in the fray of nations. Their best hope is the exposure of incredible truths from an ancient facade of lies, but is civilisation ready to pay the high cost of survival? The Outcast: Wren, exiled from his home in the icy north as a scapegoat for a horrific massacre, begins to suspect that an insidious influence is behind the growing slew of psychotic events. To uncover the source of the threat, he must enlist the help of an old and distant friend – the only living entity aware of his bitter and brutal past. The Freeblade: Oriken, a beleaguered sellsword, narrowly escapes death by the intervention of a mysterious woman. In gratitude for her timely arrival, he vows to help her vanquish her demons of a lost identity and a burning urge to find the owner of the one name she remembers. Haunted by the echo of a dead friend, he ventures into foreign and hostile climes and soon comes to realise that a dangerous identity may lurk beneath the trauma of the stranger at his side. |
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The Ninth Scripture by D Wolfsbane Wishing Shelf Book Awards Finalist (teen category) B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree *** Cuest is a world at war, where men are conscripted when they come of age and women are sent to nurtures to birth more soldiers to replace those they bury. At the orphanage of Sector Six, Zecaar, a hopeful pessimist, is saved from her numbing fate and taken to Talcom Academy because she has something the others do not—she has the talent. As she cultivates her telepathic and telekinetic abilities amid sanctioned fights, discrimination, hidden agendas, and desperate acts, events spin out of control until Zecaar begins to ask herself—is this where I truly belong? The Hunt is the first installment in The Ninth Scripture trilogy and is a fast-paced adventure of one teenager’s journey to find meaning in a world gone mad, where choice challenges fate, perception eclipses truth, and the twisting path is haunted by the ghosts it creates. |
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Torak DragonSon by Rick Dietrich Torak, a young servant, lives a mundane life in the weapons academy catering to the needs of swordsmen and nobility. That life is irrevocably changed when his father's identity as a dragon is revealed in dramatic fashion. Torak is forced to leave his servant's life and fight not only for his own survival but for the survival of all the races in the lands. |
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Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar SPFBO7 Indie Recs Indie SPFBO Finalist Follow the law and you’ll stay safe. But what if the law is wrong? Tashué’s faith in the law is beginning to crack. Three years ago, he stood by when the Authority condemned Jason to the brutality of the Rift for non-compliance. When Tashué’s son refused to register as tainted, the laws had to be upheld. He’d never doubted his job as a Regulation Officer before, but three years of watching your son wither away can break down even the strongest convictions. Then a dead girl washed up on the bank of the Brightwash, tattooed and mutilated. Where had she come from? Who would tattoo a child? Was it the same person who killed her? Why was he the only one who cared? Will Tashué be able to stand against everything he thought he believed in to get the answers he’s looking for? |
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From Chaos Comes Order by Jimi Rodriguez Surviving in a school of magic and murder is not easy! Jacob Titus is a forgotten boy from Eslor Island. With an absent father and a mother who battles Alzheimer's disease, Jacob has long learned to care for himself. When he is discovered by a magical talent hunter, Jacob makes the difficult choice to leave his home and enter the Valcrest School for the Promised. As his school years go by, Jacob has to spend as much time trying to stay alive as he does finding a cure for his mother. As violence and blood lust at the school escalate, Jacob must learn to figure out who he can trust. All he wanted was to save his mother. Now he must save himself. |
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Truth and Other Lies by Lyra Wolf Nothing is trickier than the truth. All Loki the trickster god of Asgard wants is a quiet, peaceful life where he’s free to needle Balder, occasionally stir up the inter-realm porridge pot, and get Thor to dress in women’s garments (for all the best reasons). Getting beset by sudden, painful, and terribly inconvenient visions of blood, ash, and death are definitely not on his to-do list. But, because of some small, ridiculous remnant of caring that refuses to be extinguished, Loki feels he must save Asgard...and that means warning Odin, his least favorite god (next to Thor). But getting the gods to believe the boy who cried Fenrir is harder than it looks, and time is running out, not just for Asgard, but also for a mortal woman named Sigyn who may just hold the key to Loki’s future. Loki is about to find out the hard way that the only thing crueler than truth are the lies behind it all. "Truth and Other Lies" is the first book in a new series inspired by Norse mythology, and has snarky anti-heroes, lovers-to-enemies, and strong female characters. |
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Jack Nyx is down on his luck. Demons bound to his flesh, his ex's soul in a jar, and on his last dime, he takes the one job he shouldn’t.But a quick buck never comes easy, and Jack is in the deep end of the fecal pool. Desperate, he enlists the help of street witch, Ivy Sosye.In over their heads, trapped between the demons they know and the devil they don't, the last thing Jack needs is to fall for his best friend.Hunted, cursed, and in love is no way to go through life. Then again, it's better than dead. |
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Beneath a Brass Sky by Eli Steele Ulfric Halehorn is a sellsword that believes in the sanctity of the contract. He’s also rekindled an old grudge, incited a riot, and landed himself in jail on enough counts to see himself hung twice. In the midst of this, he somehow managed to win a lucrative contract to transport a mysterious crate across the Brasslands to Kush. He’d be better off if he hadn’t. Days into the journey, Ulfric learns that the job is more than it seems, and that he carries with him the spark that may touch off a revolution that could burn across a city, and perhaps an entire region. Knowing this, Ulfric sees a chance to atone for breaking another contract nearly a decade ago — one that cost another city its freedom and its people their lives; an act that still haunts him to this day. But the Brasslands is a vast land, filled with fugitives, and wild beasts, and nameless things that lurk in the low dark. In those wastes also rides another — one charged with snuffing out the same revolution that Ulfric aims to set afire. And as these rivals drive towards their opposing goals, a storm of steel and blood is building on a bleak horizon. BENEATH A BRASS SKY is a fantasy novel that fans of Abercrombie’s Red Country, King’s The Gunslinger, and Sanderson’s Alloy of Law will enjoy. |
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Little White Hands by Mark Cushen Almost five hundred years have passed since the Seasons were at war. Half a millennium since Winter defied Spring, and lost. Generations have come and gone, not knowing the bitter freeze and howling snows of Winter ever existed. But now, after centuries of silence, the participants in this ancient struggle have resurfaced and reignited their feud on the doorstep of an unassuming little kitchen boy. Garlan’s dreams of being just like the knights he idolizes may not be as impossible as he has always been led to believe, when he is chased from his home and thrust headlong into the kind of adventure he had only ever read about in books. Setting out on a journey that spans the entire kingdom of Faeland, Garlan will traverse impossible mountains and stormy seas and battle terrible monsters, all to keep the world he knows safe from an enemy who will stop at nothing to bring about a never-ending winter. With a cast of fantastical characters to aid him in his quest, can Garlan overcome his self-doubt and find the courage he needs to rise above his humble station and become the hero he always dreamed of being? The fate of the world rests in his hands. |
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In the last great golden age of the planet Earth, Barry Dell dies in a tragic elevator accident. On a not-quite proverbial stairway to Heaven, Moskin Stormburg dedicates his life to figuring out where it all went wrong. In a world slowly choking on its own sewage, the Vandemar sisters do what they can to save a human race that by all rights should be taking its last desperate breaths. And through it all, the Archangel Gabriel asks himself when it's okay to dust his hands off and walk away. This is a story about a dying world and the Angels, the Demons, the Vampires, the lost immortals and the billions and billions of humans trying to live on it. It is a story about a two-thousand-year-long game of musical chairs where somebody switched off the music at the very beginning. And burned the chairs. As for why it's called "Bad Cow" ... well you'll probably have to read the book and see. The blurb can't tell you everything. |
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In the remote land of Laskar the seven ruling clans have vied with each other for power for over a century. The son of the Reavesburg Clan Chief, Rothgar, has been groomed all his life for a role supporting his elder brother, Jorik, in leading their kingdom when their father’s time finally comes to an end. However, the rulers of their greatest rivals, the Vorund Clan, are in the grip of something older and far darker. They have been conquered by evil, a remnant from the time when the gods warred with one another and the world of Amuran collapsed into the Fallen Age. Everything is about to change … The first book in The Brotherhood of the Eagle series, Hall of Bones begins a tale of epic fantasy, magic and intrigue. |
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A psychopathic wizard. An immortal mage. An epic battle of wills. Nikolai doesn’t want much out of life: sex, immortality, and the power to disembowel anyone who crosses him. But with dark magic forbidden, his only option is Medea–a mage so deadly even the Enforcers give her a wide berth. Despite dire warnings that her apprentices don’t survive, Nikolai won’t stop until she agrees to train him. After all, he’s a killer himself. Barbaric and brutal, the training is a far cry from what Nikolai expects. When a mysterious illness strikes Nikolai down, he suspects he’s found the secret to Medea’s longevity. He resolves to find out what happened to her previous apprentices. If he can locate the source of her power, he can turn it against her. Medea swore off training dark wizards–none of them take the craft seriously and the ungrateful bastards always try to kill her. This one definitely seems the backstabbing type, but magic is dying out and she hasn’t felt such magical strength in centuries. If she can control the boy, show him that magic is more than curses and necromancy, he might obtain the power he desires. If not, well . . . What’s one more dead apprentice? If you enjoy dark fantasy with quirky, morally grey characters and humorous banter (but no romance), this is the book for you! |
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A haunted girl, an evil witch, the mysterious fae. Olivia hopes each psychic vision will be the last. Then she can concentrate on school, grades, and getting a driver’s license. But a wicked force stands in the way and once Olivia crosses its path, the only way out is death. As Olivia searches for answers, she discovers unsolved murders, a secret pact, and a vow to avenge the past. The truth exists in a lost library once magically protected, and within it a book thought to have been destroyed. Against impossible odds, Olivia fights to save a friend’s life, release others from the same fate, and protect those she loves. If you like girls who won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, who avoid the easy choice and do what's right, then you will love One of Us by M. L. Roberts, a battle of honesty vs. lies in a city at risk. A story of magic, mayhem, and murder, told with a glimmer of sharp-edged wit, and tied to an unbreakable curse. |
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Gathering of the Four: Book One of the Serrulata Saga by A.E. Bennett ​Leora of Mae is a young woman orphaned at birth and raised on a remote farm. As a wielder of Xanthcraft, her abilities set her apart from her adoptive family and the other villagers. Shortly before her twentieth birthday, she learns of her family’s plot to sell her into servitude. Fearing for her life, she flees from the only home she’s ever known. As she runs, Leora meets Roland Shallowbrook, a traveler on the Thieves’ Road; Lady Aurora Verte, daughter of a powerful member of the gentry; and the White Rider Leopold, a soldier with a secret. ​ Together, this found family will have to band together to survive. Set in the far future during the return of the Hale-Bopp comet, Gathering of the Four is the first book in the Serrulata Saga. |
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Privilege: A Trilogy by Bharat Krishnan In this epic saga about privilege and power, Rakshan Baliga will have to choose between the American Dream… and his own. New York’s drug problem is Rakshan's solution. Getting his hands on a super drug called WP could earn him glory, power, and a chance to win back his ex. But stealing it from the Top 1% is costly, and if Rakshan isn’t careful he’ll pay with his life. Discover how Rakshan’s journey sets off a chain of events that changes his city, his country… and the world. This OwnVoices political thriller is perfect for fans of Ocean’s 11 and House of Cards. |
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Up Against Mooneye by Mikkel Høst A story inspired by myths, music and magic! Long ago, a mysterious and powerful spell shattered the world's tallest mountain, causing it to crumble over the Great Eastern Empire's capital. The wounded empire shunned sorcerers from that day onward. But the worst was yet to come for those who practised the mystical arts, for something had climbed down the mountain before it fell to pieces... An adventure for all ages! Desperate to make something of himself, a man named Saolan is one day given the opportunity to become a sorcerer’s apprentice, on the condition that he agrees to fight a despicable creature known as Mooneye. Join him as he journeys through an enchanted forest, a peaceful port town, an underwater kingdom and many ancient wonders left behind by the sorcerers of old. |
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The Forever King by Ben Galley SPFBO7 SPFBO Finalist SFFOasis Revenge loves company. Mithrid Fenn wants nothing to do with magick. Magick is a curse word, banned by the vast Arka Empire and punishable by death. Its purging has finally brought peace to war-torn Emaneska. Only a stubborn rebellion, led by the warlord Outlaw King, raids and pillages the empire's northern fringes. To cliff-brat Mithrid, this is an age of tranquility and childhood games. That is until an illegal spellbook washes up on her shores, and she finds herself thrust into a war she never knew existed. Now hunted by daemons and mages, she is dragged inexorably north to Scalussen and its rebels fighting doggedly to preserve a memory of freedom. Mithrid holds no such ideals. She fights for revenge and nothing nobler. If spilling blood means helping the Outlaw King, then so be it. Even if it means all-out war. --- The Forever King is the first book in a new trilogy - The Scalussen Chronicles - set in the dark and nordic world of The Emaneska Series. A breathless and emotional tale of revenge that crisscrosses a vast world, The Forever King is an epic fantasy ideal for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Steven Erikson and Mark Lawrence. |
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Nor Do the Stars Shine There by M J McBride Ruarshi Illyana, a sorcerer-physician from the far northern land of Miriyan, has traveled south to ply his trade in Europe. He is entirely content with the life of a wandering healer—right up until the day his assistant Wil is targeted in a terrible act of violence. His priorities shift overnight and he soon finds himself back in Miriyan, where he defies his training and his clan in order to study with a member of his country's warrior caste. He quickly discovers that his unusual talents are likely to get him into trouble, a worrying development but not one that's going to change his mind. Meanwhile, discontented Miriyanti and ambitious Europeans are putting their nefarious plans for Miriyan's future into motion. When his newfound abilities mark him out to play a major role in the vicious conflict that ensues, Ruarshi will have to use all his wit and skill to keep his friends and allies safe, or watch destruction overtake everything he loves. |
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Survival's Edge by Casey White Life was going great - right up until Tara died. She'd always expected that to be it. Death is final, after all. But when she reaches the afterlife, she's instead presented with a destiny she'd never bargained for. Instead of reincarnating to begin a new life as a human, she's been selected as a candidate for godhood. If she can claw her way to divinity, she’ll be the first new blood to stand amid the old pantheons in ages. Lucky her. Thrown into the dubious situation of establishing herself as a fledgling goddess in a cruel, skeptical world, Tara clings to the task she’s been given: Kill an aging, ancient deity, and take her place. Not everyone will be happy to see her, and not everyone will approve of her smashing through celestial society like a wrecking ball. Giving up means laying down and accepting oblivion, though - and that's something Tara refuses to do. She'll have her birthright, and she'll have her name. And then Terra will rise again. Spark of Divinity contains strong language and content that may be traumatic, with themes around death and overcoming hardship.. |
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Ika Ivory and Chandi MorrowHill are two teenagers from a small town. They are the closest of friends; nearly inseparable. As wonderful as their bond is, it was forged due to tragic circumstances. Both of them are victims of dreadful childhood traumas. It is through their grief that they grew closer and learned to take on the world together. Wenworld is a strange and wondrous place, and they have vowed to chase two particular men to the ends of it and back for revenge. Ika seeks a man named Kirga, who is known more commonly as 'The Hellcat'. He is responsible for taking the life of Ika's elder sister, a memory that Ika cannot escape from. Chandi wishes to one day find a man named Wriliara, who mercilessly took both parents from her. As they grew older, Ika and Chandi spent most of their time researching these men. Through their shared research, the duo one day discovered that these men work together; though the incidents the children suffered through took place at separate times. Once they found this out, Ika and Chandi made a promise to each other that they would hunt them to the far reaches of the world to get their revenge. Together, as they did all things. In order to get the revenge they seek, however, they must first be trained in the complex ways of Wenworld magic. Kirga and Wriliara are far more powerful than the average criminal. Ika and Chandi will need to close a mighty gap in time for that showdown. Good thing they have a competent master, who just happens to be a talking rabbit. What could go wrong? Fans of Terry Pratchett's DISCWORLD or Will Wight's CRADLE series will be right at home in Wenworld. The World Inside the Crystal is the first installment of a four-book series, and Wenworld itself is only the first piece of a vast fictional universe filled with magic and adventure. |
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Red Harvest Moon by Miles Hurt The tables for the harvest feast are set. And the ghuls of Urizan are coming, uninvited.Led by the colossus Krond, the flesh-eating ghuls are ready to blaze and burn across the lands of Soren. The village of Puttle lies in their path, where they will bring fire and death. The Black Feather is an outlaw, an outcast, a Wandering Knife. But he is the only hope the villagers have in this dark hour. Bandit turned protector, the Black Feather is hired by the villagers to take up his sword against the marauders. Krond seeks the Black Feather. The ghuls are hungry. And the harvest moon will shine red. Get your free copy of the prequel novella 'Bane of Wolves' at www dot mileshurt dot com. |
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A Song of Steel by J.C. Duncan A roaring Norse saga of war, honour, love and loss. Vikings face Crusaders in an epic battle for the soul of the North 'A gripping, well-executed story, with a fun, original premise.' - Angus Donald' A Song Of Steel is a rising light of Norse Mythology.' - Daniel Kelly It began with a single Viking raid, now their world will blaze with the fury of a pope's revenge. Alternate history - 1116 AD. Three hundred years of cruel Viking raids have finally united Christian Europe against the pagan Northlands. A great crusade has been called to pacify the wild Norse kingdoms. The banner of the cross has been raised against the north, and all the power and fury of the west rides under it. Ordulf, a talented young German swordsmith, is ripped from his comfortable life and cast into the bloody chaos of the crusade. As fate deals him a cruel blow in the lands of his enemies, he will have to forge a new path through the chaos, or be consumed by it. In the Northlands, three rival kingdoms must unite to survive the onslaught. But can any man, king or commoner, unite the bickering brotherhood of the Norse? Or is the time of the Vikings finally drawing to a violent end. Heroes will fail, kings will fall, and ordinary people will fight for the right to a future. An epic saga of war, love and politics sure to delight fans of Bernard Cornwell, Giles Krystian, Matthew Harffy, Christian Cameron and all lovers of historical fiction. |
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The Moon is on the brink of war. Alexander Dio, an officer of the Vulture Dragoons, flies in defence of the Lunar people against the monstrous armies of the Sun. He is ready for war - or at least he thinks he is. But when Dio's patrol finds a crashed ship out in the Sea of Tranquility, his life is turned upside-down. Because the ship is not from the Moon, and its captain is unlike anyone he's ever known. His name is Lucian, and he comes from the Earth. Based on the ancient Greek story by Lucian of Samosata, this voyage of fantastic discovery goes back to the very beginning of science-fiction. Hûw’s previous novel, The Blackbird and the Ghost, was a semi-finalist in the fifth Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off. His short stories have been published in various anthologies. |
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By the Pact by Joanna Maciejewska High mages lied: Veranesh, the demon who destroyed the continent is still alive. And it's up to their former student to expose the truth—even if it means another Cataclysm. When Kamira, a once high mage student turned arcanist, discovers an imprisoned demon in underground ruins, she is forced into a pact that grants her powerful magic, but also ties her to the very demon that once devastated the continent… and Veranesh wants his freedom. With one friend by her side, Veelk, a mage killer bound on protecting her, Kamira will have to outwit the archmages, other demons, and possibly her own demonic benefactor to survive. Her chances are slim, but with Veelk’s ever-present sarcastic repartee, Kamira might just pull through. Plots and schemes, power and means—sometimes the price for victory is choosing which friend will die, but when you only have one friend, the choice is… easy? |
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Cold from the North by D W Ross Driven by the promise of an ancient prophecy which will bring the dark ways of an old god back to power and prominence, an army of invaders swarms Ogulf Harlsbane’s homeland slaughtering all those who oppose them. Along with his people, Ogulf must seek refuge from this savage force. In his search of sanctuary, he is tasked with finding the one person who can put a stop to the onslaught. Doing so will send him across lands and seas, have him and his closest friend navigate the intricacies of a civil war, and try to win the help of the princess fighting for her throne. If he fails, darkness will prevail and the reign of the Onyxborn will begin. |
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The Blood of the Spear by Mark Timmony Two brothers. One prophecy. A world in peril. When Kaiel loses his chance to become part of the legendary Daemon Hunters, joining the Bronze Guard mercenaries seems like the logical alternative. It is an opportunity to put his training to use and, more importantly, as the company is currently in the employ of Prince Alesandr, it will allow him to keep an eye on his younger brother, Darien, who's determined to follow his dream of becoming a Ciralys magic-user. But the broken continent of Athmay still bears the scars of the war between the Summoners some three-thousand years ago, and an unexpected battle with a daemon - a remnant of that ancient war - reveals the brothers' connection to a forbidden bloodline. Soon they find themselves on the run from the prince, daemonic hordes, and a prophecy that could break the world anew. |
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A Journey Unveiled by Amy Maltman A plane crash. A cave. A magical journey begins. It’s June 8, 2004. The first Transit of Venus in more than a century. Lexi Guinel and her family are flying high above the Italian Alps when a storm sweeps in, knocking their plane from the sky. While seeking help, Lexi stumbles through a mysterious veil into a world of magic and evil. Crown Prince Aeric of Gower obeys his father’s every command, no matter how dark or cruel. When elves and dwarves seize the city Aeric commands, he is grateful for his critical wounds. He’d rather face death than the king’s wrath. Unfortunately, the witches and elves have other plans. Lexi has more to learn than magic. Life in Gowerland is dangerous, especially after her fate becomes entwined with that of Prince Aeric. They have important roles to play...provided they don’t kill each other first. Step through a crack, you can't go back. |
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Of Blood and Fire by Ryan Cahill Born in fire. Tempered in blood. Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving – a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries. There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold. He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will. |
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SPFBO7 SPFBO Finalist SFFOasis Fenn’s first and only memory is finding himself in the middle of a forest, face to face with a dragon spirit mocking him, all knowledge gone apart from his own name. Lost and confused, his only hope for answers is Calidra—a woman living on the edge of the world with her partner. Forced to return home when her father dies, Calidra has put off facing her estranged mother for seven years, and she begrudgingly helps Fenn, forging papers for him so he can avoid the Queen’s Inquisitors. But her mother is the least of her worries when they discover an ancient enemy is rising again. It should be impossible with the Iron Crown in power—and Fenn is terrified he might unwittingly be playing a part in the war’s resurgence. Surrounded by vengeful spirits and powerful magic, Fenn’s desperate attempt to find his way home might well alter the fate of Tassar, and every power in it. A new high fantasy series bursts into life with the DRAGON SPIRITS who reign supreme in the magic-drenched world of Tassar. THE IRON CROWN is the first novel in this brand new trilogy and will be available in May 2021. |
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Eyes Last Seen Dying by Colin Adams Lena is a gifted young swordswoman yet to develop the necessary wit, guile, and talent to destroy the world, but she's a fast learner. Tricked by her sensei into starting a war, Lena steals one of six stones holding back the Nithrain, the wickedness haunting the fringes of old tales. Hunted by every side, either to reforge the stone or to prevent its return, to save herself Lena must first become the hero worthy of redemption. Eyes Last Seen Dying is epic fantasy of the highest order, written by a remarkable new voice. Prepare to be transported into the richly detailed world of Ithander, a land brimming with wondrous creatures, magic, and martial arts. |
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Rising Shadows (The Pillar of Creation #1) by Phillip Blackwater As tension rises between the southern and northern nations of the small continent of Exitium in the world of Anteris, the Elves turn to their eastern neighbors, the Humans, for help. They wish to learn the ways of combat, which they are not accustomed to, for they have always wielded a power far greater than forged steel. The Shards of Creation, mystical artifacts of great and virtually infinite power, have always been their prized weapon, but times have changed. They now face the same threat as the Humans: the southern nation known as the Ethula. Wariel Ritch, general of the Human army, will take upon his shoulders this burden. But when a shadow of a past long forgotten threatens what little stability is left in the world, he will have to leave everything behind to stop it. Medregal Tergrast, an Ethulan king, dead for a thousand years, plans his return to the world of the living to gain back his former glory and finally fulfill his destiny by gaining control of the Shards of Creation. But is he really the threat people make him out to be? In the meantime, in the bowels of the Human Kingdom, the reign of Dana Crystaloak is put into jeopardy when people around her start questioning her decisions. If she falls, war could break out across all lands. |
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Lycoris in Moonlight by Kova Killian The daughter of a god of death. The child that shouldn't exist. Nin’s mother had warned her to never go to the Flame Festival, for the gods have laws against her life. Now Nin is a grumpy, world-wary almost thirty-year-old midwife. Her mother has passed away and her best friend begs her to go to the festival. She attends, only to have her fated flame match with the last god she ever wanted to lay eyes on, Amun-Ra. Her mother's patron god, the one person her mother begged to come heal her in her time of need. Nin despises his pompous priss face and his cocky attitude until she learns the limits of his power and the demons that plague him. Nin must now survive the year. The one problem? Someone knows both of her parents. He can unravel her secret in a moment and send the justices after her, resulting in execution. Will Nin submit to the pull of the flames and make it to the Eternal Ceremonies? or will the secret of her parents be brought to light? |
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Seasons of Albadone (The Eighth Chant Book 1) by Élan Marché and Christopher Warman Four seasons. Four stories. An aspiring enchantress searches for a way to lift a terrible curse. A drunken father makes a dangerous wish. A foreman tilts the balance between nature and progress. A mother travels with her dying child in search of a healer. Four paths merge. Four destinies intertwine. |