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SPFBO7 SPFBO Finalist SPFBO Winner āAll magic is beautiful...and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.ā She is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. He is an unwanted prince with the power to destroy. She is order and intellect, a woman fit to rule in a man's place. He is chaos and violence and will stop at nothing to protect his people. His magic answers hers with shadow for light. They need each other, but the cost of balance may be too high a price. Magic is dying and the only way to save it is to enlist mages who wield the forbidden power of death, mages cast out centuries ago in a brutal and bloody war. Now, a new war is coming. Science and machines to replace magic and old religion. They must find a way to save their people from annihilation and balance the sacred Wheelābut first, they will have to balance their own forbidden passion. His peace for her tempest, his restlessness for her calmā¦ Night and day, dusk and dawn, the end, and the beginning. |
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Spirit of Shadow by D. A. Holley Lance is a servant in the Palace at Shadovane. All his life, he has been lead to believe his role in the palace is voluntary, that his parents left him there hoping he would have a better life than they could provide. When he discovers he has been lied to, that the nature of his life is not what he has long assumed, he seeks upheaval, revenge, and escape, but he can't get what he wants alone. He enlists the help of his closest friends, and together, they take on the all powerful Shadow Queen, incarnate of a goddess called the Mother of Night, and mount a revolution she will not soon forget. |
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Kariea has turned healing into an art. Despite attending the best academy in Arix, sheās only allowed to study what her family approves. They want a lady; she wants more. The dragon magic of old has granted everyone power. Kareia doesnāt intend to squander it. Though sheās forced to learn other arts in secret, an unexpected friend offers to teach her more. Even better, he isnāt afraid to break a few rules. All the better for Kariea. With an arranged marriage in her future, sheās running out of time. Luckily, the law of the land is on her side: she can duel her betrothed and win her freedomā¦ provided she can sneak in a little training first. Can Kariea hone the skills she needs to win? Or will she be forced to accept an unwanted marriage? *This book contains some material that might be triggering for certain audiences. Themes of gaslighting, abuse, and sexual assault are seen in this book. |
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A Change of Blood by G. P. Gabriel A man hearing the voice of his dead wife. A boy struggling to understand emotions he cannot feel. A journey into a land of bloodthirsty creatures was never a simple matter to begin with. Their mission: deliver an arcane explosive into the heart of the corruption. Kynnar is a Guild Drengir mercenary roaming the Corrupted Lands, a place of maddening sickness that took the life of his beloved. When his guild leader contacts him after years of silence, it's to send him on a mission with an assembled crew. Sounds like just another job. At least until he finds out he'll work alongside mages with powers responsible for the infection in the first place. Eight, a human experiment of torture, fails to assassinate his target. If he wants to stay aliveāwhich he decides would be a preferrable outcomeāhe has to accept an offer from the very man he tried to kill. The offer gets him into the Guild of the Arcane, but nowhere did it mention he'd be an apprentice to a battlemage about to embark on a certain mission. Sort of makes the whole 'not dying' part redundant. A Change of Blood is a high fantasy novel set in a world of water and deadly storms. Elements of madness include, but are not limited to; hallucinations, weapons hidden inside human flesh, a thief with his crossbow for a lover, and an unhealthy amount of feeling sorry for oneself. |
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Winds of Strife by U. G. Gutman āThey burned me and mine. I'm not done until I burn them and theirs in return.ā Witch-hunts have plagued the kingdom of Olyanath for decades. Thousands were slain due to the kingās paranoia of women who practice Senspiritic magic. No more. Nye and his companions have seen enough of murder and misogyny. Fifteen years have passed since he joined the witch-hunters, and now, at long last, an opportunity to destroy them from the inside reveals itself. An opportunity to overthrow the king and end his reign of cruelty. But fifteen years of pretense have taken a toll. The strive for vengeance has steered Nye toward a path of violence and villainy. His hands are stained by the blood of countless innocents, his heart is scorched by grief, and his sanity hangs by a thread. Even if he can kill the king and see this revolution through, it may not suffice to purge the voices from his head. |
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Kings and Daemons by Marcus Lee āWhat the gods give with one hand, they take away with the other, for if you are gifted, you shall also be cursed.ā ----- In the Ember Kingdom, a dying land riven by famine and disease, Daleth the evil Witch-King plots his conquest of the neighbouring Freestates. Gifted with eternal youth, his vampiric power is responsible for the decay that afflicts his realm, and now other kingdoms must fall to quench his never-ending thirst for life. However, on the cusp of the invasion, Maya, a peasant huntress, is arrested, Dalethās soldiers kill an old farmerās wife, and a young outcast is reluctantly enlisted into the Witch-Kingās army. Three seemingly innocuous events that nonetheless have the potential to alter the destiny of generations to come. For Maya is gifted with the ability to heal and can influence the hearts and minds of men if she but finds the strength to do so. The young recruit carries a gift of reading thoughts and has no love for the king he serves. As for the vengeful farmer ā¦ heās an ancient warrior gifted in reaping souls who now seeks to fulfil a long-forgotten oath against unbeatable odds. The world will soon be soaked by the blood of war, but with these three individualsā lives inescapably entwined, the faint light of hope begins to shine. Alliances will have to be forged, enemies convinced to become friends, and a flicker of love given a chance to become a flame for there to be a chance to fight the encroaching darkness of the Witch-King's evil. ----- The Gifted and the Cursed. A dark fantasy trilogy set in a dystopian land, with heroes that are at times more demonic than the evil they face. The bloody battles, quests for revenge and fights for survival are artfully balanced with a light romance, tales of redemption, and the breath-taking beauty of Mayaās gift. |
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Flesh Eater by Travis M. Riddle Branded as a Flesh Eater, Coal is on the run from Palace Stingers: soldiers tasked with tracking down those who have consumed flesh and locking them away in specialized prisons. After a year of avoiding capture and struggling to scrape by working odd jobs for a local crime lord, Coal is growing desperate. He learns of someone in the city's underbelly who can erase his record, but her services don't come cheap. Seeing no other option, he enters a spiderback race with a grand prize valuable enough to pay for his fresh start. But he's not the only one after the prize, and Coal is about to find out exactly how far he's willing to go to win. |
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Faye in the City: With Her Dog Puffy by KE Wills After graduating college, Faye moves to Washington, D.C. with her dog Puffy and best friend Lucy. The three of them navigate sharing a tiny studio apartment and adapting to living in the city. But very quickly, Faye realizes something isnāt as it seems. As her quirky talents become strong abilities of the mind, she stumbles across a magical compass and dives into the comfort of her Persian culture. Faye must learn to accept who she is and what she can do. Join along with Faye and Puffy as their adventures in the Capitol test the strength of friendships, love, and sense of self. |
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The Child of Chaos by Glen Dahlgren Nothing can break the stranglehold the gods of Order have on the world . . . except a roll of the dice. An irresistible longing drags young Galen to an ancient vault where, long ago, the gods of Order locked Chaos away. Chaos promises power to the one destined to liberate it, but Galen's dreams warn of dark consequences. He isn't the only one racing to the vault, however. Horace, the bully who lives to torment Galen, is determined to unleash Chaos--and he might know how to do it. Galen's imagination always got him into trouble, but now it may be the only thing that can prevent Horace from unraveling the world. |
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We all have nightmares, but not all of us have to live them. Johnathon Clarke did. His bullies beat him. They humiliated him. They stole his life. So at the age of 17 he took it away with a bullet from a gun. In Hell John finds himself working out his existence in the mailroom, until he's given the promotion he died forāhe becomes the forger of nightmares, the giver of bad dreams. With his new position, John makes his assignments feel the fear heās felt his entire existence. He does this until heās assigned a young girl named Danielle. Danielleās not much younger than John was, and the circumstances surrounding why sheās been assigned are troubling. Theyāre troubling because he disagrees. Now John must decide between continuing this life of torture and scares, or using this dark gift for something else, something that could help this girl who needs him. |
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Theyāre surrounded by immense magical powers. How can they survive when they only have wits and desperation as weapons? Betharad, Sarnd and Jessa are doing their best to step out from the shadow cast by their hero parents. But they are thrown into a desperate battle for survival by the return of the sorcerer their parents died to defeat. The siblings search for clues in their parentsā tragic battle, only to uncover shocking secrets behind the official story. Reeling from the discovery and lacking magical powers of their own, as their enemy meddles with chaotic forces, death seems inevitable. Can three ordinary people outwit a fiend whose ruthless ambitions could send their world to its doom? The Hungry Fire is the gripping first book in the Serpentstone epic fantasy series. If you like underdog champions, earth-shattering magic, and high-stakes action, then youāll love A.M. Obstās riveting tale. |
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Immersive World full of unique magic systems In a divided land where rival factions struggle to gain control using the unique talents of their respective realms, Rakamai and people of Kala curb their use of magic, because to do otherwise steals years from their lives. But when a new alliance turns into a bloody betrayal and threatens open war, Rakamai vows to get revenge and secure the future of his people. To do so, he'll need to fully embrace the magic of his people and bring his own considerable powers to bear. After all, a short future is better than no future at all. Perfect for fans of Sanderson like worlds and heavy magic systems. |
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The Sword in the Street by C.M. Caplan Trial by battle is a holy rite on Hillside. Hired blades bleed their foes in savage duels, settling everything from petty grievances to the corporate laws that keep their citizens in line. Embroiled in these cutthroat political games is John Chronicle, an impoverished swordsman with no better prospects, seeking the duel that will free him from the Dregs. Meanwhile, Johnās boyfriend Edwin, an autistic university student, befriends a fellow scholar who claims to study the arcane art of thaumaturgy. When she offers to teach Edwin this subtle magic, he hopes that he can use it to bolster Johnās skill with a blade. But thaumaturgy is a dangerous magic, and the forces that drive it have other plans. The couple soon find themselves entangled in the web of intrigue surrounding the swordsmen and their sponsors, and theyāre forced to question how bloody theyāre willing to get to escape poverty ā and they donāt come away with the same answer. |
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Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron Making a living is hard. In a lawless city where gods are real, dragons are traffic hazards, and buildings move around on their own, it can feel downright impossible. Good thing freelance mage Opal Yong-ae has never let little things like impossibility stop her. Sheās found a way to put her overpriced magical art history degree to use as a Cleaner: a contract municipal employee who empties out abandoned apartments and resells the unusual treasures she finds inside for a profit. Itās not a pretty job, or a safe one--thereās a reason she wears bite-proof gloves--but when youāre neck-deep in debt to a very magical, very nasty individual, you canāt be picky about where the money comes from. But even Opalās low standards are put to the test when the only thing of value in her latest apartment is the body of the previous tenant. Dealing with the dead isnāt technically part of her job, but this mage died hiding a secret that could be worth a lot of money, and Opalās the only one who knows. With debts she canāt pay due at the end of the week, this could be the big break sheās been waiting for, but in a city of runaway magic where getting in over your head generally means losing it, the cost of chasing this opportunity might be more than Opal can survive. AUTHORāS NOTE: This is the first in a new series set in the same universe as my Heartstrikers books, but you donāt need to have read those stories to enjoy this one. MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC was written to stand by itself, so if you havenāt read the others, donāt worry! I wrote this book with you in mind. Thank you so much for reading! |
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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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Each Little Universe by Chris Durston If Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett had written an earnestly nerdy story in a setting running on the ridiculous logic of Scott Pilgrim, it might have come out something like this. For two oddball inventors, taking care of an unexpected new arrival - a girl from the stars - is hard enough. Dealing with the things that want her back may turn out to be harder. A story about love in all its forms (but not a love story), Each Little Universe wonders with wit and insight about what it means to be human in a vast, peculiar cosmos. A celebration of all that is wonderful and strange about people, each member of its cast of twenty-first century weirdos is both larger than life and peculiarly familiar. Fans of Neil Gaiman (Neverwhere, American Gods), Bryan Lee O'Malley (Scott Pilgrim, Seconds), and Haruki Murakami (The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Killing Commendatore) will love this story, set in a world very much like our own but a little more strange, and the unusual take it offers on life, the human experience, and cats. |
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This Never Happened by R. Tim Morris Cepik Small doesn't belong here. Around Coney Island, he's known as "Epic" but his life could not be less so. And no matter how hard he tries, he can't shake the feeling that he was born in the wrong place, at the wrong time. The cocktail of drugs he takes daily doesn't help and the face-blindness from which he suffers only adds to his feeling of isolation. In his dreams, Epic lives in the countryside with the girl he loves. In his dreams, Epic is the cherished son of proud and ever-present parents. In his dreams, Epic is everything he was meant to be. But nobody ever lives their dreams, do they? Just as he begins seeing a new and unorthodox therapist, Epic also meets the bold and blithe Abigail Ayr. And when a novel found on the subway begins to strangely mirror events in his own life, the mysteries of Epic Small's dreams quickly and uncontrollably begin to unravel. |
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Damned Souls and a Sangria (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 8) by Annette Marie Once upon a time, I was your average spunky redhead with the lamest employment history ever, a shaky relationship with my only family member, and no idea what I was doing with my life. Now, I'm a pseudo mythic with the best bartending job in the world, the most amazing (and hot) best friends I never knew I needed, and a guild of misfit magic-users who've become my extended family. And I'm about to lose it all. In my desperation to save Ezra, I stumbled into a web of ruthless deception--and seriously pissed off a sleeping hydra. Now its every murderous head is turned toward me and my guild, and I don't know how to stop it. I'm not sure I can. I'm not sure anyone can. But if I don't, we're all doomed--Ezra, Aaron, Kai, and my beloved guild. |
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Lost Talismans and a Tequila (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 7) by Annette Marie You know that squirmy sensation in your gut when you have no idea what you're doing and you're about to screw everything up? Yeah, that feeling. I thought I was a good judge of character, but recent events proved me very wrong. Now, in a brilliant demonstration of my newfound caution, I'm putting all my faith in a demonāa demon who's tried to kill me before. The squirmy feeling is making sense, right? Unfortunately, I don't have any other options. Ezra's time is almost up, which means I need answers and I need them fast. So it's time to toughen up, pack my gear, and find me one of the most illegal, reviled, and scarce mythics out there: a demon-mage summoner. And all I have to do is follow a demon's instructions on where to look. How could that go wrong? |
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Druid Vices and a Vodka (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 6) by Annette Marie I've said it before, but sometimes I'm a bad person. I cheated on my twelfth grade math final, I've run countless yellow lights, and I gossip about how hot my kickass best friends are. (Good thing my job as a guild bartender doesn't require moral perfection.) But there's bad, and then there's bad. And I'm not sure which applies to a certain dark druid/wanted criminal/reluctant friend of mine. His transgressions include black-magic dealings, kidnapping, and murder, and he's about to add "revenge-fueled killing spree" to his resumeāif I don't stop him. Should I stop him? He and his nemesis are gearing up to tear each other apart, rogues and vultures are converging with their sights on the spoils, and the guilds that would normally stomp them into the ground are under attack. We're on the verge of an all-out criminal turf war, and my time to decide is almost up. Who's the real bad guy ... and do I dare stand in his way? |
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The Alchemist and an Amaretto (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 5) by Annette Marie As a guild bartender, I can handle pretty much anything--mages, sorcerers, witches, the occasional demon. But show me anything family-related and I'd rather run for the hills. It doesn't even have to be my family. So I have no idea why I thought spending the holidays with Aaron's mom and pop was a good idea. Meeting his famous parents is already terrifying enough, but I've got a bigger problem. Students of his family's renowned mage academy are being attacked on the grounds--and somehow no one has seen a single assailant? Unexplained tracks litter the nearby woods, rumors of forbidden alchemy are circulating the campus...and Ezra has been acting strangely since we arrived. Something deadly is brewing in the shadow of Sinclair Academy, and the longer we take to uncover it, the more dangerous it becomes. But no matter the risk, we'll protect the students. And Aaron's parents too, I suppose. If we have to. |
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Demon Magic and a Martini (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 4) by Annette Marie When I first landed a bartending job at the local guild, I didn't know a thing about magic. These days, I'm practically an expert on the different magical classes, but there's one nobody ever talks about: Demonica. Turns out they have a good reason for that. My guild is strictly hellion-free, but some people will risk life and soul to control the biggest bullies on the mythic playground. And now a demon has been loosed in the city. My three best friends are determined to slay it, but even badass combat mages are critically out-magicked. And that's not all. The monster they're tracking--it's not hiding. It's not fleeing. It's not leaving a trail of corpses everywhere it goes. The demon is hunting too. And in a city full of mythics, it's searching for deadlier prey. If we can't unravel the demon's sinister motivations, more innocent people will die, but finding the answers means digging into dark secrets...and learning truths I never wanted to know. -- Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy. |
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Two Witches and a Whiskey (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 3) by Annette Marie Three months ago, I landed a job as a bartender. But not at a bar--at a guild. Yeah, the magic kind. I'm not a badass mage like my three smokin' hot best friends. I'm not a sorcerer or an alchemist, or even a wussy witch. I'm just a human, slinging drinks like a pro and keeping my non-magical nose out of mythic business. Seriously, I know my limits. So why am I currently standing in a black-magic ritual circle across from a fae lord? Somewhere behind me, my three mage friends are battling for their lives. Somewhere near my feet is the rogue witch I just knocked out with a stolen spell. And I have about five seconds to convince this very angry sea god not to shmoosh me like a bug. I'm pretty sure this wasn't in the job description. -- Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy. |
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Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 2) by Annette Marie When I found myself facing down the scariest black-magic felon in the city, practically daring him to abduct me, I had to wonder exactly how I ended up here. It all started when I accidentally landed a job as a bartender--but not at a bar. At a guild, populated by mages, sorcerers, alchemists, witches, and psychics. Good thing this lame-o human is adaptable, right? Then my favorite guild members--three sexy, powerful, and intermittently charming mages--asked for my help. Did they want access to my encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails? Oh no. They wanted to wrap me up in a pretty ribbon and plunk me in the crosshairs of a murderous rogue to lure him out of hiding. So that's what we did. And that's why I'm here. About to be kidnapped. Oh, and our grand plan for safely capturing said murderous rogue? Yeah, that completely fell apart about two minutes ago. Why did I agree to this again? -- Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy. |
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Three Mages and a Margarita (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 1) by Annette Marie Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig. It went downhill the moment they asked for a trial shift instead of an interviewāto see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete jerks, and I was an asshole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right? I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they ... offered me the job? It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I'm exactly the kind of takes-no-shit bartender this guild needs, or there's a good reason no one else wants to work here. So what's a broke girl to do? Take the job, of courseāwith a pay raise. -- Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy. Tori has no problem getting herself into trouble in every book in the Guild Codex series, but each one is a complete adventure. |
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Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson Being the chosen one isnāt always a good thing. Oscar Tundale is useless, or at least that's what he's always thought. He and his friends are about to discover that not only are monsters real, but some of them are very interested in Oscar. Now, they must find out what the monsters want, before something terrible happens to London; or worse yet, the world. Lesser Known Monsters is an own voices queer dark fantasy featuring diverse characters on a found family adventure. Perfect for fans of action and paranormal romance seeking LGBTQ+ heroes. This is the first book in the Lesser Known Monsters series. |
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The King's Sun (The Brass Machine: Book One) by Isaac Grisham Prince Kitsune dreamed of leading an army in his father's wars for supremacy. Before he can wage a single battle, the king crushes those hopes, banishing his devoted son. But not all is lost. Kitsune will regain his birthright if he assassinates the son of his father's rival. A son possessed by fiery magic. Outside his kingdom for the first time, Kitsune struggles to survive mercenaries and political intrigue. He encounters the enigmatic, dark-haired Myobu. He discovers magical Yokai and dark family secrets... ...and strange new feelings for his companion. As the two men forge their path together, an unrealized and dangerous magic blossoms within Kitsune. The powers of the Yokai are capable of unspeakable destruction, and they grow stronger in him with each passing day. Can the prince use his gifts to slay his target and win his father's affection? Or will it destroy everything he loves? |
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The King's Fear (The Brass Machine: Book Two) by Isaac Grisham Myobu waited all his life to find true love. Then, just as he makes a connection, he's murdered. Reeling from the fatal climax of his love story with Prince Kitsune, the magical Yokai must take advantage of a second chance at life, reconciling his past and present while keeping the prince from following a path of darkness. Kitsune, lost in grief and guilt, finds a renewed purpose and the potential for hope when he discovers the legendary Sword of Inari. But when voices within the steel begin speaking to him, he's tempted down a path of deceit and destruction. With an army under his command, Kitsune must defend the world against the whims of his deranged father. King Oni's aggression is mounting, and he will stop at nothing to maintain his power over the region. In a tale of good versus evil, life and death, Kitsune and Myobu must come together to face unspeakable horrors. They are tasked with destroying an evil that threatens the brass machine--and their world. |
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Light as a Feather by Cameron James Jacob lives in a ballet bubble that is about to burst when he is accepted into the prestigous National Ballet School. Itās everything heās always wanted until.... itās not.. When it seems like everyone around him is perfect, Jacobās cracks begin to show and he begins to worry if heās thin enough, good enough, or even tough enough for this and soon Jacob reaches breaking pointe. CW: Alcohol, body shaming, eating disorder, starvation, vomiting, mental illness, sex. |
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Casey has always had everything planned. 1. Get Testosterone 2. Get Top Surgery 3. Get Bottom Surgery, but the one thing he didnāt have planned was falling in love with Mickey. Now with Mickey at his side and surgery eight weeks away, the countdown is on. |
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Brooklyn and Cole are the couple at university. They have it all figured out but when the unthinkable happens and Cole gets into an accident and Death turns up to take him to Teen Heaven, Death being a seemingly teenage boy dressed in all black, it turns out life isn't quite what it seems. CW: Blood, car accident, death, depression, drugs, loss of a loved one, self-harm, sex, suicide, terminal illness, |
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Butterfly Boys by Cameron James Sam and Frankie come from two different worlds. Sam is sporty, shy and football mad. Frankie is bright, spontaneous and always seen in floral shirts. The only thing they have in common is that they won't admit to being love. CW: Alcohol, hospitalization, homophobia, transphobia, pregnancy, sex, injury. |
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It's All in your Head by Cameron James Wizards aren't supposed to mix with humans, or at least that's what Mama said. Sander heeded her words, well, apart from occasionally sneaking out with his brother to drink and off on his own to meet with a mythical hook up. But when an order is sent out requiring him to attend college with humans, a vampire and a boy who just so happens to be Death his world is turned upside down and he begins to question if his life before was even real, or whether it was all in his head... CW: Abuse, blood, death threats, death, hallucinations, abduction, sex, transphobia. |
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Kennedy is King by Cameron James What happens when The King falls for the lowest of the low? In a school were the band rules, Kennedy has to figure out a way to persuade footballer Stephen that his feelings are real, and if that means loosing his crown, so be it! CW: Bullying, sex, injury. |
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The Merry Maids by Stefanie Contreras Alyvia Tippin is done with her training at the Academy, and ready to serve the Order. Her abilities with movement and telekinesis earn her a spot with The Merry Maids, a small black-ops team that works on the Order's behalf to unofficially clean up official messes. As the new Courier for The Merry Maids, Alyvia's training is immediately put to the test when the Order sends them on a mission to collect the disassembled pieces of an artifact called the Starkiller. The pieces are hidden across the galaxy like a deadly scavenger hunt, and the person who hid them wants Alyvia to destroy the Starkiller instead of turning it over to the Order. Luckily, The Merry Maids have her back. She's going to need it. |
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Call Numbers: The Not So Quiet Life Of Librarians by Syntell Smith Life is a book... and every person is a chapter. Everything's looking up for Robin Walker. It's 1994 in New York City, and he's been transferred downtown to the 58th Street Branch Library. Ready to move up the ladder, Robin is excited about the opportunities that await him. But success, personal or professional, is as elusive as a first-edition rare book. Robin struggles with his strange new work environment as this motley crew of employees generates more drama than a runaway bestseller. He doesn't know who to believe - or who to let in. And as potential romance mingles with devious machinations, there's no telling where Robin's story will go. All he knows is that he must see it through to the very last page. Call Numbers is a captivating and multilayered adult drama. Through realistic dialogue and situations, author Syntell Smith has crafted a modern-day classic about the trials and tribulations of adulthood. Because a library is usually the last place you'd expect high drama, but for these characters...it's long overdue. |
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The Gravity of Nothing by Chase Connor All stories start with "once upon a time" and end with "happily ever after." Except for Tom's. Tom's story ends with "happily never after." But a life is full of "once upon a times" because a life is full of stories. Everything in between the "once upon a times" is just details. Two boys met on a bus. Two boys went to summer camp. Two boys walked into the woods together. Two boys swam in the lake. One boy was assaulted. One boy was frozen with fear. One boy became overwhelmed by everything. One boy was dragged down by the gravity of nothing. This is a story of two boys. They met. They became best friends. And now one of them is dead. Over the course of this book, Tom tells a story to the other people in his therapy group. But, whose story is he telling? |
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A Tremendous Amount of Normal by Chase Connor Noah is normal. Heās full of normal. His older brother Will tells everyone all of the time. Even if they donāt believe him. Noah doesnāt understand why kids in school call him a āretard." Heās not intellectually disabled. In fact, heās very smart. But a lot of people call Will a fagāso maybe itās kind of like that. Neurotypical people donāt always make sense. Noah doesnāt understand love in the same way that his brother Will does. But maybe thatās because neurotypical people donāt understand love as deeply as Noah does? Noah is full of understanding. And so is Will. Noah wants a girlfriend. His brother Will may never be able to have a boyfriend. Maybe they need to redefine normal? |
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Between Enzo & the Universe by Chase Connor If Enzo listed his problems, being single wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the list. It might not even be in the top twenty list of problems that he faces on a daily basis. His grandmother is dead. His parents are dead. His sister and brother are dead. He has no money. No friends. No job. He's all alone in a country that will always seem strange. Soon, he might not even have a home. And he's so angry. At life. Himself. God. The universe. Everyone. Except for the man he sees in the market. Something about the man with the red hair (who only speaks English) tells Enzo that the universe might not be completely against him for once. 'Between Enzo & the Universe' is a story about a boy who emigrates from France with his family to Canada in the hopes that a better life might be found. Enzo arrives in Canada as a boy with a happy, healthy family...and ends up a young man with no one left in the world. How does the universe apologize for that? Enzo meets an American at the autumn festival and over the course of a night, they will share their dreams, their passions, and the events that made them the people they are. They will eat, laugh, talk...and come to realize that they both share a dream for the future. |
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Intricate Deceptions by Jennifer Rayes Waking up in a desolate cell, Gaia realizes that she has been kidnapped by a human trafficking organization, doomed to be sold to the highest bidder and unable to remember anything before her capture. An opportune rescue by Raoul, the Prince of Kayamato, saves Gaia from a gruesome future, and she is thrown into a world of luxury and privilege. As she struggles to regain her memory, Gaia learns that her rescue was no accident and finds herself in even more danger, hunted by a powerful drug lord, targeted by a thrill seeking pirate, and betrayed by those she thought closest to her. Fighting for sanity and survival, she works to unravel the truth behind her capture, each revelation more shocking than the last. The intricate web of deceptions spun around her family will shatter her world, leaving her unsure if she will ever trust again. Through it all, she must survive to save a friend before itās too lateā¦ |
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A Tale of Stars and Shadow (A Tale of Stars and Shadow #1) by Lisa Cassidy Dumnorix princess and born warrior, Talyn Dynan was the finest fighter of her generation. With her Callanan partner at her side, she was invincible, reckless, a death-knell to their enemies. But after her partner is torn away from her, Talyn is left broken, wracked with guilt and unable to regain the confidence she once had. Could an unexpected mission to the mysterious country of Mithranar, home of the magical winged folk, be the thing that saves her? Or will the danger and secrets she finds there finally break her completely? The Shadowhawk lives a life in the shadows. Constantly hunted for his criminal exploits, yet desperate to help the human folk of Mithranar who are oppressed by their winged folk rulers, he haunts the streets of Dock City. The arrival of a foreign warrior threatens to upset the carefully balanced life he leads, but when she begins to offer a hope for the humans he's only ever dreamed of, can he risk trusting her? And unbeknownst to both, a mysterious foe stalks the dark corners of Dock City. One that answers to a single purpose... Vengeance. |
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The Void Revealed (Origo Essentia #1) by Stephen J. Ethier The first book of the Origo Essentia Series, a Sci-Fi Fantasy adventure with a female protagonist. Sitting atop the Spire, Windhold is governed by the theocratical Brotherhood and the secular leadership of the Sentinel. Below them lies the Void, a barren land filled with the Red Death that arrived with the blistering winds of the Fury. The corruption in Windhold has left everyone at the mercy of a madman. The only hope is Elise, groomed to be the Aspirant and replace the Sentinel for a peaceful new world. But when she ventures into the Void, she discovers that Windhold may not be everything it seems. |
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Stray Magic (Faerene Apocalypse #1) by Jenny Schwartz When magic crashes through the Rift, Earth devolves into an apocalyptic nightmare. Survival becomes the only game in town, and college girl, Amy Carlton, learns sheās a more ruthless player than she ever imagined. Magistrate Istvan signed up for the Faerene Migration knowing that the price of Earthās future would be paid for in hellfire and blood. But the black griffin hadnāt anticipated humans accessing magic. Now, a new and impossible bond must be forged between a Faerene invader and a human familiar. But first Istvan and Amy must survive to form the bond. *Note: āFaereneā refers to the many peoples of another world: the griffins, dragons, unicorns, werewolves, elves and ogres who've crossed to Earth. No prepper or survivalist could have been prepared for their arrival. |
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Sorrowfish (The Call of the Lorica, #1) by Anne C. Miles Sara isn't selfish. She's sorrowfish. BEST FANTASY 2019 INDIES TODAY Sara is having crazy dreams. Gryphon and dragon crazy. The scary part is waking up, safe in her apartment, with scratches and splinters. Is she losing it because of stress? One more unfinished sculpture will fully tank her grades. Goodbye bachelor's degree, hello failure. Her twin sister is in a coma. And on top of everything else, her best friend Peter wants a date. It's enough to make anyone sleepwalk. Choosing to defy the Conclave, Bard-in-training Trystan risks capture and mind control to find a magical lute through a shadow network. Luthier-wizard Dane meets a sinister stranger and barely escapes with his life. Together, they must end an ancient curse, guided by a fae they only know as Sara. |
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The Renegade Within (FireWall #1) by Mark Johnson She committed an unspeakable act. Her quest for redemption will pit her against rising evil...Terese dreams of ascending to the highest ranks of the Seekers. But if they discover her role in a forbidden experiment that massacred hundreds, she'll suffer punishment and exile. With the suspicious eyes of her superiors watching closely, she pursues the four survivors before they can spread their infection and implicate Terese in the crime.Torn from her daughter and plagued by guilt, she journeys across desolate lands where the undead run and foul magic hangs heavy in the air. But as she closes in on her prey, Terese discovers something far more sinister at work. And the secrets she unearths throw her devotion to the Order into doubt.Will Terese betray her vows to bring a brutal conspiracy to light before more innocent victims die?The Renegade Within is the first book in the sweeping FireWall epic fantasy series. If you like strong women, immersive worlds, and suspenseful twists and turns, then you'll love Mark Johnson's enthralling adventure.Buy The Renegade Within to start a journey for atonement today! |
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A Prince's Errand (Tales of the Amulet #1) by Dan Zangari, Robert Zangari #1 New Release in Classic Fantasy A Prince's Errand, Book One of Tales of the Amulet begins an exciting new epic fantasy saga. Several millennia ago a war raged between the factions of dragonkind. With their world ravaged, the Kaldean Alliance forged the Amulet of Draconic Control and the Tethering Stone, and banished their foes to other realms, saving Kalda from utter destruction. Fearing the power of the Amulet, the survivors secreted it away. But now knowledge of the Amulet has resurfaced--and in the wrong hands, war could erupt anew. A PRINCE'S ERRAND Long ago, men harnessed the Channels of Power, creating tevisrals-devices capable of manifesting magic. But men weren't the only ones to accomplish such feats. Dragons crafted the most sophisticated tevisrals. These shaped the world, defining civilization of man and elf alike. Over the centuries, the people of Kalda have fallen into a dark age, where elves are estranged from men and dragons have retreated into legend. Tevisrals are scarce and men are willing to trade everything for them. But there are some who wish to bury the past, and in their lands, possessing tevisrals is tantamount to treason. Still, daring men scour the world in search of Kalda's past. One such man, the scholar Krindal, seeks an ancient order known as the Keepers of Truth and Might. He yearns for their knowledge, long feared lost. Prince Kaescis Midivar also searches for these Keepers. The assassination of his uncle, the emperor of Mindolarn, killed his hopes of peace with his empire's enemies. His empire's survival hinges upon unearthing the Keepers' secrets. An aging warrior, Cornar Dol'shir, longs to be home with his wife. But his retirement must wait, as his band of adventurers is recruited to help find the Keepers' hidden temple on the Isle of Klindala. Haunted by his tragic past, Iltar, the Son of Adrin, does not join in the search for the Keepers. Instead, he seeks to unravel the mysteries held within a volume of prophecy foretelling the advent of the Unspoken One and the return of the Crimson Eye. His search takes him to the Empire of Mindolarn, where all is not as it seems. An ancient war was won by a simple amulet. It brought peace, but in the wrong hands it could spell a doom the likes of which no world has ever seen. May the Crimson Eye remain hidden for all time. |
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The One Who Could Not Fly (The Wing Cycle, #1) by E.G. Stone For generations, sylphs have lived isolated on the island of Shinalea, forgotten by the world. But they, too, have forgotten their past. Until it rears its head and changes the very foundations of their worldā¦ Ravenna has grown up isolated and ostracised amongst the sylphs for her small wing size and her unusual colouring. She lives with the Intellecti, a collection of sylphs dedicated to learning, to facts, to history, to thought. But she feels most free when she runs through the trees of her beloved home. Until, that is, she comes across beings that should have been myth. Humans. Captured, Ravenna is taken from her home and into the vastness of the desert mainland. She is sold into slavery and thrown into a world that proves everything she knew about the humans right: they are nothing more than the cruel, bloodthirsty beings that filled sylph myths with horror. Until, that is, Ravenna makes a single mistake. She falls. Suddenly, the world is not quite what she knew. Ravenna is thrust into this world of humans and their schemings for power, their political machinations, their hopes, their dreams. Ravenna must decide whether humans are the nightmares of her peopleās legends or just beings like her, finding their place in an unexpected world. And she must decide whether to save her world, or to destroy it. The One Who Could Not Fly is an exciting fantasy adventure that asks questions of family, of independence, and of what it really means to fly. |
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Night Latch (The Locksmith #1) by Anela Deen Sam Alvarez doesnāt just open locks. Heās the key. Living in Bellemer, Iowa, Sam leads a typical small-town life. When heās not looking after his Nana or dealing with his motherās expectations, he runs a one-man locksmith company. Unlike regular locksmiths, he can open anything with a touch and a wish, but Sam keeps that secret to himself. No reason to alarm the neighbors, after all. And if he sometimes feels an indefinable pull to do more with his life, well, that's probably just indigestion. Then one day, an unsettlingly beautiful out-of-towner asks for Samās help to open a door. Only one problem: The jobās in a graveyard. And the client? Turns out sheās Death. Maybe thatās two problems. When Sam unlocks more than he intended and demons come out to play, he discovers heās far more than a locksmith with a hidden quirk. Now, he needs to figure out who he is and what heās been called to do before darker forces close the door on him for good. |
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Land of Perpetual Night (Blood Forest #0.5) by Miri C. Golden SHEāS THE LEGEND WHO WILL TOPPLE AN EMPIRE OF LIESā¦SHE JUST DOESNāT KNOW IT YET. Cadet ranger Troa Travay spends her days arresting outlaws in the wilds of Shinador. Given her squadās accomplishments while under her command, sheāll someday earn the captainship she dreams of. For Troa, itās a perfect lifeā¦until she uncovers an insidious plot to assassinate Shinadorās governor, the very man she unwittingly kissed the other nightāa ruler the law forbids her from loving. While Troa and her squad investigate, she gains a deadly magical Gift, guaranteed to soon kill her. Worse yet, Imperium law requires she surrender herself to the authorities before she loses her mind and hurts peopleāas the Gifted always do. But the magic reveals a tapestry of lies shrouding the world Troa knows, and when she plucks a thread, everything she believed to be true begins to unravel. Now, she finds herself caught in a tangle of deception, betrayal, and slaughter, where right and wrong arenāt mutually exclusive. With her life and all she holds dear hanging in the balance, can she burn through the lies without landing herself in irons? Or will the magic consume her before she uncovers the truth? The timepiece is ticking. Land of Perpetual Night is a full-length prequel to the upcoming Blood Forest trilogyāan action-packed, character-driven High Fantasy series. If you like resilient heroines, fathomless friendships, and a side of steam served with your magic, battles, and heartache, then this gripping story is for you. |
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Incursion (The Necromancer's Key #1) by Mitchell Hogan An immersive and ambitious new series from the Aurealis Award winning author of A Crucible of Souls. A corrupted power stirs from beyond the grave. A sacred order of knights sworn to protect the world from evil. The Necromancer Queen will rise again. Seventeen years have passed since the Necromancer Queen Talia was overthrown and slain, and her capital city destroyed by the Knights of the Order of Eternal Vigilance. Anskar DeVantte, raised in the sacred disciplines of the Order, is now ready to face the brutal initiation trials to become a consecrated knight-sorcerer. But the further Anskar rises in the ranks the more his faith wavers, and he is beset by harrowing dreams and uncertainty. As troubling powers awaken within him, a schism grows between Anskar and his hallowed Order, and he draws the hungry gaze of the vanquished queenās fanatical followers. As Anskar pieces together the mysteries of his early life, and begins to understand the malevolent forces gathering in his path, he finds himself with a crucial choice to make: Remain loyal to the Orderās righteous mission, or control the dark powers growing within him. Either way, his destiny is steeped in war. The only question is, which side will he be on? |