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The Shadow Sisters by Matthew Cesca A life of lies and betrayal. Anjia has trained her entire life to become a Sister of the Temple of Kyrsma, Goddess of Love and Light. She knows one of two fates await her on Ascension Day, a life of service or a gruesome death. But as the day of her ascension comes and she is sworn to the temple, her life is no longer her own. A terrible truth is revealed to her â the temple is corrupted by the shadow demon, Khimital. And with her ascension, Anjia is now bound to it. Along with the other sisters of the Temple, Anjia is forced to work as an assassin for the Khimital, whose only desire is to spread darkness in the world once strong with Kyrsmaâs light. With each mission, the sisters perform unspeakable acts that darken their souls. Defiance is met with dominance as each sister learns that having the Khimital's influence take control of their bodies is worse than carrying out these deadly deeds on their own. The Khimital is not without benevolence though. With each mission completed, the Khimital offers new powers and mastery of the shadows. Anjia must accept this new life that was thrust upon her and the sins she must commit in the Khimital's name. The longer Anjia is forced to serve, the deadlier she becomes. And the more power the Khimital gives her, the more she begins to embrace this new destiny⊠|
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In the shadowed kingdom of Vyrelia, Kaevra Tenebris has spent her life hidingâhiding from her past, her power, and the forces that hunt her. When her carefully guarded world is shattered, sheâs thrust into a dangerous game of survival. Rowanthar, a deadly tracker bound to the crown, is sent to capture her, but Kaevra proves to be unlike anyone heâs ever faced. As their paths collide, secrets unravel, and the fate of the kingdom teeters on the edge. Dark magic, forbidden alliances, and treacherous choices await in this gripping tale of power, destiny, and courage. |
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Mist and Divide by M. E. Shotwell Ten Lands Divided. One Shattered Past. A Forbidden Magic on the Brink of Awakening. In a world torn apart by the catastrophic Quake, Evella Trapper has lived a life of isolation on the northern banks of Corallon. For generations, her family has struggled to survive, relying on hunting and trapping to sustain themâbut no matter how much time passes, the sins of her past still haunt her. Everything changes when Evella meets Arek, a stranger displaced by the quakes, who reveals a shocking the king has sent him to recruit her for a secret army, one that wields a powerful, forbidden magicâSoulmagic. As the quakes grow stronger and threaten to tear the world apart, Evella embarks on a journey to master her powers. But her Soulmagic only emerges in her sleep, leaving her unable to fight back in the waking world. With the fate of her family, her homeland, and her own future at stake, she must confront her darkest fearsâboth the ones buried in her past and those that threaten the fragile peace of the present. Joined by a team of Soulmagi, Evella faces the ghosts of her past, uncovers the deadly truth behind the quakes, and must make an impossible choice. Will she harness her power in time to protect the people she loves and secure the future she desperately wants? |
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Speak with the Dead by E. C. Taylor Annalyn Hale doesnât believe in the gods. If they do exist, theyâve only ever taken from her. After her father dies, Anna lives a small, quiet life with her mother, gathering what their bakery needs from the woods. For fun, she treks deep into the trees surrounding her home to find dangerous ruins and the treasure they hold within. Her world shifts when she returns home to find debt collectors harassing her mother. They give her a choiceâeither her mother goes to jail for missing payments, or Anna joins the governorâs armed forces and they take the money out of her wage. Anna enlists and when the commander gives her a mission that would pay off half her debt, she accepts, even though she doesnât think sheâs ready. But the mission is steeped in treachery before it can begin. Is the team strong enough to triumph over the conspiracy set against them? Will Anna succeed despite her shortcomings, or are they too much for her to overcome? If the gods do exist, what will they take from her now? |
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The Bone Drenched Woods by L.V. Russell Carve the bones. One for the gate, one for the door, two for the mantel, and three for the floor⊠Hyacinth Turning knows the terrors beyond her village, the insatiable hunger of the Teeth. She listens to the sermons given by the Elders in their hare-skin masks. She watches as the heathens hang and the witches burn. They tell her to be good and quiet. But Hyacinth is neither good nor quiet. After a series of tragic events, Hyacinth finds herself hastily wedded and sent far away from all she has ever known to a settlement at the edge of the sea. Where more than just the Teeth are hungry. Another horror swims below, leviathan shadows kept at bay by offerings of flesh and bone. But no sooner does Hyacinth take root in her new home do the Teeth and the Deep come to feed. Suspicion soon falls upon the outspoken Hyacinth, who spends more time with the outcasted Morgan Carroway than her own husband. The Elders want her burned, her husband wants her hanged, and a long-lost love claws at her dreams, but Hyacinth only wants one thing. A life and death of her choosing. |
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Where Dark Things Rise by Andrew K. Clark Sixteen-year-old Mina is frustrated by Daddyâs drinking, her momâs fanatical religious beliefs, and growing up poor in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. Most of her teachers assume she wonât amount to much despite her 4.0 GPA, and the country club guys think sheâs easy prey. But they donât know Minaâs dark secret: She can control a magical force of supernatural creatures known as the Shadow Faces. Mina doesnât want powers. All she wants to do is escape the trailer park for a leafy college campus far away. But when her crush, Gabe, is stalked by a shapeshifting preacher/wolf, Mina learns to use her powers to protect him. Mina soon discovers the same preacher is trafficking teens for a mystical brothel and has kidnapped her best friend, Erin, after a failed attempt at conversion therapy. Can Mina use the Shadow Faces to save Erin and the other kids without losing her chance at a normal life? |
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Echoâs End by Claudia J. Filusch THE WORLD IS COLLAPSINGâQUIETLY. COMPLETELY. The sky rains golden ash. Villages lie swallowed in dust. And from the heavens it descends, silent, monolithic, like a sentence long awaited. A cuboid humming with a power no one dares to name. The story follows Caden, a quiet survivor with Echodust in his veins and Jira, a sharp-eyed healer bound to him by choice, not fate. Together, they navigate a dying continent littered with failed machines, ghost-towns of ritual, and warnings about âthe one who walks without skinâ. But the deeper they go, the more the past bleeds into the present, and the more the line blurs between memory, magic and machine. Echo's End is a story about grief and survival, love and legacy. A world at its edge. And the silence that cradles what we could not carry. With the emotional intimacy of The Book Thief, the haunting mystery of Annihilation, and the high-concept tension of Dune, Echo's End explores legacy, loss, and what it means to remain human in a world unmaking itself. |
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A Fire So Lovely by Violetta Brooks Searching for a sense of purpose after her harrowing experience in the dungeon, Aislinn returns to the one place that made her whole and broke her: House Woodthorne. This time, a new mission arisesâprotect the realm. Under the banners of Isolde, Daegyn, Aislinn, and Landyn march to gather an army. The trio embarks on a journey across Carafye, meeting new faces and going through hardships. While the brothers still quarrel over bygones and Aislinn's affection, Aislinn's love for Daegyn only grows, and the two of them dream of a life of peace and solitude together. But will their love be enough to sustain them through their discovery of life-altering truth? Will it be enough to chase away the demons of the past? Can true love conquer all, or does it crumble to pieces when the weight of the realm rests on its shoulders? |
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The Great and the Dark by Violetta Brooks Aislinn Lockmereâa talented baker in the realm of Carafyeâhas known struggle as a widow and single mother, but she enjoys her independence, no matter the hardships. Her entire world is flipped upside down when she's taken away from her self-built life by charismatic half-elf lord Landyn Woodthorne. He brings her to his estate, where she is forced to have a hand in his plans to unite two kingdoms. There, she meets Landyn's younger brother Daegynâa half-elf headsman with a calling for vengeance. House Woodthorne provides her with friendship and rouses forbidden feelings inside her that she swore off long ago. As if things aren't difficult enough, a terrible tragedy befalls the kingdom, and Aislinn's will to survive is tested. Will she trust true love or remain as she's always knownâalone? |
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The Witch Hunter's Debt by J.L. Coulbeck Monsters wake. Glass shatters. And Thrazo is the poor bastard left paying for it. All the orc sellsword wanted was ale, a bed, and a night without getting stabbed. Instead, a nightmare clawed its way out of a tavern alley and nearly tore him apartâuntil witch hunter Elijah Lynton, stepped in, bound him to an obligation he never asked for. Now the hunter has come to collect. The job: a village drowning in swamp water, mirrors that show the dead, and fiends wearing the faces of the long-buried. Thereâs even a witch tangled in the middleâthough whether sheâs the cure or another curse, no one can say. Elijah hunts like Dion himself is watching. Thrazo swings his axe and tries not to drown. But debts donât vanish. One way or another, this oneâs getting paid. |
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Return of Eve (Emilia of the Solstice Realm #1) by Daphne Paige A Court of Thorns and Roses and Kingdom of the Wicked collide in this dark romantic fantasy world where a lost princess fights to keep her morals despite an ancient curse trying to turn her to the Darkness. WHEN THE SWORD OF DEATH IS SHATTERED, THE SWORD OF LIFE MUST BE REFORGED. Emilia only remembers two years of her lifeâeverything before she woke up on a park bench in the Earthen Realm covered in blood is a puzzle to her. But after a terrifying vision makes her the laughingstock of her senior year, she meets a mysterious boy with a scar and a smirk who promises to fill in the sixteen-year gap in her memory. Reunited with long-forgotten friends, she embarks on a journey to repair Eve, the Sword of Life, and save her kingdom. However, her journey is cut short when an army of vampires overtakes her palaceâsent by the man who killed her father and broke her heart. Now Emilia has to make a choice⊠Either stay the prisoner of her corrupt ex-fiancĂ© or kill him and inherit the evil that taints his blood. Embark on a dark fantasy adventure, full of mages, vampires, and corruption. The perfect read for fans of: Vampires, mages, and mermaids Chosen One Found Family Fated Mates Allies to Lovers Love Triangles Corruption and Redemption Arcs Sisterhood and Brotherhood Ball Gowns and Ballrooms Blood Magic Tombs Portal Magic â„ Return of Eve introduces a lovable cast of characters as they explore their dark-cursed world, featuring found family, fated mates, corruption and redemption arcs, and different types of mage magic. Grab your copy today or read through Kindle Unlimited. â„ |
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The Heir of Ash and Thunder (The Shattered Veil #1) by Elijah Stepanovich Some destinies burn their way into the world. Ilija DragoviÄ has spent his life studying myths he doesn't quite believe. As a professor of classical mythology, he walks among ancient ruins with a strange, unsettling familiarity, as though something within him remembers what his mind cannot. He has buried the memory of the night his father died, when he was seventeen and five flames appeared in the darkness. He tells himself it was grief, trauma, a child's mind breaking under loss. Then the presence he's always carried beneath his skin begins to wake. It rises as heat in his blood, as light behind his eyes, as a voice that feels like coming home. The world leans toward him in recognition, and Ilija realizes the myths he's taught aren't stories at all, but memories of a life lived when empires rose at his command. Across sea and stone, ancient powers turn their attention toward him. They remember him as beloved, as rival, as ruin. They are coming to witness his return, to challenge him, to kneel, to kill. As the ancient storm he once wielded returns to his hands, Ilija must face an impossible choice: reclaim the power that could reshape the world, or resist the destiny that's already rewriting him from within. The Heir of Ash and Thunder is a tale of awakening and defiance, where memory is both weapon and wound, and the past refuses to stay buried. |
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Blood & Brujas by Mikayla D. Hornedo From the moment Dayanara could wield a blade, she's been used as a weapon for Caldera, a kingdom of fierce brujas. Whenever her mother, the all-powerful Acna, points her in the direction to kill, Dayanara follows. After centuries of war against the vampire kingdom at their border, her mother offers their king Dayanara's hand in marriage as a truce. Their agreement is bound by magic, and Dayanara must decide if she wants to kill the king, seduce the king, or embrace the union. On the bright side, the marriage is set to make her the next Acna, granting her all the power that comes with the role. Depending on how much the Goddess Naom gifts her, it could be enough to regain control of her life. Or maybe everything will crumble beyond repair. |
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Under the Horn of Hearth by S.P. Rowe "Brutal, brooding, and beautifully atmospheric, âUnder the Horn of Hearthâ plunges readers into the icy heart of Northland." "This is one of those books that spark conversations long after the final page is turned. Its unconventional structure and unexpected twists create an engaging reading experience that kept me guessing until the end." Under the Horn of Hearth, book one of the Northland Frail series, takes place in the cold north. Two brothers face the Trials, battling physical threats, inner demons, and monstrous creatures to test their mettle and secure their fate. In the rugged realm of Northland, the Brond Helmsâguardians of tradition and powerâpose a daunting challenge to every young warrior: The Trials. These harrowing tests are designed to strip away all pretense and reveal the true nature of those who dare to face them. Two brothers, driven by a fierce desire to prove themselves, step into The Trials, where they confront not only physical threats but also their deepest fears and inner demons. In a place dominated by violence and monstrous creatures, the brothers must fight for their survival and a chance to secure their position in both this life and the next. Amidst relentless battles and treacherous challenges, they discover that the true test lies not just in overcoming external obstacles, but in confronting their own humanity. Their journey through The Trials will determine not only their fate but also the essence of who they are. SPEAK YOUR MIND AND HOLD FAST TO IT. ... This story was born from loss. As a young man, I experienced a profound tragedy that left me questioning everythingâwhere do we go when we die? Religions and even quantum physics offer answers, but certainty remains elusive. As the years pass and more loved ones fade, the weight of that question only deepens. But I grieve not just for the deadâfreedom itself is fading. Across the political spectrum, those who once championed liberty grow increasingly illiberal. Fear and power erode principle, and truth bends to ideology. This book is my attempt to create a mythology where freedom and ethics stand side by sideâwhere death is not an end, but a preparation for a grand adventure. |
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Earth Mover: Elemental Shift Book 1 by J.C. Murphey In a world where magic pulses through veins like blood, power is measured by the secrets one keepsâand Haron Val Toric has many to hide. In the kingdom of Respar, the rules are clear: male spellcasters build and protect, while women heal and nurture. Yet Haron, the realm's most skilled necromancer, has never been one to conform. When a noblewoman is discovered gruesomely murdered, Haron takes it upon herself to investigate, uncovering a conspiracy that threatens to tear Resparâs fragile peace apart. Each revelation from the dead drags her deeper into a tangled web of long-buried secretsâsecrets better left untouched. Crown Prince Irin Gailish enlists Haronâs formidable powers to solve the mysterious death of his father. Captivated by her sharp intellect and her refusal to bow to courtly pretensions, Irin finds himself torn between his duty to the kingdom and an attraction that could bring ruin. As their fates intertwine, so do the dark schemes of those who wish to see them both undone. But Haron's greatest deception is the one hidden beneath her careful exterior. She is far more than she appearsâmore dangerous, more powerful, and more hunted. May the Old Gods have mercy on any soul who rips away her mask, for there are fangs hidden beneath it. |
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Event Horizon: When stars die by Victor Neil Murray (Continuation of the book âEvent Horizon. The Dark Middle Agesâ) âEvent Horizon. When Stars Dieâ The story spans the Victorian era and other realities â living worlds with their own nature, cultures, and laws, where the very fabric of life resonates differently than on Earth. There, light can be lethal, and darkness may be the only thing capable of giving hope. This is not merely a journey through worlds. It is a journey through destinies that cannot be escaped and wounds that cannot be forgotten. There are worlds where fate is a thin thread that can be severed. There are worlds where fate is a choice paid for in blood. And there are worlds where even fate itself fears to speak the names of those who must live. When light disappears, darkness does not come. History comes â and it demands sacrifice. Event Horizon is an epic about those who cannot hide from themselves. About those born of light, and those who rise from darkness â yet still seek a way to remain alive without becoming monsters. There are no characters who desire greatness. Only those forced to carry it like chains. Their fears are louder than weapons, their choices heavier than battles, their love â more dangerous than any magic. Against collapsing skies, dying worlds, and civilizations that have forgotten their names, every hero takes a step that makes reality itself tremble. No one here is born to be central. Each is the center of their own tragedy. The one who fears the power flowing through his veins. The one who fears his own weakness. The one who runs from the past â and the one the past finds even in other worlds. The one who tries to save others, and the one who knows that sometimes salvation is the worst form of destruction. Their voices carry pain, their footsteps carry prophecy, their mistakes carry the breath of gods. Can one bear light without burning? Can one love without destroying? This is not a story about war. Nor a story about the end of times. It is a story about the cost â the price paid by those who dare to look into the deepest darkness and ask: âWhy do we live, if stars die all the same?â |
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EVENT HORIZON: The Dark Middle Ages. by Victor Neil Murray Sometimes a world does not die by the sword. But because someone once loved too fiercely. When gods fall and magic becomes a curse, salvation is not chosen by strength â but by the heart. Two brothers. One â a king, ready to die to save the world. The other â the one who tried to defeat death for love⊠and became its curse. A girl whose voice was stolen by grief will one day speak in the tongue of gods â and her word will be stronger than any blade. This is not a tale of good and evil. It is a story of choices that always come too late. Of betrayal born from love. Of sacrifice stronger than destiny. Of a world learning to breathe after the death of gods. When the stars go out, when love becomes a weapon, and only darkness remains â one question will rise: What are you willing to surrender so the world may see light again? Event Horizon. Dark Middle Ages â a story of those who desired light so desperately they unknowingly created darkness. And a legend where salvation and ruin walk the same road. |
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Killed By True Love's Kiss by Haley Bono When Lottie survives her seventeenth birthday, despite her Grandmother's curse, she believes she's finally done it. No doomed romance, no tragic kissâsheâs finally free to live her life and mend things with her sister./ But what if she was wrong?/ And the curse was never coming for her?/ As the truth unravels, Lottie must untangle a generations-old mystery, take on death, and face the Curse of Love in the flesh. Why should true love decide anyoneâs fate? |
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Of Mists and Bogs: Intrigue, Espionage, and Tea by LMG Wilson Better to be the fox than the hare within Yonabaâs high walls. Yonaba, the city surrounded by mists, mud drakes, and carnivorous trees, holds an iron grip on travel through the Valley of Mists and with it all trade on the continent. The city-state is both famous and wealthy for trading its coveted mukio berry tea cultivated from watery bogs. All that prosperity has made Yonabans powerful. Yet, however safe they feel behind their gates, a greater threat waits within. Inei, faithful agent of the northern nation Cirdenor, has infiltrated the ruling High House of Yonaba. After months pretending to be the face that she wears, sheâs eager to complete her mission. In the past, sheâs done so at the edge of a knife, but this time Inei receives a small snuffbox and mysteriously vague instructions. Dump the box in the High House mukio berry bogs. The gaps in information and her instincts seed doubts in her missions as Inei finds herself surrounded by power-hungry politicians and nobles with conquest on their minds. Isolated, she must decide who to trust as the snare that is the walled city closes in around her. |
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Desperate to save her graduation plans, Vayda joins a rising metal band's tour only to find her biggest challenge isnât the research, but the brooding lead singer who might just unravel her perfectly planned life. Vayda Kimble, a college student in her last semester of school, just discovered her plans for graduation are in jeopardy. The perfect rock band she planned to study for her sociology research project unexpectedly canceled their spring tour. Scrambling to find another band that will meet her graduation requirements and limited timeframe, her father suggests ASYLUM, a hot new heavy-metal band growing in popularity. Without question, Vayda quickly signs up to join their tour. Dex Marshall, an angry demon with a broken past, hates Vayda from the moment he sees her, and he isnât afraid to hide his disgust for their new stowaway. As Vayda climbs the steps of the tour bus, she soon becomes entangled in a hidden world of demons where she is not welcome, and faces the grim reality where the one demon who can keep her safe hates her. As Dex and Vayda come to a truce and fight opposition, emotions are heightened. When outside forces threaten to tear them apart forever, Vayda finds herself in a desperate battle to fight for her freedom or risk losing her future with Dex completely. |
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Yelen and Yelena by C. M. Rosens In a rural corner of the Provinces simmering with civil unrest, Laundress Yelena's village is afflicted by a dangerous fungal rot-plague. When she is falsely accused of dark sorcery, Yelena is evicted from her cottage and forced into the rot-infested forest... Yelen is a forgotten tyrant, turned into a monster hundreds of years ago and desperate to distance himself from the power-hungry brute he once was... But he craves companionship and an end to his lonely existence. When the wind leads Yelena to Yelen, she discovers a kindred spirit in the aromantic, bi-attracted monster, and their relationship quickly escalates. But being a guest in a cursed castle with a lonely, amorous Beast is not all fun and games - while exploring, Yelena makes a disturbing discovery about the rot-plague's source, and starts showing symptoms of infection herself. Can Yelen and Yelena work together to find a lasting cure for the rot seeping beyond the castle walls, or will the castle's curse claim another victim? YELEN & YELENA is a standalone, monster-loving 'tour de force', perfect for fans of Beauty and the Beast re-imaginings, Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Mexican Gothic, and T. Kingfisher's What Moves The Dead. Look no further for a deeply atmospheric Dark Gothic Fantasy with a Hopepunk core, and a sapphic riff on Orpheus & Eurydice subplot. Yes, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but it is a genuinely refreshing one. For one, it is emphatically not a love story. Both Yelena and the beast, Yelen, are aromantic. They lust plenty, but their love is strictly platonic. We witness sincere affection blossom, but itâs the affection of dear friends. ... if youâre happy with no-strings attached smut, you will not be disappointed. This is one for the monsterf---ers, emphasis on f--k. It gets weird, it gets dangerous, and it is utterly unapologetic about it. - Dai Baddley, Divination Hollow Review |
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Black Smoke Rising by Caroline Cuell After generations of war, the world has settled into an uncomfortable peace, the foundations of which are built on the simple premise laid out in unwritten law â you keep to your own kind. For the fae of Viriador and the elves of Carpathia, this way of life has seen them flourish and thrive, content with their own ways, the stains of bloody wars nothing more than words on pages of old scripture. For the dragon-shifters of Predoran, however, the lust for bloodshed is proving hard to suppress. King Dracul was the one to force the fae and elves from his lands, driven by the need to be cleansed of his sworn enemies. Now though, the disappointments of peace see him craving violence. His decision to take the lands of those he despises threatens to destroy all that has been built â and in doing so will change the course of six lives forever. |
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Byron, PhD student and waistcoat admirer, knows about yearning and betrayal. Itâs been four years since the love of his life, Ruben, walked off without explanation. Byron dreams of midnight sex he canât fully remember and a beloved man with dancing eyes. If only Ruben would return⊠But life moves on. At least it did until you-know-who unexpectedly pitches a tent in the garden, provoking ghosts from the past as well as Byronâs aching heart. Ruben understands how to push Byronâs buttons. But he doesnât know why someone is stalking them or why his memories are haunted by students playing a naked truth-dare game in an ancient room. What happened on the claw-marked table covered with crispy skin flakes? Halloween draws close, and with it comes a rollercoaster ride of sex, fear, and love. At the back of their minds, a chilling, familiar voice reminds Byron and Ruben of a game from long ago and a pact that canât be abandoned or left unfinished. True love never dies. |
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The Electric King by Hugh C.N. Miller By 2052, the world is ruled by artificial intelligence in the form of a ruthless android called King Cyrus. Society is divided into the 'Myriadsâ, who choose allegiance to his reign and live in perceived opulence and the âIndigentsâ, who live off-grid and fight for survival. An unthinkable tragedy transforms Scarlett into an unexpected warrior. With her kidnapped brother as her only focus, she is given the power to defeat the electric king and liberate humanity before itâs too late. But first, she must trust Ethan, a handsome thief who threatens to steal more than just her heart⊠|
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Atheron: The Call of Veydrath by Joseph E. Klug Across the fractured lands of Atheron, five great races stand divided by ancient wounds and unyielding mistrust. While their leaders cling to arrogance and fear, something far older awakens beneath the mountains. The soul-gem Veydrath, long thought a relic of the gods, has surfacedâand within it stirs a bound chaos demon whose will was never truly silenced. Amid the rising discord, a young human warrior, an elven ranger unburdened by her peopleâs pride, a gnome inventor, and a halfling seer form an uneasy fellowship. Their mixed heritage defies the divisions of their age, and together they must uncover the truth of Veydrath before its corruption spreads beyond recall. Atheron: The Call of Veydrath is an epic dark-fantasy of unity born from fracture, where prophecy, corruption, and faith collide in a world standing at the edge of ruin. |
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Nearly a thousand years ago, the tyrant-sorcerer Mordechai betrayed his people, forged a weapon of darkness, and led an assault against the Middle Kingdoms to claim the throne of Reality. He slaughtered the defenders, broached the Shimmering Door, ascended to the Unseen Realm, and sought to make himself a god at the Heart of the World. Only at the last moment was he thwartedâby the sacrifice of a young woman, Lightbringer, who slew the Servant of Darkness and ended his terrible campaign. But now evil stirs in ancient strongholds, and blood-rituals claim the lives of innocents throughout the cities of the world, and fearsome shadow-monsters have reappeared to feast upon the living. The Servant has been resurrected. His armies have grown. His power has swelled. And he has resumed his bloody war against the free world. Again he marches for the Shimmering Door and the Heart of the World; and now there are few who remain to stay his hand. Only a young forest girl, Ashera Eldibara, has any hope of standing against Mordechai. She bears the Sword of Light, the fabled weapon of her predecessor, and its magic hums in her bones. Others stand at her side as protectors and guardiansâa wizard, a warrior, and a huntress, each prepared to sacrifice all in the last desperate struggle against the Servant of Darkness. But they are few, and Ashera is young and untrained, inexperienced in the ways of magic and warfareâand the monstrous armies that she faces are vast and powerful . . . and already hunting her. |
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The Shard and The Serpent by Jinapher J. Hoffman A high-stakes, spicy dark romantasy where assassins and criminally ruled cities battle for dominance, Fate twists bonds into violent obsession, and female rage fuels a revenge story as brutal and relentless as John Wick. In Mirror, ruined kingdoms have risen into darkly inventive criminal empires, each perfecting its trade through human trafficking and ruthless experimentation. Among the shadows, a secret league of female assassins with Fate-blessed powers exacts their ultimate punishment, vendettas paid only in blood. Rayze Angeline is one of them. A Shard Daughter. The Angel of Sin. She can fold oceans, warp gravity, and slip into minds. But her specialty is pleasure threads, entering a personâs mind by fulfilling their darkest desires and commanding them to spill their secrets. Her target? Warrick Ivor. Obsessive Heir to The Serpent. Her sworn enemy. The one man she should never touch. Unfortunately for Rayze, and to Warrickâs smug satisfaction, their souls are bound by Fate. She hates him almost as much as she craves the way he makes her his. Every glance is a challenge, every touch a dare, and neither of them ever walks away without drawing blood. Why would they? Killing is their favorite pastime. The more they push the limits of their Bond, the closer they edge toward a line that, once crossed, could turn passion into ruin. Dark secrets unravel, lust and empires collide, and revenge will be taken. For. Always. No matter the cost. If you crave a genre-bending dark fantasy/sci-fi romance with morally grey heroes, addictive spice, and twists that cut deepâwhere betrayal is as intoxicating as desireâThe Shard and The Serpent will keep you up all night, gripping your Kindle, and screaming at the page. ⊠Tropes Youâll Find Inside ⊠â Criminal empires and assassins in a female-rage, John Wickâstyle revenge story â Unique twist on fated mates and fate magic â Medium-burn, addictive spice with a hard-earned HEA â Found family with women supporting women â Playthings to enemies to lovers â Masked, morally grey Heir who kneels only for her â Deadly female assassin with Fate-blessed superpowers â âYouâre mineâ, âTouch her and dieâ, âWho did this to youâ â Primal chasing / primal hunting tension â Betrayal as foreplay, revenge as devotion â Pirates and flying pirate ships colliding with a grunge-punk cityscape of masked criminals â Dark secrets, memory loss and memory manipulation â Standalone in a series of interconnected standalones |
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Keepers of the Crossing: The Handsel Witches by Ryan J Hamshaw Four months after the defeat of the Dark Friars, Liam O'Connor is finally finding some balance in life. He's juggling college, his friends, and his role as a Keeper of the Crossing. But that balance is about to break, and his friendsâ safety is on the line. Tariq Ashar is trying to make his new relationship with Liam work while dealing with old secrets tied to Lucas Martindale, the obnoxious and unpredictable grandson of the Head of the Guild. When Lucasâ troubled past comes back to haunt him, it pulls Tariq and Liam into danger, putting everything at risk. Meanwhile, a new enemy is rising in Sarumbourne, driven by anger and revenge. As darkness spreads through the city, the Keepers must fight to protect it - or lose what theyâve sworn to defend. |
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A Light in the shadows by El Pace The Light in the Shadows is the haunting first installment of the Born of Shadows series. It follows Skia, the daughter of the ruthless King of Shadows, who was born with light inside her - a gift stolen by her father. As two kingdoms teeter on the edge of war, Skia must decide who she is: the weapon her father raised, or the spark of rebellion destined to burn the Shadowlands to the ground. Across the border, the newly crowned King of Light is drowning under the weight of a kingdom that worships the sun but hides its own secrets in the dark. When fate binds him to the enemy's daughter, he faces a choice: protect the light, or let it burn everyting he's ever known. As war brews, ancient magic awakens, and a prophecy threatens to unravel both realms. Skia must decide: Will she become the monster they fear- or the storm that breaks them? Enemies to somwthing more. Betrayal with teeth. A crown made of shadows. For fans of morally grey heroines, star-crossed destines, and dark fantasy that hurts so good. |
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Blessed is the Rot by Sheri Singerling Fenrir is a mask. Before his fall from grace, he was Ashtin, a lauded surveyor responsible for containing distortions, corrupted pockets of space-time that twist all they touch into horrid creatures. Five years prior, Ashtin defied the teachings of the Church he once served, costing him privilege, purpose, and his old name. Now, he is Fenrir, a shadow of his former self, reduced to ringing a bell for his livelihood. When a distortion claims Fenrirâs bell tower, the Church sends Surveyor Sophie to assess and contain the threat. She is a painful reminder of all that Fenrir has lost, but as the weeks slip by, Fenrir falls for her. And her him, even after learning his true identity. But Sophie harbors an even darker secret. Her only hope of salvation? Commit an unforgivable sin by descending into ancient ruins festering with distortions and their horrifying victims. Fenrir accompanies Sophie on the journey, but the truths they uncover are heinous in their own right. He must make a choiceâabandon Sophie to fate or throw the world into chaos. Blessed is the Rot is a dark science fantasy novel, the first in the Bit Trilogy and part of the Alfom shared universe. |
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The Killing Song by Felix Graves Fierce pirate captain Romada is about to retire from her high-stakes life when her siren girlfriend, Neiara, is abducted right in front of her. Together with Injagoâher brother and quartermasterâand the rest of her crew, Romada sets out on what should have been a simple rescue mission, but as they begin raiding the siren holding camps and witness horrors there, they have to make a choice: fully commit to a burgeoning resistance against these atrocities, or stop for nothing and no one to find Neiara before sheâs lost to them forever. |
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Darker Than the Starless Night by Rebecca Brodkey A tale of gods and titans, the humans caught between them, and the chemistry that binds it all together Yom has found a simple solution to avoiding the obsessive thoughts that have haunted her since burying herself beneath powdered drugs, bodies, and coin. But when her gangâs leader demands loyalty at all costs, Yomâs position as the gangâs head chemist comes under threat. Forced to investigate, she crosses paths with a cagey royal archivist named Quia as they unearth a horrifying conspiracy to reopen the ancient war that ripped the world in two. Quia offers a tenuous cross the dangerous network of provinces to reach the queendomâs capitol, and seek the one mythical person capable of halting the forces of war. On the treacherous odyssey, Yom reckons with blood-thirsty crime lords, the queenâs personal guard, bounty hunters, forest spirits, old gods, and the specter of a friend she lost as a childâher first loveâwho might still be alive out there. The chemist must face her addiction to powder, her growing feelings for Quia, and the obsessive thoughts that threaten to tear her mind in two, lest she lose herself in her quest to save the world. |
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Fallen's First by Kassidy Coursey Saerâthe first demon and Pride himselfâexists for a single-minded purpose: harvest souls to feed the ailing Devil who made him. The same Devil to whom he has sworn a vow of absolute loyalty. Until the demoness Neyu, incarnation of Lust, makes Saer question what he understands his existence to mean. Every touch or glance from Neyu burns through Saerâthe irresistible pull between them at blatant odds with his purposeâŠand his vow. One does not love another above the Devil without consequence, so when Saer surrenders to his feelings for Neyu, the Hells shriekâand he's woefully unprepared to endure the punishment for his sins. |
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The Growing Darkness by Sean Gregory Some call me a hero. Some call me a villain. Few know who I really am. Hell, all I know is I'm tired and wish someone was strong enough to end my misery. By any means necessary. But I can't die. Believe me, I've tried. Haunted by his past and endowed with powers he doesn't understand, Shen-Zarl battles suicidal thoughts while he hunts evil with a insatiable zeal. When he stumbles upon bandits assaulting a pair of twins from another realm he once again postpones his suicide plans. Princess Jesma and Prince Jesmir flee to the dangerous RhineWoods after witnessing their father's murder. The decision nearly costs them their lives--until a mysterious vigilante known as The Harbinger rescues them. Tamrin-Salzar, a famous tracker hired by a mysterious merchant to hunt down fugitives who murdered his son, discovers the man he works for is not who he seems. The decision sets him on an intercept course with fate. Thrust together by chance, a group of four strangers run from forces they do not understand on a desperate mission to find the truth. But the forces set against them seem to always be one step ahead⊠|
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âNow reach back,â she said, âand tear off your wings.â Carrion Saints is a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance between an immortal saint and a severed head. Crow can pass for human. She may come off as eccentric, but sheâs good at hiding her wings. As a saint, sheâs devoted her endless life to protecting humanity from other immortals: the ones they call monsters. Sheâs finally ready to take on the worst monster of all, a great evil sealed at the edge of civilization. Magnolia is the worst monster of all. A villain who amuses herself by preying on valiant heroes. At first glance, she looks powerless. She looks, in fact, like a decapitated head (a very chatty one). But her magic lets her issue absolute commands to humans and immortals alike. Sheâs been waiting centuries for a challenger powerful enough to break the seal binding her in the wilderness. In other words, sheâs been waiting centuries to magically seize control over someone like Crow. Crow has always been patient and forgiving. Sadistic, remorseless Magnolia awakens new depths of loathing in herâa hatred of frightening intensity. And now, she's forced to use her full power to grant Magnoliaâs one heartfelt wish: to see the rest of the world. To make up for all the years she spent trapped alone with only trees for company. What follows is an ultra slow-burn romance between true enemies. Between good and evil. Between a winged woman and a talkative severed head (who occasionally sprouts the rest of her body, just to keep things lively). They travel together across a post-apocalyptic landscape marked by strange magic and scattered human settlements. Yet the apocalypse happened a long time ago, and eons will pass before their gradually fading world dies for good. In the meantime, these immortals are stuck with each other. Even a saint and a monstrous villain might eventually fall in loveâbut the path there will be dark, crooked, and sometimes surprisingly cozy. This standalone fantasy novel can be read without prior knowledge of the authorâs other work. |
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The Child of the Greenwood by Joshua Walker The #1 Bestselling Military Fantasy epic continues! Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn meets Tarzan in this epic fantasy, heroic coming of age tale. WHAT BEGINS WITH WATER WILL FINISH IN FLAMES. On the day the river destroyed his people, Jilo took up his fatherâs magical spear. Years later, when the heirloom is taken from him, he vows to do anything to get it back. The legend of the Sai-Kathan people and their destruction at the hands of nature will be told for all to hear. The river is sick and putrid. The magic is in the wrong hands. The spear is the answer to it all. The Child of the Greenwood is the second novella that supports The Song of the Sleepers series, an epic new fantasy from Joshua Walker. |
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Circus of Dreams: Crimson Carnival Book 1 B. Green Ticket admission: one. Dearest reader, you are cordially invited to attend a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For one night only, satisfy your wildest appetites with no judgment or repercussions. All we ask for in return is unlimited access to your blood. Welcome to the Circus of Dreams. Once every fifteen years --for one night only-- a mysterious circus comes to the small town of Hillsview. To the untrained eye, it's simply a place to live out one's deepest, darkest desires. To Danni, it's a dangerous vampire hunting ground. After years of searching, Danni finally has the chance to avenge her mother's death when the Vampire Circus arrives with its enigmatic cast of performers. But she isn't counting being fated to its vampire ringmaster. Will she find revenge behind the velvet curtain... or love? Get ready for a thrilling ride into a world where every ticket has a cost, and love and vengeance dance together in the moonlight. |
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All magic has a price. Sonja and her sister vowed to pay anything to revive their little brother, even if their own blood is the currency. After years chasing folktales, a single rumor remains: Kepstadur Keep. This once-decadent port rots at the far edge of their home country, harboring memories of the lost or forgotten. With the help of a foreign mercenary, Sonja dares to pluck at the strands of Kepstadurâs magic, risking her life to understand its secrets. But something malevolent lurks in the depths. If the castle proves itself more clever, Sonja could lose more than a brother to deathâs soft voice. |
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Dawn of Silence by Heiner de Wendt An icy dread seeped into Arkanâs bones. Vampires, spirits, dreamscapesâŠHow was an ordinary thief like him supposed to handle this? On a mission to find his sister, Arkan finds himself at the center of a dangerous conspiracyâorchestrated by a terrifying foe from his past. He must band together with a vampire hunter and an illusionist on the run to save a city from the undead. But an even greater darkness casts its shadows over the reforged world of Ashandri. Dawn of Silence is the beginning of a dark epic fantasy trilogy. Follow a found family of adventurers in a diverse world of high magic, ancient secrets and political intrigue. |
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To Speak with the Stars (Apprenticed to the Gods #1) by K.V. Wilson A reluctant mage reborn in flames. A passionate princess fleeing her fate. A powerful telepath at the mercy of the worldâs thoughts. A spirited goddess craving adventure. With Penumbra on the brink of an ice age, Eos dreams of helping to create the False Star each dawn to ensure the survival of his people. But there's just one problem: he cannot speak the star's name. In the eye of the storm, Rysa was raised to rule at her mother's side. But a terrible secret has been kept from the princessâone that will tear her life apart. Deep within the molten Heart of Penumbra, a secret society gathers. Elves, dwarves, fauns, ice dragons, and magma merfolk prepare to seize the stolen throne and end the enchanted storm before it devours the realm. |
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The Crimson Knight by Zeta K. Pierce Some traitorous secrets should stay hidden. Haizea is a knighted healing mage serving the elite Royal Guard. When a band of omens, mages with corrupted magic, attempt to assassinate her king and the neighboring monarchs during a diplomatic trip, the Royal Guard, though far from outnumbered, is easily outmatched. To save her king and comrades, Haizea uses blood magic, in turn revealing that she too is a forbidden practitioner of the Cosmic Arts. With her secret exposed, she is sentenced to execution and is forced to fully embrace the dark power that thrums through her veins to make it out alive. |
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Inferno's Silence by Rainer Meri Welcome to a world where monsters walk among mortals, gods pull strings from the shadows and heroes fall to their own obsessions. Ehrkon, a former militia turned fugitive, seeks vengeance after his family are executed in a brutal purge. Hunted by the regime he once served, he is granted the power of fire by a righteous goddess and drawn into a rebellion alongside unlikely allies. Ynka was raised for obedience in a bleak northern city and prepared for a life she never chose. When a terrifying transformation reveals a hidden power, she is betrayed and cast into the abyss. Forced to survive, Ynka must uncover the truth of what she has become and reclaim control over her fate. Tren is a fearless, sharp-tongued thief who thrives in the ruthless slums of Khurmalâs Fifth Sector. He takes on increasingly dangerous jobs that escalate into full-scale rebellion against the ruling elite. Marked by ancient powers and manipulated by those who know more than they reveal, Tren begins to unravel the legacy of a god, created to contain someone far more vicious. Infernoâs Silence is a dark fantasy of survival, vengeance and uprising, where the line between hero and villain is a matter of perspective. |
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The Drowning Daze of Astraea by Ashley Mathias Root When fifteen-year-old Astraea Windsor watches her grandmother die, her entire world changes. Literally. Taken from the small town she grew up in-and the only world she ever knew-Astraea finds herself transported to Voncord, a magical world inhabited by Signs, who wield elemental energies, and her true home. Here, there are people who look like her-with vibrant hair and orange-colored eyes-and despite drawing unwanted attention for her never-before-seen power signature, Astraea finally feels she's found her place. But Voncord is a world in turmoil. Signs are blaming each other for seismic tremors causing devastation, Guides, beings who can rip open gateways in timepsace are calling for equality to Signs, and girls from Astraea's new school-The University of Voncordia-are vanishing. And only Astraea may know how to find them. When she develops dark, unexplainable dreams of an ice fortress that leaves her dazed, Astraea realizes they might be more than just nightmares. But with her warnings ignored, she must dive into the madness herself, teaming up with an enemy and following the threads in her dreams, if she is to save the missing students and keep everything around her from sinking. Or watch her world drown. Furyborn meets Curious Tides with a dash of Sailor Moon in this magical dark fantasy debut. |
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A magician, an alien mask, thousands of gods... What could possibly go wrong? Born an orphan and known throughout the empire as a powerful magician, Paul is on a lifelong quest to find answers about his past. Jack is a historian obsessed with the famous Face of Xian--an alien mask which has puzzled the universe for thousands of years. An obsession his friends can't understand, and which he himself cannot explain. Along with a detective, an archaeologist, and others, their destinies cross on a world brimming with alien artifacts. A world where thousands of gods walk among men, and where fanatics consider offworlders as heretics and raiders. Some might call it a recipe for disaster, and they'd be right. NOTE: Though this book is the first in a series, it has no cliffhanger and can be read on its own. |
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The North Tower by Michelle N Hagood Nineteen-year-old Charlie has been dealt a bad hand from the day she was born. Found in a trash can as a baby, she's been shipped from one foster home to another, each one worse than the last. When she's offered an escape, she takes it. But fate isnât ready to be kind just yet. After a brutal car crash, Charlie is dragged into an unfamiliar world of magic with promises of a fresh start at the Magisterium of Magic, a prestigious school for the rich and entitled. Here, sheâs told that sheâs a Royal, a member of the highest tier of Magic Users, with the kind of power most people would do anything to steal or control. When a student abruptly leaves and she catches the School Master lying about it, she starts to question if the motives of her rescuers are pure. Or do these devious liars have a darker reason for finding her? With the help of a crew of troublemakers, Charlie dives into one of the magic world's oldest mysteries, the death in the North Tower and the cunning ghost who haunts it. The identity of the ghostly woman and truth about the studentâs departure could help Charlie decide who she can trust. Or it could prove that she should have trusted her instincts all along. |
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The Winds of War by Mosha Winter THESE THREADS ARE SOAKED IN BLOOD. The Astaris Empire is fracturing, its realm flogged by war and fanaticism. Empress Seline and her Gold Council vie to maintain control, but what is control for a nation built on blood and lies? In the east, the storied Rhaavi people cling to their independence, but as the ruinous First Legion of the Empire arrives at their walls, hope is decimated. Even so, Yuei, the dragonrider, and Rizu, the shadow guardian, will lay down their lives to protect their home. And Kirana, High Chieftainess of the Rhaavi, vows to lead her people through . . . no matter the cost. Elsewhere, the prodigious Hatsun pursues an education at the fabled Great Library of the Awakened. But he quickly learns that curiosity is both a boon and a burden as his studies unveil cataclysmic secrets about the world that could change everything. This book marks the first chapter of The Tapestry of the Tarnished. Here is a tale spanning the whole of the Ring: A circle of continents rife with war and unrest. A world colored by magics and mythical creatures. A place you will fear, yet not wish to leave. George R. R. Martinâs A Song of Ice and Fire meets Steven Eriksonâs The Malazan Book of the Fallen in this burgeoning epic fantasy saga. |
