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To choose what is right would bring him in conflict with the vampires, but can he avert his eyes yet again when a child needs his help? In a world where Vampires make the rules, the hunters are bound by the terms of an ancient agreement and the witches are hunted. Ken is a vampire hunter having an affair with the vampire, Frederick. Navigating a relationship with a vampire while trying to help those he terrorises is not easy. If Frederick finds out what he’s doing, their relationship isn’t the only thing in jeopardy. When a situation arises when Frederick’s ward, Mabel, needs his help, Ken knows his actions will pit him against Frederick. With his very life at stake, will he choose to do the right thing or follow the path of least resistance yet again? Life Remains is a queer, paranormal, dystopian fantasy novel with morally grey characters, found family and themes of redemption and making the right choice. If you love dystopian worlds with vampires, hunters, and witches, you will love this book. |
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Call of the Black Wing by Tristan Gray In a treacherous world filled with deception and distrust, Fiadh the Crow had plied her trade ridding the people of the Seann Àite of spirits and monsters. Beneath it all lies whispers in the dark leading men astray, whispers from a world beyond her own. Dark pacts are struck, and innocent souls are sacrificed for the promise of power from beyond. Far from home, Fiadh travels seeking answers gripping the fell blade Caerdrich. Together they journey the seas seeking revenge for the loss those whispers brought them so long ago. |
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The lords have fallen. But ever shall there be those that vie for power. Those that seek opportunity in death. Prince Ivar’s body burned, one more corpse upon the pyre. One more casualty of the Battle of Torglen. His brother Vlayan makes claim for the throne and control of Volgsland. Willuck awakes amid the chaos, broken and bloodied. Hope has died. Willuck is dying. Another of the lost. A vagrant in a war-torn land. One more wandering husk in need of a friend. And a purpose. A young sorcerer seeks to prove himself. A jaded guard loses purpose. A motley band marches for vengeance. As the kingdoms burn, the survivors of war claw their way from the mud. Seeking purpose. Seeking direction. Seeking their place, no longer beneath the heel of their rulers. |
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The Scroungers by Thomas J Devens The Lords have fallen. It was the war to end all wars. Violence had plagued the Fractured Kingdoms since the fall of the Old Empire. But as the generals and the lords died in the Valley of Torglen, the folk looked beyond their allegiances. Beyond their nations. The bedraggled masses that survived the battle flocked to the nearest town with hopes of a new life. One in which their rulers remained rotting in the mud. Brigge led her company of sellswords to foreign lands. Now she seeks to lead the dispossessed into a new life. Ebar was forced into duty. Conscripted by the war machine of Volgsland. Though the war is over, his service is not. A killer stalks the streets of Bright Hollow. Tortured by their past and longing for vengeance. Disparate tales intertwine as the lives of the survivors collide. Bright Hollow is a small town, brimming with newcomers. |
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The Rest to the Gods by Joshua Walker On the peak of the Mountain Pass, the Four-Front War takes its final breaths. The walls are closing in. The allies are dwindling. The last front is on its knees. The Rest to the Gods is a prequel novella inspired by the hard magic of Brandon Sanderson and the character-driven storytelling of Peter V Brett and Bradley P Beaulieu, beginning a new epic fantasy adventure series, The Song of the Sleepers. You can find out more about Josh and his work at www.joshuawalkerauthor.com. |
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Remembering Demons by J. Cornelius "...Imagine One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest colliding with the imagination of Angela Carter, broadsiding Lovecraft, and then travelling on into uncharted realms..." - Jonathan Oliver, award-winning editor and author of The Language of Beasts Have you ever wondered what lurks in the mirrors? Daryl doesn't have to wonder... he knows. But why do they stalk him? Why can't he remember anything? It's enough to drive a guy crazy! Meanwhile, the eerie asylum seems to know more than an old pile of rock and mortar has any right to and his therapy is uncovering a blood-stained past of pain and death, alongside something dormant within him of disturbing power. When Dr. Walker teaches him how to face his demons, the psychoses and dreams conspire to warn him of something even worse stalking him. Something ancient and evil. To survive, Daryl must confront the repressed memories that drove him insane. For madness—is a blunt instrument. |
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The Missing Piece by Zaylan Flynn All Astra knows is she woke up in the woods while it was raining. She had no name other than the one given to her by the druids. She had no memories before waking up. Five years later, she has made a life and runs into someone who seems convinced she is their missing person. Dovan was the personal guard for Ally. He was one step away from becoming a knight and having the hand of the princess. Until she went missing. No one knows what happened or where she went. He went out with the rest of the party to look for her. After five years of traveling from island to island, he finally found her. The downfall is that she has no idea who he or she is. |
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The Shepherd in Shadow by M. Daniel McDowell To forge a new destiny, he must confront the demons of his past. Mehren Tevaht wasn’t supposed to survive his desperate gambit. Throwing himself into the abyss along with the truename of the demon prince should have been the end of as worthy an end as Mehren can picture for such a coward as himself, anyway. When Mehren awakens in a shadow-realm he’s only seen in dreams with his beloved, the warrior princess Vierrelyne du Talorr, at his side, he knows the spell he meant to do went horribly awry. Together, they traverse a realm both familiar and hostile while the sorcerer tries to figure out what went wrong—and how to fix it—if only to restore Vierrelyne home without him. Haunted by his own past history, and the dawning revelations of the doomsday cult which once held his undying loyalty, Mehren must choose a fate that will define the future for himself, for Vierrelyne, and for all the realms beyond... ...the realm of bodies, the realm of beasts, the realm of spirits, the realm of dream... the Scourgelands beyond the Known Lands of Derebor itself. |
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The Mantis Variant by Adam Andrews Johnson In the dark future of our world, a small percentage of humanity has evolved with a physiological anomaly that provides them with wondrous abilities. Those gifted few are now targets of the unevolved, looking to steal that power. "The Mantis Variant" follows Agrell, Dozi, and Ilya together in the rundown metropolis of Teshon City. The unlikely trio is set on a path of unexpected heroism through horrifying trials that lead them to sacrifice and redemption. Their group increases throughout the story, and for some, the harrowing events bring growth. However, bizarre eldritch rituals and arcane arts are commonplace in the world of "The Mantis Variant," and tragedy and death are always close at hand. |
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The Church of the Mountain of Flesh by Kyle Wakefield THE CHURCH OF THE MOUNTAIN OF FLESH is a cosmic horror novel about mad artists, bodies spiralling out of control, and a trans man's merciless desperation. Sole De Gasinis drowns his grief in wine and buries his hatred of his body in twisted sculptures. When, one drunken night on the beach, God orders him to rebuild his village's church, he knows he wasn't chosen for his piety. Instead, he and God make a deal. If Sole rebuilds the church, God will give him the body of a man. As Sole works in a frenzy for salvation, lifelong friendships decay, a village united to tear down its church fractures into pariahs and zealots, and power and grief reshape the prophet into a tyrant. Grief for a boy he fell in love with ten years ago, who claimed to be a virgin birth, who died in agony in the church crypt when the God inside him wanted out--and whose monstrous remnant Sole must commune with for every piece of his prize. |
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A Sharper, More Lasting Pain by Alex Harvey-Rivas After their girlfriend’s best friend is wounded in a monster attack, Simone Allard stumbles across a plot much deeper than they anticipated. As they work to find a cure to their own forming illness and find out the truth, one question remains: how was Nadia involved in this? Nadia DuPont doesn’t know how much time she has or even what is ailing her, but it all gets more complex after meeting Simone on a field trip. As they both work to find a cure to her ailment, all Nadia is certain of is she's on the path to ruin. |
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The Whisperer in White by Y. R. Liu When the Whisperer speaks, the universe listens. Growing up, Talia had never given much thought to the gray-robed Whisperers and their powers over reality. Their business was protecting the world; hers was hunting in the forest around her village and trying to stay out of trouble. Unfortunately for Tal, one Whisperer in particular becomes her business when she accidentally injures his companion, a talking cat-shaped creature named Morel. As punishment, she becomes the Whisperer’s prisoner, whisked away to his island home for a year and a day of servitude. There is much to do — for both the Whisperer and for Tal — as he prepares for the ritual that must be completed every hundred years to ensure the safety of the world. Tal does as she is told; her priority is to simply finish out her sentence and return home to her family. Yet there are many secrets on the island, many oddities, and they tug at Tal like an itch. As the year goes on, she learns more of the Whisperer, his duties, and the horrifying evils that he and the other Whisperers keep at bay. But secrets still remain: a room that is always locked, a stone monument in the woods, crimson flowers whose very name causes the Whisperer to storm away. Unbeknownst to Tal, something is watching her, and what she does now may alter the fate of the world. |
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The Cradle of Eternal Night by Ladz In a land lit only by the counterfeit warmth of magical technology, the Kler prays for the return of the sun, the moons, and the stars. Ceaseless night and the beasts lurking in the darkness keep the congregation within the Kolebka Wiecznej Nocy trapped in mirthless vigil. Their towns remain quiet as graveyards as they wait for day to come again. What no one knows about this ceaseless night is that the Kler themselves can end it. But they haven’t, and they won’t. Long ago, the Kler banished the sun worshipers, but a heretical sect made the journey back to the land of darkness. Now, only one remains carrying their purpose heavy on her shoulders: a maverick technomancer named Basia. She alone will bring back the light, or no one will. Armed with naught but her own cleverness and a sword imbued with sun-embraced charms, she searches for the Kler’s secrets and finds herself in Tawerna. With the Kler on her heels, she infiltrates a private feast and catches Hanka, a docile bard, in the middle of planning her own escape into the world beyond. Hanka wants nothing to do with the heretical outsider until she discovers that her purpose aligns with the darkness buried inside herself. Hanka knows the secrets the Kler keeps, and she knows just where to go to expose their lies. With only each other and their heretical magic to rely on, Basia and Hanka face the eternal night and wonder, are they truly enough to bring light back to the world? |
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With great power comes your past incarnations and future self playing chess with your existence. Her whole life, Kylie Rae had been concerned with appeasing her demanding, achievement-focused mother while enjoying an otherwise peaceful teenage life of sleeping late and hanging out with friends after school. That all changes after she learns she’s the reincarnation of a destroyed magic kingdom’s crown princess after she and her two closest friends end up in a life-threatening situation. Now she has her past incarnations and somehow her own future self as distinct consciousnesses in her head, each with their own agenda — one that doesn’t necessarily line up with Kylie’s own interests. Even worse, her past two incarnations were killed by the same man… and he’s coming for her next. If she doesn’t adapt to her new life of magic and secrets, making A’s to appease her mom will be the least of her concerns — she’ll be just as dead as the incarnations body-sharing with her. Riyati Rebirth is the first book in a new adult/adult contemporary, low dark fantasy series that seeks to explore themes of identity, legacy, generational trauma, and finding your own path in life. The series is set in the modern day fictional Southern US town of Opal Pines and includes multiple first person perspectives with characters across a range of queer, neurodiverse, and socioeconomic statuses. |
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Of Blood and Aether by Harper Hawthorne A rare conduit of Light, drawn to the Shadows. A spymaster who can’t seem to stay away. For as long as she can remember, Arken Asher has been searching for answers—driven by an insatiable hunger, a need to understand the meaning behind her dangerous arcane secrets. She’s finally taken that leap into the unknown, leaving her simple life behind to attend the Arcane Studium: a prestigious college of magickal arts & sciences nestled in the heart of Sophrosyne: the City of the Gods. As the Scouting & Reconnaissance Captain of the Elder Guard, Kieran Vistarii deals in Shadows, blood and subterfuge. Scarred by his past but dedicated to safeguarding Sophrosyne’s future, Kieran’s self-imposed isolation is easily masked by charm and cocksure energy. Strange disappearances have kept his cadre busy as of late, and yet the captain finds himself sidetracked, distracted by the inexplicable allure of a certain golden-eyed Conduit and her curious mind. They both know better than to get involved, but the Fates have other plans. The dark threads of prophecy were woven long ago, and the ties that bind just might be what it takes to mend these broken, star-crossed souls… or what forges a deadly bond that could damn them all. |
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Recipient of the 2023 Best Novella Award from the Queer Indie Awards. Work as a Curse Breaker is anything but glamorous. It’s difficult, gruesome at times, and it takes Curse Breaker Thierry Pryor to places better left untouched. The Paris Catacombs were once a symbol of French identity, the true sign of death making all equal in the end, but after centuries of layered spell work, ancient hexes, and more than one hastily patched protective charm, the resulting magical amalgam has begun to break down, tainting the surrounding land. It’s up to Thierry and his team to figure out the source of the miasma and quell it before it begins having an effect on those living above the city of the dead. But unlike the jobs before, there’s something at work in the catacombs much more sinister than some moldering family curse. Sometimes the dead sleep more soundly than the living, but then again, maybe some of the dead don’t sleep willingly at all... |
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A witch with a dead familiar is an outlier and an ill-omen to every village they pass through. Rehan Nadir is one such witch. The only jobs available to him are terrible ones, and vagrancy is his only recourse… At least, it was until he heard tell of the town of Hamelin’s plight. Stories of a malicious entity, a chaos god, have tormented the village for hundreds of years, and like clockwork tragedy has struck once more: while the adults gathered elsewhere, the children were spirited away. No trace of them has been seen since. The town is desperate to bring them back. Very desperate. Finding and returning the lost children would be just the thing to give Rehan a new chance at the life he lost after the death of his familiar, and if all it takes is killing a god of chaos, then he’s more than ready to take the plunge and open that door. Unfortunately, he just didn’t anticipate opening a few more in the midst of dealing the finishing blow. |
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Through High Waters by Allison Paige Leah has done everything she can to escape the demon apocalypse that havocs Earth, including dying. When Raum revives Leah, it is not just for the simple pleasure of it, but to hunt down the man that killed her, Sebastian. The three become unlikely companions when they are taken into Pethaino, a demon kingdom that has not succumbed to the return of the bees. Led by a ruthless king, it is a place where only the wicked thrive and even demons are expendable. Within the fortress lies power that could very well shift the tides of humanity’s fate and restore Hell’s order. But as the Pacific coast rises, Leah must make a decision that forces her to choose between her freedom and Sebastian’s. Where even her loyalty to Raum is tested and tried. Is her life worth more than theirs? And if it is, what price is she willing to pay for it? |
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After the Bees by Allison Paige It starts when the bees die and a plague sweeps across the Earth. The immune survive only to face a greater horror: a demon-ruled world where mankind is either marked or possessed. But Leah survives. For three years, she lives on her own after fleeing the fall of her city until she meets Raum, a demon who keeps her alive and unmarked. Uncertain of his motives, she follows him to Babel, even though she knows his intentions are anything but good. When Leah is stolen from Raum, she discovers the outside world is not what it once was, and perhaps hope for mankind is not lost. But with new hope comes consequences, and she'll have to face a nightmare far greater than anything she's ever faced before. |
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A Night So Dark And Full Of Stars by Nikky Lee A half-siren girl befriends a deaf boy. A vendetta between a teenager and her dad's stubborn ram continues into the afterlife. A hunter must atone for killing a god's sacred bull. A sacrificial maiden uncovers the secret of the wizards who rule her people. A new acolyte causes a godling to confront her past - and her deadly gift. A Night so Dark and Full of Stars from multi-award winning author Nikky Lee contains twelve stories inspired by the astrological zodiacs. From ghosts and gods to fae and folklore, Lee's blend of vividly imagined fantasia invites us to imagine alternative worlds, dark pasts and far flung futures as we gaze into the night. |
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The Sound of Starfall by Scott Palmer This is the end The Warlocks of Yehven have ruled over the Remembered Lands with their songs of dark sorcery since the skies were new. But now, beneath the shadow of an approaching comet, a mysterious death cult from the wild lands have arrived in the name of Nature to exterminate the Warlocks and their sorcerous Words with them. As the death cult breaches the walls of the Golden City and Ailar crumbles into anarchy, a Warlock, an enslaved man, and a guard are forced to make decisions that will shape the world for thousands of years to come. The sky is falling Nightmares are waking The sound of starfall eats all else |
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James is convinced that the gods have cursed him, left to fend for himself in a squalid city-state in the clutches of a corrupt theocracy. As a lamplighter, James serves the palace by illuminating the streets each night with a flame from the gods' temple. Despite his disdain for the gods, he feels a connection with the flame, and a surprising yet small amount of control over its brightness. For him, a quiet life weathering the desert was all he had to look forward to. That is, until others appear. From distant corners of the world, each has connective power to the gods, and each a past of great consequence. A soldier, an idealist, a hero, and a monster. Each squabbles according to their own desires, but cannot afford to exist alone any longer. Ancient devils and horrors beyond time have come to reclaim the world from the gods, but the forms they take and power they wield are anything but understood. The debut epic fantasy novel of author Rob Leigh, Pathlighter depicts a world struggling to grapple with the consequences of an unknown past and uncaring gods, featuring nuanced characters and a story of self-realization, found family, betrayal, and hope. |
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Performances of a Death Metal Bard: A Brutal Novella by Rob Leigh Unfortunately, Death Metal doesn’t get much play in this sleepy, peaceful, actually kind of boring kingdom. Of course not. It’s tough inventing a genre on your own, and it doesn’t help when all the instruments you’ve tried up to this point don’t match the brutality necessary for a dark and heavy performance. My coin only seems to be enough to get me to the next run-down village, and it’s dwindling fast. To make matters worse, my newest lute is not normal. It never stays in tune, it’s barely holding together, and it keeps whispering to me. Over and over, demands for vengeance and murder echo in my head, with the promise that I’ll find the sound I need if I just listen to the voices. So what’s a starving bard to do? Performances of a Death Metal Bard is a brutal fantasy adventure inspired by The Witcher and Metalocalypse, merging the episodic travels of a musical elf with the darkness, blood, and raw riffs of the heaviest metal the kingdom has ever seen. |
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An Exile of Water & Gold by Joshua Walker Brandon Sanderson's Rhythm of War meets Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time in this epic fantasy mystery adventure. EXILED FROM HEAVEN. FORCED INTO HELL. For centuries, the Aobians of the Great Tree have shared the continent of Q’ara with humanity. A select few known as Sleepers are empowered by Luminosity, the Tree’s greatest blessing. Drift, a young and cynical Aobian, has been exiled from his homeland – forever. Now, with no understanding of this condemnation, Drift must traverse the land of humans below, and find his purpose in an ever-changing world. Tarri, his betrothed, seeks to do the same, whilst also bringing him home. Elsewhere on Q’ara, an unknown organisation seeks to weaponise Luminosity for their own nefarious purposes. Drift himself is a part of this puzzle, and it quickly becomes apparent that the struggle for true power in Q’ara is emerging for reasons greater than anyone is prepared to grasp. |
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The Storm Beneath the World by Michael R. Fletcher Cursed by the gods. The insectile ashkaro live on flying islands travelling the eternal River of Days while a hellish firestorm devours the world below. Collected into queendoms, the higher caste brights live in the luxurious windward rain-forest while the servile dulls scrape out a desperate existence in the leeward desert. Conflicts escalate between two neighbouring queendoms. Where Nysh embraces modern ideals of equality and independence, Yil honours the Fallen Goddess by enslaving their neighbours and maintaining traditional castes. In preparation for the imminent war, Nysh sends ashkaro youths with dangerous Talents to secret schools, training them as assassins and spies. Joh, a dull male with a Talent for suggestion, and Ahk, a bright female with a Talent for stealth, are torn from their families and thrown into the academy. The two naively believe that the biggest threat comes from the other students, not realizing the war has already begun. United in purpose, divided by caste, they can only save the island from the Mad Queen by working together. |
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This Is How Immortals Die by Nicole Hidalgo Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, unleashed a life-changing apocalypse that reshaped the world and cursed humankind with immortality. Now injury, old age, and death mean nothing. Until the Soul connects with its Twin. Once true Love is found, immortality is lost. The Priestesses of Aphrodite exist to hunt down and send those blessed souls to Aphrodite’s Golden Palace in the afterlife. They are devout and efficient… if only a little blinded by the lustre of gold and the taste of blood. Carys Epistro’phia, an infamous Priestess, will go to great lengths to put her hands on a chest with fifty thousand gold coins. Including turning a blind eye to Twin Souls who rule over an isolated island and are willing to hire her unique skills to bring their daughter back home. Princess Ishana, a fragile and naive girl who has never died before, is Carys’ key to the treasure… as long as she arrives home with her soul intact. But in this sacrilegious contract, not everything is as it seems, and sometimes the heart has its own schemes. |
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The Threads That Weave by Sienna Eggler Tormented by memories of past lives and a general distaste for structure, Sloane dropped out of a prestigious magic college to find themself. During their travels, they came across a curious little creature: a chatty spider that fit snugly in their hands. Unbeknownst to Sloane, this wasn’t a harmless garden or cellar spider. The spider had a craving that mere flies couldn’t quench. It demanded blood and flesh, and when mice failed to suffice, moved on to bigger and dangerous prey. Sloane appeased it as best they could, but as the spider rapidly shot up in size, turned their focus from butcher shops to farms. Together, they concocted a plan to “solve” a manifested loss of cattle. The spider got a steady supply of food, and Sloane got street cred as a “monster slayer”. “What could possibly go wrong?” – Famous last words of any irresponsible pet owner. So now Sloane has a very real infestation to contend with, along with suspicious rangers and wannabe hunters edging in on their turf. “…I’m gonna need a bigger boot.” |
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The Revenge of Captain Vessia by Leslie Allen Claire Vessia's been sentenced to death. The last survivor of a ship of would-be-pirates captured by the navy, she's been accused of all of their crimes. She will die for it. Determined to go out with her head held high, her plans for a stoic execution are thrown out the window when a highborn lady offers her a chance to escape the noose... if she pays in vials of her own blood. But she is betrayed. Hung from the gallows and buried at sea, she rises amidst the waves as a Vampyri, an undead monster. Without a clue of where, or even what she is, and only a terrible hunger to guide her, it's only when she consumes a person trying to help her that she begins to understands what's been done to her. Swearing revenge against the noble woman that turned her, the nation that accused her, and its people that killed her, Claire makes an oath that she will hunt down anyone under the navy's flag, and carve a blood-strewn path on her quest for vengeance. But when the perfect chance to strike takes the form of the child of her maker - Claire must ask herself how far she's willing to go for justice. |
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A Memory of Song by Scott Palmer In a dying land, the armies of the dead hold sway. And those who rule them are more god than human. James Culdaine, the last heir of the Northern Throne, was just a young man when the armies of the South murdered his parents and subjugated his lands. He has never forgotten those responsible, nor has he forgiven. He has spent the last ten years living in isolation with The Feldarra; a sacred Northern clan of fierce warriors, led by the fearless Wulfee who, still reeling from the loss of her own children, finds new meaning in protecting what only family she has left. Now, an ancient order of warlocks has returned to the North, singing dark songs composed of blood magic that null the elements and threaten all that is living. With nature depleted and the Southern armies returning to the North, James struggles to embrace the unique power he has long tried to repress; the ability to commune with the spirits of the dead. In the bitter heart of a growing war, with the world dying around them, James and Wulfee desperately seek answers, vengeance, and a way to save the ones they love... No matter the cost. Fires refuse to burn. The skies are thirsty and breathless. The earth won’t eat its rot... Welcome to Ardura. |
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The Rarkyn's Fall (The Rarkyn Trilogy #2) by Nikky Lee They survived mancers. They survived monsters. They survived the Storm. With the mountains behind them and Illredus on the horizon, they thought the hardest part of the journey over. They were wrong. Outlawed and on the run, Lyss struggles to control her new and volatile magic. A magic that will destroy her. Her only hope: Find the last remaining witch to tame it. Her only clue: Buried in Illredus. City of mancers. Capital of the Empire. Together, she and Skaar descend into Illredus’ underbelly and discover a warren of illegal magics and the monstrous legacy Lyss’ father left behind. As truth, loyalties, and magic clash, Lyss must decide how far she’ll go to exact justice in her father’s name… And how far she’ll fall to rule the power inside her once and for all. |
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Stillborn (Childe of Woe Book 1 by Fauster Kent Iris, servant of the Light, is beset by thieves upon the road. Broken and blinded, abandoned by her god, her family, and her friends, she finds solace in a dark new calling. 'Stillborn' chronicles the harrowing and tragic tale of Iris's death and rebirth as an avatar of mercy and vengeance. |
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Miners of the Tempest by Penny Moss In the depths of the Tesera Mine, Oliver’s hope of finding Tau again fades with each passing day. Just as despair consumes him, his Sentinel returns, only a shadow of the mighty being he once was. Oliver swears revenge against those responsible, but there’s no time to plan or savour being reunited, as a deadly mistake forces him and his friends to escape. With no other choice, and a weakened Tau, Oliver traces the steps of his missing teammate to war-torn lands. He’s wholly unprepared to discover the toll exacted by mining for magic, and it’s worse than Oliver could have ever imagined. His hunger for revenge becomes a desperate need to put a stop to the atrocities committed, even if it means forming an alliance with an adversary. In a sea teeming with horrors and growing distrust among his friends, Oliver and Tau find solace only in each other’s embrace. |
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Dangerous Devotion by Robin Jo Margaret A village being torn apart becomes the powerful break of a vicious cycle of lifelong abuse. Through the tragedy, Sister Marielle finds a safe place in one of God's Orders. That is, until she starts to question the entity she's sworn herself to. This is a dark fantasy short story with religious themes, no romance and no happy ending. |
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The Shadowbearer's Curse by Jasmyn Morning The first installment of "The Shadowbearer Trilogy"; a tale of courage, love and revenge. A Queer (M/M/M) Dark Fantasy Romance, Book 1: "The Shadowbearer's Curse" In an enchanting forest, Micah crosses paths with a mysterious man, igniting an unexpected romance that challenges all of his preconceived notions about his identity. But as their bond deepens, they face an ominous presence that threatens to change their destinies forever. With each step closer to the truth, Micah finds himself increasingly entangled in a maze of betrayal and forbidden desires, compelling him to grapple with the essence of loving without conditions. |
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Dragons of Dunmoray by Kate Kelly What can you see? Can you see dragons? Dragons have always been part of our world – only most of us cannot see them. Alba MacGregor can see the dragons. She thinks she is alone in this, or that maybe they are all in her head. But when she meets Al she realises, not only that the dragons are real, but that there are others like her, spread across the world. The dragons are stirring. There’s a war coming. A war that has been ongoing for millennia. Only Alba can break this cycle, but to do so she must first defeat a foe much closer to home and far more human. |
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The Sorcerer and the Necromancer by Susan Ann Walker A young swordsman with a threatening secret. A rogue mage with a forbidden power. When they do battle, will the city survive? Daric came to ignore the slur of being called "blank." Growing up without magic of his own in a remote enclave of wizards, he left as soon as he could to make his way with his sword and his wits. Then the seventeen-year-old bodyguard accidentally discovers he has a hidden Gift for sorcery, enabling him to drain mystical energy from others, and he is terrified that his suddenly-appearing talent places everyone around him in deadly peril. Determined to master his new abilities, Daric finds a mentor to guide him and friends who support him, even though many fear him and demand his exile. But while he trains, a necromancer is killing elderly merchants and animating their corpses to rob them; and seers are dreaming of a devastating firestorm soon to come. As rumors swirl and panic mounts, the fledgling sorcerer realizes he may be the key to saving the place that's become his adopted home—or the cause of its destruction. Can Daric wield his dangerous skills to stop a madman from burning everything and everyone around him to ashes? Or will he lose control, and bring about the very disaster he is desperate to prevent? The Sorcerer and the Necromancer is the third book in the "Tales from the City of Magic" sword and sorcery series. It can be read on its own, although there are some continuing characters from earlier books. If you enjoy stories of hidden powers, dark prophecies and found families, then you'll love Susan Ann Walker's exciting fantasy adventure. |
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Shadow of the Jade Cat by Susan Ann Walker A supernatural killer prowls the streets. Can a troubled guardian prevent a bloodbath? Lord Bastian carries the weight of the city on his shoulders. A master mage charged with keeping the peace in a mecca for those with magical gifts, he's challenged by powerful guild leaders who question his authority. When a prominent but unscrupulous merchant is gutted by a mysterious creature on the eve of a trade fair, the embattled magister scrambles to solve the crime while confronting accusations he himself wanted the victim dead. As more dismembered corpses turn up, Bastian is dismayed to learn the murderer is an agent of vengeance created by a deity that no mage or priest can hope to contain. Stalked by the arcane predator, harried by human assassins, and doubting his own abilities, he desperately seeks aid from an old rival and a devout but untrained young temple novice. Together, can these uneasy allies stop a relentless destroyer made by a goddess, or will a throng of arriving fairgoers become lambs to the slaughter? Shadow of the Jade Cat is the second book in the "Tales from the City of Magic" sword and sorcery series. (It can be read on its own, but you'll know more about the characters' backgrounds if you read book 1, How the Wraith Got His Soul Back, first.) If you're a fan of stories with dark magic, enigmatic gods, and mystical creatures, then Susan Ann Walker's spooky fantasy thriller is for you. |
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How the Wraith Got His Soul Back by Susan Ann Walker A young healer fleeing a dark wizard. A monster desperate to regain his stolen soul. Can a lost warrior guide them to refuge? Cayden i'Daubrin meant to turn his back on battle forever. After his men were slaughtered while he lay injured, the legendary fighter nicknamed "Deathgiver" wandered aimlessly, taking any job that didn't require leading others into combat. Until, discovering that a runaway girl he was hired to find is hunted by a blood mage for her healing gift, he chooses to help her escape rather than return her to certain death. Struggling to protect the adventurous teen, Cayden becomes even more alarmed when she befriends a wraith—a tortured creature whose spirit was taken by a curse. As they all race toward sanctuary in the magical city he once called home, with an army of blood slaves and mercenaries closing in, the weary swordsman steels himself to face the evil sorcerer blocking their only route to safety. Can Cayden win against a relentless foe who commands the powers of countless previous victims? Or will he lose his life, and the lives of the fugitives who gave him their trust? How the Wraith Got His Soul Back is the first book in the Tales from the City of Magic sword and sorcery series. If you enjoy stories with dark magic, thrilling swordfights, and reluctant but ultimately noble heroes, then you'll love Susan Ann Walker's fast-paced fantasy adventure. |
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If you were chosen to save the world, would you do anything it takes? Ifry is the long suffering clerk to the wealthy and demanding Thomas Townsend. When the latter takes Ifry to the mountains to build a ski resort, they have their work cut out for them. The mountain town is overrun with carnivorous monsters and Ifry is woefully unprepared, but he finds help in Jos Nothernine, the reserved but charming local hunter. Yet the town is plagued by more than just monsters: it is home to Solyon, the god of summer himself. Each year, Solyon chooses a townsperson to defeat a sacrifice chosen by Lady Winter. If the chosen fails, winter will continue endlessly, meaning disaster for the world at large. A sacrifice must be made, and this year Jos has been chosen to kill someone, lest summer never return. |
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I am Armageddon by C. L. Cabrera All nurses are angels, but not all nurses have wings. Wylie does. She just doesn’t know it yet. Reeling from the loss of her family, emergency room nurse Wylie is destined to be the catalyst of the apocalypse. As she grieves, angelic abilities surface. Wylie learns her true identity and the terrible prophecy that comes with it. Only two men can help her now, the human doctor with whom she has an inhuman connection and the angel who has searched for her since the original sin. With them at her side, she delves deeper into the world of angels and their fight for freedom. Soon Wylie realizes the prophecy may be a self-fulfilling one. With heart-pounding action and unforgettable characters, I Am Armageddon is a gripping page-turner that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. |
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Non Omnis Moriar by Sfarda L. Gül The city state of Vencenza rots, and Giorgianna, vengeful, enlightened, an outlaw and witch, seeks blood—the dues she’s owed for the crimes committed against her and those she loves. As summer withers to autumn, she is faced with a deadly quest: infiltrate the ministerial court, unspool the inner circle’s darkest secrets, and aid the resistance in bringing forth a revolution to finally break the shackles of tyranny. All while remaining under pretences amidst the state’s most violent and powerful men. But explosive tensions mount among the revolutionaries, bodies pile in the streets, the church gains frightening authority, and Giorgianna’s psyche teeters along its final breaking point—made only worse by a lovesickness more agonising than hunger. With winter looming upon the horizon, civil war seems inevitable, and love could never be a saviour. How dearly will those dues cost? |
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Expressing emotion is prohibited by law in the city state of Vencenza. Beneath its tyrannical shadow, Giorgianna, a deranged former playwright turned political fugitive, flees a brothel to seek justice for the murder of a beloved friend. When the last remnants of her bloodline are reaped by the incorrigible Minister of Dominion, Giorgianna’s crooked path to retribution crosses with Vencenza’s Machiavellian revolutionary hellbent on regime overturn. All the while, the weight of unending tragedy erodes Giorgianna’s psyche into a vengeful bloodlust plagued by cabbalistic visions hinting at an ever-darker face of the violent Powers That Be. |
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The Mad Man's Hope (The Commune's Curse: Book 2) by Lucy A. McLaren Lovers become enemies, enemies become allies, and all will be tested to their limits in this second instalment in The Commune’s Curse series. Evelyn Folksman has partnered with the enemy. Desperate to save her friends, she has reluctantly agreed to travel with former Commune Commander, Jonah Sulemon, to his home islands where he has promised a weapon that will allow them to take down the Commune once and for all. To succeed, both Evelyn and Jonah must face the trauma of their pasts and learn to trust one another. Meanwhile, Raif Huntsman is searching for his sister, Rose, a young child who wields incredible and deadly powers. Alongside rebel Hector Haralambous, he travels to Nook Town, where they hope to find Rose and to stop her powers being abused by those who kidnapped her… but where they will encounter a danger just as oppressive—and perhaps even as deadly—as the Commune’s regime. |
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Ayden Quinn only volunteered because she had nothing left. Set in a walled city where no one knows what the outside world contains, the people of the city are under attack by mysterious monsters causing unprecedented destruction. After becoming part of an experimental ritual designed to help save the city from these monsters, Ayden becomes part of a group of four other people that now possess powers no one fully understands. They are faster, stronger, and able to heal from almost any wound. With little time to understand these new powers, the group is sent to fight the monsters. Ayden never expected that she would grow to love the other four people. She never expected to fall in love, and she has no idea how she's supposed to juggle having a family for the very first time when she's supposed to be saving the world. |
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The Godsblood Tragedy by Bill Adams An orphan, without a trueborn name, returns to the city of her birth to uncover her past. Hounded by the servants of the Dark God and dying from the poisonous mist that covers the land, her path leads to one of the magical seals protecting the holy ruin of Eminence. A father, murdered and reborn, aims to bring down the floating fortress hovering over his homeland. Burdened by loss, he’s willing to sacrifice his soul to free his city and get revenge for the destruction of his family. A mother, captured and bonded to a daemon, kills in the name of the Dark God so she can free her tortured daughter. Relentless in her vengeance, she hunts the one person who could end her suffering: the man who would destroy her vile master. A drake, the banished hatchling of a failed advisor, seeks his father’s stolen horns. Untested, he desires to right his father’s wrongs in the eyes of the gods and restore his family’s honor. As all converge in the occupied desert city where the world’s fuel source is mined, one family’s bond will be tested. Old betrayals will resurface, anger and resentment will flourish, but one thing remains clear: blood rules all. |
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Somewhere Out There by Caroline Astiago Benjamin didn't survive the battle of Camlann. Nor did his mentor and best friend Merlin. Nor did King Arthur. The only difference was they died, and Benjamin continued existing, forced to take on their Guardianship of a realm torn apart by war with desperate Gods. But the world didn't end - although it came close a few times. Centuries have slipped by and there hasn't been much need for Benjamin’s skills as a warlock, but at least he's had his magic, Ambrosius, for company. They've done their best to keep the realm safe, but everything changes one Halloween in Oxford when Benjamin meets April, a vampire hunter who isn't quite what she seems. As the universe begins to unravel and the Gods seek to ensure their continued freedom, Benjamin must confront conflicts of morality and his own inner demons to find the truth and save his realm. Rooted in the Arthurian legends and Norse mythology, Somewhere Out There is an enthralling exploration of betrayals, identity, tangled relationships, LGBTQ+ themes, loss and love. With a dash of horror and humour, this adult urban fantasy is as much a psychological journey as a supernatural adventure set in an ever-changing, magic-soaked world. |
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How to start a demonic cult and get away with it by Devi Letalis Book 2 in the Inferno's Forbidden Archives Series In the gloomy alleyways of an unknown city where supernatural beings cast their shadows, Dante, a mercenary with a mysterious past and a soul touched by darkness, embarks on a dangerous mission. He is tasked with investigating the sudden disappearance of young women and the disturbing rise of the undead in the city. Accompanied by the charming vampire Lariza, whose words are sharper than her fangs, he must confront a bizarre conspiracy that will be a challenge even for their extraordinary powers to unravel. Everything points to the workings of a mysterious cult that is pulling the strings of the city and spinning its sinister plans in the shadows. But as Dante and Lariza follow the twisted paths of the investigation, they come across an even greater treat: a mysterious figure who seems to know more about Lariza than they would have liked. With each step, the between reality and nightmare blurrs, and Dante and Lariza must confront a web of schemes, betrayal and forbidden sorcery. In "How to start a demonic cult and get away with it", the boundaries between right and wrong are put to the test. Can the odd duo once again avert impending disaster and put an end to the machinations of the demonic cult, or will they themselves be devoured by its dark powers? |