stories in and

Beneath Black Sails

Beneath Black Sails by Clare Sager

SPFBO6

Pirate versus pirate hunter. To lose is death, but winning just might be worse. With weather magic on her side, Lady Vice is the bane of the high seas, but she isn’t captain of her own ship. Yet. If she can persuade her captain to give her a command, she’ll be in charge of her own fate at last. To pay off his family’s debts, Knigh Blackwood hunts pirates for the Royal Navy. And he’s damn good at it. When the bounty on Lady Vice grows, he’s determined to make her face justice, even if that means using unorthodox methods. Forced to work together, neither can deny their mutual attraction. As they face battles at sea and schemes amongst their crew, they discover hints about a long-lost treasure that could be the answer to both their problems. But treasure isn’t the only thing buried. Secrets best-forgotten lie in wait that could blast them apart. And the closer Vice and Knigh grow, the greater the threat – to her freedom and to his family. Because for one to succeed, the other must fail. If you love cunning heroes, feisty heroines, and enemies to lovers romance, you’ll love this new adult fantasy series that’s perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Miranda Honfleur. Buy Beneath Black Sails today to escape on rum-drenched adventures in a world where flags can lie, X marks the spot, and loyalties shift more than sand.


Silver Mage

Silver Mage by C M Debell

SPFBO6

The dragons once sacrificed everything to destroy their enemy. They failed. Now the burden of that failure falls on the man they have called to reforge what their war destroyed – the link between the races and the magic that holds the world together. Touched by elemental Fire, Aarin is driven by his need to return the dragons to Andeira. But the dragons vanished three thousand years ago, taking their magic with them, and their ancient partnership with mankind is now no more than legend. Even the memory of the magic they shared is fading, and Aarin’s obsession has made him an outsider even to his own people. But when he is confronted by a magic he thought long lost, he suddenly finds himself in conflict with powerful forces intent on preventing the return of the dragons at all costs. And, deadlier still, the machinations of an age-old power that would sacrifice anything to see them returned, even the life of the man they have waited thousands of years to find. Beset on all sides, Aarin must sort friend from foe and unravel the mysteries of a past long forgotten. Because, to survive, he must first discover the secret of why the dragons left – and what they risked everything to destroy. A classic epic fantasy adventure, Silver Mage is the standalone first novel in the Long Dream sequence. The sequel will be published in 2021.


Rumble in Woodhollow

Rumble in Woodhollow by Jonathan Pembroke

SPFBO6 SFFOasis

Sydney was bored--bored with mixing potions in her aunt's alchemy shop and bored of life in the faery homeland of Sylvan Valley. So when her sister Marla sends her a letter and asks Sydney to bring some family documents to the crime-ridden city of Woodhollow, Sydney leaps at the chance--only to discover Marla in charge of one of the criminal syndicates competing for control of the Woodhollow underworld. Before she knows it, Sydney finds herself embroiled in a gang war and must maneuver her way through the plots of rival thugs, ogre peacekeepers, and the semi-immortal ruler of the city. And through it all, she learns she has drawn the attention of a mysterious order of assassins...who want Sydney for some sinister purpose of their own.


Shadow of the Lantern Bearer

Shadow of the Lantern Bearer by Chris R. Underwood

SPFBO6

Magic is a disease. It spreads like a plague and drives the infected mad with power. Death is the only cure. Seventeen-year-old Kole Felmen is destined for a life spent executing infected sorcerers and disposing of their tainted remains. But his first execution ends in disaster. Fearing he has been infected with the sorcerer's plague, Kole sees only one option: flee his village before his mind snaps and he destroys everyone he loves. His chance for escape lies with a band of treasure hunters traveling to a lost ruin from a plague-ravaged empire, where ancient dangers lurk and the shadows of the past still linger… Embark on a journey across a shattered empire in this coming-of-age fantasy brimming with ancient mysteries and deadly adventure. Shadow of the Lantern Bearer is perfect for fans of Robert Jordan, David Eddings, and Anthony Ryan.


The Hunter's Gambit

The Hunter's Gambit by Nicholas McIntire

SPFBO6

No one promised Aleksei Drago an easy life. Growing up amongst the Ri-Vhan of Seil Wood, losing his mother and just as suddenly being torn from the forest folk, Aleksei had no choice but to make the best of an unpredictable situation. But what happens when the monsters and figures of fiction become horrifyingly real? How will Aleksei cope? When the stakes are at their highest, will he finally falter? Or will he rise to the occasion, reforging himself into the man Prophecy demands he become? In a world of magic and Magi, of Angels and Demons alike, how will a simple farm boy survive his own contorted destiny? This is the story of a seemingly-simple world gone mad, and the reality that every action, no matter how apparently benign, can serve to unravel terrifying truths. This is the story of Aleksei Drago, farmer, Hunter, and so much more.


The Edge of Darkness (The Volatar Saga #1)

The Edge of Darkness (The Volatar Saga #1) by D.K. Holmberg

SPFBO6

They called him the Volatar. He came from nothing. Found his power. Became a legend, then lost it all. Now he has all the power in the world but can't touch it. With war growing, an old enemy on his heels, his best friend by his side, only the north holds the secret to reconnecting with his lost power. But war has a way of pushing old heroes aside. Hevith Alaster knew nothing of the Hith when their dark magic took his family away. Life on the wagon train had been simple. Keep moving north, stay ahead of the war. But war found him all the same. Hurt, humbled, and left to rot in a northern prison, Hevith must carve out a new life for himself in the wake of tragedy--but only if he can find a way to break free before the Hith break him. Either he must rise to the challenge or he will be yet another casualty on the Hith's path to total domination.


Harpyness is Only Skin Deep

Harpyness is Only Skin Deep by D. H. Willison

SPFBO6

On a world where death lurks around every corner, is friendship the strongest survival tool of all? Darin: bored with his paper pusher existence, he accepts a questionable deal for the LARP adventure of a lifetime. A jump through a dimensional portal strands him on the mythical world of Arvia, where everything is gigantic. Except the life-expectancy of newcomers. Rinloh: a mere ten meters tall. Life in the harpy flock has never been easy for her. Determined to become full-fledged at the upcoming human-hunt, nothing is going to stand–or fly–in her way. A chance encounter between these two–what could possibly go wrong? Humans consider consorting with a harpy a capital offense. Harpies consider the human citizens a tasty part of a balanced diet. Yet the two must overcome a most monstrous conspiracy as the citizens of the city begin disappearing, with a list of suspects as big as the inhabitants of Arvia. Harpyness is Only Skin Deep blends endearing characters and whimsical fantasy adventure in a uniquely witty, charming style. Contact your neighborhood dimension broker, or download Harpyness, and jump into the world of Arvia today.


Age of Empyre

Age of Empyre by Michael J. Sullivan

A DOOR OPENS. AN ARMY OF DRAGONS ADVANCES. AND THE FATE OF THE LIVING RESTS WITH THE DEAD. After obtaining the secret to creating dragons, the leader of the Fhrey has turned the tide of war once more—but gaining the advantage has come at a terrible price. While Imaly plots to overthrow the fane for transgressions against his people, a mystic and a Keeper are the only hope for the Rhunes. Time is short, and the future of both races hangs in the balance. In this exciting conclusion to the Legends of the First Empire series, the Great War finally comes to a climactic end, and with it dawns a new era—The Age of Empyre. From Michael J. Sullivan, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author comes the concluding installment of his six-book epic fantasy. This series chronicles a pivotal point in Elan’s history when humans and those they once saw as gods warred until a new world order was born. Set three thousand years before the Riyria tales, Legends is a stand-alone fantasy series that is independent of the Riyria novels. But for those who do follow both series, Legends will unmask lies and reveal the truth about Elan’s history and the men and women who shaped what the world became.


Age of Death

Age of Death by Michael J. Sullivan

DO GODS TRULY EXIST? CAN YOU KNOW THE FUTURE? AND WHAT LIES BEYOND THE VEIL OF DEATH? Winter blankets the land, and more than hope has died. Barred by the tower of Avempartha, the western army cannot invade the Fhrey homeland. So it must seek a way across the Nidwalden River before the fane obtains the secret of dragons. As time runs out for both humanity and the mystic Suri, the only chance for the living rests with the dead. Having made their fateful choice, can a handful of misfits do the impossible, or are they forever lost to an inescapable grave? As in Virgil’s Aeneid, Dante’s Divine Comedy, and Milton’s Paradise Lost, the most epic tales transcend the world of the living. It’s time to see what lies in Elan’s Age of Death. From Michael J. Sullivan, New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post bestselling author, comes the second-to-last installment in the epic fantasy series The Legends of the First Empire. These novels chronicle a pivotal point in Elan’s history, when humans rise against the Fhrey, whom they once saw as gods. Set three thousand years before the Riyria tales, Legends is a standalone fantasy series independent of all other Elan stories. But if you have read the other books, Legends will reveal lies and unmask truths about historical figures.


Maygest's Tale

Maygest's Tale by C. E. Cannery

Maygest, an old thief, who has been conning people for the last decade, finds his way of life extinguished when the tyrannical Lords of Osskrip join forces and destroy all the fugitive enclaves, the only places people are allowed to be people. With no place to go and fearing that death may be near, Maygest sets off in search of a mythical harp that is said will bring peace to the land in a last-ditch effort to redeem himself before he dies. The problem is, the harp only seems to exist in his mind.


The Day The Sun Changed Colors

The Day The Sun Changed Colors by Scott Talbot Evans

Welcome to the future, to the year 4377, a perfect utopia where everyone is rich and lives in peace. Litterbot409 is a cleaning robot working for a family of seven. His garbage can body is able to transform into any tool to handle any mess, but there are none in a world with spill-proof containers. This society doesn't have sexism, guns, money, names, or unanswered questions, and life is pretty boring, until Litterbot discovers a strange glow in the sky, which changes colors throughout the day, amazing the world. Troll, the world's leading hydrologist/interior decorator, discovers the cause: the Sun is getting hotter, and water is evaporating into space and going to run out in 103 days! The world prepares for mass evacuation. Tension builds when acts of aggression start to break out, something that hasn't happened in a long time. The family (two mothers, three fathers, and two kids) constructs a ship, as the sky colors intensify, tinting everything, and affecting everyone's minds. They must overcome agitation during periods of red, sedation in times of green, and irritability when it's blue, to finish in time. But ever-increasing radiation interferes with their equipment, and eventually causes them to mutate, which helps them work faster, but crashes world-computer, forcing them to search for paper books. As if that weren't enough, the moon grows bigger and bigger, and orbits faster and faster, until cataclysmic gravity, winds, and PMS strand them in a solar powered ship with no light.


Shadow Road

Shadow Road by A. E. Pennymaker

Brenorra Warring's father is going crazy. That's the only conclusion Bren can come to when a fire destroys everything they own, and his only answer is to take a job in the uncivilized Coalition Colonial Region on the other side of the ocean. Then disaster strikes again, and Bren is left with nothing but the clothes on her back, the things in her father's satchel, and the discovery that he was lying about his reasons for leaving. When more of her father's secrets are revealed, it becomes clear that someone powerful is killing innocent people to keep those secrets hidden — and they are hunting for Bren. Now on the run, Bren is pulled into an alliance with two very different men. The first is fighting to bring down the same shadow organization stalking her, no matter the cost. The other is a brilliant but icy war hero who has been branded a wanted man by the enemy. With danger rising on every side, Bren must solve her father's trail of coded messages before the last of his secrets fall into the wrong hands. In the process, she will have to rewrite everything she once knew about her life, and reveal strengths she never thought she had.


Lost Souls: A Servant of Death

Lost Souls: A Servant of Death by Shane Martin

Executed, widowed, and robbed of his entire crew of pirates, Captain Ander Frost makes a desperate attempt to recover what he’s lost: a deal with Death. Because those always go so well. Tasked to kill a usurper of the Roman emperorship, he must ally himself with the man that had him, his wife and crew murdered in the first place ‒ High King of the entire human population ‒ Rian Forge. Set in ancient Imperial Rome, where the likes of dwarves and elves live side by side with humans under Roman rule, Captain Frost must make unlikely alliances, work with enemies, bargain with Death, and fight anyone who would dare prevent him from reuniting with his wife.


My Friend Jackson

My Friend Jackson by Christopher D. Ochs

An ancient guardian chose her. Neither the guilty, nor the innocent, nor she are safe. Fresh out of the Projects, Jasmine Price's days are filled with emotional, physical, and cyber abuse at the hands of her new school’s queen bees. With her parents mostly absent, Jasmine latches onto Bibi, a grandmotherly figure from Tanzania, and her beloved pet chameleon, Jackson. Rivalries, jealousies and hatred escalate the violence toward Jasmine to a murderous level, until a monstrous force intervenes on Jasmine’s behalf with deadly consequences. When she discovers the secret behind her unholy avenger, Jasmine takes the offensive, becoming a merciless force more terrifying than her worst tormentors. But choices have consequences. Some more horrific than others.


Wrong Place, Right Time

Wrong Place, Right Time by E.B. Roshan

Twenty-three years ago, Anna Belko had the misfortune to be born in Dor, Sevia's dangerous capital. Now, she spends her days sewing shirts at the garment factory and trying to ignore the hatred and ethnic violence that is tearing her city apart. Until one evening a spilled pot of tea and an unexpected meeting with a young man named Boris Merkovich turn her world upside down...


Final Chance

Final Chance by E.B. Roshan

Three months have passed since Preen learned that her husband, Rama, was captured and killed by a rival militia. Now the pieces of her shattered life are falling back into place. It's getting easier to breathe again. Preen finds herself smiling over her daughter's antics. She's engaged to her wealthy, handsome cousin, who loved her long before Rama stole her heart. Then, late one night, Rama calls. He asks Preen to come back to the dangerous city of Dor, back to the life she thought she'd left behind forever...


Love Costs

Love Costs by E.B. Roshan

Nobody would have put Dunya and Radoslav together. She's Tur. He's Sevian. She's stuck in a refugee camp. He's working for the people who put her there. With three years of war and a fifteen-foot fence between them, finding happiness together seems impossible. But Radoslav can't get the girl with the pink hair—or her missing cat—out of his mind...


Nocturnal Blood

Nocturnal Blood by Villimey Mist

WriteHive Book Club

Anchorage, Alaska. A place where people don't care if someone goes missing. A place where Leia Walker tries her hardest to hide from the world, wanting a normal life without anxiety and OCD. But Leia's bubble pops when an old friend is back in town and twists Leia’s reality . A bloody event proves what Leia is scared to learn—Sophie Gardner, her old high school friend and saviour from the bullies, is a vampire. Forced to run away with Sophie, Leia's life takes a terrifying turn when vampires and hunters come after them. The only thing preventing them from losing themselves is their friendship.. But will it be enough to escape the inevitable blood bath?


The Techno Mage

The Techno Mage by S.W. Raine

Close friends Ikarim, Arteus, and Magaliana always knew the dangers of sky pirates, but what they didn't expect was having their airship repair shop pillaged and being separated when Magaliana, a noble, is sold for a hefty bounty. Once in the hands of the Techno Mage, her world changes. He's a mythical man with the ability to flawlessly combine both technology and alchemy, and his mythical ship is a haven for Magaliana. There, she discovers how to refine her craft. Ikarim and Arteus are determined to escape the sky pirates to save her, but do they have what it takes before the Techno Mage initiates his grand plan?


The Ouiums Journey

The Ouiums Journey by Dylan McClintock

When Esa Blyth escaped from the pits of hell, he thought his troubles were over. Soon after his return, however, he discovered his magic and the world he’d left behind had changed. Without his innate gift and support from covens, the ancient and powerful witch had no choice but to forge ahead. His meeting with Skylar Lee, a dark witch with an incredible power that promises much, is a turning point for Esa. There is an awakening within him at this chance encounter, one he cannot easily explain and one that refuses to be subdued. But as he struggles with his feelings, Esa cannot spot a twin threat to his life and to any chance of happiness he may have with Skylar. Thegon, the diabolical ruler of hell, is not yet done with him and, aided by the malevolent Akin Tullo who will do anything to implement Thegon’s will on Earth, they plan to corrupt the government, conjure demons from the depths and dominate the realms of men. Can Esa and Skylar find a way to stop them, save the future of mankind and their own as well?


Lani: The Girl Without Fear

Lani: The Girl Without Fear by Dan Cole

WriteHive Book Club

In a world controlled by fear, Lani is unique: a teenage girl who feels no fear, and often gets herself into dangerous situations because of it. Lani feels stifled by her overprotective and terrified parents, and after learning about family in a distant city, Lani plans to leave. Her faithful Minotaur bodyguard, Brutus, helps her escape the Great City of Ghal. In the Wilds, Lani learns much about love, herself, and her world. Mostly through a young woman named Kas who shows her what it's like to live in the wilds and to feel something for another person. Death follows Lani though. Leaving Ghal wasn't only to find family, but out of necessity after Lani hurt another student at her school. Fear Mongers, or Mongers for short, sent by her parents dog her steps and leave a trail of death searching for her. Lani must learn that although her lack of fear is quite the power in this world, it can be a burden. Especially to those important to her. Marauding robots, dangerous monsters, animal and human amalgamations known as Primals, and learning about her world makes Lani's journey across the Flatlands a dangerous adventure. Lani also meets a mysterious warrior known as the Wanderer, who teachers her and her freinds about the past, and about herself. After suffering great loss, and learning great truths, Lani's plans have to change, and death creeps ever closer.


Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride

Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride by SJ Whitby

My name is Dylan Taylor, human incarnation of the burning dumpster gif, and this is my life. I always wanted to be an X-Man. Except people and me never got along, and apparently you need social skills to run a successful team. Cue Emma Hall’s party. One hot make out session with the host herself, and I can talk to objects like my pillow (who’s far too invested in my love life) and my baseball bat (who was a pacifist before I got hold of him). Now there’s a whole group of us with strange abilities, including super hot ice queen Dani Kim who doesn’t approve of how reckless I can be. The bigger problem is a mysterious mutant causing unnatural disasters, and we’re the ones who have to stop him. Except trying to make a difference makes things blow up in my face and the team’s on the verge of falling apart. Can I bring them back together in time to stop the villain from taking revenge? Have I mentioned I’m not a people person? Magneto help us.


Age of Legend

Age of Legend by Michael J. Sullivan

New York Times Bestseller • USA Today Bestseller • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Fantasy Each culture has its own myths and legends, but only one is shared, and it is feared by all. With Age of Myth, Age of Swords, and New York Times bestselling Age of War, fantasy master Michael J. Sullivan riveted readers with a tale of unlikely heroes locked in a desperate battle to save mankind. After years of warfare, humanity has gained the upper hand and has pushed the Fhrey to the edge of their homeland but no farther. Now comes the pivotal moment. Persephone’s plan to use the stalemate to seek peace is destroyed by an unexpected betrayal that threatens to hand victory to the Fhrey and leaves a loved one in peril. Humanity’s only hope lies in the legend of a witch, a forgotten song, and a simple garden door.


The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter

The Disappearance of Winter's Daughter by Michael J. Sullivan

A daughter vanishes. Two rogues are paid a fortune to find her. It isn't enough. When Gabriel Winter's daughter mysteriously disappears and is presumed dead, the wealthy whiskey baron seeks revenge. Having lived in Colnora during the infamous Year of Fear, he hires the one man he knows can deliver a bloody retribution - the notorious Duster. Ride with Royce and Hadrian as the cynical ex-assassin and idealistic ex-mercenary travel to a mysterious old-world city filled with nobles claiming descent from the imperial aristocracy. Riyria's job appears easy: discover what happened to the missing duchess and, if she lives, bring her home . . . if not, punish those responsible. But nothing is simple in the crowded, narrow, mist-filled streets of Rochelle, where more than one ancient legend lurks.


Death of Dulgath

Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan

Three times they tried to kill her. Then a professional was hired. So was Riyria. When the last member of the oldest noble family in Avryn is targeted for assassination, Riyria is hired to foil the plot. Three years have passed since the war-weary mercenary Hadrian and the cynical ex-assassin Royce joined forces to start life as rogues-for-hire. Things have gone well enough until they're asked to help prevent a murder. Now they must venture into an ancient corner of the world to save a mysterious woman who knows more about Royce than is safe and cares less about herself than is sane. From the best-selling author of The Riyria Revelations comes the third installment of The Riyria Chronicles. Although part of a series, it's designed to thrill both new readers looking for fun, fast-paced fantasy and Riyria veterans wishing to reunite with old friends. For those who do wish to experience the entire Riyria saga, two reading options exist: Order of Publication: Theft of Swords | Rise of Empire | Heir of Novron | The Crown Tower | The Rose and the Thorn | The Death of Dulgath Chronological Order: The Crown Tower | The Rose and the Thorn | The Death of Dulgath | Theft of Swords | Rise of Empire | Heir of Novron


Dawnstar (Starchaser Saga Book 2)

Dawnstar (Starchaser Saga Book 2) by Renee Dugan

A missing friend. A hunt for answers. A path to vengeance. With her Warden stolen, her hopes of an easy alliance thwarted, and her trust in her own kingdom shattered, Princess Cistine Novacek faces her greatest challenge yet: using wit and steel to bring down a wicked Chancellor and prove herself to the cabal's tentative allies in the Courts. As friendships are tested, bonds broken, and love put to the test, the princess must face the growing threats within the Northern Kingdom – and learn to rise a queen. Locked away in a desert prison, Asheila Kovar faces the struggle of her life: surviving the ruthless Blood Hive, returning to her princess, and avenging a betrayal against the heart of her kingdom. But there are more secrets and schemes than just hers lurking in the catacombs…and the struggle between powerful forces above and below the sands will test Ashe’s loyalty in dangerous ways. Ways that may spell death for people the cabal cannot afford to lose.


The Order of the Key

The Order of the Key by Justine Manzano

WriteHive Book Club Teacup Dragon Coop

Jacklyn Madison never expected to be attacked by a beast on an evening snack run. Add a rescue mission enacted by a trained regiment of teenaged warriors, and her night officially becomes just like a scene from one of her beloved comic books. Turns out, her parents were once members of the Order of the Key, gifted humans that protect humanity from creatures spilling through inter-dimensional rifts. Unable to control her newfound abilities, Jacklyn and her family rejoin the Order. After an attack on their headquarters leaves Jacklyn questioning their leadership, Kyp—the boy who led her initial rescue—reveals a darker secret. The Order’s leader may be corrupt, and Jacklyn’s questions could put her family in danger. Drawn into the search for proof, Jacklyn must use her guts and magical brawn to protect her family, her friends, and herself from the monsters spilling from rifts, and those hiding within the Order.


Dragon's Reach: An epic fantasy adventure (The Keeper Origins Book 1)

Dragon's Reach: An epic fantasy adventure (The Keeper Origins Book 1) by JA Andrews

SPFBO6

The truth is neither plain, nor simple. Sable, a reluctant thief from the slums, can feel truth when people speak. For years she’s been using that skill to try to break free from the vicious gang boss she's indebted to. Escape comes in the form of an odd set of companions: -a dwarf running from the past, -an actor with a magical, glowing tree -a too-helpful kobold, -a playwright with a knack for getting stories out of people, and -a man and woman with suspicious, magical powers. But Sable’s freedom is short lived. On the edges of civilization, they discover hidden, terrifying lies in the offers of peace from the brutal Kalesh Empire. Now, she must return to the city she fled, and along with her companions, attempt an impossible task—convince everyone, including the powerful Dragon Prioress, of the truth. Except the Kalesh web of lies has ensnared everyone. With her land, her people, and everything she loves hanging in the balance, Sable is the only one standing between freedom, and certain death.


A Threat of Shadows (The Keeper Chronicles Book 1)

A Threat of Shadows (The Keeper Chronicles Book 1) by JA Andrews

#SPBFO Semifinalist Alaric betrayed everything he believed to save Evangeline — and failed. His last chance to save the woman he loves lies in an ancient Wellstone, a repository of power, buried and lost long ago. Luck—or something more troubling—leads him to a small group searching for the same stone. A disgruntled dwarf, a bumbling wizard, and an elf with an unsettling amount of power. If he can gain their trust, they might help him find the cure. But the Wellstone holds more than he knows, and a terrible evil he’d thought defeated is stirring again, searching for the stone. Can the companions survive a traitor, a dragon, and their own pasts to reach the stone before time runs out?


Where Shadows Lie

Where Shadows Lie by Allegra Pescatore

SPFBO6

The Chosen One Is Dead. Magic Is Going Haywire. Time Is Running Out. When the King of Lirin murders Elenor's brother during a failed coup attempt, she must choose between turning a blind eye to her people's suffering or joining the rebellion and helping bring down the tyrant king. There's only one problem--the king is her father. Helped along the way by a grouchy old doctor, a boisterous group of nobles, and a well-meaning assassin, Elenor is forced to dance between duty and defiance as she tries to save her kingdom. Meanwhile, from the rainy streets of Lirin to the scorching dunes of the Mondaer Desert, the ripples of her actions have inadvertently broken a chain of events five centuries in the making. Ancient forces move in the shadows, calling in debts and striking deals. A monster with a thousand faces fingers his knife, ready to kill, and a pair of fugitives run for their lives. Where Shadows Lie is a non-stop, epic fantasy ride featuring an lgbtq+ and disabled protagonist and filled with court intrigue, sizzling romance, adorable baby dragons, and the battle between oppression and freedom. Dive in and get swept away!


The Singing Gold

The Singing Gold by T.K.P. Sternberg

SPFBO6

A simple shepherd who can see all things invisible, a dwarf who risks his honour to strike the deal of his lifetime, and a clandestine necromancer who somehow manages to do good despite his own worst intentions. This unusual fantasy epic shows how petty shortcomings like jealousy, suspicion and greed can throw up just as dangerous challenges as revealed destiny or the unfolding of evil plans. Set in the deep forests of medieval Svitjod, at the shift between the coming of Christianity and the worship of the old gods, it stands firmly rooted in the muck and mud of the everyday while at the same time revealing a fantastical world of trolls, alfs and magic. When Stig accepts to guide some dwarven miners through the hexed forest only he knows how to navigate, he already has a bad feeling. The payment is far too generous for something supposed to be so simple. With a hungry family at home and still a few weeks before summer would break and end their hardship, he cannot afford to say no. As they set out on a journey fraught with troubles, not only do Stig realise he has gotten himself tangled up into something far greater than he could ever have imagined, the dwarves also slowly learn that Stig is not your average shepherd.


Aegyir Rises (Guardians of The Realm Book 1)

Aegyir Rises (Guardians of The Realm Book 1) by Amanda Fleet

SPFBO6

Reagan Bennett has always felt like an outsider. Left at the doors of a hospital at birth, her relationship with her adopted family hasn’t been easy. Especially when one of them almost killed her. Now he’s due to be released from prison and Reagan’s settled world is about to be turned upside-down. But not by him. Something old—something evil—is about to be released. Something that can kill you by ripping all of your energy out. Aegyir. Who believes Reagan Bennett is an old enemy, and is out to destroy her. All of her life, Reagan has dreamed of living in another place – The Realm. Can these dreams really be memories? If so, who is Reagan Bennett? Reagan needs to figure out who her enemy is, before they slaughter everyone she loves. And to do that, she needs to figure out who she really is.


Daughter of the Marmaros

Daughter of the Marmaros by Shayna Grissom

In the tallest tower of the MĆ”rmaros, Bernadette finds herself with cold feet. She is the last young female of her dying race, and the prospect of mating with the scheming High Councilor isn’t exactly appealing. The people of the MĆ”rmaros are rigid and bureaucratic in all aspects of life. They would sooner release the jungle people they’ve enslaved than give Bernadette another option. When the alpha moon emerges for the first time in years, so does a handsome man from the jungles. He isn’t like her, but he isn’t like the jungle people either. Bernadette vows to return to the MĆ”rmaros and live out her duties if she can see this man just one more time. Bernadette pursues the man in the jungle, only to encounter six little jungle boys. They are clever and adapt—nothing like her people said. Together they embark on an adventure that changes both races forever.


Voice of War (Threadlight Book 1)

Voice of War (Threadlight Book 1) by Zack Argyle

SPFBO6 SPFBO Finalist

Chrys Valerian is a threadweaver, a high general, and soon-to-be father. But to the people of Alchea, he is the Apogee—the man who won the war. When a stranger's prophecy foretells danger to Chrys' child, he must do everything in his power to protect his family—even if the most dangerous enemy is the voice in his own head. To the west, a sheltered girl seeks to find her place in the world. To the south, a young man's life changes after he dies. Together, they will change the world—whether they intend to or not.


Esme's Wish (Esme Trilogy Book 1)

Esme's Wish (Esme Trilogy Book 1) by Elizabeth Foster

This was her last chance. Her hand twisted high in the air. When fifteen-year-old Esme Silver objects at her father’s wedding, her protest is dismissed as the action of a stubborn, selfish teenager. Everyone else has accepted the loss of Esme’s mother, Ariane—so why can’t she? But Esme is suspicious. She is sure that others are covering up the real reason for her mother’s disappearance—that ā€˜lost at sea’ is code for something more terrible, something she has a right to know. After Esme is accidentally swept into the enchanted world of Aeolia, the truth begins to unfold. With her newfound friends, Daniel and Lillian, Esme retraces her mother’s steps in the glittering canal city of Esperance, untangling the threads of Ariane’s double life. But the more Esme discovers about her mother, the more she questions whether she really knew her at all. Esme's Wish is first in an MG-to-YA fantasy adventure series for readers 10-14 years, or anyone who enjoys escaping to another world. Appeals to fans of Narnia and Percy Jackson.


Daughter of Shades (The Venatrix Chronicles #1)

Daughter of Shades (The Venatrix Chronicles #1) by Sylvia Mercedes

A huntress with no past. A rival with a secret. A kingdom’s fate hangs in the balance . . . Ayleth and her shade move as one, ever hungry for the hunt. Under her mentor’s tight control, she fears her memories are being stolen. Now nineteen, apprenticed for as long as she can remember to the mysterious Holy Order, she longs to rise in the ranks and banish untamed spirits for the prophesied Golden Prince. When shadowy threats descend on the crown, Ayleth seizes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prove her worth in open competition. Seeking to win the prince’s favor and escape her scheming mentor, she resolves to hold her own against Terryn, a handsome, arrogant opponent who may be more than a match for her untested powers. But as the two rivals follow a trail beyond the Great Barrier and confront legendary evil, the stolen secrets of Ayleth’s past may return to haunt her . . . Can Ayleth win the trial and reclaim her true self? Can she even survive her first day?


The Engineer

The Engineer by Darran M Handshaw

Indie Recs Indie SFFOasis SPSFC 2022

"We are born in the shadow of fading memories and fallen dreams, living our days within the decaying bones of an age long gone." When the Engineer, Actaeon, arrives at Pyramid in the heart of Redemption, nothing goes according to plan. Mysterious raiders pursue him relentlessly across the shattered remains of the ancient metropolis, and the leaders of his homeland pay no heed to his ambitious ideas. Meanwhile, deep beneath Pyramid, a deadly creature stirs. And, when Actaeon meets a skilled young Knight Arbiter with brilliant blue eyes, he starts down a path he could never have imagined. The vast, fallen city of the Ancients is home to a new people who face the constant struggle to find resources needed to survive in the dangerous ruins. For the Engineer, however, Redemption is a treasure trove of technology, opportunity, and answers. But his unique skills make him a target for those who would use his talents to achieve their own dreams of power and control. In his endless quest for the truth, will Actaeon discover the fallen city’s greatest secrets? Or will he share the same fate as the Ancients of whom nothing remains but a whisper? One thing is certain: in Redemption, everything comes with a cost.


Rivers Run Red

Rivers Run Red by A D Green

SPFBO6

In the Nine Kingdoms, lords and churches dance a familiar dance. A dance of wars and plots and murder. But unknown to the players, the dance is changing. The Tainted One has returned; harbinger of a cycle of destruction as old as humankind itself. An era is on the verge of collapse, humankind is on the fringes of annihilation – but the lords and ladies, the holy men and the apostates, the great and the small; they all just keep spinning with the music. Nihm is a young woman, living peacefully on the edges of the wilds. But as the hordes descend upon the Nine Kingdoms she finds herself at its forefront, in a race for survival. A race where truths will be revealed that will change her world. Challenging who and what she is. Renco is a student and a mute, suffering from a past trauma. His Master, an outcast from an Ancient Order, has raised him. Honed his skills and his art but for what purpose? Join an Epic Fantasy and follow Nihm and Renco as their journey unfolds. Can two people really change the fate of a world?


Bones and Bourbon

Bones and Bourbon by Dorian Graves

SPFBO6

Retz Gallows has been possessed by an ancient necromancer for almost his entire life. He’s used to wicked schemes and body-stealing shenanigans, but waking up to a unicorn head in his passenger seat is a new low. Now he’s forced to carry out a gilded menagerie’s dirty deeds, but the task brings him face to face with the hope he’d long given up on: his older brother. Jarrod Gallows left home to rescue Retz from possession. Instead, he’s saddled with a dead-end job as a paranormal investigator, a Faerie curse, and a daredevil boyfriend who might be from another world. At least he’s got a new case to keep himself busy—but why has his brother reappeared, and why does this sudden reunion feel more like a bane than a blessing? To survive, the half-huldra Gallows brothers will have to escape the forces toying with their lives, as well as the wrath of carnivorous unicorns, otherworldly realms, and even their own parents. Only time will tell if they’ll make it out alive…or sober.


Angel’s Child, Devil’s Curse

Angel’s Child, Devil’s Curse by Jennifer Pierce-Gaeta

Isabella was a normal girl until a mysterious stranger turned her world upside down. Now she had been plunged into a world that she never knew existed with expectations on her shoulders far heavier than any before. She thought she was human but now is beginning to wonder what exactly she is? Zach tells her she is only half a person. How can that be? Will she fight to save the world or will she falter under the weight of a world of magic?


Miscreants

Miscreants by Jennifer Pierce-Gaeta

Kira and her team are up shit creek without a paddle. The coordinates for the last key piece are in a compromised location that forces the team to work outside the rules. With every known power combing the Earth for our heroes, will they succeed in their mission? Under heavy fire, the team plunged into the Underworld with the hopes of saving us all. Join Kira and her band of misfits as they enter the final push to save the world from Hell’s hostile takeover.


Decayed

Decayed by Jennifer Pierce-Gaeta

Kira and her tag tag team are at it again. In a race against time and Hell, it remains to be seen who will come out the victor. The race for the second key piece is in full swing. Add a new virus that is affecting the supernatural and Were Animal communities and you have a recipe for disaster. Will Kira and her team survive the coming onslaught? Will they drop the ball? Will Hell win?


Pandora’s Hell

Pandora’s Hell by Jennifer Pierce Gaeta

Enter a world where the supernatural races are the human race’s last hope. Hell has escaped its prison early and is devastating the human world. The humans are useless to help themselves and all worlds could be lost if the gates of Hell are not slammed shut. That’s where my team and I come in. I am Kira Gaetano and my team may be the world’s only hope for salvation. We fight the big bad nightmares and push demons back. We are racing against the clock to stop Hell from taking over the world. The only question I have is; ā€œCan we do it?ā€


Elemental: Shadows of Otherside Book 1

Elemental: Shadows of Otherside Book 1 by Whitney Hill

Enter an urban fantasy world where elves, vampires, weres, djinn, and fae maintain a precarious balance of power in North Carolina. Welcome to Otherside. Private investigator and sylph Arden Finch is determined to come out of the shadows and practice her forbidden magic. There's just one problem: the elves have a bounty on elementals like her. When an elf hires Arden without realizing what she is, she seizes the chance to gain leverage in the dangerous world of Otherside⁠—even if it means risking exposure. But as the case grows more perilous, Arden draws the attention of the region's deadliest power players. Fans of Kim Harrison, Faith Hunter, and the early Anita Blake series will find a kick-ass heroine in Arden. Content warnings: swearing, light consensual sex, physical violence, death, slurs (not toward any real racial or ethnic group/identity), threat of sexual violence.


The Necromancer's Prison

The Necromancer's Prison by Alec Whitesell and Craig Bonacorsi

She wanted to find her place in the universe. She never imagined it might not be on Earth. When Emily Murphy over slept the morning of her college entrance exam, she thought missing her test was the worst thing that could happen. She never expected she would wind up lost halfway across the galaxy, battling aliens with laser guns and mages hurling lightning. Like most seventeen year olds, Emily’s main concern had been navigating the perils of high school, not surviving shootouts and sorcery. That changed when her school was attacked and a student was kidnapped. While everyone else smartly fled from danger, she recklessly ran toward it mounting an impossible rescue that would lead her on a journey unlike anything she could have imagined. Dropped into a strange world teeming with merciless criminals and ruthless aristocrats, surrounded by violence and betrayal, Emily must untangle a web of intrigue and deceit to solve the mystery behind the abduction, save her classmate, and discover the destiny which awaits her. It is either that, or die trying…


Michael McGillicuddy and the Most Amazing Race

Michael McGillicuddy and the Most Amazing Race by Trevor A. Dutcher

Puzzling Intrigue. Epic Adventure. Cut-throat competition. When a quiet introvert and gifted tinkerer, Michael McGillicuddy, is invited to participate in the annual race organized by a secret society called the Order of the Blue Cloak, he forces himself to take a chance. Participation in this year’s race represents a dual opportunity: To honor his father’s legacy, and to win a prize sufficient to pay taxes on his mother’s land to avoid foreclosure. The action-packed adventure that follows features a vibrant cast of characters, and includes some of the brightest minds and most unscrupulous characters 1895 Europe has to offer, including a Luxembourgish railroad baron, a middle-eastern mystic, a lone-wolf bounty hunter, a British female spy and a Dutch female alchemist. A devious circus ringmaster, and his equally devious crew, including a strong-man with a mechanical arm and a ruthless female enforcer with a chip on her shoulder and a penchant for poison, provide the main antagonistic forces.Follow the racers over land, sea and air, from London’s outskirts all the way to Paris, as they risk life and limb to embark on a scavenger hunt-style race with few, but important, rules. The winner of this year’s race will be the first to solve all the milestone puzzles and arrive at the finish with a complete and matching set of milestone tokens. Along the way, Michael will encounter intellectual challenges, fantastical creatures, games you’ve never heard of, physical peril, sabotage, betrayal, love, heartbreak, and even a touch of magic, all while discovering himself and a newfound taste for adventure. But as a novice among experts, and with the odds so strongly stacked against him, how will Michael survive, let alone compete?


Between Starfalls

Between Starfalls by S. Kaeth

SPFBO6 WriteHive Book Club Teacup Dragon Coop SFFOasis

Never leave the path.Ā  It’s sacred law, punishable by exile. When her son goes missing in the perilous mountains, Kaemada defies the law to search for him. She enlists the help of her hero brother, a priestess berserker, and a fire-wielding friend. But the law exists for a reason. When the search party is captured by the mythical Kamalti, they learn that Kaemada’s son was sent to an ancient prison city. As they battle for freedom, they discover a horrible truth that will change the future of both races forever. With their world in upheaval, Kaemada must find a way to peace if she's to save her son—but tensions between the two races are leading to war.


Of Rioters and Royals

Of Rioters and Royals by M.L Greye

Emry is a Royal - a princess of Enlennd. As is tradition, she must have a knight at her side as her protector. The only way to appoint one is through The Trials. Her Challengers from the five regions of Enlennd must compete for the infamous title of Princess's Knight. The problem, though, is that the people of Enlennd are split into two categories: Rioters and Royals. Finding the perfect knight may be the last of her worries. War is coming to Enlennd. Declan is a Rioter. An upriser. An anarchist. He mistrusts the Jewels - the sovereign family of Enlennd. Yet, he is offering himself up as a Challenger in The Trials. The Mistress, leader of the Rioters, has a mission for him. The first step is for him to become the Princess's Knight. He is ready for the task, until he actually meets Emry and discovers that betraying her would be much more difficult than he'd thought.


A Place to Run (Trials of the Blood Book 1)

A Place to Run (Trials of the Blood Book 1) by Becca Lynn Mathis

What if you learned that the things that go bump in the night are real? . . . What if you became one of them? When Lynn gets attacked by a crazed werewolf, every aspect of her entire lonely life changes. Her new pack helps her adjust to life as a werewolf, but that means living under the constant threat of vampires, their immortal enemies. Worse, Lynn learns a former friend – and vampire – is now targeting her, and the military wants to get their hands on her as well. Fearing the danger she brings to her pack, Lynn must decide whether it’s better to run from them all or to make peace with who and what she has become.


The Wretched (The Fateless Throne Book 1)

The Wretched (The Fateless Throne Book 1) by Brad Carsten

No one knows what happened at Almswick, except that the King took an arrow to his chest, and his hundred-strong elite guard was slaughtered. Strangest of all, there was no indication that they had even faced an enemy. King Roderic 8th brought the kingdom of Thamaria into a golden age. It boasts the greatest scientists, physicians, soldiers, and artisans. For over a thousand years, nothing could approach its wealth and might for one reason: Thamaria could assess a child's potential, and then throw its resources into sculpting them into that which they were meant to be. Liam, a gifted tracker and archer, missed his first two assessments, and now at the age of twenty-five is too old for selection into the kingdom. He is left to make his own way in life with no hope of a better future until he meets Jaylene after her escort is attacked in the Dourbern forest. There's something "off" about her, and Liam is soon thrust into a plot that reaches into the heart of the kingdom—a plot that threatens to tear the immortal kingdom apart as well as everything else he cares about. But with war closing in, he may also have one last chance to prove to himself and the kingdom that he has what it takes to finally be somebody. Fast-paced with deep, likeable characters set in a rich and compelling world, The wretched will keep you guessing until the explosive conclusion.


© 2026 Hakea Media | Terms | Privacy