|
The Homefinders by Mauren Robeson As Homefinder II swiftly whisks the Broogans away from the only home theyâve ever known, they wonder what their new home, Alvalimar, will be like. Will the graceful, sensitive Amalians relocated there many years before, accept their hardy, inquisitive ways? Both species love peace and harmony, but have nothing else in common. Will Lt. Brenner ever win the affections of the lovely Kreegan scout, Xephra? Kreegans are powerful and independent, and are known to have no romantic interest. Will Thump, the most mischievous of the Broogans, venture over to the forbidden side of Alvalimar forever deprived of Valtimaâs bright rays? Whereas the Amalians have no interest in the mysterious Nightside, the young Broogans consider it a thrilling prospect of adventure! |
|
Sisters of the Stars: Men Rule Earth - Women The Stars (The Sisters of the Stars Series Book 1) by Hellen Allan When the end came for women they fell, as corn to a scythe. Only a handful could be saved; those with exceptional intelligence, strength and creativity. Sent to the stars, they hid, as darkness descended upon the Earth, knowing that one day that darkness would reach for them â and when it did, it would be worse than the scythe. For it sought not their intelligence, their strength, or their creativity - but their bodies. That time has come. For 20-year-old Selena, just thrown off the Star Biosphere Force for insubordination and anger management issues, this couldnât have come at a worse time. Finding out her sister has been captured by the men who rule Earth, she resolves nothing is going to prevent her from getting her sister back, even if it means risking her own freedom. |
|
Girl of Rooftops and Shadows (The Shadow's Apprentice Book 1) by Harper Alexander Originally published as Spychild, revised and reimagined in a dazzling new light. âFrom ashes to shadows you will rise. A black phoenix. A dark horse. Champion to those who go unseen in this world.â The last thing Despiris expected on her death bed was to be recruited. But when a shadowy figure materializes from the darkness to save her, her life is spared, and changed, forever. A destitute existence in the slums of Fairoway becomes a charmed life of thievery and luxury in the unsung cracks of society. The kingdom has many names for her benefactor. Trickster. Terrorist. Shadowmaster. But to Despiris, he becomes mentor. Master. Friend. The last of a secret order of criminal masterminds known as the Shadhi, Clevwrith is determined to carry on the orderâs legacy. By taking on an apprentice, he intends to mold a creature equal to himself, another that can never be caught. But liberating tricksters is a dicey business. In the end, every soul has his â or her â own agenda. Charged with pulling every heist, scheme, and bit of mischief she can devise, Despiris is as much a threat as she is a partner. In a game without rules, the next move can come in any shape or form. Magic and action abound in this thrilling fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and Sarah J. Maas. |
|
Chairman's Planet: Portal Space Fantasy (Sequel to Firesnake series) (Red Star Book 1) by Rayner Ye Maki is a six-year-old boy with secret knowledge. He witnessed an alien invasion on his homeworld, two hundred years in the future. While he starts a new life in another solar system, his father orders him to keep the truth under wraps. But Maki is stubborn. He won't give up his desire to stop the Chairman's massacre. In a bid to succeed, Maki creeps into the secret service's teleportation room and discovers classified information. He becomes the youngest agent in the headquarters and a good one, too. No matter his heroic acts, he still has a serious dilemma: he needs help. But he already promised his father he'd never lie to him again. He has two choices: betray his father's trust or accept the massacre of a whole world's population. |
|
IN A BLACK BALLOON by Matthew John Wilkinson The Complete Saga! There is no life but human life. The entire barren universe is within reach via Fold Tech. The United Intergalactic Colonies have laid claim to hundreds of planets. Earth is a barely habitable wasteland. Political power is centralized in the Jovian Subsystem of Sol. Spanning generations and the cosmos, a plot is revealed that could overthrow the U.I.C., and the Milton family is at the heart of it all⊠Moving in recurrent cycles between a secretive Voidship captain, a reclusive scholar, a bodyguard to the Colonial President, an explorer in the early days of Fold Tech, a government torturer, and a mysterious source casting its objective eye over the whole of the Sol Systemâs people, this series examines what it means when humans become aliens to themselves. Equal parts Battlestar Galactica and Infinite Jest, this is a work of horror, degradation, morality, and redemption. This is a series about the only life we know. This is what itâs like inside the Void. |
|
Presence: Fangs & Flasks by L.G Branch After bringing the war with the mages to an end, the members of Band 13 were looking forward to starting the new year fresh and continuing their training in relative peace. Unfortunately they would soon discover that the mages weren't the only ones with traitors as that peace was shattered. The entire board has begun to move as the members of Band 13 find themselves in a race against time. Alliances are being made. Bonds and bands are being forged and shattered as the world hurdles toward a very dark future. Will they be swept up in the rising tide or will they once more rise to the occasion? More importantly, what are they willing to sacrifice when they discover that the love that once empowered them becomes the very thing that threatens to destroy them? |
|
Infection (The Hive) by Ethan Stand Penelope Heath is in her final year of schooling. While on an excursion to Sydney a genetically modified infection is accidentally released. Those who are infected lose their individuality and work only for the good of their new species. The infected aggressively attack the uninfected. Penelope and her best friend Tiffany need to make their way from the infected over-run centre of Sydney to Penelope's family property in Queensland's outback. NOTE: This is only 22,000 words. That's about 100 kindle pages. The next episode will be about the same size. |
|
The Pathos of Rowan Jun by Tamara Henson BURY YOUR HUMAN SOUL IN THE HEART OF A WARRIOR! âWhat are you, boy?â asked the Valkyrie. âA murderer,â Rowan said. âNothing more.â âI will be the judge of your worth, now.â * * * Rowan Jun awakens to a new, violent world when the Slaveship QuellTruth crashes on the planet Unata. The human struggles to reconcile his bloody past with that of his new home, and sets out to become the greatest warrior Unata has ever known! |
|
Edomia: A Fantasy-Adventure (Tales from the Edomian Mythos) by J.M Kind At the dawn of a new Dark Age, the world of Edomia reels amid the clash of warring species, and the rise of a militant new religion from beyond the stars. Heir to the ancient Goddess-worshiping matriarchy of Taugwadeth, Princess Ashna Nârene is sent on a dangerous journey to form an alliance with her peopleâs most obstinate foe, the fanatical, misogynist Curions, adherents of an alien faith only recently carried to Edomia from medieval Earth. But success in this endeavor may be no more desirable than all-out war with the ravenous race of arachno-sapiens known as the Scâdorim. Faced with two equally dire prospectsâto become concubines for the Curions or livestock for the Scâdorimâ Ashna and her companions must fight for their own enlightened way of life, their faith, their freedom, and all they have ever loved, before their once-proud world of women passes forever into the hands of men. Paralleling the story of Ashnaâs adventures, a modern-day Marco Polo recounts his travels through the quantum portal that connects Earth to Edomia. A small boy when he arrives from Earth in the year 1965, Brother Morek looks back over many decades to recount his enslavement by the Scâdorim, his friendship with a fellow prisoner, his escape and rescue in the midst of battle, and his struggles to adapt to life on a world at once familiar and nightmarishly strange. Along the way, Morek offers rich insight into the culture, and science, art, language, and mythology of his adopted world. |
|
Eldest Son of an Eldest Son by Fallon Walker Prince Allard may have been born a girl, but he has known all his life that he is actually a boy and rightful heir to the kingdom as his fatherâs eldest son. However, his father, King Cederic, has chosen Allardâs brother to sit on the throne instead. With the help of his wizard mentor, Dwennon, Allard is able to convince his father to allow him to go on a quest to slay the dragon that killed Allardâs mother, Queen Belinda, when Allard was just a child. Should he succeed, the king would recognize Allard as his true son and heir. And so Allard must embark on a journey to slay the dreaded dragon Balsinew of the Glittering Eye. He must face down bandits, the beautiful but dangerous Prism Valley, and the Tunnel of Interminable Suffering in order to finally face the dragon and prove to his father that he is fit to be king. |
|
The Sting of Victory by S D Simper Horror abounds, monsters rise, and hearts break in the first installment of FALLEN GODS. âWhen faced with monstrosity, become the greater monster. The sting of victory will fade with time.â Haunted by a history of horror and abuse, Flowridia, a witch with a tender heart, finds a second chance in the home of her kingdomâs royal family. With employment comes friendship, and perhaps she has finally found a place to belongâuntil she catches the eye of Lady Ayla Darkleaf, a woman with enticing grace and a predatory smile. The corrupt world of politics consumes her, and Flowridia falls into a toxic love affair surely doomed for heartbreak. Yet when Aylaâs legacy as a monster unfolds, Flowridia sees only the tender soul hiding beneath. An ancient deity returns, hell-bent on restoring the world to its natural order, and Flowridiaâs kingdom is tasked to stop him. Caught in the ensuing clash of gods, her loyalties will be tempted at every turnâby family, by fate, and by the woman whose claws grip her heart. Publisher's Note: The Sting of Victory is a fantasy horror novel intended for adult audiences and contains content warnings, including depictions of DV. Please see the author's website for a full list of content warnings. |
|
Return of the Living by Jonathan Wojcik Itâs been centuries since life ended on Earth, leaving only a haunted wasteland. So how could it be possible for one ghost to see a living being? Will she be able to convince her fellow specters that the living are back? Will she and her friends be able to avoid mysteriously disappearing like a growing number of spirits? |
|
Moss and Clay (Mab's Doll Book 1) by Rebekah Jonesy Moss, Clay, and Blood A doll, crafted and given a mission by Danu, is brought to life by human and Fae blood. Blood daughter of Mab, Queen of the Fae, Gillian must track down the fae in the Americas and bring them back under Fae Law. No one knows what is holding them there, or why no other rescue mission has returned. Not even the gods that sent them. Gillian must return the fae to the Underhill, or send their souls back to Danu. |
|
The Summer Goddess by Joanne Hall When Astaâs nephew is taken by slavers, she pledges to her brother that she will find him, or die trying. Her search takes her from the fading islands of the Scattering, a nation in thrall to a powerful enemy, to the port city of Abonnae. There she finds a people dominated by a sinister cult, thirsty for blood to feed their hungry god. Haunted by the spirit of her brother, forced into an uncertain alliance with a pair of assassins, Asta faces a deadly choice â save the people of two nations, or save her brotherâs only son. |
|
The Nightlife New York (Paranormal and Urban Fantasy) (The Nightlife Series Book 1) by Hickory Mack Itâs in the headlines every day. Another child abused, and another abuser let off easy. Or worse, getting away with their crimes. Pedophiles and abusers are actively protected by those in power. Riddled with corruption, and profiteering off the victims, the justice system has failed.Alexi has experienced it personally, on every level, and sheâs had enough.With the help of her friend, a wolf shifter named Rabbit, she will take matters into her own hands. Her lover is Hector, an unreasonably sexy latin vampire, and he joins the fight to protect their child from growing up in a world with a shady undercurrent of evil.Then her mates show up. Hyena shifters, and twins, Satyr and Siren will do anything for her. Including joining her quest to rid the world of the wrong sort of predators. Karma will find them all.Dollhouse Vigilantes is a dark, Urban Fantasy reverse harem series.18+Trigger warnings: Graphic violence, M/M, Child abuse (in prologue only), non-descriptive sexual violence. |
|
Dancing on Bones by Francis Kay We first met nomadic puppeteer Billie in Dollywagglers. Now, in a lawless, post-pandemic world, Billie is learning to be human again â a task easily as challenging as scrounging for food and fighting off suburban savages. In Dancing on Bones, Billieâs band of three unlikely friends heads to Wales to find some semblance of civilisation, but just when they begin to settle, terrible news from London forces Billie back among the grim survivors of the capital. What happens there blows apart the seemingly invincible fortress of the dangerous elite in charge and plunges the nation into chaos once more â chaos that is mirrored by the erupting volcano that is Billieâs personal life. Though at first the fledgling democracy of Wales appears to be the haven the friends hoped to find, now it seems like their world may just end in a hail of bullets after all. Bonus short story: Strange Creation is the extraordinary diary of Dr. Dorothy Broadhurst, an evolutionary biologist working in central Africa in 1950 when her academic life is violently disrupted by a local rebellion. Abandoned and isolated in her compound, surrounded only by the apes whose lives and habits she has been studying, she tries to maintain her ordered, scientific routine. But, she doesnât know the apes as well as she thought. Soon, she becomes like them: a hunted anima |
|
A Friendship Forged by Sophie E Tallis The time of dragons was passing⊠Amidst the shifting darkness, primitive human tribes ruled the mountain realms with brutality. Drawn by the fÿrrensong of a dying dragon, a wandering mage stumbles across a nemesis more ruthless than he could have imagined and sets into motion a chain of events which will change his life forever. |
|
Cruelty: Unmasked by Ellen CroshĂĄin. Henry used to be a god. Now, heâs just the gardener. Nearly twenty-five years have passed since the ancient Faroust fell in love with Eliza MacTir. Stripped of his powers and forced to work for the family he used to rule, he canât avoid the woman who ruined him. But when a chance encounter brings him into contact with Elizaâs daughter Ăine, a twenty-one year old student looking for a chance to explore herself, he sees a chance to exact revenge. The affair is sweet and Henry knows that when he finally reveals it to Eliza, it will be even sweeter. But Henry and Ăine arenât the only ones keeping secrets. Ăineâs brother CaolĂĄn, sixteen and rebellious, has his share of demons and not all is well with Eliza and Cornelius. The veneer of the perfect family has cracks and once the truths start to spill, everything Eliza fought for will start to unravel. Secrets cannot be buried forever and the Veil wonât stay shut. Darker forces are watching and waiting⊠|
|
The Way The Light Bends by Lorraine Wilson Sometimes hope is the most dangerous thing of all. When their brother dies, two sisters lose the one thing that connected them. But then a year after her twinâs death, Tamsin goes missing. Despite police indifference and her husbandâs doubts, Freya is determined to find her sister. But a trail of diary entries reveals a woman she barely knew, and a danger she can scarcely fathom, full of deep waters and shadowy myths, where the grief that drove Tamsin to the edge of a cliff also led her into the arms of a mysterious stranger ... A man who promised hope but demandedsacrifice... |
|
On Dark Horizons (The Infinity Machine Book 2) by Anthony Laken After the events of the previous weeks, which led to the decimation of an entire city, Lady Bellina Ressa must return to the man she once called father, with more questions than answers. The most powerful cognopath of the Estrian Empire is now trapped in a game of political strategies and power struggles, unsure of who to trust. They made her do it. They removed her restraint. They turned her into Death. And now Death is coming for them. |
|
One Cog Turning (1) (Infinity Machine) by Anthony Laken Nominated for the BSFA Awards 2017 and the Gemmell 'Morningstar' Awards 2017! Bellina Ressa, daughter of the Lord Chancellor, has lived a sheltered life. Shunned by the rest of the nobility due to her Cognopathic abilities, she has become strong willed and independent. But in the blink of an eye, she finds herself betrothed to the arrogant Elvgren Lovitz and on a diplomatic mission to save the Estrian empire. Joined on this perilous quest by her fiancé and the resolute Major Cirona Bouchard, Bellina is about to discover that intrigue lurks just beneath the surface and danger lies in wait around every corner. One Cog Turning is a rip-roaring new Steampunk adventure, featuring a cast of foul-mouthed, irreverent and memorable oddballs. |
|
Learning Monkey and Crocodile (The Harvester Series Book 7) by Nick Wood âNick Woodâs short stories are powerful, impassioned visions of worlds and worldviews remade by way of redemptive engagement with the spirits of the earth and the earth of the spirit. Joining ancestral wisdom and transformative technologies, combining searing self-scrutiny with joyous awareness of the Other, Learning Monkey and Crocodile is a book for Africa and for all of us.â Nick Gevers Nickâs stories have delighted readers across the world and have appeared in publications such as Interzone, Albedo One, Omenana, among others. His debut novel Azanian Bridges was shortlisted for the BSFA award. Embark on a journey where science meets African culture, through psychology, alternate history and disability. âI read Bridges with much pleasure... Chilling and fascinating.â Ursula K. Le Guin âWoodâs characterization is excellent.â Strange Horizons âThis is a gut-puncher of a novel; original, brilliantly written, and a page-turner of note.â Sarah Lotz on Bridges âPolitically acute and powerful, with its heart in the right place... in many ways a âtextbook storyâ, because itâs so well done.â Ian Watson on Bridges |
|
Murmured In Dreams (The Harvester Series Book 3) by Stephen Bacon âWith Murmured in Dreams Stephen Bacon takes us everywhere. Science fiction, the supernatural, the mythic and the horrific collide with both a future Britain and that of the not-so-distant past, with the quiet breezes of a Greek island and with war-ravaged Rwanda and Chad.â Priya Sharma âStephen Bacon has a keen instinct for the horror of the ordinary, his prose is considered, his voice distinct. But what also distinguishes his fiction is the ability to startle readers; to instigate the re-reading of sentences to make certain that something that disturbing was actually intended. Bacon prods with pins.â Adam Nevill author of âThe Ritualâ and âSome Will Not Sleepâ âStephen Bacon is a born writer who cares deeply about story and the way it is delivered. This intoxicating collection â an object lesson in tension, subtlety and power â is littered with broken, beautiful characters operating within the uncertain margins of society and sanity. It is a book fully deserving of a wide audience.â Conrad Williams author of âOneâ and âI Will Surround Youâ |
|
Incomplete Solutions (The Harvester Series Book 4) by Wole Talabi An elderly woman in early 22nd century Lagos is called in to help test the artificial intelligence built from her genius motherâs mind, but all is not as it seems in the Nommo-award winning story, âThe Regression Testâ. Exiled from Earth for a crime of passion, a young man must learn to survive a barely habitable prison planet and come to peace with his past in âPolarisâ. âWednesdayâs Storyâ, nominated for the 2018 Caine Prize, is at once a retelling of nursery rhymes and folklore and a meta-fictional meditation on the mechanics, art and power of storytelling. In the novella âIncompleteness Theoriesâ, an international team, led by a Nigerian physicist, try to invent teleportation technology with haunting, unforeseen results. From the bustling streets of Lagos to the icy moons of Jupiter, this debut collection of twenty stories from the vivid imagination of the award-winning Wole Talabi explores what it means to be human in a world of accelerating technology, diverse beliefs, and unlimited potential, from a uniquely Nigerian perspective. |
|
And The House Lights Dim by Various "And the House Lights Dim is an immensely worthwhile read." From Laura Mauro's review on Black Static. (British Fantasy Award Winner, 2018) 5* "This is an anthology of dark fantasy and with one of the stories entitled Finding Waltzer 3, you know there are going to be more twists than a curly wurly. The author has a talent for making the hair on the back of your neck stand on ends, whether its because of an over-protective house, a teenage gamer or someone wishing to have the mind of a rival. Do not go camping to St Erth and never disturb a Greenland Shark. The stories are varied and imaginative and all are beautifully written and thought provoking, as in the case of 'Winter in the Vivarium'. |
|
Tijaran Tales - The Complete Series by F.T Barbini Set in a not-so-distant future, Tijaran Tales follows Scottish teen Julius McCoy during his years at the ZED Lunar Academy, on the Moon. Between spaceship piloting, engineering and mind control classes, Julius and his friends will come face to face with the Arneshians, a banished sect of humanity which seeks to seize control of Earth. Tijaran Tales is a popular SF series for teens of all ages, about the trials of growing up, the joy of friendship, standing up for whatâs right, and facing up to responsibilities. Growing up is never easy, but in war, choices are even tougher. In the face of adversity, would you follow in Juliusâ steps? The Academy is recruiting, and they are waiting for you. |
|
Spark and Carousel by Joanne Hall Spark is a wanted man. On the run after causing the death of his mentor and wild with untamed magic, he arrives in Cape Carey where his latent talents make him the target of rival gangs. It is there that Carousel, a wire-walker and thief, takes him under her wing to guide him through the intrigues of the criminal underworld. But when Sparkâs magic cracks the world and releases demons from the hells beneath, two mages of his former order make it their mission to prevent his magic from spiralling out of control. They must find him before he falls into the clutches of those who would exploit his raw talent for their own gain, forcing Spark to confront a power he is not ready to handle. Meanwhile, a wealthy debutante learning magic in secret has her own plans for Spark and Carousel. But the sudden arrival of the mages throws her carefully laid plans into disarray and she unleashes a terrible evil onto the streets of the unsuspecting cityâan evil only Sparkâs magic can control. Everyone wants a piece of Spark, but all Spark wants is to rid himself of his talents forever |
|
Songs of Seraphina by Jude Houghton Some battles bleed so much, and for so long, that the earth never truly forgets their dead. Some battles are born of oppression, and some of greed, and some simply because it was written in the stars. Three sistersâCharlemagne, Cairo and Pendragon Agonistesâare sent from America to England to live with their eccentric grandparents after their mother disappears and their father falls to pieces. But before the girls have time to find their feet, Charlemagne is married off to a dead man, Penny takes a nap and wakes up as a boy, and Cairo is swept into a dangerous romance with a man who wants her for more than her considerable charm. With the girls wrapped up in a conflict they barely understand, they donât notice that their grandmother is transforming, or that the two demigod assassins who took their mother are now coming for themâif one of them can get over his crisis of conscience. In this richly painted tale, at whose heart is the unbreakable bond of family and blood, the world of Seraphina collides with our own as three unique girls are dragged into twilight lives past, fighting for vengeance, retribution, and the survival of their exiled people. |
|
The Curse Breaker: Beyond Blackwall by Dylan J Silver In this ancient land of magic and beast, a forgotten battle rages between the gods themselves, and their children seek to destroy one another. Iro finds himself caught in the midst of this struggle, and must overcome loss, war, and hardship, as he pieces together a legacy left behind by his forefathers. The Curse Breaker: Beyond Blackwall tells the story of a world where forgotten gods and ancient magic reign, of a struggle where otherworldly creatures fight for survival, and of one ordinary boyâs incredible journey to become something extraordinary. He must answer the call, and become the curse breaker. This book is a dark fantasy about mythical creatures, and their struggles in a world with forgotten gods and ancient magic. The story has a strong focus on relationships between men, fathers and sons, brothers, and male lovers. It contains strong LGBTQ+ themes, some heavy language, violence, intense depictions of gore, some sexual situations, depictions of genocide, and nuanced adult themes. |
|
The Madness of Envy (The Fallen Angels Book 7) by Steven Lindsay The End is Nigh! And all debts will be settled. Eden has been revealed for all the world to see. There is nowhere left for the Angels to hide. But they are far from powerless, and even as the tide of war turns against them, they are not defeated. For they have Gabriel to deliver them victory as she has done countless times before. For there is nothing that she will not do to win. The Goddess-led Empires continue to grow at the cost of the Angelsâ territories, but it costs them much, and dangerous favours have been bargained for every small victory. Favours that will be called in to pay the debt of sins among the Divine. For the forgotten below the Surface will not remain so, and those on the Moon will turn their eyes outwards to the universe to find the secrets the Chaos Goddess needs. But it is not just Sariel who the world reshapes around; her daughter grows into her power and must also enter the war. For everyone has their part to play in ending the War of Heaven. |
|
The Bizarro Starter Kit (Purple) by Various There's a new genre rising from the underground. Its name: BIZARRO. For years, readers have been asking for a category of fiction dedicated to the weird, crazy, cult side of storytelling that has become a staple in the film industry (with directors such as David Lynch, Takashi Miike, Tim Burton, and even Lloyd Kaufman) but has been largely ignored in the literary world, until now. The Bizarro Starter Kit features short novels and story collections by ten of the leading authors in the bizarro genre: Russell Edson, Athena Villaverde, David Agranoff, Matthew Revert, Andrew Goldfarb, Jeff Burk, Garrett Cook, Kris Saknussemm, Cody Goodfellow, and Cameron Pierce. |
|
Clockwork Heart (Clockwork Heart trilogy Book 1) by Dru Pagliassotti Flight is freedom, but death hangs in the skies... Taya soars over Ondinium on metal wings. She is an icarus, a courier privileged to travel freely across the cityâs sectors and mingle indiscriminately amongst its castes. But even she cannot outfly the web of terrorism, loyalty, murder, and intrigue that snares her after a daring mid-air rescue. Taya finds herself entangled with the Forlore brothers, scions of an upperclass family: handsome, brilliant Alister, who sits on Ondiniumâs governing council and writes programs for the Great Engine; and awkward, sharptongued Cristof, who has exiled himself from his caste and repairs clocks in the lowest sector of the city. Both hide dangerous secrets, in the city that beats to the ticking of a clockwork heart. Books in the Trilogy: - Clockwork Heart - Clockwork Lies: Iron Wind - Clockwork Secrets: Heavy Fire About Dru Pagliassotti Dru Pagliassotti is a professor of communication at California Lutheran University, where she teaches media theory and practice. She published and edited The Harrow, an online literary magazine for fantasy and horror, from 1998-2009, and she currently runs The Harrow Press, which publishes horror anthologies. |
|
A Night at The King's Inn by Alec Arbogast FIRST PLACE WINNER - 2021 ROYAL DRAGONFLY BOOK AWARDS: HISTORICAL FICTION CATEGORY AWARD-WINNING FINALIST - 2021 AMERICAN FICTION AWARDS Theodore is an introvert. Friends are a bother and being put in social situations is cruel and unusual punishment. Avoidance is the name of the game when it comes to relationships and he's adamant he wouldn't have it any other way. But deep inside he yearns for something...more. When his vivacious, thrill-seeking sister Alice invites him on another one at her atypical adventures, Theodore finds that his life predicated upon comfort is about to be turned on its head. They venture to an ultra-exclusive speakeasy in Manhattan's West Village, where he happens upon a vintage gramophone that does more than play a simple tune. He cranks the lever and a portal to another world snaps open. Before he can react, Theodore finds himself in a posh hotel, navigating a mysterious and menacing masquerade ball in 20th century London. In the maze-like halls of the hotel, he brushes shoulders with a coquettish young woman who, coupled with the mysterious allure of the masquerade, ensures he'll return to this foreign world to uncover more. But as he delves deeper, he finds himself in the middle of a socioeconomic conflict across a mercurial and hostile landscape where cocktails and charisma are more dangerous than loaded guns. If he wants to lead the substantive life a part of him has always known he deserves, he must not only outgrow his circumspect ways and face the dangers of a socially adept furtive society, he must also face the demons of his own past which crawl to the surface as he unravels the mysteries of a bygone world. |
|
The Reluctant Prophet by Gillian ORourke Thereâs none so blind as she who can see . . . Esther is blessed, and cursed, with a rare gift: the ability to see the fates of those around her. But when she escapes her peasant upbringing to become a priestess of the Order, she begins to realise how valuable her ability is among the power-hungry nobility, and what they are willing to do to possess it. Haunted by the dark man of her fatherâs warnings, and unable to see her own destiny, Esther is betrayed by those sworn to protect her. With eyes newly open to the harsh realities of her world, she embarks on a path that diverges from the plan the Gods have laid out. Now she must choose between sacrificing her own heartâs blood, and risking a future that will turn the lands against each other in bloody war. The Reluctant Prophet is the story of one woman who holds the fate of the world in her hands, when all she wishes for is a glimpse of her own happiness. |
|
Toxic City: Walkers in the Mist by Dangel Angello The world is now a savage place, where nature is caustic and mankind is deadly. In other words, survival is just another job. Post-apocalyptic London has dragged itself back to a form of civilisation in the shape of the Quads, ruled by the PEA and a proxy-government in hopes to stem unrest within the masses of Walkers that keep the Known World turning. But life is hard. The Agents are merciless, the Bandits are returning and the Mists weaponize the very air. But as one young resident finds out, when the few things you cling to are taken away, life stops being about living. For Val, thatâs just not good enough. |