Best of
Historical-Fantasy

2020

Shield-Maiden: Under the Howling Moon


Melanie Karsak - 2020
    Destined for Valhalla. In my dreams, Odin whispers to me. He tells me I’m destined to wield a legendary sword.He tells me my road will bring me to Valhalla.But when I wake, I’m only Hervor. Fatherless. Unloved. Unwanted. Jarl Bjartmar, my grandfather, calls me cursed. My mother, her memories stolen by the gods, has forgotten me. Everyone tells me I should have been left to the wolves, but no one will tell me why.None but Eydis, a thrall with völva magic, believes I’m meant for a greater destiny. Yet who can believe a devotee of Loki?When the king and his son arrive for the holy blót, the runes begin to fall in my favor. A way forward may lie in the handsome Viking set on winning my heart, but only if I unravel the mystery hanging over me first.Fans of Vikings, The Last Kingdom, and The Mists of Avalon will relish Shield Maiden: Under the Howling Moon. This sweeping Viking Historical Fantasy retells the Norse Hervarar Saga, depicting the life of the shieldmaiden Hervor, the inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien’s Éowyn.

Half a Soul


Olivia Atwater - 2020
    Dora’s only goal for the London Season this year is to stay quiet and avoid upsetting her cousin’s chances at a husband… but when the Lord Sorcier of England learns of her condition, she finds herself drawn ever more deeply into the tumultuous concerns of magicians and faeries.Lord Elias Wilder is handsome, strange, and utterly uncouth—but gossip says that he regularly performs three impossible things before breakfast, and he is willing to help Dora restore her missing half. If Dora’s reputation can survive both her ongoing curse and her sudden connection with the least-liked man in all of high society, then she may yet reclaim her normal place in the world… but the longer Dora spends with Elias Wilder, the more she begins to suspect that one may indeed fall in love, even with only half a soul.

Circe / The Song of Achilles


Madeline Miller - 2020
    

The Forbidden


Lori Holmes - 2020
    Rebaa’s lover, Juran, lays down his life for hers and now she must use all of her cunning and extraordinary powers to survive the inhospitable wilderness alone, ensuring that Juran’s sacrifice was not in vain. But Rebaa’s battle for survival has only just begun...Hunted by savage predators and more terrifying still, the nightmarish Eldrax, a murderous chieftain who will stop at nothing to possess Rebaa’s mysterious powers for his own, her very existence becomes a life or death chase in the pursuit and quest to reach the one place that surely offers salvation and a safe haven she can call home. But what haven could possibly exist for one who bears...

Unhallowed


Jordan L. Hawk - 2020
    Murder. Librarians.Librarian Sebastian Rath is the only one who believes his friend Kelly O’Neil disappeared due to foul play. But without any clues or outside assistance, there’s nothing he can do to prove it.When bookbinder Vesper Rune is hired to fill the vacancy left by O’Neil, he receives an ominous letter warning him to leave. After he saves Sebastian from a pair of threatening men, the two decide to join forces and get to the truth about what happened to O’Neil.But Vesper is hiding secrets of his own, ones he doesn’t dare let anyone learn. Secrets that grow ever more dangerous as his desire for Sebastian deepens.Because Kelly O’Neil was murdered. And if Sebastian and Ves don’t act quickly enough, they’ll be the next to die.

The Fire in the Glass


Jacquelyn Benson - 2020
    Lily’s visions could stop a killer… if she’ll trust a reclusive aristocrat with her darkest secret.A monster stalks the gaslit streets of Edwardian London, draining the blood of the city’s mediums. Lily Albright knows who’s next.Lily is plagued by visions of the future she can never change. When a mysterious fiend threatens someone she loves, she’s determined this time will be different.But she can’t do it alone. To save a life, Lily must reveal her darkest secrets to someone she has little reason to trust—the reclusive Lord Strangford, a man haunted by his own unusual powers.From the glittering galleries of Bond Street to the rookeries of Southwark, Lily and Strangford plunge into a dark conspiracy that lies at the heart of England’s rising eugenics movement. To thwart it, Lily must face a past rife with betrayal—and embrace the power she has spent her entire life trying to escape.

Meat Cute: The Hedgehog Incident


Gail Carriger - 2020
    Alexia also appears briefly in Romancing the Inventor, and Conall and England’s most scandalous wolf pack is referenced in The Finishing School series. Want more hot gruff werewolf gentlemen and practical tough ladies? Try How to Marry a Werewolf.This is a quick read at 9000 words (about 15 printed pages) available in print only as part of Fan Service (collected Supernatural Society omnibus). It is best read if you are already familiar with Gail Carriger’s gaslight universe and comedy of manners style, as it was written specifically with her fans in mind.

Asperfell


Jamie Thomas - 2020
    Not one has ever returned.Never did Briony dream she might set foot in the otherworldly prison of Asperfell. She was, after all, neither Mage nor criminal. She was simply her father’s little whirlwind—fingers smudged with ink, dresses caked with mud—forever lost in a book or the spirit-haunted woods surrounding her family’s country estate.But Briony always had a knack for showing up where she was least expected. Only by braving the gate of Asperfell could Briony hope to find the true heir to the throne of Tiralaen and save her kingdom from civil war. And so, she plunges into a world of caged madmen and demented spirits, of dark magic and cryptic whispers... and of a bleak and broken prince with no interest in being rescued. Hauntingly beautiful and lavishly told, Asperfell is a must-read for fans of Jane Austen who always wished she’d dabbled in blood magic.

What the Lady's Maid Knew


E.E. Holmes - 2020
    This is Eliza Braxton’s London, and she has always accepted her place in it gladly. As one of the Riftborn, her magic has relegated her to the servant class, where she dutifully serves as the lady’s maid in one of the most powerful households in the country. There, she uses her remarkable powers of persuasion to keep Elder Hallewell’s rebellious daughter in the path to an arranged match of power and prosperity. Eliza has never questioned her loyalty… until now.Currents of discontent are roiling beneath the city’s surface, and Eliza’s comfortable existence is about to be caught up in the tide. A resistance is building, a resistance that covets Eliza’s talents above all else. But can Eliza betray everything she’s ever known for things she never dared to dream?What the Lady's Maid Knew is the first thrilling installment in E.E. Holmes' new series The Riftmagic Saga.

The Once and Future Witches


Alix E. Harrow - 2020
    There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.But when the Eastwood sisters--James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna--join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote-and perhaps not even to live-the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

Echoes of the Runes


Christina Courtenay - 2020
    But echoed in eternity. When Mia inherits her beloved grandmother's summer cottage, Birch Thorpe, in Sweden, she faces a dilemma. Her fiance Charles urges her to sell and buy a swanky London home, but Mia cannot let it go easily. The request to carry out an archaeological dig for more Viking artefacts like the gold ring Mia's grandmother also left her, offers her a reprieve from a decision―and from Charles.Whilst Mia becomes absorbed in the dig's discoveries, she finds herself drawn to archaeologist Haakon Berger. Like her, he can sense the past inhabitants whose lives are becoming more vivid every day. Trying to resist the growing attraction between them, Mia and Haakon begin to piece together the story of a Welsh noblewoman, Ceri, and the mysterious Viking, known as the 'White Hawk', who stole her away from her people in 869 AD. As the present begins to echo the past, and enemies threaten Birch Thorpe's inhabitants, they will all have to fight to protect what has become most precious to each of them...The pacy, evocative and romantic new dual-time novel from Christina Courtenay is perfect for fans of Barbara Erskine, Diana Gabaldon and Vikings.

Spellbreaker


Charlie N. Holmberg - 2020
    But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn’t turn her in. Working together, Elsie’s trust in—and fondness for—the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there’s so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she’s destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it’s too late to save everything she loves?

Shade: Books 1-3 Plus Forbidden Chapters


Amanda Cashure - 2020
    Surely they can handle kidnapping (I mean rescuing) one mortal woman with zero self-control from her cruel master, right? Wrong. Horribly, completely wrong. One misfired prank later and the pentad is magically bonded together. With Shade stuck at their side, the Elorsins have to defeat the murderer who currently rules over their kingdom, figure out how to free Shade without killing her in the process, and learn how to survive when the newest member of their team is opening old wounds and getting much too close for comfort. This is a slowburn fantasy series where Shade will develop her relationships with all of the Elorsins. Box set one contains books one to three as well as reimagined and forbidden bonus scenes. While book one is single POV, two & three have dual POVs.

Subversive


Colleen Cowley - 2020
    Then Peter Blackwell, the only wizard her town has ever produced, unexpectedly returns home and presses her into service as his assistant.Beatrix fears he wants to undermine the League. His real purpose is far more dangerous for them both.Subversive is the first novel in the Clandestine Magic trilogy, set in a warped 21st century that will appeal to fans of gaslamp fantasy. What reviewers are saying: "A spectacular story of magic, politics, social classes, and the uncompromising need to do what you think is right." — Bookshelf Adventures“I read this book in a day. I could NOT put it down.” — My Heart is Booked Blog"What a captivating story! ... Readers who enjoy fantasy stories with strong female protagonists, magical powers, intriguing political plots, and a great love story will love Subversive." — One Book More

The Haunting of H. G. Wells


Robert Masello - 2020
    G. Wells could not have imagined. It’s 1914. The Great War grips the world—and from the Western Front a strange story emerges…a story of St. George and a brigade of angels descending from heaven to fight beside the beleaguered British troops. But can there be any truth to it?H. G. Wells, the most celebrated writer of his day—author of The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man—is dispatched to find out. There, he finds an eerie wasteland inhabited by the living, the dead, and those forever stranded somewhere in between…a no-man’s-land whose unhappy souls trail him home to London, where a deadly plot, one that could turn the tide of war, is rapidly unfolding.In league with his young love, the reporter and suffragette Rebecca West, Wells must do battle with diabolical forces—secret agents and depraved occultists—to save his sanity, his country, and ultimately the world.

Heart of Stone


Johannes T. Evans - 2020
    The year is 1764, and following a glowing recommendation from his last employer, Henry Coffey, vampire, takes on a new personal secretary: young Theophilus Essex.The man is quite unlike any secretary - or any man, for that matter - that Henry has ever met.---'Heart of Stone' is a slowly unfolding period romance between a vampire and his inimitably devoted clerk: lushly depicted in flowing, lovingly appended prose, we follow the slow understanding these two men grasp of one another, and the cross of their two worlds into each other's.Henry Coffey, immortal and ever-oscillating between periods of delighted focus upon his current passion project, is charming, witty, and seems utterly incapable of closing his mouth for more than a few moments; in contrast, Theophilus Essex is quiet and keenly focused, adopting an ever-flat affect, but as time goes on, he relaxes in his employer's presence.Craving resounding intimacy but with an ever aware of the polite boundaries for their situation, Coffey and Essex perform a slow dance as they grow closer to one another, and find themselves entangled.

The Norse Queen


Johanna Wittenberg - 2020
    A woman could seize power, if she was bold enough. Daughter of a Norse king, fifteen-year-old Åsa dreams of becoming a shield-maiden. When she spurns a powerful warlord, he rains hellfire on her family, slaughtering her father and brother and taking her captive. To protect her people, Åsa must wed her father’s killer. To take vengeance, she must become his queen.

Dusk Gate


Benjamin Medrano - 2020
    To their shock, she and her nearly defeated rescuers are rescued by the beautiful but scathing Xandra, an enslaved elven sorceress who’d been damned for over a millennium. Once they escape, Xandra and the others soon go their separate ways, thinking that their brief meeting would be their last, for they had little in common.Little did Jasmine know that the fickle hand of fate would reunite her with Xandra when darkness shrouded her homeland and all the other holy maidens were captured. Nor did she know that acerbic, destructive sorceress would provide her only source of hope for the future.

The Fires of Treason


Michele Quirke - 2020
    As she leaves her luxurious lifestyle behind to join him in exile, she must learn to cope with the everyday struggles of the working class, all while keeping her true identity a secret. Facing new hardships and the looming threat of execution, Elizabeth will need to toughen up if she has any chance of surviving outside the palace walls.Prince Gregory spent his entire life trying to prove himself worthy of the crown until his banishment releases him of all the pressures and obligations that have chained him down. Although he has no intention of raising an army to defend his birthright, he soon learns that not everyone is content to let him walk away from the throne. With his sister's safety and well-being to consider, Gregory must make a decision that will change both their lives forever.

The King's Commander


Cecelia Mecca - 2020
    I’m to go to Murwood End, the land of the Voyagers, to retrieve the king’s secret son. With the heir dead, it’s our only hope for saving our kingdom from those who would destroy us. But complications arise from the start. No one knows when the king’s son will return from his latest mission, or at least no one will say. And his closest friend—a woman, a Garra—seems to loathe me on sight. A further complication: I’m completely captivated by her. In Meria, Garra practice their healing arts in secret, but there’s nothing covert about this bold, beautiful woman. In the beginning, I tell myself I’m only pursuing Aedre Lorenson for her connection to the king’s son, but I know it for a lie. She has awakened something in me, and I’m torn between doing my duty as the king’s commander and following my heart.

Captive: Daughter of Ninmah as Told By Khalvir


Lori Holmes - 2020
    The Ancestors Saga will continue with Book 3, Enemy Tribe, launching in early 2021. A hunter, a protector, a Raknari warrior. He is Forbidden.Raised his entire life for the sole purpose of defending his clan, Khalvir serves the chief who saved him from certain death. A death at the hands of the hated elves; a people who see him only as an abomination to be destroyed.Now a captive in his enemy’s clutches, Khalvir must find a way to escape the mysterious elf witch who holds him. An elf whose motives remain shrouded but whose very presence calls to his soul, threatening to turn every truth he has ever known into a lie…

Extra Scenes


S.A. Chakraborty - 2020
    Some were pre-order bonuses, fluff written during the Covid-19 quarantine, or old scenes that got cut from the final book script.As a treat for readers in the lead-up to the publication of The Empire of Gold, S.A. Chakraborty compiled these scenes into a 181-page PDF and released it on her website in May 2020.

Daughters of Jubilation


Kara Lee Corthron - 2020
    But Evalene Deschamps has other things to worry about. She has two little sisters to look after, an overworked single mother, and a longtime crush who is finally making a move.On top of all that, Evvie’s magic abilities are growing stronger by the day. Her family calls it jubilation—a gift passed down from generations of black women since the time of slavery. And as Evvie’s talents waken, something dark comes loose and threatens to resurface…And when the demons of Evvie’s past finally shake free, she must embrace her mighty lineage, and summon the power that lies within her.

Apprentice


Rhett Gervais - 2020
    To protect the world, they made a pact with Gaius Julius Caesar, dictator of Rome. In return for destroying his enemies and securing his empire, he would allow a single djambe to serve at his side, to use her magic to guard against the encroaching chaos they knew would one day come.Vesper’s destiny was to serve at the emperor’s side, but when the mad Emperor Commodus comes to power, he doesn’t believe in magic and old fairy tales. In a fit of rage, he destroys her people and orders her execution, just as a dark tide takes hold of Rome.Now with the world in peril, Vesper must do the impossible, survive her execution and save an empire that has betrayed her.

Splinters of Scarlet


Emily Bain Murphy - 2020
    Marit knows how dangerous it is to let too much Firn build up—after all, it killed her sister—and she has vowed never to use her thread magic. But when Eve, a fellow orphan whom Marit views like a little sister, is adopted by the wealthy Helene Vestergaard, Marit will do anything to stay by Eve’s side. She decides to risk the Firn and uses magic to secure a job as a seamstress in the Vestergaard household. But Marit has a second, hidden agenda: her father died while working in the Vestergaards’ jewel mines—and it might not have been an accident. The closer Marit gets to the truth about the Vestergaard family, the more she realizes she and everyone she’s come to love are in danger. When she finds herself in the middle of a treacherous deception that goes all the way up to the king of Denmark, magic may be the only thing that can save her—if it doesn’t kill her first.

Beneath Black Sails


Clare Sager - 2020
    Yet. If she can persuade her captain to give her a command, she’ll be in charge of her own fate.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 increases, 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 aboard their ship, 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.As you might expect from pirates, these stories include mild cussing and spicy encounters.• Book 0 – Across Dark Seas – Out now!• Book 1 – Beneath Black Sails – Coming April 2020!• Book 2 – Against Dark Tides – Coming 2020!• Book 3 – Under Black Skies – Coming 2020!• Book 4 – Through Dark Storms – Coming 2020!

Into the Fire: The Complete Series


Mia West - 2020
    until now. When Rome falls, Marc treks home across the desolation to find everything changed, including his boyhood friend Wolf.Gone is the big, clumsy lad. In his place at the forge stands a man as skilled as he is shy.And surely not interested in feeding the spark he's just lit in Marc's belly.One that feels unnervingly like hope.+When Marcus left to fight, Wolf had a secret. One that burned so hot he shoved it down deep.Now Marc's back, hardened by war and survival into something only fire could mend.Wolf knows fire. And every day in Marc's presence tempts him to use it. But with the world in chaos, can he risk incinerating them both?This complete series collection includes all 9 original novellas, plus 2 exclusive short stories – approx. 175,000 words total.

The Telling Touch


Keira Dominguez - 2020
    Her sister’s scandal places Meg under a cloud of suspicion, and she resigns herself to being the outcast, the unacceptable girl. Isolated and vilified, Meg is content to live in the country with her grandfather. When her sister is widowed young, she returns home and sets in motion unthinkable plans, forcing Meg to break the silence of the family’s unusual abilities to keep Nick safe from a fate she cannot allow. Little does Meg know, she’s had the wrong of it for these many years, and Nick has his work cut out for him to prove the truth of his heart.

Witchmarked


Aaron D. Schneider - 2020
    At what cost victory?Milo Volkohne, orphan, criminal, conscript, and unwilling warlock could tell you but you might not like the answer.It is 1936 and the Great War still rages on, with no armistice in 1918 when the Russian Empire crumbled in the fire and blood of stillborn revolution.The hellish no man's land has spread like a blight over Europe as grim, unyielding leaders promise a resolve of iron and no mercy, no peace, no hope.It would take a miracle to save humanity, but as Milo would tell you: be careful what you wish for.Plunging into a world of sorcery, treachery, and madness the world’s first wizard will bargain with monsters, human or otherwise, fight for his life, and dare to hope that he’s selling his soul for something worthwhile.But is any price too high to end the War to end all Wars?

A Feast of Phantoms


Kat Ross - 2020
    Lucky Boy is a company town, dependent on the rich and powerful Carnarvon family. Besides which, the charismatic Sebastian Hardin isn’t an easy man to say no to. When his transport derails in the middle of the prairie, Ruth begins a relentless manhunt that leads straight into the dark heart of the Carnarvon empire.THE FUGITIVE Lee Merriweather favors sharp suits and fast trains – especially when he’s stealing them. At the ripe old age of 18, he’s managed to become the most wanted criminal in three territories. Lee can’t resist playing cat and mouse with a small-town deputy, but what starts as a game becomes deadly serious.THE FIXERSebastian Hardin is the Carnarvons’ right hand, loyal to the death and willing to keep any secret to protect the family. They want Lee alive, but with the young savant’s disturbing abilities it won’t be an easy proposition. Whoever catches Lee gets the keys to the kingdom and the Carnarvons aren’t the only ones hunting him down. Sebastian has enough problems without falling for Deputy Cortez – but you can’t always choose who you love.THE PHANTOMSThey terrorized the settlers until Calindra Carnarvon learned to speak their language. Her empire relies on controlling their telekinetic powers, but Lee Merriweather could destroy it all. And not even Lee suspects the shocking truth of the phantoms’ real nature.

Magnar


Mary Morgan - 2020
    As leader of the Wolves of Clan Sutherland, his loyalty and obedience lies with Scotland. However, the king’s last demand is not something Magnar will tolerate.After Elspeth Gunn’s brother the Chieftain of Castle Steinn is murdered, she flees with her nephew, and finds safety amongst a band of men who are rumored to be part wolf. When the king forces her to wed a heathen Northman, she fears losing her heart and soul not only to the man, but the beast as well.In order to restore peace to a shattered clan, Magnar and Elspeth travel a treacherous path that challenges their beliefs. When evil seeks to destroy ancient traditions, will Magnar be compelled to restrain his wolf or allow him free to protect those he loves?

In the Realm of Ash and Sorrow


Kenneth W. Harmon - 2020
    Dazed, he follows Kiyomi Oshiro, a war widow struggling to care for her young daughter, Ai. Food is scarce, work at the factory is brutal, and her in-laws treat her like a servant. Watching Kiyomi and Ai together, Micah reconsiders his intolerance for the people he’d called the enemy. As his concern for the mother and daughter grows, so does his guilt for his part in their suffering. Micah finds a new reality when Kiyomi and Ai dream—one which allows him to interact with them. While his feelings for Kiyomi deepen, imminent destruction looms. Hiroshima is about to be bombed, and Micah must warn Kiyomi and her daughter. In a place where dreams are real, Micah races against time to save the ones he loves the most. In the Realm of Ash and Sorrow is a tale about love in its most extraordinary forms—forgiveness, sacrifice, and perseverance against impossible odds.

Eleanor, Alice, & the Roosevelt Ghosts


Dianne K. Salerni - 2020
    The cousins don't get along, but they know something is not right. This ghost is more than a pesky nuisance. The authorities claim he's safe to be around, even as his mischievous behavior grows stranger and more menacing. It's almost like he wants to scare the Roosevelts out of their home - and no one seems to care!Meanwhile, Eleanor and Alice discover a dangerous ghost in the house where Alice was born and her mother died. Is someone else haunting the family? Introverted Eleanor and unruly Alice develop an unlikely friendship as they explore the family's dark, complicated history. It's up to them to destroy both ghosts and come to terms with their family's losses.Told from alternating perspectives, thrills and chills abound in Dianne K. Salerni's imaginative novel about a legendary family and the ghosts that haunt their secrets.

My Ex-Wife Said Go to Hell


Kirk Zurosky - 2020
    With a forever ex, the drama never goes away! Immortal vampire assassin Sirius Sinister learns this the hard way when he's served divorce papers by Bloodsucker Number One--a shady woman from his past--he realizes there's a major problem: he was never even married to her, or so he thought. Regardless of the truth, Sirius is put under the jurisdiction of Immortal Divorce Court. You would think by now he'd know having sex can lead to horrific consequences like marriage, children, and ex-wives--but some habits just won't die. Leaving his faithful vampire Maltese, Garlic, behind, Sirius travels to court to defend himself with the help of his demon attorney, Maximillian Justice. Unfortunately, the trial quickly spirals out of control, and Sirius is banished to hell for a hundred years. When Sirius finally escapes, he ends up in the Caribbean where he meets his next paramour: the Howler. After a wild romp with his new werewolf lover under the lure of a full blood moon, he finds himself becoming the father of a litter of pups--but, the Howler and her Pack want to put the dead in deadbeat dad. Luckily, Sirius is saved by the Queen of the Merfolk, who comes with a hidden agenda even as they fall in love. Can he make it work with the Queen, or will he have to head to Immortal Divorce Court once again as yet another relationship flounders?

Agata, Princess of Iberia


Emma C. Buenen - 2020
    Byzantines eye the soaring mountains and lush, fertile valleys tucked between Asia and Europe. Turks and Arabs rattle sabres along her eastern borders, coveting the lucrative Silk Road and the growing power of the mysterious Khazars - a Marauder people - loom large.Motherless young Princess Agata has only known the solid stone walls of the palace. As the fourth daughter of Vax'tang II, she is instructed in the basic skills expected of her station and otherwise ignored and left to her own devices until the day she is old enough to be a marriage pawn in her father's hands.As her 16th birthday draws ever nearer, Princess Agata hopes to join the convent led by the powerful Byzantine, Abbess Shingli, and escape her cruel father.But on the night of her sister's wedding, Marauder warriors led by cruel warlord, General Kazan, attack the city and breach the walls of the palace. Agata must choose to stay and perish or escape into the lonely mountains of the Wild.Alone and hungry, cold and terrified, Agata longs for the safety she once knew. As political powers vie for Iberia, the young princess is hunted by a cunning traitor as well as the fierce warrior, Kazan. Reeling at the treachery and anguished at the death of her warrior women, the seeds of vengeance and rebellion stir in Agata's young heart.

Vampires of Moscow


Caedis Knight - 2020
    When Saskia is sent on assignment to investigate an oligarch Vampire crime ring that might be behind the deaths, she plans to get in out of the city’s frozen grasp quickly...preferably with her neck intact.But beautiful ballet dancer Konstantin Volkov and his wildcard brother Lukka complicate things. The vampire brothers have their own reasons for solving the string of murders, reasons that conflict with Saskia’s mission. Soon, Saskia finds herself enmeshed in the city’s glittering web of crime, passion, and violence, where truths and lies are one and the same.With vibrant characters, page-turning suspense and steamy romance, this new series has been dubbed by early readers as “a fun crime-solving sexual adventure across Europe.”Co-authored by two established fantasy authors Jacqueline Silvester and N.J Simmonds, and set across a christmassy Moscow, Vampires of Moscow is the first book in The Blood Web Chronicles series. Perfect for fans of Crescent City, True Blood and Veronica Mars.

Loved by the Beast: A Historical Retelling of Beauty and the Beast


T.E. Elliott - 2020
    One is seen as a Beast, the other a Beauty. Both long for something more—to be seen, to be known, to be loved for more than what is on the outside. When Léa is faced with the prospect of an arranged marriage or see her father imprisoned, it is a sacrifice she is willing to make. However, when she finds that the rumored beast is nothing more than a gentle and kind man, she is faced with another decision. Can her heart respond to his love even when she has had no power of decision in her life's story?Audric gave up on finding love long ago, so when his mother tells him she has made a match for him, he cannot help but be skeptical of her plans. The rumors he's heard about himself since childhood have even him convinced he's a beast and not worthy of the love of a woman. Should hope be rekindled or squashed entirely? Set in early 18th century France and based on the classic versions of the timeless fairy tale, with a hint of the beloved childhood favorite, this retelling explores the depths of what true love looks like and the lengths one is willing to go in its defense.

Northern Wrath


Thilde Kold Holdt - 2020
    A survivor searching for a weapon releases a demon from fiery Muspelheim. A village is slaughtered by Christians, and revenge must be taken. The bonds between the gods and Midgard are weakening. It is up to Hilda, Ragnar, their tribesmen Einer and Finn, the chief’s wife Siv and Tyra, her adopted daughter, to fight to save the old ways from dying out, and to save their gods in the process.

Sword of Sorrow, Blade of Joy


J.F. Lee - 2020
    But she certainly didn’t expect to join him in his quest to find the man who murdered his master and family. Li Ming is the last swordsman of Blue Mountain. He has sworn an oath to avenge his master’s death and bring the man who murdered his family to justice.In the search for his master’s killer, the swordsman and the runaway will face bandits, conmen, conspiracies, and scheming nobles — because the road to revenge is never straight and always full of danger.Inspired by classic Kung Fu films and spaghetti western movies, Sword of Sorrow, Blade of Joy is the first volume of tales of the swordsman—adventures of wuxia action, witty banter, martial arts camaraderie, bandits, princesses, and treacherous villains.

Elsetime


Eve McDonnell - 2020
    It is January 6th 1928, a few days before the Great Flood. Glory Bobbin, a twelve year-old orphan, works at The Frippery and Fandangle Emporium creating jewellery with her secret assistant, a peculiar crow. The river is about to burst its banks and a snow storm has engulfed the town when she meets treasure-hunting mudlark, Needle Luckett, who has travelled through time to reach Inthington. Can two children and a crow save the fourteen lives endangered by the flood? Can they change the future?Cover and internal illustrations by Holly Ovenden.Perfect for readers 9+

Over The Wall


Steven A. McKay - 2020
    Armed to the teeth and hand-picked for their particular skills, these warriors have travelled across the sea from Dalriada and are focused on their deadly mission, despite the fact most - perhaps all - of them will die this night.High above, guards patrol the fortress walls as usual but they expect yet another quiet night for, as everyone knows, Dun Breatann is impregnable.Isn't it?Join the giant warrior-druid Bellicus and his dog, Eolas, as violence erupts and they're forced to fight for their lives while also struggling to understand the motives for this apparently senseless attack on their home.This brand new novelette was written during the COVID-19 lockdown, specifically to provide much-needed entertainment and escapism for adventure fiction fans. So pour yourself a mug of ale (or coffee!), sit back, and join Bellicus in fifth-century Britain for a while.

The Phantom of the Opera


Cavan Scott - 2020
    Hopelessly in love and obsessed with one of the chorus singers, the Phantom will stop at nothing to make her the star of the show, even if that means murder.

Crimson Time


Emily VanderBentEmily VanderBent - 2020
    No one else seems to believe there may be more to the story; that is until a mysterious letter shows up confirming Adelaide’s suspicions. Lured by the promise of answers, Adelaide follows the letter and finds herself thrust into the world of the Red Rose Society, a secret order composed of the descendants of historical figures. If Adelaide wants to get into the Red Rose Society and gain the answers she seeks, she'll have to survive a trip to the past and outwit the other initiates before the clock runs down.Crimson Time is the first book in an exciting YA fiction series that combines elements of history and time travel to tell the stories of women in the past. Young adults, as well as the young at heart, will be swept up in the past and carried into a world of secrets and lies.

Whispering Wildwood


Emma Sterner-Radley - 2020
    Not only at her parents lumbermill but also in a village where she’s shunned. Worse than that, she’s stuck sacrificing the life she wants for the person she loves.Next to the lumbermill looms the deadly Whispering Wildwood, with its magical creatures and mystical plants. The wildwood is not to be spoken of and not to be entered.Yet, when disaster strikes, Korinne has to take her brother--who is all muscles and heart but not much brain--with her into the wildwood on a death-defying quest. Guided by a dashing rogue of a pirate and hunted by mysterious monsters, this quest soon goes deeper into a world of fairytales, danger, and wonder.Korinne quickly has to figure out who and what to trust. As well as her new future, her sexuality, and of course - what happens if a quest changes into something completely different while you’re on it?

The Rock of Achill


Jim Sheehan - 2020
    On a mission to secure the funds to recover his family land, Donn, an adolescent boy, joins a crew including Irish knights and escaped rebels as they set sail to restore an ancient kingdom. He leaves his new love, Bridget, behind on Achill Island, hoping that he can return to her a propertied gentleman and ask for her hand in marriage. Will Bridget wait for him or marry another? During his travels, the newly knighted Donn faces legendary creatures trying to prevent the recovery of the lost treasures of the Tuatha de Danann.Through foamy seas, holy knights of a former age sail for glory and God. In the chaotic time of Europe's struggle for liberty, during the Napoleonic age, find these Irish rebels cutting through Barbary pirates and faerie guardians alike. When on land, they ride their horses, noble of spirit, past the perils that lie in wait. Will Donn, after years of high adventure, return to his beloved and reclaim his family land?With witches, demons, dancing faeries, and a mischievous clurichaun, this romantic historical fantasy is sure to awaken your heart.

Bone Traders


Rachel Ford - 2020
    A sinister conspiracy. A decision that will change the fate of a jarldom.The bone trade is big business. Black market buyers will offer many silvers for fresh giant bone, to carve into charms or use in dark enchantments. When cloaked men kidnap the giant Njal Frostborn, everyone knows why. He’s destined to be murdered and sold in that terrible trade.His best friend, apprentice wizard Idun Wintermoon, is determined to save him from that terrible fate. But to do so, she must defy the head of her order, and face powers far beyond her ability. To survive, she’s going to need an ally. Luckily for her, Lissette Forlatt - a down-on-her-luck sellsword - is on the case. Together, they’ll brave worse than the elements and rogue mages in their quest to save Njal. What they discover might shake the jarldom to its core.If they live long enough to tell the story.

Empress in Disguise


Amanda Roberts - 2020
    In order to pull off the ruse, Daiyu must abandon everything she ever knew and become a completely different person, a person she despises. And if she fails, if she is discovered, she will be guilty of treason and put to death.Daiyu cannot allow her family to suffer if it is within her power to save them, so she strikes the deadly bargain. But living within the Forbidden City is even more dangerous than she imagined... In this incredible retelling of The Princess and the Pauper, based on true events, authors Zoey Gong and Amanda Roberts bring to life the opulent and dangerous world of imperial consorts trapped within the great red walls of the Forbidden City.

Winter's Knight


Bridget Essex - 2020
    Her name is Winter, and her quiet life is upended when her sister abdicates the throne. The throne cannot remain empty. Winter must be queen. But Winter would give anything not to be.Since Winter’s sister fled in a hurry, she left her guardian knight behind. Her name is Alia, and her life is about to be upended, too, because when she and Winter meet for the first time, sparks fly and catch fire, and Winter’s heart begins to melt.A royal assasination might be on the horizon, though Winter never wanted the throne in the first place. And now she’s falling in love with her sister’s protector. In a magical, snowy land full of strong women, anything is possible. Including true love.Bridget Essex’s beloved Knight Legends series gets a new chapter in this, the first romance of the Seasons Quartet.

Dead Acre


Rhett C. Bruno - 2020
    The Witcher meets the Dresden Files set in the Wild West in this guns-blazing Weird Western by a number-one Audible bestselling duo.James Crowley met his mortal end in the West in a hail of gunfire.Now, he finds himself in purgatory, serving the White Throne to avoid falling to hell. Not quite undead, though not alive either, the best he can hope for is to work off his servitude and fade away.His not-so-sacred duty as a Hand of God? Use his new abilities to hunt down demonic beings that have infiltrated the mortal realm. This time, the White Throne has sent him to the middle of nowhere: a western town called Dead Acre with a saloon, a moldy church, and little else worth talking about. There isn’t even a sheriff. However, a local cobbler has turned up missing at the same time as a number of graves were desecrated.Crowley must follow the clues, all while dealing with a cutthroat gang who treats Dead Acre like they own it, an extraordinary woman who makes it hard to focus, and locals not keen on sharing the truth with strangers. What really happened to the cobbler and the upturned graves? What sort of evil being haunts this sad little town. Life isn’t simple for a Hand of God.

The Good Hawk


Joseph Elliott - 2020
    She is proud of her job, though some in her clan whisper that it is meant to keep her out of the way because of the condition she was born with. Jaime, thoughtful and anxious, is an Angler, but he hates the sea. Worse, he’s been chosen for a duty that the clan hasn’t required for generations: to marry. The elders won’t say why they have promised him to a girl in a neighboring clan, but there are rumors of approaching danger. When disaster strikes and the clan is kidnapped, it is up to Agatha and Jaime to travel across the haunted mainland of Scotia to Norveg, with help along the way from a clan of nomadic Highland bull riders and the many animals who are drawn to Agatha’s extraordinary gift of communication.

RADIO


J. Rushing - 2020
    The Radio of the Gods manipulates minds across the continent and its creator, the arrogant god Marduk, will sacrifice everything to keep his kind from perverting his masterpiece.Attempted treason and bitter betrayal force Marduk to escape into a new, unknown body. Worse still, the previous owner, an opium-addicted jazz guitarist, is still inside.Desperate, drug-addled and fighting for control, Marduk is forced to rely on the few friends he has left – and one terrifying enemy — to see his mission to fruition. If Marduk and company fail, the gods’ vain machinations will destroy everything they’ve built, including civilization itself, all made possible by his RADIO.

Maiden Hills


N.L. Estrada - 2020
    Secrets shatter her perfect world and she soon finds herself at the center of a battle against her own kingdom to save her people - the survivors of the massacre.However, saving the magical people has consequences. It means going against the law of her land and betraying her ruthless husband King Edmund who has vowed vengeance against the magical people and will stop at nothing until they are all dead - including Juliana!A medieval thriller steeped in chivalry, baffling mysteries and the quest to thwart evil.

Squire Derel


Rachel Ford - 2020
    She was never meant to be a squire. She was supposed to marry well, and raise sons who would become knight protectors.Ana had other plans. After years of hard work, Squire Ana Derel has earned the respect of her peers. She's a crack shot, and lethal with a blade. She's weeks away from earning her own knighthood.Then a deadly ambush leaves her charred, defeated and wanting justice. With the South readying for war, and the North demanding answers, Squire Derel finds herself alone in the epicenter of the coming storm. Alone, until she meets the enigmatic Knight of the Shire. Will their unlikely friendship be enough to prevent a war? Or will war consume them too?

Lost and Found


Nita Round - 2020
    A cursed woman. Together can they gain their freedom?Evie Chester is a slave with a precious gift. Living in a world that both marvels and fears magic and the unexplained.Evie dreams of being free and of acceptance. When an opportunity presents itself for escape she finds herself pursued with a bounty on her head. Eyes are everywhere, nowhere is safe.An encounter with a cursed woman brings about the promise of freedom in return for her help. Everything changes. Is the price of her freedom at too high a price?

Spyder's Web (Seven Realms of Ar'rothi Book 4)


Alison Naomi Holt - 2020
    One whose absence, if discovered by the wrong people, will bring about a violent and bloody civil war. While King Leopold sends his Black Watch to search every kingdom, commonwealth and archipelago, Liris and Daínon play a dangerous game of cat and mouse in the blood-soaked courts of Organdy's Queen Desdamea. Scroll up and grab a copy today.

Moon Hollow (Westwood Gothic Mystery-Romances Book 2)


E.B. Wheeler - 2020
    

Witch of the Wild Beasts


Catherine Stine - 2020
    Dowdrick, an enraged client at the tailor’s where they work. Desperate to stop him, she rouses a swarm of wasps that sting the doctor while she stabs him with scissors, and then flees. At a subsequent job when birds race to her defense, Evalina is declared a witch and sent to Philadelphia’s Eastern State Penitentiary.While imprisoned, Evalina is horrified not only to learn that Dr. Dowdrick is still alive, but he’s experimenting on inmates. Determined to get inside his Eclectic Medical School, to expose his nefarious activities, she’s passionate about protecting fellow prisoners, especially Lewin, a child thief who knew her brother, and Birdy, a kind, resilient Welsh man serving time for a worker’s death while blasting granite for the railroad.Evalina, her friends and her “wild beasts” work against time to unmask Dowdrick’s crimes when she participates with him in a symposium, showcasing Philadelphia’s premium doctors. If they fail, not only will the doctor’s evil deeds continue unchecked but Evalina and her crew will surely be hung. Actual historical figures such as Dr. Thomas Mutter and Charles Dickens spice up this thriller, brimming with historical gems. A second place winner in RWA’s 2019 Valley Forge Sheila Contest.

The Steampunk Adventures of Harry Lampeter


Roger Ley - 2020
    Modern technology has collapsed, returning the world to the steam age and the war between Scotland and England, is on hold as the United States army of occupation keeps the peace. The Americans are in no hurry to leave, they plan to make Great Britain another State of their Union. Scotland and England eye one another with mistrust and an arms war seems inevitable as the English plan building a fleet of Ironclad warships. Telford Stephenson, an agent of the Scottish Secret Intelligence Service, has stolen a copy of the plans, but Harry Lampeter is close on his trail.

The Hunted and the Hind


A.L. Lester - 2020
    When Fenn comes to free him and return him home through the border, he has very little time to work out what’s going on before the sudden appearance of Fenn’s missing younger sibling, Keren, throws Fenn for a loop. Instead of returning them to London as planned, the trio step through the border to the Egyptian desert. Once they work out where they are, it’s a two week trip back to England with the possibility of pursuit both onboard ship and when they reach home. Will the journey give Fenn and Will time to resolve the feelings they have been dancing around since the day they met? How will they keep Keren from recapture by the faction who tried to persuade Fenn they were dead? And has Will’s friend Alec forgiven Fenn for lying about their motives when they first traveled to London four months ago? The Hunted and the Hind is the third and final book in the 1920s ‘Lost in Time’ trilogy. The books need to be read in order.

A Rooster for Asklepios: A Slave's Story, Book 1


Christopher D. Stanley - 2020
    A master without a future. A journey of discovery that will forever change the lives of both men. The ancient world comes alive in this vivid and engaging trilogy by an expert on Roman social history. ***********************What if you suddenly discovered that you were not who you thought you were—that your true family history had been hidden from you since birth? What if the truth about your origins would cause others to despise you? What if the man who had arranged the deception was seriously ill and needed your help? What if you were a slave and that man held your life in his hands—and you his? These are some of the questions explored in the first two volumes of the new historical trilogy, A Slave’s Story.The story centers on a slave named Marcus who manages the business affairs of a wealthy Roman citizen in central Asia Minor in the first century AD. The first volume, A Rooster for Asklepios, narrates his eventful journey to a famous healing center in western Turkey in response to a dream in which the god Asklepios appears to promise that his master will be cured there of a nagging illness. The second volume, A Bull for Pluto, relates the aftermath of this journey as Marcus struggles with newly revealed secrets about his ancestry and his master comes to terms with his mortality.Along the way, both men encounter people and ideas that undermine everything that they have ever believed about themselves, one another, and the world around them. Societal norms are challenged, personal loyalties tested, and identities transformed in this engaging story that brings to life a unique corner of the Roman world that has been neglected by previous storytellers.Who Will Like This Book?*Readers who enjoy complex stories about flawed characters, epic journeys, and characters who struggle with their identities and commitments, including their views of religion*Readers who appreciate richly detailed and historically accurate accounts of daily life in the past*Readers who want to know more about the social and religious world of early Judaism and Christianity (including Roman religion and anti-semitism); how Greeks and Romans dealt with sickness and healing (medicine, miracle, and magic); and what life was like at specific Roman archaeological sites in Turkey (Ephesus, Pergamum, Hierapolis, Antioch, etc.).

Romance of the Imperial Capital Kotogami: A Tale of Living Alongside Spirits


Yamori Mitikusa - 2020
    Fans of a fantasy version of the Taisho Era and yokai romances are in for a real treat with this heartwarming romance!A retro-modern romantic fantasy set in the age of the Kotogami! After a fearsome beast burns down her company lodgings, Akari finds herself homeless and out of a job. Luckily, the handsome yokai who rescued her from the beast offers her a job as a live-in custodian at a manor in the city. Needing a safe place to sleep, Akari accepts Tomohito's offer but soon finds that living in a house full of eccentric Kotogami spirits isn't exactly the sweet deal she was hoping for. With no alternative, Akari resigns herself to cohabiting with her idiosyncratic new roommates. And so begins the heartwarming tale of the trials, new friendships, and blossoming romance of a hard working young woman, living in an age where the Kotogami spirits walk among humans.

Broken Wish


Julie C. Dao - 2020
    She has visions and strange powers that she will do anything to hide. She knows the warnings about what happens to witches in their small village of Hanau. She’s heard the terrible things people say about the Witch of the North Woods, and the malicious hunts that follow. But when Elva accidentally witnesses a devastating vision of the future, she decides she has to do everything she can to prevent it. Tapping into her powers for the first time, Elva discovers a magical mirror and its owner—none other than the Witch of the North Woods herself. As Elva learns more about her burgeoning magic, and the lines between hero and villain start to blur, she must find a way to right past wrongs before it’s too late.

Terminal Incursion (The Dossiers of Asset 108 #5)


J.M. Guillen - 2020
    A traitor lurks within the Facility. A hidden island teems with monstrosities from another epoch... Between Sadhana assassins skulking in every shadow and Elizabeth Shepherd's unseen schemes, the Alpha of the Citadel has his hands full. Yet whether he's assaulting alien fortresses or confronting the agents of the Vyriim, Michael Bishop cannot find the answers he seeks most. When Arbiter Beol seeks out the Citadel Assets, it's not for cashew chicken. The Arbiter brings a familiar map, one which hints at vast machinations. Soon a trail of uncanny events lead our Assets across existence. From realities ruled by Drazeri war-clerics to the black depths of Earth's ocean, the path before them grows ever darker. Yet it's in Facility holdings- the ruins of a WWII war station- where Michael discovers the darkest secrets of all. What if the Facility isn't what he thinks? What if nothing is what he thinks? Who can you trust when the Designates turn against you? This time, "punching through" won't help Asset 108. In fact, if he doesn't choose well, some of his Assets wont make it out alive. As he races against time, he frantically tries to understand the world unraveling around him. Yet through all this, one problem haunts Michael, a conundrum he cannot comprehend. The Prime Variable is Time. The Equation is not yet complete. Terminal Incursion: A Michael Bishop Eldritch Thriller is the fifth book in the Dossiers of Asset 108 series. If you like wildly sarcastic characters, other-dimensional weirdness, and zany cybertech, then you’ll love JM Guillen’s action-packed otherworldly adventure! Buy Terminal Incursion for a wild romp beyond reality today!

The Talent of Oliver & Tom


Clyde Andrews - 2020
    The murderer calls himself the Skilamalink Man, and Oliver vows to get revenge against him. In his sorrow, Oliver discovers he has magic—an energy that’s anchored to his physical self and acts as an enhanced extension of his senses, but only stays with him if he remains chaste.With nowhere else to go, Oliver accepts an offer to live in a brothel, starting work as an exotic dancer to earn his keep. If he thought his life had been turned upside down, things become even more interesting when a scraggly, tousle-haired lad named Tom Arkwright—the son of a local constable—arrives at the brothel as part of another murder investigation.Together they help each other with their cases, and in doing so, realise the Skilamalink Man is responsible for all the murders in the area. Oliver soon finds himself falling for the charming, streetwise young man. Now Oliver must choose between sacrificing his magic for the love of Tom or keeping it to catch the Skilamalink Man and get his revenge before he murders again.

Pastiche


Celia Lake - 2020
    As a grown man, he is committed to doing his best as an officer of the Guard, as a Lord of the land, and as a father. Living up to his oaths is easy. Being a good husband is much more of a challenge.Alysoun has done everything expected of a woman in her position. She has married well and had two clever, healthy children. That's not enough. Richard is kind, but increasingly distant. Alysoun herself has pain and fatigue magic can't fix. In truth, she is isolated and more than a little bored.When Alysoun visits a new museum exhibit, she sees something odd in one of the stained glass pieces. Investigating could bring her closer to Richard or at least give them something to talk about. But it might threaten his position or even his life.Join Richard and Alysoun in 1906 as they explore a mystery, take on new oaths, and discover each other after years of marriage.Pastiche is set in the Edwardian era of Albion, the magical community of England, Wales, and Scotland. It is a standalone story of an arranged marriage turning into a true love match.

Carry On


Celia Lake - 2020
    Muzzy-headed from the potions he's forced to take and with no word from his family or friends, he is entirely alone. He’s only allowed out of his room for command performances, talking about his experience of the War to people who refuse to listen to reality.When Elen is assigned as his new nurse, Roland assumes she will be gone in a week or two like all the others. She’s still there in a month, stubbornly insisting on doing everything she can to help him recover.Elen has been sent back from the front after a head injury. She used to know the Temple of Healing well, back during her apprenticeship. Now, nothing works like it used to and she can’t figure out what to do about the fact Roland’s healer is entirely absent from his care. Except, that is, for baffling directives that are not at all in her patient’s best interest.Together, they must confront Elen’s fear of questioning authority and find out why Roland has been isolated from everyone he knows.Carry On takes place in the spring of 1915, during the Great War in Albion, the magical community of England, Wales, and Scotland. First in the Mysterious Power series, it has a happily-ever-after ending full of knitting, compassion, and romance.

The Midnight Show


Sarah Pennington - 2020
    By night, she’s . . . well, she’s not sure, but whatever she does leaves her every morning with sore feet and worn-out shoes. And after six months, she’s had enough.Enter Bastian Dennell, a private investigator just trying to get by. When Dayo hires him to find out where she goes at night, he’s sure it’s his big break: his chance to establish himself and get the funds to pay off his family’s debt. Plus, he gets to work with his favorite singer, even if she isn’t exactly what he expected. What could be better?But first he has to solve the case — which means navigating a tangled web of strange dreams, fair folk schemes, and show business. It will take all Bastian’s wits, along with the shining talents of Dayo herself, to figure out the truth before the curtains close for good on Dayo’s career.A jazz-age-inspired twist on the Twelve Dancing Princesses from the author of Blood in the Snow.

When the Tides Held the Moon


Venessa Kelley - 2020
    A SnowBaz fan fiction, written for MerMay 2020.

The Last Atlantean


Emily Hayse - 2020
    With soundless storm rises the fate of Atlantis."As a lighthouse keeper’s daughter, Hattie has always been able to handle anything the Atlantic throws at her. But when a stranger washes ashore in a storm, she finds herself unraveling a mystery that will change her life. Caught up in a high-stakes game of intrigue and hidden loyalties, Hattie watches legends take shape before her eyes. But as kings and pawns prepare for a showdown that will determine the fate of an ancient world, she wonders whether she has thrown in her lot with the hero or the villain.

Bloodring


Mildred Gail Digby - 2020
    A forbidden artifact known as a Bloodring has been awoken. It released a malevolent energy that threatens to destroy the barrier that protects Lark’s world from the Outside and it’s the Guardians’ job to put it right.Help arrives in the form of an ambassador from the Ringsworn, the people who made the Bloodring. Violet Ironwrought is prickly, most likely very dangerous, dislikes everyone, and is completely fascinating to Lark. After a rocky start, friendship blossoms between the two women, and slowly grows into something much more than that.When circumstances threaten to separate them, Lark has to decide where her loyalties lie, and what she is willing to risk to protect not only herself, but the woman who has become the most important part of her life.

Crossing the Rift


Diana Green - 2020
    She now works as an agent for the secretive and powerful sentinels, trying to bring an end to the inter-world slave trade.Etty Sikes is a street-smart spitfire from the wrong side of the tracks. She harbors untrained magical abilities and a deep longing for a better life. Can she channel these into working as Rowena’s assistant?Will these two women survive a life-changing mission where love and danger are only a heartbeat away?58,000 words

A Stitch in Crime


Justin Robinson - 2020
    When she returns to her hometown to solve the mystery of her creation, she finds herself drawn unwillingly into a war between rival gangs of monsters for control over the patch of desert she once called home. Her creator, the only one who knows where she came from, has an agenda of his own and it doesn’t include helping Jane put to rest the ghosts of her past lives. In the desert, among thundering herds of giant ants, in the shadow of a frozen blob, Jane is determined to solve the riddle of herself. Or die trying.

BloodLaw (Vampire Chicago #1)


Blaise Ramsay - 2020
    When a former colleague in Chicago PD comes to ask Alastair for help, he comes face to face with the mysterious Alexandra DeLane. But something’s off. DeLane is way too calm and her eyes are the color of blood. After she escapes, Alastair goes on the hunt only to find himself the prey of an ambitious and mysterious mob boss who plots to have him murdered. The problem? Alastair doesn’t stay dead and comes back as something else. Something more dangerous and straight out of a horror novel.

Roaring


Lindsey Duga - 2020
    For reasons that are kept top secret, Colt is the only person who can resist a siren's voice. But he's never had a chance to test this ability. The last siren left in the world mysteriously disappeared years ago.Then one night, with a single word, she reveals herself. It seems too good to be true. And it is. Because nothing about this siren—her past, her powers, or her purpose—is what it seems...

The Last of the Silver Wings


Kim Vermaak - 2020
    A power-hungry King bent on revenge discovers the legend of a darkened dragon heart. The story explodes into a plot to eliminate the church hierarchy that destroyed his mother. He must have a dragon hatchling. Nadine wakes to the screams of her village being destroyed by dragon fire, as the last dragon mother exacts her vengeance at this cruel betrayal of mankind. And she takes hostages. The message is clear, “Return the hatchling or watch the villagers die in the ancient tunnels.” Ripped away from an age of innocence, this epic fantasy thrusts Nadine into a world of kings, queens, and dragons. The stakes for victory are high. The Chronicles of Nadine is an action-packed adventure series set in a time where the struggle for world domination is real. It weaves politics and religion into the lives of a series of well fleshed out characters, who call to each of us to reckon with our own inner demons. This series has the complexity of Game of Thrones with the moral compass of Francine Rivers.The Last of the Silver Wings, the first in the series, is an action-packed Medieval Fantasy novel that speaks to our most basic fears and aspirations.DISCLAIMER: This book as previously published as the Great Dragon Rescue.

Hall of Bones


Tim Hardie - 2020
    The son of the Reavesburg Clan Chief, Rothgar, has been groomed all his life for a role supporting his elder brother, Jorik, in leading their kingdom when their father’s time finally comes to an end.However, the rulers of their greatest rivals, the Vorund Clan, are in the grip of something older and far darker. They have been conquered by evil, a remnant from the time when the gods warred with one another and the world of Amuran collapsed into the Fallen Age.Everything is about to change …The first book in The Brotherhood of the Eagle series, Hall of Bones begins a tale of epic fantasy, magic and intrigue.

The Painter's Widow (Chase & Daniels Book 3)


L.S. Johnson - 2020
    

The Resurrectionist


A.R. Meyering - 2020
    He has become host to a revenant that will corrode both his body and soul. Edgar’s fatal mistake has not only doomed him, but also released six more of these malignant wraiths onto the world. In his remaining time, he has vowed to stop the revenants from claiming other victims. His perilous travels lead him to the Witches’ Wood, a haven for a sisterhood of powerful enchantresses. There he meets Ainsley, a witch with a fiery spirit and strong distrust of outsiders. She too is racing against the clock to save her life and will go to any lengths to spare her lover Colleen from the grief of losing her. Despite their mutual dislike, Edgar and Ainsley find that the only way to traverse the twisted, otherworldly labyrinths that the revenants have created is to work together. Their mission becomes further complicated when Edgar begins to develop strong feelings for Fana, the guardian goddess of the Wood, in spite of Ainsley’s forbidding warnings to stay far away from her.Horror and fantasy intermingle in this imagined continuation to the true story of the Burke and Hare murders.Award-Winning Finalist in the Fiction: Horror category of the 2021 International Book Awards

A Crown in Time (The Tempus U Time Travel series)


Jennifer Macaire - 2020
    However, on certain occasions, a Corrector is needed to rectify a mistake in the past.Do your job well, and you'll go down in history. Fail, and you will be erased from Time . . .In the far future, a convicted criminal is given a chance at redemption. The Corrector Program at Tempus University is sending Isobel back in time, to the year 1270, to rewrite history.Her mission? To save the crown of France.If she follows the Corrector's Handbook everything should run smoothly. But soon, Isobel finds herself accompanying a hot-headed young noble on his way to fight the infidel in Tunis: a battle Isobel knows is fated to be lost.Isobel must fulfil her duty, knowing she can never return to her time, knowing one wrong move can doom the future, or doom her to be burned as a witch . . .The first in an exciting new time-slip series, from the author of the action-packed Time for Alexander series, Jennifer Macaire. A CROWN IN TIME will have you on the edge of your seat from the very first page . . .

Bang! Bang! BOOM! [NEW YORK] Vol 2 (Bang! Bang! BOOM! [NEW YORK], #2)


Melanie Schoen - 2020
    Now they’re...dating? Lovers? It might take just as long for them to figure it out!If their personal lives weren’t challenging enough, right after having come out on top of Brooklyn’s criminal underworld, they find themselves in the crosshairs of Manhattan’s most dangerous and unpredictable gangsters. Throw in cops and the feds, and New York just might be too hot for even this infamous fire-starter and his partner.This conclusion to the prequel ends just before the beginning of graphic novel series Bang! Bang! BOOM! Due to its violent and sexual content it is recommended for mature readers only.

But For The Mountains


Erin Riha - 2020
    Shuttled off to attend the prestigious National Women’s Institute, Arden will receive Nordania’s highest honor, studying with other elite candidates to become leaders, diplomats, and ambassadors on the world stage.Only, the institute’s not quite what she expected. Paraded around in gown after gown, the tests seem less about educating and more about a different competition, with a very specific prize at stake—the Nordanian Prime Minister’s son. Despite the dean’s protestations that angling for an engagement leads to expulsion, Arden sees the truth. There’s a secret bubbling beneath the institute’s refined surface, and those who refuse to play along may well wind up dead.With the danger escalating, and the return of her abuser on the horizon, Arden’s shiny future becomes a gilded cage. And this time, she’s going to need powerful allies to escape.Political intrigue, swoon-worthy romance, and a dash of dystopian flare, But for the Mountains begs the question, how do you change the world when you’re not allowed to try?

Dead Boy's Game and the Broken Vow (Magical Rome Universe Book 1)


A. David Singh - 2020
    

1636: The Atlantic Encounter (Ring of Fire Book 28)


Eric Flint - 2020
    Now it turns its attention to the New World, where the English have ceded their colonial claims to France. There are vast lands and rich resources across the Atlantic for any nations powerful enough to rule and control them—and equal incentive for other nations to block their path.The time-displaced Americans know about the future path that led to their own United States in North America, in the other universe they came from. But do they want to repeat that history as it was? Yes, they had democracy—but they are helping to create that in Europe. And they have learned the bitter prices paid for chattel slavery and the near-extermination of the native populations.Knowledge is power. Perhaps a new course can be taken. Accordingly, an expedition is sent to the New World to see just what might be happening there and what might be done. They are armed with their technology, among which are a radio and an airship. More importantly, they are armed with the knowledge of future history and their determination not to repeat the errors of their past.What could possibly go wrong?

Gloriana


June Wilson - 2020
    Molly Watson is a nineteenth-century mill worker with plenty of common sense. When they travel back in time to Tudor England, they face an apparently insurmountable challenge: theft of a magic object from Elizabeth 1, Gloriana herself.Luckily there are unexpected allies on the streets of London – Balthazar, a Fae cat with attitude, and Lady Catherine, an inconvenient girl who wants the freedom of a boy. Yet the sixteenth century is dangerous and bloody. As the friends scheme their way into Elizabeth’s Court, a new enemy emerges. Is it Francis Walsingham, Elizabeth’s spymaster, or someone with more sinister intent?The first book of a new series from the author of The Middengard Sagas, Gloriana is a thrilling historical fantasy for readers of all ages.

The Vampire's Gift


Leigh Anderson - 2020
    Now, he must search the ancient catacombs under the city's streets to find the woman he loves–and kill the monster that took her.The Vampire's Gift is a short story prequel to The Vampire's Daughter, the first book in the exciting Calmet Chronicles! Be sure to check out the entire series!

Mistress of Death


Kathryn Trattner - 2020
    

Dates & Disasters


Maz Maddox - 2020
    Please read Stallion Ridge # 5 -- Runes, Ruin & Redemption before enjoying!The Walker Brothers never agree on anything. Having one body between three minds is tough. It's hard to agree on most things, from what to eat, what socks to wear or even what position to sleep in.There is one thing they agree on: a certain sweet, sexy, adorable Crocodile shifter who brings them flowers.The Walker Brothers can never agree on anything.But they agree on Gui.

The Age of Witches


Louisa Morgan - 2020
    She must intervene when a distant cousin wields dangerous magic to change the lives of two unsuspecting young people... one of whom might just be a witch herself.Frances Allington has used her wiles and witchcraft to claw her way out of poverty and into a spectacular marriage with one of New York's wealthiest new tycoons. She is determined to secure the Allingtons' position amongst the city's elite Four Hundred families by any means necessary -- including a scheme to make a glorious aristocratic match for her headstrong and reluctant step-daughter, Annis, using the same strange power with which she ensnared Annis's father.To save Annis from this dark magic, Harriet reveals to her Frances' misuse of their shared birthright and kindles in Annis her own nascent powers. Together, Harriet and Annis must resist her stepmother's agenda, lest she -- and the dashing young lord she suspects she could come to love -- lose their freedom, and possibly their lives.