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Blood & Ash
Deborah WildeDeborah Wilde - 2020
Long-lost magic. Can one determined private eye topple a dark conspiracy?Detective for hire, Ashira Cohen is having a no-good, very bad day.When Ash was thirteen, her con artist father disappeared, leaving her with emotional scars and a limp she can't hide. But she toughened up, determined never to be played again. Is history repeating itself?First, she’s hit on the head during a stakeout, revealing a mysterious tattoo on the back of her skull. Even worse? It’s a now-broken ward unleashing dangerous magic that as a Mundane, she shouldn’t possess. And the icing on this crap cake? Her unruly powers nearly kill her long-time nemesis, Levi, the uptight leader of the magic community. One word from him revealing her forbidden abilities, and everything she’s built will be taken from her… by force.The only bright spot is that Levi requires her supernatural skills to solve a spree of abductions. After years of being underestimated by him, it’s Ash’s chance at payback and she’s going to enjoy bringing him to his knees—or stuffing him in a body bag.Crackling with humor and suspense, Blood & Ash features a headstrong heroine tackling paranormal mysteries and an enemies-to-lovers romance. Get this complete series now!"Wilde combines hardboiled noir and Jewish folklore in this action-packed, perfectly paced paranormal romp. ... the real star is Ash's hilariously snarky narrative voice which is archly sarcastic but never mean. ... Wilde balances exuberant wit with deep compassion and handles Ash's chronic pain and fragmented family with care. This giddy, sexy series launch is a delight." - Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
The Book of the Most Precious Substance
Sara Gran - 2022
A down-on-her-luck book dealer hoping for the sale of a lifetime. And a twist so shocking, no one will come out unscathed.After a tragedy too painful to bear, former novelist Lily Albrecht has resigned herself to a dull, sexless life as a rare book dealer. Until she gets a lead on a book that just might turn everything around. The Book of the Most Precious Substance is a 17th century manual on sex magic, rumored to be the most powerful occult book ever written—if it really exists at all. And some of the wealthiest people in the world are willing to pay Lily a fortune to find it—if she can. Her search for the book takes her from New York to New Orleans to Munich to Paris, searching the dark corners of power where the world’s wealthiest people use black magic to fulfill their desires. Will Lily fulfill her own desires, and join them? Or will she lose it all searching for a ghost? The Book of the Most Precious Substance is an addictive erotic thriller about the lengths we’ll go to get what we need—and what we want.
The Frozen Crown
Greta Kelly - 2021
A stellar read that I thoroughly enjoyed." -- Emily Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints A princess with a powerful and dangerous secret must find a way to save her country from ruthless invaders in this exciting debut fantasy, the first novel in a thrilling duology packed with heroism, treachery, magic, and war.Askia became heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh because of her devotion to her people. But her realm is facing a threat she cannot defeat by sheer will alone. The mad emperor of the Roven Empire has unleashed a horde of invading soldiers to enslave her lands. For months, her warriors have waged a valiant, stealth battle, yet they cannot stop the enemy’s advancement. Running out of time, she sets sail for sun-drenched Vishir, the neighboring land to the south, to seek help from its ruler, Emperor Armaan.A young woman raised in army camps, Askia is ill-equipped to navigate Vishir’s labyrinthine political games. Her every move sinks her deeper into court intrigues which bewilder and repel her, leaving her vulnerable not only to enemies gathering at Vishir's gates, but to those behind the palace walls. And in this glittering court, where secrets are worth more than gold, Askia fears that one false step will expose her true nature. For Askia is a witch gifted with magical abilities—knowledge that could destroy not only her life but her people. As her adversaries draw closer, Askia is forced to make an impossible choice—and no matter what she decides, it may not be enough to prevent Seravesh’s fall.
The Awakening
Nora Roberts - 2020
In another realm known as Philadelphia, a young woman has just discovered she possesses a treasure of her own…When Breen Kelly was a girl, her father would tell her stories of magical places. Now she’s an anxious twentysomething mired in student debt and working a job she hates. But one day she stumbles upon a shocking discovery: her mother has been hiding an investment account in her name. It has been funded by her long-lost father—and it’s worth nearly four million dollars.This newfound fortune would be life-changing for anyone. But little does Breen know that when she uses some of the money to journey to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man, why she imagined his voice in her head saying Come home, Breen Siobhan. It’s time you came home. Why she dreamed of dragons. And where her true destiny lies—through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny…
No Regrets
Bernard O'Keeffe - 2013
He’s had a bad year. Sarah, his wife of nearly twenty five years, has walked out on him to move in with Colin. Perhaps they simply grew apart, perhaps the magic was no longer there, or perhaps, as his friend Jerry suggests, Rick has become boring. This nagging thought, together with too much beer on New Year’s Eve and shock at the sudden death of his college friend Alex, leads Rick to a New Year’s resolution… To make the most of the time he has left, and show himself and his old friend Jerry that he is not boring, he will undertake a peculiar challenge: for a whole year he will accept every invitation that comes his way. Any invitation. No excuses. No regrets.
Immortal Merlin, Books 1-4: Ignition, Winded, Floodgates, Buried
Emma Shelford - 2020
Read the first four Musings of Merlin books here! "A marvelous modern take on the legendary Merlin... A definite must-read!" - Readers' Favorite "Ignition is... a unique take on [Merlin's] life without Arthur." - Bibliophilic Book Blog "Highly recommended for lovers of fantasy and the Merlin legends." - Amazon Reviewer Ignition, Book 1: Merlin, the legendary King Arthur’s mysterious magician, is immortal. As Arthur lay dying he promised to return. Merlin is holding him to his word. Forever young, forever waiting, Merlin lives an unassuming life in the city, keeping his identity and abilities secret from his friends. It's a long and lonely road, but Merlin is a patient man. It's now the 21st century and when the earth begins to groan with earthquakes, Merlin knows the situation is anything but natural. An eruption is imminent, but something—or someone—is forcing this volcano to erupt. Merlin must use his concealed talents and practiced charisma to save a town of innocent people before disaster strikes. He has the power to thwart a catastrophe—if time doesn’t run out first. Winded, Book 2: Merry Lytton, or Merlin as he was once known, has been waiting for the return of his friend King Arthur for centuries. It's an eventful wait: only weeks ago, he stopped a wicked plot to magically erupt a nearby volcano. Merry's latest worry is the revelation of his immortality—his modern-day friends are a little too curious. They do not need to know he has a history that could fill a library. Unknown to Merlin, the organization Potestas is furious at his geologic meddling, and an enraged member of the group is determined to wreak vengeance. For the first time in Merlin's ancient life, he must confront an enemy vastly more powerful than himself. Battling high in the skies and over mountain peaks, will Merlin's foe leave him breathless—forever? Floodgates, Book 3: Merlin the magician from centuries past now lives in Vancouver as an unremarkable young professor known as Merry Lytton. Merry keeps his secrets from friends and foes alike while infiltrating the nefarious organization known as Potestas, whose goal is to gain unimaginable power. Potestas' charismatic leader has welcomed Merry into the group, but for what purpose? Merry soon discovers that Potestas must recover King Arthur's holy grail to complete its plans, but the grail is firmly fused to the seafloor by magical means. As Merry is threatened by hostile spirits and hallucinations, will he succeed in stopping Potestas before they unleash the full fury of the ocean's power? Buried, Book 4: Immortal Merlin, known as Merry Lytton to his twenty-first century friends, is in a battle of wits with the powerful Potestas organization. Potestas is determined to gain unimaginable powers for its members, and Merry holds the key to unlocking this ambition. In exchange, Potestas promises to reveal crucial information on Merry’s heritage and answer questions he’s had for centuries. But when Merry learns that Potestas plans a human sacrifice, he is in a race against evil. Can he save an innocent life before a destructive new reality is thrust upon an unsuspecting world?
The Motion of Puppets
Keith Donohue - 2016
She is spending her summer working as an acrobat with the cirque while her husband, Theo, is translating a biography of the pioneering photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Late one night, Kay fears someone is following her home. Surprised to see that the lights of the toy shop are on and the door is open, she takes shelter inside.The next morning Theo wakes up to discover his wife is missing. Under police suspicion and frantic at her disappearance, he obsessively searches the streets of the Old City. Meanwhile, Kay has been transformed into a puppet, and is now a prisoner of the back room of the Quatre Mains, trapped with an odd assemblage of puppets from all over the world who can only come alive between the hours of midnight and dawn. The only way she can return to the human world is if Theo can find her and recognize her in her new form. So begins a dual odyssey: of a husband determined to find his wife, and of a woman trapped in a magical world where her life is not her own.
It Gives You Strength
Philip Raymond Brown - 2020
Zho, is transported into the dying body of bootlegger Ryan Costello. Immediately following his death, Costello’s body is reanimated by the alien. Unfortunately, Zho’s new “host body” is so damaged from a decade of alcohol abuse that the alien’s memory and vital files are corrupted. All that remains of Zho’s mission plan is one phrase: “Find the one called Mike Kelly.”Complicating matters, the alien soon discovers that Kelly is, himself, the leader of a criminal gang of World War veterans, who are battling mobster Jack “Legs” Diamond for control of the lucrative Canada/New York rum-running market. Upon recognizing Costello’s enhanced abilities and physical strength, Kelly forces the alien into the mob. Since Kelly is his only chance of discovering and completing his mission, the alien agrees. Costello soon recalls his critical task - to free an alien child from the Craig Colony, which they interpret to be a prison camp, before his home world, Dagan, dispatches its “rescue armada.” A force so massive and clumsy that its mere entry into the Earth’s atmosphere would devastate the planet.By setting part of the plot in the Craig Colony, a little-known state institution in which patients with seizure disorders were essentially warehoused, the novel raises awareness of the human rights violations that occurred there.
First Dog on Earth
Irv Weinberg - 2020
Together with the animal’s pack, they discover a new way of life—a shared odyssey of survival and trust that grows into the most successful partnership the Earth has ever known, changing dogs and humans forever.The pack led by Oohma encounters the first humans they have ever seen—Ish the old hunter, Lut the gifted young medicine woman and Hun the brutal tribe leader whose jealousy forces him out of the tribe. This is the poetic story of how civilization progresses all because of the abilities the dogs bring the tribe. Set against the ancient Chauvet Cave in France with its remarkable cave art and the footprints of a small boy and his dog as they walk together side by side as companions not prey.How does the greatest love story in history begin? With a leap into the unknown, as told in First Dog on Earth.
Children of the Blessing (The Lemurian Chronicles #1)
Perry Morris - 2015
Children of the Blessing is the first book in the Lemurian Chronicles, an epic fantasy series, and is perfect for fans of Robert Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Raymond E. Feist and other great fantasy authors.Long before the world of man, demons and demigods battled for dominance. After the demons were finally bound in the Well of Sacrifice, the system of good and evil became tentatively balanced. Now that balance is threatened. Marked at birth by thegods, Renn and Avaris set in motion an ancient prophecy that promises to shift the balance of power, so dark forces will rule unchecked. With armies and a host of magic users at his command, the Grand Warlock, Khan Devin, is determined to use theboys to fix his place as the unchallenged ruler of man.When Renn comes of age, his family is attacked and his home destroyed by Khan’s followers. Joining other teenage Lore users, Renn has to make the perilous journey across the continent to reach the safety of Elder Island to be trained by the Lore Masters,with Khan Devin determined to stop them at every step. Far to the north, Avaris is abandoned and left for dead by his father, the high clan chief, who fears his blessed child. Now on his own, Avaris fights for survival with the help of an outcastnecromancer. But when Avaris’s tribe is attacked by Khan’sevil creatures and the survivors taken as slaves, Avaris must find a way to free his people. He follows the evil creatures to the Cragg Mountains, where he must face the full forces of the evil side of the Lore.Renn and Avaris must defeat Kahn Devin and his dark forces before the demons are unleashed and the world devolves into never-ending despair . . . which means Renn and Avaris must accomplish the impossible and change their destiny.
The Vanity Case (Sondra Blake, #1)
Niall Teasdale - 2018
Officer Sondra Blake of the NYPD went insane overnight and spent the next decade in a mental institution hastily set up to handle people like her, people afflicted by the magic which had suddenly appeared on Earth. In 2018, Sondra is the most senior detective in the NYPD’s Arcane Crimes Unit. Presented with a new partner, Sondra gets no time to train him as they are thrust into a new murder case with some worrying overtones. A young woman has aged to death in a few minutes while apparently collecting a barrage of disease symptoms she could not possibly have. Someone has used demonic magic to kill her, and the only suspect is the suave, handsome leading actor of an action movie being shot in New York, Dillan Archer. With tension rising toward riots in Orctown, Sondra and her partner, Clarke, must track down a serial killer who has remained undetected for decades before the current run of victims ends and the killer vanishes again for another seven years.
Lamp Black, Wolf Grey
Paula Brackston - 2010
She and her husband Dan have given up their city life and moved to Blaencwm, an ancient longhouse high in the hills. Here she hopes that the wild beauty will inspire her to produce her best art and will give her the baby they have longed for. But this high valley is also home to others, such as Rhys the charismatic loner who pursues Laura with fervor. And Anwen, the wise old woman from the neighboring farm who seems to know so much but talks in riddles. And then there is Merlin. Lamp Black, Wolf Grey tells both Laura's story and Merlin's. For once he too walked these hills, with his faithful grey wolf at his heel. It was here he fell in love with Megan, nurse-maid to the children of the hated local noble, Lord Geraint. Merlin was young, at the start of his renowned career as a magician, but when he refuses to help Lord Geraint it is Megan who may pay the price. From New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston, Lamp Black, Wolf Grey is an enchanting tale of love and magic featuring her signature blend of gorgeous writing, an intriguing historical backdrop, and a relatable heroine that readers are sure to fall in love with.
Such a Pretty Smile
Kristi DeMeester - 2022
Known only as The Cur, he leaves no traces, save for the torn bodies of girls, on the verge of becoming women, who are known as trouble-makers; those who refuse to conform, to know their place. Girls who don’t know when to shut up.2019: Thirteen-year-old Lila Sawyer has secrets she can’t share with anyone. Not the school psychologist she’s seeing. Not her father, who has a new wife, and a new baby. And not her mother—the infamous Caroline Sawyer, a unique artist whose eerie sculptures, made from bent twigs and crimped leaves, have made her a local celebrity. But soon Lila feels haunted from within, terrorized by a delicious evil that shows her how to find her voice—until she is punished for using it.2004: Caroline Sawyer hears dogs everywhere. Snarling, barking, teeth snapping that no one else seems to notice. At first, she blames the phantom sounds on her insomnia and her acute stress in caring for her ailing father. But then the delusions begin to take shape—both in her waking hours, and in the violent, visceral sculptures she creates while in a trance-like state. Her fiancé is convinced she needs help. Her new psychiatrist waves her “problem” away with pills. But Caroline’s past is a dark cellar, filled with repressed memories and a lurking horror that the men around her can’t understand.As past demons become a present threat, both Caroline and Lila must chase the source of this unrelenting, oppressive power to its malignant core. Brilliantly paced, unsettling to the bone, and unapologetically fierce, Such a Pretty Smile is a powerful allegory for what it can mean to be a woman, and an untamed rallying cry for anyone ever told to sit down, shut up, and smile pretty.
The Keeper of Edelyndia
Benjamin J. Denen - 2014
He is welcomed in by a simple family after saving their ten-year-old daughter, Lyra. When the Keepers, the enforcing arm of the Church, launch an unprecedented raid on their village in Havanshae Valley, Orron is faced with taking up arms to fight for those he loves. In doing so, he must confront the reality of who he truly is and the purpose for his very existence.Draedon, a Legion Commander of the Keepers, struggles with his duty as an officer and his role as a father. Standing up for what he believes in feels like the right thing to do, but what if it endangers the life of his beloved daughter? He must choose between the life he has always known and the life for which he has bee
War: A Four Horsemen Short Story
Dave Turner - 2019
1965.
War's found himself deep in the glamorous yet lethal world of international espionage. Unhappy with both the treachery and restrictive dress-code, when a name from the past reappears in his life War realises he must risk everything to keep the world safe once again. This short story follows on from the How To Be Dead series and continues the tale of everybody's favourite grumpy Horseman of the Apocalypse...
What Amazon readers are saying about the How To Be Dead Comedy Fantasy Series:
★★★★★ “Dave Turner is a funny man and ‘How To Be Dead’ is a brilliant read.”★★★★★ “If Neil Gaiman and Simon Pegg sat down to write a story together they might come up with something like this.”★★★★★ “Hilarious and unexpectedly moving.”★★★★★ "Laughs and excitement combined!"★★★★★ “Laugh out loud funny… It’s been a while since an author has made me laugh more than Pratchett does.”★★★★★ "If you like Tom Holt, Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, Dave Turner's books will fit perfectly into your collection."