Book picks similar to
Spirits Rising by Krista D. Ball


fantasy
urban-fantasy
paranormal
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Ethan


P.T. Michelle - 2013
    He’s careful to project a semblance of normalcy, keeping the suffocating darkness locked inside. As much as he wishes he could focus on girls, sports, and cars like other seventeen-year-olds, nothing distracts him from his own demons or shines through.Until Nara Collins crosses his path. The blonde fascinates and intrigues him, giving him a measure of peace he’s never felt before.When Ethan discovers there’s more to Nara than she allows others to see, that she might have a unique secret of her own, suddenly his world comes into focus.Note: ETHAN is a novella PREQUEL to BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS. This story will give some of Ethan’s background and lead up until the day he and Nara talk for the first time.

Rest For The Wicked


Cate Dean - 2012
    And running out of time.Claire Wiche is an ordinary woman, running her Wicca shop in an ordinary California beach town. But Claire wasn't always ordinary, and she isn't quite human. She hides a secret, and a past she thought she had put behind her.A past that is about to explode into her present.When it does, and everyone she loves is in danger, Claire must face up to her past - and become what she left behind in order to save them.NOTE: This is a short novel, at just over 40,000 words (125 pages), and has graphic scenes not suitable for the under 17 readers.

To Kill a Fae


Jamie A. Waters - 2019
    All Sabine had to do was keep her head down, avoid telling anyone about her past, and above all else -- not let her glamour drop.Even the best-laid plans eventually fall apart.When a charismatic stranger arrives in the city, Sabine finds herself unwittingly drawn to him and the power she can sense hidden within him. Keeping her distance is nearly impossible, especially after a life debt is called due and she’s tasked into helping steal a rare artifact.Sabine is the only one who can break the magical barriers protecting the item, but that means revealing the truth about her identity and exposing her darkest secrets. Unfortunately, the Fae aren’t the only ones hunting her.And the most dangerous monsters aren’t always confined to the dark.

Death Cursed


Sara C. Roethle - 2015
    A touch from her, even accidental, can kill, and she’s haunted by the victims she never meant to hurt. Alone, isolated, and remorseful, she thinks life can’t get any worse--until she’s kidnapped in the middle of the night and thrown into a secret world more twisted than her darkest nightmares.The Vaettir claim to be the children of the gods, created by the fates themselves, and tell her she’s one of them--and that they can help her control her abilities. But not everything is as it seems, not all gods are good, and the dark powers surrounding Madeline are no exception. She finds herself in the middle of an ancient search for a dangerous and all-powerful charm, one that has the power to kill all humans and bestow its bearer dominion over all. Amid the secrets and danger is Alaric, a deadly cat shifter, who’s as mysterious as he is alluring.When the Vaettir’s plans come to light and Madeline is betrayed, she embarks on a quest to find the charm herself, with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. Her dark gifts may just be the key to everything, but will she be able to accept them in time, or will the Vaettir destroy mankind, and inherit the earth?Find out in Death Cursed, the first book in a series sure to please fans of Bella Forrest’s Shade of Vampire and Ilona Andrew’s Kate Daniels series.Discover the underworld of the Vaettir, gods and monsters, secrets and lies, and a temptation equal parts irresistible and deadly...

Valens Remembered


Sherrel Lee - 2013
    In this prequel to the Valens series myth is rewritten, fantasy and science fiction blend to create a chilling story of death, loss, and discovery

Sisters of the Vast Black


Lina Rather - 2019
    Now, the sisters of the Order of Saint Rita are on an interstellar mission of mercy aboard Our Lady of Impossible Constellations, a living, breathing ship which seems determined to develop a will of its own.When the order receives a distress call from a newly-formed colony, the sisters discover that the bodies and souls in their care—and that of the galactic diaspora—are in danger. And not from void beyond, but from the nascent Central Governance and the Church itself.

Enchanted Secrets


Kristen Middleton - 2012
    Later, she agrees to visit his family's new shop, Secrets, and is drawn into a world that takes her breath away. Unfortunately, where magic reigns, so does danger, and she is forced into an adventure that leaves her racing against the clock to stop an evil curse.From the author of the Zombie Games and Night Roamers series. There is a cliff-hanger ending. For ages 13 and over.

Her Sweetest Downfall


Rebecca Hamilton - 2012
    Hiding the mark might save her from falling victim to the witch hunts of her era, but the scorching sensation it carries can’t be ignored.When the mysterious Ethan is sent to collect her for a life of something more, she learns concealing the mark is the least of her concerns. She’s destined to do a new task—to join a dark, supernatural world and protect the future of people she may never meet.What she doesn’t know—what she learns too late—is that her initiation won’t be complete until she kills the man who’s captured her heart.

Defiant Guardians


Jacob Peppers - 2018
    It is also home to Aaron Envelar, a disillusioned sellsword known as the Silent Blade, who cares nothing for the criminal overlords or their schemes, who only wants to survive and make a little coin in the process. But when a group of unwitting thugs steal his mother’s necklace, the only link he has to his murdered parents, Aaron decides that sometimes gold isn’t enough—sometimes, blood is the only payment worth taking. And whatever else will come, this time, he will not be silent. After all, when you take everything from a man, what else does he have to lose? The Killings at Rockman's Ford - by D.W. Hawkins A dangerous fugitive. A deadly secret. An unwelcome champion. For generations, the seasons have turned with indifference to the sleepy hamlet of Rockman’s Ford. Residents and visitors alike would say it’s a delightful place where terrible things don’t happen—not murder, and never sorcery. Those things happen to other people in other places. When a man is found murdered by hostile magic, the peaceful illusion is rocked by the emergence of dark secrets. For D’Jenn Pike, a Warlock of the Conclave, hostile magic is an everyday occurrence. When he’s asked to help find the killer, his soul is tested by the chase. With bodies mounting, D’Jenn is all that stands between Rockman’s Ford and vengeful magic, but his courage could get him hanged alongside the murderer. The guilty must pay, but the gods have no interest in justice. The Renegade Apprentice - by Andy Peloquin A fight to the death. The prize: freedom. Evren hates the endless torments and cruelties of his life as an apprentice priest. When he finds the opportunity to flee, he seizes it in both fists. But the streets of Vothmot hold their own share of dangers. He must battle street thugs, rival gangs, even his own trusted comrades to truly be free. Dragon Born - by Aaron Hodges For five long years, Enala has lived in exile. And for five years she has trained, mastering the arts of war and survival. Yet she remains trapped, forbidden to leave the boundaries of the forest. Smothered by her parents, she longs for adventure, for the chance to escape the stagnation of her life. Desperate, Enala turns to the only creatures that might help. The Gold Dragons… Cambion - by Stevie Collier A pastor for a mother. A demon for a father. The devil wanted a son, and, using his evil trickery, was able to obtain one while simultaneously spitting in God's face. Follow the path of a teen once loved by everyone who is now hated. What makes him so different isn't just the horns that sprout from his head, but the powers the devil has bestowed upon him. Will he use them to slaughter the followers of God? Those who so easily turned their backs on him? Will he accept his heir to the dark throne? Or, will he use his powers to fight his serpent of a father and all his minions?

Once Bitten


Kalayna Price - 2009
    She was expected to accept her role as her father’s successor whether or not her cat was up to the task of leading the clan. She disagreed. Now she’s less than a step ahead of the hunters, bone-tired, cold, and living hand-to-mouth in the city of Haven. And that’s the high point of her day. She’s also drugged, "accidently" turned into a vampire, and sentenced to death for recklessly creating a rogue shifter who tortures its human prey. She’s got seventy-two hours to find the rogue, evade a city full of hunters, prove she’s not responsible for the rogue, and keep the vampire council from killing her. All while sorting out an apprentice mage, a married ex-boyfriend shifter-hunter, and the vampire who made her.

Once Upon a Kiss


Alethea KontisJenna Elizabeth Johnson - 2017
    Inspired by old favorites as well as lesser-known tales, find retellings of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Old Rinkrank, King Thrushbeard, The Princess and the Pea, and many more - all with fresh, romantic twists - just in time for Valentine’s Day~ THE GLASS MOUNTAIN - Alethea Kontis On the way to her wedding, brave and clever Princess Sabine falls into a Glass Mountain, where she is trapped with a crotchety man she calls “Old Rinkrank.” The two form a unique, unlikely friendship while working to escape. THE BAKERS GRIMM - Hailey Edwards When two struggling business owners compete for the contract of a lifetime, it’s all bakers on deck. Mix in a dollop of rivalry, a tablespoon of romance, and a pinch of magic, and you’ve got the recipe for one heck of a bake-off. May the best decorator win! GALATEA AND PYGMALION - Kate Danley A young woman in ancient Greece is tasked with carving a new statue for Aphrodite's temple. But what happens when she falls in love with her art? RED– Sarra Cannon Charlotte is searching for a cure to save her sister, but what she finds in the woods is not at all what she expects... PRINCESS CHARMING – Yasmine Galenorn Sometimes, the road to Happily Ever After leads a girl right past Prince Charming... into the arms of his sister. MAD ABOUT YOU – Jennifer Blackstream Alice doesn't want to marry the Mad Hatter. Will an unexpected trip to Wonderland change her mind? THE SEA KING'S DAUGHTER—Anthea Sharp A mermaid gives up everything to be with the mortal man she loves – but can there be a happy ending when the Sea Witch intervenes? ROMEO AND JULIET: THE AFTERLIFE – Julia Crane Juliet enters the afterlife and discovers the truth behind her relationship with Romeo and Paris - and that their greatest challenge is yet to come. SOOT AND STONE: A Fae Tale of the Otherworld - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson Aisling, a young Faelorehn artist, finds herself falling for the son of one of the famed Tuatha De Danann. The only problem is, she’s unaware of his true identity, and her selfish uncle will do anything to keep her from realizing her dreams. THE HUNTSMAN'S SNOW – Mandy M. Roth Sometimes, a prince isn’t as charming as history would like you to believe. And sometimes, a princess needs an alpha male shifter to find her happily ever after. RUMPELIMPSKIN - Debra Dunbar An imp finds herself in a fairytale world without her infernal powers facing an impossible task. Will Sam barter away her firstborn? Will her angelic main-squeeze save her? Or will she come up with a devilish solution of her own? THE GLASS SKY - Alexia Purdy Star’s refusal of suitors lined up for her hand has her family in knots, but when the city is bombed and overthrown, she loses everything. After she’s rescued by a handsome stranger named Clyde, she sneaks away to save her parents but finds herself trapped in the new president’s clutches. RUSH - C. Gockel Misogyny is a beast. When the incarnation of Creation gets angry at Rush for innocently stating his opinion, she curses him to find true love in two weeks … or else. PERCHANCE TO DREAM – Phaedra Weldon Her first love has been placed under a spell.THE TOAD PRINCE - Nikki JeffordIsabel Ivers’s stepfather will do anything to secure his place as Far North’s new ruler, even if it means marrying her off to the depraved prince of the lowlands.CRAFTED WITH A KISS - Shawntelle MadisonDespite fighting in countless battles to bring peace to warring kingdoms, Pynnelope, a warrior maiden made of wood, knows no fear. Becoming human is all she desires until she discovers she can have so much more.A SMALL MAGIC - Devon MonkA cursed princess, a talking pea, and a wish that changes everything.

Lady of Devices


Shelley Adina - 2011
    Victoria is Queen. Charles Darwin’s son is Prime Minister. And steam is the power that runs the world. At 17, Claire Trevelyan, daughter of Viscount St. Ives, was expected to do nothing more than pour an elegant cup of tea, sew a fine seam, and catch a rich husband. Unfortunately, Claire’s talents lie not in the ballroom, but in the chemistry lab, where things have a regrettable habit of blowing up. When her father gambles the estate on the combustion engine and loses, Claire finds herself down and out on the mean streets of London. But being a young woman of resources and intellect, she turns fortune on its head. It’s not long before a new leader rises in the underworld, known only as the Lady of Devices . . . When she meets Andrew Malvern, a member of the Royal Society of Engineers, she realizes her talents may encompass more than the invention of explosive devices. They may help her realize her dreams and his . . . if they can both stay alive long enough to see that sometimes the closest friendships can trigger the greatest betrayals . . .

First Touch


Teyla Branton - 2018
    But he is desperate to find the missing little girl. Can they put aside their differences and find her before it’s too late? Autumn Rain didn’t always possess the ability to read emotions imprinted on objects. If you’ve enjoyed the Imprints series or are just beginning the adventure, you don’t want to miss this new prequel about Autumn's first case as a consultant to the Portland Police Bureau. See how she came into her ability, and how Detective Shannon Martin reacts when he realizes this crazy so-called psychic might just be telling the truth. Can they put aside their differences and find a missing girl before it’s too late? From the author: I hope you enjoy this introduction to my Imprints series. Readers have asked me for this story, so here it is! Though this is a shorter story and as such cannot contain the intricacies of the rest of the series, it is a complete book with no cliffhangers. Enjoy!

Everything Belongs to the Future


Laurie Penny - 2016
    What kind of world have we made, where human beings can live centuries if only they can afford the fix? What kind of creatures have we become? The same as we always were, but keener.In the ancient heart of Oxford University, the ultra-rich celebrate their vastly extended lifespans. But a few surprises are in store for them. From Nina and Alex, Margo and Fidget, scruffy anarchists sharing living space with an ever-shifting cast of crusty punks and lost kids. And also from the scientist who invented the longevity treatment in the first place.Everything Belongs to the Future is a bloody-minded tale of time, betrayal, desperation, and hope that could only have been told by the inimitable Laurie Penny.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A Fist of Permutations in Lightning and Wildflowers


Alyssa Wong - 2016
    Weather workers. Time benders. When two people so determined have opposing desires, it's hard to say who will win - or even what victory might look like. This stunning, haunting short story from rising star Alyssa Wong explores the depth and fierceness of love and the trauma of family.