Book picks similar to
Shifting Problems by Jason Paul Rice


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Bound Sorcery:


Natalie Grey - 2017
    And I don't remember why. 700 years ago, a sorceress decided to subjugate the entire human race. You might recall the first step of her plan - they called it the Black Death. Since then, anyone with magical talent is brought to the Acadamh, an ancient magical university, to be trained … and people with dangerous magical specialties tend to disappear there. And my specialty? Well, I’ve never been able to use my magic as far as I can remember, but they tell me that it is rot, and death. So I’ve been hidden, passed from safe house to safe house. But the Hunters are on my trail now. Specifically, the very worst one who could have found out about me: Daiman Bradach, legendary druid - ruthless, powerful, and absolutely devoted to the Acadamh. I’m going to have to get good with my magic. More than good. I'm going to have to become just as much of a legend as he is - fast. Or I’m as good as dead. From the author of RISK BE DAMNED, a new fantasy series full of magic, snarky druids, kickass heroines, punch-in-the-face worthy villains, and just a dash of romance! Perfect for fans of KF Breene and Rachel Carter!

Thief of Souls


Emma L. Adams - 2020
    Sounds like an easy choice, right? Not so much. Since my mentor dabbled in forbidden spirit magic and left me to take the fall, I have to pay off his debts without using my magic.I'd rather spend my free time gaming than retrieving valuable objects for the Order, but my latest retrieval job goes from mundane to deadly when I end up on the wrong side of the terrifying King of the Dead. Turns out he doesn’t like thieves, and he likes the Order even less. To make things worse, I run into my ex-boyfriend, a fire mage who's carrying as many secrets as I am, and find my simple thieving job has landed me in the middle of a conspiracy. A second elemental war is brewing, and the key to stopping it lies in my long-buried memories of my mentor's lessons.The catch? If the Order finds out, they'll show me no mercy this time -- and everyone knows there's a good reason spirit magic was banned.People who use it tend to end up dead.

Broom with a View


Gayla Twist - 2013
    Hence, Miss Violet Popplewell is sent abroad under the watchful eye of her great-aunt Vera. Without so much as a bon voyage party, Violet finds herself a visitor to the city-state of X, a mysterious place where magic is used openly and Witches and Vampires live together in harmony. Or at least, they try to get along. Violet’s aunt is shocked to discover that there are Vampires staying at their pensione and alarmed to note that one of the undead is a rather handsome young man.An outburst of hostilities in X thrusts Violet into the young Vampire’s arms. And, much to her dismay, she realizes she may have accidentally bewitched him with a love charm. Are the emotions that the Vampire feels true passion or just a slip of the wand?

A Glimmer of Hope


Steve McHugh - 2018
    And in her final year of university she’s finally found it. Or so she thinks.But when Layla accidentally activates an ancient scroll, she is bestowed with an incredible, inhuman power. She plunges into a dangerous new world, full of mythical creatures and menace—all while a group of fanatics will stop at nothing to turn her abilities to their cause.To protect those she loves most, Layla must take control of her new powers…before they destroy her. All is not yet lost—there is a light shining, but Layla must survive long enough to see it.

Mr. Kent's Wall of Wonders (a magical short story for 8-12 year olds) (Troubled Tweens Short Stories)


D.D. Roy - 2013
    Kent dreads the inventory of his enchanted objects. While he loves playing with the hula hoop that can turn back time and the jump rope that makes you invisible, the item in Cabinet 11 always escapes, and this time, it will be during school hours! It will take the teamwork of the Troubled Tweens to help Mr. Kent get the magical mayhem returned to its cabinet in his colorful Wall of Wonders.This 4000-word story from the world of the Troubled Tweens is the perfect introduction to D.D. Roy's book series that begins with Jinnie Wishmaker and continues with Marcus Mender._________________________About the AuthorD.D. Roy is the author of the Troubled Tweens series for readers 8-12 years old. Her first novel, Jinnie Wishmaker, was released in 2011. She has published numerous short stories in literary magazines, and Dust Bunnies: Secret Agents, her iPad/iPhone story book for children, will be released by Polycot Labs in 2012.

Shine


P.S. Power - 2017
    A thing that has become nearly impossible manage. At the same time Howard must start a new life and take down some of the worst people in existence...If they don't kill him first.Not being a fighter, that means taking care of the issue his way. With a little careful planning, and a whole lot of taking.Will it be enough? Howard doesn't have a clue but that won't stop the worlds greatest thief from trying.*This is book one of three and a great place to start reading about this amazing universe of tales.

The Devil Inside


Jenna Black - 2007
    Murder. Mayhem.Let the games begin...Exorcism isn’t a job, it’s a calling—and a curse. Just ask Morgan Kingsley, a woman who has a stronger aura than any Demon. Or so she thought. Now, in a pair of black leather pants and a kick-ass tattoo, Morgan is heading back to Philadelphia after a nasty little exorcism—and her life is about to be turned upside down… by the Demon that’s gotten inside her.Not just any Demon. Six foot five inches of dark, delicious temptation, this one is to die for—that is, if he doesn’t get Morgan killed first. Because while some humans vilify Demons and others idolize them, Morgan’s Demon is leading a war of succession no human has ever imagined. For a woman trying to live a life, and hold on to the almost-perfect man, being possessed by a gorgeous rebel Demon will mean a wild ride of uninhibited thrills, shocking surprises, and pure, unadulterated terror.…

Urban Shaman


C.E. Murphy - 2005
    No pressure. Never mind the lack of sleep, the perplexing new talent for healing from fatal wounds, or the cryptic, talking coyote who appears in her dreams.And if all that's not bad enough, in the three years Joanne's been a cop, she's never seen a dead body -- but she's just come across her second in three days.It's been a bitch of a week. And it isn't over yet.

The Rules for Lying


L.A. Kelley - 2017
     No good comes from this book. The story has magic, mayhem, theft, murder, sass talk, demons, animals committing felonies, gleeful revenge, and bad things happening to good people for no particular reason. It won’t encourage good habits and probably fine tune bad ones. The only lesson learned is don’t lie unless you know the rules. Teenager Peter Whistler lives at the Little Angels Home for Orphan Boys. Life in New Jersey is harsh in the Great Depression, but Peter has an exceptional ability to lie. He hones his talent, convinced it’s the ticket to easy fortune. He certainly doesn’t foresee the arrival of a murderous conjurer with mysterious designs on a little blind girl named Esther. Drawn into a nefarious plot to unleash a demon, Peter leads Esther and an enchanted terrier on a desperate escape to New Orleans and meets Amelie Marchand. Like all well-bred southern girls she’s trained in deadly martial arts, but with a murderous stepmother, Amelie has troubles of her own. Peter and Amelie’s one chance for survival is to head deep into the bayou and seek help from a mad shaman known as the Frog King. Welcome to an alternate 1930s where both jazz and magic fill New Orleans’ air. Can a little luck, mystical lies, and a dash of Cajun crazy help Peter harness the power to kill an immortal demon? If not, the Depression will be a picnic by comparison when hell arrives on Earth.

Shadow Sight


E.J. Stevens - 2012
    Ivy and her best friend Jinx may not be raking in the dough, but their psychic detective agency pays the bills—most of the time. Their only worry is the boredom of a slow day and the occasional crazy client—until a demon walks through their door.Demons are never a good sign...A demon attorney representing the water fae? Stranger things have happened. And things are about to get very, very strange as a bloodthirsty nightmare hunts the city of Harborsmouth.There's blood in the water...Kelpies have a reputation for eating humans. Unfortunately, Kelpies are the clients. When an Unseelie faerie this evil stalks the waterways of your city, you have to make hard choices.The lesser of two evils...

Unshapely Things


Mark Del Franco - 2007
    The crime scenes show signs of residual magic, but the Guild, which polices the fey, has more "important" crimes to investigate and dumps the case on human law enforcement. Boston police call in Connor Grey, a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator-whose magical abilities were crippled after a run-in with a radical environmentalist elf. As Connor battles red tape and his own shortcomings, he realizes that the murders are not random, but part of an ancient magical ritual. And if Connor can't figure out the killer's M.O., the culmination of the spell might just bring about a worldwide cataclysm.

Savage


Robyn Wideman - 2016
    When the third investigator went missing he knew he had to try something different. He hired a criminal.Kyra is as beautiful as she is smart. A near perfect recall makes her an exception thief and forgery expert. When her handler tells he that the prince wants to hire her for a legit job she is surprised and intrigued. But she has no intention of being the 4th dead royal investigator, so she hires the one person she knows can protect her. The one person even the bad guys are scared of...Bazur is a half-orc mercenary with a reputation for destruction, who lives alone in the badlands around Pera. He cares not for the politics of Draisha nor its prince. But there is something about Kyra that makes him say yes to being her bodyguard. But the budding chemistry between the beautiful thief and the lonely warrior will mean nothing if he can't keep her alive. A task easier said than done once she agreed to become the royal investigator. For someone is launching a campaign of terror against the prince and his allies and has no intention of being caught. A dead investigator tells no tales...

Shadow Bound


Gena D. Lutz - 2018
    Two lives. One goal—survive. Aspen and Emma live on the cusp of two worlds. One side is a soul-sucking drag filled with micro-managing bosses and insomnia. On the other, life unfolds on a razor's edge as they discover they are more than what they seem, marked by the Fae and bound to the Shadows. Abducted to the Shadows and turned into unwilling pawns of the Fae’s creation, they are forced to participate in the Wild Hunt. In this deadly world, few can be trusted, including charismatic Liam, Prince of the Shadows and Gerard, the mysterious Wild Hunt trainer, who claim they want to end it. Forced to trust the enemy, they must choose: work together and possibly end the Hunt forever—or each play her own game of survival and win at all costs.

Witch for Hire


N.E. Conneely - 2014
    She’s clanless, looking for a warlock who isn’t offended by her lack of family connections, and in danger of losing her job if she can’t find the escaped trolls before they start eating the local residents. Trolls, angry police, and misbehaving spells are the least of her problems. Statues attacking homeowners might be problematic for your average witch, but to Michelle it’s another day at the office. Her real concern is the wizard suddenly interested in dating her and an old elf set on pestering her. When her happy family is rocked by a long kept secret her stable life falls apart faster than she can pick up the pieces. And she still hasn’t found those trolls.

Mind Games


Carolyn Crane - 2010
    Any second now. Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.