Book picks similar to
Shifting Problems by Jason Paul Rice


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Dragons Don't Eat Meat


Kim McDougall - 2020
    And the killings point to a civil war brewing among the fae.When Kyra finds an abandoned baby dragon, she doesn’t want to bring him home. But until she can hunt down his thunder and stop the dragon killers, she’s on babysitting duty. As a pest controller with a soft heart, Kyra already has an apartment full of rescues, including a basilisk who thinks he’s a turkey, a banshee nanny, and even a pygmy kraken. She might take care of them, but they also fill her need for family. And when that family is threatened, she’ll risk everything to save them. She’ll even join forces with the handsome and irritating captain of the city’s vigilante Guardians, who never fails to be around at her most undignified moments.Along with a quirky cast of misfits and unruly critters, Kyra leaves the safety of Montreal Ward and travel through the dangerous Inbetween—the land beyond the protected city states, where magic is the only rule of law—to reunite the lost dragon with his thunder and stop a new and sinister force from invading their home. Fans of Kate Daniels and Fantastic Beasts will find something to love in this action-packed, Urban Fantasy tale set in a future version of Montreal. Book 1 of the thrilling new Valkyrie Bestiary series is a true menagerie of fascinating characters, adorable critters and dark magics.

Colin McCool and the Vampire Dwarf


M.D. Massey - 2012
    Now, they've been recruited by a leprechaun who loves IKEA and a centuries-old wizard (who may or may not think he’s Gandalf) to break the evil vampire dwarf’s curse and save the town… The thing is, there are a lot of weird and frightening things sneaking around their town, and not all of them are friendly. Cats the size of ponies. Ponies that eat people. Little people that eat people, and who have horrible taste in hats. And, pom-pom girls with goat feet. All-in-all, it’s a pretty messed up situation, and it looks like Colin and Jesse are the only ones who can do anything about it – which makes it even more messed up. But if they fail, it could mean an end to their town… and an even bloodier end for Colin and Jesse. About “Colin McCool and the Vampire Dwarf”: “Colin McCool and the Vampire Dwarf” is an exciting new entry among fantasy adventure books for kids 9-12, and is a unique and entertaining addition to the YA books genre. If you enjoy vampire books for kids or kids adventure books, then you’ll love the Colin McCool children’s fantasy book series. “Colin McCool and the Vampire Dwarf” classifies as middle grade fiction for ages 9 and up, grade levels 4 and up.

Flex


Ferrett Steinmetz - 2015
    The most dangerous drug in the world. Snort it, and you can create incredible coincidences to live the life of your dreams.FLUX: The backlash from snorting Flex. The universe hates magic and tries to rebalance the odds; maybe you survive the horrendous accidents the Flex inflicts, maybe you don’t.PAUL TSABO: The obsessed bureaucromancer who’s turned paperwork into a magical Beast that can rewrite rental agreements, conjure rented cars from nowhere, track down anyone who’s ever filled out a form.But when all of his formulaic magic can’t save his burned daughter, Paul must enter the dangerous world of Flex dealers to heal her. Except he’s never done this before – and the punishment for brewing Flex is army conscription and a total brain-wipe.File Under: Urban Fantasy[ Magic Pill | Firestarter | Bureaucramancy | The Flex & the Flux ]

Libriomancer


Jim C. Hines - 2012
    Libriomancers are gifted with the ability to magically reach into books and draw forth objects. When Isaac is attacked by vampires that leaked from the pages of books into our world, he barely manages to escape. To his horror he discovers that vampires have been attacking other magic-users as well, and Gutenberg has been kidnapped.With the help of a motorcycle-riding dryad who packs a pair of oak cudgels, Isaac finds himself hunting the unknown dark power that has been manipulating humans and vampires alike. And his search will uncover dangerous secrets about Libriomancy, Gutenberg, and the history of magic. . . .

Shadow Hunter


B.R. Kingsolver - 2019
    They trained me as an assassin, spy, and thief. But when they sent me to steal a magical artifact that reveals Truth in all things, I discovered that I was working for the Dark and not the Light. The Illuminati trained me well, and paid the ultimate price for their deception. Thousands of miles away, I landed a job in a quirky little bar. But the scattered remnants of the Order still strive for world domination, and no one leaves the Illuminati alive.

First Destroy All Giant Monsters


D.L. Carter - 2012
    how GIANT are we talking, exactly???

Cursed by Fire


Danielle Annett - 2015
    The victims are innocents, chosen to pit the shifter Pack and the vampire Coven against one another.If war breaks out, humanity won’t survive.But controlling fire is my thing, and I won’t let that happen.I’m a mercenary, but this is about so much more than money. It’s my city and someone is threatening it. I won’t stop until I find them.When the good guys start to look more like villains, I have no choice but to question everything I knew, including the people I thought I could trust.It turns out the humans might not be as helpless as they seem, and I'm in more danger than I realized.If you like K.F. Breene, Annette Marie, Patricia Briggs, McKenzie Hunter, CN Crawford, Leia Stone, or Linsey Hall, then buckle up buttercup, and get ready for a fast paced adventure you won't be able to put down.

The Age of Mages


Ilana Waters - 2015
    Years later, when he learns she might be alive, all he can think of is finding her. His antagonistic vampire father agrees to help, but Joshua fears he has ulterior motives. The situation gets even more complicated when they discover why she disappeared: she possessed a mysterious crystal whose powers remain a secret. Unfortunately, Joshua and his father aren’t the only ones interested in the crystal. As their search leads them from New York to Las Vegas to Rome, they’re pursued by the Paranormal Investigation Agency, the High Council of Witches, and yet more vampires. In the process, they uncover a plot to wake the deadliest vampire who ever lived. If Joshua can find the crystal, he might find his mother—and stop a massacring blood-seeker from rising. But that means not fighting with his father long enough to hold off adversaries both human and supernatural. It might just be more than one mage can handle.

Frost Bite


S.A. Magnusson - 2018
    Jen Stone, MD. Emergency medicine doctor. Fledgling mage. Living in Minneapolis and friends with a powerful mage, I’m one of the few non-magical people who knows about the magical world. I stayed on the periphery, preferring to work my shifts in the ER helping people. Until one of those patients is a vampire. Saving him brings me deeper into a world my friend tried to keep me from—and draws me closer to a gorgeous intern with a secretive past. It turns out I might have some magical talent of my own, but I have to master it quickly if I want to survive. Assisted by powerful dark mages, surrounded by vampires, I’m faced with an attack that seems anything but magical. I’ve got to figure out what’s happening and why before I become trapped by the vampires. The more I learn, the more dangerous it is for me, and the less I can trust those around me. Somehow, a fledgling hedge mage like myself might be the only one to stop what’s happening, but will I be able to learn enough magic to save my life?

Above the Bridge


Deborah Garner - 2012
    However, it's not long before her instincts tell her there's more than a basic story to be found in the popular, northwestern Wyoming mountain area. A chance encounter with attractive cowboy Jake Norris soon has Paige chasing a legend of buried treasure, passed down through generations.From the torn edge of a water-damaged map to the mysterious glow of an antler arch, Paige will follow clues high into the mountainous terrain and deep into Jackson's history. Side-stepping a few shady characters who are also searching for the same hidden reward, she will have to decide who is trustworthy and who is not.

Apparition Lake


Doug Lamoreux - 2014
    Scientific evidence suggests another terrifying conclusion. For Chief Ranger Glenn Merrill, putting an end to the mysterious deaths is more than just his job, it is a mission that will take him to the brink of death and shatter the foundation of his beliefs.Apparition Lake plunges Glenn, his full-blooded Shoshone friend Johnny Two Ravens, and Jennifer Davies, an aggressive young biologist, into a world of Indian mysticism where mankind and nature struggle for control of Mother Earth. Apparition Lake races through its supernatural tale of an environment that has "had enough" and the Native American spirit it uses to mete out its revenge.

Battlecry


Emerald Dodge - 2018
    She craves a life of freedom, far away from her violent and abusive team leader, Patrick. With no education, no money, and no future to speak of, she's stuck in the dangerous life...until she meets the mysterious and compelling Benjamin, a civilian with superpowers. When Patrick confronts her, she fights back--and then runs for her life. One by one, her ex-teammates join her until a new team has formed.But Patrick will not let his upstart teammates get away so easily. Humiliated and hellbent on vengeance, he waits for his chance to strike back and kill the new team, and he is happy to murder superheroes and civilians alike. On top of that, Benjamin has joined Jillian and her comrades, angering his own lethal family. Jillian's enemies begin to close in from all sides.Desperate and in hiding, Jillian must shed everything she thinks she knows about what it means to lead. Can she rise up to the challenge of defeating Patrick? Can she save Benjamin from his family? Or will she die like every other superhero who's dared to challenge the cult?

Shooting Stars


H.D. Gordon - 2013
    She is a princess who is next in line for the throne. As someone who has lost almost everything to this world, she only wants to pull away from it and live a normal life, but when Highborn ladies start being murdered and the Black Stone-a weapon that is capable of great destruction-goes missing, she is called upon to solve the issues and return her people to a state of safety. But danger lurks inside the castle walls as well, and when she runs into Charlie Redmine, a common Sorcerer Surah met once as a child, things grow complicated very quickly. He is the main suspect of the murders, but Surah is powerless against the connection she feels to him. Time is ticking, and if she doesn't figure out what's going on things will go from bad to worse, and an entire kingdom will suffer for it. From the author of the bestselling series, The Alexa Montgomery Saga, comes a tale of star-crossed lovers and magic, of hope and love and loss. The greatest question is, can love overcome all?

The Knight Advocate: A Colt Valentine Arcane Justice Novel


Jason Rose - 2017
     “If a miracle happens and I somehow manage to kill this vampire psychopath, my prize is the chance to save a girl, and become one of twenty-four Advocates who decide and enforce the laws that govern the millions of monsters that roam the earth eating babies for breakfast. I imagine they’re not going to be too happy about having a human as a member of their club. Screw my life. How do I get myself into these things?” As a San Francisco Public Defender, Colt Valentine thinks he’s seen it all, heard it all, and knows it all. So, when a well-dressed man claiming to be a sixteen-hundred-year-old Vampire suddenly appears, offering Colt a job at a private law firm and claiming things that go bump in the night like Vampires, Witches and Weres, are not only living among us, but live under their own legal system, Colt is skeptical. That is, until he sees a video of a human family being savagely murdered by something Colt never imagined existed, not even in his darkest nightmares. “Just another routine day at the office, absolutely nothing out of the ordinary—other than the fact that, the judge has a giant scorpion tail, the defense attorney’s a vampire, and the defendant’s a werespider who would very much like to rip my head off and drink me dry.” Colt is a great trial lawyer, trained by the best, but even he begins to doubt himself as he is immersed in this dark world of magic, monsters, and murder. Colt tries to balance his old life and his new life, while struggling to obtain justice under a set of arcane laws that govern a society that views humans as nothing more than their next meal. The worst part of his new job is that, if he loses, he could lose more than just a trial, he could lose his life.

One Bite at a Time: Short Stories of Horror


Brandon Faircloth - 2018
    A magic trick with horrific consequences. An apartment with a...unique roach problem. Finding a serial killer's cell phone. Visiting a childhood friend who insists you really must see what's in a nearby tunnel. This book contains twenty-five terrifying new horror stories by Brandon Faircloth, all of them short enough to be enjoyed a bite at a time...if you're able to put them down at all.