Book picks similar to
Lords of Asylum by Kevin Wright


fantasy
grimdark
spfbo4
self-published

The Demons We See


Krista D. Ball - 2016
    Not only was she a highborn mage, she was a nonbeliever and a vocal objector against the supposed demonic origins of witchcraft. Demons weren't real, she'd argued, and therefore the subjection of mages was unlawful.That was all before the first assassination attempt. That was before Allegra heard the demonic shrieks. All before everything changed. Now Allegra and her personal guards race to stabilize the peace before the entire known world explodes into war with not just itself, but with the abyss from beyond.So much for demons not being real.

Pound of Flesh


J.A. Cipriano - 2016
    For one, most of them don’t have to kill people to stay alive. I do. It’s a half-demon thing. Yep, that’s right, half-demon. It’s awesome, especially since I’m half-warlock too, and those two sides don’t much get along. Still, that and a buck will get you a candy bar. So it’s all good. Or at least it was. See, I had this dumb idea to stop a robbery in progress and have myself a snack. Turns out these weren’t your run of the mill robbers. No, these were demonic slavers, there to capture the district attorney and sell her off to the highest bidding demon in Hell. Now if I want to stop them, I’m going to have to fight my way through a city full of hellfire-flinging, gun-toting, spell-weaving demons. My name is Roy Morgan, and I think I’ll have seconds.

The Warded Man


Peter V. Brett - 2008
    For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night.

Sticks and Stones


Shawn McGuire - 2014
    Mandy’s just moved in with her. The last time Mandy Matteo broke a rule, her sister ended up dead. Since that day she’s been the perfect daughter and student, doing everything right for fear of the repercussions. Her friends want fun, not perfection, and abandon Mandy for parties and boys.Now truly alone, Mandy makes a wish to simply be happy. Nothing extravagant, just a whisper to the universe that she never expects will come true. But then Desiree, a hippie genie with her own set of issues, shows up and grants Mandy’s wish by bringing her childhood imaginary friend to life.Mandy soon realizes she should have listened to Desiree’s warning. Magic wishes have one condition: Once started, they cannot be altered or revoked. No matter how bad things get.

Unholy Night


Seth Grahame-Smith - 2012
    They're an iconic part of history's most celebrated birth. But what do we really know about the Three Kings of the Nativity, besides the fact that they followed a star to Bethlehem bearing strange gifts? The Bible has little to say about this enigmatic trio. But leave it to Seth Grahame-Smith, the brilliant and twisted mind behind Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to take a little mystery, bend a little history, and weave an epic tale. In Grahame-Smith's telling, the so-called "Three Wise Men" are infamous thieves, led by the dark, murderous Balthazar. After a daring escape from Herod's prison, they stumble upon the famous manger and its newborn king. The last thing Balthazar needs is to be slowed down by young Joseph, Mary and their infant. But when Herod's men begin to slaughter the first born in Judea, he has no choice but to help them escape to Egypt. It's the beginning of an adventure that will see them fight the last magical creatures of the Old Testament; cross paths with biblical figures like Pontius Pilate and John the Baptist; and finally deliver them to Egypt. It may just be the greatest story never told.

The Subtle Beauty


Ann Hunter - 2014
    A vain beauty. Glory is the seventh daughter of Balthazar, High King of the Twelve Kingdoms. Glory hopes that - of all her sisters - she can escape the fate of a loveless marriage. But on the night she plans to elope with the royal falconer, her world comes crashing down: Her father announces Glory's betrothal to Eoghan of the Blood Realm - a prince no one has ever seen. The prince is said to be a recluse, cursed and deformed by the gods for the sins of his power-hungry father. Yet when Glory is trapped in Blackthorn Keep she discovers that not everything is what she expected. An insulting gryphon, a persistent ghost, and a secret plan to usurp the prince keep Glory reeling. In this retelling of BEAUTY & THE BEAST, can Glory overcome her vanity to learn that what she wants isn’t what she needs—and save the cursed prince?

TruthStone


Mike Shelton - 2018
    Now, she had a strange green TruthStone and the magic made her uneasy. The keeper’s words rang in her ears. What did it mean?“You are the one to save all the gemstones.”At fifteen, she was more interested in watching her brother Cole practice his sword fighting than listening to a strange prophecy, but there was something in her voice as the bright gem passed between them, that made Shaeleen believe.Why was she chosen?In that moment, surrounded by the chatter of barter, and for a reason beyond her comprehension, she decided it wouldn’t hurt to do a little digging around.But now every time she heard or told a lie she felt physical pain……Would her life ever be the same again?You’ll love this YA Fantasy, because it’s full of action, adventure, and magic…and just might make you think a moment longer before you tell your next lie!

The Bishop Witches


Ruby Knight - 2013
    Recommended for readers 18+. It is based in the college stage of life.***Savannah meets a guy that shows her that the world as she knows it, isn't the world she knew at all. Stephen introduces her to a world of sorcery and magic. Savannah is a Witch. A vengeful sorcerer takes Savannah's roommate as leverage, in an attempt to stop Savannah from accepting the power that is rightfully hers. If she accepts her magic, her roommate dies. Will she choose to become a light witch? If she doesn't, she will go back to living a completely normal mortal life and in the process save her roommate. But could she live a normal life after tasting a bit of magic? Savannah has to find a way to accept her magic and save her roommate. With a witches kiss, is she killing her friend? The Martin Family's sorcery line dates back to the Salem Witch Trials. Savannah is thrown into the world of magic, bringing danger laced in persecution that has lasted decades. This just so happens to be wrapped in a nice man candy package. Can Savannah find a way to accept her power and save her roommate, accepting her magic in the final hour? Savannah can't deny her fate. She will become a witch, bound by the craft.

The White Raven


Carrie D. Miller - 2017
    Despite her contentment, the truth of Aven's existence haunts her. When she dies, her Spirit is forced from the Veil to live again in the body of a stranger. Does the elusive white raven, who has shadowed Aven through each of her lives, hold the secret to her release--or is it the cause?To make matters worse, an unrelenting, twisted evil from Aven's past lurks closely behind her. Sustained by his hatred of the witch, he won't give up until she's paid for what she did to him.When the truth of Aven's connection to the white raven is revealed, it is more horrifying than she could ever have imagined.Her freedom will come at a terrible price. And even then, will she truly be free?

The Kingdoms


Natasha Pulley - 2021
    Joe Tournier has a bad case of amnesia. His first memory is of stepping off a train in the nineteenth-century French colony of England. The only clue Joe has about his identity is a century-old postcard of a Scottish lighthouse that arrives in London the same month he does. Written in illegal English—instead of French—the postcard is signed only with the letter “M,” but Joe is certain whoever wrote it knows him far better than he currently knows himself, and he's determined to find the writer. The search for M, though, will drive Joe from French-ruled London to rebel-owned Scotland and finally onto the battle ships of a lost empire's Royal Navy. In the process, Joe will remake history, and himself.

Kingdom of the Wicked


Kerri Maniscalco - 2020
    One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin...desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost—even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden.Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked—princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems...

The Wish Collector


Mia Sheridan - 2018
    When ballet dancer Clara Campbell arrives in New Orleans, lonely and homesick, she is immediately captivated by the story of Windisle Plantation and the tragic tale that is said to have transpired beyond its gate. Legend has it that it is abandoned by all living souls, but to Clara’s great surprise, it is not a ghost she hears through the stone wall surrounding the property, but a flesh and blood man. A scarred stranger with a pain deeper and darker than the churning waters of the Mississippi river that flows beside his self-imposed prison. The ruined man behind the wall hides himself from the world. The last thing he expects is to find a friend in the selfless girl who speaks to him through the cracks in the rock. The girl who keeps returning week after week. The girl who makes him wish for things he has long since given up on. The girl who strikes both fear and hope within his wounded heart. But there can be no future for them, no life beyond Windisle, for no one knows better than him that monsters only live in the dark. The Wish Collector is the story of shame and triumph, of loneliness and love, and the miracle of two hearts connecting despite the strongest of barriers between them.

Malice


John Gwynne - 2012
    He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage. The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed shields in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars. High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Some are skeptical, fighting their own border skirmishes against pirates and giants. But prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind’s hopes and dreams will fall to dust.

The Shadows Between Us


Tricia Levenseller - 2020
    Some say he can command the shadows that swirl around him to do his bidding. Others say they speak to him, whispering the thoughts of his enemies. Regardless, Alessandra knows what she deserves, and she’s going to do everything within her power to get it.But Alessandra’s not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough for him to make her his queen—all while struggling not to lose her heart. After all, who better for a Shadow King than a cunning, villainous queen?

Brightest Kind of Darkness


P.T. Michelle - 2011
    Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate...until she dreams a future she can't ignore.After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.