Book picks similar to
The Face of Destiny by Amos T. Fairchild


australian
science-fiction-fantasy
sff-ck-ku

The Fire Islands


Gilbert M. Stack - 2017
    While the days of the powerful witchdoctor kings throwing skeletal armies against the shields of the legion have faded into history, all is not right at the edge of the world. Unrest is boiling once again as long dead darkness seeps back into the islands. With the legion more concerned with its personal rivalries than with its duty, it will fall to Marcus and his small, highly disciplined, command to put the horrors of the past back in their graves and literally save Aquila from a fate worse than death.

The Millionaire Castaway


Dave Glasheen - 2019
    After a series of catastrophes, he needed to take drastic measures to restore himself. Opting out of the rat race, he cast himself away to a deserted island off the north-east tip of Australia, as far off the grid as was humanly possible. He has lived there ever since.One annual supermarket shop, a sketchy internet connection and enough ingredients for a home-brew satisfy Dave’s material needs. He catches fish, traps rainwater and cooks on an open fire. For company he tames dingoes, meets with friends from the Aboriginal community 40 kilometres away and entertains drop-ins such as Russell Crowe sailing past on his honeymoon. Then there’s Dave’s running feud with Boxhead, an antisocial saltwater crocodile who just won’t leave him in peace.Between heartbreak and hair-raising adventures, Dave has found happiness on Restoration Island. Brimming with humour, eccentricity and hard-earned wisdom, The Millionaire Castaway will give you a whole new view on life.

We Don't Live Here Anymore


Matt Nable - 2009
    In this startling debut novel, Matt Nable follows the fortunes of Charlie, Tess, and their families and neighbours. Their lives intertwine, unravel, straighten, and become tangled again. A father tries to relive his football career through his son; a mother deserts her children in an attempt to find herself; a daughter purges to take control of her life.This is a portrait of plans gone wrong, a lament of what could have been, a salute to the power of redemptive love, and a brave examination of contemporary society.

King of the Wilderness: The Life of Deny King


Christobel Mattingley - 2001
    By the time he died in 1991 he was truly the king of his remarkable wilderness, and internationally celebrated for his unique lifestyle.

Witch's Moon


D.L. Harrison - 2015
    She grew up believing her magic was weak, but she was satisfied with her life, and happy. She was a midwife, healer, and supplier of surrounding covens. Then her mother died, and she’s about to discover she isn’t who, or what, she believes herself to be, not completely. She will learn that her entire life up until now was a lie. She’ll need to figure out her place, who she is when she no longer recognizes herself, and try to hold on to her closest friends as she gathers enemies for the simple crime of her existence. She’s stronger than she believes, but will it be enough?

Ghost Riders In The Sky


Timothy Zahn - 2020
    With every voyage taking exactly five hours, whether the distance is one light-year or a thousand, the drive allowed humanity to finally escape Earth and reach for the stars.But while the aliens owned the technology, they needed humans to make it practical. Specifically, humans who could temporarily leave their bodies and guide the tunnelships through the void of space.Nathan Skoda is one such navigator. After hundreds of trips, and with hundreds yet to go, all he wants is to finish out his indenture before he succumbs to burnout. So when he’s approached with a plan that might free the navigators from the Meerian chokehold, he decides to check it out.But when the Meerians move to protect their monopoly, Skoda realizes he’s let himself in for more than he bargained for.And he discovers that, dark though his life may be, there’s an even deeper darkness lying beneath the surface.

The Billionaire Cattle Baron


Mandy Magro - 2017
    But this farmer isn’t looking for a wife — his first love ended in tragedy, and he will never put his heart on the line again. The land is his love, and he’s happy that way.Sasha Hepworth has goals and ambitions and she has worked very hard for her success. She’s just forgotten how to enjoy herself. So a weekend fling with a gorgeous cowboy is just what she needs — after all, it can’t go any further. She’d never leave the conveniences and beauty of the city for a dusty outback town.But a weekend of fine dining and spectacular sights isn’t enough for Blake and Sasha, and the growing feelings that neither can deny make them question everything about their lives. When a city girl meets a country boy, will they find middle ground?

Fortune and Glory (The Change)


John Birmingham - 2017
    Set in S.M. Stirling’s epic storyworld of The Change, ‘Fortune and Glory’ drops readers into the dead heart of post-apocalyptic Sydney.

Prophecy's Ruin


Sam Bowring - 2009
    In absence of victory a stalemate persists- until a prophecy foretells of a child of power who will destroy the balance forever.Mages from two lands race to claim the newborn. But in a ferocious battle of magic fought over the baby, his very soul is being ripped apart,leaving two boys in its wake. Each side seizes a child,uncertain whether they now possess the one capable of victory.Bel grows to be a charismatic though troubled warrior, Losara an enigmatic and thoughtful mage. Both are strong, yet incomplete. As they struggle to discover their destinies, each must ask the ultimate question: will he, one day, have to face himself?

The Fence Painting Fortnight of Destiny


Meshel Laurie - 2013
    I remember moments of enlightenment that arrived with a bang, and moments born of the self-reflection only true boredom can provide. I made a few decisions while painting a fence once. Those decisions turned out to be very noisy indeed.'Comedian and radio and TV personality Meshel Laurie was once Michelle Laurie, whose story begins in Queensland. Michelle survived her Catholic schooldays but by Year Nine had morphed into Meshel, who daydreamed of moving to Melbourne - home of Dogs in Space and the back room of the Espy.Meshel's insider's perspective on the 1990s comedy scene is intimate and more than a little surprising. She paints a picture of a close-knit environment and tells before-they-were-famous stories about up-and-comers who are today's household names, and about the kindness of comic superstars she encountered along the way: Dave Hughes, Julia Morris, Rove, Wil Anderson, Wendy Harmer and others. We find out about the workings of an inner-city brothel, what it's like to be 'the girl on Rove' and how fence-painting can help save a life.The Fence-Painting Fortnight of Destiny is an honest and heartfelt look at life in all its messiness and unpredictability.

Heaven's Gate: Volume 1 (A LitRPG Adventure)


DragonTreasures - 2019
     In fact, it wasn't technically a video game. Alfred had somehow ended up on a planet millions of miles away from Earth, but with dungeons, hot girls, and strange creatures appearing at every turn. Just like a video game he could complete missions for experience, and even join a guild and play with friends. It almost seemed like a normal world until he discovered that in the planet, Heaven's Gate, your dreams could come true if you were brave enough to enter into the hardest dungeons. He runs into some friends and foes in the game, and tries his hardest to conquer the legendary dream dungeons where all your dreams can come true if you can just survive. If you wish to revive someone, or learn a few 'broken' skills, you can do it at the apex of Heaven's Gate. Luckily, he's been training in martial arts since he was a kid, and seems to have a natural advantage in the game thanks to his martial prowess and sharp mind. Warning: Contains Harem Elements, Gore, and LitRPG elements...

The Cedar Tree


Heather Reyburn - 2020
    As if adjusting to a new and isolated lifestyle isn’t enough, the handsome new owner of Tullagulla shows up and Grace is thrown into turmoil. Torn between the gentle stranger and her hot-headed husband, Grace is forced to confront her feelings and question her loyalties, while her love for Tullagulla further challenges her ability to make a life changing decision. When tragedy strikes, will a century old ghost help her or destroy her? "The Cedar Tree is a sweeping story of outback life and the every day struggles of life on the land. The characters are raw and relatable. I can't wait to read more in this series." Sarah Williams, Bestselling Author.Similar in style to Barbara Hannay, Cathryn Hein, Sarah Williams, Fiona McArthur, Victoria Purman, Fiona Palmer and Tricia Stringer.

The Encore Lives of Effie Edenson: A Middle Falls Time Travel Story


Shawn Inmon - 2022
    A best-selling author. A runaway bride. A woman who cannot see the gifts she possesses.Though she is an adult, her mother dominates her life to a point that she feels she will never be able to break free.But Effie lives in Middle Falls, where all things are possible. After an untimely death, Effie wakes up at a critical juncture in her life. The question is, what can she do with this second chance?The Encore Lives of Effie Edenson is a standalone novel that is part of the Middle Falls Time Travel Series.

Your Every Move


Vanessa Garbin - 2022
    So when she finds a bag of money under a bush after dropping her kids off at school, she’d be forgiven for thinking her luck has changed for the better.Unfortunately, things go from bad to worse. She starts getting threatening letters. They claim to be from her “number one fan”, referring to a time when she was a popular actress on an Australian soap opera. The person writing them knows about the money.Unsure what to do, and wishing she’d never found the cash, paranoid and suspicious, Dana is forced to comply with her fan’s ever more demanding and bizarre requests.But when her kids are threatened, she’ll have to dig deep to turn the tables on her stalker. Yet putting her life on track will mean confronting her own murky past.

Dead by Friday


Derek Pedley - 2012
    Two mothers talk murder outside a primary school and suddenly down-payments are being made on contracts to kill. From the Adelaide suburbs that spawned the Snowtown killers, enter the hitman, a man who eats speed for breakfast and murder contracts for lunch, on a sandwich. For the first time, the truth about the lovers who wanted their partners dead, but didn't count on shrewd detectives, a brave husband and a shattered family - all determined to bring three killers to justice.