Trigger


Jessica L. Webb - 2016
    Kate Morrison doesn’t know how or why someone would create human bombs that are triggered by touch. But when Sergeant Andy Wyles blocks Kate from touching the patient who collapses in her Vancouver ER, Kate joins the investigation to demand answers, regardless of the danger. As the two women work together to find those responsible for creating an army of human weapons, Kate finds it increasingly difficult to ignore her feelings for the fiercely protective and unrelentingly perceptive cop. The investigation escalates, and Kate gradually begins to trust Andy, not only with her safety but also with the difficult details of her past. With lives at risk and her heart on the line, Kate must search for a way to defuse the bombs and save her patients, even as she questions the intensifying connection between herself and Andy.

The Afterward


E.K. Johnston - 2019
    The heroes who brought the gem home are renowned in story and song, but for two fellows on the quest, peace and prosperity do not come easily. Apprentice Knight Kalanthe Ironheart wasn't meant for heroism this early in life, and while she has no intention of giving up the notoriety she has earned, her reputation does not pay her bills. With time running out, Kalanthe may be forced to betray not her kingdom or her friends, but her own heart as she seeks a stable future for herself and those she loves. Olsa Rhetsdaughter was never meant for heroism at all. Beggar, pick pocket, thief, she lived hand to mouth on the city streets until fortune--or fate--pulled her into Kalanthe's orbit. And now she's quite reluctant to leave it. Even more alarmingly, her fame has made her recognizable, which makes her profession difficult, and a choice between poverty and the noose isn't much of a choice at all. Both girls think their paths are laid out, but the godsgem isn't quite done with them and that new golden age isn’t a sure thing yet. In a tale both sweepingly epic and intensely personal, Kalanthe and Olsa fight to maintain their newfound independence and to find their way back to each other.

The Bone Doll's Twin


Lynn Flewelling - 2001
    But the people grew complacent and Erius, a usurper king, claimed his young half sister’s throne. Now plague and drought stalk the land, war with Skala’s ancient rival Plenimar drains the country’s lifeblood, and to be born female into the royal line has become a death sentence as the king fights to ensure the succession of his only heir, a son. For King Erius the greatest threat comes from his own line — and from Illior’s faithful, who spread the Oracle’s words to a doubting populace.As noblewomen young and old perish mysteriously, the king’s nephew — his sister’s only child — grows toward manhood. But unbeknownst to the king or the boy, strange, haunted Tobin is the princess’s daughter, given male form by a dark magic to protect her until she can claim her rightful destiny. Only Tobin’s noble father, two wizards of Illior, and an outlawed forest witch know the truth. Only they can protect young Tobin from a king’s wrath, a mother’s madness, and the terrifying rage of her brother’s demon spirit, determined to avenge his brutal murder....

The Winged Histories


Sofia Samatar - 2016
    As war erupts and their families are torn apart, they fear they may disappear into the unwritten pages of history. Using the sword and the pen, the body and the voice, they struggle not just to survive, but to make history.Sofia Samatar is the author of the Crawford, British Fantasy, and World Fantasy award-winning novel A Stranger in Olondria. She also received the John W. Campbell Award. She has written for the Guardian, Strange Horizons, Lightspeed, and many other publications. She lives in California. Her website is sofiasamatar.com.Praise for A Stranger in Olondria:"A book about the love of books. Her sentences are intoxicating and one can easily be lost in their intricacy. . . . Samatar's beautifully written book is one that will be treasured by book lovers everywhere."— Raul M. Chapa, BookPeople, Austin, Texas

The Queen's Curse


Natasja Hellenthal - 2013
    Instead of being imprisoned, she is soon chosen to be Artride's only bodyguard on a perilous secret mission! Why and how?The two women set out on their quest and have to work their way through their difficulties whilst trying to fight the undeniable chemistry between them and everything along the way. Will they find the much-needed sorceress - and if so- will she be willing to help them? For what price? Will they be back in time to save Tirsa's brother?Enter the world that is 'The Queen's Curse' and cling to Artride and Tirsa to experience a mind-blowing, heart-gripping, psychological romantic fantasy adventure where nothing is certain.

Pantomime


Laura Lam - 2013
    . . Gene's life resembles a debutante's dream. Yet she hides a secret that would see her shunned by the nobility. Gene is both male and female. Then she displays unwanted magical abilities - last seen in mysterious beings from an almost-forgotten age. Matters escalate further when her parents plan a devastating betrayal, so she flees home, dressed as a boy. The city beyond contains glowing glass relics from a lost civilization. They call to her, but she wants freedom not mysteries. So, reinvented as 'Micah Grey', Gene joins the circus. As an aerialist, she discovers the joy of flight - but the circus has a dark side. She's also plagued by visions foretelling danger. A storm is howling in from the past, but will she heed its roar?

The Fifth Season


N.K. Jemisin - 2015
    Again.Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze -- the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years -- collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She'll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.original cover of ISBN 0316229296/9780316229296

Love Spell


Karen Williams - 1993
    A masterful blend of fantasy and reality, this whimsical story, set in the glorious countryside of upstate New York, will delight your imagination and warm your heart.

Ladysmith


Rhavensfyre - 2014
    True to her family name, Rohanna carries the MacLeod gift with horses. With single minded determination, she denies herself everything else that life offers in order to keep what is hers, to keep and preserve the family farm from an abusive stepmother she abhors. Everything changes when she runs into trouble on the way to a horse show. Her prize gelding throws a shoe and risks laming if she can't find a farrier on short notice. A chance offer and a plain business card sends her to the Ladysmith, a farrier and blacksmith with a mysterious past. Alexandria Strider is drawn into Rohanna's world. Caught between new bonds and old oaths, Alex holds the key to Rohanna's past and an unrealized destiny, if she can find the strength to do what is necessary. Sometimes stories are more than myth and legend. What has been forgotten cannot be suppressed, and nightmares can come alive in your dreams. Rohanna has lived her entire life trying to escape her nightmares, now one has become her closest ally and lover, and just possibly, the only thing that can save her.

Birthright


L. Fergus - 2019
    She's an undefeated sword duelist and risen to underboss in the Shadow Guild, but her family keeps dragging her back to her life as a duke's daughter—and no one will explain why. What Kita doesn't know is her future was written before she was born. When the Commander of the Legion of Yorq arrives to recruit a member of the noble family, Kita's mother informs Kita of her destiny: a powerful role in Arcone, a place Kita's never heard of. This is the opportunity Kita longs for—it will take her far from home and give her protection from her father. But nothing's free. To claim her birthright, Kita must win the harrowing Proving Ritual but the deadly challenge may be more than Kita can handle. She would rather die than live with failure. But to win, she may be forced to reveal her darkest secret. Awards Best Overall -- The Pearl Awards 1st Place Science FIction -- The Lilac Awards 1st Place Science Fiction -- LGBT+ Wattys 1st Place Science Fiction -- The Blue Rose Awards 1st Place Science Fiction -- Eminence Awards Angel of Yorq BONUS STORY NOT INCLUDED! GET IT WITH THE PAPERBACK VERSION

Goldenseal


Gill McKnight - 2009
    Now, years later, Amy returns to Little Dip, the Garoul home valley to help her aunt finish a botanical project. Except Little Dip is no longer the happy place of Amy’s childhood memories. There’s something sinister in the woods. And why hasn’t Leone moved on? Why does she still dog Amy’s every move? As more and more of the Garoul family arrive for a special hunting weekend, parts of the puzzle come together and Amy’s fears escalate as she moves closer to the truth—and the secret that has eluded her since childhood.

Swordspoint


Ellen Kushner - 1987
    Award-winning author Ellen Kushner has created a world of unforgettable characters whose political ambitions, passionate love affairs, and age-old rivalries collide with deadly results.SwordspointOn the treacherous streets of Riverside, a man lives and dies by the sword. Even the nobles on the Hill turn to duels to settle their disputes. Within this elite, dangerous world, Richard St. Vier is the undisputed master, as skilled as he is ruthless--until a death by the sword is met with outrage instead of awe, and the city discovers that the line between hero and villain can be altered in the blink of an eye.

Fury's Bridge


Brey Willows - 2017
    If she fails in her mission, those she loves will cease to exist.Selene Perkton is a philosophy professor in Los Angeles. She lives an ordinary, well scheduled life, and knows her place in it. When Alec appears, the world she thought she knew becomes a very different place.Can Alec and Selene put aside their differences, or will the evil lurking in the shadows manage to pull them apart?Cover Artist: Sheri Halal

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps


Kai Ashante Wilson - 2015
    With his ancestors' artifacts in hand, the Sorcerer follows the Captain, a beautiful man with song for a voice and hair that drinks the sunlight.The two of them are the descendants of the gods who abandoned the Earth for Heaven, and they will need all the gifts those divine ancestors left to them to keep their caravan brothers alive.The one safe road between the northern oasis and southern kingdom is stalked by a necromantic terror. Demane may have to master his wild powers and trade humanity for godhood if he is to keep his brothers and his beloved captain alive.

Vanlife


Nicolette Dane - 2017
    She's blissfully living the vanlife, crossing the country as she pleases, working odd jobs to fund her lifestyle, treading lightly, and leaving no trace behind her. But despite the immense freedom she has as a traveling nomad, she can't help but feel that something's missing… perhaps someone. A quick trip through Madison turns far more interesting for Julia when she meets Robin Hyland. Robin is searching for answers, and a chance encounter between the two women opens up a brand new adventure that neither expected. While Julia didn't anticipate having a passenger in her van, it's hard to say no to a pretty redhead who's looking to find herself. Will Julia and Robin be able to navigate the potentially treacherous road ahead of them and come out unscathed? Can love win out over the demons that both women must face? Life on the road has its challenges, especially when you're living the bohemian life in your van. Facing those obstacles with a partner, however, might reveal a route never before considered.