Book picks similar to
The Hostage by Kathryn Berck


giveaways
history
historical-fiction
200-299-pgs

The Brothers Three


Layton Green - 2017
    A fantasy addict and apprentice contractor in New Orleans, struggling to make ends meet, he has long wished for an escape from the real world.Late one night, he and his brothers receive a surprise inheritance: a staff with a mysterious stone on top, a pair of rogue's bracers, and a sword that Will can barely lift. A man with strange powers shows up to take the sword, and the three brothers barely escape with their lives. Searching for an explanation, it is not until a magical key whisks them across time and space, into a terrifying version of New Orleans ruled by wizards, that Will accepts the truth about his family's past.It seems Will Blackwood has found his adventure. But this isn't one of his fantasy novels, or a gaming campaign with friends. In his father's world, magic and monsters are real. Choices are life and death. And they have no idea how to get home . . ."An extraordinary new series" - Book Reader's HeavenO.D. Book Reviews says: "Action packed and exciting . . . reading this book has left me wanting to go on a fantasy bender.""So far in this year of books this is my absolute favorite. Not a moment of boredom." - Reading in Ecuador"I love this book!" - Book Room Reviews"One of the best fantasy quest books that I have read in a long time" - Blood Rose Books"A fantasy geek's dream come true . . . I love Green's writing and his ability to sweep me completely into a story."- Girl Who Reads Book Blog"I do believe Layton Green has moved into my top 5 author category - not an easy feat to attain!" - A Novel Source"Layton Green is an absolutely brilliant writer" - Everything to Do With Books

The Code Hunters


Jackson Coppley - 2019
    • An Army Ranger makes a snap decision that sets in motion events beyond his imagination.• In New Mexico, caver Tom Littleton discovers a 10,000-year-old coded tablet far too advanced for ancient people to have created it.• In Boston, Rachael Friedman, a leading physics professor, unlocks a key to the mysterious code.• And in Italy, a violin maker and his autistic daughter show the way to a secret chamber where a medieval scholar has locked away more clues.Wealthy adventurer Nicholas Foxe leads this unlikely team to solve the mystery of the code. But dark forces threaten to destroy The Tablet and the people who know about it…• The Televangelist who intends to profit from his “religious” interpretation of The Tablet.• A Washington Senator who secretly serves a powerful constituent.• The mysterious Texan who foresees extraordinary wealth by owning The Tablet.• A Bombmaker in Queens who serves the latest in destructive products.The Code Hunters is a Thriller for the reader who:• Wants the Adventure of Indiana Jones,• Likes the pace and puzzles of The Da Vinci Code,• Or just enjoys a Mystery Page-Turner.

Gauntlet Fall (The Gauntlet #1)


Maddy Edwards - 2017
    A fragile peace has allowed hopes for rebuilding to blossom, but they rest on the shoulders of those who run the Gauntlet, the lethal trail to the stronghold of the man whose strange creatures started the war many years ago. The stronghold lies deep in Torrent’s Valley, protected by deadly weapons that defeat every attempt to penetrate it, and it holds information crucial to the survival of Samantha’s world.Samantha wants to go to Harknell School, where Gauntlet Runners are trained. The only trouble is, she's the wrong gender. Determined not to let a little thing like that stand in her way, she disguises herself, calls herself "Sam," and risks everything to learn the skills she needs.Fraught with unimagined dangers, Harknell shows Sam a whole new world and forces her to keep a cool head as she fights to maintain her place and become a Runner. Along the way she'll make lifelong friends, watch loyalties crumble, and learn what it is to love. In this scorching world that no one saw coming, . . .until it arrived.

Bridge of Sighs: A Short Story of the Bubonic Plague


Laura Morelli - 2016
    But as the Black Death reaches its hand into his uncle’s workshop, young Tonino is faced with making a choice to survive. From the author of THE GONDOLA MAKER and MADE IN VENICE comes a short tale of pestilence, Venetian artisanship, and the will to live.

Who Is to Blame? A Russian Riddle


Jane Marlow - 2016
    Set during the mid-1800s in the vast grainfields of Russia, Who Is to Blame? follows the lives of two star-crossed serfs, Elizaveta and Feodor, torn apart by their own families and the Church while simultaneously trapped in the inhumane life of poverty to which they were born.At the other end of the spectrum, Count Maximov and his family struggle to maintain harmony amidst a tapestry of deception and debauchery woven by the Count’s son. The plot twists further when the Tsar emancipates twenty million serfs from bondage as the rural gentry’s life of privilege and carelessness takes its final bow, and much of Russia’s nobility faces possible financial ruin.

Quintessence: the poetry of true nature


Sara Priestley - 2019
    She frames this journey using the five fundamental elements of the universe as themes, grouping poems using the principles of earth, water, air, fire, or essence. Not only does this framework help with the discovery of meaning but also the attribution of it, coloring each poem with a new light.Though Sara’s approach to poetry is often described as an inside-out way of knowing, she prefers to call it inside-in, to bring recognition to the directness of the paths of understanding. You’ll find profound truths penned with clarity, lightness, and simplicity as you share in her journey, poem by poem. And after you experience all the joy, freedom, grief, and peace quintessence offers, you may discover a new understanding of your own true nature.

Daughter of Sparta


Claire M. Andrews - 2021
    Now the gods need her to save the world!Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis—who holds Daphne's brother's fate in her hands—upends the life she's worked so hard to build. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus, and if Daphne cannot find them, the gods' waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother's life will be forfeit.Guided by Artemis's twin—the handsome and entirely-too-self-assured god Apollo—Daphne's journey will take her from the labyrinth of the Minotaur to the riddle-spinning Sphinx of Thebes, team her up with mythological legends such as Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons, and pit her against the gods themselves.A reinterpretation of the classic Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo, Daughter of Sparta, by debut author Claire M. Andrews turns the traditionally male-dominated mythology we know into a heart-pounding and empowering female-led adventure.

Some People Deserve To Die


Colin Knight - 2013
    Riven by guilt and remorse he runs, but he can’t outrun his conscience. For twenty years, Alan tries to silence his conscience with alcohol and drugs as fate and chance propel him in to the dangerous world of smugglers, nationalists, guerrillas, and mercenaries.Battling alcohol and drug abuse, Alan dodges death and betrayal as life erodes his humanity and transforms him into a merciless killer until, used up and spent, he returns home. Destitute and dysfunctional, a street scuffle brings him eye-to-eye with the men responsible for his heinous crime. Harnessing skills and cruelty learned through a crime and violence-laden life Alan seeks justice for himself and his victim. But when justice has been served, Alan discovers the devastating truth about his crime, his family and himself.

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen


Sarah Bird - 2018
    According to her mother, she was a captive, bound by her noble warrior blood to escape the enemy. Her means of deliverance is Union general Phillip Henry “Smash ‘em Up” Sheridan, the outcast of West Point who takes the rawboned, prideful young woman into service. At war’s end, having tasted freedom, Cathy refuses to return to servitude and makes the monumental decision to disguise herself as a man and join the Army’s legendary Buffalo Soldiers.Alone now in the ultimate man’s world, Cathy must fight not only for her survival and freedom, but she vows to never give up on finding her mother, her little sister, and the love of the only man strong and noble enough to win her heart. Inspired by the stunning, true story of Private Williams, this American heroine comes to vivid life in a sweeping and magnificent tale about one woman’s fight for freedom, respect and independence.

I Adopted My Mom at the Bus Station


Savannah Hendricks - 2020
    Having a fear of germs is inconvenient when you’re on a road-trip adventure. However, needing to know what it’s like to have a mom, and to finally see the beach means more than anything to an eleven-year-old.Some twenty years later, a man Sandy never wanted to see again shows up at her doorstep. When Sandy’s best friend places an ultimate life-changing decision in her hands, Sandy must venture back down the road, this time with the father she hates.Making these decisions will be much easier with Justin, a long-time friend, by Sandy’s side. Yet, Justin’s help only leads to continued mixed emotions Sandy has been fighting for some time.Sandy is searching for what she lost, but will she accept what she finds? A journey rich in history, the truth, and determining forgiveness with a touch of humor is the portrait of life.

The Twin Towers


Richard Todd - 2019
    Special Forces Major Kyle Mason is honeymooning at New York’s SoHo Grand Hotel with his bride, Padma Mahajan. The couple’s hotel is only a few hundred yards away from Padma’s place of work on the 105th floor of the World Trade Center’s North Tower.When Padma steps out for coffee and a cigarette, a mysterious visitor enters the honeymoon suite, warning Kyle of an incomprehensible catastrophe that will result in the total destruction of the World Trade Center towers, killing his wife. The stranger enlists Kyle’s help to avert a disaster that will occur the following morning – on 9/11.The first book in the Time Tunnel series, Time Tunnel: The Twin Towers, re-imagines 9/11 as a critical inflection point in time, the outcome of which the government determines must be altered in order to reverse the course of the American empire.

Ghosted


J.E. Rowney - 2020
    Meanwhile Violet tries to juggle a new relationship and a demanding job as a midwife, where she meets a mum-to-be who faces her own unexpected challenges. Who can Violet turn to to help her to find out what lies behind Zoe’s disappearance?This is a story with twists and turns. A story of friendship. A story of trust.

Smash All the Windows


Jane Davis - 2018
    It will take courage to learn how to live again.‘An all-round triumph.’ John HudspithFor the families of the victims of the St Botolph and Old Billingsgate disaster, the undoing of a miscarriage of justice should be a cause for rejoicing. For more than thirteen years, the search for truth has eaten up everything. Marriages, families, health, careers and finances.Finally, the coroner has ruled that the crowd did not contribute to their own deaths. Finally, now that lies have been unravelled and hypocrisies exposed, they can all get back to their lives.If only it were that simple.Tapping into the issues of the day, Davis delivers a highly charged work of metafiction, a compelling testament to the human condition and the healing power of art. Written with immediacy, style and an overwhelming sense of empathy, Smash all the Windows will be enjoyed by readers of How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall and How to be Both by Ali Smith.

Harbinger of Doom: Three Book Bundle


Glenn G. ThaterGlenn G. Thater - 2014
    (The paperback versions total about 680 pages). Mad wizards wrenched open a gateway to hell on Eotrus land. A gateway that's determined to stay open. What is the young knight, Claradon Eotrus, to do when he discovers that the man he recruited to help him close that gateway is either the greatest hero the world has ever known or the devil himself, thrown down from the heavens by the gods in olden days? Is he out to save Midgaard or destroy it? Does he serve the Norse gods: Odin, Thor, and the rest, or did he slay them? And if he's truly the harbinger of doom, how can Claradon stop him? How can he even survive him? Claradon's Midgaard is a world filled of valiant knights, mysterious sorcerers, ruthless bounty hunters, complex political intrigues, monsters of myth and legend: the undead of this variety and that, gods and demons, and otherworldly evils so frightening you dare not read these books before sleep. But most of all, it's filled with stories that you will always remember, and characters that you will never forget. PRAISE FOR GLENN G. THATER'S HARBINGER OF DOOM SAGA “Thater is one of the most talented and exciting authors of our time. He is right up there with Tolkien, maybe even better. His unique writing technique leaves you pondering what is going to happen next and yearning for more.” — a Google Play reviewer "…a masterfully crafted epic fantasy about the ages old struggle between good and evil." --- Carol Marrs Phipps, author of Elf Killers "…a must read for all fans of classic sword and sorcery. A blend of Howard, Moorcock, Wagner, with a twist of Lovecraft. Well written and hugely entertaining." --- An Amazon reviewer "For a long time I have searched for a fantasy worthy of Lord of The Rings and I have found it!" --- An Amazon Reviewer "The Harbinger of Doom Series is a masterfully written story with Epic Heroic Battles, Adventure and great characters." --- An Amazon Reviewer "From page to page Thater weaves a tale so thoroughly explicit you feel like you're more than an observer." --- An Amazon Reviewer "Heroes, Wizards, and Demons - oh my!" "A fantastic mix of Norse and Middle eastern mythology held together by an epic tale." "Absolutely the best action medieval books that I have read since the Lord of the Rings series..." "Stylishly written epic fantasy tale with a Norse slant" "The action is fast and furious," "the story sucks you in and doesn't let go." "Pulls no punches in describing the horror of war..." "By far, the best epic fantasy I have read." "One of the best book series ever!!!" "Epic Tolkien-esque fantasy" "Masterful storytelling." "Fantastic," "Enthralling," "Brilliant" "One of those gems" "Am astounded that such a good book is free!" BOOKS BY GLENN G. THATER THE HARBINGER OF DOOM SAGA VOLUME 1: GATEWAY TO NIFLEHEIM VOLUME 2: THE FALLEN ANGLE VOLUME 3: KNIGHT ETERNAL VOLUME 4: DWELLERS OF THE DEEP VOLUME 5: BLOOD, FIRE, AND THORN VOLUME 6: GODS OF THE SWORD VOLUME 7: THE SHAMBLING DEAD VOLUME 8: MASTER OF THE DEAD VOLUME 9: SHADOW OF DOOM VOLUME 10: WIZAR

The Almond Tree


Michelle Cohen Corasanti - 2012
    Living under occupation, the inhabitants of the village harbour a constant fear of losing their homes, jobs, belongings – and each other. On Ahmed’s twelfth birthday, that fear becomes a reality. With his father now imprisoned, his family’s home and possessions confiscated and his siblings quickly succumbing to hatred in the face of conflict, Ahmed embarks on a journey to liberate his loved ones from their hardship, using his prodigious intellect. In so doing, he begins to reclaim a love for others that had been lost over the course of a childhood rife with violence, and discovers new hope for the future.