Book picks similar to
Opening Gambit by Tilly Wallace
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The Arrival
Nicole MacDonald - 2010
Only one thing can tip the balance, the return of the Elementals.In Wellington, New Zealand, four friends cast a love spell unaware that within each of them a dormant power waits. As the final words ‘So mote it be’ ring from the lips of Kassandra, Catherine, Sian, and Laura, a bridge between realms is formed.The Arrival is a story of love, hope, despair, and above all, determination. Only through strength of spirit and mind can the four women hope to survive a war where they are the ultimate weapons AND the ultimate prize.
Branded
Neva Bell - 2019
There's only one thing left to do - receive their brands. These magical tattoos not only determine their lesson plans, but also the type of magic the twins will practice for the rest of their lives. Convinced they already know what Branding Day has in store for them, Chelsea and Chloe quickly learn nothing is guaranteed when fate and magic are involved. While author Neva Bell dabbles with the paranormal in her new novel, Branded includes elements readers of her romantic comedies will recognize - a little bit of humor, drama and romance rolled into one.
Dragon Spell
Mac Flynn - 2019
She doesn't realize how unusual until she returns on holiday from college to discover that her grandmother has been kidnapped. Her grandfather reveals that her kidnappers are a new foe from an old world, and her grandmother's only hope is for them to travel to the other side after her.The Shifting World, however, isn't as easy as ours. Every monster, witch, demon, and other mystical fable that haunts the fairytale books of our world resides among those lands. Jane finds herself stumbling through one adventure after another as she tries to learn the ropes, and the magic, of the new world in order to save her grandmother, and herself.Even a place as strange as the Shifting World, however, has its familiar handsome men. One of them is Caius, a dragon shifter with a sly smile and a glint in his eyes. He joins their search for her missing grandmother, but Jane isn't so sure it isn't another member of her family that he's interested in.
Curse of Magic
Michael Brightburn - 2019
But when he’s betrayed by his most trusted advisor and exiled beyond the Ancient Wall, he’ll have to use a magic dangerous and long dormant to reclaim what was taken from him. Note: This novel contains detailed harem elements.
A Gift of Magic
Julianne Berokoff - 2020
Vienna is sick of her bloodthirsty, throne-stealing parents. So when she's Chosen by an advanced academy she's never heard of, she thanks the gods above. When she realizes the school isn't supposed to exist, and that it's in fae territory...Well... bring it on.--Tavi is oath-sworn to keep his powers secret. And for most of his life, he's done so.But once the Carthian Princess invades his world, the walls he's built so high begin to crumble.Vienna is reckless, and trouble clings to her like perfume. No sooner does she arrive at the Fae Academy than a cloud of darkness threatens to sweep them all away.If not for her stubborn spirit, battle skills, and a group of powerful new friends, she wouldn't stand a chance.--This is Book 1 of a complete series (trilogy). This story is full of friendship, epic adventure, and the trials of finding your true self - a slow-burn enemies-to-lovers academy fantasy for young adult & new adult readers. Includes some adult language and intimate scenes later on in the series.
Minimum Wage Magic
Rachel Aaron - 2018
In a lawless city where gods are real, dragons are traffic hazards, and buildings move around on their own, it can feel downright impossible.Good thing freelance mage Opal Yong-ae has never let little things like impossibility stop her. She’s found a way to put her overpriced magical art history degree to use as a Cleaner: a contract municipal employee who empties out abandoned apartments and resells the unusual treasures she finds inside for a profit. It’s not a pretty job, or a safe one--there’s a reason she wears bite-proof gloves--but when you’re neck-deep in debt to a very magical, very nasty individual, you can’t be picky about where the money comes from.But even Opal’s low standards are put to the test when the only thing of value in her latest apartment is the body of the previous tenant. Dealing with the dead isn’t technically part of her job, but this mage died hiding a secret that could be worth a lot of money, and Opal’s the only one who knows. With debts she can’t pay due at the end of the week, this could be the big break she’s been waiting for, but in a city of runaway magic where getting in over your head generally means losing it, the cost of chasing this opportunity might be more than Opal can survive.AUTHOR’S NOTE:This is the first in a new series set in the same universe as my Heartstrikers books, but you don’t need to have read those stories to enjoy this one. MINIMUM WAGE MAGIC was written to stand by itself, so if you haven’t read the others, don’t worry! I wrote this book with you in mind. Thank you so much for reading!
The Lost Vampire Prince
Melody Raven - 2019
Strong. Powerful. Deadly. The only thing he's missing is his throne. Decades ago a vampire mutiny murdered his father and forced him into hiding, but all that is about to change. A mortal woman smart enough to learn the truth about him and naive enough to trust him is the perfect pawn to sneak him back into the monarchy. Nothing is going to stop Nicolas from getting what is rightfully his. Not lust. Not love. And not Anna. At least that's what he thinks.
Assassin's Blood
Marina Finlayson - 2019
But tonight, I’m stalking an ice-cold fae assassin. I’m on a mission to avenge my murdered friend. I’m only half fae, but my lack of magic won’t stop me. When I’m caught spying in the assassins’ stronghold, they give me a choice, according to their ancient custom: become one of them or die. As if that isn’t sucky enough, my new instructor, Ash, is the beautiful, cold-eyed killer I followed here. But the longer I’m with him, the more he intrigues me. Now my acting skills are facing their greatest challenge: convincing my brooding instructor that I’m a happy little recruit, while working to bring down the assassins’ guild from the inside. That’s a hell of a job, but my survival depends on it.
Claimed by the Rogue Wolf
Kristen Strassel - 2020
Now they expect me to fight for them and help them take a she-wolf captive for the same treatment. Like hell I’ll do that. This battle is my chance to pledge allegiance to a more humane pack. The plan is dangerous, but when the she-wolf my pack wants to capture turns out to be my mate, it turns into a suicide mission. Jasmine is worth the risk. She convinces her pack to give me a chance, and I’ve got one shot to gain my freedom and claim my mate. But my old alpha doesn’t take no for an answer. He wants revenge and so do I. And I’ll stop at nothing to keep my mate safe.
Every Last Kiss
Courtney Cole - 2011
Controlled by the Fates. Can Macy's love for her soul mate survive the bonds of time... and death?17-year old Macy Lockhart is as far from normal as any one girl can be. The problem is, she doesn’t know it yet.After a bloodstone pendant is mysteriously left on her door, Macy’s life begins to change in ways she’d never dreamed. And while she will eventually come to realize that nothing is ever what it seems, that her life is a tangled web of lies and the Fates themselves pull the strings, for now she is left with only the explanations that they offer her.Macy is led to believe that if she doesn’t return to a previous doomed life, one in which she served as Queen Cleopatra ‘s handmaiden, the fate of the entire world will be threatened in a way that would destroy history as we know it. She learns that she has lived thousands of lives, each one ending tragically…but none as tragic as this one.After returning to ancient Egypt, she is faced with heart-wrenching decisions. Unless she interferes with Fate’s plan, the very thing she was born to protect, her soul mate will die leading Marc Antony’s forces against Rome. Can she really stand aside and watch the love of her life die all over again?In this fascinating novel-length prequel to The Bloodstone Saga, Courtney Cole sets the stage for an epic journey that will have readers holding their breath until the very last page of the very last book has been turned.What would you do if you held Fate in your hands?
Bartered to the Fae Lord
Rylee Winters - 2019
But now things have just fallen to a whole new level of crappiness even she couldn’t imagine! Her dead-beat father has struck a bargain with a Fae lord and offered her up as his bride to save his own worthless skin. Unfortunately, she discovers once a deal is struck with one of the immortal folk, there’s no way out… Callum, the mysterious Fae lord, comes for her personally, spiriting her away to his cold, wintry realm. She’s given no choice but to marry him and remain his captive. But Elise isn’t about to give up––she’s concocting a plan to escape. Only she’s in danger of losing herself heart, body and soul, to this brooding, chiselled, Fae warrior before she can realize her plan. Meanwhile, war is brewing in the Kingdom, and Callum has been ordered to ready the army of troops in his garrison to march for battle. There are enemies in the shadows and conspiracies happening behind closed doors, and he and Elise will find themselves caught in the crossfire. Will Elise be able to find out Callum is her fated mate before war erupts around them and tears them apart? Or will she abandon him in his greatest moment of need, when she’s unexpectedly given a chance to return home? *Bartered to the Fae Lord is a standalone steamy paranormal romance with a HEA. Each book in the Fated Mates series will feature a different couple with a complete story.*
A Defender Rises
T.R. Cameron - 2021
The Mist Casino sits just above a kemana with an interior that would make a ghost feel right at home. Of course it does.After all, Magic City has to compete with nearby Vegas. A different kind of magic.Ruby is just back from University for the summer, catching up with an old friend when everything changes with a BANG! A series of small blasts are exploding all around her. Chips are flying through the air. Someone wanted to announce their arrival in town. But who?Ruby is about to get drawn into a battle for control of Magic City. They just made the fight personal. Is the Ebon Dragon Casino next?Will Ruby’s secrets get in her way?What waits at the end could change her life forever, if she survives the journey.For action, magic, snarky banter, martial arts, mystical creatures, and high intrigue, take a vacation to Magic City!
Rippler
Cidney Swanson - 2011
Handsome Will Baker offers help and secrecy, but soon Sam will have to choose between keeping her secrets and keeping Will in her life. Suspenseful and romantic, Rippler and its sequels capture the collision of the beautiful with the dark.Two further sequels form a complete trilogy. Four additional books in series for those who fall in love with the Ripple world and want even more!RIPPLER is the free first book in a teen and young adult paranormal fantasy series set in a contemporary world where invisibility has long been a well kept secret. It combines the heart pounding action of a thriller with a touch of clean romance and a science fiction twist.
The Cast Of A Stone
Avril Borthiry - 2014
Besides having a touch of magic in his blood, he is also one of a chosen few – an assembly of extraordinary men responsible for the safekeeping of a celestial power. Yet he is not immune to the anguish that can plague a mortal man's existence. On a bright morning in the year 1247, a young woman lies dying in Alexander's arms. With her final breath, she compels him to make a promise – a vow that will change his life. Three days later, he takes a baby girl from an abbey in southern England and flees north to the Cumbrian hills. The child's name is Emma. Alexander refuses to believe what he's been told about Emma's conception. His commitment to her upbringing, however, remains steadfast. He raises her as his own, in seclusion and in peace, trusting that the past will stay in the past. It does not.Years later, their quiet existence is threatened when a familiar evil is unleashed. Despite all his efforts, Alexander is forced to break his sacred vows and use a forbidden power to save the child he loves. In doing so, he must make the ultimate sacrifice. His punishment will be final. He has no defense.But the past, it seems, is not done with Alexander. When all hope is gone, an unexpected voice speaks from the shadows of time, and tells a tragic tale of lies, betrayal, and love lost. Can such a reckoning save Alexander's life? Can the forgiveness of a ghost save his soul? And will the love of a child allow him, at last, to believe in miracles?