Book picks similar to
Russell's Attic, Books 1 - 3 by S.L. Huang
fiction
fantasy
a-spy-stuff
a-fantasy
The Falling Machine
Andrew P. Mayer - 2011
But twenty year-old socialite Sarah Stanton still dreams of becoming a hero. Her opportunity arrives in tragedy when the leader of the Society of Paragons, New York's greatest team of gentlemen adventurers, is murdered right before her eyes. To uncover the truth behind the assassination, Sarah joins forces with the amazing mechanical man known as The Automaton. Together they unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the Paragons that reveals the world of heroes and high-society is built on a crumbling foundation of greed and lies. When Sarah comes face to face with the megalomaniacal villain behind the murder, she must discover if she has the courage to sacrifice her life of privilege and save her clockwork friend.
The Bloodline Feud
Charles Stross - 2013
They are a mixture of nobility and criminal conspirators whose power to walk between their world and ours makes them rich in both.Miriam, a hip tech journalist from Boston, discovers her alternate-world relatives with explosive results that shake three worlds. Now, as the prodigal Countess Helge Thorold-Hjorth, she finds herself ensnared in schemes and plots centuries in the making. She is surrounded by unlikely allies, lethal contraband, and—most dangerous of all—her family.To avoid a slippery slope down to an unmarked grave, Miriam must build a power base of her own—with unexpected consequences for three different time lines, including the quasi-Victorian one exploited by the hidden family.
The Magic Factory
Morgan Rice - 2018
Oliver knows he is different, and senses that he holds powers that others do not. Obsessed with inventions, Oliver is determined to escape his horrible life and make his mark on the world. When Oliver is moved to yet another awful house he is put into in a new sixth grade, one even more terrifying than the last. He is bullied and excluded, and sees no way out. But when he stumbles across an abandoned invention factory, he wonders if his dreams might be about to come true. Who is the mysterious old inventor hiding in the factory? What is his secret invention? And will Oliver end up transported back in time, to 1944, to a magical school for kids with powers to rival his own?
Deprivers
Steven-Elliot Altman - 2003
Lonely and isolated, he's turned his "special trick" into a lucrative career as an assassin. He thinks he's one of a kind - until one day he's confronted by a young girl named Cassandra, who tells him that he's not alone. She has it too, and the two of them are not the only carriers ofSensory Deprivation Syndrome (SDS)SDS is a medical condition so dangerous that carriers can render anyone they touch blind or deaf, or otherwise senseless, in seconds.Fearing discovery, Luxley follows Cassandra through a dark underground network of "Deprivers" in a desperate hunt for her missing brother Nicholas, taken hostage by a radical group of carriers with a terrifying agenda. Luxley doesn't know who to trust, or who is safe to touch, but he needs to learn Cassandra's secrets fast. As knowledge of SDS spreads, and panic erupts, no Depriver anywhere in the world will be safe.
Bright Horizons
Wilson Harp - 2012
At the historic first meeting, an ambush was launched that put peace for humanity out of reach. Colonel Kyle Martin was there that day. It was his leadership and the bravery of his marines that saved what little hope mankind had. When Earth was threatened with invasion, Martin again felt the weight of war pressing down on him.Known as the Butcher of Hyderabad for his decisions in the Indian War, Martin seemed a poor choice to guard the peace but the perfect man to organize the forces of Earth to defend itself from the coming alien scourge.With a select team of humans and a few allies among the alien races, Martin is tasked with not only defeating the invading armada, but with making sure that Earth is kept free from any alien domination.Faced with impossible odds against an overwhelming foe with advanced technology, it is only a secret about Earth itself that gives Martin the glimmer of hope to succeed.With his “lucky charm” Ramirez, his go-to girl Kitch, and an unshakable Sergeant Major, Martin rolls the die time after time in audacious gambles with the stakes being nothing less than the survival of the human race. Face-paced action awaits in this military sci-fi adventure.
The Shadows Trilogy
Cege Smith - 2013
Armed with the knowledge of a person’s true intentions, she learned it was safer to be alone. Then Jake Coulter slipped through her defenses by offering the promise of a normal, happy life. After narrowly escaping a dark truth that Jake hid from her, Ellie retreated from the world in an act of self-preservation. Drawn out of her protective bubble when a friend insists on playing matchmaker, Ellie meets a handsome doctor. With some persistent coaxing, Ellie warms to the idea that she may have found a reason to let her guard down. She rediscovers her hope for an ordinary, yet extraordinary life. Accepting a seemingly innocent favor, Ellie finds herself the caretaker of the Bradford mansion, an impressive home with its own mysterious past. Curious about a life that she could never have, she delves into the mansion’s history. Soon Ellie realizes that danger lurks in its empty rooms. When Jake resurfaces with premonitions of Ellie's death, Ellie's new life is turned upside down as a simple truth is revealed. Ellie’s life can never be normal because something old and evil has been searching for her for a long time. And now it has found her. SHADOWS DEEP (Shadows #2) Ellie Coulter made a deal with the devil to save herself and her new love, and now it's time to pay the price. It doesn't take long for Ellie to realize that the shadows that have swirled around her life since her parents' death were far from a coincidence. As more of her true destiny is revealed, it comes with the knowledge that she is a lynchpin in a much larger and more dangerous game. Mikel, Hell’s emissary to her new “home” in the Afterlife has her trapped and he has no intention of ever letting her go. As Ellie races to find a way to escape, she is sucked further into the darkness and must come face to face with ugly truths about who she really is. She has to decide who she can trust and that includes the man she loves. As facts give way to lies, Ellie begins to question everything. But one thing remains clear: Ellie must find a way to defeat her captor before she loses everything, including her soul. VEILED SHADOWS (Shadows #3) In the stunning conclusion of the Shadows trilogy, Ellie and David risk everything to uncover the truth about their pasts... Ellie Coulter is sick of being the victim of the shadows surrounding her new life. She's ready to find out the secret that her parents kept from her and what that means for her future, even if it means partnering with the one man that she thought she'd never see again. David Mitchell is grappling with the sobering truth that his life has been nothing but a sham since the day he was born. Although he loves Ellie, he knows that being near him puts her life in danger. The day his fate was changed caused horrible consequences that he must find a way to fix. Fates intertwine, and all is revealed as Ellie and David find out if they were truly meant to be together or if the darkness will swallow them whole.
Origins of the Never
C.J. Rutherford - 2014
Teralia. A world of light and beauty, holding the core of magic that infuses the universe. A land of Faerie magic and Ancient Dragons. Here, two friends, closer than brothers, are destined to become the mightiest among the immortal Elven race. One will fall, ensnared by an ancient evil thought destroyed eons ago. The other will face a desperate choice to save a doomed world. Ultimately, only one can prevail. Free Science Fiction and Fantasy, Origins of the Never is perfect for dragon lovers everywhere.YA series about an awakening evil and the battle to save all reality.
Beyond the Event Horizon Episode One
Albert Sartison - 2015
After first contact, which had not ended as the Earthlings expected, all traces of the visitors were lost in space, seemingly forever. But soon after, scientists noticed a mysterious gravitational anomaly not far from the Solar System as it journeyed around the centre of the Milky Way. To find out more, and perhaps discover the aliens’ secret, a research expedition fitted out with state-of-the-art scientific and military equipment sets out...
The Formula
Sam Artigliere - 2017
Lauren Remley. Salty Manhattan homicide detective Joe Tenacce and his partner, Jen Salito, are assigned the investigation.Tenacce quickly realizes that, to solve the case, he will need to enlist the help of his son Danny, a theoretical physics-graduate-student-turned-religious-cryptologist whom he despises. Their quest for "the book" and its meaning takes the Tenacces and Salito on a harrowing journey over two continents, through layers of increasingly complex ciphers, all while being pursued by a clandestine cult who will stop at nothing to obtain the book for their own nefarious designs.Can Danny and the detective duo find and decode the book? If so, what does the book say and can they keep it out of the hands of their enemy. Finally, what is the significance of the narrative—woven throughout the novel— that describes the tragic life of physicist Michael Richards?These are the questions that arise as the plot winds and turns toward its surprising end.A Dan Brown-like thriller, but with a twist!
The Game
Terry Schott - 2012
The best players are celebrities, adored and worshiped by countless fans. Zack is a superstar among players.His final play may change the world, forever...
Memoirs of a Time Traveler
Doug Molitor - 2015
Except the ball tests out to be an impossible paradox. It was signed with a ballpoint pen (not invented until 1938) using ink that's several centuries older. But then, Ariyl and Ludlo aren't who they claim to be either. Ariyl, a voluptuous 6-foot-3 beauty, turns out to be a tourist from a 22nd century paradise where time travel is the latest craze. Unbeknownst to her, however, her traveling companion, Ludlo, is a psychopath whose thefts are starting to alter history. In a world were even small changes in the timeline can cause catastrophic consequences, Ludlo's actions may completely destroy the future. To stop Ludlo, David and Ariyl must solve a mystery involving Bronze Age swordsmen, modern-day Nazis, a steampunk world, Albert Einstein, some highly skeptical Founding Fathers, and a Golden Age Hollywood where the murder of a beloved movie star will spell doom for civilization. Sci-fi meets romantic comedy...with sword-swinging adventure!
Lucky's Marines: Books 1-6
Joshua James - 2019
Lucky Lee Savage has to master his inner demons, manage the ambitions of his foul-mouthed AI, and figure out what is tearing a hole in the fabric of space-time before everything goes tits up. Lucky wouldn’t bet on the universe. One thing he will bet on: Somewhere, somehow, somebody is going to pay for all this. And he is going to be right there to pull the trigger. Includes the first 6 books in the Lucky's Marines series:
Lucky Universe
Lucky Legacy
Lucky Empire
Lucky Forever
Lucky Invasion
Lucky Revenge
The Mount
Carol Emshwiller - 2002
He wants to be painted crossing the finish line, in his racing silks, with a medal around his neck. But Charley isn't a runner. He is a human mount, the property of one of the alien invaders called Hoots. Charley hasn't seen his mother in years, and his father is hiding out in the mountains with the other Free Humans. The Hoots own the world, but the humans want it back. Charley knows how to be a good mount-now he's going to have to learn how to be a human being. This remarkable novel, winner of the 2002 Philip K. Dick Award, should be read by every fan of speculative fiction, teenagers and adults alike.
Immortal Merlin, Books 1-4: Ignition, Winded, Floodgates, Buried
Emma Shelford - 2020
Read the first four Musings of Merlin books here! "A marvelous modern take on the legendary Merlin... A definite must-read!" - Readers' Favorite "Ignition is... a unique take on [Merlin's] life without Arthur." - Bibliophilic Book Blog "Highly recommended for lovers of fantasy and the Merlin legends." - Amazon Reviewer Ignition, Book 1: Merlin, the legendary King Arthur’s mysterious magician, is immortal. As Arthur lay dying he promised to return. Merlin is holding him to his word. Forever young, forever waiting, Merlin lives an unassuming life in the city, keeping his identity and abilities secret from his friends. It's a long and lonely road, but Merlin is a patient man. It's now the 21st century and when the earth begins to groan with earthquakes, Merlin knows the situation is anything but natural. An eruption is imminent, but something—or someone—is forcing this volcano to erupt. Merlin must use his concealed talents and practiced charisma to save a town of innocent people before disaster strikes. He has the power to thwart a catastrophe—if time doesn’t run out first. Winded, Book 2: Merry Lytton, or Merlin as he was once known, has been waiting for the return of his friend King Arthur for centuries. It's an eventful wait: only weeks ago, he stopped a wicked plot to magically erupt a nearby volcano. Merry's latest worry is the revelation of his immortality—his modern-day friends are a little too curious. They do not need to know he has a history that could fill a library. Unknown to Merlin, the organization Potestas is furious at his geologic meddling, and an enraged member of the group is determined to wreak vengeance. For the first time in Merlin's ancient life, he must confront an enemy vastly more powerful than himself. Battling high in the skies and over mountain peaks, will Merlin's foe leave him breathless—forever? Floodgates, Book 3: Merlin the magician from centuries past now lives in Vancouver as an unremarkable young professor known as Merry Lytton. Merry keeps his secrets from friends and foes alike while infiltrating the nefarious organization known as Potestas, whose goal is to gain unimaginable power. Potestas' charismatic leader has welcomed Merry into the group, but for what purpose? Merry soon discovers that Potestas must recover King Arthur's holy grail to complete its plans, but the grail is firmly fused to the seafloor by magical means. As Merry is threatened by hostile spirits and hallucinations, will he succeed in stopping Potestas before they unleash the full fury of the ocean's power? Buried, Book 4: Immortal Merlin, known as Merry Lytton to his twenty-first century friends, is in a battle of wits with the powerful Potestas organization. Potestas is determined to gain unimaginable powers for its members, and Merry holds the key to unlocking this ambition. In exchange, Potestas promises to reveal crucial information on Merry’s heritage and answer questions he’s had for centuries. But when Merry learns that Potestas plans a human sacrifice, he is in a race against evil. Can he save an innocent life before a destructive new reality is thrust upon an unsuspecting world?
The Darkbow Collection - Six Epic Fantasy Novels (The Kobalos Trilogy, and The Horrors of Bond Trilogy)
Ty Johnston - 2014
CITY OF ROGUES: Book I of The Kobalos Trilogy Kron Darkbow seeks vengeance, and he plans to have it no matter the costs. Returning to the city of his birth after 15 years, he hunts down the wizard responsible for the deaths of those he loved only to find out another was responsible for the murders. That other is Belgad the Liar, a former barbarian chieftain who is now boss of the city's underworld. ROAD TO WRATH: Book II of The Kobalos Trilogy Kron Darkbow has fled the city of Bond, along with healer mage Randall Tendbones and professional duelist Adara Corvus. Everywhere they turn are enemies. Even the goal of their travels offers no peace, for the group rides to the land of Kobalos where Randall must face that nation’s Lord Verkain, the alleged Dark King of the North. DARK KING OF THE NORTH: Book III of The Kobalos Trilogy Kron Darkbow and companions have survived the mean streets of the city of Bond and the dangers of the Prison Lands, but now they dare to journey into Kobalos, a dark northern land ruled by King Verkain, a powerful mage rumored to be immortal and mad. Always on their trail is underworld crime boss Belgad the Liar and his crew of deadly killers. Not only does Belgad seek vengeance against Kron, but he also wants to capture Kron's friend, the healer Randall Tendbones, the last of Verkain's children whom the king wants dead. It is in Kobalos, in the darkest of hours, alone with enemies all around, Darkbow becomes the last hope for all. But to defeat his foes, first he must learn to defeat his own rage. GHOSTS OF THE ASYLUM: Book I of The Horrors of Bond Trilogy The streets of the city of Bond boil with discontent. Political struggles within a power vacuum bring dreams of dominance to some among the lower levels of the city’s underbelly. Common thugs and guild bosses alike conspire together, their goal to eliminate the figure of Kron Darkbow. Permanently. Kron has become a symbol on the streets, and his removal would not only clear the way for others, but also would be a sign of who has the real power in Bond. Amidst the chaos, buildings burn, riots go nearly unchecked, and even the city guard find themselves forced to retreat. DEMON CHAINS: Book II of The Horrors of Bond Trilogy A sick murderer stalks the streets of the city of Bond. The killer leaves behind tortured and twisted bodies sliced and ripped apart, often after the most horrible of violations. It falls upon Kron Darkbow to hunt this killer preying upon the weak and the strong alike, but he soon realizes there is more than one culprit involved in these horrible crimes. A dark mage and his demon partner are at fault, and with each death they grow more and more powerful. THE COMPANY OF SEVEN: Book III of The Horrors of Bond Trilogy An undead mage thousands of years old slinks through the city of Bond. Rising up from beneath the soil, he soon finds himself allied with escaped fugitives from the Prisonlands, a former knight, a pair of assassins and the chief of thieves. Each has their own wants, their own goals, but the wizard's are the most deadly to the citizens of Bond, and he refuses to be denied his destiny.