Book picks similar to
Blood Loss (The Chronicle of Rael) by Martin Parece


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Alix


Virginia Hunter - 2016
    In fact, she hadn’t been or done much of anything until after she’d turned sixteen—that’s when things had really gone south. Her mother was murdered, her father...well, no one knew where he was. That left Alix on her own in a selfish world filled with people who didn’t give a damn. Nine years of hell had passed since her sweet sixteen, and the discovery of her gift. So far, she’d managed to handle everything the world had thrown at her. Everything, until Troy Sullivan strolled into the tattoo parlor where she worked.She had known men before, sure, but none of them could hold a candle to the man that walked up to the counter, looking to get some art done. As fate would have it, Alix finds herself on the run with the would-be man of her dreams, while a band of fanatics, hellbent on finding her, give chase.All Alix had ever wanted was a normal life. What she’d gotten was a messed up tragedy. And now, she’ll have to fight tooth and nail just to keep that.Building friendships isn’t easy...building a coven is even harder. The Coven’s Grove Chronicles is a saga about the gathering of thirteen women who possess extraordinary powers. Witches all, they must come together in a sisterhood that will nurture and protect them. The secrets of the arcane will be unlocked for each, if they survive long enough to learn. Join them on their journeys of discovery and hardship, and of course, to meet the dashing men they find along the way.WARNING: 18+ Steamy sex scenes and mild profanity. HFN

Isle of Destiny


Kenneth C. Flint - 1988
    "Here, woven into a rich magical tapestry is the never-before-told story of ancient Ireland...a spellbinding tale of love and intrigue, lust and murder, rivalry and quest...of a time and a place long ago and far away that lives forever in our deepest fantasies." Back cover comments.

Realm of Knights


Jennifer Anne Davis - 2019
    So when Reid Ellington is born, the fifth daughter to one of the wealthiest landholders in the kingdom, it’s announced that Reid is a boy.Eighteen years later, Reid struggles to conceal the fact she’s actually a young woman. Every day, her secret becomes harder to keep. When one of Marsden’s princes sees her sparring with a sword, she is forced to accept his offer and lead her father’s soldiers to the border. Along the way, she discovers a covert organization within the army known as the Knights of the Realm. If Reid wants to save her family from being arrested for treason and robbed of their inheritance, she will have to join the Knights and become a weapon for the crown.To protect her family, Reid must fight like a man. To do that, she’ll need the courage of a woman.

Lost Angeles


Lisa Mantchev - 2015
    She arrives in California with every intention of tracking down those responsible, but when she wakes up in a strange motel room with no recollection of how she got there, it's a blue-eyed, fast-talking stranger who offers an assist. Then a chance audition at a downtown nightclub drops her in the proverbial lap of everyone's favorite immortal rocker...Xaine is the poster boy of hedonistic infamy, from his supercar to his Palisades mansion to his record label, Apocalypse. But his life abruptly shifts gears from Grammy Awards and blood dolls to police statements and coroners' reports when dead blond girls start turning up on his property. Everyone is quick to accuse the resident vampire, and with a list of enemies that dates back four centuries, only his newest opening act can clear his name and help him figure out who's behind the murders.Within days of meeting, Xaine and Lore are caught up in a web of intrigue, pursued by fallen angels, sin-eaters, reapers, and a coalition of vampires with a deadly agenda. Virtue and Vice, Light and Dark, they will have to battle their every demon to vanquish the ghosts that haunt them both. But fame and fortune come at the cost of anonymity, and when a powerful enemy can see Lore's every move projected across the television screen, it's Hollywood's biggest bad-boy who becomes her only hope.

Groo vs. Conan


Sergio Aragonés - 2015
    The other is a big-nosed buffoon from a land of cartoony chaos. Only in the addled brain of Sergio Aragones could these two mismatched warriors ever cross swords! Thomas Yeates lends his able pen to Mark Evanier's story of worlds colliding, as the indomitable barbarian Conan meets the insufferable birdbrain Groo. An epic crossover centuries in the making! Twice as much brawn as brains! Fantasy comics will never be the same! Collects #1 - #4 of the Dark Horse miniseries.

The Bronze Knight


Kaitlyn Davis - 2015
    Maas, Kristin Cashore, and Tamora Pierce!Princess Leena arrives in Rayfort with one thought on her mind--getting the information that might stop her father's armies to Prince Whylrhen as soon as possible. But once there, she quickly realizes the situation is far more dire than she ever anticipated. Abandoned by Jinji and Rhen who were sent away by the king regent, Leena is left alone with an impossible decision to make. Stay in Rayfort and fight with the rest of the doomed city. Or risk a life on the run for the chance of survival.Taking place parallel to the events in THE SPIRIT HEIR, read Leena's side of the story as she takes fate into her own hands while the city of Rayfort crumbles around her.Start the series for FREE today with the A Dance of Dragons: Series Starter Bundle! Available here: amzn.to/1MuVm7V

Magic Unmasked


Megan Crewe - 2018
     Growing up in Manhattan's secret community of mages, 17-year-old Jonathan Lockwood has always seen his family as one of the enlightened ones, regularly campaigning to integrate with the so-called "Dulls" and offer their talents to the wider world. But when a looming disaster threatens hundreds of lives, he watches his parents bow to the pressure to stay silent. Horrified, he resolves to intervene himself. Jonathan's mission leads him to a chance encounter with Amy, a girl who should be Dull but has a clear affinity for magic. As they struggle to tackle the impending threat, he introduces her to the world he knows is rightfully hers. The closer Jonathan and Amy become, the more he finds himself losing his heart—and his certainty about the rules he's broken. The greater good may come at a price more painful than he ever expected to pay. Set four decades before the Conspiracy of Magic trilogy, Magic Unmasked offers a glimpse into a critical turning point in magical history—events that set the stage for Rocío and Finn's ordeals.

Mark One


John Hindmarsh - 2013
    They are supported by four rogue CIA agents, who have commandeered a test drone and a missile at a Marine base. The team attacks the genetics laboratory complex before dawn, during a raging blizzard. Within hours, seven of the men are dead, one is severely wounded and one barely escapes. The drone with its missile has been destroyed. The next morning the four rogue agents are found dead from carbon monoxide poisoning.Mark Midway does not know his real parents, nor where and when he was born. Two scientists adopted him when he was a young child and his home since has been a genetic research laboratory.After the attack, Mark flees the laboratory complex, seeking safety and somewhere he can call home. The FBI is on his case and a mysterious organization offers him its assistance. However, he is at risk. There are unknown killers chasing him and he needs to protect himself and his friends. He needs to survive.

Seven Crowns


E.V. Everest - 2020
    Six deadly rivals. A world she never knew existed.Sixteen-year-old Ana is a waitress, foster kid, and liar. She might also be the sole heir to a crown on another planet. A crown she never asked for or even wanted.One year after her mom's death, Ana discovers her mom's biggest secret-- she was a political refugee from a planet called Bellaton. Ana's family was one of seven that ruled before they were picked off one by one.Now, with assassins after her, Ana could be next. With the help of a dazzling array of friends and enemies, Ana must discover her magical "gift"… or risk being named an imposter.In this world of breathtaking beauty, charm, and magic, will Ana be able to tell friend from foe, reveal her would-be assassin, and take the crown?Travel to a glittering, dangerous world with political alliances and ballgowns, perfect for fans of Red Queen and The Selection.

The Secret of Spellshadow Manor


Bella Forrest - 2017
    But when he sees the mysterious man following Natalie again the very next day, he can no longer disbelieve his eyes.Although Natalie denies the man's existence, Alex sees her walking with him down a road in his neighborhood he's never seen before - and can't help but follow. After a bizarre, but strangely short journey, he finds himself standing before a towering iron gate wreathed in gray ivy, behind which looms a decrepit old mansion named Spellshadow Manor.Spellshadow, with its beautiful yet sinisterly decorated hallways, ever-changing outdoor scenery and very unusual residents... Alex will quickly learn it is a place that is as wondrous as it is deadly.Especially for a normal person like him.What if you found yourself recruited to an institute of magic, only to discover you really couldn't do magic?What if your enrollment there was all one big, terrible mistake?If you were at Spellshadow, you'd keep it a secret. A deep, dark, deadly secret...Because Spellshadow's elusive Head is hiding a secret of his own, one that Alex soon realizes he and Natalie must uncover at all costs if either of them wishes to leave the Manor alive... and before it's too late.Mystery, suspense, and oodles of twists and turns; an unforgettable experience awaits you in Spellshadow Manor... Welcome in.

Seeds of Glory and Ruin


Melanie Cellier - 2021
    Cadence never understood what he meant until Airlie’s seed of power is activated, turning her into the most powerful mage in generations. Despite knowing it must mean her own dormant seed is much more malevolent, Cadence is swept away to the distant Mage’s Guild in her sister’s wake. She’s used to living in Airlie’s shadow, but she can’t see a place for herself in this new world.Nor can she believe in the apparent interest of the charming Zeke. No one has ever chosen her over her beautiful sister.But leaving her new home isn’t an option. Plagued by questions from her isolated childhood, Cadence needs answers, and the Guild might hold them. But as the revelations grow, Cadence must find a way to conceal the truth from her new companions before the sisters’ secrets turn everyone against them.And as word of Airlie’s power spreads, new danger emerges. Across the kingdom’s border, a threat is growing among the ruins of their former neighbor—enemies who will do anything to get their hands on the sisters and the seeds they contain. No longer able to shelter behind Airlie, Cadence must make a choice. Will she embrace her power—whatever it might be—or pursue a different path?

The Divine Apprentice


Allen J. Johnston - 2013
    . .waiting. At six months old, he could hardly do much more as his grandfather agonizes over the task of taking the life of his only grandson. Born with the rare ability to control the Divine, Kade has the potential to become one of the most powerful Chosen to ever exist. Taken from his parents, at the age of ten, by his grandfather, a Master Chosen, Kade is taught to harness the power of the Divine for good. After a decade of training, Kade learns the harsh reality of the dangerous world he is about to be thrust into, as his Master is brutally murdered right before his eyes. Kade soon realizes he is next. With the help of a dragon, a species thought to have been a myth, and a feisty Essence Guardian, Kade must discover who - or what - is trying to eradicate his kind, before the Chosen are brought to extinction.

Oddjobs


Heide Goody - 2016
    Incomprehensible horrors from beyond are going to devour our world but that’s no excuse to get all emotional about it. Morag Murray works for the secret government organisation responsible for making sure the apocalypse goes as smoothly and as quietly as possible. In her first week on the job, Morag has to hunt down a man-eating starfish, solve a supernatural murder and, if she’s got time, prevent her own inevitable death. The first book in a new comedy series by the creators of ‘Clovenhoof’, Oddjobs is a sideswipe at the world of work and a fantastical adventure featuring amphibian wannabe gangstas, mad old cat ladies, ancient gods, apocalyptic scrabble, fish porn, telepathic curry and, possibly, the end of the world before the weekend.

The Ship That Returned


Anne McCaffrey - 1999
    Also published as "The Ship Who Returned" in Federations edited by John Joseph Adams.

The Human Santapede


Adam Millard - 2014
    So begins a terrifying game of cat and mouse as Kris Kringle searches The Land of Christmas for his abducted minions, unaware that he is to play an integral part in his foe's plans. Krampus is pissed at Santa after lending him his snowblower and never getting it back. His punishment? To build a Human Santapede long enough to stretch around The Land of Christmas, and at its helm, the jolly fat man himself. Can Santa - aided by his best foreman, Finklefoot - get his elves back, defeat Krampus, and save Christmas before it is too late, or will Krampus succeed in creating the ghastliest single-file organism the North Pole has ever seen? Ho-Ho-Holy Shit, things are about to get messy...