Book picks similar to
In Search of Gods and Heroes by Sammy H.K. Smith
mythology
fantasy
giveaways
old-books
The Glass Man
Jocelyn Adams - 2011
That she can sense and control the minds around her doesn’t prove anything, either. Unwilling to put others at risk, she hides in the wilderness from the beautiful creature who hunts her, one who sees her as his ultimate prize. Alone, the egocentric Glass Man can kill with a thought. Mated with Lila, he's a supernatural weapon prepared to annihilate the humans he loathes. Caught in the Glass Man’s latest scheme, Lila is plunged into a hidden fae realm, faced with a secret birthright and a forbidden romance. With the Glass Man threatening everyone she loves, can Lila accept who she is in time to end his bloody reign? Or will she succumb to his dark power and become the vehicle of destruction for the human race?
The Beauty in Darkness: A Vampire Story
Leah Reise - 2016
She awakens in her San Francisco studio as a bloodthirsty vampire with no memory of her death. Terrified of hurting innocent people, she nearly puts an end to her new existence; that is before she realizes there might be people the world can do without.Now immortal, Edrea finds she's caught in the middle of a war between two ancient vampire clans, the Decret and the Shevet, and she has no idea who to trust. Then the frightful memory of her death returns, and she will ultimately have to choose between her humanity and cold-hearted murder. Her struggles only get harder when she must also leave her past life behind her in order to protect her family.Little does she know, her estranged, mortal sister Rena is on a dangerous quest in search of Edrea, whom is believed is merely "missing." While Rena struggles with insecurity and guilt, her obsession with finding Edrea comes between her and her own future, and especially the man she loves. Rena just can't let go of the feeling that Edrea is alive somewhere, and she isn't about to give up.As they follow their individual roads through life and the un-death, Edrea and Rena learn not only that their sisterly bond is stronger than they thought, but also that their family shares a dark secret that connects both of them to a mysterious quantum world.Amidst the chaos and adventure, the story will intrigue you with a scientific and philosophical theme that will keep you wondering until the end ... and maybe even after that.
Star Mother
Charlie N. Holmberg - 2021
Holmberg.When a star dies, a new one must be born.The Sun God chooses the village of Endwever to provide a mortal womb. The birthing of a star is always fatal for the mother, and Ceris Wenden, who considers herself an outsider, sacrifices herself to secure her family’s honor and take control of her legacy. But after her star child is born, Ceris does what no other star mother has: she survives. When Ceris returns to Endwever, however, it’s not nine months later—it’s seven hundred years later. Inexplicably displaced in time, Ceris is determined to seek out her descendants.Being a woman traveling alone brings its own challenges, until Ceris encounters a mysterious—and desperate—godling. Ristriel is incorporeal, a fugitive, a trickster, and the only being who can guide Ceris safely to her destination. Now, as Ceris traverses realms both mortal and beyond, her journey truly begins.Together, pursued across the Earth and trespassing the heavens, Ceris and Ristriel are on a path to illuminate the mysteries that bind them and discover the secrets of the celestial world.
The Infinity of You & Me
J.Q. Coyle - 2016
With a laundry list of diagnoses, she hallucinates different worlds—strange, decaying, otherworldly yet undeniably real worlds that are completely unlike her own with her single mom and one true friend. In one particularly vivid hallucination, Alicia is drawn to a boy her own age named Jax who’s trapped in a dying universe. Days later, her long-lost father shows up at her birthday party, telling her that the hallucinations aren’t hallucinations, but real worlds; she and Jax are bound by a strange past and intertwining present. This leads her on a journey to find out who she is while trying to save the people and worlds she loves.
Of Shadow and Stone
Michelle Muto - 2015
Now only the sentinel—a mortal chosen to control the stone beasts—stands between them and their human prey.When the latest sentinel is killed, Kate Mercer is destined to take his place. But Kate has enough going on in her life—like a skyrocketing film career, a delusional ex-boyfriend, and a crazed stalker who will stop at nothing to get to her. But the powers that be have decided, and Kate is transported to Shadow Wood, a mysterious castle that serves as a sanctuary for the supernatural. Although beautiful, Shadow Wood is no safe place for a mere mortal. Yet Kate is drawn not only to the gargoyles but also to Ian McGuire, a charming novelist who might be in the greatest danger of all.As Kate decides whether to accept the most perilous role of her life, she discovers there are more secrets than answers within the castle’s walls. Her survival and Ian’s depend on her ability to master the gargoyles before time runs out. Is fate really cast in stone?
Goblin Fruit
Erin Burr - 2012
What if it hides a message? All Clarity's mom ever gave her is the fairy tale storybook, Goblin Market. Her whole life, Clarity has helped care for her mother, a mindless, shuffling shell of a person. At sixteen, Clarity meets Audrey, a girl filled with grief and guilt overher brother who has been struck with the same affliction. With nothing but a cryptic clue from Goblin Market, Clarity and Audrey risk their lives to cure the people they love. Goblin Fruit is a YA paranormal novel featuring fast-paced action, heartbreaking decisions, and two unstoppable heroines.
WhipEye
Geoffrey Saign - 2014
Wildlife expert. Warrior. And desperately missing her mom. She also doesn’t think her 16th birthday should be a survival test. But she is about to learn she could die in the next 24 hours. Creepy monsters and a giant called Uncle Biggie do exist. Along with a scary guardian who wants to take over the world, and an ancient wise-cracking parrot who wants to stop him. It’s up to Sam to save two worlds. With a supernatural staff named WhipEye—that she has no clue how to use. Impossible.Unless Sam heals her broken heart. Gets help from magical creatures called Great Ones. And the boy next door—Jake—decides he’s on board for an adventure out of his worst nightmares.Sam must also find the courage to fight the biggest battle of her life…and risk everything for love…
The Intuitives
Erin Michelle Sky - 2017
Seven years later, every public school student in America takes a strange new test, but only six are chosen to attend a summer program at the mysterious Institute for the Cultivation of Intuitive Cognition, where nothing is as it appears to be, including the students themselves.Roman Jackson, 11—the lonely artist.Sees things. Around people. Things he can never, ever tell.Samantha Prescott, 16—the sarcastic nerd.Isolated by a premonition even she doesn’t understand.Daniel Walker, 17—the shy musician.Hides his private thoughts in the soundtrack of his mind.Kaitlyn Wright, 15—the bubbly engineer.Can fix anything, except the one thing that matters most.Mackenzie Gray, 17—the disciplined athlete.Armors her deepest fears against a world she can’t control.Ashton Hunt, 17—the frustrated gamer.Hoping to turn pro, and a constant disappointment to his father.But why is the U.S. government so interested in six outcasts? And what, exactly, is it teaching them to do? Now, they must band together to uncover the true purpose behind the institute—and the ancient secrets that lie hidden beneath its surface.Before history catches up to them.
Be Careful What You Joust For
Ryan Hauge - 2018
Then he vanished without a trace.A bounty was put on his head. The whole kingdom searched for him for years. But as no clues were found, people stopped looking.Except Princess Isolda.
Song of the Forever Rains
E.J. Mellow - 2021
Many whisper of its existence, but few have found this place, where magic and pleasure abound. There, the mysterious Thief King reigns supreme with the help of the Mousai, a trio of revered and feared sorceresses.Larkyra Bassette may be the youngest of the Mousai, but when she sings her voice has the power to slay monsters. When it’s discovered the Duke of Lachlan is siphoning a poisonous drug from the Thief Kingdom and using it to abuse his tenants, Larkyra is offered her first solo mission to stop the duke. Eager to prove herself, Larkyra accepts by posing as the duke’s potential bride. But her plans grow complicated when she finds herself drawn to Lord Darius Mekenna, Lachlan’s rightful heir. Soon she suspects Darius has his own motivations for ridding Lachlan of the corrupt duke. Larkyra and Darius must learn to trust each other if there is to be any hope of saving the people of Lachlan—and themselves.Welcome to the world of Aadilor, where lords and ladies can be murderers and thieves, and the most alluring notes are often the deadliest. Dare to listen?
Scarlet Odyssey
C.T. Rwizi - 2020
But in the coming battle, none of that will matter.Men do not become mystics. They become warriors. But eighteen-year-old Salo has never been good at conforming to his tribe’s expectations. For as long as he can remember, he has loved books and magic in a culture where such things are considered unmanly. Despite it being sacrilege, Salo has worked on a magical device in secret that will awaken his latent magical powers. And when his village is attacked by a cruel enchantress, Salo knows that it is time to take action.Salo’s queen is surprisingly accepting of his desire to be a mystic, but she will not allow him to stay in the tribe. Instead, she sends Salo on a quest. The quest will take him thousands of miles north to the Jungle City, the political heart of the continent. There he must gather information on a growing threat to his tribe.On the way to the city, he is joined by three fellow outcasts: a shunned female warrior, a mysterious nomad, and a deadly assassin. But they’re being hunted by the same enchantress who attacked Salo’s village. She may hold the key to Salo’s awakening—and his redemption.
Zoo
Tara Elizabeth - 2013
. . I'm not really sure where to start, and you may have trouble believing me even as I tell you my story. My family did. They laughed the first time I told them, so now I just say it was all a crazy dream. You see, I died in a totally preventable car accident . . . or so I thought. When I opened my eyes, I was shocked to discover that I had been resurrected into the year 2282 and, just as unbelievably, was locked up in a zoo! A HUMAN ZOO! Oh wait, I mean the People's Past Anthropological Center.The Global Government created the Centers because all of the different cultures of the world had, over centuries of time, slowly absorbed into one uniform culture. Everything and everybody felt the same, and the world didn’t like it. So, to help the people of 2282 find cultures they thought worthy to live their lives by, they used time travel to zap the people of the past into the future. They created enclosures to house their live human exhibits. And that's what happened to me. I became a research project, a source of entertainment. I was a prisoner who was over two hundred years away from my family and friends.Most of my time in the enclosure was spent trying to escape. I also made friends, lost friends, fell in love, was betrayed, was held captive within captivity, and lots of other fun stuff. There were some shocking moments and some devastating moments . . . It’s a lot to recount, but I’ll try my best to tell you all about my time travel . . . PAST, PRESENT, and FUTURE.I'm Emma, by the way.*(ZOO is a fast-paced Young Adult novel with some profanity.)
Body of Stars
Laura Maylene WalterLaura Maylene Walter - 2021
A piercing indictment of rape culture, a read about what happens when women are objectified and stripped of choice--and what happens when they fight back.Celeste Morton has eagerly awaited her passage to adulthood. Like every girl, she was born with a set of childhood markings--the freckles, moles, and birthmarks on her body that foretell her future and that of those around her--and with puberty will come a new set of predictions that will solidify her fate. The possibilities are tantalizing enough to outweigh the worry that the future she dreams of won't be the one she's fated to have and the fear of her "changeling period" the time when women are nearly irresistible to men and the risk of abduction is rife.Celeste's beloved brother, Miles, is equally anticipating her transition to adulthood. As a skilled interpreter of the future, a field that typically excludes men, Miles considers Celeste his practice ground--and the only clue to what his own future will bring. But when Celeste changes, she learns a devastating secret about Miles's fate: a secret that could destroy her family, a secret she will do anything to keep. Yet Celeste isn't the only one keeping secrets, and when the lies of brother and sister collide, it leads to a tragedy that will irrevocably change Celeste's fate, set her on a path to fight against the inherent misogyny of fortune-telling, and urge her to create a future that is truly her own.
Find Me
Francesca Riley - 2018
What will it cost her to cross the distance? Seventeen-year-old Skye Sebastian knows that love hurts; her broken father is a constant reminder. And she doesn't believe in happy ever after. But when she returns to the seaside village where her mother drowned, she meets Hunter, a mysterious, compelling swimmer who never seems to leave the water. Beautiful and mesmerizing, he is like no one she has ever known.But Hunter is cursed. And Skye shouldn't be able to see him at all.Does Hunter hide the answer to her mother’s death? And what IS he, really? Skye will risk everything to find out, but the truth might cost her more than she bargained for. As she uncovers his secrets and learns of his cursed clan, the danger grows. It might already be too late for her. Because once you're in too deep, there is no going back.Inspired by The Little Mermaid, this addictive, mythical love story will leave you breathless.Fans of Erin A Craig, A. L. Knorr, Amanda Hocking and Stephenie Meyer will love the Immersed series
To be a Fae Queen
Tricia Copeland - 2021
Maas and Jenna Wolfhart will love this epic Fae fantasy.The last of her line, a faerie princess prepares to take the throne. But multiple forces plot against her, some trusted friends…After losing her brothers, Titania studied and trained to rule Aubren. But she hadn’t planned on becoming Queen at fifteen. Now with her reign challenged from within the castle walls, she must decide what is best for her kingdom. Should another rule in her stead? Or has fate led her to this moment?Only she can decide a path that becomes littered with choices. Will a marriage shore up her reign? Could naming a successor be enough? And what of the creatures of the deep and a tale of one who can end all evil? Faced with a choice to aid beings of Upper Earth, she must weigh whether to believe her inner compass and face charges of treason. Accepting the edicts of the High Council may be a safer route, but is it the best choice for the realm?Titania’s emerging power lies just beyond her reach. Will it manifest we she most needs it? Or do they face an eternity in darkness?To Be a Fae Queen is a magical journey into the realm of Middle Earth. If you like fearless heroines, you’ll love Tricia Copeland’s thrilling fantasy.Get To Be a Fae Queen to descend into a new world today!