Book picks similar to
Portents of Chaos by K.C. Julius


fantasy
dragons
fiction-fantasy
finley-books

The Sword of Shannara


Terry Brooks - 1977
    Then the giant, forbidding Allanon revealed that the supposedly dead Warlock Lord was plotting to destroy the world. The sole weapon against this Power of Darkness was the Sword of Shannara, which could only be used by a true heir of Shannara--Shea being the last of the bloodline, upon whom all hope rested. Soon a Skull Bearer, dread minion of Evil, flew into the Vale, seeking to destroy Shea. To save the Vale, Shea fled, drawing the Skull Bearer after him....

The Bowman Boys (The Sultan Saga Book 1)


D.W. Ulsterman - 2018
    It’s the forgetting that’s hard.” The year is 1923 and Prohibition is the law of the land. Levi Bowman and his four sons struggle to survive and thrive in the remote woods and mountains outpost of Sultan, Washington. It is a time and place governed by the gun and the fist where family comes first, rules are meant to be broken, and enemies put down.“The Bowman Boys is D.W. Ulsterman at his best. Lots of action, mystery, crackling dialogue, and a touch of romance while also having plenty to say about the importance of family, living by a code, and defending what’s yours.” -MobelyReviews--------------D.W. Ulsterman is the USA Today-recommended author of the bestselling family drama, The Irish Cowboy, and a Kindle Scout winner for the San Juan Islands Mystery series.

Mage Errant Books 1-2


John Bierce - 2019
    He can barely cast any spells at all, and those he does cast tend to fail explosively. If that wasn't bad enough, he's also managed to attract the ire of the most promising student of his year - who also happens to be the nephew of a king. Hugh has no friends, no talent, and definitely doesn't expect a mage to choose him as an apprentice at all during the upcoming Choosing.When a very unusual mage does choose him as apprentice, however, his life starts to take a sharp turn for the better. Now all he has to worry about is the final test for the first years - being sent into the terrifying labyrinth below Skyhold.Jewel of the Endless Erg, Book Two:After surviving Skyhold's deadly labyrinth, Hugh and his friends are looking forwards to an uneventful summer. Their teacher, Alustin, has chartered a sandship for a training expedition into the vast sea of sand known as the Endless Erg, aiming for the wealthy and powerful desert city of Theras Tel. Hugh's happier than he's been in a long, long time, and he's quite excited for the fresh air, sunshine, and quiet.Of course, given Hugh's luck, their summer is going to be anything but quiet. They're about to be plunged into a morass of pirates, monsters, warring cults, flesh-tearing sandstorms, and a conspiracy against Indris Stormbreaker, the dragon queen of Theras Tel herself.At least Hugh's going to get plenty of fresh air and sunshine.

Bound to the Dragon Prince


Rinelle Grey - 2016
    But the sexy, sleeping man she found in an Australian cavern? Now that was a shock. Even more surprising, though, are the feelings he awakens in her. How will she ever find the strength to leave him and go back to her normal, mundane life when all is said and done? The world Prince Taurian knew is gone. This new world is unrecognizable, and he knows he needs Karla’s help to navigate it. But nothing could’ve prepared him for just how much he’d come to care for his lovely rescuer. Too bad she can never be his… Soon, Taurian and Karla realize they’ll need to work together to defeat the last living remnant of Taurian’s past—the enemy dragon who trapped him in a magically induced slumber for 300 years. But that’ll be the easy part. Finding their way to happily ever after? That could get tricky…

Circle of Reign


Jacob Cooper - 2014
    The Living Light Fades. An Ancient Darkness Awakens. The Living Light that sustains Arlethia is dwindling. An unknown, vicious enemy approaches in stealth from beyond the northern glaciers, a wasteland of ice that spans hundreds of miles. A clandestine brotherhood of assassins, held in check by the Light for millennia, seeks to break their maledictive shackles and unleash their bloodlust upon the world. Those that should stand with Arlethia clothe themselves in betrayal, desiring her secrets for themselves, leaving Arlethia to stand alone. The rebirthing of lands ceased decades ago. The world of Våleira is dying. Only Arlethia, the Western Province of the Realm, remains untainted by the Ancient Dark’s Influence. Reign, the young daughter of Arlethian Lord Thannuel Kerr, becomes entangled in a perilous web of deceit, greed, and assassination plots after witnessing something horrific – something that will destroy all she knows and loves. As threats culminate, she and her twin brother, Hedron, must battle demons on every side – both external and internal – in their efforts to save Arlethia from extinction, as they simultaneously reach for their own personal redemption. But they have become pariahs to their own people. There will be few that dare to stand with them in the dimming Light – and even fewer that will survive. The world of Våleira cannot endure without Arlethia. And the Living Light is fading ...

Waking


Emily Thompson - 2013
    Now he's traveling on an airship--with a crew that insists they're not pirates--on his way to find the clockwork princess because he's the only one who can fix her.In true Neo-Victorian style, Clockwork Twist is set in a lush and vibrant world where things are as you might expect in 1878. That is, of course, if fantastic creatures like djinn, faeries, kitsunes and vampires were commonplace. An increasing number of people are being born with supernatural senses, called Sights. While airship tourism is sweeping the globe, air-piracy is also on the rise. Twist is among the Sighted, but his Sight is unusual. While others might be able to see and hear over great distances, find anything they can imagine anywhere in the world, or even recognize every type of flower by scent alone, Twist's Sight shows him only damage. Whenever he touches a broken clock or machine, he can instantly understand the damage and can fix it easily. If he touches a person, even for a moment, his mind fills with a terrible vision of whatever trauma or pain once broke them. Naturally, he's chosen a solitary existence and shuns all human contact. Unfortunately, thanks to his seclusion, Twist is also unfamiliar with everything beyond his own clock shop, hidden away on a quiet and ever-drizzly London street. When a treasure hunter arrives at his door with proof that they have found the fabled clockwork princess--Twist's favorite old fairy tale--it's up to Twist alone to bring her back to life. The continuing series of Clockwork Twist begins with book one: Waking. Join Twist as he embarks on his first adventure, and find out first hand if he can actually survive it.

The Last of the Moon Girls


Barbara Davis - 2020
    Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family’s strange legacy. But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and face the tragedy still hanging over the farm’s withered lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations that followed Althea to her grave.Lizzy wants nothing more than to sell the farm and return to her life in New York, until she discovers a journal Althea left for her—a Book of Remembrances meant to help Lizzy embrace her own special gifts. When she reconnects with Andrew Greyson, one of the few in town who believed in Althea’s innocence, she resolves to clear her grandmother’s name.But to do so, she’ll have to decide if she can accept her legacy and whether to follow in the footsteps of all the Moon women who came before her.

A Case of Death in Disguise : Texas General Cozy Mystery, Book 2 (Texas General Cozy Cases of Mystery)


Becki Willis - 2020
    

Perdition House: Part 1


Bonnie Edwards - 2007
    Previously published under the title Midnight Confessions... Ghost stories are not always frightening. Sometimes they’re cheeky, naughty and often erotic… When Faye Grantham inherits Perdition House, her family’s secret shame, she expects to sell the property for millions and marry her long time fiancé. But the spirits who still reside in the mansion have other ideas. Trapped in the bordello, the women who lived and worked there wait to tell their stories to Faye. The “girls” don’t just hang around waiting. They control Faye’s libido, influence her decisions and drive her into the arms of two very different men. Liam Watson wears comfort like most men wear cologne. With an interest in adventurous sex, he’s more man than he first seems. Mark McLeod is a strong, decisive businessman who was not meant to be more than a hot one-night stand. But Mark is in no hurry to end their liaison, and hopes to continue Faye’s lessons in sensuality. As Faye becomes enthralled with the mansion, she’s embroiled in a life-changing situation that has her re-examining her engagement, her business decisions, and her beliefs about herself. As the spirits reveal themselves one by one, Faye learns their stories: how they came to Perdition House, why they joined the women there and some of the secrets that only a high-class bordello could hold. But can decades-old secrets affect Faye’s life today?

Wizard Dawning


C.M. Lance - 2011
    Chicago Post V3.1 Global warming affects life on earth in unexpected ways. Magic intensifies, spreads and goes public. GOVERNMENTS REGULATE MAGIC. LA Tribune, 9.0.2 Danger from Dark Magic swells. Politicians panic. Ten years ago the world was shaken with the discovery that White and Black magic existed. Despite the headlines, like most people, nothing magical has happened in Sig’s life. As he prepares to leave for college, mysterious Great-Grampa Thor shows up with injuries sustained in a battle with a Dark Wizard. He bestows upon Sig, his only male heir, a magical family heirloom. He’s to lead in the fight against Dark Magic. Unfortunately, Sig can only access a small portion of the talisman’s power. His only magic is the ability to change into a 9 foot tall, 700 pound warrior. It’s small benefit in the age of machinery, rockets, and computers. The Dark Wizard comes after Sig. He escapes, but Great-Grampa falls victim to a demon induced coma before he can teach Sig what he needs to know. Sig joins with a group of fellow supernaturals. His new friends help him fight off more attacks while he searches desperately for his greater magic. If he can’t stand on his own against a Dark Wizard, how can he take his place at the front of the world’s fight against black magic?

Blackmark


Jean Lowe Carlson - 2016
    Inked with the Blackmark and despised for it, Elohl uncovers the truth and exposes ancient enemies. Now, he must give everything to shatter the hidden sect that usurps power from the throne. A bloody war will be reaped in the shadows, that will burn nations and bring kings to their knees.This dark and gritty sword and sorcery series from award winning author Jean Lowe Carlson explores a complex world of treachery, passion, sex, and magic. Readers who enjoy George RR Martin's A Game of Thrones, Diana Gabaldon's Outlander, Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles, or Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time will love this fantastic adventure.

Frey


Melissa Wright - 2011
    But a tiny spark starts a fury of changes and she finds herself running from everything she's ever known. Hunted by council for practicing dark magic, she is certain she's been wrongfully accused. She flees, and is forced to rely on strangers for protection. But the farther she strays from home, the more her magic and forgotten memories return and she begins to suspect all is not as it seems.

Annihilation!


Joshua James - 2020
    An alien invasion. One last shot at redemption.When Eli Bryce stumbles upon a plot to attack Earth, he shrugs it off. He's not in the Earth-saving business.Two decades after he was banished from his homeworld for a disaster that still haunts him, Eli and his crew of misfits struggle to survive on the outskirts of the galaxy.But when Eli, goaded by his estranged daughter, rescues a near-dead castaway with an impossible secret, everything changes.Eli might have no choice but to get back into the Earth-saving business.Worse, he might have to grow a conscience.Annihilation! is fast-paced space opera at its best, perfect for fans of golden age pulp stories full of action, drama, and fun!

Hunting the Midnight Shark


Conrad Brasso - 2013
    The bullet tore through half a mile even before the ejected shell casing hit the ground.For some, death was a disturbing and haunting reality. For others, it was something never witnessed or spoken of. For Trey Stone, the death of his target meant many others would live. He had no problem falling asleep that night to the humming engines of the CIA yacht ... until a phone call spun his life around and threw him into a dark and very personal war.With thousands of copies sold, the Trey Stone Series is off to a thrilling start!Trey Stone is one of the government’s deadliest covert operators. When his own family is unexpectedly attacked while he’s on a mission he responds with lethality and precision. The product of elite and secretive CIA training, Trey is highly skilled and famously meticulous. He is fluent in half a dozen different languages, and armed with an exceptional memory. He’s known by everyone that needs to know.What Trey doesn’t expect is how close his enemies really are. His carefully cultivated inner balance is thrown off and his deepest friendships are tried when the ugly world of child trafficking intrudes in his most private life. When Trey discovers the involvement of his beautiful wife’s own mother, nothing will ever be the same between the members of his family.Readers are saying …“Brasso takes us on a truly international path of breathtaking action.”“I love every character in this book!”“This page-turner kept me up late at night reading.”“More! More! More!”Hunting the Midnight Shark is the first of an explosive series of books hitting the market right now!If you love Vince Flynn’s Mitch Rapp, Robert Ludlum’s Jason Bourne, Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, James Rollins’ SIGMA Force, Ben Coes’ Dewey Andreas or authors like David Baldacci, Nelson DeMille, Daniel Silva, Ward Larsen or Jeff Carson, then Conrad Brasso’s page-turning CIA Thriller series will suck you right in.

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?