Book picks similar to
The Way of Things: Upper Kingdom Boxed Set by H. Leighton Dickson
fantasy
sword-and-sorcery
ebooks
apocalypse
Dark Soul Silenced - Part One
Simon Goodson - 2013
They hunt and kill, driven to evil by the raging darkness inside them. From the moment they feed on their first victim they are lost – but what if the darkness was destroyed before that happened? What would be left? Something not seen in thousands of years.A chance encounter leaves Daniel in just that position. With no memories of who he once was, and powers he barely understands, can he survive in a world where all magical powers are viewed as a sign of darkness? Can he convince others that he is free from evil?And is he? Has the darkness truly been purged from his soul? Or is it merely driven into hiding deep within, silenced for now but waiting to strike again?
Tainted
Alexandra Moody - 2014
All she has ever known are the artificial confines of underground fallout shelter, the ARC. Under the Council’s rule, ruthless officials roam the hallways, community comes first and everyone lives in fear of failing their annual testing. With one simple blood test you could be taken away without any warning or a word of goodbye.There are only a few people in the ARC who Elle truly cares about and she desperately tries to keep them at arm’s length away for fear of losing someone else. Especially, her best friend Sebastian who she denies her feelings for, even from herself. Chilling secrets and mysterious disappearances plague the ARC, but Elle would never dare to voice the forbidden questions that linger on her lips. That is until they take the wrong person.No one is truly safe in the ARC and Elle is about to experience her own personal apocalypse. With nothing left to lose she will risk everything to uncover the truth about the tainted.Will she find what she's looking for or are some secrets better left buried deep underground?Don't miss the first book in this young adult series!
Hollowland
Amanda Hocking - 2010
This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door.Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.
From Gods
Mary Ting - 2013
Everything changes when they meet the Grand brothers. Skylar is sure she should stay away from Mason Grand, but their attraction is undeniable. Then Skylar’s life erupts into turmoil. She steps into a world where descendants of ancient gods have super powers, evil beings chase her, and questions arise about her own identity. She is running out of time and running for her life, while trying to unravel the mystery of what they want from her. Forced into a battle set into motion long before she was born, will Skylar find the answers she seeks, or will she die trying?
Guardian
A.L. Crouch - 2014
Now she wants nothing more than to forget Saluda, North Carolina and the life she once had there. When she is called back to the sleepy, mountain town to reclaim her family home, Alex is forced to face her fears and the memories she has tried so desperately to suppress. When the same evil that claimed her family returns for Alex, she must learn to rely on her broken faith and the strength of her Guardian, Donovan, to survive. But there is a problem. Alex cannot see him. Donovan exists in a reality apart from Alex and her lack of belief limits their interactions to spoken words and fleeting glimpses. With her life staked on her faith, can Alex open her mind enough to see before it's too late?
The Untold Tales of Dolly Williamson: An Occult Steampunk Thriller: Prequel to The Guild Chronicles
J.M. Bannon - 2017
The first of six books!
Fredrick “Dolly” Williamson is a young detective in the newly formed special crime detection branch at Scotland Yard. When he is called on to investigate the murder of an investment banker, he is reminded of past encounters with the occult and requests help from Rose Caldwell. Problem is Rose is an outsider whose very presence grates on the Victorian society she protects from the paranormal threats they want to ignore. Sister Rose an expert in the mystical arts uses her ingenuity to craft devices that straddle the latest scientific and metaphysical discoveries to create defenses against the dark arts.As the body count continues to rise and the mystery deepens after the enigmatic Necronist Guild provide clues to the origins of the murderer. The clues from the secretive French death cult are not enough and Rose and Dolly must reach out to a cast of characters that include a young lord that is possessed by a Sufi mystic from the thirteenth century and an up and coming triad gangster.A tightly wound thriller set in an alternative 19th century where powerful guilds use mechanical power, occult rituals and alchemy to vie for influence in the courts of Queen Victoria and the ever-youthful Emperor Napoleon. The untold tales of “Dolly” Williamson is an occult steampunk thriller and the prequel to The Guild Chronicles, a steampunk fantasy book series.This book is what steampunk is all about with the right dose of technology and wizardry to make you wonder what our world today would be like if our past was like this. The story respects the steampunk genre and the intellect of the fans of steampunk.This is the prequel to the Guild ChroniclesBook 1 The AlchemistsBook 2 The NecronistsBook 3 The Mechanists
Have a look inside now and see if the untold tales is the steampunk yarn for you.
FAQs
What other books have you written and what order should they be read?
The AlchemistsThe Necronists
Why should a reader pick up your book?
If they are looking for a series with character driven stories that include fantasy and science fiction but also a nod to history then pick up this book. I love it when a reader writes me that I introduced them to a historical figure they never knew existed and after researching learned that the life they lead was not all that different from how I portrayed them.
What is Steampunk?
Steampunk is an esthetic and for some a way of life. One key point is that steam is the main mode of power. So, the car would have an external combustion engine rather than an internal combustion engine. From there things can be wildly different, some steampunk is set in the future and is dystopian some is set in the past. I heard a good tag line
“When the Victorian comes together with science fiction like clockwork.
The Windwalker Trilogy
Michael James Ploof - 2016
TALON: Book 1 of the Windwalker Archive follows the early years of a unique boy, a fifteen year old runt living on the barbarian island of Volnoss. Born premature during the frozen plague that took his mother, shunned by his father, and raised by his grandmother, Talon has always felt like he doesn't belong. For years he dreams of growing big and strong like the giants that surround him. But as the day of measure draws near, he begins to realize that he will never be named a Vald, and will be cast to the village of the Skomm to live a life of slavery. Barely surviving the beating that follows his failure to meet the measure, Talon is banished to the village of misfits. There he finds friends in the most unlikely of places, and begins to hope he might find some happiness as a Skomm. As Talon tries to settle into his life in the slave village he is challenged at every turn. The Vaka overseers have it in for him, as does the Chiefson of Timber Wolf Tribe. The Kelda Agaeti is drawing near, called by the Skomm the night of dying, when seven warriors from neighboring tribes win the right to go on a bloody rampage through the village. After barely surviving a random attack by drunken Vald that left nearly a dozen dead, Talon and his friends decide that they must somehow escape the island. For Chiefson Fylkin has vowed to kill him first on the night of dying. What follows is a fast-paced race against time, an underdog story wrought with action and adventure, rich with magic, culture, friendship and lore. Set two hundred years before the events of Whill of Agora, The Windwalker Archive reveals the origins of Dirk Blackthorn’s spirit wolf, Chief. Fans of the Legends of Agora books will be introduced to unforgettable new characters, and revisit a few old friends. Although this trilogy takes place chronologically before Whill of Agora, it can be read before or after as a standalone series.
Boundaries Redefined
Bhagya Chandra - 2015
She begins to rebuild her life by focusing on a career. She is hired by Sharma Industries to avert the company’s collapse. Aditya, heir to Sharma Industries returns to India from the United States and moves right into Kirthi’s lonely and depressed heart, offering her a life she only dreamed about. Constrained by the oppressive taboo preventing all widows from remarrying, Kirthi struggles with the haunting question: would Aditya love her if he knew? Brought together by work, drawn closer through friendship, pulled apart by cultural taboos, their love shatters prejudice and offers hope.
The Sugar Maple Chronicles: 4 Book Collection
Barbara Bretton - 2017
. . Sugar Maple may look like your postcard-perfect Vermont town but that’s where the similarity ends. Our librarian is a beautiful Norwegian troll. The funeral parlor is run by a family of vampires. The Sugar Maple Inn is owned by Fae while the werewolves keep our hardware store well-stocked. For centuries we have been home to house sprites, witches, selkies, spirits, shapeshifters, and elves. And who could forget Forbes, our lovable Mountain Giant? I’m Chloe Hobbs, the half-human/half-magick owner of Sticks & String, the most popular knit shop in New England, where your yarn never tangles, you always get gauge, and the knitter sitting next to you only comes out after dark. And did I mention that I’m almost thirty, single, and with no prospects in sight? My friends and neighbors have been casting spells to help me find Mr. Right but so far their efforts have been all wrong. Who'd have guessed I'd find my soulmate in Luke MacKenzie, a cop investigating Sugar Maple's very first murder? Bad news is he's 100% human which could spell disaster for a normal future with a paranormal woman like me--in love, in danger, and in way over my head. Casting Spells - Chloe falls in love and comes into her magick but can she trust the very human Luke MacKenzie to keep her secret? Laced with Magic - Chloe and Luke are determined to make their unlikely romance blossom but when Luke’s ex-wife shows up in town on a desperate mission to save their daughter’s soul, they find themselves in the fight of their lives. Spun by Sorcery - Sugar Maple has gone missing and Chloe travels to Salem where she battles the forces of evil to fulfill her destiny and save her beloved town from the clutches of a powerful Fae warrior. Charmed - Chloe has a secret that will change Sugar Maple forever. Spells & Stitches - Baby Laria is six pounds, eleven ounces of perfect, and Chloe and Luke are over the moon. But when they learn that Laria takes after her mom in the sorcery department, it becomes clear that their baby might have more power than even a pro like Chloe can handle...
Praise for the Sugar Maple stories:
Romantic Times Book Club – 4.5 stars – TOP PICK Bretton launches her new series of magic and murder with an enchanting, lyrical masterpiece that should make its way to the bestseller list in no time. Brilliantly weaving the town of Sugar Maple with that of its inhabitants into one living, breathing entity, this novel captivates readers from the first page. With vibrant, multidimensional characters, including the town itself, Bretton pens a memorable romance that combines knitting, love, magic, and self-discovery. Publishers Weekly Tongue-in-cheek humor lifts this weird but fun hybrid, part knitting cozy, part paranormal romance, from romance veteran Bretton (Just Desserts). After a classy female tourist drowns mysteriously in an icy lake in remote Sugar Maple, Vt., the Montpelier authorities ask Boston homicide cop Luke MacKenzie to investigate. As Sugar Maple's temporary police chief, Luke soon notices the village's odd ambience. Originally a haven for witches who fled the Salem witchcraft trials three centuries earlier, Sugar Maple is now home to witches, vampires, fairies and trolls. Luke is also attracted to Chloe Hobbs, the half-human owner of the knitting shop Sticks & Strings, who must find Mr. Right if she's to preserve the spell that sustains the town's unusual residents.
Diva
Carrie Duffy - 2012
Brought up on the mean streets of Detroit, she is determined that nothing will stop her from becoming the world’s next supermodel.Beautiful and innocent, Alyson Wakefield is desperate to escape her upbringing. She decides it is time to take hold of her life and follow her dreams.Heading to the chic streets of Paris, the girls move in with a maverick young designer, Ce Ce Bouvier. Born to a life of luxury and glamour, Ce Ce is determined to stand on her own two feet and take the fashion world by storm.The girls vow to make it to the top, but their friendship is about to be tested to the limits when deception, betrayal and tragedy are played out in the glare of the paparazzi flashbulbs.Can the three girls overcome the ghosts of the past – or will the catwalk consume them?
Everflame
Dylan Lee Peters - 2012
Over time, humans lost their connection with a world they had been created to protect, they forgot the ways of their ancient creators, and accepted the Tyrant’s lies as truths from the mouth of a god. Now, deep in the forests that surround Gray Mountain, two bears find a small child that is abandoned and left for dead. The bears name him Evercloud, raise him as a member of their kingdom, and teach the boy of the Ancients, all underneath the light of the Everflame, the flame that burns atop Gray Mountain as a monument to the integrity and spirit of the bears. As Evercloud grows, rumors reach the bear kingdom of the Ancients’ return, and now the young man must leave his home to find them and help save the world he holds dear. Will Evercloud lose himself in the darkness of the Great Tyrant’s lies, or will he have the courage to judge his own heart, the strength to master the darkness, and the faith to follow his purpose until it burns within his heart like the Everflame?
Rule Zero
Laurence Timms - 2013
Then an unexpected message leads him into what could become his greatest – and strangest – case yet, a case whose foundations are inextricably linked to his own past.Rule Zero is a darkly comic thriller packed with psychic spies, prescient journalists, contact clairvoyants, repressed supermen, a lethal cocktail waitress and a roving troupe of ape-like security guards.Britain will never be the same again.
Mark of the Mage
R.K. Ryals - 2013
Medeisia is a country in turmoil ruled by a blood thirsty king who has outlawed the use of magic and anything pertaining to knowledge. Magery and scribery are forbidden. All who practice are marked with a tattoo branded onto their wrists, their futures precarious. Sixteen year-old Drastona Consta-Mayria lives secluded, spending her spare time in the Archives of her father's manor surrounded by scribes. She wants nothing more than to become one of them, but when the scribes are royally disbanded, she is thrust into a harsh world where the marked must survive or die.
Scarlette: A Gothic Folktale
Davonna Juroe - 2012
Starting in 1764, an unidentified wolf-like animal ferociously mauled dozens of peasants in the Gévaudan region of France. Whispered rumors of unnatural creatures blended with age-old superstition to cause mass hysteria. Alarmed, King Louis XV sent his best huntsmen to rid the province of the beastly scourge, but this legendary massacre had only just begun. Scarlette, a 19-year-old seamstress who is laboring to make ends meet, lives under this dark threat. Although fearful of the nightmarish monster lurking in the surrounding forest, she remains naive and skeptical of the supernatural gossip. Until her grandmother is attacked.Scarlette learns her grandmother has been infected by the animal's bite. Desperate to save her, Scarlette begins to uncover the dark secrets of her village and finds there are those who wish to keep their pasts hidden. As time grows short, Scarlette is befriended by a local nobleman and a woodcutter who both share an eerie history with the wolf. Scarlette must unravel the men's connection and solve a long-forgotten crime before her grandmother's infection spreads. Based on both the traditional Grimm fairy-tale and older known French versions of "Little Red Riding Hood", this Gothic novel is set against the historic 18th century Beast of Gévaudan attacks in a modern, accessible prose style. Unique to the genre, the novel revives the fable of the girl-in-the-red-cloak with a new historical angle.
Dead College
Kent Reaper - 2013
He's confused, he's disoriented. He asks himself what's going on. But he doesn't know. It's not like anyone's alive to tell him anyway. Just a short trip to the bathroom, a welcome break from the geology class that puts him to sleep and his world is turned upside down. He sees things that defy explanation: His classmate eating his professor, his professor getting up, shrugging off fatal injuries and coming for him.Zack knows he must get out of this nightmare. But when he's inadvertently trapped in the faculty building by a fellow survivor, he soon discovers that the living may be even more dangerous than the monstrous undead.