Book picks similar to
Awakening by C.S. Churton


fantasy
paranormal
supernatural
young-adult

School for Reluctant Witches


Auburn Tempest - 2019
     Mystere LeJeune isn't only a witch--she's THE witch. Her family's magick roots weave deep into the rich soil and boggy swamps of the New Orleans paranormal community. It's no surprise that the LeJeune Book of Shadows is coveted by many--even those stupid enough to try to take it from her.

Recurve


Shannon Mayer - 2015
    I should be at my father's side as a royal princess. But as a half-breed, bastard child, that isn't going to happen. I've been accused of attacking the queen, my wicked stepmother, and my life is suddenly on the line. I have only two options left to me: banishment, or training to become one of the King's Elite Guards, an Ender.Option one will kill me.Option two is meant to break me, but it's the only way to survive.Did I mention I have no power like the rest of the elementals, and my connection to the earth is worth next to nothing?Could things get any worse? Of course they can. Welcome to being an Elemental.

Twinned Shadow


Candice Bundy - 2020
    All my awful family cares about is what I wear. Funerals suck.A Foothold In Two Different Worlds, And No Safety In Either…I, Becka Rowan, live in a time of uneasy peace. A fragile truce stands between humans, shifters, and the fae-touched—those who turn inward to their Houses for loyalty and protection and live in isolation from the outside world.For an ungifted like me, that’s impossible to do.Born of the fae but not blessed with their powers, I’ve grown up as an outcast within the human world. Humans don’t trust people like me with fae heritage, and the fae don’t bother with the ungifted. I said screw it and embraced college, determined to make my own fate.Just when I thought I could start a prestigious internship and continue my quest to address interspecies conflict, someone murdered my twin sister, an adept illusionist and heir to our family lineage.So, I’m going back home to say goodbye. Back to House Rowan. I take a deep breath, knowing after a short few days I’ll return to the city, free again from the melodrama of the House I was raised in.There’s just one hitch in my plan—Quinn, a fae-touched member of the Enforcer’s Guild assigned to investigate the killing. Quinn doesn’t let the typical fae prejudices against the ungifted prevent him from staying close to me. Uncomfortably close. Besides, he needs my help to figure out what happened to my sister. How can I refuse?---If you like urban fantasy romance filled with fae, shifters, and humans with mysteries, complex world building, and unique twists, you’ll love The Shadow Series.Perfect for fans of BR Kingsolver, Lily Archer, Michael Anderle, Ilona Andrews, C.N. Crawford, Kelly St. Clare, Leia Stone, Jaymin Eve, K. M. Shea, Martha Carr, Willow Winters, Annette Marie, Deborah Wilde, and KF Breene.

The Iron Wyrm Affair


Lilith Saintcrow - 2012
    His skills of deduction are legendary, and her own sorcery is not inconsiderable. It doesn't help much that they barely tolerate each other, or that Bannon's Shield, Mikal, might just be a traitor himself. Or that the conspiracy killing registered mentaths and sorcerers alike will just as likely kill them as seduce them into treachery toward their Queen. In an alternate London where illogical magic has turned the Industrial Revolution on its head, Bannon and Clare now face hostility, treason, cannon fire, black sorcery, and the problem of reliably finding hansom cabs. The game is afoot..

Prey


Veronica Singer - 2017
    There was a certain beauty, a certain simplicity, to her animal mindset. She was quick to label anyone or anything we met as "Pack," "Predator," or "Prey." Together, wolf and woman, we always managed to tell where anyone stood. Until the day we met that damned Magician in Tokyo. Luna White is a runaway, a lone werewolf running from her home and pack and her Alpha's obsession with using her to expand the pack; a plan that would have devastating consequences for Luna. She runs to Tokyo, where American werewolf packs are unknown. With a big personality and ego to match; she lands in Tokyo with a splash.Mason Carter is a Magician. He traveled from America and settled in Tokyo. He doesn’t care for werewolves; their lack of control runs against the principles of magic. However, Mason has a secret; he knows how to help the incredibly rare female werewolves keep from losing their minds during pregnancy. He won't reveal this to any werewolf, fearing that unrestrained breeding of werewolf litters will destabilize the supernatural community.The clash between the powerful Alpha and a Magician threatens not only Luna but the burgeoning love she feels for Mason.

Marked by Hell


Erin Bedford - 2017
    Mary's no different. Los Angeles isn’t just a playground for those searching for a new start. It’s darker and more dangerous than they’ll ever know. So, when the L.A.P.D. comes knocking on Mary’s door with a case that could give her a chance at revenge on the demons that took her wings, she is hard pressed to say no. Mary has her hands full trying to play human while looking for a way back home. Throw in an irate ex-client's spouse and exorcised demons wanting payback, and she will be lucky to find time to polish her halo. With a mysterious half-demon who has his own secret agenda for her new case, her life becomes infinitely more complicated. If Mary wants to get her revenge and save the friend she lost her wings for, she’ll have to put her angelic morals aside and start playing by their rules. But how far will she fall before she becomes too tainted to return to heaven? And does she even care?

A Marley the Witch Cozy Mystery Collection: Books 1-3


Amorette Anderson - 2020
    Marley Greene is an amateur witch who just wants everyone to get along.With her new retreat center up and running, she hopes to spread magic and healing to all who enter.What she doesn’t bargain for is how much trouble can go along with deep healing!Between mixing up mudbaths and arranging crystal grids, Marley finds herself trying to solve a mystery or two.After all, dead bodies are hardly good for business.Can Marley and her witch sisters keep everything under control?This paranormal cozy mystery boxset includes the first three Marley the Witch Mysteries.Book #1: The Strongman’s SpellBook #2: The Artist’s AlchemyBook #3: King Midas’ Magic

The Girl In Between


Laekan Zea Kemp - 2012
    Afflicted with Klein-Levin Syndrome, she suffers episodes of prolonged sleep that steal weeks, and sometimes even months, from her life. But unlike most KLS patients, she doesn’t spend each episode in a catatonic state or wake up with no recollection of the time she’s missed. Instead, Bryn spends half her life in an alternate reality made up of her memories. For Bryn, the past is a place, until one day a boy she’s never met before washes up on the illusory beach of her dreams with no memory of who he is.But the appearance of this strange boy isn’t the only thing that’s changed. Bryn’s symptoms are worsening, her body weakening as she’s plagued by hallucinations even while awake. Her only hope of finding a cure is to undergo experimental treatment created by a German specialist. But when Dr. Banz reveals that he knows more about her strange symptoms than he originally let on, Bryn learns that the boy in her head might actually be the key to understanding what’s happening to her, and worse, that if she doesn’t find out his identity before it’s too late, they both may not survive.

The First Book of Demons


Raquel Dove - 2012
    A series of strange encounters, and her relentlessly curious nature, lead her into the woods where she meets a destiny that has been chasing her since birth. She is unknowingly brought into a world of demons that is fraught with turmoil and deadly power struggles. Lord Balthazar, a demon prince trying to hold his new kingdom together, seizes on the opportunity and takes her hostage. Alexandra’s strong willed, defiant personality not only gets her into heaps of trouble, but also manages to gain the unlikely affections of the demon lord that holds her captive. As time begins to run out for both of them, sacrifices must be made that are to neither one’s liking, and by the time they realize what they truly want, it may be too late.

Wolves


C. Gockel - 2012
    Galaxies away Loki is waking up in a prison cell, strangely without a hangover, and with no idea what he’s done wrong — this time anyway. But he does know Thor is hiding something, Odin is up to something wicked, and there seems to be something he’s forgotten...In this tale that is equal parts “Another Fine Myth,” “American Gods,” and “Once Upon a Time,” a very nice midwestern girl and a jaded, still very mischievous Loki must join forces to outwit gods, elves, magic sniffing cats, and nosy neighbors. If Loki can remember exactly what he’s forgotten and Amy can convince him not to be too distracted by Earthly gadgets, her boobs, or three day benders, they just might pull it off...This first volume of "I Bring the Fire" is for anyone who suspects chaos and mischief makers might have their own redeeming qualities, and anyone who just wants a good fantasy romp through modern Earth, ancient Asgard, and beyond!

Rebirth


Gayle Parness - 2011
    She’s too strong, too fast and her senses are way too acute. Not knowing her real parents and passed around from family to family, she’s never fit into the mundane world she’s grown up in, making it impossible for her to put down real roots or form permanent friendships.So waking up in the forest in the middle of the night covered in blood and having no memory of how she got there, pisses her off and makes her even more confused. Who is this guy who’s kidnapped her and tells her that she is more than human and needs to be trained? And who’s the hot guy in the room next door who she’s supposed to train with? And why has Garrett, a compellingly seductive vampire, been her silent guardian for the last few years, saving her life when she was brutally attacked by thugs?As the days pass and Jackie is confronted with the strange truth of who and what she is, she begins to put the pieces of her splintered life back together to feel whole for the very first time. Becoming acquainted with a world spinning with a mysterious energy and populated by shapeshifters,vampires, weres, and even the powerful fae, Jackie learns to pull strength from the magic, her new friendships and even love.

The Rules for Lying


L.A. Kelley - 2017
     No good comes from this book. The story has magic, mayhem, theft, murder, sass talk, demons, animals committing felonies, gleeful revenge, and bad things happening to good people for no particular reason. It won’t encourage good habits and probably fine tune bad ones. The only lesson learned is don’t lie unless you know the rules. Teenager Peter Whistler lives at the Little Angels Home for Orphan Boys. Life in New Jersey is harsh in the Great Depression, but Peter has an exceptional ability to lie. He hones his talent, convinced it’s the ticket to easy fortune. He certainly doesn’t foresee the arrival of a murderous conjurer with mysterious designs on a little blind girl named Esther. Drawn into a nefarious plot to unleash a demon, Peter leads Esther and an enchanted terrier on a desperate escape to New Orleans and meets Amelie Marchand. Like all well-bred southern girls she’s trained in deadly martial arts, but with a murderous stepmother, Amelie has troubles of her own. Peter and Amelie’s one chance for survival is to head deep into the bayou and seek help from a mad shaman known as the Frog King. Welcome to an alternate 1930s where both jazz and magic fill New Orleans’ air. Can a little luck, mystical lies, and a dash of Cajun crazy help Peter harness the power to kill an immortal demon? If not, the Depression will be a picnic by comparison when hell arrives on Earth.

Hemlock Grove


Brian McGreevy - 2012
    A manhunt ensues—though the authorities aren’t sure if it’s a man they should be looking for.Some suspect an escapee from the White Tower, a foreboding biotech facility owned by the Godfrey family—their personal fortune and the local economy having moved on from Pittsburgh steel—where, if rumors are true, biological experiments of the most unethical kind take place. Others turn to Peter Rumancek, a Gypsy trailer-trash kid who has told impressionable high school classmates that he’s a werewolf. Or perhaps it’s Roman, the son of the late JR Godfrey, who rules the adolescent social scene with the casual arrogance of a cold-blooded aristocrat, his superior status unquestioned despite his decidedly freakish sister, Shelley, whose monstrous medical conditions belie a sweet intelligence, and his otherworldly control freak of a mother, Olivia. At once a riveting mystery and a fascinating revelation of the grotesque and the darkness in us all, Hemlock Grove has the architecture and energy to become a classic in its own right—and Brian McGreevy the talent and ambition to enthrall us for years to come.

Cat's Claw


Amber Benson - 2010
    She owes a debt to Cerberus, the three headed dog that guards the gate's of hell-a debt that involves a trip to Purgatory, Las Vegas, ancient Egypt, and a discount department store that's more frightening than any supernatural creature she'll ever encounter.

Smoke & Summons


Charlie N. Holmberg - 2019
    At the command of her master, she can be transformed against her will into his weapon—a raging monster summoned to do his bidding. Unlike other vessels, Sandis can host extremely powerful spirits, but hosting such creatures can be fatal. To stay alive, she must run. And in a city fueled by smoke and corruption, she finds a surprising ally.A cunning thief for hire, Rone owns a rare device that grants him immortality for one minute every day—a unique advantage that will come in handy in Sandis’s fight for freedom. But Sandis’s master knows how powerful she is. He’s determined to get her back, and he has the manpower to find her, wherever she runs.Now, to outwit her pursuers, Sandis must put all her trust in Rone and his immortal device. For her master has summoned more than mere men to hunt her down…