Book picks similar to
Heir of Bitter Thorn by Kay L. Moody
fantasy
fae
young-adult
magic
The Fae Prince
Serena Meadows - 2019
Ejected from the palace with only a handful of coins, the prince suddenly finds himself a pauper. He must experience some of life’s harsher realities, say the king and queen, if he’s to become the leader the Seelie people need.
Across the fields his royal subject, Darby, knows all about harsh realities...
After losing her parents at thirteen the young farmer has had little time for royals or gossip. A good day means a warm hearth and full bowl. Anything else is a luxury. But things are finally improving and for the first time ever, winter’s approach isn’t quite so bleak.
Until she discovers a large, rumpled heap sleeping in her barn…
The thing—whatever it is—stinks worse than her animals (and sounds just as ornery) but questionable hygiene is the least of Darby’s concerns. The seasons are turning, and darkness is gathering at the edges of the Seelie Kingdom. More than ever, the people need a hero they can count on, but it seems that man is nowhere to be seen.
Note: Note: This is Book 1 in the series "Fae of Ballantine". All books in the series can be read as standalones with a HEA and no cliffhangers.
Warning: Adults Only
One Wilde Night
Jenn Stark - 2015
When her newest client hires her to steal a fertility idol from an Amazonian sex-and-death cult, she finds herself south of the equator and shoulder deep in true believers, while Rio de Janeiro gears up for the closing celebrations of Carnival. Stealing the idol is one thing, however. Keeping it is another. The arcane black market has drawn a host of cutthroat operatives and Sara’s now in their sights. In a race across one of the most colorful cities in South America on its most famed night of the year, Sara must navigate cunning enemies, backstabbing allies, a fifty-foot wedding cake float and a new, sensually mysterious contact who may be friend or foe… and whose name she’ll never learn if she doesn’t make it to dawn alive. No matter what the cards predict, it’s going to be One Wilde Night.
Chasing Rabbits
Erin Bedford - 2016
This was the Fae world, where rules are rules, and some things are exactly as they seem.
Rose Petal Graves
Olivia Wildenstein - 2016
Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient Native American graves in our backyard.Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals.As we made preparations for her burial, unnervingly odd and beautiful newcomers poured into my small town. A coroner with emerald eyes and black hair, much too young for the job. An arrogant blond socialite, who lived to get under my skin. And a tattooed Native man, who wasn’t supposed to be alive.By dying, my mother had inadvertently revived an age-old feud between the fae and the tribe that hunted them.A feud that was about to tear my world apart.Dive into this paranormal adventure that readers are comparing to Vampire Diaries...but with faeries.
Silent Orchids
Morgan Wylie - 2013
The Orchids have been silenced… but for how long?Daegan, elite of the Ferrishyn warrior tribe of Faeries, is charged with a mission to find the Sol-lumieth, a mysterious new power that could change the fate of all in the realm of Alandria. But he is conflicted by his purpose, and he cannot trust the motives of those he serves. He has too many questions and they must be answered. Kaeleigh, a girl abandoned as a small child just outside Missoula, Montana, is now 18. She is trying to discover who she is and where she belongs. In her heart, she feels she has family out there… somewhere. Desperate to unravel the mysteries of her past, she embarks on a journey that will forever change her along with her two best friends, Finn and Chel—who have secrets of their own.
Rough Justice
Kelley Armstrong - 2018
Matilda of the Hunt. The lone woman who rides with the Wild Hunt, tasked with finding killers who've escaped justice and letting the hounds reap their souls. For Olivia Taylor-Jones, Matilda isn't just a legendary figure from Welsh lore. She is Olivia's past, and her future, one she's finally embraced.Having accepted her role as Matilda, Olivia must now lead her first Hunt. Seems simple enough. But when she questions their target's guilt, the Hunt is halted, her mission failed. Still, it's just a matter of getting Gabriel's help and investigating the man's past to reassure herself that he's guilty. He must be. Otherwise, he wouldn't be a target. But the deeper she digs, the more problems she finds, until she must question everything she knows about the Hunt and the choice she's made.
Impulse Control
Susan Bischoff - 2011
At one such school, a dangerous experiment has killed two young inmates and threatens others. Ethan, a shape-shifter, is reluctantly recruited by his best friend Karen, a telepath, and Elle, the unique Talent he has a crush on, to thwart the faculty's plans. If they’re caught they face Detention, and Detention at a State School has a whole different meaning."Impulse Control" is a short story of approximately 12,000 words and contains some strong language.
The Falconer
Elizabeth May - 2013
Eighteen-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, has everything a girl could dream of: brains, charm, wealth, a title—and drop-dead beauty.She's a liar.But Aileana only looks the part of an aristocratic young lady. she's leading a double life: She has a rare ability to sense the sìthíchean—the faery race obsessed with slaughtering humans—and, with the aid of a mysterious mentor, has spent the year since her mother died learning how to kill them.She's a murderer.Now Aileana is dedicated to slaying the fae before they take innocent lives. With her knack for inventing ingenious tools and weapons—from flying machines to detonators to lightning pistols—ruthless Aileana has one goal: Destroy the faery who destroyed her mother.She's a Falconer.The last in a line of female warriors born with a gift for hunting and killing the fae, Aileana is the sole hope of preventing a powerful faery population from massacring all of humanity. Suddenly, her quest is a lot more complicated. She still longs to avenge her mother's murder—but she'll have to save the world first.The first volume of a trilogy from an exciting new voice in young adult fantasy, this electrifying thriller combines romance and action, steampunk technology and Scottish lore in a deliciously addictive read.
Magic Under Glass
Jaclyn Dolamore - 2009
When wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to do a special act - singing accompaniment to an exquisite piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it is the start of a new life. In Parry's world, however, buried secrets stir. Unsettling below-stairs rumours abound about ghosts, a mad woman roaming the halls, and of Parry's involvement in a gang of ruthless sorcerers who torture fairies for sport. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing young fairy gentleman is trapped inside the automaton's stiff limbs, waiting for someone to break the curse and set him free, the two fall in love. But it is a love set against a dreadful race against time to save the entire fairy realm, which is in mortal peril.
Dangerous Dream
Kami Garcia - 2013
But when Dark Caster Ridley makes an appearance, the sometime bad girl can't resist picking a fight with her sometime boyfriend, Link. Angry and rebellious as ever, Ridley ends up alone in New York City and becomes entangled in the dangerous underground Caster club scene, where the stakes are high and losers pay the ultimate price.Where's a Linkubus when you need him?
The Fractured Empire
Robin D. Mahle - 2018
Until they meet each other. Adelaide — heiress to the wealthiest man in the Ceithren Empire — has felt a void since her sister’s death. Just as she’s resigned herself to the empty life her father chose for her, a relic from a world that shouldn’t exist plunges her into chaos. Clark — son of the greatest terrorist the empire has ever known — is still reeling from his father’s death. Since then, his life has boiled down to two things: his brothers and his next mission. When his mission to bring back a mystical artifact goes awry, he’s forced to choose between getting the job done and saving the life of a spoiled socialite. But Clark isn’t the only one after the artifact. He and Adelaide must work together to survive… if only they can manage to avoid killing each other before their enemies have the chance.
Advent Mage Compendium
Honor Raconteur - 2012
They didn’t add to the plot in any way, they didn’t really build character, they were written just for my sole entertainment. So she convinced me to take them out of the book. While I did see her point and agreed with her, I didn’t want these stories to sit on some hard drive collecting dust. Sure, they weren’t a vital part of the story but they were entertaining and in one particular case, it gave a great deal of backstory. One story was written purely for fans. (Fans that unfairly bribed Night with peanut butter when I wasn’t looking!)All of this gave birth to—the Compendium. Here are the stories that I give you for pure entertainment.
The Audition
Rachel Hartman - 2012
It takes place a few weeks prior to Seraphina, covering Seraphina Dombegh's audition to become Viridius's assistant and thus Glisselda's music tutor.
Oath Taker
Audrey Grey - 2019
Maas and Emily R. King, this first book in a dark and action-packed new series is impossible to put down! Light magic is forbidden. Dark magic spells death. Haven has both. After the Prince of Penryth saved her from captivity, seventeen-year-old Haven Ashwood spends her days protecting the kind prince and her nights secretly fighting the monsters outside the castle walls. When one of those monsters kidnaps Prince Bell, Haven must ally with Archeron Halfbane and his band of immortals to rescue her friend. Her quest takes her deep into the domain of a warped and vicious queen where the rules are simple: break her curse or die. Lost in a land of twisted magic and fabled creatures, Haven finds herself unprepared, not just for the feelings she develops for Archeron, but for the warring powers raging inside her. Her rare and forbidden type of magic may be their only hope . . . but mixing light and dark comes with a steep price. Haven’s soul. Faced with impossible love, heartbreaking betrayals, and a queen intent on destroying the realm, only one thing remains certain. Haven must shatter the curse or it will devour everything she loves. Welcome to the Kingdom of Runes where immortals and humans clash, light and dark magic reign, and mythical creatures lurk in the shadows. If you like fierce heroines, enemies-to-lovers romance, wild plot twists, and endearing characters that stay with you long after you reach the end, you need to discover the book readers are calling dark fantasy at its best. Just make sure to clear out some space on your calendar first! **Oath Taker was previously published in the boxed set Shattered Worlds under the name Curse Breaker. This is a revised second edition. The Kingdom of Runes series is upper/mature YA and contains mild cursing and adult situations, including romance.**
Frozen Hearts and Death Magic
Day LeitaoDay Leitao - 2022
But Naia has wishes of her own. They awaken when she finds a white fae almost dying in the woods. She only heard of them in stories; the dreaded race that razed cities to the ground, killed her grandparents, almost rid Aluria of humans—until they disappeared. Now, almost twenty years later, are they back? Is there another war coming?But the fae is evasive and secretive—and also alluring and fascinating, more beautiful than anyone she’s ever seen. And then it happens: Naia kisses him—and nothing will be the same again.In another kingdom, Leah, a necromancer princess, has to find a husband in less than four days, during the gathering, when royals from all over Aluria meet. Her family makes it very clear that she can pick any prince she wants—except one: Naia’s brother. And it turns out that he’s the one; the one who makes her heart beat faster.Meanwhile, war looms over the land. One of the kingdoms is amassing immense power. The White Fae might be returning. Amidst it all, Naia and her brother struggle with newfound magical powers, family secrets, and most of all, their own treacherous hearts.Frozen Hearts and Death Magic is book 1 of the Duology Of Fire and Fae, recommended for readers 16 and up.