Book picks similar to
The Spirit of Things by Ben McQueeney


fantasy
ya-fantasy
fantasy-paranormal
series-trial

Soul of Magic


Mark August - 2021
    An idea can change the world. Imagine what someone can do with magic.”Except using magic in Caesea is punishable by death.Kincaid, a journeyman carpenter with artistic skills not seen in generations, discovers his shop is on the wrong side of underworld loans. In a blast of unknown and untamed power to protect those he loves, Kincaid changed his bright future in the Carpentry Guild to a dank prison beyond the laws of the city. Thrust into city politics, Kincaid faces impossible choices to escape to save his loved ones or embrace being a pawn in the games of political power. All the while a whispering voice invades his thoughts, pushing him to become the Chronomancer.To change his destiny, Kincaid must embrace the darkest secret of magic only the Magi know.This is a fast-paced high fantasy adventure filled with action, magic, mystery, and themes for all ages.

The Nine Lives of Chloe King


Celia Thomson - 2004
    She goes to class (most of the time), fights with her mom, and crushes on a boy... or two. But around her sixteenth birthday, Chloe finds that perhaps she isn’t so normal after all. There’s the heightened night vision, the super fast reflexes – oh, and the claws.As she discovers who she is – and where she comes from – it is clear she is not alone. And someone is out to get her.Chloe has nine lives. But will nine be enough?

Devil's Cut


L.A. McGinnis - 2021
    But then I meet Bastian Forge, and discover everything I was told was a lie.He’s powerful. He's beautiful. He’s enigmatic.And now I owe him, bigtime. When Bastian unlocks my gift—I can read vampire minds—he opens up a whole new world, teaching me how to use my newfound powers. But as our enemies close in, I’m not sure who to trust, because while Forge keeps his secrets?I have my own, and neither of us will leave the other unscathed.

Compliant: Book One of the State Series


M.J. Kaestli
    Freedom is a luxury only found in history books.The world outside is no longer safe or inhabitable. All survivors have been saved under a protective dome. There, the State sees and hears all. Everything is recorded under their watchful eye, and reported according to their strict laws. The State provides all life’s necessities to its surviving citizens, as long as they are in turn, compliant.Freya is approaching sixteen, the age at which the State reveals the life it has selected for her. Soon she will learn if she is destined to become a common laborer or selected for something more—chosen for reproduction, or even to serve the State itself.Even though she has always been compliant, nothing feels safe to her. Freya doesn’t know if she can trust anyone, or ever truly fall in love. The State has always shown her favor, yet she is continually discovering their favor comes with a rather hefty price. Will she blindly comply to the life laid out for her? Or will she fight for what she feels should rightfully be hers?

A King's Bargain


J.D.L. Rosell - 2020
    But though he’s declared a hero by his King, Tal has never claimed to be more than a man... After three decades of fighting warlocks, killing mythical beasts, and hunting enchanted treasure, Tal has had enough. Running from the deeds of his past, he retreats to his home village under a different name and meets an unlikely companion: Garin, a village boy who dreams of making a name for himself and seeing the world beyond their sleepy town. When Tal receives a mysterious visitor, both he and Garin find themselves thrown into a sojourn across the kingdom. Soon, they become embroiled in the plots of monarchs, on the frontlines of an ancient war, and at the mercy of a fabled sorcerer. Now Tal must live up to his legend, and Garin discover his own power, to survive the forces pitted against them…

Species Traitor


Kate L. Mary - 2020
     They came hoping to find a new home after their own planet was destroyed, but Earth was dying as well, and most humans saw their arrival as an invasion. Now, two decades later, the Veilorians have been banished to the District, a fenced-in area on the outskirts of the last known livable land on Earth. Most people do their best to pretend they don’t exist, but not everyone. There are humans, like my cousin, who see them for what they are. Despite the threat of disownment, she married a Veilorian, and now she, too, lives in the District. Even before I met Finn, I was determined to stand up for what was right, but from the moment I laid eyes on him, we had a connection I’ve never experienced before. But with the election of a new and radical mayor on the horizon, tensions are high, and people are calling for change. They want to make my cousin’s marriage illegal and punish any human who goes into the District, but I refuse to back down from this fight. No matter the cost.

Rogue Legacy: Origins of Issalia


Jeffrey L. Kohanek - 2018
    Meet Lyra:An orphan A thief A liar A bard A warrior A princess ... A rogue When tragedy strikes, Lyra runs for her life...directly into the hands of fate. Destiny places her at the heart of a plot to overthrow the rulers of Issalia.She must help thwart this twisted scheme.Joined by a man armed with powerful magic and a soldier who wields an enchanted weapon, the trio must face the most fearsome force the world has ever known. Even if they survive this epic confrontation, the future is not secure... ... for the threats surrounding Lyra do not end there.History often forgets the details, and sometimes, history forgets the truth. Lyra's tale reveals what truly happened hundreds of years before The Runes of Issalia series takes place.Within these pages, resides her legacy.

Initiation


RaShelle Workman - 2020
    Attend and take my place in the pack or my family suffers the consequences.One bite changed my whole life. Until that fateful moment, no one told me I descended from an ancient legacy of wolves.Determined to keep my family safe, I enter the Wolf Blood Academy, but acceptance isn’t official until I pass their initiation. A series of challenges meant to discover my rank among the classes. With my genetics, the tests should be easy, but I haven’t had years of training like the others. Even with my focus on surviving, that isn’t enough to keep me away from Wyatt Wright. He’s beyond gorgeous and so tempting. I crave him. But everything in me says I need to stay away.Prove myself. I will do anything for my family, even become the enemy so I can take them down from the inside. Unless Wyatt takes me down first. Maybe that won’t be a bad thing. Can love alter one's destiny? I guess I’m about to find out. ♥WOLF BLOOD ACADEMY READING ORDER:Wolf Blood Academy: InitiationWolf Blood Academy: InductionWolf Blood Academy: Inheritance

Bronze Magic


Jenny Ealey - 2013
    Embracing his new identity, allegiances are formed as the woodfolk hail Tarquin as the Guardian Of The Forest.But can he find a way to protect this mysterious realm, and seize his true destiny?Praise: ★★★★★ - “Fantastic book with in-depth characters and original storyline. Couldn't put it down.” ★★★★★ - “So much thought behind the characters and the world. A great start to the series.”

The Apprentice to Zdrell


David K. Bennett - 2018
    Master Silurian, though not a zdrell master himself, has been fighting demon magic all his considerable life and hoping against hope that a new zdrell master would enter the world. Now as the demons and their wizards are nearly ready take over the continent and cement their hold over the entire human race, Jonny is discovered by Silurian, a boy, who untutored is able to manipulate magic like the zdrell masters of old. Can Silurian train this boy and keep him alive long enough for him to become a new zdrell master before the demons sweep the continent and gain control of the entire world?

WarMage: Unexpected


Martha Carr - 2020
    Girl works to befriend dragon. A large, red, dangerous dragon. Raven Alby will have to train her new ride and save the dragon’s life or die trying. Mix in starting at Fowler Academy as a first year, becoming a stronger mage and oh... people disappearing. It's all adding up to typical teenager stuff for a young mage.First lesson Raven will learn? Don’t ever let anything come between a girl and her dragon.

Blackthorn Rising: Legends of Agora


Michael James Ploof - 2015
     For ten long years young Dirk Blackthorn has followed his drunken father from one city to another, always having to cheat and steal for his next meal, and never knowing what the future might hold. A magician turned con artist, Dirk’s father Thad has taught him everything he knows. After being driven out of just about every southern city in Agora, they have come to Kell-Torey in search of a new beginning. With winter on its way, and all but a rusty coin spent on his father’s drinking, Dirk must make full use of his skills if they are to survive the harsh northern cold. As Thad descends deeper into his drunken delirium, Dirk becomes determined to make a name for himself in the city’s criminal underworld. Featuring two of Legends of Agora’s most beloved characters, Blackthorn Rising is a fast-paced coming of age tale wrought with sword and sorcery, it is a story of failure and triumph, and a testament to the unrelenting spirit of defiance and adventure within us all. FROM THE EDITOR Blackthorn Rising is a book that sticks with you. Michael Ploof’s stimulating prose and evocative cast of characters are incapable of boring you on any single page. The plot is sharp, charged with dark wit, adventure, intrigue, and emotion. Enjoy Dirk Blackthorn’s bumbling journey to manhood as he rises to become a great thief, and an even greater man. I loved every minute of editing this tale, and I know you’ll love every minute of reading it. --Holly M. Kothe, espressoeditor.com

World Whisperer


Rachel Devenish Ford - 2016
    In all those years, fourteen-year-old Isika has never been able to fit in as a Worker or live up to her role as the priest's daughter, and worse, she has been helpless against the tragedies that have fallen on her family. But now the four goddesses they serve want another sacrifice, and Isika's stepfather has chosen the next child to be sent out to sea: the little brother who Isika loves more than anything. This time Isika will not be powerless. Together, she and her two remaining siblings leave the walls of the Worker village to save their brother, traveling into unknown lands and magic they never could have imagined.

The Five Warriors


Angela J. Ford - 2015
    your best friend started a rebellion in the middle of a war? your lover awakened a deep evil and helped it grow? your people were too cowardly to face a battle? you stole an ancient power source? you gambled with the fate of the world?

Jonathan Haymaker


Sam Ferguson - 2015
    That would be his older brother Jason. He isn't the tallest, best looking, or funniest either. Again, that would be Jason. He is better than most in the village at archery, though. He is an excellent hunter, and can perform more trick shots than anyone else with amazing accuracy. Well, he is almost better than anyone else. Jason has him beat there too. Jonathan doesn't mind though, he and his older brother share a deep bond that connects them more fully than their differences could separate them. They work together in their family fields, go swimming at the fishing hole, and sometimes they play tricks on other farmers in the village. Whatever they do, for good or ill, they do together. On Jonathan's sixteenth birthday though, officers come to the village asking for volunteers. Trolls have invaded during the heaviest monsoon season ever known, and the wet conditions have given the trolls enhanced abilities. Jason is the first to step forward, and is eagerly accepted for his height and strength. Though he also volunteers, Jonathan is told he is too young, and not strong enough for the rigors of war with the trolls in the Murkle Quags. When letters stop arriving from Jason after two years of war, and Jonathan still finds himself denied acceptance to the army due to his small stature, he does what any good brother would do. Jonathan Haymaker takes his bow and leaves his home. They said it couldn't be done. The journey was too far, the dangers too great, and the war too fierce for a boy like him. Perhaps they were right, but he knew Jason was alive somewhere, and he was not about to let his brother be alone.