Book picks similar to
Smoke and Rain by V.S. Holmes


fantasy
dark-fantasy
free-reads
science-fiction-fantasy

The Last Descendant


Megan Haskell - 2015
    The high elves have made that very clear. Even training as an elite fighter isn’t enough to earn the respect she craves. Her only allies are the fierce carnivorous pixies who travel by her side, yet still she clings to the hope of one day earning her place in the Upper Realm.When she's attacked by assassins from the enemy Shadow Realm, Rie's martial prowess keeps her alive...and frames her as a traitor. Facing execution at the hand of a merciless king, Rie must forsake her oaths and flee into enemy lands to prove her innocence. What she uncovers may threaten more than her honor or even her life…for war is looming in the nine faerie realms.

The Prince of Korin


Melody J. Bremen - 2021
    Nor does he want to be one.He spends his days in the royal library, poring over old manuscripts, studying archaic languages and playing chess. He’s never been like Krollis, his fearless twin brother, who is an expert swordsman and hunts wild beasts in the forests.When an army of vizzens, the fearsome old enemy of Korin, attacks from the east and Krollis disappears, Endomer is left in charge of the country. He struggles to find a way to save his people while his soldiers are dying and his citizens are forced to flee. As he fights to gain the respect of the palace court, he discovers a threat coming from within the palace walls. There is no one he can trust.He isn’t only fighting for his country – he’s fighting for his life.Fans of Megan Whalen Turner and Jennifer A. Nielsen will enjoy this story of political intrigue and betrayal.

The Gift


Margaret McHeyzer - 2017
    I have something they cannot take or steal. I have something they'd kill for.The something I have, isn't a possession, it's more.Much, much more.It's a gift.It's part of me.Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/mMWAP6cYWUQ

Immortal: Curse of the Deathless


Derek Edgington - 2016
    Basically all he has going for him is an edgy sense of humor-- and, of course, that he can't die. As a small-time fixer, he's about to field a job request best left to the pros, because once he gets involved with witches and the supernatural, there's no turning back. While Asher becomes immersed in the secret world of the supernatural, he makes few allies and some very powerful enemies. At least traveling across space and time will bring him some unexpected romance, right? Immortal: Curse of the Deathless is a humorous, action-filled story with gritty, sometimes horror-inspiring elements. Over its three parts, the book spans multiple worlds: a modern, urban city of the 21st Century, as well as Tír na nÓg, a land that's home to the Fae (Sídthe) from classic Celtic Mythology.

Nolander


Becca Mills - 2012
    They're wrong. Amateur photographer Beth Ryder is in trouble. She's taking pictures of things she can't see, things that aren't human. Beth has her own dreams, but people like her don't get to go free. She's seized by a dangerous organization dedicated to keeping Earth's shadow world -- and its frightening inhabitants -- a secret. Forced into otherworldly politics and uncertain whom to trust, Beth must come to terms with a radically altered future -- one in which her own humanity seems to be draining away.

The Shadow Rises


K.S. Marsden - 2013
    The Malleus Maleficarum Council have strict rules and practises for eradicating magic.Due to their work, witches have been almost forgotten, relegated to myth; but rumours are starting to emerge of a new power that will throw the world into chaos.As the only 7th generation witch-hunter, Hunter Astley is the best the MMC has to offer. With the help of his colleagues, it’s a race to track down this new threat and stop them… in any way he can. Part one of the Witch-Hunter trilogy.Free download from most ebook retailers.

The Boy who Lit up the Sky


J. Naomi Ay - 2012
    Duty comes before personal choice for a princess especially when her country has been at war for more than a thousand years. Lydia's pregnancy removes her brother and new husband from their respective lines of succession placing her yet unborn infant at the head of the both queues. No one is happy about this, especially Lydia who dies during childbirth from wounds caused by the talon-like toenails of her very strange newborn son.Grief stricken at the loss of his daughter, the Mishnese King hastily sends Senya, his infant grandson off to a decrepit inner city orphanage with the intent to retrieve him much later when things got sorted out. At the orphanage, Senya is protected by the invalid Sister Meri who instantly falls in love with the little fellow. She's not bothered at all by his strange telekinetic and telepathic powers, flickering pupil-less silver eyes or wicked clawed toenails. The House Father takes a shine to the lad too and when Senya is six years old, he is summoned to the Father's chamber. The Father ends up in flames forcing Meri and Senya out into a snow storm running for their lives. Thus begins the tale of Senya, a prince created to be king of a planet but then tossed aside until his twelfth birthday when Lt. Taner, a Royal Guard detective is sent to retrieve him. It is unclear to all whether Senya is the product of something good or something evil but in either case, it is very apparent that he is something more than just Lydia Kalila's son.Note to readers - This title contains graphic language, violence and sexual situations. It is not intended for children or young teens.

Zephyra


Andrea B. Lamoureux - 2017
    The mysterious man she can't figure out. And a mad king with a dark plan. Bullied as a child and never able to live up to her mother’s expectations, it’s no wonder Zephyra longs to leave her royal life at court behind. When she has to do just that in order to protect her cousin, the queen, she quickly finds out how dangerous life beyond the palace walls is. And there is more than one threat to the kingdom. After being thrown in harms way, Zephyra’s destiny becomes entangled with a mysterious stranger’s who harbours secrets of his own. Can she learn to trust him and master the fire within her before their world is shrouded in darkness? Perfect for fans of books like Throne of Glass and Queen of the Tearling. Buy now to start the epic Elemental Diaries series today! This book follows the life of the fire elemental as she grows from a child into a woman. Please note: This is a second edition.

Scavenger Girl: Season of Atchem


Jennifer Arntson - 2017
    There is no question that her family's bond is strong, but the law of the Authority is stronger...and soon it will come to collect her. After all, the family is on borrowed time already.When a night of torment and truth reveals well kept secrets, Una takes new freedoms - free from the Authority, her family, and possibly her fate. Pulled between the life she's always known and a world where status and rituals are everything, Una struggles to understand a culture that has rejected all she holds dear. As Atchem comes to an end and she learns who she really is, will Una find the courage to do what it takes to ensure her family's survival, or will she find the faith to follow her heart?

Shattered Souls


Lola St. Vil - 2017
    The only thing she knows is that she is destined to be on the outside looking in. That is, until the most popular guy in school, asks her out on a date. However, instead of taking her to a movie, he parks the car in a remote section of Lower Manhattan and, after a few cryptic proclamations, stabs her in the neck. Lucas Ford—a breathtaking angel with remarkable powers, swoops down and saves her. That’s when she learns that she’s the descendant of a long line of formidable, Angels called "Noru" and that Demons are seeking her out to strip her of her emerging powers. In addition, by saving her, Lucas awakens a new evil bent on the destroying all of humanity. Her team must go on a dangerous quest to find a powerful relic that can contain the new evil. In the midst of the harrowing, and bloody mission, she looks for solace in the arms of the angel she loved at first sight—Lucas. But for some reason, Lucas is cold and distant. Did she misread his feelings for her? What do you do when the angel who risked his life to save you, now wants nothing to do with you? Summit comes from great and powerful line female Angels. But while she has their purple eyes, does she have their courage? And now that she finally has a family, will she be strong enough to hold on to them or is she destined to lose both her family and the guy she loves?

Wrath of the Royals


Craig Halloran - 2009
    “Do as they say or disappear,” the commoners would warn. But Venir and Melegal could not have cared less what anyone had to say. They had been this way since their childhood.As the underlings rally all of the evil forces they can muster to destroy the mystical and legendary Darkslayer, something unexpected has upset the delicate balance between good and evil on the world called Bish, making the Darkslayer a pawn in other insidious disputes.Strife and turmoil are constant features of life as humans struggle to survive among a wide array of creatures, including orcs, ogres, and the most evil of all—the underlings. When recklessness provokes a Royal household, Venir is forced to flee the city, along with his great two-headed dog and his comrade, the skinny thief Melegal. The Royals and underlings soon unleash some unusual powers against him and start to close in. Facing the final showdown, nothing unfolds as it should.

Blackbird Summer


Em Shotwell - 2016
    Until the rewards are worth the cost. The townsfolk come, cash in hand, always at night, to pay for services only a Gifted can provide. No matter the Gifts prevalent in her family, at twenty-one, Tallulah is expected to follow the path laid out for her: marriage, babies, and helping her mama teach the family home school program. She’s resigned to live the quiet life and stay out of trouble…until she meets Logan.An outsider and all around rebel, Logan doesn’t care about her family’s reputation. Yet after a tragic loss wreaks havoc on the crumbling relationship between the Caibres and the townsfolk, Tallulah must decide if love and freedom are worth risking everything.

Unstolen: You can steal, but you can't hide


Tony Batton - 2018
    Almost.
 He returns stolen items to their rightful owners.
 For a price.

 A man has to make a living, and Jake more than most. Because he's still paying for mistakes made a long time ago. And they weren't even his.

Magician's Heir


D. Bruce Cotton - 2019
    He’s trapped in the tiny town of Elliston, and excitement’s not exactly knocking down his door. Until it does. A cryptic peddler, peculiar merchandise, and insatiable curiosity combine to tear Adam away from the mundane safety of his everyday existence… and into the impossible world of Tantris: a land of giants, mages and the magic Adam’s hoped for his entire life. But is this a world of sanity or madness? A dream or nightmare? Adam must answer these questions, and soon. Because Tantris has a mortal enemy—ruthless, evil and hungry for the souls of the innocent. And the Dark Mage just chose Adam as his next victim.

Children of a Broken Sky


Adam J. Nicolai - 2013
    In its wake, everything changed. Now the sun rises in the south, if it rises at all. Animals go mad. Crops ripen and die overnight. The Church - a body of miracle-workers who can heal the sick and walk through fire - warns that God's final judgment is at hand. THE WORLD WILL SOON END.Now, stories tell of men that speak with beasts and peasants who work their own miracles. The Church decries these heretics, hunting them like animals and demanding the same of the faithful. In a remote village, a small group of childhood friends are caught in the crossfire. Accused of heresy by the Church and sentenced to death, they escape their village as it burns behind them.BUT SOME MAY FIND HOPE.Their Church hunts them. A cursed world assails them. To survive, one of them will learn the true meaning of her beliefs; another, that some portents can be deceiving. But only one revelation has a chance to save them:That they are not forsaken. They have each other.Bestselling Kindle Suspense author Adam J. Nicolai invites you to a land beneath a broken sky, where sorceries clash with miracles, mountains are crowned with lightning, and faith - true faith - can topple empires.