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


fantasy
epic-fantasy
dark-fantasy
free-reads

Maniac on the Loose


Steve Hudgins - 2018
    Fearing that he'll lose his job if word gets out, the head of the hospital, Dr. Franklin Grimm desperately attempts to cover up the escape. Meanwhile, there is a Maniac on the Loose.

Hope for Garbage


Alex Tully - 2014
    No matter how hard he tries, this seventeen year-old just can’t get a break. Through no fault of his own, he finds himself living with his alcoholic uncle on the outskirts of Cleveland. His days are filled with garbage-picking and hanging out with his seventy year-old neighbor, who also happens to be his best friend.One early morning while scanning the streets in a posh suburb, he meets Bea, a rebellious rich girl with problems of her own. She’s smart, cute, and a glimmer of light in his dark world.But in the midst of their budding romance, Bea’s beautiful mother enters the picture with an agenda of her own. She sets off a chain of events so shocking and destructive, Trevor's crazy life soon becomes more than he can handle. While he is desperate to save his relationship with Bea, he learns that nothing in his world can be saved unless he first saves himself.Hope for Garbage is a story about resilience—about overcoming adversity under the most extraordinary circumstances—about never, ever, giving up hope.Because sooner or later, everybody gets a break.

The Light of Supremazia


Alana Siegel Mag - 2015
    Kennedy teaches a class called American Ghosts stories, Albert Einstein grades science tests, and history's most brilliant and deceased minds make up the rest of the teaching staff. Not a problem for Jules Winklevoss, one of the few who can see spirits. Getting into school was a cakewalk, but Jules learns not all spirits are engaging and inspiring teachers. Fourteen years ago, Jules’s family thwarted an evil spirit's rise to power. Now, the evil spirit wants revenge on all Winklevoss's, beginning with Jules. As if evil spirit problems aren't enough, add best friend drama, unattainable boy crushes, and homework to the mix, and needless to say, high school is going to be dreadful. Jules is determined to protect her family and keep herself alive, even if that means delving into the world of the dead.

Blood of the Falcon


Court Ellyn - 2012
    Now, in a land long-divided by war, two kings chase different dreams for their people. The Black Falcon seeks compromise, independence, and loyalty to tradition. The White Falcon longs for reunification of the Brother Realms, no matter the cost. An attack by assassins shatters a fragile peace, and caught up in the maelstrom are twin brothers: Kieryn: awkward, absentminded, bookish. When voices in his head begin to whisper of murder, Kieryn fears he’s going mad. He soon discovers, however, that he is a vessel for powers that have lain dormant in his family for generations. While his family marches to war, Kieryn must turn his back on those he loves and muster the courage to enter a forbidden world. Crossing beyond the Veil, he encounters the Elarion, the Goddess’s proud, enigmatic First Children. Among them, Kieryn is a spark that awakens ancient memory and smoldering hatred. Yet only the Elarion can help him uncover his family’s past and his hidden gift, though his efforts may cost him his sanity and his soul. Kelyn: a charming knight-in-training and his father’s ideal. Yearning to follow in his father’s footsteps, Kelyn is put to the test when war breaks between the Brother Realms. He soon finds himself an invader on foreign soil, where his preternatural foresight in battle earns him the king’s favor and a reputation as the Swiftblade. But a knight’s vows are easier spoken than kept. As the armies of the Falcon Kings meet blade to blade, lines blur between courage and madness, honor and self-delusion. In this war-torn realm where bard song seals a man’s reputation for all time, Kelyn must choose between personal glory and the lives of his countrymen. Can he become the knight his father hopes he can be, or will his actions threaten his family’s honor and the lives of thousands?

On My Knees


Meredith Wild - 2014
    Years later, entrenched in a soulless professional routine, she distracts herself from the lingering regret of her decision with a “work hard, play hard” lifestyle that guarantees no man will ever find his way into her heart again.Cameron Bridge has spent the past five years married to the military, trying to escape the painful memory of losing Maya. After fighting his own war in the desert, he starts a new life in New York City, with his siblings, Olivia and Darren, by his side. When fate brings Maya back to him in the heart of a city filled with its own hopes and shadows, can Cameron find the girl he once loved in the woman she’s become?This is an alternate cover edition for B00J1WF59E

Wings of Arian


Devri Walls - 2012
    But she was wrong. Her entire existence was based on nothing but. She thought that evil did not exist. Lie. That magic was not real. Lie. And that the land of Meros was all there was. One more lie. With Aleric telling her that evil is knocking on the door and that she is the only one who can stop them she has a choice to make. Refuse, or start the wildest most painful ride of her life. She reluctantly dips her toe into her new existence of magic and threads, dragons and shapeshifters, and the person who wants to take control of it all: the evil Dralazar. However, this journey was never meant to be hers alone. She will be accompanied by a Protector. To her disbelief, and utter irritation they name the hotheaded, stubborn, non -magical, (albeit gorgeous) Prince Emane. They will have to trust each other with their lives, but right now Kiora would settle for a non hostile conversation. And now it comes down to this, If you had never heard a lie, would you know when you heard one? Is knowing good from evil innate? Kiora finds herself having to decide who lives and who dies on those very questions.

Dragonfriend


Marc Secchia - 2015
    Burned by a dragon. Abandoned for the windrocs to pick over. The traitor Ra’aba tried to silence Hualiama forever. But he reckoned without the strength of a dragonet’s paw, and the courage of a girl who refused to die. Only an extraordinary friendship will save Hualiama’s beloved kingdom of Fra’anior and restore the King to the Onyx Throne. Flicker, the valiant dragonet. Hualiama, a foundling, adopted into the royal family. The power of a friendship which paid the ultimate price. This is the tale of Hualiama Dragonfriend, and a love which became legend.*Series Note*Dragonfriend is a YA fantasy series set in the same world as the bestselling dragon adventure series Shapeshifter Dragons and Shapeshifter Dragon Legends. It can be read in any order alongside Aranya, Shadow Dragon and The Pygmy Dragon. The second book in the series, Dragonlove, is now available on Amazon.

Rogue Dragon Rising


T.J. Shaw - 2018
    Unable to remember her past, she trusts no one and relies on instinct to survive. As her awakening approaches, the first time she will transition into her animal, she must evade rogue shifters trying to capture her.Now free from the King’s Army, powerful dragon lord, Jaxon Blackthorn, seeks a peaceful life. Intent on building his lands into a viable plantation, away from war and bloodshed, he is reluctantly pulled back into the fight when he defends the mysterious shifter with no past against an unseen enemy. As evil threatens to destroy the entire realm, can the battle-hardened warrior and coming-of-age noblewoman accept their differences to forge an alliance that will ultimately unite the shifter nations?Please note: Both Rogue Dragon Rising and the subsequent novel, Sleeping Dragon Stirs, end in cliffhangers. The third book in the serial trilogy, Alpha Dragon Awakes, provides a satisfying conclusion to Jaxon and Amari’s story, but broader story arcs continue into the Outside the Veil series. Sleeping Dragon Stirs has an early November release date and Alpha Dragon Awakes is set to release in late December, 2018.

The Call of Agon


Dean F. Wilson - 2013
    The last words. The last chance. Ifferon is one of the last in the bloodline of the dead god, Telm, who imprisoned the Beast, Agon, in the Underworld. Armed with a connection to the estranged gods in the Overworld, and a scroll bearing Telm's powerful dying words, he is tasked with ensuring the god's vital legacy: that Agon remain vanquished. Yet there is something just as powerful: Fear. Ifferon abandons his duty and tries to hide away from the world. But when Agon's armies find his monastery refuge, he is forced to find his courage and embark on a life-changing quest. Join Ifferon on a journey across the world of Iraldas that will lead him to brave new companions, through the struggles of many peoples, the siege of many lands, and to discoveries that could bring hope to some—or doom to all. Experience the unforgettable start of an Epic Fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Will Wight, AC Cobble and Michael J Sullivan. Also Available on Audible, narrated by the award-winning Simon Vance.

Relentless


Robin Parrish - 2007
    There's another man in the world wearing his face and living his life. What's more, the man he sees in the mirror is a stranger.Somehow, he's been Shifted -- his whole life fundamentally altered, in the space of a single breath. But the changes don't stop at skin-level. Inexplicably, he's able to affect objects around him by simply thinking about them. And as he soon learns, he's become the central figure in a vast web of intrigue that stretches from an underground global conspiracy to a prophecy dating back over seven thousand years, that tells of his coming. Enemies and allies find him at every turn, but one thing they all learn very quickly is that you don't want to push Grant Borrows too far...Can destiny be undone?The players are ready. The game is in motion. And the pace is Relentless.In the allegorical tradition of Tolkien and Lewis comes a powerful new myth for a new generation.

Courting the Clearwaters


Jill Penrod - 2013
    When an acquaintance introduces him to God and invites him to a college youth group, the changes in his life are immense and unsettling. The most unsettling part is Jenny Clearwater, his boss's daughter. He can't deny his attraction, but she courts instead of dating, and courting seems all about keeping the Shawn Carpenters of the world away from the Jenny Clearwaters.Danger and heartache seem to come around every bend, from a cave trip gone wrong to a friendship that goes up in flames to an accusal of crime at work. Seems God has put events in motion to lead Shawn back into a life of community and growth, assuming, of course, they don't kill him first.Get set for this first book of the Christian series Boys of Summer, for teens and anyone else who appreciates the challenges of stepping into adulthood.

Master of Sorrows


Justin Call - 2019
    . . or destroy it?Among the Academy's warrior-thieves, Annev de Breth is an outlier. Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the capital city, Annev was born in the small village of Chaenbalu, was believed to be executed, and then unknowingly raised by his parents' killers.Seventeen years later, Annev struggles with the burdens of a forbidden magic, a forgotten heritage, and a secret deformity. When he is subsequently caught between the warring ideologies of his priestly mentor and the Academy's masters, he must choose between forfeiting his promising future at the Academy or betraying his closest friends. Each decision leads to a deeper dilemma, until Annev finds himself pressed into a quest he does not wish to fulfil.Will he finally embrace the doctrine of his tutors, murder a stranger, and abandon his mentor? Or will he accept the more difficult truth of who he is . . . and the darker truth of what he may become . . .

The Beast Is an Animal


Peternelle van Arsdale - 2017
    Alys, and all the other children, were spared—and they were sent to live in a neighboring village. There the devout people created a strict world where good and evil are as fundamental as the nursery rhymes children sing. Fear of the soul eaters—and of the Beast they believe guides them—rule village life. But the Beast is not what they think it is. And neither is Alys.Inside, Alys feels connected to the soul eaters, and maybe even to the Beast itself. As she grows from a child to a teenager, she longs for the freedom of the forest. And she has a gift she can tell no one, for fear they will call her a witch. When disaster strikes, Alys finds herself on a journey to heal herself and her world. A journey that will take her through the darkest parts of the forest, where danger threatens her from the outside—and from within her own heart and soul.

Heart Seeker


Juliana Haygert - 2018
    but she's far from normal. Since she was born, her mother has been hiding the truth. Mirella is a descendent of a powerful bloodline that spans centuries, a bloodline that gives her an uncontrollable sixth sense.Masked men desire her blood. Strangers long for her to join their cause, and a gorgeous man with magic of his own seeks to forge a forbidden bond between them.For Mirella, there is no escape. Bodies surface, and killers run rampant as her people are hunted and slaughtered. Mirella is the only one who can save them. Trapped in a life she doesn't want, Mirella must find the strength to summon the power inside of her--or risk the extinction of her kind.An exciting and heart stopping urban fantasy novel, Heart Seeker is the first book in the brand-new series, The Fire Heart Chronicles. With plenty of romance, intrigue, and mystery, readers will love this supernatural new adult tale featuring a strong heroine that's equal parts dark and magical.The Fire Heart Chronicles:Heart Seeker (Book 1) = out now!Flame Caster (Book 2) = out now!Earth Shaker (novella) = out now!Sorrow Bringer (Book 3) = out now!Soul Wanderer (Book 4) = out now!Fate Summoner (Book 5) = Dec 13th 2018War Maiden (Book 6) = early 2019

The Sixth Discipline


Carmen Webster Buxton - 2011
    He thinks he's prepared for any danger the forest might hold, but his skills prove useless when he's caught in a hi-tech trap. Soon Ran-Del finds himself in a city so alien it might as well be another world—machines speak, vehicles fly, and his captors' weapons can inflict pain without touching him. Every time Ran-Del tries to escape, he's foiled by a technology he doesn't understand. As terrifying as the city is, his kidnapper, the enigmatic Baron Hayden, exudes a jovial affability that worries the Sansoussy even more. What can such a powerful man want with a Sansoussy warrior, who can neither read nor write and knows nothing of city ways? The Baron's daughter Francesca clearly knows more than she's saying, but Ran-Del's psy sense tells him only she's being truthful, not what she's thinking. And it's only after it seems that Ran-Del has escaped the city and its dangers, that he finds out how thoroughly he has been caught.