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


fantasy
epic-fantasy
dark-fantasy
ebook

Star Mother


Charlie N. Holmberg - 2021
    Holmberg.When a star dies, a new one must be born.The Sun God chooses the village of Endwever to provide a mortal womb. The birthing of a star is always fatal for the mother, and Ceris Wenden, who considers herself an outsider, sacrifices herself to secure her family’s honor and take control of her legacy. But after her star child is born, Ceris does what no other star mother has: she survives. When Ceris returns to Endwever, however, it’s not nine months later—it’s seven hundred years later. Inexplicably displaced in time, Ceris is determined to seek out her descendants.Being a woman traveling alone brings its own challenges, until Ceris encounters a mysterious—and desperate—godling. Ristriel is incorporeal, a fugitive, a trickster, and the only being who can guide Ceris safely to her destination. Now, as Ceris traverses realms both mortal and beyond, her journey truly begins.Together, pursued across the Earth and trespassing the heavens, Ceris and Ristriel are on a path to illuminate the mysteries that bind them and discover the secrets of the celestial world.

Birthright


B.J. Keeton - 2013
    As a technomage of the Charonic Archive, Damien had the power to create entire universes. Then, five hundred years ago, he gave it all up. He suspended the nanites that made up his bloodstream and began to age—and eventually die—like anyone else. For centuries, Damien has lived among those who once worshipped him, his real identity fading into myth and legend. Hundreds of years later, when Ceril Bain finds Damien’s old sword buried in his grandfather's garden, he is put on the fast-track to follow in Vennar's footsteps. Over the next six years, Ceril trains as a technomage aboard the Inkwell Sigil, a ship with the ability to travel between dimensions. Just as Ceril is preparing to undergo his Rites and finish his training, the Inkwell Sigil loses power. Stranded in space with no way back home, Ceril and four of his classmates are given their final assignment: go into uncharted territory, find a way back home, and bring back the one person who can fix the ship—Damien Vennar himself.While away, Ceril and his team find themselves in a predicament when they confuse an attempt at first contact with an attack and kill two of the world’s winged inhabitants. They are shortly captured and imprisoned, and the only thing keeping them alive is their angel-like captors’ belief they may be the subjects of an ancient prophecy about a group of magic-wielding messiahs. But that’s impossible. Isn’t it?

Drawing Dead


S.M. Reine - 2017
     Dana McIntyre has been bitten by a master vampire. She's infected with the venom. And after killing hundreds of vampires to keep Las Vegas safe, she'd rather die than turn. There might be a cure. But the only way to get it is through Nissa Royal, a vampire with close ties to the masters of Las Vegas. Nissa is dangerous -- too dangerous to be allowed to live, much less work alongside. But if Dana dies, vampires win Vegas. If she doesn't die, she becomes one of the bloodless. The cure's her only chance. In this deadly game of hold 'em, Dana's drawing dead, and whatever happens next, there's no changing her losing hand. Dana only knows one thing: If she's going down, she's taking as many vampires as possible on her way out…

Betrayal's Price


Lisa Blackwood - 2012
    Centuries ago the gods demanded Ashayna Stonemantle sacrifice her demon-tainted lover. She did, and then ended her own life, but it didn't fulfill her obligations to the gods. Reborn into a new body, Ashayna has no awareness of her former life until her sentient magic manipulates her into seeking out Sorntar, Crown Prince of the Phoenix. The majestic and charismatic Sorntar reveals that she is host to a Larnkin-a spirit creature of vast power. If she can trust the word of a man who is part avian, he is host to her Larnkin's other half. When their Larnkins awaken early and force them into an unbreakable bond, Ashayna and Sorntar are accused of being corrupted by an ancient evil. To prove their innocence, they must discover what happened in the past to pit bondmate against bondmate. As the search for the truth draws them closer together, Ashayna realizes she's falling in love with Sorntar. But before she can tell him, his tainted Larnkin enslaves him. The gods demand she kill her beloved, as she did once before, but she will not do it, even if it's the only thing that will keep her soul safe from his darkness.

Night Marchers


Rebecca Gober - 2011
    It includes newly edited scenes, a special Kai P.O.V., the first chapter of the sequel: Redemption, the first chapter of the first book in our new apocalyptic series: Project ELE and more! This new Young Adult paranormal series will have you averting your eyes for years to come! NEVER, EVER lock eyes with a Night Marcher! Everyone in Hawaii has heard this warning, except for seventeen-year-old Emma Townsend that is. For most Hawaiians know that looking into the eyes of Night Marcher can strike a curse that will end in death or eternal servitude. Even though her father, who is a paranormal investigator, solely raised Emma, she has little experience in the realm of the supernatural. When she is forced to move with her father to Hawaii, only months before her graduation, Emma finds that her world as she knows it, is shaken when she starts seeing the unexplainable: fire balls in the distance, beating drums in the middle of nowhere and strangers who vanish into thin air. Then one day when she has a run in with a procession of Night Marchers, ancient Hawaiian spirits wandering from their burial grounds to their locations of battles past, Emma has no choice but to believe that the unbelievable does exist. Now Emma must go on the run with the help of a mysterious stranger, as they seek out how to free Emma from the curse of a Night Marcher, who will stop at nothing to get her soul.*We hope you enjoy this new edition of our free book which has had more than 60,000 downloads since February 2012.

Thea


Steven Jenkins - 2016
    But monsters come in many forms. Teenage boys, drug addiction, underage sex - single mother Sarah battles to keep these demons from her daughters.As the long nights of worry start to feed Sarah's paranoia, she must take desperate measures to save her family.Although sometimes, the only way to kill a monster......is to become one."The epitome of chilling vampire noir. Cements Jenkins' pre-eminence in the realm of terror."NATHAN JONES - Author of THE NOWHERE

When Ash Rains Down


Cecelia Earl - 2016
    She was so, so wrong.Julia's hardcore. She has no time for childhood nonsense like fairytales and romance--literally. She's too busy getting straight A's and working two jobs to get her family out of the mess her dad left them in. Despite the stupid necklace he gave her before he bolted--the one that supposedly contained protective powers and songs of angels--she knows the truth. He never cared about her mom, brother or her, and angels and heaven are a farce. Besides her family, she only lets her best friend, Mitch, get close to her, and even he knows how quickly she can put up walls. She won't even take a second (okay, maybe third) glance at the handsomely irritating guy at school who's been lurking around. But no matter how much she's tried to protect everyone, the life she's so painstakingly been rebuilding is about to come crumbling down.And that necklace might have some benefit after all.Will Julia and her family survive an explosion, a demon invasion, or even the beautiful strangers that want her to join some demon-hunting mission?There's no question about it, money and good grades aren't going to solve all her problems anymore. It turns out there may have been something more behind her dad's disappearance... It looks like Julia's demon-hunting days are about to begin.Fans of Cassandra Clare, Julie Hall, and Cameo Renae will love this young adult SUPERNATURAL series by author Cecelia Earl. Enter a world where ANGELS, DEMONS, and HUMANS collide, all battling to save their KINGDOMS.Read the ENTIRE Kingdom Come series. The Legend of Shady Creek trilogy and companion novels are all AVAILABLE NOW."This book packed a lot in and completed the urban-fantasy world-building in a way reminiscent of The Mortal Instruments series." ~Goodreads Reviewer"The battle scenes were epic, yes really." ~ OMG Books and More Books YA Book Reviewer"A fascinating first book in a series that kept me not only excited to read from one chapter to another but anticipating the next installment as well." ~ Amazon Reviewer

Of Light and Darkness


Shayne Leighton - 2011
    Raised among a secret society of Witches, Shifters, and Elves, human-born Charlotte Ruzikova finds that she is the freak in her world of magic and monsters. When she stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of survival in this coming-of-age modern fairy tale is slim. After Charlotte captures the attention of the young Elven prince, her scorn results in an all-out war between light and darkness.Charlotte knows no other home than the one nestled deep in the woods of the Czech Republic, where Witches draw spells of enchantment, Shifters throw tea parties, and Elves are the closest in kin. But as genocide and war threatens life as she knows it, Charlotte will fight for what she believes in...truth, bravery, and most importantly...love. Fighting with a coven of rogue monsters is tougher than it seems, but she will stop at nothing to save them...and she'll do it before the sun comes up and light takes over forever.Filled with Slavic folklore, Of Light and Darkness is the first part of an epic series not to be missed!.

City of Blaze


H.O. Charles - 2011
    Its soldiers find entertainment in the beds of the castle's servants rather than fight, believing they are safe from the deadly embrace of wielders. Wars are fought to encourage otherwise absent mortality, and countless citizens suffer the terrible pangs of nalka - the hunger for intimacy. All the while, Cadra's king concerns himself with choosing which of his disappointing concubines to execute next. The duty falls upon his son, Morghiad, to restore the city's strength and the army's purpose. As Morghiad attempts to do just that, he uncovers darker horrors and encounters a young servant who could either be his greatest ally or his greatest hindrance.

Bound by a Dragon


Linda K. Hopkins - 2014
    Keira is content in her small, medieval village - well, sort of. Her mother is pressing her to marry, but her suitors are less than desirable. So when handsome Aaron Drake arrives in the village and focuses his attention on Keira, she cannot help but be interested. But Aaron is not the only new arrival in the area - a fire-breathing dragon has also taken up residence in the mountains, not far from the remote alpine castle that Aaron calls home. What exactly is the connection between Aaron Drake and the dragon? Why is his arrival coincident with the arrival of a beast? And when the dragon rescues her from the unwanted attentions of some village boys, who will set out to rescue her from the huge, scaly, fire-breathing monster? Bound by a Dragon sweeps the reader far from the modern world into a world of castles, medieval markets and fantastical romance.

The Bone Charmer


Breeana Shields - 2019
    They tell the future, reveal the past, and expose secrets in the present. Each village has a designated seer who performs readings for the townsfolk, and in Midwood, the Bone Charmer is Saskia’s mother.On the day of her kenning―a special bone reading that determines the apprenticeships of all seventeen-year-olds―Saskia’s worst fears come true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, like her mother, and even worse, a match-making reading that pairs her with Bram―a boy who has suspicious tattoos that hint of violence.Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths for her, yet chose one she knew Saskia wouldn’t want. Their argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones. Broken bones are always bad luck, but this particular set of bones have been infused with extra magic, and so the break has devastating consequences―Saskia’s future has split as well. Now she will live her two potential paths simultaneously. Only one future can survive. And Saskia’s life is in danger in both.

Bound by Prophecy


Melissa Wright - 2013
    He never wanted to take Morgan’s place among council, never wanted to rule their hidden world. But when the key to the prophecy is found, a young girl named Brianna whom Morgan will destroy, Aern knows he has to take action.What he really wants, is for things to go back to normal. But now he’s kidnapped a girl, and his brother’s men are after him. His only hope is to join with the Division, but they have plans of their own, and it’s the last thing Aern is willing to do.Emily just wants her sister back. She doesn't care about the prophecy, or realize what’s at stake. But when she goes after Aern, the truth of the matter uncoils, and Brianna isn't the only one who’s in danger.Suddenly, they’re at the center of a secret war, and unless they can work together, they’ll both have a sacrifice too big to make.

Awakening


Catrina Burgess - 2013
    Seventeen-year-old Colina was born a healer. But after a horrific event forces her to leave her clan, she becomes desperate to learn the dark magic of the death dealers, mages who draw their power from the spirits of the dead. Colina was taught to fear and hate death dealers, but becoming one of them is the only way for her to get the revenge she seeks-and the only way for her to survive. Colina asks a young death dealer named Luke to help her, but he's reluctant to train her in the Death Arts. Little does she know convincing him to teach her will be the easiest part of her journey. To become a death dealer, Colina will need to undergo three dark rituals, each more terrifying than the last. At the same time, she'll have to deal with her growing feelings for her mentor. Too bad the first ritual involves him strangling her to death. As Colina undergoes the trials, she discovers an untapped darkness within herself. If she survives the horrific rituals and gains dark power, what will she become? Catrina Burgess' Dark Rituals series originally appeared on Wattpad with over three million reads. Awakening is the first book of four and was named Wattpad's Best Suspense Story of 2014.

The Formula


Sam Artigliere - 2017
    Lauren Remley. Salty Manhattan homicide detective Joe Tenacce and his partner, Jen Salito, are assigned the investigation.Tenacce quickly realizes that, to solve the case, he will need to enlist the help of his son Danny, a theoretical physics-graduate-student-turned-religious-cryptologist whom he despises. Their quest for "the book" and its meaning takes the Tenacces and Salito on a harrowing journey over two continents, through layers of increasingly complex ciphers, all while being pursued by a clandestine cult who will stop at nothing to obtain the book for their own nefarious designs.Can Danny and the detective duo find and decode the book? If so, what does the book say and can they keep it out of the hands of their enemy. Finally, what is the significance of the narrative—woven throughout the novel— that describes the tragic life of physicist Michael Richards?These are the questions that arise as the plot winds and turns toward its surprising end.A Dan Brown-like thriller, but with a twist!

Kingston Raine and the Grim Reaper


Jackson Lear - 2014
    Soon he comes to realise that Kingston may be the only one capable of thwarting a coup that threatens the entire afterlife. Unfortunately, Kingston just did the impossible and found a way to escape back to his own universe.