Book picks similar to
Blood, Teeth & Bones by M.E. Vaughan


fantasy
arthurian
unlikely-heroines-and-heroes
genre-high-fantasy

Guardian


Carole Cummings - 2010
    At least not until he meets “Wilfred Calder” who’s been been running from it all his life. When Wil is brought in for questioning as a witness to a brutal murder, and subsequently flees, Dallin is dragged by duty into the chaos of ancient myth, fanatical religion, and the delicate politics of a shaky truce between two perpetually warring countries. And all of it seems to reach its nexus in the man he knows is not Wilfred Calder.When Dallin finally catches up to Wil, it only makes matters worse. Prickly and full of rage, Wil tells an unbelievable tale of magic and betrayal that threatens to shatter the carefully cultivated foundations of Dallin’s world. Leery and only half-believing, Dallin finds himself questioning not only his own conscience and his half-forgotten past, but the morality and motives of everyone around him—including those who hold the power of his own country’s fate in their hands.

The Nothing Mage


J.P. Valentine - 2020
    Without mana, there could be no studying at the sky-piercing Pinnacle Towers, there could be no great monster hunts, and there could be no following in his father’s legendary footsteps.He’d be a cripple.But when a terrible accident forces him to flee, Declan learns the true nature of his mana. Just because it doesn’t resonate at any known frequency, doesn’t mean it isn’t magic. Just because he can’t cast the same spells as everyone else doesn’t mean he isn’t a mage. And just because you can’t see something, doesn’t mean it isn’t there.

Pictures of You


Leta Blake - 2016
    Growing up gay in Knoxville, Tennessee is even harder. Eighteen-year-old Peter Mandel, a private school senior—class of 1991—is passionate about photography. Peter doesn’t have many friends, preferring to shoot pictures from behind the scenes to keep his homosexuality secret.Enter Adam Algedi, a charming, worldly new guy who doesn't do labels, but does want to do Peter. Hardly able to believe gorgeous Adam would want geeky, skinny him of all people, Peter's swept away on a journey of first love and sexual discovery. But as their mutual web of lies spins tighter and tighter, can Peter find the confidence he needs to make the right choices? And will his crush on Daniel, a college acquaintance, open a new path?Join Peter in the first of this four-part coming of age series as he struggles to love and be loved, and grow into a gay man worthy of his own respect. This new series by Leta Blake is gay fiction with romantic elements.Book 1 of 4. Warning! These books contain: New Adult fiction, ‘90s gay life, small city homosexual experiences, Southern biases, sexual exploration, romance, homophobia, bisexuality, and twisted-up young love. Oh, and a guaranteed happy ending for the main character by the end of Book 4.

The Priory of the Orange Tree


Samantha Shannon - 2019
    A queendom without an heir. An ancient enemy awakens.The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction – but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.Across the dark sea, Tané has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

The Darkness Outside Us


Eliot Schrefer - 2021
    There’s more that doesn’t add up: Evidence indicates strangers have been on board, the ship’s operating system is voiced by his mother, and his handsome, brooding shipmate has barricaded himself away. But nothing will stop Ambrose from making his mission succeed—not when he’s rescuing his own sister.In order to survive the ship’s secrets, Ambrose and Kodiak will need to work together and learn to trust one another… especially once they discover what they are truly up against. Love might be the only way to survive.

Superior


Jessica Lack - 2016
    The most action that Jamie sees happens when he is kidnapped by the supervillain of the week--and then waits for his boss, Captain Superior, to show up and rescue him. Again.On his most recent nabbing, Jamie gets to meet Tad, Terrorantula's new villainous apprentice. Even though they are supposed to be on opposite sides (or are they?), sparks fly almost immediately. So, when Tad offers to give Jamie much-needed self-defense classes, how could Jamie pass the opportunity to hang out with the coolest (and hottest) guy he knows?But Tad has a secret--one that threatens the budding relationship between the two teenage sidekicks, and could destroy Captain Superior forever.

Marriage of Hearts


Robin Blackwell - 2021
    Still, when his parents tell him that he’s to be married to Pylec, a prince of Vendir, he’s devastated. Vendir is a country as unlike Sasalianis as possible. Where Vendir is a martial, cold country, Sasalianis is warm and welcoming. And where Vendirans are violent and harsh, Sasalianisans are artists, with all that that entails.Nonetheless, as a prince of Sasalianis, Asrindel knows his duty, and so he enters into a marriage of shelter with Pylec. It’s not what he hoped for, but he is determined to make it work. And, if he’s very lucky, he’ll be able to fall in love with the man that he’s married to, though with every passing day that seems less and less likely.There’s also the small, unimportant matter of someone trying to kill him. Asrindel has no idea why anyone would want to do that, but he isn’t interested in dying, especially not when he still has his whole life ahead of him, and a marriage of hearts to try and achieve.

Darkvale Dragons: Books 1-3


Connor Crowe - 2018
    Adventure. Babies! The Darkvale Dragons series is an mpreg paranormal shifter series about fated mates, epic adventures, and love that overcomes all obstacles. This 600+ page box set includes three full books and an exclusive sneak preview of book 4 in the series! Each book has been lovingly re-edited and re-formatted. Strap in for three scorching tales of family, mates, and magic. Included: The Dragon's Runaway Omega -- An exiled dragon shifter rescues a young omega from being sacrificed...but as their relationship grows, who's saving who? The Dragon's Second Chance Omega -- Secret Baby! Second Chance! Marlowe thought he'd lost his mate forever, but when he finds his omega five years later with a kid in tow, can love bloom once more? The Dragon's Forbidden Omega -- May/December, Teacher/Student. Ansel returns from the Academy to find that his clan is at war, and his longtime mentor smells mysteriously like his mate... Sneak Peek of Book 4 -- You'll have to read it to find out ;) Each book is intended for 18+ audiences and is filled with all the things you crave: smoking-hot shifters, mpreg, knotting, and of course, adorable children. The series takes place in a rich fantasy world torn by battle. If you're looking for a series filled with lust, danger, and spice, you've come to the right place.

Dynasty of Ghosts


P.L. Nunn - 2008
    A younger son of a younger son from a backwater mountain province, he is a nobody in the king’s army until he comes to the notice of the Prince Knight himself, the spoiled, stubborn heir to the kingdom of Aldania.Caught up in a war that has raged for generations between Aldania and a neighboring kingdom, captured and imprisoned by a mad king, Illya and Prince Ashe discover a history of lies, betrayal and assassination, and the ghostly truth beneath it all. Opposites in every way, they forge a common bond that pain, war and betrayal will test to the very limit of their strength. To end a dynasty of madness and suffering, Illya must embrace the ability he has always hated, and look to the dead for answers.

The Knight and The Prince


Dru Wellington - 2013
    Though a dangerous venture--as Northerners are usually welcomed with the end of a sharp sword--it’s worth the risk for a night of true liberation ... and to vex his father. After losing half his men in a violent battle at the border of the North and South kingdoms, Sir Axle of the South seeks to drown his sorrows at the bottom of a Tankard of beer. He hates Northerners for their cruel and obnoxious ways, hates them for taking his people as slaves to work the mines, hates them for the murderers they are.His motto: Meet a Northerner, and unsheathe your sword. And when a cloaked Northerner enters his tavern, unsheathe his sword Axle does ...

The Forester: Forester Triad Act One


Blaine D. Arden - 2011
    Kelnaht's former lover Ianys once betrayed him, and the shunned forester Taruif is not allowed to talk to anyone but the guide, their spiritual pathfinder.When Taruif turns out to be the only witness to the crime, Kelnaht must suppress his forbidden feelings or face the ire of the elders. Ianys is terrified the tribe will blame Taruif for the crime, and despite their painful history, Kelnaht tries to keep his impulsive ex-lover from sacrificing his freedom for an impossible love. If Taruif and Ianys’ affair becomes known, Ianys will lose his daughter. Kelnaht finds himself yearning to claim both Taruif and Ianys at the coming Solstice and turns to the guide, who gives him only cryptic advice. It is up to Kelnaht to prove Taruif’s innocence and find a path free of puddles and mud for all three of them.___________________________This is the second revised/re-edited edition of The Forester

Dragon Forge


J.C. Owens - 2017
    Now a talented blacksmith and a betrayed prince must find a way to save them...while saving each other. Bren, a blacksmith in a small town, longs to escape his drunken, abusive father. His world is turned upside down when legendary dragon riders arrive and discover Bren is a chosen one. He's taken to the great mountain fortress to imprint one of the new hatchlings by none other than Kyralian, the dragon prince. After the hatching goes terribly wrong, Bren struggles to recover by losing himself in his metalwork, taking on apprentices, and ignoring all dragons. But he soon realizes that Kyralian, seemingly so powerful, is in real trouble. The prince and his male dragon are treated like property, mated as a prize at the end of a yearly chase. Bren will do anything to keep the prince and his dragon safe...even if it costs him everything. Kyralian is desperate to save the dragons of his colony. He's searching for answers to the failing dragon lines, but the ruling council only wants to use his dragon for breeding. He can't defy them because he's bound by duty and his love for his people. Yet he's never felt more alone, more caged by his obligations to the colony. Now his growing feelings for the blacksmith have endangered both their freedom and their lives. The prince's dragon is the last male in the fortress, his value beyond price, and there are enemies who will do anything to make the prince submit... Reader Note: Contains intense emotional elements

Unintended


M.J. O'Shea - 2010
    He never meant to fall for the hottest guy in school...or any guy at all for that matter. But he did.Alex Stewart is in love. He took one look at the adorable skater boy with the big lost eyes and was gone.They're both happier than they've ever been, but can their fragile new love survive?

Something Human


A.J. Demas - 2018
    It’s not the way enemies-to-lovers usually works.Adares comes from a civilization of democracy and indoor plumbing. Rus belongs to a tribe of tattooed, semi-nomadic horse-breeders. They meet in the aftermath of battle, when Rus saves Adares’s life, and Adares returns the favour. As they shelter in an abandoned temple, a friendship neither of them could have imagined grows into a mutual attraction.But Rus, whose people abhor love between men, is bound by an oath of celibacy, and Adares has a secret of his own that he cannot share. With their people poised for a long and bitter conflict, it seems too much to hope that these two men could turn their fleeting happiness into something lasting. Unless, of course, the relationship between them changes the course of their people’s history altogether.Something Human is a standalone m/m romance set in an imaginary ancient world, about two people bridging a cultural divide with the help of great sex, pedantic discussions about the gods, and bad jokes about standing stones.

Male Model


Dave Benbow - 2004
    Reprint.