Book picks similar to
Dash and Cinder by Bridget Ladd


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The Artificer's Apprentice


D.J. Edwardson - 2012
    The leaders of these guilds have complete control over their members, but one man is about to challenge that authority.Follow the tale of The Artificer’s Apprentice to see what he shall fashion in his shop...

Renegade Magic


Jennifer M. Eaton - 2020
    When a small team of criminal buffoons grabs her instead, she’s honor bound to execute them despite their pleas of innocence.The Star Renegade crew is guilty on many counts, and they must be punished for their crimes. However, they use their smuggling profits to feed the hungry. Dania will face her own execution for not enforcing royal edicts, but how can she execute people breaking the law for all the right reasons?Star Renegades is Guardians of the Galaxy meets Firefly and Robin Hood.Jump on board and start your inter-galactic adventure today!

Savage Run: Book I


E.J. Squires - 2014
    J. Squires: In this action-packed, suspense-filled novel, E. J. Squires takes us through a wild ride that explores how far one would go to gain one’s freedom. With narrow escapes, heart-aching losses, and an unexpected romance, you are in for a read you won’t be able to put down.17-yr. old slave Laborer, Heidi Cruise, will do anything to escape a future of servitude to a master she will be powerless to—even disguise herself as a guy and register for the government funded “Savage Run,” a grueling, male-only, three-phase obstacle course program in which the survivors are granted their freedom. But the second she instigates her plan, things start to unravel and she quickly learns that not only are the obstacles dangerous—they’re deadly. Not only that: while fending for her life, one exhausting round after another, Heidi must keep her gender a secret and ward off other participants who are out to get her. Before long, Nicholas, an intriguing young registrar, discovers that Heidi is a girl. Nicholas has his own secrets, and being a rebel in his own right, he lets Heidi continue without revealing her gender. Soon, Heidi starts to develop feelings for Nicholas, but she’s terrified of exploring them; he is a Master, she a Laborer, and in this hierarchical society, one can never be too careful. However, with a sudden turn of events, everything is jeopardized, and Heidi is forced to choose between her own safety, her freedom, and the ones she loves.

The Empire of Bones Saga Volume 1


Terry Mixon - 2017
     EMPIRE OF BONES After a terrible war almost extinguished humanity, the New Terran Empire rises from its own ashes. Sent on an exploratory mission to the dead worlds of the Old Empire, Commander Jared Mertz sets off into the unknown. Only the Old Empire isn’t quite dead after all. Evil lurks in the dark. With everything he holds dear at stake, Jared must fight like never before. Victory means life. Defeat means death. Or worse. VEIL OF SHADOWS Princess Kelsey Bandar made a terrible, life-altering mistake. Her enemies gave her unspeakable agony in return. She must forge the iron will to control the weapon her body has become. If she fails, the monsters who tortured her come for humanity. And horrors worse than she knows wait in the darkness. COMMAND DECISIONS Commander Jared Mertz thought the glories of the Old Terran Empire once more within his people’s grasp. One bold strike to make them his. But no plan survives contact with the enemy. With the odds stacked against him, the battle to save humanity starts now. FIST OF GOD With tens of thousands of lives on the line, Princess Kelsey Bandar must harness the power of Imperial technology to stop terrorists with a nuke. Her friends call her plan suicidal. If they only knew how dangerous it really was.

Pendomus


Carissa Andrews - 2013
    Residing between extreme heat and frigid cold is the complex known as the Helix. Within lies a highly sophisticated society functioning solely on humans fulfilling their life’s purpose as determined by their natural aptitudes and daily brain scans. Seventeen-year-old Runa Cophem has found her calling studying the ancient trees nearby and anxiously awaits a professional placement which will allow her to continue her work. Runa’s life takes an unforeseen turn when she’s brutally attacked and left for dead in those woods. Rescued by a stranger with blue hair, she’s immersed into a surprising way humanity has survived without the Helix. Fueled by a yearning to understand and an attraction she didn’t even know was possible, Runa tries to make a new life for herself. Yet, there’s much she doesn’t know about herself, about the planet, and the forces controlling her from afar. What she needs are some answers.

Wings of Pegasus


Jay Allan - 2019
     A grim, haunted expanse of space, vast lightyears filled with dead, empty worlds. A dark place, the graveyard of an empire…and a frontier where vast riches can be had by those with the courage—and the luck—to survive. But trade in old tech is not for the timid. Prospectors face rival crews, ancient imperial security systems, and the ever-present shadow of the Union’s dread spy agency, Sector Nine, as they plunge forth in search of artifacts worth vast fortunes. Andi Lafarge and the crew of Pegasus are among the elite of the strange brotherhood that ventures forth, seeking the remnants of humanity’s lost past. She and her people will face the deadliest challenges, fight constant battles, and plunge forth into the darkest corners of the lost region of space. Pegasus has a new mission, one far more important than even Andi had her crew realize, a search for ancient technology that could determine the outcome of the next Confederation-Union war. To get it, they must travel to a vast ocean world…and they must find what they seek before Sector Nine does. They will fight, suffer, endure. But they will never fail. Not while Andi Lafarge still draws breath. The Andromeda Chronicles Andromeda Rising Wings of Pegasus Into to Badlands (Coming) Blood on the Stars Book 1 - Duel in the Dark Book 2 - Call to Arms Book 3 - Ruins of Empire Book 4 - Echoes of Glory Book 5 - Cauldron of Fire Book 6 - Dauntless Book 7 - The White Fleet Book 8 - Black Dawn Book 9 - Invasion Book 10 - Nightfall Book 11 - The Grand Alliance Book 12 - The Colossus Book 13 – The Others Book 14 – The Last Stand (Coming)

Dream Smashers


Angela Carlie - 2011
    Her ailing grandma, meth-addicted mom, and a best friend who is always in trouble. She's spent the last few years attempting to worry less, to be carefree, without success.Enter Evan, whose radiant attitude is an Autumn magnet. With Evan at her side, Autumn's able to let some of her worries go as they trudge through life's difficulties and fall for each other in the process. A girl who no longer wants to care and a boy who cares enough for the both of them, Dream Smashers is a love story, but most of all, it's about letting go.

Dead Quarantine (Zombieclypse Book 1)


A. Rosaria - 2012
    On Monday, they arrive at their high school besieged by men in hazmat suits, escorting infected teenagers to buses. Ralph is forced on one of these quarantine buses and Sarah, along with the remaining healthy student body, gets quarantined at school. This flu however is worse than the 1918 Spanish Flu that killed a hundred million people—much worse. This flu turns its victims into the walking dead. The few not infected are left not only with the grief of their family and friends passing, but also with the horror of their families, friends, and neighbors trying to rip the flesh off them. Ralph—unsure about the real destination of the bus and trapped inside with kids that are getting worse by the minute—may not get to the destination in time before the first one dies. Sarah, trapped at school, deals with a worsening situation that she soon needs to escape from. Will the zombies feast on their young flesh or will they escape?

The Cracked Slipper


Stephanie Alexander - 2012
    Unfortunately, Prince Charming has a loose grip on his temper, a looser grip on his marriage vows, and a tight grip on the bottle. Eight years of mistreatment, isolation and clandestine book learning hardly prepare Eleanor for life at Eclatant Palace, where women are seen, not heard. According to Eleanor’s eavesdropping parrot, no one at court appreciates her unladylike tendency to voice her opinion. To make matter worse, her royal fiancé spends his last night of bachelorhood on a drunken whoring spree. Before the ink dries on her marriage proclamation Eleanor realizes that she loves her husband's best friend, former soldier Dorian Finley.Eleanor can’t resist Dorian’s honesty, or his unusual admiration for her intelligence, and soon both are caught in a dangerous obsession. She drowns her confusion in charitable endeavors, but the people’s love can’t protect her from her feelings. When a magical crime endangers the bond between unicorns, dragons, and the royal family, a falsely accused Eleanor must clear her own name to save her life. The road toward vindication will force a choice between hard-won security and an impossible love.The Cracked Slipper is a book club friendly fairytale retelling in the vein of Gregory Maguire, with a dash of romance. Set in a pseudo-renaissance, corset-and-petticoats enchanted kingdom, The Cracked Slipper brings a magical twist to women’s fiction.

A Different Model


Heather Killough-Walden - 2019
    The handsome and dangerous man is the perfect machine, tall and strong, fast and brilliant, a strategist and tactician capable of out-thinking anyone on the planet. With his wealth and power, he can have anything, and with his intelligence he can outsmart anyone. Except the one person he actually desires: Samantha Hart. Androids are not only human-like, they have become so real they’ve waged a war to win their freedom from slavery and servitude, much like their human predecessors had centuries ago. Their sole aspiration is equality. To this goal, the rebel group Prometheus is formed, with the beautiful and genius human inventor and android sympathist Samantha Hart at its core. The androids are slowly winning, and they have hope. However, one day a different model of android emerges from the shadows, one whose designed purpose is not uniformity or egalitarianism – but to reign supreme. This captivating model is a mystery; no one knows who designed or created him. Within Zero’s enigmatic programming lies the ability to bend the world’s most influential people to his will. He is endlessly cunning, ruthless and cold. And unfortunately for Prometheus, he’s on the wrong side – that of the human oppressors. To make matters worse for the rebel group, who must now attempt to outwit a machine perpetually one step ahead, the new model’s main goal has become patently clear: He wants the heart of their operation, the source of every winning idea they’ve ever had. He wants Sam. He will stop at nothing to obtain her. For in her own mysteriously unique make-up lies the miraculous ability to make a machine feel emotions. What’s more, within the confines of her priceless mind hides a well-kept secret that means the difference between kneeling as a slave… and ruling the world.

Spies Like Me


Doug Solter - 2016
    Even if it means becoming a spy. The mysterious organization known simply as The Authority wants Emma to join The Gems. This team of all-girl spies knows how to handle themselves on dangerous missions...like stopping an evil plan to incinerate the world's food supply. Meet The Gems... Olivia, code-named Emerald, is seventeen years old. Half English and half Jamaican. Specializes in leadership, marksmanship, and is a rated pilot. Miyuki, code-named Ruby, is sixteen and from Okinawa, Japan. She specializes in gymnastics and martial arts. Trained in jungle survival and deep sea diving. Once blew up her boyfriend's motorcycle using a rocket launcher. Nadia, code-named Sapphire, is sixteen and from Saudi Arabia. She's a science and computer nerd. Nadia's zero-gravity school agriculture project created interest from NASA. Emma, code-named Black Opal, is a transplant from New York City who specializes in high school theater and shopping. The Authority thinks Emma is the missing link to make this team work. Emma thinks The Authority is her only chance for revenge. Spies Like Me is the first book in The Gems Young Adult spy series that features fast-paced action, crazy thrills, girl-power bonding, International intrigue, and a touch of romance. Think Gallagher Girls meet Jason Bourne. If you like culturally-diverse characters, fun dialogue, cool spy gadgets, and a romance with a complex boy to figure out, then the first book in Doug Solter's exciting new spy series is for you.

November Rain


Shannon A. Thompson - 2016
    She is a bad blood, and in the city of Vendona, bad bloods are executed. In the last moments before she faces imminent death, a prison guard aids her escape and sparks a revolt. Back on the streets determined to destroy her kind, Serena is spared by a fellow bad blood named Daniel. His past tragedies are as equally mysterious as her connection to them.Unbeknownst to the two, this connection is the key to winning the election for bad bloods’ rights to be seen as human again. But Serena is the only one who can secure Vendona’s vote. Now, Daniel must unite with her before all hope is lost and bad bloods are eradicated, even if it means exposing secrets worse than death itself. United or not, a city will fight, rain will fall, and all will be threatened by star-crossed love and political corruption.

A Tale of Two Houses


Susan Harris - 2019
    These two houses warred with each other for an age, causing widespread bloodshed and death. Those without magic — the Nulls — suffered the most. One day, a favored daughter of the Nulls was slain. With her dying breath, she cursed the covens to know no peace until love was possible between the houses. That curse had long since been forgotten — until now. Julian Montgomery is the reluctant Prince of House Montgomery and Rowan Cambridge is in no rush to become the Queen of House Cambridge. Both heirs long for freedom from their birthright obligations. When fate throws these two star-crossed lovers together, it sends them on a collision course with destiny that neither could have predicted. Shakespeare’s classic Romeo & Juliet is reimagined in this compelling drama about two young people drawn by fate into an unwinnable situation. If you think you know how this story ends — think again!Novels in the Defy the Stars trilogy by Susan Harris:A Tale of Two HousesUntil Death Do Us PartIn Defiance of the Stars

Echo Among Stars


JoAnna S. Morris - 2015
    Under the rule of The Renegades, and their tyrant leader Cesar, every aspect of life is controlled. Streets are patrolled by humanoid Enforcers. Necessities are rationed. Disobedience is not tolerated. When Eden receives an omen, and joins a group of Rebels led by the alluring Leo Dillon, her life begins to unravel. Just as the Rebels are beginning to understand what they are capable of Cesar has kidnapped their families forcing them to strike before they are ready. Once inside the Empyrean palace they discover the horror of what they are truly facing. Does Eden have what it takes to be the legend she was destined to be? Ready or not she's about to find out...

The Sea Witch


S.J. Valfroy - 2015
    From birth she manifested the magical powers of a sea witch, just like her mother, Moira. But Serena does not want to be like her mother, cruel and selfish, so she rejects her magical powers. At least until her ever growing love for the unattainable Prince Triton pushes her to her breaking point. Just when it seems he’s taken notice, that she could actually win his heart, his mother, Queen Amphitrite, makes it clear her son will never marry a palace maid, much less the daughter of a sea witch with a seedy reputation. Serena’s dreams are slipping through her fingers, and she must decide if she is willing to embrace her magical powers and take her dreams by force. Magic could solve all her problems, or so she thinks, but at what price?